Elements you really need to start a garden

What elements do you really need to start a garden? The simple requirements are soil, water and seed. But what about location of the soil, the type of soil, and its structure and content? How much water is necessary, and how will you deliver it? Thousands of seeds in garden varieties are available. How will you narrow your choices? Do you really want seeds, or should you get transplants instead? See what I mean, it's simple.

Let's begin with the first choice every budding gardener must make: the site of the garden. Whether you are landscaping a small, city plot or planting a large, country garden, you still must take stock of your site first.

Imagine what you'd do if you could choose the perfect garden site.

The Perfect Garden Site Avoids:

® Low-lying pockets. Frost settles in low areas, air does not circulate freely.

® Exposed hilltops. Exposure to wind and temperature extremes makes gardening a challenge.

® North-facing slopes. They receive less sun and are often cooler than surrounding areas.

® Shade, if planning a fruit or vegetable garden.

® Compacted ground, such as former parking lots or areas where
heavy machinery has been used. It's murder to convert such areas into decent growing soil.

® Subsoil. Unfortunately, this describes almost all new housing sitesas well as parking lots, because contractors often scrape away precious topsoil.

® Sand or clay. Both extremes have their challenges.

The Perfect Garden Site Features:

® A gentle south-facing slope. It will receive full sun and the slope facilitates both water drainage and air circulation.

® Well-draining soil. Test by digging a 1-foot-deep hole, and filling it with water. If it takes more than a few hours to drain, you may want to take steps to improve the drainage. (See "Soil Toil," page 9.)

® Fertile, friable loam, rich in humus. Nobody ever just finds soil like this; it takes years of building. But it is nice to dream about it in a perfect site.

® Full sun. Many plants prefer it, and you can surround those that require shade with trees, shrubs, or garden structures.

® Available water. Realistically, how far are you willing to lug the garden hose?


Make the Most of Your Site by Finding Out About:

® The average rainfall for your area.

® The average first and last frost dates, from which you can then calculate your anticipated growing season.

® Low temperatures in your area and your USDA Zone designation.

® Your soil's pH.


And Consider Such Facts As:

® Gardens in cities are warmed by the artificial environment surrounding them, which extends the natural growing season. Plants and gardeners also must be able to tolerate air pollution.

® Seaside gardens get whipped by salty winds, but are buffered from sudden temperature changes.

® Nearby bodies of water substantially change the immediate growing conditions. They retain heat through the day and release it over a prolonged period of time.

® Higher elevations usually mean lower temperatures.

Mulching for your bulbs

Mulch helps keep down weeds, can add organic matter to the soil, retains moisture, and stabilizes the soil temperatures. Stable soil temperatures are important so the bulbs don’t sprout too soon and risk freezing damage from a late spring cold snap.
Shredded leaves, compost, or bark chips are all fine choices for mulch. Sprinkle it lightly around your bulbs just after planting them or when they’re up and growing. And add some more mulch after the show is completely over.

Fertilizing bulbs

Although newly planted bulbs have all the stored foods they need to perform the following spring, annual fertilizing can help keep this show going year after year.
A general-purpose fertilizer works fine for bulbs. A higher phosphorus content is often recommended simply because it inspires root growth as well as flower production. So go ahead and use the 5-10-5 or something close to this ratio.
People often recommend bone meal for bulbs, with its approximate formulation of 2.5-24-0. Alas, modern-day, store-bought bone meal is highly sanitized, and its benefits are questionable. Nonetheless, some bulb enthusiasts swear by it. This natural material tends to be very slow to release it nutrients, so some gardeners prefer using super phosphate instead; this material is rock phosphate that has been treated with sulfuric acid to make it more soluble. It’s 20 percent phosphorous (0-20-0).
Some people debate over where to place the fertilizer. In the hole? On the soil surface (top-dressing)? The case for adding plant food to the planting hole is that it’s right at the roots, where plants need it (some people are concerned that direct contact with fertilizer will burn a bulb or its roots, but not all bulbs are so fragile). The case for soil-surface feeding is that the nutrition can filter into the growing area more gradually.
What to do? Try whichever way is more convenient for you, and judge the results. You can always switch methods.
You need to fertilize only once, and you have three opportunities to do so:

• At planting time (usually in the fall): Fertilizing at planting time gets the bulbs off to a good start.
• As growth starts, usually in early spring: This fertilizing improves the current season’s display. Individual plants will be more robust, with brighter, longer-lasting blooms.
• Post-bloom: While the foliage dies down naturally, this little boost sends food down to the bulb to fuel next year’s show. The standard application rate for fertilizer is a tablespoon or small handful per square foot, but read the label on the fertilizer package for exact directions.

Always apply fertilizer to damp ground, and water it in afterwar

Watering your bulbs

Just like grocery-store onions, bulbs rot with too much moisture. And yet, they need water to generate roots and get growing. But don’t fret — there’s no mystery or careful balancing act. Just grow bulbs in well-drained soil; they can use the water they need, and any excess moisture should drain away. Fall-planted, spring-flowering bulbs have it easy if you live where fall rains water them in and spring rains wake them up. (Of course, in an uncharacteristic dry spell, you can provide supplemental water.) Summer- and fallbloomers appreciate water most when they’re beginning to emerge and again when they open their flower buds. Water at these times only if the soil is dry.

Putting in the bulb

You want the nose, or growing point, to point up and the roots, or basal plate from which they’ll grow, to point down. (If you can’t tell, plant the bulb on its side — the plant will figure it out in due course! Botanists call this nifty skill gravitropism.) Make sure the bottom of the bulb is in contact with soil; if you leave an air pocket, the roots can dry out and the bulb won’t grow or won’t grow very well.
As you scoop soil back into the hole, firmly press it in place to prevent
air pockets. Water well (some settling will occur) and then add a bit
more soil as needed. Indicate where you’ve planted your bulbs so you don’t plant other flowers in
the same place. Mark the locations with perm

Adding a fertilizer for bulbs

Use a fertilizer that has a higher phosphorus number, such as a 5-10-5 fertilizer Phosphorus (the P in the N-P-K on fertilizer labels) is important for the root growth as well as flower production. Just sprinkle the fertilizer in the bottom of the hole and scratch it in so it mixes with the soil a bit. If the ground is bone dry, water a day or so before planting so the ground is damp but not muddy when you’re planting the bulbs. If you want to wait to fertilize, you can scratch the fertilizer into the surface of the soil in the spring as the bulbs are growing.

Digging the hole for Bulbs

photography by Margaret MacGillivray of http://www.plantsforprofit.com

If you’re planting only a few bulbs or you’re spot-planting (tucking bulbs in among other plants in a mixed bed), use a trowel. Various bulb planters are on the market, but frankly, I don’t find them very useful unless the soil is loose. If you’re planting lots of bulbs, break out the shovel and make a trench.
Not all bulbs are the same size, so not all bulbs should be planted the same depth. The general rule is three times as deep as the bulb’s height. This guideline varies a bit based on your soil type. In sandier soils, you can plant a little deeper; in heavy clay soils, a little shallower. If you forget how deep to plant your bulbs, consult the supplier’s label or catalog. Too shallow, and your bulbs may poke their heads above the soil surface too early and get damaged by wintry weather; too deep, and they’ll take longer to emerge.
Roots grow out of the bottom of the bulb, so the quality of the soil underneath it is more important than what you pack the hole with. If you’re amending the soil with organic material like compost or sphagnum moss, dig somewhat deeper-than-recommended holes so you can accommodate this addition. Distance apart varies with the type of bulb and the sort of display you have in mind. If you crowd the bulbs underground, the eventual show may suffer. Certainly, don’t let the bulbs touch one another. The general rule is at least three bulb-widths apart “on center” (from the center of one bulb to the center of the next). But experience can tell you what the bulbs you’ve chosen tolerate and how dense you like your displays.