- 1). Start the North Carolina garden in spring, depending on your frost dates. While some vegetables can start before the last frost, others have to wait until after the frost lifts. Last frost ranges from early April in Morehead City to late April in Asheville and Charlotte.
- 2). Begin your preparations in March. Choose a site that is close to the house, for convenience, and gets at least eight hours of full sun every day. Lay out 25 feet square to give yourself plenty of room for planting, and make sure that your site gets good air circulation and drainage, as plants won't grow in still air or sitting water.
- 3). Mix quick-draining soil and organic compost in equal parts, and lay 3 inches of this mixture on top of your planting site. Use the garden fork to turn the mixture into the top 6 inches of natural soil, to build a rich, quick-draining foundation for the vegetables. Add 10-10-10 or starter fertilizer to the top 6 inches of soil to further boost the nutrition.
- 4). Plant frost-hardy summertime vegetables in March. These are warm-weather veggies that require slightly cooler temperatures during their development, and include broccoli, potatoes, asparagus, lettuce and peas. Plant each seedling at its require spacing and depth. Water the garden with 2 inches of water a week, and spread 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch over the soil to maintain warmth and moisture.
- 5). Plant more sensitive summer plants in April or May, after your last frost date These plants cannot tolerate any frost, and include tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, squash, cabbage, beets, okra, eggplants, radishes and cucumbers. Spread mulch over the newly planted soil and continue your watering schedule.
Source...