Larry wants to know:

"I want to put in a vegetable garden from scratch. I have a good sunny area, which until recently had a few dead or dying fruit trees on it. I have the typical Oroville foothills red clay soil. Can you point me to an article or source for information on getting started?"

If you're new to backyard gardening and want to start a garden, here are some tips:

* Location, location, location: Give the garden a sunny spot. Pick a garden location that gets at least six hours a day of full sun. Good drainage is key. That's why raised beds are so popular (that, and the soil in raised beds warms up sooner in the spring). Make sure a source of water is nearby. And, a location that is easily seen on a regular basis from a house window (esp. the kitchen), is a good reminder of what's out there and what needs to be done.

* Know your soil. Do a pH test, or a full soil test. Amending the soil with a good quality compost is a great idea. Roto till in Aacubic yard of compost for every 300 square feet of garden. That is a rule of thumb that I follow.

*Fertilize the soil. If using a commercial granular fertilizer (such as a 12-12-12 formulation), put a tablespoon in the bottom of the planting hole, cover with a couple inches of soil, and water in thoroughly. Don't let the sensitive roots of the tomatoes and peppers come in direct contact with the fertilizer. If you'll be using a water soluble fertilizer on an every-other-week or monthly basis, use half the recommended amount for this first feeding.

The UC Davis Vegetable Research and Information Center is a good website with more garden starting info:

http://vric.ucdavis.edu/veginfo/commodity/garden/planning.html

Good books for learning how to start a garden include:

The Sunset Western Garden Book

Your Organic Garden by Jeff Cox

How To Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons

Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway

For tomatoes and peppers:

*Plant tomatoes deeply. Pinch off the lower leaves of the plant and bury the tomato deeply, leaving only the top four sets of leaves above ground. New roots will form along this underground, stripped section. If it's a very tall plant, dig a trench, lay the plant on its side in the trench, and bend the top section up (carefully) to stand above the soil level; fill in the trench.

*Give tomatoes room. Full-size tomatoes grow on vines that can reach five feet high or more. Plant them three to four feet apart. Prepare a staking system now while they're still manageable.

*Plant peppers no deeper than the soil level of the pot it came in. Peppers can be spaced two feet apart.

*Water. Don't let the soil dry out while the roots are getting established. During the warmth of summer, water tomatoes and peppers regularly, keeping the soil evenly moist. One common problem with tomatoes, blossom end rot (the bottom of the tomato turns brown and mushy), can be traced in part to irregular watering habits. Deep, infrequent waterings (once or twice a week) with drip irrigation or soaker hoses work great. An added benefit: drip systems and soaker hoses can be hooked up to a battery operated timer, watering these summertime treats while you're vacationing.