STERLING, Ill. – Growing a successful home garden takes a lot of careful planning about everything from soil quality to what and where you’ll plant, according to a couple of gardening experts.

“Gardening starts long before the first seed is planted and planning is essential for both first-time and experienced gardeners,” Bruce J. Black, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, said in a statement. “Finding space for new plants that are suited to your USDA hardiness and having blossoms all year long can be a challenge. After mapping out your existing perennials, think about what new plants could be added to your landscape.”

Gardeners should get their soil tested before planting, said Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections (AAS) and the National Garden Bureau (NGB). “Send in more than one sample from around the area you’ll be planting,” she suggested. “Depending on what you learn from the test, you may need to add amendments such as compost or a slow-release fertilizer.”

As for where to place the garden, Blazek said consider the climate and how much sun the plants might need. “Do they need full or partial sun? In warmer climates, some shade might be better. Every package of seeds shows if they will grow best in full (considered at least six hours of direct sun) or partial sun. Plant north to south, tallest to shortest, to best take advantage of the sun.”

Gardeners should use the USDA Hardiness Zone Map (https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/) to help determine which plants will grow best in their area. “They should think about what they want to grow and how much space they have,” Blazek said. “Do you want to grow beefsteak tomatoes or grape tomatoes? Consider what you want to eat and what your family might want to eat. Do you want to grow another green bell pepper or do you want to try something different?”

Tomatoes are the number one plant grown by home gardeners, she said. Green peppers are second.

Much of the Farm World readership area is in Zone 5, meaning plants – especially perennial fruits – need to be a maximum Zone 5, Black said in an email. Anything under 5 will work as well.

“For vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, onions, herbs, cucumbers, pumpkins and squash, as well as leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard), root vegetables (beets, carrots, parsnips) are all good to grow in our area,” he wrote. “For fruits, this gets trickier and relies more on the winter hardiness of the fruit. Fruit trees like apples, tart cherries, pears and plums are the hardiest. Peaches, nectarines, sweet cherries and apricot are cold injury susceptible and are usually planted more in the south parts of Illinois and the warmer Zone 6 part of Indiana. Small fruits like strawberries, pineberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries are all able to be grown.”

So that gardeners don’t end up with more of a specific fruit or vegetable than they planned, Black recommended 12-15 bean plants per person, one-two cucumbers, two-three eggplants, 15-20 pea plants, eight-10 pepper plants, two-four tomato plants and one-two zucchini plants. “Now, realize, that is a lot of garden space needed and if you pick varieties that mature at the same time, a lot of produce,” he said. “Customize your space using containers, in-ground plantings, raised beds and varieties that have different ‘days to maturity.’ Things like lettuce can be planted multiple weeks for continuing harvests.”

Blazek stressed the importance of purchasing seeds and plants from a reputable dealer. “Don’t go to the guy who started up in his garage last week. It’s not a fly-by-night industry. It’s very technical, very regulated, to protect the consumer. If you’re dealing with a small company, are they aware of all the regulations about sending seeds across state lines? With reputable companies, you have assurances the company has been around while and they’re abiding by all state and federal guidelines about selling seeds across state lines. Avoid offers that seem too good to be true.”

AAS is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener, according to its website (www.all-americaselections.org). The site includes a list of national and regional winners for fruit, vegetable and flower plants. The AAS and NGB (www.ngb.org) sites also offer gardening blogs and other resources. The members listed on the NGB site are reputable, Blazek said.

A common mistake, especially for new gardeners, is over or under watering, she said. “Some of the other big mistakes are overcrowding, as you need to understand the space you have,” Blazek pointed out. “Also, underestimating the amount of product you’ll grow. You should think about the yield and if you’re going to eat what you grow fresh or are you going to can or freeze it to use over the winter. Would you consider donating any extra food to a food pantry?”

Most vegetables and fruits need about one-two inches of water per week, which means daily waterings or multiple waterings when it is hot and sunny, Black said. “The best time to water is early morning or late afternoon, watering the base of the plants and not the leaves. Getting the leaves wet can cause growing places for bacteria and fungi.”

For information via video, visit YouTube and search for University of Illinois Extension Horticulture.