Are you tired of having a brown thumb? Many people want to be successful growers, but find that whenever they try they're only left with disaster. Whether you've tried to grow a garden before and failed, or are entirely new to the concept, the idea of getting edible vegetables on your table seems like an insurmountable challenge.
Fortunately, there is a way. Finding the right vegetables and having a little know-how is key. Anyone can grow vegetables, they just need the right knowledge, a little effort, and the right plants. Even if you think you've got the worst gardening luck imaginable, you can turn things around. Never say never!
This guide will teach you how to grow vegetables successfully, by guiding you to make the right decisions. Some vegetables are harder to grow than others. We'll steer you in the direction of easy growers, so that you aren't left frustrated with a failed crop at the end of the season.
This guide is also great for those looking to start a garden with children. Children aren't going to have an easy time with some of the more complicated vegetables out there, so starting simple is key. You want to create a foundation for a love of gardening before building on it with more complex concepts. Make sure you bookmark this guide so you can reference it throughout the growing season!
A Beginner's Guide to Growing Vegetables
Easy Come, Easy Grow
Getting a three year old to eat their vegetables is much more trouble than actually growing the vegetables themselves. Why then is there a prevailing myth that vegetable gardening is difficult? Perhaps is it because youth assigned gardening chores have leveled the lingering resentment towards vegetable gardens in general. Or maybe sheer ignorance is a more likely culprit.
Know how vs. knowing how to grow vegetables
It is true that anyone can plant a seed. The steps are easy: dig a hole, insert seed, cover, water, and wait. When these simple actions are followed and nothing happens, or the results are poor, it can be frustrating.
Would be gardeners across the country have began a long and happy gardening career in this way. More often than not, however, the novice gardener falls in the know how verses knowing how trap. After a few failed attempts, easy-growing vegetable gardens are proclaimed a myth. The hobby is abandoned to those lucky souls with the green thumb to monopolize.
The road to easy
The truth of the matter is that knowing how to stick a seed in a hole is only a very small part of a successful and easy vegetable garden. A little bit of real know how goes a long way to turning the easy growing vegetable garden into your reality.
Vegetable selection
The first and probably most important tidbit of easy know-how is the process of seed and plant selection. Just because you plant it, does not mean it will grow. There is a reason oranges are associated with Florida and Arizona, for example. Citrus need heat and sun to grow well.
This is the same for almost any garden vegetable. Do yourself a big favor and find out what veggies are suited to your climate. After you have a short list of climate-appropriate crops, do a bit more leg work to find out which ones are likely to do well in your garden spot. If your garden area is small, then large plants or crops that need space like viney squashes or corn are not a good fit for your garden- even if they fit your climate.
The last word on seeds is to opt for quality seeds. This is the only way to ensure quality plants. Seeds from last year's clearance rack are not poised for grand growing success.
Growing spot selection
Now turn your sights to your garden spot. Before you rush out and plant your seeds, you'll need to tend a bit to the spot of ground you have chosen to dedicate to the garden. First off is a very easy step of determining sun exposure. Vegetables need at least 7-8 hours of sun exposure each day to grow well. If your garden spot gets less than this, sew it with shade-loving flowers and foliage and put the vegetables some place else.
Next, take a good look at the soil itself. You don't need to add expensive chemical fertilizers to make the soil ready, but you might need to add something. Clay or overly sandy soils are unlikely to yield a bumper crop. You can add sand and compost to clay, or just straight compost to sandy soils. These amendments will really help your seeds come to life.
These two steps are simple, but they are vital steps in planting and reaping the rewards of an easy vegetable garden.