If you want to eat garden-fresh vegetables this summer, now is a great time to get started on your vegetable garden. While there is some work involved, the good news is that if you do the right things now, you can have a harvest of healthy vegetables to eat this summer.  Here are some vegetable garden tips to get started:

Look through seed catalogs and nursery stock

Now is a great time to pick out which seeds you would like to grow in your spring garden. Seed catalogs are a good start for that. Also, keep in mind thinking outside the box – some heirloom seeds may give you a unique taste when it comes to your garden vegetables that you cannot find at the grocery store.  You may also want to put vegetable plants in the garden, as opposed to seeds, to get your garden growing.

In addition, think about what types of vegetables you like – it doesn’t do you any good to plant, say, squash, if you do not like the vegetable. Also, consider the fact that with some plants, like tomatoes, you can harvest from it throughout the summer, while other plants only have one vegetable harvest, and then they are finished for the year.

Figure out the placement and space of your bed

You may not have a huge backyard, but you still may be able to have enough space for a vegetable garden. Depending upon how much you want to grow, you may only need a few feet.  If you can, carve out a bigger space in your yard – how much you need is up to you – but keep in mind that the space needs to get great sunlight in order to grow well. Look for a spot that gets between six and eight hours of direct sunlight each day. Also, make sure that the garden is not close to trees or shrubs, because they could take needed nutrients from your garden. If you have limited space, or not the greatest soil in your yard, you may want to consider raised beds for your garden.

Check the soil

It is important to test the soil, specifically the pH level, to make sure that the soil is good for growing a vegetable garden. If you have questions on how to do this, and what you may need to do with the soil, such as compost and have your spring garden ready, check with your Lawn Doctor lawn care professional for more vegetable garden tips.

Don’t forget to water

Generally speaking, you will need to water the vegetable garden about an inch a week to make sure that the garden gets enough. Of course, this may need to be adjusted depending upon your climate and the needs of specific vegetables. So make sure that you have a water source of your own easily accessible to the garden, like a hose, in case the local weather is unable to contribute the amount of water you need.

There are many other tips and things you will need to know in order to get your spring garden to flourish, but this can get you started. Good luck.