Master Gardener: It's time to plant your vegetable garden

Just in case you haven't already planted, it's time to get your seeds, starts and plants in your garden now or very soon. Home gardening has become so popular, so getting exactly what you want to grow from your local nursery may become more difficult. And there's lots to do to prepare in case you haven't already. To thoroughly prepare, read this: https://pcmg.ucanr.org/Vegetables_/, and here are some ideas for Placer County: Plants: What do you want to grow? Print off this Placer County Vegetable Planting Guide at https://pcmg.ucanr.org/files/197684.pdf that lists the popular "warm season" vegetables for our county. The second page lists "cool season" plants, so save for your fall planting. This site gives information on vegetable varieties: http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/. If you want something different, check out the "25 Plants You Need to Grow Now" from Sunset. Mostly, choose plants you like to eat and do make sure what you choose is appropriate for your specific USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. Site selection: The ideal site is south facing, away from trees and close to your water source. Consider drainage. Protect from deer. Leaf veggies need four hours of sun daily; root veggies need six and fruiting veggies need eight hours of sun. You may need to shade your beds this summer if excessively hot. You can do that with your veggies by planting in blocks instead of rows and reducing spacing between plants. Keep in mind to start small and expand even though the plant choices are so very enticing. Soil, amendments and fertilizer: Remove weeds, roots and debris from last year's garden. Most vegetables require nutrients so it's important to know what nutrients to add. You can get a simple soil test to tell you the pH of your soil, whether it is alkaline or acidic and whether it has adequate nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Ideally, you want the pH to be between 5.8 and 6.3. Don't over-fertilize – more is not better. Depending on the results of your soil test, add organic and/or chemical fertilizers. Irrigation: Plan for drought conditions again this year. In addition to getting your watering approach planned, remember to compost and mulch. Adding organic matter (compost) to the soil increases its water holding capacity. Covering the surface of the soil with mulch decreases evaporation rates up to 50 percent and cuts down on weeds. Set up watering to get to the roots of your plants. Water deeply but less often to encourage roots to go deep. Water early or late, as water loss is less in the cooler times of the day. Check your soil moisture not just at the surface but 4-6 inches down. It might be time to start saving your "warm-up water" from your shower to use in your garden. The above reminders and the initial site reference at the top of the article should more than get you started. Above all, have fun. Keep a journal of what works and what doesn't in your special place. Don't miss the magic of growing a garden.