How do I start a vegetable garden?

Christine
by Christine
  4 answers
  • DesertRose DesertRose on Aug 11, 2019

    Christine, Vegetable gardens are coming back and I am glad to hear you are interested. I had to learn from scratch as I was raised where we had frost all but 15 days a year. I had never been around gardening. First you can get your soil tested to find out if it is ph balanced. It is a test of being acidic or alkaline. Most soil with lots of tree leaves falling on it is on the acidic side. This will help you to know what you need to do to amend the soil. Then you need to turn over the top six inches or so and break up the clumps. We used an inexpensive small one to start just a few rows. My mentor told me to learn how to grow one or two well then the next year add more. For example I started with tomatoes and green beans to can them. She said she planted more tomatoes one year and more beans another year to have fresh ones, but to use up what she canned. So it is easier to can mostly all one kind if you plan to can. I also learned tomatoes do not like nitrogen (grass shavings) where most garden veggies flourish with mulch from grass clippings. So l put my coffee and tea grounds around the tomatoes to mulch them. Start with a small garden and finds what works for you and learn to do them well and then add something new each year. I just recently learned why my carrots never grow well, and am excited to try them again too. I hope this helps to get you started. Find a source of natural fertilizer if you can ( year old dung from a farm makes great fertilizer and most will give it away, but be sure it is old not new as it will burn the plants) Till it into the soil and let it set plowed all winter. Best of luck!

  • Deb K Deb K on Aug 11, 2019

    Hi Christine, this video should guide you

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWbvBmCxLG8

  • Jacqueline Jacqueline on Aug 13, 2019

    A little tip on growing tomatoes. First, you can start your plants early indoors by planting the seeds from a store bought tomato. I use old flower pots, potting soil, an egg shell crunched up and drop in a slice of tomato or just the seeds...works every time and saves money instead of buying plants. That's why you garden, to save money, right? Good luck.