You’ve decided to try your hand at growing your own food, but you’re new to gardening so where to start? Here are some basics for the newbie gardener.

Location

Location is one of the most important factors for producing a bountiful vegetable garden. Vegetables need a lot of sunlight. While scouting your yard, look for an area that receives at least 6 hours of sun a day. Consider large trees or shrubs that may produce shade when in full bloom. If your only option is partly shaded, plant cucumbers, squash and peppers in full sun, and lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens in part shade.

What Type of Garden

You don’t need acres of land to have a successful vegetable garden. Vegetables can be grown anywhere with the proper sun and water, so get creative.

Containers

Limited on space? Try starting your garden in containers. Tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, and peppers do great in pots. Containers can easily be moved to find the best sun. Choose a pot that is at least 18 inches in diameter if you’re planting multiple plants in one container. Smaller pots can be used for herbs or single plants. Remember, the smaller the pot the more often you’ll have to water.

Raised Beds

Raised beds are one of the easiest ways to start a garden. They are simple to construct, and the materials are inexpensive. Most commonly built on the ground with wood, however other materials could be used. The advantages to a raised bed are no soil tilling, and it creates a weed barrier, preventing grass from growing in your garden.

In the ground

Creating a garden directly in the soil is the oldest form of gardening. This method requires a bit more prep work. The soil needs to be tested first to see what nutrients are missing. Once you’ve added your soil amendments, the land needs to be tilled, or prepped. You can hand till or rent a machine to make the job faster. Then create mounded rows for your plants.

Seed Packets or Starter Plants

Now you know where and how to start your garden; next you need the plants. There are two options. Starter Plants, which are seedlings that have started to sprout and are ready to be transplanted in the ground, or seeds.

For new gardeners, it’s easiest to start with plants. Look for plants with a sturdy stem and good color. For your first garden, try to limit the number of plants to 20 for easier maintenance.

Seeds can be tricky for beginners, but if you want to try it out, look for easy-to-sow seeds like lettuce, peas, carrots and beans. Some seeds need to be sowed directly in the ground, while others can be started indoors and then transplanted in the garden. Some also require soaking before planting. Read the seed packet or ask an expert at any English Gardens location.

Water

The second most important element to a successful garden is water. Mother Nature needs a little help here. Unless it rains daily, you’ll need a plan for watering your garden. Vegetables need water daily.  Having a sprinkler system set on a timer is the best way to ensure your garden is getting proper water. You can also use a hose and rain head nozzle to water by hand for 15-20 minutes each day. A bonus with hand watering is you can also check on your gardens progress, pull weeds, and look for pests.

Unwelcomed Guests

Critters and insects come with the territory of growing food. You’ll need to take care of them right away to keep your garden healthy.

For critters, build a barrier around your garden. Using Plantskydd granules around your garden or fencing the area should keep them away.

If you do need to treat for insects, be sure to follow manufactures instructions. Choose organic solutions. The best way to prevent bugs from invading is healthy soil. Healthy soil equals healthy plants, and pests won’t stick around.

Feed Your Food

Fertilizing your plants will help produce healthy fruits and vegetables. Visit any English Gardens location for the best fertilizer options for your garden. If your soil is healthy, your plants will only need a little fertilizer to give them a boost.

What and When to Plant

Grow what you like to eat. Enlist the kids to make selections. Encourage them to try something new. Getting them involved in the garden is a great way to get them to eat their vegetables.

Planting vegetables to harvest at different times will keep your garden working all season. Consider doing a staggered planting. This will help you manage the amount grown and produce veggies all season. Things like lettuce have a short germination time and are great for planting several times in one season.

With these tips you will be eating fresh vegetables all summer.

Come by any English Gardens location for a planting guide, and help with your vegetable garden.