What's your best tip for someone new to gardening?

Nest Anni

We may use your advice in an upcoming article.  Thanks for sharing!

moonstone523

I'm new to gardening, and my best tip is to start with Earth Boxes.  These self contained boxes are dummy-proof for growing anything.  My Earth Boxes are growing tomatoes like crazy.

 

Here is proof:  All started at the same time.  Look at those boxes of peppers and tomatoes.  

 

doneatquattro

Don't expect to save money. It is addictive and expensive habit when you can't walk out of the garden center for less than $75.

Do raised beds. You get to add the soil so you know it is perfect.

Learn to can. You can make your own jellies, pasta sauce, salsas, etc.

Start small. I've slowly added to my gardens over the 4 years I've lived in my house.

kastle

doneatquattro:

Don't expect to save money. It is addictive and expensive habit when you can't walk out of the garden center for less than $75.

Do raised beds. You get to add the soil so you know it is perfect.

Learn to can. You can make your own jellies, pasta sauce, salsas, etc.

Start small. I've slowly added to my gardens over the 4 years I've lived in my house.

ditto all this!

I'll add:  Invest more in your soil than your plants.  Your soil is what will give your plant's roots support, your plant nutrients and can either host lots of beneficial (like worms) or pests (like beetle larvae).  Poor soil can ruin the most expensive plant while good soil can make the plant in the discount bin thrive.

pugznploons

I agree that it quickly becomes expensive, growing from seed can be difficult depending on what climate you live in and I prefer buying transplants.  

While getting the plants in the ground and growing may seem like the biggest challenge, I find that staying on top of the harvest and finding creative ways to use/freeze/dry/can the produce is the most challenging piece.  You have to make time for this part, it will keep you busy.  

FoxinFiji

Join a local garden club.  Mine has been incredibly helpful by identifying plants we inherited from the previous home owners, telling me about all the local plant sales and plant swaps (free plants!), and advising me on what plants grow best in our area. 

Don't put down fabric and rocks in flower beds with perennials that will eventually need dividing.  We did this when we first moved in and are now correcting our mistakes by tearing it all out.  A thick layer of mulch lets you add, move, and divide plants all you want.  

jennypenny*

Start small, you can add more as you go, but if you start big you may quickly be overwhelmed.

Have fun, it is a hobby that requires hard work and dedication but it is also very rewarding.

Build raised beds, they will make your life easier in the long run.

Take your time to prepare the bed before adding your plants.

~NB~

The single most important thing I would say is unless you really WANT to invest the time and effort, don't start. Don't do it unless you would enthusiastically WELCOME the duties associated with a garden. There is no product, no 'one-size-fits-all rule-of-thumb' or "kit" that will absolve you of responsibility. Your garden is not self-sufficient and there is no such thing as autopilot, you will have to pay close attention to every plant.

My heart sinks every time I read the words "I don't have a green thumb" or "I keep killing my plants". Imagine if someone went on the Parenting message board and posted "I have a black thumb, my babies keep dying, but I want to try again this year because everyone else's look so healthy and big." Making a garden is very similar to bringing home a puppy or a baby- they need a lot of attention. You don't get much time off. The big difference is that plants can't talk, bark or cry. You have to pay attention, look closely, and be very observant.

Stay on top of the watering. You wouldn't keep water from your dog, or food from your baby. Just like you need water every day, so do your plants. Check them frequently until you figure out how much they need, because there is no hard and fast rule about how much they need. If you're planting trees or shrubs, they probably need much more water than you think- lack of adequate water is the #1 reason new plantings fail. 

And make a plan before you start. If you don't know how to, get help.

dirtyred

In your first year of gardening, 90% of what you should do is preparing your soil.  Without a good foundation, nothing will grow well.

This includes a comprehensive soil analysis.  The analysis will tell you what nutrients your soil needs, and exactly how much to apply.  Compost or other organic matter should be tilled into your beds before planting, and then applied yearly after that.

Hey Jellisy

Ditto the soil advice.  Soil is the foundation from which your garden is built.  Good soil, rich in organic materials and well tilled will go further to bring success to your garden than any other element.  It is easier to start off correctly than to have to adjust after your planting is complete.

My other advice is, plant what you love.  If your whole neighborhood has boring, staid gardens that look builder grade, it does not mean you have to.  If you want an abundance of roses or english country flowers or a formal Japanese tea garden, go for it.  Your garden can and should be a representation of your style and what brings you joy. 

scatterbrainliz

You can grow absolutely anything in containers.  If you're short on space like living in an apartment with a balcony, you can still grow vegetables & herbs.  I've been container gardening for 8 years and the first two years, it was trial & error.  For tomatoes & squash, you need big containers ranging in sizes of 5 to 20 gallons as you can plant about two or three plants in one container.  As long as the container has holes in the bottom, you can grow something in it. 

I would advise newbies to search Google and the two sites I recommended.  I agree with all the ladies that gardening can be an expensive hobby and with all living things, you need to water.  Watering in the AM & afternoons is recommended.  Don't water after dusk.

Google is your friend.  There are countless sites that offer help.  The most information I got off the internet was You Grow Girl and Gardenweb.com. 

renee

Some good advice above....I agree that good soil is important, but I live in the Ohio River valley and we have thick, limestone clay soil.  We have many beautiful gardens.....overamending the soil can actually be detrimental here. 

The thing that helped me the most was to read about gardening that was specific to my area.  Regional gardening books will help you figure out what will be successful before you plant anything.  One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is to put plants in the wrong places (ex: wrong amount of sunlight, moisture, etc.).  Read up!  I also started listening to a local gardening show on the radio and learned a lot!  Also, don't be afraid of things not working...I have had many successes in the garden, but also about 25-30% of failures--having to move things that didn't work in their original home or trying something different.  Start getting to know your local garden nurseries (not big box stores).  They can help you with lots of info and besides helping out your local economy/growers, many of the things they sell are guaranteed for a year, so if they die, you can replace them!  (I have done this several times)  You will also learn when things go on sale!

I agree that IS addictive, but SO satisfying and I have read that gardening is the essence of hope. 

eklanger

I agree with starting small.  And try a lot of different things: when you are starting out, its all about learning what works for your garden and what not to do again next year. 

Don't expect your garden to look like Martha Stewart's: you will only get discouraged.

laddiebug

Start small.

If you don't have space or time to take care of your own garden, you can always volunteer at a botanical garden.

ootmother2

if you're growing on a city terrace, go down to the Home Depot by Bloomingdales.  The guys in the garden department are fantastic and will give you great advice.  The one in LIC just tries to push the plants out the door.  Big difference!

CollegeGrrl219

1. I agree with the "start small" sentiment. It's easy to screw it up, so you want to test things out before you invest a whole lot in it.

2. Spend a year or so learning what you have. Observe which parts of the yard are prone to weeds, which parts are shady, which are sunny. Learn where the snow drifts and where the leaves collect. Some plants will be dormant all year and then pop up out of nowhere in less than a month. You won't know you have them if you just tear everything up on your first weekend in your new house.

3. Spring and summer are not the only seasons you have to worry about. Know your zone and when the frost dates are.

4. Library books are your friend. They will help you figure out the difference between annuals and perennials without trying to sell you anything.

doneatquattro

I wanted to add, if you are growing veggies it is better to start with 2-3 things and grow several plants than grow 1 plant of 15 things. I planted 1 pepper plant my first year gardening and got 1 pepper at a time...hardly enough to make a meal for a family of 6. Now I plant a lot of 1 thing. We just finished harvesting sugar snap peas. We probably ate peas every other night for a month, but there was enough to make a side dish that often from just 8 squares of it in my square foot garden. Now that it is done, I've planted broccoli in those squares.

juno

While I agree some soils need amendment, I would say planting native and/or suitable species for your area is more important.  I have clay soil and no summer rain.  I accept it, and I try not to break my back or my water bill fighting it.  A nearby university has an extensive native plant test garden, and I visit there often to see what does well during what part of the year.  I'm also in my local garden club and attend the monthly meetings to see area gardens. 

Great examples of no-work plants for me are California lilacs, California poppies, and roses, which are pleased as punch with no work whatsoever (literally, I ignore them unless I have to cut them back because they are too huge/weedy).  I grow some knockout roses (in looks, not in brand) directly in soil that was underneath our decades-old driveway before we tore out part of it.  In my home state of GA, the roses would be pitiful with black spot without constant attention, and the California lilacs would likely rot during the summer rains.

It's certainly possible to be a lazy gardener in my area and still have a beautiful garden.  Of course, I'm blessed with generally mild temperatures, so I can't vouch for that everywhere   Becuase of my lazy gardener approach, I'm a "minimal water user," not subject to my water provider's summer rationing.  But I have more flowers than most of my neighbors.  My best advice is to not fight nature.  She'll win.  I only fight when it comes to a few veggies that I have deemed "worth it."