If you want to be successful in your gardening, the first step is to get your garden ready for planting your plants. Getting your garden ready for planting does take time, and can consist of some hard labor, but it is well worth it when you see your plants growing beautifully.

 Breaking Ground

 If you don't already have an established area for planting, the first step in getting your garden ready is to break up the ground to make your yard suitable for plants. The best way to do this is to use a tiller, but it can be done by hand as well. If you have access to a tiller, you should set the tiller to go as deep as possible to really get the ground broken up.

 If you do not have access to a tiller, get ready for some hard work. You will need to use a shovel, and break up the ground by hand, removing the top layer of grass and breaking up at least the top 6-8 inches of soil. There are also special hand tools which can help to “till” the soil which can be purchased at most garden supply or hardware stores, that often work much better than a shovel.

 Preparing the Soil

 Either before or after you break ground for your garden, you will need to have your soil tested. You can purchase a soil testing kit online or at some garden supply stores, however they may not perform very well and may fail to provide accurate results. Your best bet is to take a sample to a nursery or garden center, and have it professionally tested.

 Once your soil is tested, you will be able to determine which essential soil nutrients need to be added to your garden. These nutrients need to be tilled into the soil, along with a good helping of rich, organic compost which will help to break up the soil. Ideally, you should add these ingredients to the soil a few weeks before planting, tilling the garden weekly to help thoroughly mix in the materials.

Tip: Consider Cover Crops

 Tips for Existing Gardens

 If you already have an existing garden in place, your work may not be as laboring as if you do not. For existing gardens, spring is the time to remove any foliage that was left over from the previous year and generally remove any natural debris that has accumulated.

 You should still have your soil tested at the beginning of the year to ensure that your soil is not lacking in any essential nutrients. The garden should also be tilled properly again, which is usually a bit easier to do than it is for non-existing gardens.

 All weeds should be removed, and any perennials need to be pruned back as well. Any existing perennials should be given a hearty dose of fertilizer to help boost their spring growth and promote healthy plants.