How to Start a Vegetable Garden 101

So you want to grow some vegetables. Maybe some herbs, too. But you don't know where or how to start. Some vegetables are so easy, they practically take off on their own, while others need to be nurtured carefully.Your options can be as small as a container or raised bed garden or as large as an in-ground garden. We're here to help with ideas for vegetable gardening and plant options that are great for beginners. 

Getting Started with Vegetable Gardening

Whether you plant in containers, raised beds, or in-ground, here's a few tips to keep in mind when you begin your vegetable garden:

● Choose a site that offers as much sunlight as possible, at least 6-8 hours every day.

● Find the right soil for your garden. Use garden soil for gardens, raised bed soil for raised beds, and potting mix for container gardens. Your plants need a soil or mix that drains well and stays moist but not soggy.

● Be sure to water regularly. With container gardens, you may need to water daily when warm weather arrives.

● Pull out weeds.

● To reach harvest time faster, begin with starter plants like the veggies and herbs from Bonnie Plants instead of waiting for seeds to sprout.

Your First Vegetable Garden

Container vegetable gardening is great for beginners, especially if you have a small space or an apartment patio that gets plenty of sunshine. Planting vegetables in containers has the added benefits of fewer problems with weeds and the ability to move plants if needed. You'll want to remember to keep your plants well watered, and choose pots that will give your plants plenty of room once they reach their expected mature size. Look for compact plant varieties, as these will thrive better in a container than some full-sized plants.

If you want to start with a container garden, choose a container with holes in the bottom. Pour in a potting mix with plenty of nutrients, such as Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix. Fill it to an inch or 2 below the rim, and you're ready to plant.

Looseleaf lettuce is a great choice for containers, since it grows so fast. You can start harvesting when the plants are only 2 inches tall. Many people love having a pot of herbs growing near the kitchen door, since they're so easy to grow and smell wonderful on a summer or fall day.

Starting with Raised-Bed Vegetable Gardens

If you want to go bigger than a few containers, raised bed gardening has some nice advantages. You can control your soil quality, because you'll be adding it in. Compared to in-ground gardens, the soil in raised beds is well-draining and warms up quicker in the spring. Also, if you choose a standing raised garden, you don't have to bend over quite so far to weed and thin your plants.

Getting started with a raised bed means either building your own box, or purchasing a kit or pre-built bed. Once you have your raised bed, place it in a level area that receives plenty of sun and fill it with a great soil like Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil, an organic soil with quick-release natural fertilizer. For more tips on getting started, check out these ideas for raised bed gardens.

You can plant just about anything you want in a raised bed garden. When selecting plants, keep in mind that some pairings, such as peas and cabbage, can help each other grow. Others, like carrots and dill, aren't a great match. It's also important to accommodate your plants' expected mature size when planting so they have plenty of space to grow; you can easily harvest them; and so there is good air circulation to help prevent diseases.

Easy vegetables to grow in a raised bed: lettuce, carrots, radishes, bush beans, tomatoes

In-Ground Vegetable Gardens

In-ground gardens are great for bigger plantings. In-ground gardens offer the most versatility in your choice of vegetables, but remember to keep your first garden realistic. Plant vegetables you'll want to eat and enjoy, and don't plant more than you or your family and friends can eat.

Before you get started, remove plants and weeds from the site. One easy way to do that is to cover the site with black plastic or garden fabric for several weeks until the weeds and grass have died. Remove any remaining weeds and rocks, till the site, and mix in Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil for Vegetables and Herbs with your native soil, following label directions. Plant starter plants or seeds in rows.

As with raised bed gardens, beginning gardeners can have success with a variety of vegetables. Tomatoes are a favorite, but may take a little more care than other plants like lettuce. In-ground gardening offers versatility, so choose plants that will help each other grow or fight off common pests. In-ground gardens also give you the most room, so you can grow larger plants, including corn and vining plants like squash and melons (just make sure you leave plenty of space for their mature size).

Easy vegetables to grow in-ground: bush beans, carrots, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, potatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, melons, hot or sweet peppers

Growing your first vegetable garden can be an exciting step! Whether you choose to start small with one container or have a special spot in the backyard already picked out, you'll enjoy reaping the harvest and the delicious rewards.