So you are thinking about starting a garden
It’s safe to say, since last year, you’ve probably seen many people start their own gardens. It’s practically the new wave of ‘Victory Garden’. So you want to garden too, but you don’t know where to start or you think you have a ‘brown thumb’? I hear you, but I’m here to say, YOU CAN DO THIS!!
I’m here to help and break down what to consider to get off to the right start with your new garden or learn some new tips for your existing one.
Is your head spinning with options? Don’t get overwhelmed!
A lot of gardening is trial and error. It is not an exact science. A lot of factors go into having a successful gardening season. Here are some things to consider…
Plan garden placement?
Start by thinking how big of a garden you want. How much space you are working with? What type of garden beds do you want? Are you going to container garden? Garden in in-ground rows? Raised beds? If you want raised beds, how will you arrange them. Consider where your water source is, you will want to locate your garden accordingly, unless you want to make several trips with a watering can or drag a hose out to the garden. If you intend on having more of a kitchen garden (herbs, items you will use for dinner most nights) it should be placed closer to your home/back door.
What type of garden do you want to construct?
Do you want garden rows (a bigger garden), raised beds (great for those who don’t like to bend over much or would like to deter garden pests), or a container garden? Garden rows right in the ground will need to be kept weed free as much as possible. Raised beds don’t often get weedy- unless a bird drops weed seeds or they get blown into your garden. Raised beds can be made out of non-pressure treated lumber (due to the chemical used to protect pressure treated lumber) or pallet wood if you are more on a budget. I started out with and still use pallet wood raised beds. In the future, I would like to use cedar. Here is a post/tutorial on how to make raised beds out of pallet wood.
Start small with growing what your family will actually eat
Make a list of the produce you regularly (realistically) consume and buy from the grocery store. Then, consider how many plants you will need to purchase to produce enough for your family. I usually start with one to two plants for a family of four. It’s better to start out small than get overwhelmed with too much when you are starting out.
Learn what growing zone (and season) you are located in
This determines what you are able to grow. Look here to determine your growing zone by inputting your zip code. Believe it or not, the US is broken up into 11 growing zones. This is important because, your growing zone determines when your last frost date is. In turn, that determines when you can start sowing your seeds into your garden. For instance, the growing season for most cool weather crops is shorter for lets say zones 5-11. The reason for this is that the hotter weather tends to cause plants like lettuce and broccoli to ‘bolt’ or go to seed. People who experience hot summers need to start their lettuce, broccoli, spinach, for example, earlier in the cooler months (Spring and Fall). There are exceptions to this and it depends on how resistant some varieties are to the heat. In my experience, the earlier I start the better off I am. However, I grew lettuce into June last year in our zone 6, where other years I didn’t have much success do to the type I planted.
Things you will need
Obviously, you will need items like a shovel/trowel, gardening gloves (I recommend heavy duty gloves because I’ve busted through several cheaper pairs), handheld sheers/garden scissors to cut things down or off in your garden, seeds and/or plants. I recommend layers of soil, if you are planning on utilizing raised beds or in-ground gardens. First, you will want to either kill your grass or cut the top sod grass. You can use cardboard if you’d like to try and kill your grass. We decided that would take too long so we chose the cutting sod option. Next, you will need top soil. If you are gardening in the ground, you can skip this step. We used the soil from the sod by separating the dirt/soil from the grass portion. Yes, this was tedious but worth it.
Next, you will need bags of garden soil. You can get regular miracle gro or an organic garden soil, there are lots of different options available. Then, you will want dehydrated manure/compost. Yes, you heard me correctly. It’s not as bad as it seems, trust me- it hardly smells at all. This is your all natural, organic fertilizer. Garden nurseries or hardware stores start selling this in late Winter. This is a game changer and plants love it.
If you are planning on container gardening you will need to determine the amount of pots you want to use. These garden bags are also a great option and recommended by lots of knowledgable gardeners. You can find them lots of different places online and in store now. You will also need garden potting soil and some form of compost/fertilizer.
When you should start
It’s never too late in the season per say. My first year I didn’t get the raised beds built until May. I still had a decent growing season in zone 6. Decide what you plan to grow and either purchase the seeds or plants at your local nursery. I like to order my seeds online. I particularly like to order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Johnny Seeds is also a favorite among the gardening world. I have recently purchased additional seeds (like kidney beans which are hard to find on those sites) off of Etsy through The South GA Seed Company and here. All of these company sell NON-GMO seeds. Once you obtain your seeds, look on the back to see when they suggest planting them. Most cold weather seeds are suggested to be planted when the soil is workable, about 6 weeks prior to your area’s last frost date. As far as plants, your local nurseries will start to sell plants most likely in April in the North. In my experience, most nursery owners and employees, they suggest waiting to plant warm weather plants- tomatoes, peppers, herbs (especially basil), until Mother’s Day in zone 6 or whenever your days stay consistently warm.
I hope this was helpful to those wanting to start a garden this year. If you are starting a garden, I am so excited for you. I’d love to see your gardens when you get them underway! Feel free to share them with me!
Have a great week!
