Garden Basics:
Know Your Garden Conditions

Light Conditions of Each Plant

Plants requirements usually specify - sun, partial sun, partial shade, shade.

• Full Sun: The plant needs sunshine a minimum of 6-7 hours each day with no shade.
• Full Shade: The plant will thrive only if it has no direct sun for its growing season.  Usually on north sides of buildings and walls or under trees with low branches and dense leaves. No direct sunlight reaches the ground.
• Partial Sun: The plant needs a minimum of 4 hours but no more than about 6 hours of sun. Plants usually can tolerate mid-day sun.
  
• Partial Shade: The plant should receive only about 4 to 6 hours of direct sunshine each day (usually morning sun), then shaded the rest of the day.
  

Take the amount of sunshine a plant needs into consideration when picking plants.  Some parts of the school garden receive more shade.  The west portion of our garden receives the most sun.  The north-west corner the most shade. 

For best results, learn the light condition for each plant before planting

Water Needs of Each Plant

The school garden now features irrigation with a timer.  Each plot has some irrigation which can be reduced or increased as needed.  Additional sprinklers may be added or hand watering may be needed.

For best results, learn the water needs of each plant and adjust as  needed.

Fertilizer Needs of Each Plant

Plants can benefit from a feeding.  You probably have seen three numbers listed for fertilizer.  They will always be in the same order and stand for nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K). Nitrogen helps with growth, Phosphorus helps with flowering and potassium helps the plants health.  Learn more at Learn2Grows "Understanding Fertilizer Numbers."  Organic fertilizers are also an option - visit the West Side Gardener for more information. 

Soil: Amend and/or Replace

The soil at our school leaves a lot to be desired.  You might want to consider replacing soil in your garden plot or amend the soil. Taking out the top 6 inches or more and laying down weed cloth then adding quality soil will make your gardening experience easier in the long run and produce better results.