Vegetable Gardening for Beginners
When starting a vegetable garden, it’s important to know the basics including what to grow, where to grow it, how to plan for it, and how to prepare the soil.
Choosing Which Vegetables to Grow
Although you may eventually find yourself with a thriving garden filled with dozens of varieties of crops, in the beginning, you need to choose just a few. Two to three crops is a good start. Some of the simplest and fastest crops to grow in a vegetable garden for beginners are radishes, garlic, lettuce, basil, and carrots. All of these are well-loved by many families and also offer excellent options for selling at farmers’ markets or to local chefs for a profit.
Choosing a Location
The space where you put your garden will depend mostly on the amount of sunlight. Your vegetable garden space needs to receive at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Trees can get in the way of the sunlight at certain times of the day so track your garden plot’s sun patterns before deciding on the best one. Wind patterns may also affect the way that you plan out your garden plot, particularly if you plant to grow crops that are taller. A fence or walls can help with this.
Drawing Out a Plan
Using graph paper to plan out your garden is helpful. If you are planting in rows, leave about 2-3 feet in between your rows and plant your crops north to south to make the best use of the sunlight. Taller crops should go in the back. In order to use your space wisely, however, you may want to alternate your crops rather than placing them directly in rows.
Improving Your Soil
Often the soil for a beginning garden is not extremely healthy if it has been lying fallow for very long, or if it is the soil that has been simply hosting grass. In order to get your soil ready to start a beginner vegetable garden, you’ll need to give your soil a bit of a boost.
Once you’ve cleared your garden area of weeds, rocks, and sticks, you can prepare the soil for your garden by “feeding” it with organic matter. Compost, manure, or other types of natural fertilizer (not chemical fertilizer!), when blended with your soil, provide nutrients to the soil and give the ability to hold water well. Do this at least 2-3 weeks in advance of when you want to plant your crops.
Once you’ve walked through all of these steps, it’s time to get started growing your vegetable garden. A simple way to get everything you need in one place is by using a growing system such as Seed to Cash. The Pilot Program offers opportunities to begin with as little as 100 square feet of garden space and less than $70 for seeds and membership to the growers’ forum. In as little as two weeks, you can find yourself with a harvest and begin making a profit of up to $200, even as a beginner! Get started with your beginner vegetable garden with Seed to Cash right away!
