Gardening Tips for Beginning Gardeners

One important key to a successful garden is careful planning. The beginning gardener who researches and plans ahead of time saves money, work and time. That you are reading this right now means you are on the right track. Planning your garden effectively before you plant that first seed will pay off in the end.

Decide what you are going to plant and if you are going to start from seedlings or from seed.

For many plants it is best to use seedlings. You can start your own in small pots indoors, or purchase seedlings from your local garden center. If you buy your seedlings, make sure to pick plants with strong stalks, and with insect/disease free leaves. Be sure to check the underside of leaves as well--some insects deposit eggs on the underside of the leaves.

If you choose to start your own seedlings from seed, I recommend starting them in a Cowpot, or something similar (other pots for seedlings are made of materials such as sphagnum moss and soil). Cowpots are made from cow manure and provide a rich, organic growing environment for your seeds. A link to an online supplier of Cowpots is at the end of this article as well as in the resources section of the article.

Know your gardening zone.

You may already know that each region has different recommended planting times and some vegetables (and other plants) do better in some regions than in others. Gardening zone maps show you which gardening zone you fall in and, therefore, let you know when to plant, and what kinds of plants do best in your region. I've included a helpful link to a zone map at the end of this article.

Creating the garden area

If you have rabbits or other wild animals around, you need to consider this when planning your garden area. A relative of mine learned this the hard way. On one beautiful spring day, she carefully planted lettuce seedlings and other vegetables in her backyard. The next morning she went out to check her plants and they were all gone. All of them--not one left. The culprit? Hungry bunnies. The solution? Chicken wire. She created a makeshift fence to keep out the bunnies and she replanted everything. It worked.

How much sun or shade? Of course, if you want your garden to thrive, you must consider how much sun or shade your plants will require and keep that in mind as you create your garden area.

If you are planting tomatoes, for example, you should know that tomatoes do not like much shade ( and they do not handle frost well. Tomatoes need to be covered if there is a frost danger, or you can keep the plants indoors until the danger of frost is over. Also, tomatoes need a lot of water. They enjoy good drainage, though, and their roots should not be kept sodden for long periods--all these aspects should be considered before planting).

Preparing the soil

Rotary tillers (most known by the trademarked name Rototiller) are usually the best way to break up the soil in preparation for planting. However, good rotary tillers are not cheap. No need to worry, though. Some home improvement stores or garden centers will allow you to rent a rotary tiller. Check with them to find out the rental cost.

If you don't want to buy, rent, or borrow a rotary tiller, you can always cultivate the soil manually. But do this only if you are in fantastic shape and have the time and patience (and/or a very small garden).

The time to add the initial fertilizers or other soil conditioners is now, when you are tilling the soil. My parents always used cow manure for fertilizer. When the Rototiller was brought out from the garage, soon the odor of cow manure and earth permeated the air. I knew then that spring had begun and summer just around the corner.

Cow manure is not as popular a fertilizer as it once was, but it works well in many areas. As I said earlier, a lot will depend on your soil. The folks at your county extension office, or local garden store, should be very knowledgeable about the soil conditions in your area. They will be able to recommend fertilizer and other soil additives suitable for your area.

Hard clay soils, for instance, often can benefit from added peat moss to make the soil more porous, allowing better air flow and drainage. Bags of peat moss can be found at most garden retailers. Take care if you own pets that the pets--especially cats--do not eat any. Peat moss can be toxic to them.

Also, peat moss increases acidity of soil. If your soil is already too acidic for your planting needs, you will need to use a different soil conditioner.

Bags of bone meal and potash were also popular items sold when I worked ( for a year or so as a teen) at a nursery and garden center. Adding bone meal, for instance, makes soil more alkaline.

Establishing the proper soil pH is important. Planning ahead, knowing what kinds of vegetables or flowers you are going to plant is important because different kinds of plants have different soil needs. For example, tomato plants do best in soil with a pH of about 6. Some garden centers or county extension offices will test your soil for you (for a fee). All you have to do is drop off a soil sample.

If you plan the details of your garden in advance, you will save yourself a lot of time and money. To recap: decide what you want to plant, decide where you want to plant, make sure the area will get enough sun during the growing season, know your garden zone, know your soil, and prepare your soil according to the needs of the plants you wish to plant.

For more information about cowpots click here

To find your gardening zone, click here