Starting your own vegetable garden is certainly a pretty big challenge to take on, but it can certainly be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling projects too. You’ll be able to watch all manner of produce flourish from seed, and enjoy some of the freshest fruit, vegetables and herbs that will send your tastebuds wild!
Thankfully, learning how to create your own vegetable patch doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially imagine. In fact, this handy guide contains some of the best steps that you can follow to build the most amazing vegetable garden in no time at all! So, what are you waiting for? Read on to discover more and start your green fingered growing project today.
First Step: Choosing The Ideal Location
Choosing the ideal location for your vegetable patch should be your first priority, as you need to make sure a variety of features come together to create the perfect growing environment. Some vegetables do thrive in cold, shady areas, but in general most plants need a lot of sun to grow well. So, choose an area that boasts good levels of sunshine, somewhere that is mainly sheltered from the wind, and somewhere that’s as flat or level as possible to make your garden accessible. Don’t forget about the need for water, too - a backyard tap or a water butt can certainly help to cut down trips back and forth with a watering can!
Second Step: Designing Your Plot
The chances are, your vegetable patch will be totally unique and individual, suiting your personal tastes and preferences. This is totally fine and in reality is how it should be, but it simply means that you’ll need to spend a little time designing your plot in order to ensure you can turn your garden dreams into a reality. Think about where you’re going to put your plants and how you’re going to plant them - will you use raised beds or plant directly into the soil? How will you properly monitor and achieve the need for rotation? Bear these factors in mind so that your design meets your needs with ease.
Third Step: Remove Weeds & Prepare The Soil
Now that you have your vegetable garden design in mind, it’s time to start preparing the space ready for planting. Removing any weeds should be your first priority, as these tend to be invasive species that could take over your veg patch and upset your fruit, vegetables and herbs. It’s a good idea to upturn the soil and leave it for around a week before you start to plant, as this way you can ensure that no smaller seeds or roots were left inside the soil. If you think that your soil is a little too chalky or contains too much clay, then it’s best to utilize raised beds and fill them with a combination of compost and soil.
Fourth Step: Move Slowly & Don’t Overwhelm Yourself
Gardening is certainly a time consuming task that can take a lot of thought and consideration, so it’s best to recognize that you need to move slowly and not overwhelm yourself when you are starting out a new vegetable garden. Attempting to plant 7 or 8 different species of fruit, veg or herbs might seem like a good idea to begin with, but you’ll soon find that you don’t have the means to take great care of each individual species as you had originally hoped. So, don’t make the mistake of giving yourself too many species to tend - start off simple, and build your way up as time goes by.
Fifth Step: Don’t Forget About Pests!
Unfortunately, the chances are that you’re going to encounter pests sooner or later when you grow your own vegetables. This can be an even more prevalent issue if you opt for organic growing with no pesticide use, but there are many solutions that can help you to work around these risks. Using netting over your plants is one of the best options to explore, as you can stop bugs and other critters from accessing your plants while still allowing lots of sunshine to reach them.
Easy Crops For Beginners
When you’re starting a new vegetable patch for the first time, it’s a good idea to find a few easy crops for beginners that won’t be too tricky for you to grow. Thankfully there are lots of easy crops that you can choose to plant in your new garden, including but not limited to:
- Beetroot
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Courgette
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Radish
- Beans