Spring officially has arrived, and our thoughts turn towards starting our summer garden. Here are a few key decisions that will give you and your garden plants a firm foundation for summer garden success.

As you gaze across your property, decide where the garden will be located. Find a sunny location, preferably one that has at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Pay attention to slope and low-lying areas that will affect drainage.

From your experience, does the site retain moisture and be the last area to thaw? If so, decide on an alternative location or map out the site with the least amount of slope or water retention. Avoid choosing a garden site immediately adjacent to a structure, as the structure may interfere with soil drainage and sun exposure. Choose a site with easy accessibility for supplemental watering during dry periods and a short distance from your house for bringing in harvested vegetables and flowers.

Mark out the size and shape of your proposed garden using small stakes and twine or spray paint. Remove the sod or vegetation cover within the outlined plot. If you ultimately wish to create a large garden plot, consider expanding the garden area in stages to make the process less stressful and overwhelming.

There are several methods for removing sod or vegetation. Tilling or mulching are the two most frequently used. Tilling can be accomplished for a small garden plot with a spade or a shovel; mechanized equipment such as a plow or gasoline-powered tiller is needed for a large garden plot, especially if you plan to plant the garden in the same growing season. Tilling will kill perennial vegetation; however, you may need two or three repeated treatments to be effective. The sooner you begin the tilling process, the better prepared you will be when planting time arrives.

Mulching a garden plot is best begun in the fall. Mulching will kill vegetation over several weeks or months by preventing access to sunlight. Cover the garden area with a heavy mulch to block all sunlight. One method is to layer heavy black plastic film (6 millimeters or more) over the entire garden and weigh it down using rocks or pin it in place with garden staples. Layering thick applications of organic materials such as leaves, straw or wood chips, or thick layers of newsprint is another mulch option. Remember that the layers must completely block out all sunlight to successfully kill sod and other plants. Wetting the materials after application will keep them from blowing away in the wind. If using newspapers or other organic materials, they do not need to be removed prior to planting the garden. You can plant right through the mulch layer making certain that the plants are placed in the soil layer below.

Soil testing is important when starting a new garden. A soil test analyzes your soil’s pH, as well as the amount of available nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. A report is generated specific to your soil and will contain recommendations for lime, fertilizer and other amendments. Butler County soils are generally acidic and often will require an amendment of lime to neutralize the acidity. A soil test can be processed before or after tilling and mulching are completed.

Knowing your soil condition prior to planting a garden will allow you to amend the soil properly, select the appropriate plants, and give your garden a high likelihood of success. Standard soil test kits may be purchased from the Penn State Extension Butler County office (101 Motor Pool Way, Butler) or from commercial firms or garden centers that stock kits for the convenience of their customers. You can also access the soil test kit form and instructions online: https://extension.psu.edu/soil-testing.

At this point, you are ready to lay out and plant your garden. If opting for vegetables, select the varieties as seeds or seedlings and follow the directions for planting, paying particular attention to the timing, space requirements and growing heights. Flower gardens can be started using seeds or purchased plants. Buying and planting annuals (flowering plants that grow for one growing season, produce seed, and die) is economical and easy. Planting perennials is best done by purchasing plants in containers. As with vegetables, pay attention to growing height and spacing requirements for flowering plants. Plant tall plants in the back of the garden and the lower growing varieties in the front. Flowers should also be planted in clumps or long, linear shapes (drifts) to make them more visible and attractive to pollinators.

Planting flowers near or bordering your vegetable garden is recommended as the flowers will attract pollinators that will in turn visit the blossoms of your vegetable plants, increasing their yield.

Throughout the summer, water your garden regularly especially in dry periods, erect fencing to deter garden visitors, and apply mulch to keep weeds under control. Your spring garden preparations will reward you this summer with produce and beauty!

Penn State Extension (https://extension.psu.edu/trees-lawns-and-landscaping/home-gardening) has online resources for home gardeners. Peruse their website for a wide variety of educational offerings. If you have questions about home garden preparations, call the Butler County Master Gardener Garden Hotline at 724-287 4761, ext. 7, or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.

Mary Alice Koeneke is a Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Butler County.