How to start a Vegetable Garden – 16 essential tips.

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There is nothing quite like growing your own fresh garden vegetables at home. The taste of home grown produce is always superior in both taste and quality. In a time of ecological degradation and climate change there is no better way to help protect the planet than producing food at home.

Not only does vegetable gardening produce healthy food free of pesticides and herbicides it is also great exercise. Vegetable gardening can burn up to 500 calories an hour and increase core strength and muscle mass. It is a fact that if you start a vegetable garden you are much more likely to provoke healthy eating at home for the whole family. Vegetable gardens are great way to introduce children to healthy living and a healthy diet.

If you want to know how to start a vegetable garden from scratch there are some initial things to consider. If you want robust plants you will need to get the conditions perfect t the beginning. Everything from sunlight, water, soil, weeding and site design will have an impact of your vegetable gardens success.
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Hence we have broken the most important considerations down into 15 essential tips for starting a vegetable garden below. 

1. Sunlight

When starting a vegetable garden sunshine is one of the most crucial elements. You will need a minimum of six hours sunshine daily during the season however 8 hours and above is optimum. Hungry plants like vegetables need more photosynthesis than other less demanding plants. Photosynthesis is the process whereby plants use the suns light to produce energy.

It is this stored energy within vegetables which make them nutritious for us to eat. Vegetables such as potatoes are particularly rich in calories as they store this energy in their tubers. Sunlight helps fruit to produce rich sugars that that we love to eat and help fruits set and ripen well.

When sighting a potential location for your plots make sure you assess levels of sunlight throughout the day. Bear in mind during spring and autumn the sun will be lower in the sky. This can prevent sunlight from peeping over tall hedges and fences.

If you live in an urban garden take extra special notice of vertical shading factors. These can come in the form of hedges, trees and buildings.
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In these scenarios it can greatly help to raise your growing areas up. This can be done with raised growing beds and planters. 

2. Accessibility

Easy access to your vegetable garden is extremely important for a number of reasons. Firstly vegetable gardens require ongoing development, maintenance and harvesting. This means having effective and comfortable wheel barrow access to your growing areas. You may find yourself transporting quantities of manure and harvested vegetables to and from the site.

In vegetable gardening it is also extremely important to visually monitor your crops on a regular basis. In a perfect world this will be every day during the growing season and within viewing distance of your home. This will allow you to keep an eye on progress even when day to day life becomes busy. The further you physically have to travel to your vegetable garden the more likely you are to miss important duties.

Close daily proximity do your crops will allow you to weed, diagnose problems, water and harvest much more easily. However this is not always possible for everyone. Some people do not have the luxury of their own gardens and therefore grow on allotments. If you are starting out on an allotment you will need a strict and regular visit frequency.

One of the best ways to encourage commitment to an allotment is to make it as liveable as possible. This means providing infrastructure for extra recreation. This could be a shed or summer house for reading or even a barbecue area to relax with friends.
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Access to water is also an important consideration when starting a vegetable garden. 

3. Soil 

​Vegetables thrive in a soil with an open, loamy structure with high fertility and good drainage. Reaching this level of soil conditioning can be one of the most challenging aspects of vegetable gardening. The best way to start developing your soil is to identify its current state. Existing soil types will depend on regional geography, river basins and previous cultivation. 

PH 

​PH level is the measurement of how acidic or alkali your soil type is. Generally vegetables prefer a neutral PH leaning more onto the more alkaline. To find out what PH you have a simple litmus test can be obtained through most garden stores. If your soil does fall into the acidic category lime can be added to help neutralise its PH. 

Sandy loams

Sandy loams are typically free draining and nutrient poor. This means they are difficult to irrigate in summer and do not retain nutrients for vegetables to thrive. The positive thing is you are starting with a well drained soil which is difficult to achieve with heavy soils.

​The best way to improve sandy loams is dig in plenty of organic material. This can be rotted manure or composted materials. Over time sandy soils can be dramatically improved but seasonal manure should be applied. If you are impatient and have the budget you can buy in clay loams in bulk to apply to the top layer. 

Heavy Clay

Heavy clay soil is difficult to work becoming rock hard in summer and wet and sticky in winter. In boggy conditions clay can become extremely compacted and lead to plants rotting. Heavy clay soil is one of the most despised soil types for growing vegetables.

​Clay does present an initial challenge for a vegetable garden but does also have advantages. Clay soils are extremely good at retaining both nutrients and water. This makes them very good for growing vegetables if you make them more free draining. If your site is particularly boggy perhaps adding a drainage system as an extra precaution. 

​To improve clay soils add plenty of organic matter and free draining material such as sharp sand. Mix these in equal quantities into the soil. This can be carried out by hand or rotavator in early summer when the soil dries out.

​The sand and organic particles will separate into the clay particles making them crumble apart more easily. This process should be repeated year on year until your soil is lighter, fertile and free draining. ​

Clay Loams
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​Clay loams are the best soils for growing vegetables by far. They are well drained and have a fluffy texture so roots can spread far and wide. Good moisture retention and high levels of nutrients mean vegetables are well fend and do not dry out easily.

​If you are lucky to have naturally clay loam soil this will certainly make your soil preparation easier. Both sandy loams and heavy clays however can reach perfect quality for growing vegetables also. With a consistent amelioration regime and annual turning any soil can improve over time.  

4. Watering

Vegetables require consistent moisture content with no wild variation from full saturation to drought. These extreme variations will cause many vegetables to bolt or go to seed. Vegetables do not like soil which is too wet but they do not like soil which is to wet either.

One of the most crucial factors in getting your moisture content correct is to know your soil. If you have a particularly wet site raising your growing areas up can improve moisture content.
If you have a naturally free draining soil vegetable gardens are best situated in low lying areas. 

One of the simplest tests to check your soils moisture content is the two knuckle test. Stick your index finger into the soil to the second knuckle. If you feel a very slight dampness on the end of your finger this is about right. You do not want your finger to feel soaking or bone dry.
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During the growing season vegetables water demands will go up the hotter the weather becomes. During summertime vegetables will need about an inch of water a week. It is always best to water with a sprinkler so water is absorbed slowly. Watering is best done in the morning so vegetables are not soaking during chilly nights. 

5. Raised beds

Raised beds are an extremely popular way of growing vegetables for a few reasons. The first reason is they accommodate a greater depth and volume of soil. This allows the vegetable gardener to add good quality soil from the outset.

This saves extra time and effort developing the existing soil of the site. The deep soil of raised beds allows vegetables to put their roots down deeply. This means plants can be planted slightly closer together than in shallower soils.  Raised beds are a great way to add better drainage especially if your area is naturally low lying. 

Higher raised beds of 600mm or more give plants more access to light and ventilation especially in urban gardens. Such beds are also effective at reducing continuous bending which can put a strain on the lower back.

Raised beds can be made from numerous materials but some of the most popular are timber or masonry. If timber is to be used then an externally treated timber of at least 100mm or 4 inches thickness should be used. This is to prevent timbers from rotting through. The best timbers for raised bed construction are railway sleepers. These typically come in 2.4 metre lengths and are 200mm wide by 100mm thick.
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Masonry raised beds are usually built with brick or concrete. These are more intensive and expensive to install but will last the longest. For these a concrete foundation will need to be installed and weep holes for drainage at the base.  

6. Vegetable selection

Selecting the vegetables you want to grow should be an easy and obvious choice. However if you are new to vegetable gardening selecting the right vegetables is crucial. Typically when starting a vegetable garden some enthusiastically want to grow everything and take on too much. Every vegetable has a knack to growing successfully so if you are just starting out pick 6 varieties.
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It may sound obvious but pick 6 that you really love to eat. It is surprising how many vegetable gardeners grow things they do not fancy eating when they are ready. Pick 6 you really love eating, research growing them well and set yourself up for success. Early successes will boost your enthusiasm so you can take on more the following season. 

7. Sowing vegetable seeds

Sowing seeds and watching them grow has got to be one of the most enjoyable parts of vegetable growing. In fact germinating seeds is one of the most common practices which gets young children interested in gardening.

If you live in a cooler climate seeds are typically started off earlier either under cover or inside. The period of time between when your seeds germinate and grow into small plants is when they are most venerable.
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This is why seedlings are commonly raised in a place where you can control the environment. Young seedlings are prone to cold snaps and pests like slugs and snails. You can sow direct into beds in spring but always run the risk of losing seedlings before they develop. This can be mitigated with plastic cloches or transparent plant covers.

The best method is to sow vegetables into cellular trays in a greenhouse or cold frame to get them started. Mastering the technique of germinating seeds and raising them to young, robust plants is one of the greatest skills in vegetable gardening.  

8. Planting young vegetables

Planting young vegetables is a skill within its own right. When planting out you want as less root disturbance as possible not to stress the plants. The best way to ensure this is by growing them in singular cells or pots.

Sometimes however it is best to grow a number of seedlings in a larger pot for extra depth. This can be ideal for vegetables that have deep root systems. When planting out these plants root masses should be carefully prized away from each other. Plants and roots should be planted at the same depth they were within the pots.

Soil should then be carefully backfilled around each plant and consolidated not compacted. As mall watering well should be formed around the base of each plant. This helps to direct water down to the plants roots when you water them in.
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When planting out young vegetables try to slowly accustom them to outside conditions first. This is known as hardening off. Plants are uncovered during the day to get used to outside temperatures and brought back under cover at night.

9. Growing under cover

If you are starting a vegetable garden and want to get the most out of your climate growing under cover is essential. This can be achieved in cold frames but best in larger spaces such as greenhouses and polytunnels. These are a bit of an investment but worth it.

Growing under cover is perfect for starting off young vegetables but also allows you to grow more exotic crops. Especially if you are in a colder climate during the summer you can grow chillies, peppers and cucumbers. This would be unthinkable outside especially if you are in an exposed location.
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Growing under cover also gives you the advantage of extending your season. Young vegetables can be started off earlier in the year and harvesting can last much later. Everyone should consider installing a greenhouse or polytunnel when starting a vegetable garden. 

10. Frost dates

Frost dates are the annual, average dates of the lasts frosts in your area and crucial to your vegetable garden. These dates will dictate when you should chance planting out your young vegetables in the spring time. If you have a late frost this can kill plants and weeks of your hard work.

Your frost dates will depend depending on your specific locality and climatic zone. However there is no given, specific date for one location every year. Most gardeners through experience will have past knowledge of when to plant out. If you are new to vegetable gardening there is software available which can give you dates. I would urge caution however! Frost dates can vary greatly within the same region depending on factors such as shelter, elevation, micro-climate or if you are urban or rural.
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You best bet is do your research and keep an eye on the night time temperatures throughout the season. This is all a part of the process of gaining experience and learning vegetable gardening.

11. Weeding

Weeding as a necessary evil of especially vegetable gardening, it simply cannot be avoided. One of the key ways to make weeding easier is to have light fluffy soil in the first place. This will come down to good soil preparation early on and will make weeds easier to pull out as they appear. This is especially so with stubborn deep rooted weeds such as dandelions.

However it is best not to let weeds get this large in the first place. The best method of weeding I find is hoeing. This requires high frequency monitoring of your vegetable garden and using a hoe cut young weeds off a centimetre below the surface.

If done on the morning of a warm day the weeds will shrivel up and die in the sun. This method requires a soft fluffy soil and repetitive weekly cycles but is much less work in the long run. 
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If you do have to remove weeds by hand they do make great compost. If you have chickens they will happily eat your weeds and turn them into eggs for you. 

12. Pests

When starting a vegetable garden one of the most common pests will be slugs and snails. Slugs and snails love young plants and especially leafy vegetables. These pests love nooks and crannies and damp places.

Hence it is good to design your vegetable plots with cleanly defined areas with no hiding places. Methods of control can include hand picking at night or drowning them in beer. If there is dense vegetation nearby there should be enough predators to keep them under control.

On this point places of greater local ecological biodiversity tend to have less pest problems. If you encourage larger predators such as birds, spiders, mammals, amphibians and reptiles they will eat your pests for you. The problem with most modern gardens is they generally are not favourable for all the beneficial species above.  Generally if you provide some wildlife habitat this will help you keep pests under control.
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If you have larger pests like deer and rabbits these can be kept out by fencing. 

13. Diseases

Various diseases will raise their heads from time to time and generally affect specific vegetables. Diseases can be brought on by specific weather conditions such as excessive rainfall. Typically plants only become susceptible to disease if they weakened by pests or poor growing conditions.
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Most of the time crop diseases will build up in areas where the same crop is grown every year. It is important to rotate your crops every year across different vegetable beds to prevent this from happening. If you do notice a specific rust or disease on a vegetable it is quite easy to diagnose and find a solution. The worst case scenario is you will not be able to grow that crop for a couple of seasons. 

14. Pollination

Pollination will not be relevant to most vegetables in providing a crop sense but it certainly will for some. Some crops such as squash, melons and tomatoes will require pollination to set fruit.

​This is usually not a problem as insects in the environment such as bees will pollinate for you. However in recent times there are fewer pollinating species around to do this. I personally have certainly noticed a dramatic reduction in pollinators in the past 20 years. Therefore when starting a vegetable garden you may want to include some plants which attract bees. The other option is to hand pollinate when these crops are flowering.
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Most of the time pollination is only of real importance with fruit trees. If you are planting fruit trees in your vegetable garden try source self pollinated varieties. However it is always good to grow different varieties of the same fruit. This encourages pollination and better fruiting. 

15. Storing vegetables

When starting a vegetable garden you will notice you will get a glut harvest all at once. This is quite difficult to avoid due to the way the season forces you to sow in the spring time. One of the ways to try to avoid this is to sow in succession throughout the year. For example Instead of sowing twenty lettuces all at once do 5 every two weeks.  

More commonly however you will have to find a way of storing the vegetables you grow. Some crops actually store themselves in the ground during the winter months. Leeks, brassacas and chard go dormant in the winter and can be taken at leisure during this time. Tuber crops like potatoes and Jerusalem Artichokes can be lifted and stored in boxes of dry sand.

Typical suspects for large gluts are fruit trees especially apples. These are very good made into chutneys and sauces or even brewed into cider.
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Drying using a dehydrator is also a very efficient way of storing vegetables throughout the winter. 

16. Experimentation and enjoyment 

The most important thing when starting a vegetable garden is experimenting and enjoying yourself.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes or worry too much if crops die. In gardening when you make mistakes or things go wrong it’s simply a part of the learning experience. Many vegetable gardeners who have been growing for decades still have crops fail and are still learning.

Vegetable gardening is not complicated but for sure you will never know everything. The only way to truly master producing on your plot with your soil and conditions is by trial and error. Crop growing is about juggling the chaotic forces of the natural world. There is simply no book or internet article which can teach you that.
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By experimentation you will become the master of your vegetable garden. This will provide you endless enjoyment and the best tasting vegetables money simply can’t buy. Enjoy starting your vegetable garden and let us know how you get on below.

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