Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

by Cathy on December 22, 2009

According to a 2009 study conducted by the National Gardening Association, it was discovered that the average vegetable gardening household saved just over 500 dollars per year by growing plants and cultivating their own harvest. Most couples used just 70 dollars to get started with their garden supplies, seeds and garden tools. It is estimated that 34% of all American households now grow some of their own food - a number that rose 10% from 2007-2008, and another 19% from 2008-2009.

The first step in designing a vegetable garden is picking the best size and location. To start with, make certain your location gets a lot of sunshine. Most vegetables should have approximately six to eight hours of direct sunlight on a daily basis for optimal results. If you have a less well lit location, you can stick your lettuce and spinach there. As you assess your yard, make sure to take into consideration the shade cast by your house and trees throughout certain times of the day.

Ideally, the garden will be conveniently located close the kitchen, so you can tend to it with less effort and gather your crop without hiking long distances. The most satisfactory soil will be full of nutrients and drain correctly, so you might need to add organic compost and use the right tools to ventilate the earth before you start.

When choosing what goes into your garden, you'll need to consider how much space the crops you want take up. Vegetable gardening items like corn, winter squash and tomatoes tend to take up a lot of room, so you'll need a 20 x 20 garden at least. If you want to grow a few herbs, peppers, cucumbers and greens, a 12 x 16 plot should be sufficient. Garden guides from the National Gardening Association recommend growing plants in succession in three foot wide beds with 18-inch paths between each row. It's also a good idea to add a few flowers (such as marigolds) into your garden to add some beauty, deter pests and attract helpful pollinating bees.

There are several strategies when it comes to choosing which plants to use in your vegetable gardening endeavor. Some vegetables are grown from seeds in a method known as "direct-sow." A few weeks before the last frost (check the Farmer's Almanac to get this date), sow your beets, carrots, parsnips, peas, radishes, chard, turnips and salad greens. After the last frost, sow your beans, corn, squash and herbs like dill and cilantro. Next, you may want to use some transplants for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, parsley, peppers and tomatoes. Your summer squash, lettuce and broccoli will grow equally well from seeds or transplants, so that choice is up to you. Growing plants like beets, chard, green beans, lettuce, parsley, peppers, tomatoes, radishes and summer squash is rather easy in most parts of the country, so you may want to include a lot of these crops to start.

Eating healthfully doesn't have to be expensive when you plant a vegetable garden. From container vegetable gardening to edible landscaping, you'll find the information you need at the Vegetable Garden Site.

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