How to start gardening : what you need to know if you are a complete beginner
Gardening truly is suitable for everyone and can be a wonderful hobby for numerous reasons. For example, it encourages you to spend a lot more time outside, which in itself helps to relieve stress. You get to experience the joy of watching a plant mature from seed and later on even enjoy home-grown vegetables that will probably taste better than store-bought. (any gardener can confirm this!) Some studies even suggest that certain bacteria present in the soil can act as a natural antidepressant and generally improves your mood.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort or various expensive tools and supplies to get started, but all the different aspects that you need to consider while growing some vegetables can quickly become overwhelming. That is why the purpose of this article is to quickly describe all the main aspects of successful gardening to give you a solid basis for more in-depth research on individual topics.
Aspects to consider before planting anything
Sunlight — Most plants need a lot of sunlight to grow (the recommended amount is up to 8 hours a day), meaning very few vegetables will thrive on the north-facing side of your garden or balcony. Of course, the amount of sunlight needed varies between different types of vegetables, therefore I suggest checking first how much sunlight each plant needs before planting it in a certain place. For example, lettuce prefers a little more shade in the summer, and strong sun suits tomatoes. You will notice that the plants get pale and weak if they don’t get enough sunlight.
Temperature — Some vegetables need high temperatures for optimal growth, while others can do just fine as long as the temperature stays above freezing, that is why some vegetables will only grow well in the summer. Searching for your hardiness zone can help you determine which plants can tolerate your region’s climate. You should also inquire about the last frost date in your area, so you know when to safely plant some more heat-loving plants outside. In places where temperatures are warm for longer periods, you can grow more than just one harvest of several vegetables — for example, you can grow two harvests of potatoes one after the other. However, if you live in a colder climate, you can extend the growing season by planting in polytunnels, hotbeds, sunrooms, or closed balconies.
Soil — Your vegetables can only end up being as healthy as the soil they grew from. Therefore, it is probably not the best idea to use the cheapest bags of soil, which are often intended for planting flowers and can contain traces of heavy metals and microplastic. Moreover, the soil needs to be fertile and contain the right amount of nutrients — different vegetables need different NPK ratios, which you can achieve with different fertilizers. (That is why plants probably won’t thrive in soil that you perhaps collected from the molehill.) If you are unsure of the state of your soil, you can send a sample for testing to a laboratory that specializes in soil analysis. A reliable way of choosing soil is to buy good potting soil or quality compost. With a little effort, you can also make your own compost.
Growing plants from seed — Before sowing seeds, it is first necessary to check that they have not expired. It is important to not cover them too much with soil, to properly water them, and to provide a temperature that is suitable for seed germination. Once seeds germinate, they need a lot of sunlight and a slightly lower temperature, otherwise, the seedlings’ stems grow very weak and long, resulting in plants not growing well and not giving a good harvest.
I suggest periodically growing certain vegetables so that you always have fresh crops available. For example, radishes or spinach can be sown every two weeks with the intention that you always have delicious, fresh vegetables at hand.
Some plants have a long growing season before you can pick the crops, therefore it is necessary to start certain seeds indoors. Because if you wait for the right temperature to start seeds outside, there won’t be enough growing time for the plants to give you crops before winter. Where I live, it is necessary to start tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants inside. You can read the information about plants’ growing season on the back of the seed package, as it usually provides you with all the needed information.
Watering — You have to be careful not to water your plants too much or too little. Something important I didn’t know at first is that if you grow vegetables in a container, it has to have drainage holes so that excess water can drain away. On the other hand, you can see when the soil gets too dry, and you can also check by touching it with your finger. Another thing to consider is building an irrigation system, which especially comes in handy in summer, as you would otherwise have to water plants every single day. It is also a good idea to add mulch to help retain the moisture.
Container or (raised) bed — You can choose from different options, depending on what suits you best and how much space you have. If you are gardening on the balcony, you can grow a variety of vegetables in the containers, and you can design the garden layout in a way that will also be aesthetically pleasing (some varieties of chilies are gorgeous, for example, rainbow chili). Raised beds are great because you don’t have to bend so much, however, they mustn’t be too wide so you can easily reach all sides. If you intend to garden on an ordinary garden bed, you can read about different methods of gardening — for example, the no-dig method is very popular at the moment.
Some additional advice:
Choosing the right plants — I suggest you start by planting some vegetables, that are easier to grow and give produce faster. A good example of this is radish because you will not lose your patience growing it, as you can harvest it very soon after sowing (in about four weeks). It is also simple to grow lettuce, spinach, carrots, etc.
Giving up — Do not exaggerate when starting your first gardening season and do not make impossible plans. Things can quickly spiral out of control when you enthusiastically start growing hundreds of plants that need to be watered, pruned, and weeded daily and everything just becomes overwhelming. Opt for just a few different plants that you will be able to take care of without gardening becoming too much of a burden to you. Also, don’t give up if everything doesn’t turn out great the first time. Maybe the seeds won’t germinate or pests or diseases can attack your plants. Try to figure out the cause of the problem and remember that you can always start over, there is a solution to every problem.
Comparing yourself with others — I recommend you don’t compare yourself too much to other, perhaps more experienced gardeners who have already mastered gardening. If someone has an enormous abundant garden, they probably also spend massive amounts of time working on it, which maybe you can not afford. Additionally, in the spring gardeners often compete with each other over who will be the first to grow nice lettuce, carrots, or spinach, but don’t be discouraged if your vegetables aren’t growing so well yet. You will figure it out with time, do not stress yourself over it.
Get help — Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, as most gardeners love to share their knowledge. You can also join some support groups (I joined some on Facebook) and there are also some good gardening channels available where you can gain a lot of knowledge. I recommend you follow someone from a similar climate as this way you can find out when is the best time to plant certain plants in your area.
But above all, just enjoy yourself!
