Start growing your own vegetables

If you have never tasted a fresh-picked tomato, freshly dug potato or newly harvested broccoli, you have missed the incredible taste of homegrown vegetables.

In addition to the culinary advantages of growing your own vegetables, it is comforting to know how they are grown — the type of soil, kind of fertilizer and what, if any, chemicals are used.

Best of all, it is uniquely gratifying to plant a seed or small transplant, care for it as it grows, and finally harvest the reward of your efforts. This is the season to start growing your own vegetables.

The first step is choosing an appropriate place. Most vegetables grow best in full sun. Placing your garden near the house will make it more convenient to run out and pick some vegetables for dinner.

Make sure the spot is near a source of water so you will water when you should. If the deck or patio is only place in your landscape bathed in sunshine, plant vegetables in containers.

Start small. It is easy to get carried away with enthusiasm and create a large plot that quickly becomes overwhelming. Garner experience and confidence with success this season and enlarge the garden next year.

Next, prepare the soil before planting. It is tempting to forego this step, but the time spent improving the soil is well worth it. Amending our heavy clay soils with organic matter — and lots of it — will make it more hospitable to growing roots.

Mushroom compost, Purple Cow activated compost, shredded leaves, or compost made at home are all suitable organic matter choices. Fork or rototill it into the soil so that the top several inches are loose and crumbly. If seeds are being planted, be sure the top couple of inches are especially fine so tiny roots can easily move through the soil.

Decide which vegetables to grow. Some should be planted when the weather is still cool like lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes and radishes. Others need warm soil and temperatures like beans, cucumbers, peppers, squash, sweet corn and tomatoes. It's time to plant these is coming soon.

Many vegetable seeds can be planted directly in the garden or in containers. Plant them according to the directions on the seed packet. Some need just a light dusting of soil over them; others should be plunged an inch or so into the soil. Once seedlings emerge, thin them so that the remaining plants have room to grow.

The ideal time to plant transplants is on a cloudy day with little wind. Ease the plant out of its pot and into the ground. Very gently firm the soil around the plant and water thoroughly so moisture makes it way down to the roots.

Vegetables need a range of nutrients to grow. Some nutrients are found naturally in the soil but may not be available in the proper quantities for the best growth. Apply fertilizers to increase the fertility in the soil. There are many kinds of fertilizers, organic or synthetic, available in many forms — specialty fertilizers formulated for specific vegetables and general, balanced fertilizers. Apply according to package directions — more is not better.

Keep weeds out of the garden. Besides looking unattractive, they compete with vegetable plants for water, light and nutrients. They may also harbor pests and diseases. Control weeds by hand pulling or hoeing.

Protect your vegetables from pests. Grow resistant varieties. Inspect plants frequently so that any problem can be addressed quickly. Check the undersides of leaves, too. They are a favorite hiding spot for many insects.

Control plant diseases by starting off with healthy plants. Plant them with proper spacing so there is good air circulation around foliage. Keep vegetable plants happy with proper watering. Apply organic fungicides when necessary.

Take time to enjoy the process of site selection, choosing and caring for plants, watching vegetables grow and finally harvesting. Keep notes throughout the season — what worked and what didn't, favorite varieties, trouble with pests of diseases and actions taken — to guide next year's plans. Most importantly, delight in the taste of homegrown vegetables picked moments before eating.

• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the garden center manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040, ext. 2, or visit planterspalette.com.