How to Start a Vegetable Garden - Without Information Overload

You've decided to start a vegetable garden, but with so many available resources, it can seem overwhelming. The secret to starting a vegetable garden is to keep it simple and use the wisdom of your fellow gardeners. All gardeners learn by experience, and my first garden taught me a lot. It was a huge plot with more room than I knew what to do with it. The soil was high in sand and lacking in nutrients. The next garden was one simple 4x8' bed. It had excellent soil and was very productive with my favorite vegetables. 

We want you to be a successful vegetable gardener so that you can have access to fresh food and be more self-reliant. 

This guide will give you the basic information you need to start growing vegetables in an outdoor garden. We’ll keep it simple so you can get started without being overwhelmed. We’ll also include links to more in-depth information if you want to learn more.

The most important part of planning a garden is choosing which vegetables to grow. Our number one recommendation to new vegetable gardeners is to grow what you like to eat. There’s no reason to labor over something you don’t really enjoy. Later, as you get more comfortable with gardening basics, you may want to try new varieties and things that are more difficult to grow.

Choose something that is easy to grow and does well in your growing zone. We recommend lettuce and bush beans as easy-to-grow vegetables for first-time gardeners. Lettuce grows quickly, and it’s rewarding to grow leaf varieties that you can start harvesting right away. Radishes are another quick and easy vegetable to plant in a spring or fall garden. Bush beans are great for beginner gardeners and will give you a substantial harvest for each seed you plant.

Keep in mind that vegetables taste much better when harvested at their prime and eaten fresh. So be prepared to enjoy some vegetables you didn’t think you’d like. I don’t like store-bought tomatoes or green beans, but I love the fresh ones from the garden.

We also recommend seeds that can be directly sown into your garden and don’t have to be started indoors. However, if you do want to start seeds indoors, you can follow our complete guide for starting seeds indoors and learn how to prepare seedlings for transplanting.

Always use quality seeds with a high germination rate. Vegetable seeds from Sow Right Seeds have a high germination rate and are guaranteed to grow.

For a simple beginner garden, don’t plant things that need extra effort. Most gardeners start with tomatoes because they taste so much better than what you find in the store. But remember, unless you are growing a dwarf variety like Tiny Tim, tomato plants need sturdy cages or a trellis. If you can’t pass up an opportunity to grow beefsteak tomatoes, you’ll need sturdy supports. You can follow the step-by-step plans for our favorite DIY tomato cages.

Once you know what you want to plant, you need to pick the right location. Vegetable gardens need full sun, which means at least six hours. Eight to ten hours is even better for most vegetables. Your first location decision is: Does this spot get enough sunlight for vegetables?

The next location consideration is water access. It might seem quaint to haul a watering can to each plant, but it won’t take long for that to become mundane. Somehow, a watering can with a gallon or more gets heavier and heavier as the summer wears on. And you don’t want your garden to suffer because it’s too hard to water. Choose a location with convenient access to a garden hose. Learn more about efficient watering.

This is also the time to decide if you will use raised beds or containers. There are advantages and disadvantages of each method. Containers can be easier to place where you want them. But they also dry out faster and may limit what you can grow. (10 Special Considerations for Planning the Perfect Container Garden)

The easiest garden to start is a row garden. You can also create raised beds and fill them with garden soil. You can read more about the differences between raised beds and row gardens.

When figuring out your garden location, you can also decide how big of a garden to start with. We always remind new gardeners to start small. Going wild with your dreams and creating as big a garden as possible can be tempting. And we’re all for big dreams and growing lots of food! But your first garden will be more successful if you focus on a few favorites.

If you do end up overwhelming yourself, don’t give up. Just learn from the experience and make adjustments in your next growing season.

As a first-time gardener and even a seasoned veteran, it's crucial to understand the basics of fertile garden soil. The health of your vegetable plants depends on the health of your soil. Plants take up nutrients from the ground to grow the produce you eat. Fertile garden soil is dirt that has all the nutrients that plants need. By starting with fertile soil, you’ll have a more successful garden.

If you are starting a vegetable garden in an area that has previously been a lawn, the ground may be somewhat compacted, and the plants may need extra nutrients.

First, remove all the grass so the roots won’t compete with your vegetables. Next, add a few inches of compost to increase the nutrients in your soil. You can mix the compost by tilling, or if you have a few months before planting, you can use a no-till method of layering.

Compacted soil makes it hard for plants to develop deep, healthy root systems. Tilling the soil will help break up the soil. Adding compost will help make the soil texture loamy and add necessary nutrients for a healthy microbiome.

You want to create garden soil that is not too heavy, can hold water, and drains well. Good garden soil is often described as loamy and nutrient-rich. Adding compost is our number one way to achieve this.

(What’s in the Dirt? How Soil Type and Texture Affect Your Garden)

(Easy Ways to Make Rich and Fertile Garden Soil for Vegetables)

Now that you know what to plant and where, you need to know WHEN to plant. Usually, vegetables are planted when temperatures are above freezing, and all danger of frost has passed. Some vegetables, such as beets, can be planted a few weeks before the last spring frost date.

The last frost date is the average date in your area when the last spring frost occurs. This is an average, so you do need to pay attention to the weather forecast and protect plants if a late spring frost occurs.

An easy way to know when to plant your vegetable seeds is to use our Seed Starting Planner. Enter your zip code, and you’ll get a list of the earliest dates to start your spring vegetable garden.

You can also read our seed packets to see when we recommend starting indoor and outdoor seeds for each variety. Our Planter's Library also provides specific growing information for each vegetable.

You won’t plant all your seeds at the same time. You can stagger planting your bean seeds every two weeks for a steady harvest throughout the summer. This is called succession planting.

Also, cool-weather crops, such as kale and peas, can be planted earlier than warm-weather vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.

When planting seeds, follow the depth recommendation on the back of the seed packet. You’ll notice that tiny seeds are usually planted very shallowly while beans and other large seeds are planted 1 inch deep. It’s important to follow the suggested planting depth. Seeds planted too deep will struggle to sprout. A small lettuce seed doesn’t have enough energy to push up through the soil. However, a bean will quickly produce a large stem and root system and needs lots of soil to support its growth.

It’s also important to follow the spacing guidelines. Vegetables need room to grow, and when plants are spaced too closely, it will limit how large they can grow. Initially, it can seem like a waste of space, but these little seeds will amaze you with how large they grow. I’m still working on giving my tomato plants enough space.

Once your seeds are planted, water your garden and keep the ground moist so the seeds germinate and do not dry out. Some seeds germinate in just a few days, while others take a week or more.

Watering is crucial to successful vegetable gardening. Water carries nutrients through the plant. If there is too little water, plants will be stressed and unable to develop harvestable produce. On the other hand, too much water can result in waterlogged roots.

Vegetables generally need about 1 inch of water per week. However, more frequent watering may be necessary in hot, dry areas.

When plants are small, they are called seedlings. This is a tender stage for plants, and it takes time for them to develop a mature root system. Keep them well watered, using a gentle watering head or watering close to the plant but not directly on it.

Once the plants are established, less frequent but more deep watering will help them develop strong root systems. You can check if it’s time to water again by sticking your finger in the ground. If the soil is dry more than an inch down, it's time to water your garden.

Some plants will naturally wilt a little in the hot afternoon sun. However, when the sun goes down, they should recover. Plants that remain wilted may need more water.

Consistent watering results in healthier plants and tastier vegetables. Stressed cucumber plants will result in bitter fruit.

Getting rid of weeds is a vital garden task. Weeds compete with your vegetable plants for water and nutrients. Fast-growing weeds can also crowd out smaller, slow-growing vegetables and prevent them from getting the sunlight they need for photosynthesis, affecting the size of your harvest.

Remove weeds when they’re still small and easy to pull out. To limit the ability of weed seeds to sprout, you can also use ground covers and mulch.

In large garden plots, hoes and other weeding tools can help reduce the effort it takes to maintain a weed-free garden. Over the years, we’ve found that some weeding tools are better than others. (Our list of favorite weeding tools.)

Be careful when using hoes and other tools to avoid damaging the roots of your vegetable plants. Some plants, like lettuce and onions, have shallow roots requiring more careful attention.

Even if you’re new to growing vegetables, you’ve likely heard about fertilizer.

You can think of fertilizer as a vitamin supplement for your plants. Fertilizer ensures that plants get all the nutrients they need to reach their full potential. And just like taking more vitamins isn’t always healthy, applying more fertilizer isn’t always the best move. When you plant in nutrient-rich soil, the amount of extra fertilizer you need to add is minimal.

A quick overview of commercial fertilizers reveals three main components: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. The NPK numbers on the package represent these macronutrients.

Each one of these nutrients contributes to the growth of the plant.

(What the Fertilizer Numbers Mean)

For a basic vegetable garden, you should use a balanced fertilizer with numbers like 10-10-10. This means it contains an even balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Some vegetables are considered heavy feeders, meaning they use up available nutrients quickly. These plants benefit from additional fertilizer applied every 2 to 4 weeks. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn are some of the heavy feeder vegetables that will need extra fertilizer, especially when they start setting fruit.

Read the package and apply fertilizers as directed. You want to be careful not to “burn” your vegetables by putting too much fertilizer on them. A slow-release fertilizer can be helpful to prevent too much fertilizer at once. Also, avoid touching the plants with fertilizer by applying it closely but not directly on them.

Specific growing guides in our Planter’s Library will give you more information about fertilizing each vegetable.

(A Complete Guide to Fertilizing Tomatoes)

We’ll keep it simple in this beginner gardening overview. Pests and diseases can severely limit your vegetable harvest. Our Planter’s Library covers all the common pests and diseases you’ll encounter. The appearance of a pest or disease doesn’t mean the death of your garden. And you don’t have to apply a bunch of toxic chemicals. There are natural ways to get rid of aphids and slugs. A healthy ecosystem will have some pests, but they don’t have to overtake your garden.

Crop rotation and effective watering can often prevent or limit diseases. Regularly inspect your plants for signs of fungus or disease.

Now that you’ve watered, weeded, and fertilized your vegetable garden, you want the ultimate payoff. Fresh, healthy vegetables that taste incredible! Harvesting at the right time will ensure you experience the best flavor.

Lettuce leaves are ready to be harvested when they are several inches long. You can pick individual leaves or harvest the whole head at once.

Beans are a vegetable that can be harvested at different stages. Young green beans are tender and can be eaten raw or cooked. Dried mature beans can be stored long-term and cooked later.

Summer squash and zucchini are best when young and tender. When they are past their prime, the skins become tough, and the interior texture becomes coarser.

Another important thing to know about harvesting is generally, the more you harvest, the longer your plants will keep producing unless it’s a one-and-done vegetable such as carrots and beets.

The lifecycle of vegetable plants is to produce seeds. Once they have developed seeds that can reproduce, the plant has completed its mission. If you keep picking produce before it has developed mature seeds, the plant will keep growing to produce seeds. So, pick those peppers, beans, and zucchini often.

Being a new gardener is an exciting adventure. There’s nothing better than the satisfaction of enjoying the amazing taste of homegrown vegetables you grew from seed. Once you taste the tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, or beans you grew yourself, you’ll be hooked.

We love helping others grow food and become more self-reliant. We hope this guide helps you see how easy it is to start a vegetable garden.

Written by Beverly Laudie