Starting your first vegetable garden

VEGETABLE gardening home can be a way to save money while you get up close and personal with nature.

Dig into these tips and tricks to get your vegetable garden off to a strong start.

Start with a small space

If you are a beginner gardener, start small. It is better to be thrilled by what you produce in a small garden than be frustrated by the time commitment a big one requires.

It is also best to learn a few gardening basics before investing tons of time and money in this new hobby. You will also find out if you like spending time outside planting, watering and weeding.

Grow what you love to eat

What do you like to eat? Your answer will tell you what you should plant in your vegetable garden. There are also a few other things to keep in mind when deciding what you want to grow.

Be picky about varieties

Pay close attention to the description on the seed packet, tag, or label.

Each variety of vegetable comes with certain characteristics. Some produce smaller plants ideal for containers or small gardens.

Other varieties offer better disease resistance, improved yields, or better heat- or cold-tolerance. Start by choosing veggies you like to eat, then look into their sizes and care needs.

Productivity

Think about how much you and your family will eat and how likely you are to freeze, can, or give away excess produce.

Then be realistic about how many seeds or plants you need to put into the ground. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and squash keep providing throughout the season, so you may not need many plants to serve your needs.

Successive crops

Planting both cool- and warm-weather vegetables will give you a harvest of vegetables and herbs continuously through all seasons.

Test garden tip: By planting vining crops like green beans and peas, you make use of vertical space in the garden and boost yield per square foot.

Choose the spot for your garden

No matter where you put your garden or what you decide to plant, there are two basic requirements that your location needs to meet for the best success: water and light.

Sunlight

Like all plants, vegetables need the sun to kick-start photosynthesis. The fastest-growing vegetables need full sun without blockage from trees, shrubs, or fences. You will not have much success if you plant sun-loving vegetables in shady spaces.

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