So you want to start a garden. Congratulations!
First up, you’ll need to consider orientation, soil type and
physical location. Preferably you want an area that is not too rocky and
relatively flat. It should be near the house, but not too close as the garden
is not always picturesque and can be odorous if you are using steer manure. You
DO want it near enough that it is convenient to bring produce into the kitchen.
The garden will need at least 6 hours of sunshine per day and afternoon shade,
whether you take advantage of a tree or building, or are planning on putting up
shade cloth.
The next consideration is size. If you are limited for
space, make it as large as you possibly can as you will want to be able to
rotate your crops; especially tomatoes and peppers, which are susceptible to
multiple diseases and should not be planted in the same place for at least 3
years.
Raised beds are an option if your soil is just too rocky, or
if caliche is a problem in your area. Keep in mind several things. Raised beds
dry out quicker so you will be watering more often, you will have to import top
soil to fill them (and make sure it really is top soil as otherwise you will
end up with excavated soil that has no nutritional value), you will have to be
careful about using treated lumber for the edges as it contains arsenic. Concrete
blocks will leach lime into the bed, and plants don’t like that either. You
will also probably end up turning the soil by hand, as it is difficult to
rototill inside a raised bed. My preference is to just work with what you have,
but there are cases where raised beds are the only option.
The garden will need to be fenced against rodents and snakes,
and if you are in a very rural area also javalina and deer. Even if you have a
fence or wall, keep in mind that ground squirrels can climb walls and ground
squirrels, rabbits and javalina will dig under fences to get after your garden
bounty. Some snakes can climb fences and walls, so they need to be tall enough
to discourage this. Snakes can slip through a 1” opening, so you will need to
secure the gate openings as well.
If you live in an area where rabbits, ground squirrels and
snakes have the potential for being a problem, you will need to erect a fence at
least 4’ tall. Use fence with 2” x 4” openings, and add 3’ tall ¼” hardware
cloth or ½” chicken wire to the fence, burying at least 12” underground, and
bending at least a few inches of the bottom into an L shape, to deter rodents
from digging under. If javalina are a potential problem, you will need to
reinforce the bottom of the fence with barbed wire. If deer could be a problem,
your fence will need to be 8’ tall.
Also keep in mind where you will be storing composting
materials. If you plan on obtaining large quantities of animal manure or
storing straw and other composting supplies, you will need a place where a
vehicle can access, and close enough to the garden so you aren’t making tons of
wheelbarrow trips. You also don’t want it to offend the neighbors, so try to
keep it out of sight, if possible.
