Vegetable gardening can be quite easy for beginners, no need to sweat it! Save that for July! Follow these 5 easy tips that will help you plan for success in your gardening efforts.
There are a lot of reasons that people start gardening. It’s relaxing, a great way to connect with nature, you get healthy foods…the list goes on. Everyone has their own reason for starting to garden.
I grew up with gardens. My parents had a large vegetable garden, a small vineyard, and a fruit orchard. My weekly chores usually included pulling weeds, picking up rocks, and other tasks that I hated as a child. However, I now love getting my hands dirty…literally speaking!
So whatever your own personal reason for starting a garden, here are a few tips that will help you along the way.
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1-The Right Gardening Site!
Selecting the right site for your vegetables is perhaps the most important part of the planning process. Research which vegetables love full sunshine, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and jalapenos. Learn which ones prefer shade from the afternoon heat, such as lettuce or other leafy greens. Select a site that takes that into account.
Also, consider how close the garden site is your water source. This is something I once learned from personal experience. I once broke ground and had to haul water in five-gallon buckets because there was not water access. At the end of that summer, I harvested my goodies, planted grass seed, and moved the garden way closer to my well.
2-Consider Containers
When you’re a beginner gardener, container gardens are a smart option. You can get started without investing in a rototiller. You can add soil, compost, and just plant your plants!
I have three Stack-A-Pot Mega Tub vertical garden systems in my own garden. I use these for early season items, such as strawberries. This means that I can move them into my barn if we get a late-season frost, hailstorm, or hurricane.
Stack-A-Pots Mega Tub System; I’m currently growing strawberries in them.[/caption]
Also, if you find halfway through your season that you aren’t getting enough sunlight (or too much sunlight) you can re-position them.
It really does take out a lot of the guesswork!
3-Water Is Essential to Gardening
Watering is essential to gardening. You probably know this, but it’s sometimes hard to figure out how much you need. In fact, each vegetable plant may require different amounts of water.
A good rule of thumb is that you want the water to soak in well around the plant, an inch or two down. However, you don’t want to drown the plant’s roots. You don’t want the plants to sit in a slick, muddy mess all the time. Molds and mildews will form and rot your plants.
Also, while you’re watering try not to pummel the plant with a heavy setting on the water hose. Instead, set the water on a medium setting and water around the base of the plants. It’s much kinder that way, and your plants will thank you!
4-Weeds Be Gone!
Keep your plants free of weeds. That can be a challenge because new weeds crop up every few days. Indeed, weeds will even find their way into container gardens. If you give weeds an inch, they can quickly overwhelm your garden. They will literally choke the life out of your plants.
Deal with weeds at least once a week. Be sure to remove the entire weed, roots and all. If you only break off the top it will pop back up within a couple of days.
5-Start Small
I don’t want to kill anyone’s desire to garden. In fact, I feel that gardening is a choice that is both environmentally and economically responsible. If every family would grow at least part of their own food, world hunger would be significantly reduced.
However, when you’re starting out, start small. Try a couple of containers of an easy to grow plant, such as strawberries, herbs, or tomatoes. These are all foods you will enjoy immediately and can preserve for the winter. You will be encouraged by the small success to grow an even larger garden next year!
Gardening doesn’t need to be difficult for beginners! Incorporate these easy tips into your routine and you will be on the path to success.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and a sweet toy fox terrier. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
This blog celebrates all things home.
