A Beginners Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetable Garden

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Think about the entire world population.  Now guestimate what percentage of people grow their own food.  I don’t have any hard numbers, but my guess is, it's probably not as high as it should be.  

The year 2020 was an eye-opening year for most of us.  We caught glimpses of how fragile our food system among other things can be. Relatively speaking it wasn’t that long ago when families had to plant a garden to feed themselves.  Kids would run barefoot in the fields with blackberry-stained hands.  They’d make fishing poles out of sticks and built snowmen while tending to fires used to make maple syrup. Window boxes hung from kitchen window sills spilling over with herbs for cooking.  Meats were salted and smoked.  Root cellars were built into the ground and filled with nuts, squash, and potatoes for winter storage.

 It sounds like a peaceful way of life, right? I’m sure in a lot of ways it was, but before I get too sentimental, I’ll remind you, they didn’t have plumbing.  

Learning to garden now is easier than ever but I guess in a way it’s also harder.  We have endless amounts of resources available to guide us and plants have been bred to withstand many of the diseases that plagued our early ancestors.  What makes it harder is our lack of time and commitment.  Growing a successful garden takes dedication. Our world is pinging away with distractions.  I think many of us yearn for a more simplified life, but our minds are not trained for the mundane and society constantly begs for our engagement.  Our ancestors didn’t have a choice.  They had to grow, hunt, and fish for their own food, or they starved.  I believe we all have an innate connection to nature whether we realize it or not.  It is vital to our wellbeing.  Getting outside, feeling the sun on your skin, and nurturing a young plant to harvest is a great way to decompress and connect with our natural world.  Homegrown veggies are delicious and far superior in my opinion to anything from the grocery store.  Being able to control where your food comes from gives you a sense of power in a world where we often feel powerless.  

The First Step in Planting a New Garden

When I was a new gardener, I was advised to start small.  So…I planted an acre.  Everything that peaked my interest was shoved into the ground.  By June, the weeds were so high, I couldn’t find the plants.  It was too much for one person to manage.  Since then, the size of my veggie garden has been reduced significantly but I’m harvesting more than ever because I keep it manageable.

It's easy to overplant.  Young plants look tiny when you add them to your garden bed in the spring and one seed packet can contain over thirty seeds.  Be realistic about how much time you can devote to your garden.   When you start looking at seeds and seedlings, you’ll want to plant everything but keep in mind, sometimes more is less. 

The first step in planning your garden is deciding where to put it.  The location of your garden will dictate your success.  Look for an area with full sun, at least seven hours of direct sunlight and easy access to a source of water.     

Creating a garden bed in the ground from scratch is labor intensive.  Sod and weeds must be removed before planting, or they will compete with your plants and most likely win.  I highly recommend raised beds or containers for beginner gardeners.  Raised beds are essentially a big planter box.  You can design them anyway you’d like.   There are many benefits to using them including saving your back from bending over if you build them high enough and keeping rabbits out.  The most significant benefit is being able to better control the growing conditions for your plants. Drainage, compaction, and fertility are typically not an issue since you decide what soil is added.  Raised beds also heat up faster in the spring as opposed to the ground making your seedlings a tad bit warmer.  

Wood unfortunately does rot.  You may be tempted to buy pressure treated lumber. Don’t do it.  There are harsh chemicals used in the process of treating wood that can leach into your veggies.  Buy untreated wood knowing one day you may need to replace some of the boards.  

There are thousands of ideas online for do-it-yourself raised bed designs, or you can buy one already made.

Container gardening is a great choice for folks with limited space.  You can easily grow many of your favorite veggies in a pot on a deck or patio or wherever you get enough hours of sunlight.  Keep in mind, the smaller your container, the quicker it will dry out.  Frequent waterings will be required and it is important to drill a hole in the bottom of your container so excess water doesn't create a toxic sludge in the bottom of your pot.  

Preparing the Soil in Your Garden Bed

The health of your soil is the key to your dream garden.  Feed the soil and it will feed you.  Use high quality blended compost mixes containing organic matter in your beds and containers.  Local garden centers are a great resource and typically supply bags of raised bed mixes and garden compost and some even offer compost for sale in bulk.

The soil depth in a vegetable garden should be at least 10” deep or more if you plan on growing root vegetables like carrots.  If you're placing a raised bed in your yard, be sure to install high quality landscape fabric over the grass before adding your soil.   

Good drainage is essential.  Overwatering or plants sitting in standing water will produce yellow leaves and result in poor vigor.  

Healthy soil with young garlic plants

What Should I Grow in My First Vegetable Garden?

Definitely choose your favorite vegetables and be daring and try something new.  I will remind you to start small, although I’m not good at listening so I don’t expect you to either.

Plan ahead. In the winter months, request a seed catalog. My favorites are Johnny's Selected Seeds and Harris Seeds. These catalogs are packed with beautiful pictures and useful growing tips. Open at your own risk. You'll be tempted to buy everything.

If you live in the north, many vegetable plants will need to be started indoors because our season isn't long enough for them to mature outdoors. Starting vegetable plants from seeds indoors requires adequate sunlight and plenty of space. Garden centers and farmer's markets sell young veggie plants that can be planted directly into your garden if you wish to skip the seed starting process.

A common mistake is placing tender young plants outside too early. Don't buy plants until the nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees.

Some of the easiest veggies to grow include, radish, green beans, lettuce, red beats, carrots, squash, and spinach.  All of these veggies can be direct seeded into your soil.

Many vegetable plants get huge.  Give them adequate space with good air flow.  It is important for minimizing fungal diseases. 

Everything is going to want to eat your garden. Raised beds will help keep rabbits out but not deer. You may need a fence to protect your plants.

Tomatoes

When I think of vegetable gardening, I think of tomatoes.  There’s nothing quite comparable to a homegrown tomato.  There are over a thousand different varieties.  This is often overwhelming for new gardeners.  

Cherry tomatoes are the little guys you often see in salads.  They come in red, yellow, orange and a handful of color combinations.  They are powerhouse producers.  One plant can give you enough tomatoes to bury a city.  The plants are large and aggressive.  It's a good idea to start with one plant especially in a small garden.  

Slicer tomatoes are typically the most flavorful and best for eating while paste tomatoes are grown for canning. Two terms you'll see when purchasing tomatoes are indeterminant and determinate.  It's important to understand the difference between these types of tomatoes.  

Most varieties of tomatoes including cherry tomatoes are indeterminant.  This simply means the plant will continue to grow and set fruit for the entire season, giving you a steady supply to use as needed. This type of tomato benefits from regular pruning.  Cutting off sucker growth and new wispy branches will channel the plant's energy into select branches, aiding in the production of healthy robust fruits. 

Determinate varieties are smaller plants that ripen all their set fruit at one time.  These plants are ideal when you need to harvest a lot of tomatoes at once for canning or making sauce.  Once they produce, the plant declines and dies.   

Here in the Northeast our growing season is too short to direct seed tomatoes into the ground.  They are typically started indoors at the end of March and placed in the garden by the third to fourth week in May.  

Tomatoes are warm weather plants and will not tolerate cold temperatures.  Be certain of frost dates when placing them outside and don’t be fooled by the occasional warm day in early May.  

Tomato plants get BIG.  Cages or stakes will keep your plants upright for the growing season.  I advise staking or caging them while they are young.  If staking, keep your ties loose around the stem so the plant isn’t being strangled as it grows.  You'll most likely have to readjust and add more ties as the plant gets larger.  

Slicer Tomatoes

 Peppers

Peppers like tomatoes are warm loving plants with a long growing season.  They too must be started indoors if you're planting in the north.  In my experience, they are a little more difficult to start from seed than tomatoes.  

There are hundreds of varieties of peppers, some mild in taste and some so hot you feel like you are a fire breathing dragon.

Peppers like to be planted relatively close to one-another but too close will minimize yields. Be sure to buy at least two plants of the same variety. Different varieties should be spaced out to avoid cross pollination.

Banana Peppers

 Cucumbers, Zucchini, Melons, Pumpkins and Squash

These are the bullies of the garden.  They require a lot of space and good air flow is a must to minimize fungal diseases.  All these plants can be direct seeded into the ground but buying transplants or starting them inside will give you a jump start.  Keep in mind that many of these seeds will not germinate unless the soil temperature is above 60 degrees.

 Cucumbers will climb if you give them access to a fence or a trellis.  This saves space and keeps the fruit from touching the ground. 

Zucchini

Green Beans and Radish

Both of these are super fun to grow especially if you’re gardening with kids because they germinate and grow quickly.  They are among some of the easiest vegetables to grow for beginner gardeners.  Direct seed them into the soil.  Radishes are cold tolerant and can be direct seeded in early March.  Green beans will not tolerate cold.  They can be direct seeded in mid to late May.  

Remember not to use all your seeds up on the first planting.  Often times you can plant these in succession and harvest them multiple times throughout the season. 

Beans come in a variety of fun colors

A Spring Vegetable Garden

Why wait until May?  As soon as your soil can be worked in the spring you can plant several cold tolerant plants such as spinach, carrots, red beets, lettuce, kale, turnips, broccoli, peas and Swiss chard.  Many cold tolerant plants will struggle in the heat of summer making them ideal for spring and fall plantings.  

These plants will tolerant a frost, but some may not survive a freeze.  Check to make sure your nighttime temperatures are not dipping too low before you plant.  Row cover comes in handy for unexpected cold nights.  This is a lightweight sheet used to add an extra layer of protection during the cold.  You can even use a good old fashion bed sheet as long as it doesn’t squish your seedlings.  

Many spring vegetables can also be sown again in August for a fall crop.  I sow spinach and lettuce in March and again in August.  Check your seed packets for days to maturity and the best time to plant. 

A spring vegetable garden. Spinach, lettuce, and young garlic

Water and Fertilizing

You must have access to water for a successful garden especially in the beginning of the season.  Young seedlings have shallow roots.  One hot day can kill them.  Once plants become established, their leaves shade the soil, helping to retain moisture.  Overwatering yellows and eventually kills plants.  It’s a common mistake.  Check the soil moisture before watering.  Try to avoid watering later in the evening.  Wet leaves in cool nighttime temperatures encourage leaf fungi to grow.  This could be detrimental to your plants. Soaker hoses laid at the base of your plants is a great way to keep your plants hydrated without wetting the leaves.  

As your plants grow, they will chow down on the available nutrients in the soil.  They can deplete it of any viability rather quickly especially in a raised bed or container.  Fertilize your garden every two weeks during the entire growing season.  There are hundreds of balanced fertilizers available listed specifically for vegetables.  I prefer to use water soluble fertilizers as they are taken up by the plants quicker than granular fertilizers.  I use Neptune's Harvest Tomato & Veg Formula.  I love this fertilizer for organic vegetable gardening.  It's easy to use and can be added to your watering can.  It smells a little funny so it may chase a few friends away, but they'll be back when you start harvesting.  

One common problem many gardeners will encounter is blossom end rot.  Blossom end rot is common in tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash.  The growing fruit will rot and fall off before it matures.  This is caused by a calcium deficiency and is easily corrected by regular fertilization.  Fertilizer labeled for tomatoes is usually higher in calcium and can be used on most vegetables.  

It's important to add a fresh layer of compost mix every season to ensure healthy soil. Every spring I top-dress my garden and containers with a bag of Coast of Maine Worm Castings Soil Builder. This stuff is like garden gold but it can be hard to find.

Local garden centers carry several different varieties of soil builder compost blends that can be added to your garden in early spring.

Add Flowers to Your Vegetable Garden

Flowers are food for the soul.  They also help to attract pollinating insects.   Sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos can all be direct seeded into your soil and are some of the easiest cut flowers to grow for beginners.

Did you know some flowers are edible?  It's true. Edible flowers have a long history in cooking and are often seen in salads, cocktails, and cake decorations.

Nasturtium is one of the easiest edible flowers to grow and it's bright blooms look fabulous growing in the garden. They can be direct seeded into your soil in late May.

Nasturtium growing alongside a tomato plant