First Steps in Starting a Garden

Tired of eating store-bought veggies with dozens of chemicals on them?

Want a fun alternative to boost health and save money? Start a garden! Today I will be demonstrating five steps on how to start and maintain a garden!

There are several different options for supplies when starting a garden! Read through the entire process to find out which ones will work the best for you!

First, a plot of soil with sunlight reaching it for over eight hours per day is needed.

This will ensure the plants have enough sunlight to grow effectively. A garden can come in many shapes and sizes. A garden bed made of wood or plastic over two feet deep with holes in the bottom to allow for water flow will suffice. A more traditional route of tilled soil will work great also.

Next, the ground will need to be tilled up,

and/or the garden bed filled with soil. If using a garden bed, I recommend filling the bed full of miracle grows’ garden soil because it is affordable and will last for a single growing season. For tilling up the soil, an affordable route is either a potato fork or hand shovel. When hand tilling, till one foot down while breaking up all large clumps of soil. Try to remove all grass and weed roots to give the plants no competition for nutrients and water. A better but more expensive way to till up the garden is using a motorized tiller. Either buy a walk-behind or purchase tractor extensions to fit the tractor you own.

Once the ground is tilled, it is almost time to plant!

Before planting, it is crucial to do research on every plant to see if it is in the correct climate zone and what each plant needs. If the fruit or vegetable is not in a certified climate zone, do not plant it because it will not grow. Research each individual plant to see if it has any special growing instructions. If a plant is unique from the other plants, plant it in a separate area away from the other plants. Most fruits and veggies have their own little needs, so make sure to find out about these before planting. I cannot stress this enough, but make sure to follow directions! Each plant will come with specific spacing, watering, maturity lengths etc. If followed correctly, each plant will grow healthy and strong! After research, put the vegetables with the longest maturity in the ground first.

Some plants need much more water than others.

To fix this potential problem, put the fruits and veggies next to other plants with a similar water intake. Follow the plant’s instructions for watering. Buy a rain gauge and put it in the center of the garden to ensure accurate watering throughout the season. It is also better to water plants in the early morning or late evening because the lack of sun allows for the plants to absorb the water better.

For weed control, the most effective way is by hand pulling them all with gloves; however, this may not be the most efficient. For large gardens, lay down straw in-between the rows enough to where the ground beneath cannot be seen. This will block the sunlight and give resistance to sprouting weeds. This strategy can also work great around the base of tomato and pepper plants because it will prevent a common disease called blight. Laying down plastic before planting will work as well. When laying down plastic, create a one-foot diameter hole for each individual plant to allow for growth and expansion. This hole will be large enough for most fruits and veggies planted in a garden.

Gardening may be difficult;

however, with some determination and patience, every garden will prosper! Gardens can look very different so these steps might vary for everyone. As always keep doing research and plan out the garden before you plant! Happy Gardening!