As we move into a new year of gardening, we've had a lot of requests from readers to help them get started with their very first garden. We'll be publishing a series of introductory posts for everyone over the next several days, but I thought we should start off with some general tips that will help you enjoy that special first year of gardening and the (big) joys and (little) frustrations it will bring.
- Grow things you love to eat. It is amazing how many gardeners attempt to grow a standard array of produce they believe should be in a garden. Better to think about what you most enjoy to eat - and, better yet, what you'd most enjoy eating fresh - and use that as your starter list.
- Grow plants and varieties that do well in your area. You don't have to grow the "perfect" produce for your area (see #1). But don't assume that just because something is for sale at your local garden center, it will grow well in your area. Also, each general plant type has varieties that have been proven to perform well in your area; get a list from your local extension office to identify types you should look for.
- Select your garden location thoughtfully. Sunny is good. Southern exposure is good. So is having your garden in a place where you will remember to (and be able to) water regularly, check up on things, and enjoy spending some time.
- Start small, but not too small. Create enough space - whether it's dug out of your lawn, or in nice big ceramic pots or planter boxes or five-gallon buckets or a big raised bed - to allow you to grow two or three individual plants of each type that you'd like to grow, and to allow you to grow at least two or three different things. Your yard may be too shady for tomatoes, or it may get too hot too fast for you to get much out of your lettuce, so you need multiple crops; likewise, a single plant could be a dud for no good reason, but the key to your first garden is that it provides you with something that tastes better than you could have bought it, further seasoned with your own sense of pride, so that you are motivated to keep at this. Because year two will be better than year one, and year three better than year two, and so on, so it really is important for you to set yourself up for some success here.
- Cut corners. Skip the soil test and fertilize your plants with a good "all-around" fertilizer or a mix of natural fertilizers that gives some nitrogen, some phosphorous, and some potash (the three numbers on the bag). There's nothing wrong with buying six-packs of started plants - you don't have to start your own seeds (yet). Some plants are better for this than others - tomato starts transplant wonderfully (a quick primer on tomatoes will be up next week), but melons you might as well grow from seed. We still buy tomato starts, because gives us the same head start as growing our own in seed flats indoors, and we don't have the room for that; we also buy lettuce starts (lettuce!) because we are impatient, and use them to get something NOW while we wait for the seeds to sprout in the next bed over.
- Don't be a perfectionist. A few weeds won't ruin your garden; runaway weeds will. You can lose a few tomatoes to pests if you're producing an abundance of them. Your garden doesn't have to look like Martha Stewart's - appearances are often deceiving, and the proof of your garden is in the delicious food it produces for you. Focus on appearances and aesthetics later (if, some would argue, ever).
- Mulch. Cover the dirt with something to help keep water in the soil and help keep weeds down. Something that breaks down and provides nutrients to the soil is preferable for anything not grown in pots; a layer of newspaper (virtually all now use non-toxic, soy-based inks) underneath the mulch will further suppress weed seeds.
- Keep a garden log. I'm not asking you to write the next great work of naturalist literature - just keep some basic notes about what you plant and when, what problems you encounter, and ideas you garner for doing better next time. These notes will prove invaluable when you're planning your next garden, and also create space for you to reflect on your gardening a bit as it's evolving.
- Share and enjoy. Perhaps the only thing better than the succulent produce you'll be harvesting and enjoying from your own garden is the joy of sharing it with others. Have friends over for dinner, give away your extra produce, or learn to make something (dried, canned, or otherwise preserved) to give as gifts. (We'll have tutorials up on Gardenaut for many such projects in the weeks and months to come.) Don't leave stuff in the ground after it has run its course - harvest that lettuce when it's young and tender - and eat it as close to the picking as possible, or give it to someone who will.
Gardeners, what other tips would you offer to first-timers?
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10. Befriend other gardeners. If you are new to gardening, other local gardeners are bound to know a few things that you’d otherwise miss. Become friends with them! Sometimes locally specific info proves crucial- like when to plant to avoid frosts, or similar regional quirks.