Trust me, a freshly picked veggie coming from a garden is second to none! A bite out of a garden-fresh veggie will leave you wanting more just from the sweetness and juiciness out of one bite! If you haven’t tried them yet, then an excellent solution to that would be starting your own vegetable garden at home - nothing like eating the fruits of your labor, right?

In this article, we’re going to help you with all of the basics you’re going to need if you’re starting out as a novice gardener. Most of the things you’re going to need to know and do immediately is actually planning - for the season, the dimensions and location of your garden. With that said, here are some tips on how to grow your own garden at home.

What’s In Season

You’re going to need to keep the season in mind. If you’re closer to the fall season, then maybe opt out of cold-sensitive vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and beans. Instead, seek out some cold-hardy beets and other vegetables that are highly resistant to the colder temperatures and frost. The folks at Gardener's Path have a guide on growing beets and other plants that tolerate the cold.

What You Like and Don’t Like

Don’t forget about which vegetables you and/or your family really love to eat! If no one in your family really eats okra and bitter gourd, then it’s probably best for you and everyone else that you lay off of planting those! On the other hand, don’t overplant the veggies that everyone does like - unless you plan on giving away some of those garden-fresh veggies, of course! 

Supermarket Availability

Check out what the local supermarkets have in abundance. You should stay away from the vegetables that they have plenty of on the shelves - like carrots, lettuce, and cabbages. Try growing some unique variants(cultivars) like tomatillos. You could grow your own herbs as well; it’d be cheaper and way tastier if you grow and harvest your own green herbs!

High-Quality Seeds Are Recommended

Splurging out on seeds may be better for you in the long run! Imagine buying some seeds that don’t germinate at all. This leaves you with both wasted time and money - which you’re not going to be too happy about. The best place you’ll buy seeds is directly from the nursery seedsmen - it’ll go for cheaper and be of high-quality! Best of both worlds! 

When And Where To Plant

It’ll be light work for you if you’re just going to plant a couple of eggplants and tomatoes here and there. Still, if you want a full garden, you need to correctly layout the vegetables you’re growing. Not only that, but you’re going to need to think about when to plant them. As we said earlier, you can’t grow cold-sensitive plants during winter - they’ll just die! 

Keep your tall vegetables to the north side of your garden. Once they grow high, they’ll be blocking off that precious sunlight that your other vegetables need and want. By planting them to the northside, you can then use the shade they create for the cold-season veggies! 

Pick The Right Location For Your Garden

You can’t really start your garden without having a location for your garden in the first place! This part is going to be very important if you want top-tier, supermarket-beating veggies! You can’t have excellent harvests if your garden location isn’t excellent! There are three things for you to consider: Lots of sunlight, moist but well-drained soil, and environmental stability.

Plants need lots of sunlight - like a full 6 hours of direct sunlight. If you have poorly drained soil(lots of muddy puddles), you should build or buy a raised bed. If the environment you plant in is very windy, then your young plants and pollinators will get blown away, and they won’t be able to grow at all! 

Starting Small

It’s better for you to start with a small garden and be proud of it rather than planting way too much, way too soon, and you’ll just end up frustrated! Plan what vegetables you’ll want to grow and start small. Grow the amount that you know you’ll be able to consume - not unless you want an overloaded fridge of veggies that no one can eat in a week’s time! 

Takeaway

There you have an introductory guide of what you’ll need to consider when starting your very own vegetable garden at home! Don’t be afraid to always seek help from those who are more knowledgeable than you. 

These people can be the ones giving you advice through the internet or even just living next to you and sharing the same hobby you’re trying out! With a little bit of help, you might discover your penchant for growing plants, hence  your green thumb.