When it comes to gardening, we all have to start somewhere, and you learn most gardening rules through trial and error (well, that’s what I did anyway!). So, today I thought it would be great to round up the top 5 gardening tips that I have learned along the way to help any of you gardening beginners right before the season commences!
Let’s dig in!
1. Your garden needs to be watered regularly
When planning and designing one of your first gardens, it is important to consider that your plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables need to be watered regularly! It might be best to consider where the ideal location of your garden will be, the closer to the water source the fewer trips you have to make back and forth. We are regular gardeners and decided a few years ago to install an irrigation system down by our garden beds. Whatever option you choose, just remember to make watering your plants a regular routine. My routine consists of making myself a warm cup of coffee, letting the kiddos and dogs outside to run around and spending at least 20 mins down by the gardens everyday!
2. When to Plant Your Seeds
Did you know that there are specific times when you should plant various seeds? We’ve learned this lesson through trial and error, but Justin recently found these AMAZING Regional Planting Charts on the West Coast Seeds website that are free and printable to help you with the best time to plant certain crops! Justin laminated ours and put them out in our greenhouse to refer back to them whenever we need them; it’s like having one of the pros from West Coast Seeds in your backyard!
3. Companion Planting
It’s really important when you are about to plant something to research what its companion plants are and also to figure out what it doesn’t like to be planted with. Companions help each other grow and use garden space efficiently. This simple step can really affect the growth and success of your vegetables and plants.
4. Succession Planting
Succession Planting refers to the act of staggering the planting of your crops! This is really important for vegetables like carrots, radish, and onions because once you pick these vegetables, they do not regrow. If you don’t sow your seeds all at once and instead sow them one to two weeks apart, your produce will come up in batches instead of having 10 pounds of carrots all at once.
5. Learn Your Frost Dates
I get so excited to plant my fruits, vegetables and plants as soon as it gets warm here in BC. But planting too early or too late in the season is a big mistake (trust me!). It important to learn about your last spring frost date for your area so you don’t ruin your crop by planting them too early. It’s also good to know your first fall frost date so that you get your plants harvested or moved inside.
Well, there you have it! My top five tips for beginner gardeners that I wish I knew when I started gardening. If you are looking to browse through some more gardening content on the blog, make sure to check out our growing list here!
Happy planting!
xo
Jilly
I just printed the charts from West Coast Seeds, here goes nothing! Thank you!