Water, food, and protection from weeds, pests, and diseases are all essential to the proper care of a vegetable garden. Enough water is of primary concern--vegetables need a steady supply throughout the growing season. You'll need to water fairly often as the plants become established or if you have sandy soil or excessive heat. Once plants are established, water them less often, but deeply.

You can water by hand, but more efficient methods include using watering basins around plants or furrows between rows, soaker hoses, or drip irrigation. This last method applies a steady stream of water directly to each plant's roots, which helps inhibit weeds. Kits are available from nurseries and home centers.

Plants also need fertilizers, especially the three major nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. You can use either natural or chemical fertilizers, which are available in dry and liquid formulas. Natural fertilizers are the choice for organic growing. Add fertilizer when you plant. For long-season crops or heavy feeders, such as corn and tomatoes, fertilize again throughout the growing season, following package directions.

Weeds will compete with your vegetables for water, nutrients, and sun. Hand pulling, while basic, is one of the most effective methods. Start early in the season, before weeds get out of hand. Often a short weeding session each day or every other day is enough to keep them under control. If you must use a herbicide, consider herbicidal soap or undiluted white vinegar. Spray when the air is calm, and avoid getting it on nearby plants.

Mulching around your vegetables helps retard water evaporation and keeps down weeds; organic mulches are the most popular for vegetables. Because mulch keeps the soil temperature cool, wait until the weather is warm to add it in. Apply it in a 2-to-3-inch layer, keeping it away from the crowns of the plants.

Plastic mulches are another choice. Unlike natural materials, plastic helps warm the soil in addition to controlling weeds and moisture loss. Plastic mulch also helps ground fruits stay clean. Red plastic mulch is not as good at blocking weeds but results in larger plants when used around strawberries and plants in the tomato family, including eggplant.

The key to controlling weeds and pests is early detection and prevention. Start with healthy plants, which are less subject to pest invasion. Also, growing a mix of plants tends to limit the number of pests that are attracted to a single plant. Many flowers and other plants also attract beneficial insects, which prey on pests.

Check plants regularly. If you do have a problem, start with the easiest and gentlest approach. Physical controls include removing leaves and branches. You can also spray a strong jet of water to wash off aphids and mites. Other physical deterrents include barriers, such as floating row covers. Plant collars can prevent cutworms from reaching seedlings, and yellow sticky cards attract whiteflies.

Biological controls rely on beneficial insects and other living organisms to deter pests. Natural pesticides are low-toxic approaches, but because you're growing food, you'll want to limit even their use. Insecticidal soap combats various pests, as does neem oil and products with pyrethrins. Horticultural oils smother pests and their eggs as well as disease spores. Use these sparingly, though, as they can harm beneficial insects as well.

Rotating crops also helps prevent pests and diseases. Allowing at least two years between planting the same or related crops in a spot will help prevent a buildup of the same pests and diseases. See more about Pest Control.

Animals are just as attracted to fresh fruits and vegetables as humans and can do incredible damage. While birds help control insects, they also can eat tender plants. Use row covers, screening, or netting to protect plants, especially in the two to three weeks before the fruit ripens.

Gophers and moles destroy from beneath, gophers by feeding on the roots, moles by uprooting plants when they tunnel beneath them while searching for earthworms and grubs. If you live in an area prone to gophers and moles, protect plants by lining the sides and bottom of the planting holes with mesh hardware cloth, or plant in raised beds lined with hardware cloth.

Rabbits can wreck a garden in no time. A 2-foot-tall fence with mesh will help keep them at bay. Because they burrow, either set the mesh at least 6 inches below ground, or bend it and extend it a foot away from the bottom of the fence, staking it securely.

Deer, too, can eat their way through a garden. Though deer repellants may work, they need to be applied often, and many can't be used on edible plants. The best option is a fence. Eight feet or higher is recommended, but you can use a 6-foot fence if your land is level or slopes away from the garden. Because deer can't jump high and wide at once, adding a horizontal extension on top of the fence also can deter them. Another choice is two fences, 4 to 5 feet high and 4 to 5 feet apart. Plant low-growing vegetables in between the two fences.