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Gardening has a storied history as a necessity for survival and a casual pastime. But, whatever your motivation might be to begin your exploring your green thumb talents, knowing how to begin can be overwhelming. There are many considerations to consider, including where you plan to grow your plants, what type of plants you want to raise, and determining what supplies you’ll need to maintain your garden.

The good news is that once you have a few key details ironed out, it’s an extremely rewarding experience. Before you know it, everything will be in full bloom, and you will see your hard work pay off. 

To help you get started with minimal trial and error, remember these nine tips to create a garden successfully:

Tip #1: Choosing Your Garden Area

The first step in starting a garden is deciding where the best spot is to have it. Think about what direction it’s facing and how much sunlight it receives. Is the soil rich enough to support plant life? You can purchase plenty of testing kits at your local home and garden store to figure this out. 

Remember, plants get their nutrients from the ground, so if your soil could be better, fix this first. 

Make sure to write down the dimensions of your gardening area, too. This will help you pick out plants later and determine spacing.

Tip #2: Have a Plan

Before heading off to your local plant and tree nursery to stock up on garden tools, seeds, compost, plants, and more, plan first. You want to avoid purchasing a bunch of plants and finding out later that they are harmful to one another, don’t look great together, or can’t survive your garden’s conditions. 

Instead, sit down and map out where you want to place specific flowers or vegetables. Consider ways to conserve space and the overall size of each species you’re planting. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to speak with a horticulturist at the nursery about your new garden and ask for recommendations. 

Tip #3: Planting Requires Research

As children, we were given a simplistic explanation of gardening. Dig a hole. Insert the seed. Cover and water. Wait for it to grow. The reality is that planting is much more complicated than that. 

Planting requires attention to a variety of factors, including:

• Time of year
• Temperature
• Depth
• Moisture
• Feeding
• Watering
• And more!

It’s important to read up on the different species you’re going to put in your garden, so they have the best possible chance of survival. 

Tip #4: Create a Schedule for Feeding and Watering

Your green thumb could turn black if you don’t feed and hydrate your plants correctly. Timing how you provide nutrients is crucial and can be different for each type of plant you have in the garden. 

To keep track, write down a schedule in a notebook for you to follow or set alarms on your phone. Even mobile apps can help you manage the water and feeding cycle of plants. You don’t have to play a guessing game and potentially kill your new plants. 

Tip #5: Don’t Plant Your Entire Garden Area

You have a large area prepped for new plants, but you’re still learning the ropes of gardening. Instead of filling the growing area at once, take your time. By taking an introductory step into starting a garden, you can build a routine and troubleshoot issues without putting your entire crop at risk. 

Tip #6: Be Prepared for Pests 

There’s nothing more disappointing than coming out to grab a few leaves of lettuce from your garden and finding them riddled with holes. Pests are the bane of every gardener, and while most won’t completely destroy your garden, some will. Keep an eye out for aphids, snails, and cabbage moths. These pests can reproduce quickly and make your garden look like a war zone. 

If you need help with what to look for, don’t worry! Consider downloading a gardening app or bookmarking a few helpful articles to help you identify. Then, just snap a few pictures and look them up. Many times, you won’t have to resort to pesticides and use a more holistic approach to pest control. 

Tip #7: Composting Feeds Your Soil and Plants

Before you toss leftover food and spoiled garden veggies in a plastic trash bag, consider creating a composting spot to let this material break down. Then, after a year, you can use this compost to add nutrients to your soil as mulch. There are even methods of directly composting in your garden to make things even easier.

Tip #8: Harvest and Prune Often

You don’t have to let your beans and asparagus plants grow wild and potentially starve nearby plants for sunlight. Pruning won’t kill your plants and help protect others from being starved for light. Just be sure to research the right way to trim your plants back since each species has its own quirks.

Getting in the habit of harvesting when a fruit is ready is important. You can pluck tomatoes before the end of the season. In fact, by removing some, even when they’re still a bit green, you are helping the plant produce even more. 

Tip #9: Allow Wildlife in Your Garden

While you may not want a flock of deer nibbling away at your baby beans, other forms of wildlife can benefit your garden. For example, birds will gladly hang out and gobble up cabbage moths, aphids, and caterpillars, while predator insects like spiders can take care of flies and gnats. 

In fact, consider taking a companionship planting approach and include plants in your garden that attract helpful wildlife. After all, without bees, how would your vegetables get pollinated? 

You’re Going to Love Gardening

With all of the work involved, the moments you can step back and enjoy the sight of your plants flourishing makes it all worthwhile. Whether you decided to simply plant a wide variety of flowers and bushes or created the herb garden you’ve always wanted, growing it yourself provides a level of satisfaction that is hard to achieve. 

By incorporating some of the tips shared in this article, you’ll be sure to get the most out of your new growing space every year.