Planning a layout before you plant can help you discover problems before they happen such as shading and crowding. Check out our Garden Plans page for plant sizes and sun requirements to help you get organized. Always keep the lowest plants toward the South side and taller ones to the North. Mulching after you plant is very necessary for hot dry parts of the country and wet moist places also. Mulches keep moisture in the soil, keep it cooler, and prevent fungus spores from splashing up onto your plants' leaves which causes diseases.
Some great mulches are pine needles, dead leaves, hay straw, and even newspaper strips.
These will also break down in the soil and add organic material to your soil for next year. Fertilizing should be done as naturally as possible. Compost generally has some grass clippings in it which provide enough nitrogen for the whole season. Higher numbers on a bag of fertilizer do not mean that it is better for your plant. They can burn your plants and overfeed them and you will have no vegetables at all in your garden.