Home gardening for beginners

One of the most common mistakes made by enthusiastic or new gardeners is making the garden too big. It is important to mention that a garden that is too big in size will have too much work to do. And if the garden is small, you will easily manage it.

Now, this is indeed a big question. Many people usually get confused at this step because they don’t know what will be right crop for their garden. What to grow in the garden is as big as where to locate it.

You need to arrange vegetables in a way that makes the most efficient use of the space as well as light. Tall vegetables like okra, corn and tomatoes can be grown on one side (preferably at the north) of the garden where they won’t shade short-length vegetables like bush beans. You can also divide vegetables according to maturity. You should also plant small, fast-maturing vegetables between the big ones. If possible plant vine crops near a fence. Make a rough sketch on paper to show the location and spacing of vegetables in the garden.

Vegetables, in general, are divided into two groups based on season i.e. warm season and cool season. Cool-season crops can tolerate lower temperatures so you can plant them before the soil gets warm in the spring. They can also be planted in late summer to yield after the first frost in the fall. Whereas, warm-season crops cannot bear frostiness, it will not grow when the soil temperature is cool so it must be planted after the last frost in the spring and early enough to mature before frost in the fall.

Finally, keep a record of each and everything you do in your home garden as it will help you in the next planting season. This indeed is one of the most important ways of improving your gardening – all you need is to pay proper attention to how the plants grow and note down your successes and failures in the garden notebook.