Hello, new gardeners! Congratulations on deciding to start your garden. This will be such a life-changing experience. If you’ve never gardened before, below are some helpful tips that I wish I had known when I started gardening. Visit your local nursery to explore the exciting world of gardening and learn more about your favorite crops.
1. Start Small
Start small with an herb garden and a few vegetables. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, so starting small will ensure you stay consistent. Take the time to get used to gardening and understand the best layout. It can prevent wasting money, time, and resources. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!
2. Location
Decide early if you want to plant primarily in the ground, in containers, or in raised beds. Containers and raised beds are great for new gardeners, but if you have space and a good back to plant in the ground, go for it!
3. Sun / Shade
Spend time looking at your space and deciding what it is you want to grow and how much sun the space gets. Plants can be fussy about the amount of sun they get, so make sure you identify how many hours of sun your space gets. You can pick vegetables depending on the sun requirement.
4. Water Source
Choose a space near a water source if possible. Believe me, lugging a watering can around is not fun! A watering hose is essential, especially when you start expanding.
5. Trellising
Some crops need to be trellised. Cucumbers are a vine plant and tomatoes grow tall, so they’ll need upward space to grow. You can buy a trellis, or you can get wooden poles and form them into a tepee.
6. Research
Do research on the types of plants you want to grow. Every plant is different. They all need different amounts of space. Once you start planting more crops, planting companion plants near each other can improve flavor and growth. They tend to need the same amount of sun and water. They can also deter insects from their neighbors. Every plant needs a friend!
7. Soil
Get the right soil. The soil you need depends on whether you are planting in the ground, raised beds, or containers. If you are planting in the ground, you need in-ground garden soil. If you are planting in raised beds or containers, you need soil specifically for raised garden beds. You may already have a lot of soil, so you can mix it with peat moss, worm casting, and perlite (for soil aeration) to create your garden soil.
8. Bugs
Unfortunately, when you’re growing delicious, fresh food, the bugs will think they look yummy too. No matter the pest, I mix cold-pressed neem oil, water, and a little soap. It’s all-natural and won’t require pesticides or affect pollinators. Spray the leaves with your mixture and say goodbye to the bugs. You can also use a little soap and a heavy stream of water.
9. Critters
For the bigger furrier pests, like squirrels, groundhogs, deer, and chipmunks, you can place nets around your garden. If they’re still getting to your crops, you can catch the animals in cages and relocate them to a nearby wooded area.
10. Start!
Just start! Experience is the best teacher, and as you progress, you’ll find what works best for you. Many people may tell you to garden a particular way, but I believe that you must bring your vision to your space and enjoy the moments when vegetables are growing. The most important thing is to try.