Fort Bend County Master Gardeners help others to find the best means to produce vegetables and fruits. One means of providing assistance is a seven-class series - Grow Your Own - that recently offered its first free session "Garden Planning & Soil Prep."

More than 70 people filled the Bud O'Shieles Community Center to hear Master Gardeners Peg d'Hemecourt of Richmond and Dan Lawlor of Sugar Land talk about the basics of garden planning and the importance of having good soil.

"Begin with the end in mind," began d'Hemecourt. In selecting a site for a garden, it's important to have loose, rich soil that is well-drained, six or more hours of sunlight, a nearby water supply, a site that's visible from the home and away from trees and shrubs. Gardeners need to ask themselves what they want to grow, who will eat what they raise and who will devote the hours to working in the garden. :"Don't waste space on growing food that no one wants to eat," she said.

She discussed the how's and why's of building raised beds and talked about container gardening, too. She compared producing vegetables to producing fruit and said both are rewarding. Fruit production, however, is a long-term endeavor, requires year-round attention and is more susceptible to weather extremes.

Lawlor focused on soil texture - air, minerals, water and organic matter - nutrients for plants and soil pH. An analysis of Richmond area soil shows soil texture is mostly clay with sand and silt. "The best way to improve soil is to add organic matter," he said. "Healthy soil gives you healthy plants." Organic matter provides nutrients, increases water retention, regulates temperature and helps prevent erosion, he added. The top 6 to 12 inches is where most biotic activity occurs, he continued. "Soil takes a long time to form. So, we should take care of it."

His talk included average rainfall totals and the geology of Texas. Lawlor identified 16 essential plant nutrients and talked of fertilizers and their nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content. He encouraged audience members to have their soil tested. "If you haven't done it yet, you should."

Learn more at https://soiltesting.tamu.edu. To enroll in upcoming Grow Your Own classes, visit https://fbmg.org/grow-your-own-2026/.