How to Start an Organic Vegetable Garden
Are you thinking about starting a vegetable garden but no clue where to begin? It’s easier than you think to start an organic garden – whether you plant in-ground, or via raised beds or containers. We actually call ours a Victory Garden! This is your ultimate guide to starting your organic vegetable garden from planning to sowing and growing to enjoying your harvest.
We are old souls and I feel like gardening is making a comeback. It's part of a Frugal Lifestyle that gets us back to the basics in life.
I think this is the biggest obstacle most people face is how to get started. For us, we already had a perfect spot. For many of you though, you will need to figure out if you are going to dig up a spot in your yard, build or buy a raised bed, or plant in containers on your patio or deck. Don’t let the lack of space be an excuse. There are plenty of ways to garden via containers!
Regardless of your system, you will ideally want 8-12 inches of a dirt base, with a 6-inch minimum.
Once you figure out what type of garden you want, the next step is location. You will want a spot that gets at least 4-6 hours of direct sun every day. The longer the sun exposure, the better.
You will also want it close to a water supply, so you can ensure it gets watered properly when it’s not raining. We rigged up an “irrigation system” that works well for our garden by using a long hose (actually, several long hoses attached to each other) and then we have smaller hoses connecting 3 sprinklers. Turn the outdoor faucet on once and the entire garden is watered. Now, the last sprinkler doesn’t get as much water, but it still works. What I’m trying to say is to use your creativity and figure out a watering system that works best for your situation.
If you live in the United States or Canada and are wondering when to sow and plant seeds for your garden, you'll need to know what Zone you live in, and go from there to plant seeds. The USDA's website has a great tool to find your plant heartiness zone!
It’s best to start with vegetables that are easy to grow. You can choose to sample several vegetables and see which ones grow best in your garden. Or you can choose to focus on just a few and enjoy a more concentrated harvest. Either way, here are some of the easiest veggies to grow:
Carrots
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Kale
Lettuce
Peas
Peppers
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Don't forget to add some worms! Even though dirt has worms, I always like adding some fresh red wigglers at the beginning of each season.
Composting is a little daunting at first, but trust me, it soon becomes second nature and in one year, your garden will be thanking you with a bountiful harvest.
The biggest thing to remember is you want twice as much brown materials (think paper and toilet paper rolls) as green materials (food scraps). Stepson built our compost bin for a Boy Scout Merit Badge Project.
I'm sure you are like me and love gardening projects! Be sure to CLICK HERE to head over to the blog for more gardening articles, projects, and DIYs! I look forward to seeing you there! Hugs, Holly
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
I don’t understand how it is an organic garden? To me, organic would mean using earth that hasn’t been disturbed and previously used for other gardens or even something done with chemicals, such as working on cars or tractors where things may seep onto the ground, etc. I don’t even think an outdoor garden would be considered organic considering birds fly over it and drop things, winds blow things in, etc. unless of course it was in a Greenhouse.