5 Easy Tips to Start Your Vegetable Garden Right Now

Gardening season has begun in my Zone. I am more than excited about it. Gardening season is very short in Chicago so I always am really excited to start the FIRST DAY. No matter where you are, your gardening season is either starting or has already started. If you’re a beginning gardener, I have 5 easy tips to start your garden right now.

I have been an avid gardener and answering your questions for several years. I started out very small and now I have expanded to a large plot, 3 waist height beds and several containers. In a few weeks, I’ll share exactly what I planted this gardening season. But for now I’ll get into these tips for starting your first garden.

Container Gardening — Vegetables growing in containers/pots

Decide how you’re going to plant your items. I know that many of you do not have a backyard. But that shouldn’t deter you from gardening. You can plant your items in containers, a small raised bed – that you can purchase or build or start your vegetables in the ground. People who have decks are even able to garden. There are also places where you can purchase a small plot.
Purchase gardening soil. When you’re gardening- any dirt won’t do. You want to make sure you have dirt/soil specifically for gardening vegetables and fruit. If you’re using containers- make sure you get a dirt that flows easily and doesn’t compact- in the past I’ve made the mistake of putting in- ground soil in the containers and it was a muddy mess. For those who are into science- raised bed soil is made to compact when water hits it – that way you don’t lose all of your dirt. Container soil that is made to loosen up when water hits it- so the run off runs through the bottom of the pot (and doesn’t get muddy). A small yet important difference. Check out this post related to Container Gardening.

3. Get some basic tools. There are some tools you’ll need to help you plant. Some things you absolutely need to begin and other items that have a higher price point- you can purchase as the years go by. Here are a list of items I believe you absolutely need to begin: gardening gloves, a scoop for dirt/other items; water pot or water hose, spade. The links below contain items from my Amazon store.

4. You need nutrients/fertilizers. Now this here is a no judgment zone- however I am a full organic gardener. Your vegetables will need something to help them grow easier. I like to use Fish Fertilizer and other fertilizers as well. I’m going to do another blog post where you’ll get more information related to the different fertilizers I use as well as some items you use everyday that can be used in your garden. You can find fertilizers at a greenhouse or a big box store.

5. Decide what you’re going to plant. This is usually the hardest part. There are so many vegetables and so many varieties- you sometimes do not know where to start. I will bring another video sharing my tips for each vegetable/fruit. But I’m going to say for now tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers are pretty easy to grow. There are so many different varies just within those 3 listed vegetables/fruit that you can easily get started.

Lastly, my bonus is that you can definitely grow herbs. What I love about herbs is that they truly are the gift that keep on giving.

Herbs continue to grow and you know you’re “getting it right” because it smells just like the actual herb.

You can grow herbs inside and outside the house.

Check out my video below of my mother and me prepping all of my garden beds. And let me know in the comments what you’re growing in your own gardens. I have answered a lot of your vegetable gardening questions previously in a post.