In the early days of summer, when the sun is intense and yielding measurable results in the vegetable garden in the way of rapid plant growth, we can step back and really appreciate the wonder of nature. Even if you’ve witnessed it dozens of times, it does seem a miracle for seeds to emerge from the soil and be drawn upward by the sun to become the lushest of plants.

During the early part of the growing season you often ask yourself if your garden is measuring up to your expectations. And maybe it’s not. Did you do everything right — apply compost, rotate your crops from last year’s layout, buy strong seedlings and irrigate well after planting — and still things aren’t looking quite as well as you’d like?

Consider that the “problem” with your garden might simply be a lack of adequate light. Take into consideration that sun can be one of the most limiting factors to plant growth, and in many cases can be even more critical to plant development than fertility.

A bit of practical age-old wisdom goes a long way in helping to site the garden for the most solar gain during our relatively short growing season. Generally, most vegetables need about seven uninterrupted hours of sunlight per day to achieve and sustain the best rate of growth. Choosing a place in your yard that meets this requirement will help your plants be the best they can be.

Arranging the plants within the garden after it has been properly positioned will get you even closer to maximizing the solar effect among your plants. Ideally, a vegetable garden should be in full sun. This typically means that the best location is away from buildings, walls and trees. In the northern latitudes of Maine the low angle of the sun causes shadows of stationary objects to stretch out in all seasons compared with more southern locations. And since those shadows can be tricky to calculate, it’s generally suggested that you till up your garden plot well out into the open.

The garden should be oriented north-south from end to end. Rows or beds of the garden should run east-west. This arrangement allows sun to best reach the plants and minimizes shade. To further maximize the sun’s benefit, tall plants such as corn, pole beans and tomatoes should be placed at the north end of the garden. The lowest-growing plants should be planted at the south. This allows the sun to reach all the plants, without having the tallest shade the shortest, as the sun is always approaching slightly from the south.

Of course you’ll want to rotate crops around the garden from year to year, so as to not deplete soil nutrients from continually cropping one type of vegetable in the same place year after year. Try adhering to the general principle of arranging garden crops, while realizing that sometimes you have to break away from that rule. Grouping crops of like need or size together will yield the best results.

Keep in mind, too, that certain plants make good companions. Consider the light requirements of corn and lettuce, for example. Corn enjoys full sun and hot temperatures. Lettuce, on the other hand, enjoys the coolness of shade. Cropping the two together — a row of lettuce at the foot of a block of corn — can result in a very pleasant combination.

Finally, as another general rule, keep in mind that leafy crops, such as lettuce, spinach and beets, as well as root crops like turnips and potatoes, usually require less intense sunlight than those crops that must put a lot of energy into producing fruits. Therefore, plants like tomato, pepper and squash should receive careful consideration and priority treatment if light is limited in the garden.

Reader connection

In last week’s column I published a call for your tips and suggestions for the novice gardener, and already helpful hints have started coming in. Do you have some gardening secrets you’d like to share with others who are just starting out? What pest controls work best for you? Do you find any bug repellent or sunscreen to be particularly effective? What are your favorite choices for gardening tools? What are the best learning sources if you’re just starting to dig in to home horticulture?

Please share your recommendations with the rest of us! Send your letters and comments directly to me at RR 1 Box 2120, Montville, ME 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@ctel.net by July 1, and I will compile the responses and publish them in a special column next month.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, c/o Maine Weekend, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.