7 Tips For Beginning Gardeners
Gardening has long been an enjoyable hobby as well as a way for millions of people around the world to cut expenses while furnishing their family with healthy foods that they have grown themselves. Each year hundreds if not thousands of people plant either vegetable or flower gardens for the first time. If you are a beginning gardener here are 7 tips that can get you off to the right start.
Begin by reading
One of the best ways to acquire gardening knowledge quickly is by reading. Your local library is a great place to find books on gardening basics. Other great sources of free gardening material include the Internet, local gardening clubs and organizations and your local agricultural extension office. The more general knowledge you have about gardening before you actually plant your garden the better prepared you will be.
Talk to friends and neighbors who already have experience gardening
Gardeners love to talk about their gardens and are almost always ready to offer helpful advice to anyone who is willing to listen and learn. Talking to neighbors who have gardening experience will provide you with information on the best type of plants to grow in your climate and soil conditions. Many times experienced gardens will even be willing to help you pick out the perfect spot and help get you started.
Start small
One of the biggest mistakes beginning gardeners make is that in their excitement to start a new hobby they bite off more than they can chew and plant too much too soon and then find themselves overwhelmed when their experience cannot keep up with their garden. By starting small such as planting a windowsill herb garden or one using containers to plant just one or two easy vegetables you will find that you have a better chance for success and can really learn about how plants grow first hand without feeling overwhelmed.
Plan out your garden
When deciding to plant a full size garden take the time to plan out your garden on graft paper. This is a great winter project and will help you to determine just how much seed or how many plants of each variety you will need to purchase when it comes time to plant.
Plant near your backdoor
Planting your garden in a place that is easy to see will help to keep you interested in your project, allow you to each new development as your garden grows and serve as a reminder to you that your garden may need watering or weeded.
Choose starter plants over seeds
For your first garden choosing starter plants over seeds will help ensure that your garden has a better chance for success. Once you have gained more experience you can try your hand growing plants from seeds.
Choose vegetable plants you actually enjoy eating
A good rule of thumb to remember when planting your garden is if you won’t eat it don’t plant it. Just because a certain plant grows well in soil doesn’t mean you have to include it in your garden.
Not only can growing your own garden save you money but, it can give you a great feeling of accomplishment and pride knowing that you grew your flowers or some of the food eat yourself.
