Have been wanting to start growing your own groceries for awhile now, but don’t know where to start?

Starting your first garden may seem overwhelming but with a few easy steps and a plan, you can set yourself up for a bountiful garden with fresh vegetables all season long!

While starting a vegetable garden is a lot easier than you may think, there are a few things you should plan and consider before breaking ground.  Considering and planning for these few points will get you off to a great start and help you see a bountiful harvest in no time.

Benefits of starting your own vegetable garden

There are many reasons as to why having a garden is beneficial to your entire family.  The benefits range from being a good physical activity to providing some wonderful tactile therapy for depression and anxiety.

Getting your whole family involved in the gardening process is a wonderful way to introduce more family time.  There is a duty and responsibility for every member of the family.  Everyone can get involved and contribute to feeding the family.

Here are a few of them:

• Have access to fresh food at your fingertips.
• Great activity for the whole family. There is a job for everyone!
• Teaches kids many different skills and values such as patience, hard work, and problem solving.
• Encourages food awareness and appreciation for where food comes from and how it is grown.
• Learning food skills ensures that they will never go hungry.
• Wonderful outdoor activity.
• Allows them to become more self-sufficient and join the self-reliance movement.

Vegetable Garden Basics

Starting a vegetable garden can seem very overwhelming because there are many decisions that need to be made before you can even break ground!  Some of these decisions seem like they could make or break your success.  Good news is, that if you make a few important decisions very carefully and plan diligently before starting, a bountiful garden is much more achievable!

A few important decisions to make:

• When to plant
• What to plant
• Where to plant
• Seeds or Starters
• Tools and Equipment

Taking some extra time to consider these points will make all the difference. I walk you through all of it in this post.

You can also grab my FREE Vegetable Garden Guide to download to have this information easily available, as well as, some really handy plotting graphs, and observation sheets for taking notes throughout the season.

GRAB THE FREE GUIDE BELOW:

When do you plant your vegetable garden?

One of the most common questions that I get about starting a vegetable garden is: When can I put the plants in the ground?

Knowing your growing dates is very important in order to avoid planting too early and risking a frost that may kill your vegetables or planting too late which could result in late harvest or none at all.

One of the first things you want to do when planning your first vegetable garden is to get familiar with your growing location.

You want to determine the following:

• Growing zone, also referred to as your harvesting zone
• Last freeze date
• First freeze date

I like to use the Old Farmer’s Almanac for researching this information.  Just input your zip code and you will get a lot of useful information about growing in your area.

The United States is broken up into growing zones which are based on average climate.  Knowing your growing zone is great when troubleshooting problems, determining what plants will thrive in your specific area, identifying plants or pests, and determining a successful planting and growing timeline.

Your freeze dates are also very important to research.  Knowing your first and last freeze dates are necessary for determining a successful timeline.  Your first freeze date is the average date in the fall that you may experience freezing temperatures overnight that could kill any frost intolerant plants.  It is important to do any harvesting of the plant before this dates.  Working back from this date will help you determine the last date for planting a specific vegetable by considering its growing timeframe.

Your last freeze date is the average date in the spring that you can expect your last winter freeze.  You will want to be careful planting any frost intolerant vegetables prior to this date and the freezing temperatures may kill them off.

I typically take a look at my estimated last freeze date and plan to get may vegetables in the ground about a week later.  Of course, I continue to monitor the overnight temperatures for about a week out before I actually break ground and plant them. For us, our last freeze date is mid to late April, so typically a rule of thumb for my area is to get your garden in around Mother’s Day.

What to grow

Another decision you must make before putting anything in the ground is what you are going to plant.  It is so easy to go overboard and be temptedto grow every plant imaginable but that is is unrealistic.   

We made this mistake our first year gardening,  I bought just about every plant I found at the store and threw them in my garden.  Needless to say, many of them were unsuccessful and we wasted a lot of harvest.

To determing what plants you should spend the time, space, and money on growing, you should as yourself the following questions:

• What vegetables do I buy the most?
• What vegetables do I but the least?
• What vegetables are the most expensive in the store?
• What vegetables are hard to find?

Answering these questions will help you narrow down your list of vegetables to the ones you will truely benefit from and enjoy.  It will also help you avoid tempetation from buying all of the seeds and/or plants at the nursery when planning your garden.

Our first year, we planted radishes and eggplant.  Which we rarely eat.  I just don’t have the recipes to support them in abundance.  Since then, we don’t grow them in order to save space for something else.

Where to grow

After planning when and what you are going to plant this year, it is important to take a look at your availabel space and determing where you are going to plant.

There are many options for where to plant your garden.  You can utilize an in-ground garden plot, raised beds, containers, or existing landscapes for planting your vegetables.  All of these options have benefits that may depend on your available area.

Raised beds and a garden plot are great if you have a larger property but for small spaces and first year gardens, I definitely recommend starting with containers.

Containers will offer you the most flexibility without deciding on a permanent location.  Using containers for the first year will allow you to observe your area, test some things out, and provide more information for you to make a more permanent decision the following year.

Containers are also great for small spaces, patios, or even balconies.  They can be moved around if necessary and the posibilities of small space options utilizing containers are endless.

Grab my FREE Planning guide for a step by step process for choosing the ideal location for your garden.

Grab that here: FREE Garden Planning Guide

Should you start your plants from seed or buy plants?

For anyone starting your first garden, I definitely recommend grabbing some plants from the nursery and trying that for a few years before taking on starting your plants from seed.

Starting your plants from seeds yourself is not difficult but it is a step in the process that does require quite a lot of resources such as lighting equipment, heaters, plant food, and different containers.  If you really want to ensure a successful garden, I would let them do that beginning work for you so that you can better practice harvesting the food.  After a few years, I definitely recomend trying to start from seed yourself as it is a great money saver.

I typically start from seed several months before I put the plants in the ground and figure that if some of them do not survive, I can always go to the store buy the plants I need to replace them.

Choosing the right soil

Wether you are starting seeds, filling container or raised beds, or adding soil to a garden plot, it is important to use the correct soil.

The most important mistake you can make when starting a garden, in my opinion, is to use the wrong soil.  There are so many types of soil to choose from, that choosing the correct one for your garden project can be confusing.  Check out my post on garden soil here: How to Choose the Right Garden Soil for any Project

Tool and Equipment you need to get started

It is so easy to walk into a garden center and want to buy all of the cool tools and supplies that they have available but in reality, you really only absolutley need a few tools. 

Some of my must haves for gardening are:

• Garden towel and shovel
• Garden rake
• Garden pruners
• Hose with spray attachment
• Gardening gloves
• Bucket

These are the absolute essentials and you can do most gardening set up and maintenance with these.  For a more extensive list of tools and equipment that may be useful, grab my FREE garden guide.

Good luck with your garden this year! I hope you have a blessed harvest and enjoy all of the benefits that gardening can bring you and your family!

If there was one thing that I recommend to a beginner gardeners it would be to make sure you choose the right garden soil for your project.

Choosing the wrong type of soil can be a huge and costly mistake and deterimental to the survival of your plants.

The decision of which type of soil to use for your current project may seem overwheming.  Step into a garden center and you will find many different types of soil, soil amendments, and plant food that choosing the right one may seem daunting.

Here you will find a breakdown of the different types of garden soil and how you can ensure you choose the right garden soil for your plants.

Garden Soil Basics

Some soils are formulated to provide the most ideal conditions for a specific type of plant.  Whether you are starting seeds, planning in a garden bed, potting indoor plants, or creating an in-ground garden plot, the type of soil you choose could make or break you success.

There are several different types of soil such as; native soil, organic soil, synthetic soil, potting soil, seed starter, compost, etc.  Knowing which one is the best for your project could be the difference in having thriving, fruitful plants, or having an unsuccessful garden.

Read on for a simple breakdown for the different types of soils you may see and when and how you should use them.

Native Soil

Native soil is quite simply, the natural soil from your backyard or landscape.  This is what you may be using if you are planting directly in the ground or in a garden plot.

One thing you DO NOT want to do is take native soil from outside and try to use it for indoor plants.  Native soil can house and harbor insect eggs which will hatch and release pests once it come indoors and reaches a warmer temperature.  Make sure you are only using potting soil for indoor plants.

Before planting in your native soil, it will be important to determine the type and quality of your soil so that you can decide if additional nutrients need to be added, which can be done through testing.

Types of Native Soil

hauThere are many aspects to your native soil which will greatly determine the success of your garden.  First, you will want to determine wether your soil is sandy, clay, silty, or loamy.  Some of these  consistencies are better than others and if it is not conducive to a healthy garden, you may need to build it out with store bought soil and amendments.

To find out what kind of soil consistency you have, you can conduct what is called the “squeeze test”.

To conduct a squeeze test, first pick up a handful of dirt (make sure the dirt isn’t soaking wet) and rub it between your ungloved fingers.

The consistency and ability to hold its shape will determine which category it is in:

• Clay – slippery and maintains a ball shape
• Sand – gritty and crumbly, dry
• Loam – crumbly but maintains a loose ball.
• Silty – light and powdery and does not hold shape.

It is so interesting because I actually have multiple types of soil in my yard.  My front garden plot has very wet soil, which definitely consists of heavy clay.  Another area has beautiful loamy soil which has been wonderful for many types of plants.  A few other areas are sandy soil, which usually needs some amendments.

A breakdown of the benefits and negative aspects of each type are as follows:

• Sandy soil – Water and nutrients drain easily but the soil is less fertile.  Easy to dig but will dry out easy.  Good for root vegetables but not great for vegetables that need more nutrients.
• Clay soil – Heavy soil that doesn’t drain water easily.  Plants can get waterlogged or root rot since there is no drainage.  You may want to consider raised beds for better drainage if you are looking to grow root vegetables.  Brassicas will grow well in clay soil.
• Silty soil – Soft and powdery, finer than sandy soil.  Shallow root vegetables such as beets, onions, herbs, are a great option.
• Loamy soil – The best soil to have!  Loamy soil is somewhat of a mixture of the other types.  Holds moisture well, but also drains well.  Loamy soil will contain and retain nutrients.

Getting your soil tested

For a more serious gardener, knowing what type of soil you have is only the beginning.  The best way to really gauge the quality of your garden soil and how successful it will be in growing your chosen vegetables is to conduct a soil test.  A soil test will tell you what nutrients are missing or what nutrients are in excess.  Having this information will allow you to determine any additives, fertilizer, or amendments that may need necessary.

Two easy ways to conduct a soil sample are to purchase an at-home kit or to collect samples and send them to a local soil testing laboratory.

An at-home soil testing kit will be less complicated but it may also be less accurate and comprehensive.  At-home kits will give you information on your soil’s pH and levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash.  These tests can be purchased at any garden supply center.

An at-home soil test is a great option for your yearly soil upkeep, but it is important to at least conduct one laboratory level test when first starting.  This will give you a really great idea of what you are working with.

I was able to do a soil test through a local university.  Check out the universities and colleges in your area and see if they offer a soil testing program.  You can also check out your state’s extension agriculture office to see if they have any programs in your area.

Seed Starting Soil

If you have decided to start your own plants from seeds indoors you will want to make sure that you are using a seed starter.

Seed starting mixtures are specifically desifned to be extremely light weight.  The purpose of a seed starting mix is to allow the seed to sprout and reach the surface of soil.  If the soil is too heavy or dense, the delicate seedling will not be able to push it’s way to the top.

In addition to having a light and airy texture, a seed starting mix also has nutrients and food that allow the seed to germinate.

Once a seedling has emerged from the surface, and has developed leaves, it will be transplanted to a larger pot with potting soil.

Gardening Soil vs Potting Mix

One of the biggest questions I get about soil is: “What is the difference between gardening soil and potting mix?”.

Garden soil is typically top soil, or natural soil mixed with amendments that make it suitable for the average outdoor plant.  You may see bags of these advertised at a garden center as flower garden soil or vegetable garden soil.

Garden soil is ideal if you are filling raised beds or adding soil back into your in-ground garden beds.  You do not want to use garden soil for indoor plants as there may be insect eggs that will hatch once it is inside.

Potting mix is typically a mix of ingredients that are not from natural soil.  Instead it uses a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, bark, among other things.  The purpose of these ingredients is to allow for good drainage which makes potting soil the best options for containers and indoor plants.

Some potting mixes may contain synthetic materials so if you are trying to keep your plants and garden organic, you will want to double check the formula that you are purchasing.  In addition, potting mix can be more expensive than other soils so you will want to do a cost assessment if you are filling a lot of containers or pots.

Top Soil

Top soil is the top layer of soil.  If you are trying to build out your garden and need to add structure, you will want to add top soil.  If you are purchasing it in bulk, you can usually get screened or unscreened.  Screened topsoil has been sifted to remove rocks and other debris and typically has an even consistency.

Top soil does not have additional nutrients or amendments as gardening soil does.  Top soil is your typical material for landscaping and can be used as fill dirt.

If you are planning on growing in the purchased top soil, you will most likely need to add nutrients to allow for a better garden medium.  Gardening soil is basically top soil with the nutrients and amendments already added.

Compost

Compost is not a stand alone planting medium.  It is a material that is added to provide nutrients, food, and minerals back into the chosen soil.

Compost is a natural mixture made typically made of waste that decomposes to create a nutrient rich material that is very beneficial to plants.  Compost provides structure to the soil, as well as, allows for better drainage.  Compost is made of organic materials such as leaves, tree needles, fruit and vegetable waste, and garden waste (as long as it does not have any disease).

While choosing the right garden soil may seem complicated, as you can see there are circumstances where one soil will be superior to the others.

Choosing the right garden soil for you specific garden project is one of the most important decisions you can make and choosing incorrectly could hinder your ability to grow a beautiful and abundant garden.

If you are planning a garden this year and are not sure where to start, don’t miss our FREE Your Dream Vegetable Garden Guide.  This guide will get you started with all of the beginning steps to creating a beautiful, bountiful garden.  Get yours here: Your Dream Vegetable Garden Guide