When selecting a site for a garden, choosing a site that gets as much sun exposure as possible will allow you to grow a wider variety of crops. If all you have is a shady spot, you can still grow things like leafy greens and herbs, but to grow fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash you should choose a site that gets at least 8 hours of direct sunlight every day during the summer. If you are planning your garden in the winter, be sure to consider that a site’s sun exposure may change as surrounding trees fill out in the spring and the angle of the sun changes.
If you choose a location where you will be growing in the ground, you should get a sample of your soil tested by a laboratory. The Colorado State University Soil, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory will perform a “Routine Garden and Landscape Test” for $35. This will provide all the information about your soil that you will need to consider when applying fertilizer.
This is not 100% necessary, however. If you have a soil that appears to be healthy and has healthy plant life growing on it already (lawn, perennial garden plants, prairie grasses, etc.), you can usually get much of the information you need from a simple, low-cost soil test kit.
Click here to purchase a Rapitest Soil Test Kit for $13.67
Most soils in our region (North of Denver, CO) will have adequate P (Phosphorous) and K (Potassium) but little to no N (Nitrogen). Our soil also started a pH of 7.4 which is typical for this area. Luckily, these minor issues are easily corrected by adding compost. This will not only supply Nitrogen to our plants, but will also make the soil more acidic which makes the P and K already present in the soil more available to our plants.
If you don’t have soil that you can use to garden, you can still grow a container garden. Maybe you live in the desert and have very poor soil, or maybe all you have is a concrete patio. Whatever the reason, you can still grow your own food using large planters filled with soil mix or a simple hydroponic system. This can be done on a sunny patio or even indoors under artificial light. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a large space to garden, you can still grow your own food.