How easy is it to grow a vegetable garden?

Question

I would like to start my very own vegetable garden. I have never really planted anything before so any basic tips and knowledge would be nice.

Answer 1

We grow the fruits and vegetables in a farming co-op. It's not as easy as you would think. Takes a lot of time and TLC.

But you would plant a much smaller garden than we do. Till the soil and fertilize in very early spring. Horse or chicken manure works well for fertilizer as it is "runny" and easy to spread and mix in to the dirt.

Then pick which veggies you want to grow. Decide on seeds or plants. Seeds must be started indoors for several weeks before planting. Also, not everything is planted at the same time. Things like peas go in early. Tomatoes later, when there is no risk of frost. Some veggies need stakes or cages to help contain them and promote growth.

You will need to protect your garden from "critters." Deer can jump fences. Woodchucks can burrow under them. And birds can fly right in. So you want a fence (with boards under the ground directly below the fence bottom) that's at least 4 feet high and a scarecrow or farm dog to protect the garden.

Next, weeding! Lots and lots of backbreaking weeding. And you may need to cross-pollinate (some corn) and fertilize. You also have to watch for bugs that get into your veggies, like aphids, worms, grubs, etc...

But in the end, the rewards outway the cost and work. Fresh veggies are wonderful.

Answer 2

My garden is pretty small as I only grow 2 tomato plants, but here is what I did -
1) I tilled the soil in area of the garden (approx 3'x9')
2) I then removed all the loose soil I just tilled (my yard is mostly clay so I just got rid of it all.) This made a rectangular pit about 4 inches deep.
3) I filled the area with quality top soil - about 5 40lb bags
4) I added two 40 lb bags of Miracle Grow Vegetable soil
5) DO NOT mix the soils. Leave the Miracle Grow soil on top so the nutrients will filter down through the other soil. I found that mixing the two soils causes you to loose the benefits of Miracle Grow because now much of it wil be below the roots of the plants.
6) Plants the plants according to the directions and in a place where they'll get maximum sunlight.
7) Water them every day keeping the soil moist but not flooded.
8) Sit back and wait.
9) If you start to see bugs on them use a spray or powder called 'Sevin'. It works great.

By doing this my tomato plants grow to about 7 feet tall, 4-5 feet wide, and yeilds about 8-9 dozen tomatos ranging in size from golf balls to softballs. The only thing that keeps them from growing taller and producing more is that the seasons change (I'm in Ohio). I heard of a guy somewhere that used Miracle Grow top soil and his maters grew 28 feet tall.

I grew cucumbers once and they were about 12-14 inches long and about 3-4 inches in diameter. Clear your mind - I know what you may be thinking!! (Kidding).

Answer 3

I love growing veggies. I've been growing some kind of garden since I was about six and planted my first radishes. If you have a nice sunny spot in your yard where you can plant, that's the best place, as a rule. I prefer raised beds; they drain better, and they're a lot easier to work with. For your first time, I suggest starting with bedding plants for tomatoes; in addition, radishes, beets, and carrots can all be grown from seed very easily. Don't try to grow corn unless you have at least a six-by-six foot space to grow it, as corn has to be in a "block" to pollinate properly. Okra is another easy plant to grow from seed if you happen to like it, and it can tolerate really hot weather. For cool-weather areas, you can go with leafy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and similar plants.

Since this is your first garden, you may want to stay away from cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squash; they take some special care, and are a little bit more "advanced" than I'd recommend for a beginner.

Your best advice is almost certain to come from a garden center near you. In addition, there are lots of great sites online, but it's good to have the advice of someone who's in your area and knows the climate and soil conditions. They can also advise you on fertilizers and pest control.

I've always really enjoyed having a garden, and I hope you do too.

Good luck, and happy gardening!

Answer 4

It is easy ; don't let people deter you; with anything that you do in life, with time , effort and patience, you can accomplish a lot. It is a great feeling starting your plant from seed, watching it grow and develop and then pick the product of your efforts and share your harvest with family and friends. It is an enriching and rewarding experience. Do you have times when you things don't turn out quite as well due to heat or lack of sun and water , yes but it is still rewarding; You can start from seed , have a sunny indoor location and put seeds in good soil, water but don't over water and watch the seedlings grow as weather permits, place plants outdoors to hardy up ; put a sunny location in the yard or you can use container gardening , plant your seedlings, water , especially when transplanting and keep an eye on the needs of your plants whether that is staking them up or fertilizing and watering them , etc; just remember to have fun and no matter what you will enjoy the process of planting, anticipating etc; sometimes you start small and then through the years add on items for the joy of it, for enjoying veggies, fruits that taste far better than what you can ever buy from even the best farmer's market b/c the difference is you; grow grow grow

Answer 5

Get yourself a good book. We bought one called the kitchen garden and it's great because it explains everything very well. When our son was growing up we wanted to give him a good idea of just what fresh veg was. The idea was to get him involved in the whole of the growing process from start to finish. There was an ulterior motive on our part and that was to get him to eat veg with his dinner. Happy to say it worked and now when we eat out or have people to eat it's good to see him eat the veg that all other kids shun.

Answer 6

if you have never gardened before and even if you have, i recommend The Garden Patch. It's fabulous and you have no worries with it at all - big fan.

take a look:
http://www.agardenpatch.com/home.php?cat=0

When you factor in how much you will spend on the supplies you need to buy and the tons of weeding you would have to do in a 'regular' garden; this just can't be beat.

i do mostly flowers and you just can't beat this system. Good luck and happy growing!

Answer 7

good fertilizer and good soil are key ingredients to a good garden. It is fairly easy to maintain also. Miracle Grow is a good plant food to use to ensure healthy, strong plants..

Answer 8

you need a good area to work with --- a sunny --- but shaded spot well thought out ( neat rows ) with id so as you know what went where --- follow the instructions on your seed packets --- have a bit of patience and commitment and hey presto you will have many days weeks-- however long -- of some very satisfying gardening . good luck

Answer 9

vegies are dead easy to grow. It's best to start from seed ( which means not much greenery for a week or so) as you'll know which seedling are going to last. I've found with vegies it all about the soil. A good composted soil and you'll never loss out

Answer 10

the biggest pain about veggies is the animals
you have deer rabbits moles/no see ems
that will destroy it from under the ground as well as above