So what is it about Beginner Gardening growing vegetables we need to know when we decide to plant our first vegetable garden?
Let's follow our make believe character who we'll name Steve, with his first try at
planting a vegetable garden
Steve is a novice and he's about ready to take the plunge and try his green thumb at beginner gardening.
Not knowing where to start, he searched the internet for information on how to grow his first vegetable garden and discovered us, "garden-planting-tips.com."
Well... not really. As we mentioned above, we are creating a fictitious character named Steve, but I'm sure you got that idea... Right!
So what does Steve want to do?
He thinks for a moment and says... "Well, I like tomatoes, so I think that would be a good plant to try first."
Steve Our Beginner Gardner Has Made a Decision
"Now where do I go from here?” Our beginner gardener thought.
OK! Let’s help him out a little.
We know it’s spring. Isn’t that the time everyone has been waiting for and can’t wait to get going in the garden?...Yep! That’s what I thought, and it seems Steve is no different. The spring time bug has gotten to him too.
Now if you’re new to vegetable gardening, it would be a good idea to know your plant hardiness zone. Not only for tomatoes, but for any other vegetable you may want to grow in your garden. If you live in the United States or Canada, I’ve included a link for you to find the
plant hardiness zone map
for your area.
The Tomato Planning Stage
After asking a few questions at the local garden nursery,
Steve discovered his new tomato vegetable garden will need to receive at least 6 hours of sunlight every day, and his tomatoes should be planted in an area with well drained rich soil.
"Well so far so good," our beginner gardener thought. "I believe I've found the perfect spot."
Staring down at his new-to-be vegetable garden our beginner gardener mumbled to himself." Now I know I can grow from scratch with seeds, but I think I'll buy seedlings or starters from the nursery. At least they will be above ground so I can get my spacing of the plants right."
The man at the nursery seeing Steve's interest in tomatoes, asked what kind of tomatoes he wanted to grow? "Gee I don't know?" Steve said feeling a little sheepish. "I'm kind of a beginner gardener and this is the first time I tried to grow something."
"Well," said the nursery man, "there are two categories of tomatoes, Determinate and Indeterminate."
Seeing the puzzled look on Steve's face the nursery man continued, "Determinate tomatoes grow typically two to four feet. They're bushy and great for small areas. Now Indeterminate tomatoes can grow as high as eight feet tall and sprawl all over the place if not staked."
Steve interrupted saying "that's it! I want to grow the indeterminate kind." The nursery man smiled and said "good choice, the Indeterminate tomatoes do have a better taste and I would suggest you try heirloom tomatoes."
Driving home with his precious cargo of heirloom tomatoes safely stored in the car trunk, Steve smiled and quietly said, "my days of been a beginner gardener will soon be over!"
Preparing the Vegetable Garden
Our beginner gardener Steve, walked over to the area in his backyard which soon will become his vegetable garden. With his hands on his hips, his eyes surveyed the area and especially the soil.
There are three types of soil; clay, sandy, and loamy soil. Of the three, clay soil is the worst soil you can have in your garden. When clay soil gets wet it has a tendency to stick together. Sandy soil is opposite, it has a light loose feel and the water drains through very quickly.
Loamy soil our third type, is the best choice for growing a vegetable garden. It has everything a vegetable garden will need (in Steve's case tomatoes).
Why would we prefer a loamy soil? Well, it consists of sand, clay, and silt giving a great drainage while holding some moisture that our tomatoes will need.
Steve was glad his nursery man gave him that information on a previous visit to the nursery before he bought his tomatoes. He was also fortunate to discover he did indeed have loamy soil.
If this is not the case for you, consult your local nursery for advice on how to prepare your vegetable garden soil.
The Moment Is Here...It's Planting Time!
Steve could plant his tomatoes by tilling the soil and creating furrows, (a great way to water and have good moisture and drainage for his plants). However, his vegetable garden area is not big enough to support this choice, so Steve opted to dig separate holes for each of his tomato plants in the space he had available.
Our beginner gardener carefully laid out his plants on top of the ground evenly spacing them giving each plant sufficient space to grow and flourish. After a few minor adjustments, Steve stood back for a final look. Feeling satisfied they were just right, he nodded his head and said, "It's time to get the garden tools and start planting."
"That nursery man sure was helpful and saved me a lot of trips back and forth to the nursery" he thought, as he recalled him suggesting he should also purchase garden tools and fertilizer while he was there.
With his garden tools brought back to his garden, our beginner gardener paused for a moment to make sure he brought them all. "Let's see" he said, I have the shovel, a couple of trowels of varying size, a cultivator, a weeder, and a pick/mattock should I run into rock.
Steve picked up his his largest trowel and walked to his tomato plants. After giving them a second look-over for just the right spacing, (about 2 ft. apart) he removed the first tomato plant from its spot and began to dig his first hole.
The ground was soft and he had no problem making the hole. It was just large enough for the tomato plant to fit in with the top of the ball just below the surface.
He remembered from his conversation with the nursery man to be sure to water the hole he dug and work in the fertilizer. And, try and plant on a cloudy day as this will help the tomato plant hold moisture after you give it water. Steve thought these were great tips to know especially for a beginner gardener.
Speaking of fertilizer, he was also told that tomatoes are heavy feeders and require fertilizing from time to time during the season. So make sure to read all the instructions on any bag or box of fertilizer before you purchase it.
Steve brought the bag of fertilizer to his vegetable garden and laid it down by the first hole. He wiped his forehead and said, "Wow! There is so much to know and remember." This is the second time he had said that. The first time was to the nursery man when he first met him.
"I know how confusing it seems," said the nursery man. "It is for any beginner gardener when they first try their hand growing a vegetable garden. Not to worry though, you'll get the hang of it in no time at all."
"There are just a few more things to remember," he continued. "Tomatoes need a good fertilizer with Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Look for the letters on your fertilizer, (in our case NPK). They are usually followed by a series of numbers such as, (12-10-5), (18-18-21), or perhaps (4-7-10). The first number is Nitrogen, the second is Phosphorus ... well you get the idea right?"
Steve looked puzzled and the nursery man quickly noticed. "Now I know you're wondering which one is right. On that the experts seem to disagree a little, but they all seem to agree Nitrogen should not be the highest number."
The nursery man paused for a moment to get his breath, and to give Steve a moment to let the information sink in.
Our nursery man continued, "Nitrogen encourages the tomato plant to grow leafy yielding less fruit. Well ...fruit is what we want , so an equal or lower Nitrogen number compared to the other two would be favorable. Also, be sure to add fertilizer per bag instructions and repeat again when you see the first fruit."
Placing his hand on our beginner gardener's shoulder he said, "That's it! You now know everything you need to to grow a great crop, and with a little practice and experimenting, it won't be long before your beginner gardening days will be gone forever."
Back at his garden,Steve looked at his freshly planted tomato plants, rubbed his chin and said "I sure hope he's right."
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Soil Moisture Tester.
As any successful vegetable gardener will tell you, a soil moisture tester is a must to grow a healthy vegetable crop. How else are you going to know whether your plants have to much or to little water for their survival?
A soil moisture tester like the one to the left can be purchased at a very reasonable price and well worth the investment. They can also be purchased at any gardening store. Whatever your choice, do consider getting one for your garden.
Ready Made Raised Bed Garden
Not every vegetable gardener lives in garden heaven having perfect soil to grow their garden. For those of us not so fortunate, a raised bed garden in my opinion is a solution to poor soil.
If you are a bit of a carpenter, you can build your own raised bed, or as you can see to the left, purchase a ready made, just assemble.
I have several in my garden and opted for a second tier in height.
Compost Bin to Make Rich Nutrient soil
Our "Making Compost" article gives you the information how to make your own compost and why compost is so important for your vegetables.
Another option rather than creating your own compost pile is to purchas a Compost Bin as seen at left, or you can purchse one from most garden outlet centers.
Whatever you choice, it is definitley an asset for your garden and a viable option to making your own compost pile.
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Table of Contents
Beginner Gardening Growing Vegetables Confused and don't know where to start? Beginner Gardening will take the mystery out of planting your first vegetable garden
Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Do you have limited space to grow vegetables? A raised bed vegetable garden will solve this problem. You can grow healthy and tasty vegetables with less garden work than traditional garden planting.
Organic Gardening Learn how to grow healthy vegetables without the use of synthetic chemicals by using an organic gardening approach in your vegetable garden.
Vertical Gardening Do you love gardening but have limited space or live in an apartment or townhouse? Then Vertical Gardening may be your answer. It's fun and it's easy to grow your own vegetable plants.
Making Compost Making Compost is easy and anyone can do it. Follow our easy to-to-do instructions and you will have excellent organic fertilizer for your vegetables.
Vegetable Seeds Why not grow your own seedlings from vegetable seeds you collect from last year's gardening.This article explains how to store seeds and when to plant them. It's fun and it's easy.
Garden Weeds Want to know how to kill garden weeds? This article covers several options both organic and chemical that you can use to destroy garden weeds
Growing Tomatoes Learn how to grow tomatoes that are tasty and delicious. If you are a beginner gardener growing tomatoes is not difficult and a great way to gain gardening experience
Vegetable Garden Tips Avoid making some of the most common garden mistakes when planting your vegetable garden. Here is a collection of handy vegetable garden tips you can use to grow a successful vegetable garden.
Vegetable Fertilizer What is the best vegetable fertilizer for your garden? Is it organic fertilizer or chemical fertilizer? Read on as we explain the pros and cons of both.
Growing Vegetables Growing vegetables can sometimes be a daunting task and frustrating when you see your plants wither and die.This article will address most of the potential problems your vegetable plants may encounter
Growing a Vegetable Garden Have an article you would like to write on growing a vegetable garden? Our beginner gardeners need your help.You can submit any article to do with gardening
Feedback about our Site Planning a Successful Vegetable Garden If you love gardening and especially if your are a beginner gardener your feedback is important to help us better develop our site for you the gardener. Please tell us what you think of our site.
Vegetable Garden Pests Do you know what kind of vegetable garden pests are lurking in your vegetable garden? Learn how to recognize the good insects from the bad ones and what you can do to rid your garden of them.
Garden Pest Aphid Control Aphid control of your vegetable garden crops can sometimes seem never ending. This article explains the damage they do to your vegetables and what you can do to protect your crops.
Garden Plant Pest Caterpillar Are caterpillars classified as a plant pest? Read more about why vegetable gardeners are not happy to have them in their vegetable garden.
Information about Ladybird Beetle The ladybird beetle helps protect your vegetable plants from invading harmful pests. This article gives you information about ladybugs and why they are so important to your vegetable crops.
Beneficial Garden Insects Lacewing Find out why beneficial garden insects like the lacewingfly are your plants best friends and how they protect your crops from invading pests.
Praying Mantids Praying Mantids or also called Praying Mantis is one of many beneficial garden insects you should have in your vegetable garden. Find out why Praying Mantids are a vegetable gardeners friend.
