April 01, 2021 at 11:40 a.m. EDT
Updated on:April 01, 2021 at 11:40 a.m. EDT
Gather your tools and get dirty for National Gardening Day!
If you’re looking to create your own garden, here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Place, place, place
Starting a garden is all about location. Place your garden in a part of your garden where you will see it regularly. That way, you’ll spend time in it much more often.
2. Follow the sun
Before choosing a spot for your garden, notice how the sunlight falls through your garden. Most edible plants, including many vegetables, herbs, and fruits, require at least six hours of sun to thrive.
3. Choose the right plants
It is important to choose plants that suit your growing conditions. This means placing sun-loving plants in a sunny spot, choosing heat-tolerant plants in warm climates, and giving soil-eating vines like pumpkins and melons ample room to move around (or a trellis for climbing). Do your homework and choose varieties that will grow well where you live and in the space you have.
4. Discover your zone
Knowing your “hardiness zone” will help you choose the best plants. Put simply, it describes the coldest place a plant can grow. Find your zone here.
5. Frost dates
Planting too early (or late) in the season can be a disaster for your garden. You need to know the last average spring frost date for your area so you don’t accidentally kill plants by deleting them prematurely. It’s also good to know your first average fall frost date so you can harvest or move your plants indoors before the late-season cold damages them. Here you can find the average data for your region.
6. Water source
One of the best gardening tips you will ever get is planning your new garden near a water source. Make sure you can run a hose to your yard so you don’t have to haul water on it every time your plants get thirsty. The best way to determine if plants need watering is to press your finger an inch into the ground (that’s about an knuckle deep). When it’s dry it’s time to water.
7. Choose your floor
When creating a garden, invest in nutrient-rich and well-drained soil.
8. Look at containers
Do you not have enough space in the garden? You can grow many plants in pots, including vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit trees, berries, and shrubs. When gardening in containers, use a pot large enough for the plant it will house.
9. Add some mulch
Apply a layer of mulch 2 to 3 inches deep around each plant. This helps reduce weeds by blocking out the sun and reduces moisture loss through evaporation so you use less water. You can put down straw, shredded leaves, pine straw, or any other locally available material.
10. Feed plants regularly
Give your soil a boost of quality nutrition for your plants. In other words, amazing soil + first-class plant food = great garden success!
