Gardening for Beginners
I encourage you to take this time in your life to get serious about learning how to provide for your family’s most basic needs. FOOD by using theses starting a vegetable garden for beginners tips. If you are not in a place where you can plant a big garden, start small. Plant in pots and containers and utilize every available outdoor space you have. You don’t need to go out and buy fancy containers, or big pots, use what you have. Old pans, five-gallon buckets, or old wood that can be made into planters. Use your imagination; your plants won’t care. All you need is soil, compost, and seeds; nature will take care of the rest.
There’s nothing like fresh vegetables, especially if you grow them yourself.
So here we go… the basic things you need to know about starting a vegetable garden.
Feed them good soil. Plant roots love soft ground so be sure to give them what they want with good loamy soil. The easiest way to do this is to mix in a rich compost that will provide the nutrients, and proper drainage roots enjoy. Look for an area in your yard that is not prone to flooding or tends to dry out too quickly.
Start small. The biggest mistake new gardeners make is to start too big. They get discouraged with the amount of work and soon give up. When first starting, it is best to stay small until you learn what your particular soil needs and the time needed to care for it. And above everything else only plant what you know your family will eat. No one wants to eat zucchini for every meal.
Give them plenty of room. Take the time to space your rows properly. Corn, for example, needs lots of space to grow and will often overshadow smaller plants if not spaced out properly. Plants that are planted too close together can compete for both sunlight and water and are more susceptible to disease and pests. Pay special attention to the planting instructions on your seed packets.
Use only the best. While we know it can be tempting to pick up the cheap seeds at a discount store, try to avoid that if your budget allows. Believe me, we’ve tried them multiple times, and they don’t have the germination success as a better quality seed has. We have had great success with the All-in-1 Homesteading Bank from SeedsNow.
Water is important. Nothing sets your garden up for success, like knowing when and how to water your plants correctly. Drip irrigation by far is the best for your plants, but the setup can be costly. When just starting out, keep this tip in mind. First, always water early in the morning, so your plants have time to dry off before nightfall. Second, if your soil can be formed into a ball, it is moist enough and doesn’t need to be watered. If it won’t hold together and looks baked or dry, its time to water.
When the time is right. Every vegetable and growing zone is different. Read the seed packet instructions and know what your growing zone is.
- Tomatoes
- Green beans
- Peppers
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Beets
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Peas
- Zucchini
- Corn
- Pumpkins
