|
|
|
| Free E-magazine |
| Subscribe to our Free E-Magazine on Gardening. |
| Learn More |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Home > Essentials of Gardening > Gardening for Beginners > Site Selection
| |
| | Site Selection in Gardening
| |
| |
First check for lighting. How much sun an area gets is a prime consideration. Six hours of sunlight will do for the greatest variety of plants. Stay away from underground utility lines and allow at least three feet from a building or fence.
In hot climates, like almost all of India, it is best to have some shade from the relentless afternoon sun, so a flower bed to the east of a building or fence usually works best. This also gives some protection from the hot drying winds that usually come from the west.
You can grow a garden even if you get 12 hours of full sunlight, but you should be more careful about which flowers you choose to grow. Pick ones that love full exposure to the sun. Your garden will also need more watering on a consistent basis.
Choose a site with good soil, if possible. All soils can be improved, but avoid areas with shallow rocky soil, areas where water stands, or steep slopes. Stay twenty feet or more away from a large tree or five feet away from a sizable bush.
Trees will compete with your garden for water and nutrients. You must do a soil test which will help to determine what nutrients the soil requires and will tell you the fertilizers that the soil needs as well as its pH.
You don`t necessarily need a soil test to get started, but if you are serious about gardening, you may want to get a soil test from your local Department of Agriculture who may provide such services.
| |
| |
|
