Growing vegetables can feel daunting, but most of the process is easier than it looks.
For those new to gardening, growing vegetables can feel overwhelming. Photos of large, beautifully maintained gardens may cause us to think that we don’t have enough space to garden adequately. Looking through the 300-page gardening book we checked out from the library can make it seem like there’s too much to know in order to grow vegetables.
I’m here to tell you that you can learn it in stages and be successful. You don’t need to know it all to begin gardening.
Start simple. Start small. Let’s look at what is truly needed to grow some food. Vegetable gardens need sunlight, water and soil. Nothing more.
Your garden needs eight hours of sunlight each day. How do you know your area gets this much sun? Walk outside and look at it every couple of hours throughout the day.
In the heat of summer, you’ll be watering your garden every few days — more if you grow in containers — so access to water is important. This can be a large watering can or a garden hose.
Soil is next. Notice I say “soil” and not “dirt.” Dirt is what you sweep up off your floors or brush off your hands when you have been outside. Soil is made up of minerals, nutrients, air, water, decomposed materials and living organisms. You may have fantastic soil where you plan to have your garden. If grass or weeds are growing there, there are clearly nutrients to support plant life.
If you do not have an area of healthy soil to grow in, you can grow in raised beds or containers filled with purchased soil. When growing in raised beds or containers, keep the plant’s root zone in mind. Choose a container that is at least 18 inches deep or locate your raised bed in an area where the roots can grow into the soil below the bed.
Once you have found or created a location that provides the sunlight, water and soil needed for a successful garden, you have done most of the hard work! Now you get to choose what you will grow.
Grow what you like to eat. There are many vegetables that can be grown here in the Pacific Northwest. But that doesn’t mean that you must grow them all. One year, our family decided we would grow eggplants. They grew wonderfully, and by season’s end we had a counter full of beautiful, purple eggplants.
However, we quickly discovered that we weren’t huge fans of them. We liked them in a couple of dishes, but that was it. So, why waste the garden space on something we don’t enjoy eating? Instead we choose to grow cucumbers, beans and tomatoes; foods we know we love in many dishes.
We have also fallen into the trap of wanting to grow more than we can realistically manage. Summer schedules quickly fill with work, vacations, family reunions, etc. Don’t bite off more than you can weed and water. Start with small beds planted with vegetables you enjoy eating. Beginning in this manner will not only provide food for you and your family, but it will also allow for success.
There are a few garden terms that will help you to be successful as you get started and will also help you to make the proper choices when it comes to setting out your plants.
Warm and cool season crops; these two terms have their definition in their names. A cool season crop is one that prefers cooler temperatures for growing, and a warm season crop needs our warm summer temperatures to germinate and thrive. Cool season crops are ones that we can begin earlier in the year — March to April — and then plant again in the cool fall weather. Some examples of cool season crops are peas, greens and radishes.
Wait until our soil and air temperatures have warmed before planting warm season crops. In Clark County, our average last frost date is in mid-April. After this time, day and night temperatures begin to warm, which also warms the soil. Some favorite warm season crops are squashes, tomatoes, beans and corn. These are typically planted around Mothers’ Day.
Direct seed and starts and transplants; direct seeding is exactly what it sounds like — placing seeds directly into the soil. This is a very inexpensive way to begin a garden. A seed packet costs roughly $2, and it can contain hundreds of seeds. Seed packets contain information you will need to know about planting that seed. For example, when to plant, how deep to plant, how far apart to space the seeds, how large the plant will get and how many days until it matures for harvest are all written on the back of the packet.
Another option is to purchase vegetable starts or transplants from a local garden center. There is a higher cost involved in doing this, but you also get a jump on the growing season when you garden this way. To plant these, place them in your prepared soil at the depth they were in their container. Look at the tag to see how far apart to place the starts. Water well, and you’re done.
That’s it, folks. There is more to learn regarding growing vegetables, but you do not need to learn it all before you begin. Start this season with the basics: sun, soil, water. Next season, try to grow a new vegetable or expand your growing area. As you grow in your experience, you will grow in your knowledge. Have fun with it.
