Starting Your First Vegetable Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide

Start small (10 crops max). Easy wins: lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, beets, radishes, carrots. Add flowers (sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias) for pollinators.

Foundations

1. Soil: Amend clay or sand with compost, aged manure, peat. Target pH 7.0.
2. Layout: Square-foot method maximizes space, minimizes work.
3. Water: 1" deep per week. Soaker hoses ideal.
4. Fertilize: Balanced organic every 2 weeks.
5. Pests: Row covers early; organic sprays (pyrethrum, Bt) as needed.
6. Harvest: Pick young and often.

Read "Square Foot Gardening" (Bartholomew) or "The Joy of Gardening."