There are a couple of things to consider when setting up your new garden – but the main thing is the soil. One of the things I ask a lot of times when people are saying that things aren’t growing, or stuff hasn’t survived in an area, is how’s your soil?

You have to have something good for the roots to grow in, because that will determine how well the plant does more than any single thing we can do after the fact. Preparing that soil and using a soil amendment when you plant is key. Make sure your soil is a good color and check if it’s overly compacted. We do soil testing, so you can always bring a sample in and get our recommendations.

Then the second thing to talk about is plant selection. We’ve got certain plants in each of the departments that are a little bit more forgiving, more resilient growers, and can handle a little bit of abuse without showing major, major problems. In trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, there are those plants that are a little bit more forgiving. Marigolds, for instance. If it’s a new gardener, we start them with one of those plants, because we want them to have success. If they don’t have success, they’re going to be turned off to the hobby. Starting them with something that we can almost guarantee they’re going to have success with is going to help as well.

A question we often ask is, how many hours of sunlight does that area get? Keeping an eye on that area and observing is so important. Most people kind of look at you like a deer in the headlights. and then a lot of people say, it’s on the east side of the house. Well, is there a tree blocking the sun on the east side of the house? I know the east side of the house is going to make it morning sun, but is there any other obstruction? Picking the right plant for the right environment is also key to success. Having good soil, but then the right plant for the right environment. Luckily at Rohrs Nursery, we’ve got a lot of employees that have 10, 15, 20 plus years of experience. They themselves have experienced things and tried different things and they can use their knowledge to make sure that you’re successful at the first go around.

Watering is always a big deal in the middle of the summertime. You want to make sure you have it in an area where the hose is easy to reach and you’re going to be able to remember to water it and all that. Not watering, or overwatering, the foliage is a mistake we experience often from our customers. We’re always happy to teach you how to water vegetables, annuals, and anything else the right way.

Start small, start with baby steps because there is a lot of work involved, and it can get very overwhelming. If you start in one area and work slowly around it, it’s not so overwhelming and it makes it more enjoyable. If you can do a raised bed, I do always recommend raised beds. They’re a lot easier to take care of, they’re easier to keep the weeds down, it’s not so hard on the back, and it provides better drainage. And you can really amend that soil a lot easier, adding new stuff to it every year.

Anybody in apartment living, you can use container gardens. They’ve actually become extremely popular in producing vegetables. It’s just a small, raised bed. You can have multiples, and it allows people that don’t have the space to actually till the soil itself to still have the ability to grow their own food. A lot of times, cucumbers and zucchini are a little bit tougher because it gets bigger. But cucumbers, you can do them on a trellis as long as it’s a sturdy one, because they are a vine. Going upwards or a little bit more at an angle will give you more space. Get creative with what you have! Make sure you give yourself room, however, because things do get big. When you buy them, they’re real tiny, but those tomatoes get big almost overnight.

Try what you want to try, because a lot of it is trial and error. It is a great idea to read up on the plants you want to put in your garden beforehand. You can even come into Rohrs and ask, ‘how do I plant zucchini?’ We’ll talk to you about site location and what you’re looking for when you plant it. For zucchini specifically, a good air movement is important because there’s a fungus that can get on the foliage. So good sunlight, good air movement. Of course, we’ll always talk about having good soil to start with, because that’s going to determine the success no matter what vegetable plant we’re talking about.

Nothing better than seeing things grow, and we have plenty of veggies, herbs, and flowers to help you get started on your gardening journey. We’re just a phone call or drive away if you have any questions along the way!

Questions? Email us at [email protected] or call one of our two locations: Portage (330-499-0101) or Everhard (330-492-1243).