How to Grow a Garden for Beginners

by | Feb 8, 2021 | Fresh Foods, Gardening

Image by WhiteLightProductionsInc via Getty Images.

Interested in growing your own food from home? It’s a lot easier than you’d think and cost-effective too. According to a study performed by the National Gardening Association (NGA), a small garden can save you up to $600 annually on produce. Before you get started, there are a few things you’ll have to consider. How much space do you have for a garden? What maintenance is required for the produce you’re interested in growing? What products do you need to sustain your garden? These are all questions I’m going to tackle in this article.

  1. Seeds
First and foremost, you have to choose what kind of produce you want to harvest. Some of the easiest and highest yielding vegetables for beginners are tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, peas, and squash. If you’re interested in fruits, your best bet would be berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.

2. Size How much space you have for a garden determines what produce you can plant. If you have a small garden space, you’ll want to avoid large crops such as pumpkins, and stick to smaller produce such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.

3. Location Next, you have to decide where you’re going to place your garden. You need to take note of which part of your garden gets the most and least amount of sun. Depending on the needs of your produce, that’ll determine where you plant your seeds.

4. Tools Invest in some basic gardening tools such as a garden hoe, dirt rake, and garden shovel. Try to avoid plastic tools and opt for real metal tools if your budget allows. Also, don’t forget to grab some fertilizer and garden soil that are best suited for your crops.

5. Plant Now that you know where you’re going to plant your garden and have the right tools, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Most seeds come with planting instructions, just make sure you give your seeds plenty of room to grow.

6. Maintenance While planting is the easy part, taking care of your produce afterwards requires patience and perseverance. You should check on your plants at least once a day to make sure they’re getting enough water and sunlight. You’ll also need to check for pests and weeds that could hurt your crops. Depending on the produce, it could take weeks or months to yield results, but the satisfaction of harvesting your own crops is worth the labor.  

  Sources Beaulieu, David. “9 Things to Know About Starting a Garden From Scratch.” The Spruce, 7 Dec. 2020, www.thespruce.com/how-to-start-a-garden-from-scratch-2132778.  Hansen, Jolene. “The Easiest Fruits and Vegetables to Grow for Beginners.” GardenTech.com, Garden Tech, 5 June 2020, www.gardentech.com/blog/gardening-and-healthy-living/8-easy-to-grow-fruits-and-veggies.  Huffstetler, Erin. “Best Plants to Grow in a Small Vegetable Garden.” The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2020, www.thespruce.com/high-yield-vegetable-plants-for-small-garden-spaces-1388683.  National Gardening Association – Research Division. GardenResearch.com, www.gardenresearch.com/index.php?q=show&id=3126. 

Neverman, Laurie. “How to Start a Garden – 10 Steps to Gardening for Beginners.” Common Sense Home, 21 Feb. 2020, commonsensehome.com/start-a-garden/.