Planting Guide For Home Gardening In Alabama

A successful home garden comes with careful planning and constant attention. Here are some important reminders for the best garden you can have:

• Select a site exposed to full sun. The soil should be well-drained and free from harmful chemicals. You can improve your garden soil by adding organic matter such as compost, leaf mold or well-rotted sawdust. This is best added in late fall. Also, do a soil test to determine the amount of lime or fertilizer the soil may need.
• Don't seed too thickly when planting your garden. Plant small seed, such as turnips and carrots about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Plant larger seed, such as beans, cucumbers and peas, about an inch deep. When transplanting, use only stocky, healthy plants. Tomato transplants can be planted in a trench, covering about 2/3 of the stem of the plant. Tomato plants will produce roots close to the soil. Water them to settle the soil around the plant.
• Soak your garden thoroughly once a week during long dry periods. Don't just sprinkle it lightly every day.
• Most likely, you will need to use an insecticide in your garden to control insect pests. Your first choice should be a bio- sensitive insecticide. Mary Beth Musgrove, a horticulture associate with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, suggests using insecticidal soap to control aphids and red spider mites, Sevin for controlling bean beetles and pickleworms; and Dipel or Thuricide for controlling cabbage worms and cabbage loopers.
• Harvest your garden often to make sure vegetables are at the proper stage of maturity. If beans, okra, cucumbers and other vegetables are left on the vine to mature fully, plants will stop producing. It's best to harvest your vegetables early in the day, before they have had time to absorb heat from the sun.
• Freeze or can your surplus vegetables and enjoy your garden all year long.