Spring is a great time to get a garden ready and to start planting vegetables and flowers. K-State Research and Extension offers these tips for planting a vegetable garden:
- Use mulch to conserve moisture, control weeds, and reduce rot.
- Examine plants often to stay ahead of potential problems
- Keep weeds out.
- Remove tomato suckers (shoots that develop between the stem and branches) before they reach 1 to 2 inches long.
- Have garden soil tested every three to four years.
- Apply fertilizer as recommended.
- To prevent overcrowding, weed out (or thin) extra seedlings when the plants are small.
- Avoid walking in the garden when the foliage and soil are wet.
- Wash and clean the garden sprayer well after each use.
Tips from MF-315, Vegetable Garden Planting Guide, by Charles Marr.
