Your First Garden

The health benefits of eating fresh vegetables is well known and the reward of eating fresh vegetables that you grew is amazing, not to mention you’ll save some money at the store.

For your first garden think small. A plot 8' X 10' is a great starter size and you can always expand later. Gardens take work and after the initial preparation and planting you will need to hoe, weed, water and fertilize on a regular basis. You cannot simply plant the garden and think that mother nature will do the rest, that’s your job!

Choose a location that receives as much sun as possible throughout the day. If you are removing a section of lawn(sod), you can rent a tiller or borrow one from a friend or neighbor for this task. When the top layer has been well loosened, work the soil up sod and all. You can leave the sod if you work it really well but you may also want to simply remove it and fill the void with topsoil.

If your soil is sandy or has a high clay content it will be worth amending the dirt with topsoil or compost to get your plants off on the right foot. If you are not sure what type of soil you have you can take  a handful to your local nursery and check with them. All soil amendment products can be bought in plastic bags so don’t worry that you will need to purchase an entire truckload of dirt. When you start planting a sprinkle of fish fertilizer in the hole will give your new plants a good boost and make them happy.

If you have a bad back and bending over a lot is out of the question, you can make a raised garden bed out of timbers or purchase easy to assemble plastic bed forms. Then fill the bed with good topsoil and get ready to plant.

If you make the decision to plant a garden, be sure to buy good quality seeds or bedding out plants. With bedding out plants check for bugs, spots, broken leaves etc. and go for healthy looking plants.

Easy to grow crops include onions, peas, beets, rutabaga, zucchini squash and these can also be planted early. Tomatoes and peppers need to be started from seed indoors about 8 weeks prior to planting time or purchased as transplants. Whether you use seeds or bedding out plants, be sure to read (and save) the instructions that come with them. Make a note of the amount of sun, water, space and shelter each plant will need. And to ensure success, plant by the expected last frost dates, not the weather.

Animals may take a shine to your new garden and depending on here you live, rabbits, geese and deer can be a problem. For a small garden a wire mesh surround works well to keep unwanted guests from nibbling on your bounty.

Be on the lookout for bugs! If you see evidence of chewing on plants, especially things like cabbage don't wait to save all your hard work. Identify the insect causing the damage (your local nursery can help you if you are not sure) and choose an insecticide that will control that specific insect. Proper spacing, weeding and fertilizing is a good way to prevent disease and insect infestation without having to resort to insecticides. There are also many new, natural insecticides available so be sure to ask at the nursery.

When it comes to fertilizer, the easiest to use is a granular or water soluble fertilizer to feed your hungry plants. A 15-15-15 or 20-20-20 fertilizer is a good all purpose fertilizer which will provide equal parts nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and some of the minor nutrients that plants need.

Soon, it will be time to harvest your garden and be sure to do so when ripe. Enjoy your bounty knowing that YOU created this beautiful fare.