There are no stressful tips for starting and growing your vegetable garden.
The idea of trying to grow our own food used to scare me until a lot of helpful readers gave me a bunch of advice years ago.
Since then I’ve learned that growing your own garden doesn’t really take a lot of time or effort! Even if you are a beginner, you will get a great harvest if you follow just a few simple steps.
I planted my first vegetable garden nearly 15 years ago, and have since planted one in the ground several times over the years. Some years, life gets too busy to get ahead, and it’s been a few years since I’ve planted one.
Until recently I’ve used very basic four wheel drive beds that you can buy at most hardware stores:
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I found these trellis pieces next to the dumpster and used them to keep little critters out. It definitely helped!
I also think having a garden next to the noisy air conditioner helped deter wildlife.
Cedar raised garden beds are very easy to assemble and are perfect for beginners! You can purchase multiples to create larger gardens as well.
The problem with these garden sets is that the wood is very thin, so even though it is cedar and should hold up well, I have found that they only last a few years at best.
They’re fairly inexpensive (as far as raised beds go), so it’s not a big deal. It’s a great option if you’re just starting out.
Until this year, the process of setting up my garden beds was simply to get my tools together (you’ll need a drill and nails) and then dump the garden soil inside.
That’s it! No landscape texture and no extra steps…just soil and plants. And I always had a fruitful crop of vegetables and strawberries.
The first few times I built vegetable gardens, I didn’t even remove the grass underneath. I have piled the soil and it has never been a problem.
Using a raised garden (rather than planting directly in the ground) makes it possible to experience the joy of growing your own food without a lot of work.
There is no need to remove weeds, weeds, even dirt, create borders, etc. A raised garden made of wood or metal can go almost anywhere and gives you a lot of flexibility!
This time I wanted it to be more permanent, and it worked out perfectly because last summer we got rid of the big trampoline we had in the corner of our backyard.
It has already been removed and the landscape fabric has been placed in front of the rocks:
So we have a large area there with plenty of room for a few garden beds.
Because I knew this would be the permanent spot, I went with a metal raised garden bed this time. The King Bird garden bed measures 36 x 101 inches and is 18 inches long. They have a range of sizes and heights available.
It’s made of galvanized steel, so it should hold up better to the elements:
I love green!
It was very simple to assemble and comes with lots of extra corner pieces so you can turn this larger piece into two small garden beds.
Since this bed is so huge, I wanted to use whatever I could to fill it in a little before adding soil. I used cardboard shipping boxes to cover the bottom, then took some old firewood and distributed it on top:
This is called bulk culture, and as the wood decomposes, it creates healthier soil over time. Because this bed will remain in place, the soil will improve year after year.
You can also fill your raised garden beds with branches, twigs, leaves, and grass clippings. Another trick I use for my beds is to use inexpensive topsoil in the bottom of the bed, then use richer, more expensive garden soil on top.
With smaller raised garden beds (as I mentioned earlier in this post), there is no need for additional padding. I will just use soil to fill it.
I used 15 bags of topsoil and seven bags of Miracle-Gro soil on top to fill in my tall raised garden.
I have been ordering these beautiful expandable willow trellises for years and was so excited to finally pull them out!:
Not only are they beautiful, they provide useful support for plants like tomatoes. I’ve used one for my beef, roma and sandwich tomato plants. These are sturdier than the wire tomato cages I’ve always used.
I also placed one between my cucumber plants. Coquis tend to spread all over the place, so this will give them something to grab onto and get up instead of out. (I’ll have to help them, we’ll see how it works!)
Here are some additional tips about growing vegetables that I’ve learned over the years:
I’ve had gardens in full sun and morning sun, and full sun gardens tend to produce more. Strawberries can be grown in the ground, but are generally best grown in containers. They get better air circulation and can keep away pests. Play around with spacing, because you don’t want to overcrowd. But you’ll be surprised how much space you can fit into a small garden! I recommend the square foot gardening technique if you are a beginner. I have been sharing my experience as a novice gardener for over ten years. Planting a shallow raised garden over rocks is not recommended because they tend to retain moisture rather than letting it drain properly. I did my best to remove what was inside the metal bed, but it was hard work! I’ve since read that it’s not a concern for longer garden beds like mine. The longer the bed, the less likely you are to be exposed to pests. It is also easier on the back if the beds are as high as possible. If you’re just starting out, these raised beds on legs are perfect! Vining plants like cucumbers, watermelons and squash will expand everywhere, so giving them something like a trellis to climb on keeps them off the ground and under control. (Watermelon is heavier and will eventually need extra support.) After planting, give your plants plenty of water. Then you can slow down to two or three times a week depending on your climate. I find that as long as I have most of the plants in the ground by June, I have plenty of produce all summer and into the fall. For my first few years, I never used fertilizer and still got a ton of food from the gardens. Now I fertilize every month or so during the growing season.
I would like to add two more of these raised beds next year. My plan is to produce one using early bloomers as lettuce in one, and later produce them as squash in another. This way I separate them and don’t have to plant everything at once.
I would also like to create a cut flower garden as well! How fun would that be?
I will add more soil to my existing bed next year – this will settle a bit and I will probably raise the soil level a few inches.
I’m surprised that the metal walls don’t bend more due to the large amount of soil:
The left one reclines a little, but overall I’m very happy with this loft bed!
As with many home projects, growing your own garden doesn’t have to be too daunting, especially the first time. You don’t have to be an expert to start your own vegetable garden!
I find it very relaxing to take care of plants. Seeing them grow and then eating your delicious produce is so rewarding.
Do you have more helpful tips or recommendations? Feel free to add them in the comments.
