Growing your own vegetables can be rewarding. From the convenience of cooking with a tomato right off the vine to snipping some fresh cilantro to drop into a dish, you will reap the rewards of your work for years to come.
Planning and preparation are critical to your first vegetable garden’s success, and you should consider factors like your landscape, the time of year, and your plants’ light requirements before digging in.
In this article, you’ll learn how to plan, plant, and maintain your first vegetable garden.
From the Ground Up: Good Soil is Key
Every garden needs a good soil foundation. Test your soil at a nearby extension office to learn what nutrients and minerals it might be lacking, and amend your planting area with Lenz GardenBlenz.
When added to the garden bed, this high-quality blend of loamy soil, Top Mix Sand, and premium GreenBlenz Compost helps ensure your garden drains well and provides a healthy soil structure so your plants can thrive.
Choose What to Grow
A long list of vegetables grow well in our climate despite its wide range of temperatures; in fact, much of the world’s produce comes from Washington State. The key is choosing those that can withstand short seasons and wet and windy conditions. Plants are rated according to the USDA Hardiness Zone map. Most of Western Washington is in Zones 7b to 8a, put in your zip code to learn which vegetables grow best in your area.
You should also consider the light requirements and optimal planting windows for your choices. It’s possible to grow varieties with different needs; you just need to be aware of when each kind will fare best and plan(t) accordingly.
If you’re unsure, ask your local nursery or landscaper for advice and recommendations.
Seeding or Transplanting Vegetables: Which is Better
There is no shortage of vegetable plants to buy and simply put in the ground, but some vegetables fare better when grown from seed. Sometimes it just comes down to personal preference.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing whether to add seeds or transplants to your garden bed.
Growing Transplanted Vegetables
As a new grower, you may appreciate the convenience of replanting crops versus starting from scratch, along with the growth headstart that enables you to harvest two weeks to two months early.
When you’re shopping for your selections, look for healthy specimens with these characteristics:
- Short and stocky
- Width matches, or is wider than, height
- Thick stems
- Green leaves
Avoid plants with yellow leaves or leaf spots, and those that have outgrown their pot and show visible roots.
Some plants like cucumbers, squash, melon, peas, and beans can be replanted, although it stresses them and may lead to a smaller harvest. Do not try to transplant carrots, beets, or turnips, as the taproots in these varieties can get damaged in the process. Sow them directly into your garden instead.
Growing Vegetables from Seeds
Timing is important when you’re working with seedlings. In the PNW, many seeds can be started in the summer, planted in the fall or winter, and be ready for harvest earlier in the growing season. Other types of seeds should be started in early spring for transplanting when the temperatures are favorable. The seed packet will guide you about when and how to start growing your vegetables.
Your packet will also provide information about growing conditions – including moisture, temperatures, and light requirements – and will have instructions about timing for germination and potting. Be sure to use potting soil that contains high amounts of organic matter. Lenz Potting Mix blends 60 percent fine bark, 30 percent fine GreenBlenz Compost Organic and 10 percent pumice, and is specifically intended for growing seeds.
Hardening Off Seedlings
Your newly potted plants haven’t yet experienced the temperature, light, moisture, and air fluctuations that occur outdoors, so roughly two weeks before you’re ready to move them outside, you’ll need to “harden” your plants to get them ready.
Find a shady, protected spot outside where your seedlings are protected from the wind and direct sun. Move your plants there for a few hours each day, bringing them inside before temperatures drop at night. Gradually leave them out a bit longer each day, exposing them to more sunlight. Unless a freeze is predicted, your seeded plants are ready for the garden after 14 days.
Garden Placement and Layout
Gardens can be laid out in myriad ways, including wide rows, single rows, grids, and raised beds. Your choice should be based on where your garden is located on your property and what crops you are planting.
One option is container planting, which works well for vegetables and is a great fit for smaller spaces. Containers are also ideal for kitchen gardens, because they’re often closer to the house for quick harvesting. Position your pots based on the plant’s light and moisture requirements, select a spot where airflow is controlled and heat reflected off walls won’t create too much heat, and water your plants more often when it is windy.
Tips to Help Your Plants Thrive
After your garden is planted, follow these tips to make the most of your efforts.
- Apply a layer of mulch, which helps regulate soil moisture and temperatures, and increases soil quality while decreasing erosion.
- Extend your growing season by using a coldframe or a cloche, which act as miniature greenhouses to shelter plants from wind and cold.
- Consider companion planting and other Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices to stave off pests and support soil health.
- Research the right time to harvest your crops for optimal taste.
- Freeze dry, can, and store vegetables for future use.
There’s Nothing More Gratifying Than Fresh Produce
It is incredibly satisfying to eat something you’ve planted with your own two hands. You know it’s been carefully grown and maintained. You can also feel good about contributing to a healthier future for yourself and our environment. Not only that, you can preserve and store crops during the growing season to enjoy year round – and friends, neighbors, and others will gladly accept your bounty should you choose to share!
If you’ve been on the garden fence about it, why not try your hand at growing produce? Lenz Enterprises has all of the high-quality Earth materials you need for a thriving garden – we can deliver or you can come to our yard and pick up what you need!
Thanks for Reading!
If you found this article helpful, get to know us by following Lenz Enterprises on Facebook and Instagram. We regularly provide education about soil, compost, and Earth materials, gardening advice and plenty of humor too! If you’re located in western Washington and need gravel, compost, mulch, soil, or sand, give us a call 360-629-2933, we’re here to help!