Much like the Victory Garden’s after WWII, the Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a renewed interest in gardening. I’ve heard many people say they would like to grow their own vegetables, but don’t know where to start. Below I’ll share some quick and easy tips on how to start a vegetable garden for beginners, along with my some of my favorite seed and plants.
We are all adjusting to a new normal as we attempt to homeschool our kids, work from home and distance ourselves from friends and family to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
As I was out getting groceries this past Friday, I couldn’t help but notice canned goods (along with toilet paper) were completely sold out. It made me very thankful for all those green beans I canned last summer! It also made me start thinking about other things we could grow in our garden to eat through the summer and and preserve for the winter.
I’m no expert, but I was a beginning gardener at one time and luckily, I had some very good teachers. Follow the tips below to start growing your own garden!
Getting Started
The very first task in starting your garden is to pick your spot. You don’t need a large plot of land and a rototiller in order to grow veggies. My mom lives in the middle of town and plants all her herbs and vegetables in containers on her back patio. There are many different ways to plant and there is no wrong way. Get creative if you don’t have access to an area to sow directly into the ground. You can plant in raised beds, containers, a community garden plot…do whatever works best for you and your situation. Wherever you decide to start growing, you’ll want to make sure you find a location with plenty of direct sunlight, preferably at least 6 hours.
Getting a soil sample is a very good idea, especially if you are planting in a new bed. A soil sample will tell you exactly what nutrients your garden will need to produce healthy plants and a bountiful harvest. Fish emulsion or other organic fertilizers will help feed your plants throughout the growing season as well.
Know Important Frost Dates
One of the most important things to know when planning your garden is your first and last frost date. This is important to know if you are starting seed indoors as well as planting out into the garden. If you are planning to start seed inside, your seed packet should tell you how many weeks prior to your last frost date you will need to start that particular seed. For instance, our last frost date is typically around the Mother’s Day in Southern Indiana. I am currently starting all seed that is 6-8 weeks out. If you can’t find that information easily on a seed packet…a quick Google search should be able to tell you. Typically most summer vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, pepper and cucumber plants should be set out after the last chance of frost. Examples of veggies that prefer cooler spring temps would be spinach, lettuce, peas, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli.
What Will You Plant?
I’ve been hearing some people say they are planning to grow veggies for themselves this year as well as grow enough to sell or give away to community members in this time of need. I always end up with a lot more harvest than what we can eat as a family, so I preserve what I can and give a lot away to friends and family.
My family doesn’t like tomatoes, but they love salsa, pasta sauce and chili, so I grow a lot more tomatoes than any of us will eat, but I will turn those tomatoes into things they will! When you’re thinking of what you will plant, think about what you can grow to preserve as well. If you’re a salsa fan, you can grow tomatoes, jalapeños, onions and cilantro for instant salsa. If your family likes pasta, grow some roma tomatoes to make tomato paste for sauce.
Green beans are something you can grow a lot of and preserve in ball jars to use throughout the winter. My favorite varieties are roma II and blue lake bush beans. Both are prolific growers and have a great flavor, however, roma II is my favorite!
I love nothing more than having sweet corn in the summer and so does our family. If you grow a little more than you can eat at one time…you can freeze the corn to use later in the fall and winter.
There are many root vegetables that you can grow and store in a cool spot in your house such as red and white potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and onions. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like a pot of green beans and new potatoes fresh from the garden!
Starting Seed and Purchasing Plants
Something to consider is whether you will start your plants from seed or purchase established plants to grow in your garden. If you have the room, equipment and the desire, starting your plants from seed inside is very rewarding and a great way to grow a lot of plants very inexpensively. If starting seed is not your thing… your local garden center will most likely have many of the plants on your list that are already established, ready to plant out into your garden.
If you’re starting seed inside, you will want to check the back of your seed packet for growing time. The packet should tell you how many weeks from your last frost date you should sow your seed. Plants such as tomatoes will need to be established plants when going into the garden, so you will need to start tomatoes inside weeks ahead of time or purchase plants from a local garden center.
White and red potatoes are grown from seed potatoes that you can find at a local farm store or order online. Just FYI…seed potatoes are actually potatoes with eyes that you will divide and plant…not actual seed! Sweet potatoes are grown from “slips” that you will plant directly into the garden.
There are several plants that prefer to be sown directly into the garden, such as corn and green beans. A quick google search or a seed catalog should tell you what each plant prefers along with specific growing times.
Here is a link to my favorite seed starting supplies!
Garden Therapy
If growing your own vegetables and reaping the harvest isn’t reward enough, I consider garden time free therapy. Its quiet, no distractions and studies have shown that soil contains microbes that are natural anti depressants…so why not go out and get your hands dirty this spring.
If you have kids at home, get them involved as well. Some of my best memories with my kids have taken place in the garden or on the back porch breaking beans together. Don’t forget to save room for some cut flowers too! They will help bring a lot of pollinators and beneficial insects to your garden and a little joy to your dining room table.
I hope you found this information useful and easy to understand! Once you begin, you will look forward to planning your summer garden and the harvest to follow. I would love to connect with you below, feel free to leave a comment and subscribe to our email list. Enjoy!
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