Selecting a Location For Your Vegetable Garden

By: Marie Fingerhut

Choosing the right location for your new vegetable garden is critical to your success.  Take time to evaluate the following conditions before you choose your garden site:

Sunlight

Most vegetable plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun per day.  For many vegetables even more light – 8 hours is preferable.  Some vegetable can tolerate less sun per day – 4 to 6 hours.  If you don’t have a spot in your garden that receives full sun you might try growing some of these “shade tolerant” plants.  Our lesson on Plant Profiles provides specific information about popular vegetable plants grown in home gardens.  Make sure you understand each crops light requirements before choosing to include them in your garden.  Here is a partial list of popular vegetable plants and their light requirements:

Plants that need full sun                         Shade-tolerant plants

Basil                                                                            Arugula

Bush Beans                                                                 Kale

Cucumbers                                                                 Lettuces

Eggplant                                                                      Spinach                                                     Peppers                                                                       Swiss Chard

Squash                                                                        Endive/Escarole

Tomatoes                                                                   Parsley           

Above: Drip irrigation lines are run along the rows. Crops that need more shade are in high tunnels.

Water

During the hot summer months your vegetables are going to need a lot of water!  Nothing will take the fun and enjoyment out of your gardening experience faster than having to haul water to your remote garden on a hot day!  Make sure to locate your garden to a close, accessible source of water.  Preferably an outdoor source.  As a general rule, one inch of water weekly will be enough for most vegetable plants.  During excessively hot or dry weeks more water may be required. Check out the lesson on Plant Profiles to understand the needs of the vegetable plants you choose for your garden.

Soil Quality

If you are planting a traditional in-ground vegetable garden your location will ideally have rich “loamy” soil.  A loamy soil has equal amounts of sand and silt with slightly less clay.  If your soil is too sandy it will drain too quickly, and plants may dry out.  If your soil has too much clay it can retain water too long.  If possible, test the soil to determine the conditions (soil type, pH, and fertility) you are starting with.   The results of the soil test will tell you what nutrients you need to add to the soil.  In addition to nutrients, your soil will benefit from the addition of organic matter such as compost or peat moss.  Check out the lesson on Soil Management for more information on soil testing, amendments, and management.  Consider a free soil test through Rutgers. 

Wind

 Plants need to be protected from heavy winds; this is an important factor in choosing your garden’s location.  Strong, constant wind will dry out your plants and soil and can also bend or topple tall or climbing plants.  If you garden is on the smaller side, you might be able to build (fencing) or plant (hedges) a “windbreak” to help protect plants

Slope

Choose a location for your garden where the ground is level of the slope is very slight.  In the cooler spring or during rainy stretches water can collect at the bottom of a slope.  Since cool air falls, it’s possible for frost pockets to form at the bottom of a slope.  Hillside soil is shallower and together with water runoff makes hillsides drier.  A higher elevation could also be drier and windier.

Overall Space Considerations

Finally, look around the space surrounding your potential vegetable garden location to determine how factors such a structures, hard surfaces, and other plantings might impact your garden.  For example, a structure such as a house or shed could shade the garden at varying times of the day.  On the other hand, a fence, structure, or hedge might provide beneficial protection from wind.  Hard surfaces such as patios, rooftops, and asphalt to not allow liquids to pass through and could cause water runoff issues. 

Gardening is a lot of work, but it is also fun, productive, and enjoyable.  Putting careful thought into the best place to locate your new garden will help ensure that your garden chores are easier and your chances or producing healthy, tasty vegetable are greatly improved!