7 Things to Consider Before Choosing

Now is the time to plan your garden. Gardening or homesteading is a great way to get started for those who are new. Location of your planting site will be the first thing you need to think about.

This is an excerpt Cold-Hardy Fruits and Nuts Scott Serrano, Allyson Lvy. It has been adapted to the web.

There are many things to consider when choosing the best location for your plants.

1. How to Determine the Soil Composition at Your Planting Site

Is the soil in your area primarily clay, sand or stone? You may have a variety of soils on your land depending on the size and shape of your planting area.

This can be determined by taking soil samples at several locations where you plan to plant. You can find a lot of good information on soil types in university agricultural programs.

 2. How Acidic is Your Soil?

The pH (acidity/alkalinity of your soil) is another factor to consider. Most plants can survive in the slightly alkaline range between 6.5 and 5.5 pH. Some plants, however, require nutrients which can only be absorbed through the root system at specific pH levels.

Testing your soil is the best way to find out what type of soil it is.

Contact your local agricultural extension service at your university or the agricultural test labs in your region to find out.

Some of these organizations offer soil testing services. They also sell simple soil test kits that come with instructions. These allow you to test the soil yourself. They can also advise you on what you should do if your soil is too acidic.

3. Planting Area Soil Depth

You should also know how much topsoil is available to you.

In some planting areas, the soil is deep and can reach a depth up to 5 feet (1 m). Some areas may have shallow soil, with just 1 foot (31cm) to work.

When you dig test holes at different places, it can help you to determine the depth and best location to plant trees.

You can choose from a variety of sites to plant. However, most plants will have horizontal roots when planted in shallow areas.

Planting your trees in large mounds can be beneficial if you only have a soil depth of a few feet.

These can be 6- to 10-foot (1.8–3.1 m) wide circles that gently rise to a 1-foot-tall (31 cm) slope. The plant is buried at the center of the mound to give its roots more space. This method has one drawback: every few years you’ll need to add more soil to the mound in order to allow the roots to grow.

4. Find out your light exposure

The amount and type of light falling directly on a plant determines its lighting conditions. These can range anywhere from full sun to complete shade.

This is known as the planting aspect. It will help determine which type of plant thrives in a certain site.

Locate a planting site that receives a lot of sunlight from the south. You can easily locate this area with a compasses.

The following is a guideline to help you evaluate the different aspects that affect sunlight exposure in order to decide what plants will thrive within a specific planting area.

It may be more beneficial to get four hours of sunshine in the morning, if you can only get three hours in the afternoon.

Remember that light intensity and exposure can change at different times throughout the year.

Here are some guidelines to help you avoid excessive sun exposure.

Full Sun Sunlight: 12-8 hours per day.
Part Shade When the sun is at its hottest, 6 to 4 direct hours of sunlight are recommended.
Part Sun Aim for 4 to 2 hours direct sunlight in the morning and evening.
Full Shade Filtered sunlight is sufficient to create complete shade.

5. Decide Your Hardiness Zone

Hardiness is a factor that determines the rating of most plants. This factor measures the plant’s ability in winter to survive at the lowest temperatures. In addition to the cold, it measures a plant’s ability to tolerate heat, drought, flooding, and wind.

A hardiness area is a defined geographic area that includes a specific range of climatic factors relevant to the growth and survival of plants.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map provides a standard for gardeners and growers to determine what plants will thrive in a particular location.

The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10°F (6°C) zones, which was last updated in 2012.¹

6. Microclimate

The microclimates in your planting area can also play an important role in a plant’s ability to survive. A microclimate can be defined as a set of local atmospheric conditions that are different from the surrounding area.

It can be a matter of a few degrees but it may be significant enough to allow less hardy plants to survive in areas where they would normally not. If you live in an urban area, hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete absorb the sun’s energy and can make a planting environment hotter.

South-facing areas receive more direct sunlight, and they can stay warmer for a longer period of time.

Remember that cold air can settle in the lower parts of a site and cause those areas to stay colder longer. These spots can make it more difficult for a plant to grow than a site that is 30 feet (9.1 meters) higher uphill.

7. What is Your Water Source?

For the first year, a tree or bush will need about 1 inch (2.55 cm) of water per week in order to remain healthy. Also, convenient water access is a factor to be considered when choosing where to plant.

Notes

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