12 Simple Steps- Follow the 4 S’s

College of
Agriculture and Site Soil
12 Simple Steps for Starting Natural Resources 1. Type of garden 4. Testing
a Vegetable Garden 2. Size and costs 5. Preparing
3. Location 6. Improving
www.growit.umd.edu
Sam Patsy, Master Gardener Seeds Sustain
7. Best crops 10. Feed and water
8. How to plant 11. Weeds
9. Using transplants 12. Harvest!

1. What type of vegetable 2. Size and cost Sample 8 ft. X 8 ft. garden
garden? • Good planning will save you time, work, •Two raised
• In-ground: convert turfgrass to vegetables and $ 1 squash plant beds- 8 ft. X 3 ft.
with a 2 ft. path
• Containers: on back step, deck, or balcony • Only buy what you really need; be resourceful in the middle
or along driveway • Consider available space, time, mouths to •Time: late May
• Edible landscape: pepper, cabbage, Swiss feed, and motivation

8 ft.
chard, etc. mixed into ornamental beds – Always best to start small •Both beds could
have been
• Combination of the first three?? • An 8 ft. X 8 ft. garden with 48 sq. ft. of planted in salad
growing space should produce $175-300 of greens from
2 cuke plants April 1 through
fresh produce mid-May
3 ft.
 3. Location
• Level ground; close to water source.
• Southern exposure; tallest plants on north
side. At least 6-8 hrs. of direct sun.
• Protection from critters.
5. Preparing the soil
4. Testing the soil
Kill sod and control weeds:
• Well-drained • Cover area with newspaper or cardboard,
• Friable- deep, crumbly; allows for maximum root and cover with leaves, and compost OR
growth. • Dig up the area by hand or with a tiller
• Test your soil; 6.0-6.8 is preferred range for soil
pH.
• Urban/suburban soils are often low quality soils

Sheet compost your way to a 6. Improving the soil with

Soil prep
Slicing off sod vegetable garden organic matter
• Regular additions of organic matter will improve
soil structure and create a reservoir of slow-release
nutrients.
• Sources: manure, compost, shredded leaves, grass
clippings, organic mulches, plant roots, cover
crops, buried kitchen scraps.
• Large amounts of organic matter may be needed
Loosening subsoil for several years.

Turning soil
 Raised beds
some advantages…
• Warm up quickly in spring.
• Drain well; less compaction and erosion.
• Increase available rooting area.
• Can produce greater
yields per square square
foot.
and some disadvantages…
• Up-front labor and expense.
• Dry out quickly if weather is hot and dry.
8. How to plant?
• Rake the soil smooth.
• Make a shallow furrow to plant a single row
or sprinkle seeds over a wide row or bed
(broadcasting).
• Plant seeds at the recommended spacing.
• Don’t plant too deep! Barely cover seeds
with ¼ in. to ½ in. of soil.
• Tamp down on the soil for good seed to soil
contact.
Raised bed basics
2-4 ft. wide; usually 6”-8”
above grade; can be bordered
with wood, stone, brick
Spacing issues
Correct spacing for big onions
7. Best crops to start with…
“Instant” raised bed
filled with a • Tomato - productive and popular
purchased • Pepper - slow-growing but worth the wait
soil/compost mix
• Cucumber - make them climb to save space
• Summer squash - feed the neighborhood!
• Bush bean - plant them twice
• Lettuce - grow best March-June and Sept.-
Nov.
• Leafy greens - mustard, kale, collards,
Asian greens, and Swiss chard
9. Using transplants
• Transplants fill the space
quickly, no need to thin.
• Fertilize after planting,
water as needed.
Okra plants are too tight • When to use transplants:
tomato, pepper, eggplant,
cabbage, broccoli, herbs.
• You can also grow or buy
melon, squash, kale,
lettuce, and other veggie
transplants.
 10. Feed and water 11. Weed management Join the Grow It Eat It Network!
• Weeds are plants that thrive in disturbed soil.
• A new campaign brought to you by
• Use garden fertilizers according to label
directions.
Maryland Master Gardeners and the Home
• Best control methods:
• Organic and chemical fertilizers that are over- – Hand-pull
and Garden Information Center (HGIC)
applied can burn plant leaves and roots, reduce – Sharp hoe • Goals:
fruiting, invite insect pests, and pollute – Mulch – Teach people how to grow food
waterways. – Crop cover: dense planting of crops shades out weeds – Increase the number of Maryland food
• Water the roots, not the leaves. Keep the root zone
of your garden moist. gardeners
• Other methods: flame weeder, commercial – Create a network of food gardeners who will
• Use drip irrigation or a soaker hose to save time
herbicidal soap. keep learning and sharing through classes,
and water.
workshops, events, web site, blog

Resources
• Grow it! Eat it!- www.growit.umd.edu Thank You!
– Join the network! Access to valuable and practical
gardening tips and information. Share your experiences
in our blog.
Power point presentation created by:
• Maryland Master Gardener Program-
Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist, UME, 2/4/09
www.mastergardener.umd.edu
– Consider becoming a MG volunteer in your county or
Baltimore City.
• Home and Garden Information Center-
www.hgic.umd.edu
– We can answer your gardening questions…
– Call the “hotline” Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm. 1.800.342.2507
– Send an e-mail question 24/7 through the web site.