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Starting Out - Tips and Hints for the Beginning Gardener

Starting your very first garden can be a daunting task. You nay have grown up around gardens and gardeners but doing it all on your own is a lot of work. Here are articles and links to help you have a beautiful yard and produce to share with friends and family.The most important advice I can give though? Start small and be patient with yourself and your plants. You can alwaysexpand your beds next year and your yard will develop over time into whatyou truly desire. Enjoy the process. You will never plant your very firstgarden again!

How do you pick the best spot in your yard for a vegetable or herb garden?

For a beginner gardener, how big should the garden be?

How much space should I allow for specific plants like peppers and zuchinni?

How do you pick the best spot in your yard for a vegetable or herb garden?
The answer to this question really depends on what you want to grow, buthereare a few things to keep in mind.

Most vegetables and herbs prefer full sun to shade. Plants that likecool weather (lettuce, spinach etc.) will benefit from some shade during hot summer months.

Afternoon sun is hotter than morning sun and heat reflectingoff ofbuildings or walls can burn plants. Make sure that planting beds areat leasta foot from any structure to allow air to circulate and keep yourproducefrom being cooked!

Soil should be light and easy to work and should not compactwhen dryor stay muddy for more than a couple of days after a rain.

Large trees can compete with your garden for water and nutrients. Ifyou have to plant under trees consider using raised beds which will allow you to feed your garden with less competition from its neighbors.

For a beginner gardener, how big should the garden be?

Unless you have a large family and lots of help a beginning gardener should probably have a small garden. A 6'x6' or a 6'x8' space should be plenty of room for a few plants without needing you to spend a lot of time on weeding and watering. By limiting your space you'll have more time to enjoy the gardening process and experiment with the look and texture of your garden. You canalwaysexpand next year if you want to have more tomatoes or zuchinni. Fora sampleof a beginner garden plan check out our free garden plans, and for ideas on what to grow come back tomorrowwhen we answer more of your questions.

How much space should I allow for specific plants like peppers and zuchinni?

The important thing to remember is that plants need air to flow around them in order to thrive. If you divide your garden into 12 inch squares youcan follow these general rules:

Lettuce, salad greens etc: 1 plant every three inches 16 plants/ square foot
Broccolli, cabbage etc: 1 plant every 6 inches 4 plants/ square foot
Summer squash, zuchinni and other bush type squash: 1 plantper square foot
Peppers: 1 plant every 6 inches 4 plants/ square foot
Tomatoes: 2 plants per square foot or per cage if using large cages, 1 plantper cage for small cages

These rules may seem to crowd the plants but they will allow for adequate airflow and the plants are close enough together to provide some of their ownweed control by shading the ground.

Happy Gardening!