I want to start a vegetable garden this year. Where do I start?
My advice:
Start small. Find a plot that receives at least 6 hours of full sun a day. It also needs to be a fairly level space.
Next, begin digging out the sod. (This is the hardest part!) Remove as many of the roots as possible. At this point you may choose to add plenty of a good quality garden-blend soil (either bags or have a load delivered), or take your chances with the soil that is there. You can also have your soil tested at your county extension office to determine if anything needs to be added to improve it.
Rake smooth ready to receive seeds or plants.
Your bed can be edged with rocks, bricks, landscape timbers, etc.
Next, determine what you want to plant. I'd suggest starting with lettuce, radishes, a couple of tomato and pepper plants and maybe a couple of herbs. We'll talk about planting lettuce and radishes soon.
Read up on gardening at:
Square Foot Gardening
Organic Gardening
Garden Web Forums
Keep it simple, and you'll enjoy some fresh vegetables this summer!
Do you have more gardening questions? Ask away.
Robin
Praise God! Thank u for this post!! I look forward to more.
ReplyDeleteYay! Garden veggies!
ReplyDeleteI'm so ready for fresh veggies that actually have flavor. So not enjoying the store bought stuff right now!
ReplyDeleteCan I grow vegetables without a plot of land? Like in pots? Or a kids pool? And if so, when would I start in this crazy Oklahoma weather? The veggies we eat the most are cherry tomatoes, spinach, carrots, onions, zuchini and then of course herbs. Can I do any of those? I just have NO clue. I saw your post on milk jugs, but I can't leave the veggies in there to grow, right?
ReplyDeleteI want one too!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, Mandy. You can grow many things in pots or even in flower beds. A cherry tomato might be too much for a pot, unless you pruned it back occasionally. You could put something in your pot to support that plant, like a small trellis. But there are patio tomato varieties that work well in pots. Make sure those are large pots. And most herbs grow well in pots....plant several together. (rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme)
ReplyDeleteOnions, lettuce and spinach will grow easily in a flower bed. And spinach and lettuce don't require nearly as much sun as other vegetables.
It's still a bit too early to start planting seeds and plants, but it will be time soon! I'll let you know.
Is it too early to start indoor seedlings? Please don't say no, my kids and I just planted around 60 cells or so! Mainly herbs, tomatoes, onion, peppers, and green beans. I'm waiting to plant the lettuce and squash seeds straight into the ground when it warms up- is that right? I'd love to just pick your brain, we are so new to this!
ReplyDeleteGina sent me to your page. Thanks for the great tips! She and I are starting 2 raised beds in my backyard for potatoes, onions, garlic, shallots and whatever else we can think of. Have you ever grown Nastertiums (not sure on the spelling)? A friend recommended them to me to add beauty to the garden and because they're edible flowers.
ReplyDeleteBy the way for a Overweight indivividual like me Gardening offers the perfect Sweat breaker 2 hours of good time weed digging and I am in business
ReplyDeletethis post is full of sense and knowledge that should all of us must learn.
ReplyDelete