Starting a Small Backyard Vegetable Garden: Complete Beginner Guide

Start Small

≤10 veggies + 1–2 flower beds. Easy: lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, beets, radishes, carrots. Add flowers for pollinators.

Soil Prep

Amend with aged manure, peat, compost. Test pH (7.0 target); adjust with lime/gypsum.

Method

Square foot (raised beds) = less water, weeds, pests.

Care

• Water 1"/week deep.
• Fertilize balanced every 2 weeks.
• Row covers on seedlings (remove at bloom).
• Organic sprays: pyrethrum, rotenone, BT.
• Harvest young.

Resources

• Square Foot Gardening — Bartholomew
• The Joy of Gardening
• Links: TAMU, Shepherd's Seeds, SquareFootGardening.com, Clemson, GardenHelper