"Location, location, location" also applies to food gardens. If not in the right place, these plants may grow too slowly to yield properly. Plants weakened by poor location -- just like stressed humans -- lack a healthy immune system.
If you are planning to put in your first food garden this year, give some thought to these five fundamentals of location before you turn that first spade of soil.
1. Exposure. A location that is fully exposed will offer plants all the sun they need. Unfortunately, some yards don't have this option. Consider the exposure from due south the most desirable because it gives light more hours of the day than any other. East-facing is second-best because the morning light dries the dew off leaves, reducing disease potential. Third is west-facing, because plants can suffer from extreme heat of direct exposure on summer afternoons. Exposure can be altered by manmade elements that block the sun for part of the day, such as a house, garage, fence or your neighbor's stored motor home.
2. Avoid trees. Trees large and small influence the soil around them. The canopy will not only shade a garden space, its leaves may fall into the soil to influence its chemistry. Roots of older trees can become an underground barrier to digging, particularly if they have fine feeder roots at the surface. Even where a tree has recently been cut down, a dense root system may remain as a barrier to cultivation.
3. Proximity to water. Nobody wants to drag hoses every day to water a food garden. When the garden is located close to a spigot, the hose is always handy to water the garden as often as necessary. It can also feed a water-conserving drip system on a battery timer. If there's no spigot nearby, it is highly recommended that one be installed before starting the garden.
4. Overall visibility. Food gardens are beautiful in season, but can be an eyesore the rest of the year. For those who live in all but very warm climates, the food garden should be located where it isn't in full view from windows or outdoor living spaces during the off season.
5. Protection. Depending on whether you have digging dogs or deer invading, the garden should be defendable. Many creatures find your veggies just as delectable as you do. In deer country, the importance of specialized fencing is undeniable. If it's just the family dog, you may need no more than a cute picket fence. Either way, consider how this protection looks as it relates to the rest of your backyard space.
Never forget that the food garden is part of a larger landscape. Unlike ornamental plants that need only look good, your veggies must produce a crop, too. Position them properly and you will be rewarded. But if the plants consider your choice a crummy location, no amount of work or money will ever coax them to yield a crop.
(Maureen Gilmer is an author, horticulturist and landscape designer. Learn more at www.MoPlants.com. Contact her at mogilmer(at)yahoo.com or P.O. Box 891, Morongo Valley, CA 92256.)