Growing vegetables on the Gulf Coast can be very easy if you follow just a few basic rules.

1. You the best topsoil you can put your hands on: I'm not talking about the kind you buy at Home Depot. I mean good rich, easily made, home made top soil.
   
2. Plant in beds instead of rows: Everyone has seen how it is done on farms. Long elegant rows of vegetables ripe for the picking but this is a little overkill and certainly not the most efficient use of space for the home garden. Try planting in beds for the most efficient use of space and maximum crop yield. If you plant in beds two to three feet wide you make tending the crop much easier since you can reach everything in the be.
   
3. Make sure your plants get plenty of sunlight: When you lay out your beds pay close attention to the sun exposure. 90 percent of a plants energy comes from the sun so make sure your plants get 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day.
   
   
4. Plant vegetables at the right season: Look at the other articles in this series for specific planting times.
   
5. Keep your garden small enough to work: Particularly today, with the down turn in economy it is tempting to start gardening in earnest. Plant a bigger garden and you'll have more vegetables than you can stand. Give the rest away or maybe even make a few bucks, right. Make sure your garden is small enough for you to manages.