How to Start Your Very Own Vegetable Garden

A vegetable garden is a great way to enjoy fresh veggies during the growing season. Growing your own vegetables and picking them when ripe from your garden is cheaper than purchasing them at the supermarket. Many people love to garden because they know exactly what’s in their soil and can avoid herbicides or pesticide use. If the harvest turns out to be particularly bountiful, gardeners can also freeze or can their vegetables or gift them to grateful family members and friends. Here, we’ll discuss how to start a vegetable garden so you can enjoy this popular pastime too.

 

Where to start your vegetale garden 

While most people opt to plant a vegetable garden in their backyard, that’s not always ideal for everyone. In fact, it’s possible to plant a small vegetable garden right on a patio or terrace using containers if you don’t have a backyard. The key is to ensure that your vegetable seedlings will have access to sunlight, optimum soil, and water that they need for healthy growth. 

 

Backyard

If you opt to plant your garden in your backyard or side yard, you’ll want to make sure you choose a plot with plenty of sunlight. To keep your neat and organized, plan to lay out your vegetable garden in a square or rectangle. You may also want to raise or fence (i.e., chicken wire fencing) your vegetable garden to keep out unwelcome critters and pests. 

 

Rooftop

Rooftop gardens are increasingly popular among homeowners who don’t have the landscape for a garden. There are some advantages to these gardens too. For one, deer and rabbits are unable to access a rooftop garden. If you opt for this type of vegetable garden, you can install raised garden beds or rely on containers. 

 

Vegetable Garden types

You’ll have three options to choose from when installing your veggie garden. You can plant it right in your ground (although you may need to amend the soil), in containers or pots, or raised garden beds. Any of these options is fine. Many gardeners prefer raised beds, pots and box planters because they control exactly what’s in their soil. Raised beds, pots and box planters sit up off the ground and maybe easier to maintain. If you opt for pots or box planters, place some gravel in the bottom of each pot to promote good drainage and decrease the risk for root rot in the event of overwatering.

 

How to garden

To prepare your soil, you can visit any local home improvement or garden center to purchase garden soil. Even if you’re planting your garden in the ground, it’s a good idea to mix in this ‘good’ soil with your ground soil to give your veggies a healthy start. Look for soil mixes that are listed as ideal for vegetable gardening. You can plant your seeds or vegetable seedling plants directly in this soil once you add it to the ground, raised bed, or containers.

 

What to garden

Finally, you’ll need to decide what to grow. Starting a vegetable garden from seed takes a little more patience and know-how because you’ll need to make sure your seeds are set up to germinate. You might also opt to purchase small seedlings that are quite inexpensive and plant those. Some of the easiest vegetables and herbs to grow include:

 

  • Tomatoes
  • Green beans
  • Cucumbers
  • Radishes
  • Bell Peppers
  • Cilantro
  • Parsley
  • Lettuce
  • Peas
  • Carrots

 

Use these tips to start your own vegetable garden. Try to begin small with just a few of your favorite veggies as a tester or in case you need to move to a new home to make it easier to move your garden. And if all goes well, you can expand your garden the following year. 

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