Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Pick the plot
Step 2:
Know your growing season
Step 3:
Buy your seeds
Step 4:
Plan the garden
Step 5:
Prepare the soil
Step 6:
Plant your seeds
Step 7:
Tend the garden
Step 8:
Harvest the garden

2torial #0568:
Learn2 Plan a Vegetable Garden (Continued)

Buy your seeds

Seeds are sold in nurseries, garden centers, organic food markets, and larger hardware stores. Here are some guidelines for choosing them:

• Before you go, make a list of the vegetables you're interested in cultivating (don't go overboard). There will usually be several seed varieties for each type. Choose what you're familiar with, or simply what looks good.

• Make sure the seeds are right for your climate zone. Most packages will have a zone map printed on them, showing what climate is best. Also check maturity rates, disease resistance, and taste.

• Check how much growing space (marked on the package) each plant requires. Combine your garden size with these requirements to estimate how much you can plant.

• Smaller seeds (lettuce, radishes, and carrots, for example) can be bought in seed strips. These are long pieces of paper tape to which pre-spaced seeds are attached. All you have to do is unroll it over the planting furrow and bury it, so it saves you time.

• Don't forget herbs! They only need a little garden space and can add a lot of zing to your summer menu.

If you have a particularly late average last frost and want to grow warm season vegetables that will mature late (close to your average first frost), you might also consider seedlings. These are available at nurseries (already growing in pots and ready for transplant), or you can germinate some yourself (talk to the folks at the nursery for guidelines). Be warned, however, as seedlings don't always survive being transplanted.