CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — It’s one of our favorite days of the year — the day the Fox 8 Garden gets planted by the team from Petitti Garden Centers. AJ Petitti, President of Petitti Garden Centers, spells out the key steps for a successful herb and veggie garden to Fox 8’s Scott Sabol.

The Petitti team also shares these specific steps for gardening success:

First step is to prepare the soil by amending it with fresh planting mix, organic compost & manure, and Sweet Peet® in order to create a nutrient-rich environment for the plants.

Lay weed barrier and pin it down to secure it. It will be a lifesaver, preventing weeding chores.

Cut x-shaped holes in the weed barrier where you want to install plants.

Consider how big vegetable plants get and space appropriately to maximize air circulation around each plant, prevent the onset of disease, and make it easier for you to walk through and maintain the garden. The plants may look tiny now, but they will get huge over the course of the season. Leave a good 3 feet of space between tomatoes and about 2 feet between peppers.

Know which of your plants are climbing or vining varieties and provide them with a cage, trellis, net, or additional space to facilitate their growth. Cucumber is an example of a type of plant that wants to climb.

Rotate the garden a quarter-turn every year. If you grow the same plant in the same spot year over year, you’re inadvertently creating opportunity fungus, disease, and other garden issues.