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Starting your own vegetable garden can be a fun and rewarding experience and not only will you have access to fresh, healthy organic produce, but you’ll also be able to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise while tending to your plants. Here’s some vegetable gardening tips for beginners.
1.) Choosing the best location
We started our vegetable garden when my youngest was a toddler. I had just been to an amazing talk on “no dig gardening” by an amazing Urban Gardener – Jane Griffiths in Johannesburg. I feel so lucky that I’ve got a signed copy of her book (Jane’s Delicious Garden) and I still read through it as it’s full of tips and valuable info on companion planting.
We chose the front garden as it receives at least six hours of sunlight per day and we already had some irrigation in the flowerbed. Since it was quite close to the front wall, it is pretty protected from strong winds.
2.) Preparing the soil
We unfortunately did struggle with the soil as it was very hard and full of weeds. We did add quite a lot of compost and some potting soil to improve it. I think if I had to do it again, I would try and get the soil tested to see which nutrients I would need to add.
3.) Choosing which vegetables to grow
Once your soil is prepared, it’s time to choose which vegetables to grow.
When selecting your plants, make sure to choose varieties that are well-suited to your local climate and soil conditions. We started off with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce. Then we added herbs like basil, origanum and parsley.
4.) Planting from seed or seedling
When it comes to planting, make sure to follow the instructions on the seed packets or plant labels. This will give you information on how deep to plant your seeds or seedlings, how far apart to space them, and how much water and sunlight they need.
5.) Watering your plants
After planting, you’ll need to water your plants regularly, and provide them with adequate sunlight and nutrients. You may also need to protect them from pests and diseases. As your plants grow, you’ll need to prune, stake, or trellis them, depending on the type of plant.
Starting a vegetable garden can be a lot of work, but the rewards are well worth it.
Check out some of our produce!
