Here are five essential tips that will help you grow and maintain your own outdoor vegetable garden!
Rejoice! Australia’s chilly winter has made way for the sunny skies of spring, when the flowers bloom and organising plenty of picnics with friends and family. And for those with a green thumb, now is also the perfect time to start growing your own vegetable garden.
Whether to avoid the cost-of-living crisis or just wanted to busy yourself outside in the sun, a veggie garden will give you the satisfaction of growing your healthy treats right in your backyard. Yet getting started can be something of a hurdle, with burning questions about what you’d even need for this personal project.
Not to fear, as Hunter and Bligh have come up with five tips to know about growing a vegetable garden. So, grab your gloves and start shovelling as we dig into the top five things you need to help grow a veggie garden!
1. Location, Location, Location
Planting in garden. Photography by encierro via Shutterstock.
Just like buying or renting a property, one of the most important elements to consider for your vegetable garden is where to put it. You’ll want to find a space that gets plenty of natural light: most vegetables need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily.
And if you’re new to gardening, start with a small plot or even containers. This way, you won’t get overwhelmed and can manage your garden more easily.
2. Pick Easy-to-Grow Vegetables
Cherry tomatoes. Photography by sadecestock via Shutterstock.
After settling on a spot to start your veggie garden, now you’ll have to decide which crops to grow. Unsurprisingly, it is best to select easy-to-grow veggies that require low-maintenance and yield a good harvest. Some beginner-friendly veggies include lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and basil, letting you enjoy the ‘fruits’ of your labour with little hassle.
Unfortunately, this also means avoiding trickier vegetables such as cauliflower, eggplant, and sweet corn.
3. Prepare Your Soil Well
Pile of compost. Photography William Edge via Shutterstock.
The key to a successful home garden is healthy soil. Before you start planting, test your soil’s pH and nutrition levels. Most vegetables prefer a pH of between 6-7, and there are various products available to help adjust your levels. To help boost your soil’s nutrition, mix in plenty of organic matter like compost to enrich the soil. This helps your plants grow strong and healthy.
It is also important to make sure you’re watering wisely. There is a temptation to overwater your garden, so grab a plant watering app such as Planta that gives you clear instructions for when and how often to water.
4. Rotate Crops
Crate of vegetables. Photography by Viktor Sergeevich via Shutterstock.
One way to help keep your soil healthy is to rotate your vegetables throughout the year. Crop rotation helps prevent soil depletion and reduces the risk of pests and diseases. Avoid planting the same type of vegetable in the same spot year after year and instead choose a new plant family each season. Keeping a garden journal is a great way to track what you plant where.
5. Enjoy Your Newfound Hobby
Two people gardening. Photography by Sabrina Bracher via Shutterstock.
While there can be plenty of stressful moments and heartache, gardening is also meant to keep you active outside while culminative your own slice of paradise. So, make sure you try growing different varieties, heirloom seeds, or unusual vegetables. Gardening is a learning process, so enjoy the journey and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. And if you want to engage with others there are plenty of shared gardens that are fun ways to laugh and care with an active community.
