Starting a vegetable garden, no matter how big or small, can be a daunting project for beginners, but the good news is that it really is easy.
Soil, water, light, and plants are the basics, and when you know a few basic tips and tricks, you can use them to their full advantage, and enjoy a tasty harvest within a few weeks.
We’ve put together the top tips for planting and maintaining a garden, as well as suggestions for vegetables that are perfect starting points for beginners.
1. Nurture the Soil
While you will need to use nutrients and fertilizers from time to time, adding organic matter to soil is the best way to replenish its nutrients and nitrogen.
You can add manure, dead leaves, or compost, as well as crushed eggshells to the soil in your veggie patch. Your plants as well as the microbes in the soil will benefit from it.
2. Plant In Raised Beds
The traditional image of the vegetable garden usually has all the plants laid out in neat rows. Don’t bother with that design, because it is a waste of space. Raised beds approximately 1m wide are the way to go.
They make companion planting easier, and they provide you with much more crop space. Getting them ready can take some effort, but you always can enjoy some R&R by playing the best online pokies later.
3. Location, Location, Location
There is more to positioning a vegetable garden than the amount of sunlight it receives. While that is an essential consideration, you also need to check that it offers shelter from heavy wind and frost.
Make sure it is close enough to a water source to make watering easy, and that it is the right size for the crops you plan to grow. Save space by planting vertically; either in containers or on a trellis.
4. Best Beginner’s Veggies
Start growing vegetables that have a reputation for being kind to beginners, rather than trying to cultivate something that only will lead to disappointment. Tomatoes do well in hanging baskets or stalked in raised beds or the ground, and they grow like weeds. They grow well next to basil, which acts as an insect repellent.
Lettuce also can be grown in the ground, beds, or containers, and are suitable for a cottage-style garden, even in part-shade. Harvesting is as easy as picking the leaves you want. You can grow zucchini from seed with little to no hassle, although they tend to be thirsty plants, so make sure they do not get too dry. They have a tendency to take over the beds or containers in which they are planted, so be prepared to do a bit of cutting back.
If your garden receives full sun and the soil is well-drained, consider adding beans to your vegetable patch. Most grow as vines, so they are perfect for training upward on a trellis. Lima, snap-pole, snap-bush, and shell beans are a few of the varieties you can think about trying.