How to Plant a Small Garden
So you have decided it is time for your own garden but don't know how to start, well this is exactly what you are looking for then. Most people think a garden is too much work, too expensive, or just not worth the effort. In reality it is quite easy if you keep it simple and start off small. Then as the years go by you can add if you want more because once you realize how good fresh produce is out of your garden you will want to make it bigger! Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Area of property to garden on (can be as small as 4x6 foot area)
- Water source
- Raised box
- Garden Soil
- Plants
- Fertilizer
Instructions
-
-
1
First off you have to decide where you want your garden. An area on your property that gets good sun light and have a hose bib nearby is the ideal place to start, but most anywhere will work. Another great place is an existing section of lawn. Sound crazy, not really, it already has a water source and probably has good drainage so you can simply put a raised box right over a corner of your lawn if you want.
-
2
Put in some raised bed boxes. If you don't want to do raised beds, you can dig down but you will have to make sure the soil has good drainage as soggy soil can rot the roots.
-
-
3
Get some soil. If you you are doing raised beds then you can add potting soil or if you have some dirt already there are all kinds of additives to mix with the soil to make it great for planting. Also add you own compost if you have it, if not start a compost pile as well.
-
4
Decide what you want in your garden. Depending on your climate everything you want may not grow. Your local nursery is a great place to find out what grows and when you should start planting. Pick vegetables you like and remember that tomatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow not to mention the taste difference is amazing and well worth it.
-
5
When the weather is above freezing at night it is time to start putting in plants. You can grow by seed, but buying small plants is easier the first year and saves a lot of work that most people consider well worth the few dollars you pay for plants these days. If you did not use potting soil make sure you use some fresh potting soil right around the new plants so they can easily root.
-
6
Now for watering. Either get ready to water by hand every other day or think about putting in a drip system. If you covered part of your yard you can just take off a sprinkler head and attach a drip line. Or if you have an extra value on your sprinkler system you can put in a drip line which will allow you to program watering. Also you can get automatic timers that go on a hose bib and then attach a drip system.
-
7
Now every two to three weeks you will want to fertilize your plants. There are all kinds of fertilizers but all you really need is a general vegetable fertilizer and look for more natural or organic choices when possible.
-
8
The only thing left is to enjoy your harvest. It will seem like it takes forever for the first couple things to be ready, but then it will become a chore just to keep up with the daily amount of vegetables coming in.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Be patient, it takes awhile for plants to mature and start producing produce. The first year of gardening always seems like it takes forever to get results, but you will.
Automatic water makes going on vacation easy, but make sure the system is up and running at least a week before you go so you can make sure it is working properly and any final adjustments can be made before leaving. Also have a neighbor check every now and then just to make sure.
