I’m not a professional gardener, but I have done a lot of trial and error.
When it comes to gardening, I learn by trying. What works, what doesn’t work. I will also do a little reading on what likes to grow together. I do limited care. Tilling is something we do to soften the ground. Where we live, we have a lot of clay. So turning the dirt helps to loosen it up for planting. We add things like compost, leaves in the fall and grass clippings to help keep the dirt soft so roots and go deeper and pull nutrients from the ground. Some people don’t till and that’s okay. We do most of our tilling in the fall, add our compost and leaves and let it sit all winter.
THE DIRT!
Your garden dirt matters whether you will have a good crop or not. So make sure you have good rich soil by checking PH levels or so I’ve read. To be honest, I dont’ think I have ever checked my PH level in my own garden. Maybe this year will be the year! I DO know in Michigan, you wait until after Mother’s Day to plant any outside plants due to frost. I like to plant after a New Moon too. Not sure if it has any significance but it’s what I’ve always done. So don’t skip your dirt prep!
WHAT’S IN MY GARDEN?
If you won’t eat it, don’t plant it!
I love a good veggie garden with herbs.
I only grow what we will eat. Growing food for the pantry is what I have learned a long time ago. I watched both my grandmother and mother grow things to preserve for later. Growing your own food is something I feel everyone should at least try once in their lifetime. Even if its just one green bean plant, one tomato plant and a little basil or oregano in the windowsile.
So I will always plant things like
- Tomatoes, early girls or Roma’s are my favorite
- Potatoes, white and sweet potatoes
- Cayenne Peppers
- Bell Peppers
- Radishes
- Carrots
- Red Beets
- Basil
- Oregano
- Peppermint
- Lemon Balm
- Mugwort
- Dill
- Cucumbers
- Sunflowers
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Horseradish
Just to name a few! I like to sprinkle in marigolds too to help naturally deter pests!
MAP IT OUT!
Once you figure out where you want to put your garden and what you want to plant, Map it out! First decide if you want to do rows or a grid. Either one will work. I like rows! But I will do my potato garden in mounds like a grid. Measure out your space and see what you can fit into your space. There are a lot of social media people who can help with this! Just do a little research. Don’t skip the planning!
Well that should give out a good starting point. When I first started my first garden, I didn’t start any seeds. I visited my local nursery and purchased plants to put in my garden and seeds that can be sewn directly into the ground. Start simple, grow what you will eat and take notes on how you progress throughout the growing season.
HAVE FUN GROWING!
Did you like this? Let me know what you thought!
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