Every gardener was a first-time gardener at some point. Doing something for the first time can be exciting: A rich bounty of new adventures lies in front of you. But you can also be plagued by doubts:
- Is gardening difficult to do?
- Does gardening require specialized knowledge?
- Is my soil good enough for gardening?
- Is gardening expensive?
- What if my plants die?
If you’re looking to be a first-time gardener, this guide should answer all of your questions and prepare you well for your first growing season. Find the answers to all of your questions here.
Before You Start
Don’t doubt your ability to garden just because you feel you don’t have a “green thumb.” Getting over that psychological hurdle is the first step toward becoming a gardener. Everybody can grow something right away, even if they’re totally lacking in gardening experience.
The key is to start somewhere. Start small, keep it simple, and select the easiest possible plants to grow. One success will lead to another, and you’ll learn from your mistakes along the way.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: If one plant dies, try another. Having a plant die on you doesn’t mean you lack a green thumb, it just means that particular plant wasn’t compatible with the conditions you provided for it. This is how you learn and hone your gardening skills over time.
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Understanding Your Climate
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How do you know which plants you can grow where you live? Start by finding out which USDA hardiness zone you live in. Once you have that information, make sure your zone matches up with the zone indicated in the description of the plant you’re interested in buying.
Familiarize yourself with specific gardening terms you see, and let this inform your decisions. Don’t try to grow a perennial (a plant that’s supposed to come back again year after year) in a climate not suited to it. You have more leeway with an annual (a plant grown just for one season). Just don’t be disappointed when it dies in fall—it’s supposed to.
Tools to Have
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If you’re gardening on a budget, you only really need two tools, and might want one that would make things easier.
- Shovel: This should be the kind of shovel meant for digging, and you will use it to work the ground. It is sturdy and the blade tapers down to a blunt point.
- Gardening hose or watering can: Which of these two you go with might come down to how many plants you have. If you have a lot of plants, watering them with a hose will save you time. But if you have very few plants, you can get away with having just a watering can.
- Wheelbarrow: While not absolutely necessary to own, a wheelbarrow comes in handy for many gardening chores. For example, it’s easier to transport a heavy bag of fertilizer around a property using a wheelbarrow than to carry it by hand.
As you become more advanced in gardening, you can add to this basic tool arsenal to meet various needs as they arise. But at the end of the day, you don’t need a lot of tools to garden, especially if you’re okay with starting small. At its most basic level, all you have to do to grow a plant is:
- Work up the ground enough so that you can make a hole.
- Install the plant in that hole.
- Water it.
- Supply it with fertilizer.
Choosing Location
“Location” refers most importantly to how much sun a spot gets. Some plants need full sun to grow properly. Others can grow with some shade.
Don’t try to swim against the stream: If a plant is listed as a full-sun plant, it must receive 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily or else it won’t thrive.
If you don’t have a plot that gets full-sun on your property, grow shade plants, instead. Or grow plants in a container that you can keep in a sunny spot, even if it’s just a small area at the end of your driveway.
Choosing Plants
Start with plants that are cheap and easy to grow. Success with them will build up your confidence so that in the future you can try other plants that may cost more or be a bit more challenging to grow.
Inexpensive Plants
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Annuals (plants that naturally die after a year) tend to be the least expensive plants you can get that you can put in the ground right away. In spring, you can buy annuals that have already been started for you at garden centers, supermarkets, or certain big-box stores.
Another cheap way to go is growing plants from seed.
Easy-To-Grow Plants
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Besides choosing plants that are cheap, look for those that are the easiest to grow so that you can enjoy some quick successes. Keep an eye out for the following:
- Geraniums are practically fool-proof. Just plant them in the sun and water when the soil gets dry.
- Coleus is a great alternative to plants that need full sun if you don’t have a sunny spot.
- Pole beans: are a great choice to grow from seed if you have your heart set on growing something edible and don’t mind waiting for a bit. Drive a pole into the ground in a sunny area, water, and continue to keep the soil evenly moist. Follow planting instructions on the seed package.
Ornamentals vs. Vegetables
“Ornamentals” are plants that you grow just because they’re pretty to look at, like flowers. Some gardeners prefer to grow vegetables, because these provide you with something you can eat. Vegetables generally need full sun, though, so if your property is mainly shaded, ornamentals may be a better option for you.
Understanding Soil
Good gardening soil is loose and crumbly to the touch. This texture makes it possible for roots to grow, and it also lets oxygen, water, and nutrients move through, which your plants’ roots need. You can always add fertilizer to make soil more fertile, but there is no substitute for having a loose soil.
If your soil is so hard that you can’t even dig into it, you can still grow plants, but container gardening is your best bet.
If you don’t need a garden right away, you can easily make your subpar soil looser and more crumbly by working compost into it. Small amounts of compost can be bought by the bag; for larger amounts, you can have a local nursery send over a truckload.
Understanding Fertilizers
Fertilizer is nutrition for plants. You can go the natural route (like with compost), or you can buy chemical fertilizer at the store.
If you choose the latter option, follow application instructions on the package very carefully, and, if anything, err on the side of using less, not more. You can harm plants by applying chemical fertilizer improperly. By contrast, you cannot harm plants by using compost on them.
Understanding Irrigation
Plants need water to grow. But be careful: Beginner gardeners are as likely to overwater plants as they are to underwater them. These can be equally damaging to your plants.
Strike a balance when watering plants. Aim for an evenly moist soil. Scoop up some of the soil in your hand and squeeze it. When you open your hand again, see what happens:
- If the soil just falls out of your hand like dust, you’re underwatering.
- If the soil totally holds the shape you squeezed it into, you’re overwatering.
- If the soil mostly holds its shape but bits of it fall away, you’ve struck the right balance.
Common Pests to Look Out For
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Depending on where you live, the pests that eat your plants can range in size from deer to barely visible insects.
Since deer and other mammals can eat a lot of plants quickly, it may be too late once they’ve attacked a small garden plot. Prevention is necessary, which often takes the form of fencing.
Insect pests are handled differently: Inspect all parts of your plants regularly, and take action immediately should you detect their presence. Remember to inspect the undersides of leaves, especially, where pests like aphids can easily go unnoticed. You can either physically remove insects or apply sprays to kill them.
Common Beginner Problems:
- Installing tender plants too early: Find out when, on average, your area receives its last frost of the spring. Your county extension office can provide this information. Do not install your annuals until after this date has passed, else they may be killed by the frost.
- Letting weeds get too far ahead of you: In a small plot, weed control shouldn’t be too challenging. But that’s only if you inspect the plot regularly and remove weeds as soon as you see them. Once weeds get out of control, it can be difficult to reclaim the space. Use mulch to help you keep weeds in check.
- Trying to do too much right away: It’s better to start small as a beginner. Concentrate on growing a few plants in a small space. That way, you can devote your full attention to them: You’ll learn key takeaways to apply in the future. Trying to do too much may overwhelm you, causing you to become distracted and end up frustrated.
