If you want the freshest produce possible, consider planting your own home garden. After all, you can’t get any closer to your kitchen table than your own backyard. You can cut grocery costs by growing your own vegetables, too. In this article, we’ll teach you 10 steps in planting your own vegetable garden.
Do’s and don’ts of starting a vegetable garden
There are a few things you should know before starting your vegetable garden.
Some garden do’s:
- Start with a small and manageable amount of plants: Consider starting with a 4-foot-by-4-foot raised bed for the veggies. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed, and it makes it easier to manage the plants.
- Plant according to your growing zone: Different plants thrive in different seasons and climates. To make sure your plants are in the right conditions for optimal growth, plant according to your growing zone.
- Plant in fertile, well-drained soil: To provide a strong foundation for your plants to grow in, you’ll need well-prepared soil. Make sure that the soil you plan to use is rich in nutrients and has good drainage.
- Protect your plants from pests and animals: Put up barriers such as fences or netting to keep animals and pests out of your garden. Regularly inspect your plants for signs of pests. [1]
Some garden don’ts:
- Don’t overcrowd your plants: Proper spacing allows each plant to thrive. Overcrowding can cause the plants to compete for resources and increase the risk of diseases.
- Don’t water your plants incorrectly: If you water the leaves of your plants, this can cause disease and fungal growth. Instead, water at the base to ensure that the roots get enough water.
- Don’t overplant: Make sure to plant only as much as you can manage and consume. If you overplant, this can lead to wasted resources and a large garden that’s difficult to manage. [1]
Vegetable gardening tools for beginners
Before you get started, make sure you have the following tools:
- Hand trowel
- Hand fork
- Long-handled shovel or spade
- Rake
- Pruning shears
- Wheelbarrow
- Watering can or hose
- Gardening gloves
- Garden hoe [2]
When is the best time to plant vegetables?
When determining the best time to plant, you have to look at your local climate and growing zone. Spring is an ideal time to start most vegetable gardens. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers all thrive in warmer weather and should be planted after the last frost. If you live in a warmer climate, fall can be another great time to plant. Lettuce, spinach and broccoli do best in cooler temperatures. [3]
10 steps in starting a vegetable garden
To get started, here are 10 steps recommended by the National Gardening Association.
1. Choose the right location.
Choose a location for the garden that has plenty of sun, ample space and close proximity to your hose or water source. Find a level area to help prevent erosion.
2. Give your plants room to grow.
When planning your planting, avoid overcrowding. Proper spacing ensures that each plant gets enough water, sunlight and nutrients to grow. Check the spacing guide on the seed packets and be sure to remove crowded seedlings right away.
Tip: Try to draw out a gardening plan to visualize where each plant will go. Make sure to keep pathways clear to avoid trampling your plants. [4]
3. Select which vegetables to plant.
Decide what produce to include based on your climate, space, taste preferences and level of expertise. Newcomers may want to consider some of the easier crops to grow, such as carrots, beans, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce.
4. Prepare the soil for your vegetable garden.
Mix compost and natural fertilizers into your garden to condition the soil for your plants. Garden-supply stores can test the acidity of your soil and recommend supplements, or you can simply purchase specially made soil in bulk.
5. Consult a vegetable planting calendar.
Growing conditions and ripening cycles are different depending on the plant and the season, so you should not sow all the seeds at the same time. Planting dates can be found on the seed packets. Review the ideal conditions for each veggie you want to plant before creating a gardening schedule.
6. Plant the seeds.
Place your seeds or plants into the soil, following the depth and spacing directions carefully.
Tip: Plan the design of your garden by plotting each plant’s location. By carefully deciding where each plant will go, you can ensure that they all receive adequate sunlight, water and nutrients. Plus, your garden will be more organized and enjoyable.
7. Add water.
Gently spray the garden with water to keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season. Purchase a spray nozzle for your hose so you can create a gentle rainlike mist for your garden.
8. Keep the weeds and pests out.
Mulching is the most effective way to prevent weeds. Add a 2- to 4-inch-thick layer of organic mulch to your garden to keep the weeds from overtaking your crops. Try to control pests naturally by companion planting with certain plants that can repel pests naturally. You can also use row covers, netting or even old pantyhose to protect your plants from pests. If weeds do appear in the garden, grab them low on their stems and yank sharply, making sure to extract the entire root. [5] Weeds can also be killed naturally with homemade weed killers or mulch.
9. Fertilize as needed.
Lightly till the soil by hand and add fertilizer to keep it rich. You can purchase prepared garden fertilizer or make your own from composting.
10. Reap what you sow.
Harvest vegetables when they’re young and tender but pick them only when you plan to use them. Pull root crops as soon as they reach edible size. Collect leaf crops by cutting them to within 2 inches of the ground. Finally, enjoy your harvest! [6]
Starting your own vegetable garden can be a daunting task, but if you keep these strategies in mind, it can be very rewarding. Remember that timing is everything, keep a healthy amount of space between each plant, use the proper soil and put protective measures in place to keep out pests.
Now that you know how to protect your garden, make sure you protect your home. There are different types of homeowners insurance policies that cover structures that aren’t attached to your home, such as a garden shed.
Sources:
[1] “Seven of the Most Common Vegetable Gardening Mistakes,” hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/planting-and-maintenance/common-vegetable-gardening-mistakes-that-beginners-make (Accessed May 2024).
[2] “The Best Gardening Tools,” Benjamin Kilbride, almanac.com/gardening-tools-guide (Accessed May 2024).
[3] “When to plant vegetables – a month by month calendar,” Pippa Blenkinsop, homesandgardens.com/gardens/when-to-plant-vegetables (Accessed May 2024).
[4] “How to Plan a Vegetable Garden for Even the Smallest of Spaces,” Linnea Harris, ecowatch.com/vegetable-gardening-in-small-spaces.html (Accessed May 2024).
[5] “How We Keep Pests Out of the Garden (Naturally!),” Celeste Longacre, almanac.com/how-we-keep-pests-out-garden (Accessed May 2024).
[6] “How & When to Pick Garden Vegetables,” miraclegro.com/en-us/gardening-101/how-when-to-pick-garden-vegetables.html (Accessed May 2024).
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