Have you ever wanted to grow your own vegetables, but just didn’t know where to start? Don’t be overwhelmed. We are going to take it step by step and learn how to plant a vegetable garden.
PREP:
Getting the ground broken up and ready for planting is the first step to having a garden. There are a variety of options on how to get this accomplished.
- Dig
- Till
- Plow
We discussed these options in more detail a few weeks ago in this post Starting a Garden from Scratch, and you can decide which method works best for you.
COOL SEASON CROPS:
I wanted to get started earlier with some winter crops, but that will have to be a goal for next year.
In the south, leafy greens such as lettuce and collards, root crops such as carrots and radishes, and heading plants such as cabbages and brussel sprouts all need cool weather to thrive. Our springs are too short and it gets too hot too quickly for these plants if they are not planted BEFORE the last frost date of mid April. And so I will just be skipping those for this year and move right on to summer growers.
I used my garden rake and pulled dirt up from each side to create rows in my newly plowed garden. It is not necessary to use rows. You can choose to do square-foot gardening or raised beds, but in this instance, we are going to discuss traditional row gardening.
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WARM SEASON CROPS:
TRANSPLANTS:
I visited the local feed and seed store and purchased tomato, tomatillo, jalapeno, bell pepper, tabasco, and banana pepper plants. All of these are planted basically the same way.
Dig a hole.
Add about a tablespoon of fertilizer to the hole.
Mix the fertilizer into the dirt.
Remove the lower set of leaves. 
Place the plant in the hole and pull the dirt back around the stem. The plant should be planted deep, right up to the existing bottom set of leaves. Give it a drink of water and move on to the next plant!
SEEDS:
While I was at the feed and seed store, I also purchased okra, black eyed peas, zucchini, and yellow squash, and cucumber seeds.
Squashes and Cucumber Seeds:
Dig a hole about an inch or so deep. Place about 3 seeds in hole and cover with dirt.
Okra:
Okra has a hard outer shell. To speed up germination, place okra seeds in a cup and cover with water. Let sit overnight.
After they have soaked for 24 hours, poke a hole about 1 inch deep in the dirt with a stick. …Or your finger. Drop a seed in the hole and fill it in with dirt. Space the holes about 8-10 inches apart.
AFTER THE RAIN:
Tomatoes:
Tomatillos:
Peppers:
Squash and Cucumbers:
Planting a garden really isn’t too difficult at all, if you just take it one step at a time.
Have you ever grown your own vegetables?
I love how you break all this down. Solomon and I have planted lettuce, zucchini, and peppers. Bubba planted potatoes. Solomon also plans to plant pumpkins in about a week or two – in hopes he can sell them in the fall. 🙂
Oh planting pumpkins is FUN! Tell Solomon good luck! 🙂
I really, really want a garden. I have so enjoyed watching you prepare yours and reading the tips you share. Do you have much trouble with grass invading your garden? Now that we have a pool, there isn’t much space for me to have a garden even if PC consented…unlikely…would love to try a raised bed or Carrie at Curly, Crafty Mom shared a flower bed table thing from Amazon, on four legs that I could move around. That might just have to appear at my house next time PC goes out of town.
Leslie, I did not have much grass in my old garden because I dug it all out before planting. But this large garden is different and yes, I have grass. 🙂
ps. I trade it all for a pool…
I’ve always wanted a vegetable garden… just not enough to be out there every week (or more? Dear god, do you have to be out there more often than that?) digging in the dirt to weed and whatnot. I could maybe handle fruit trees—I haven’t yet killed a tree!
LOL Well, I am out there every day. I love being outside. Although I am not spending all that time working in the garden!! Weeding is not fun. 🙂
Wow, Nikki, you have quite a crop going on. I really miss a garden, not that I ever did one my family did, there is nothing like fresh produce right out of your own garden.
I do love a fresh tomato! But actually I just love growing stuff. 🙂
I have had a garden in the past but no longer have the time for it. Hope to get back to it one day. Yours looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing it with us.
They do take time Audrey! Although, I am not dedicated enough to spend too much time working. I just like looking at it. 🙂
What a beautiful garden, Nikki. I’m impressed. We occasionally plant a couple of tomato and green pepper plants, but nothing like what you have. Store bought vegetables cannot compare to fresh from the garden. Thanks for sharing on #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty.
Christy, this is my first time in years to have a larger garden. I usually do like you and just plant a tomato or two. I am loving it so far! 🙂
I don’t have a green thumb to save my life Nikki, but fortunately I’ve got the next best thing. My dad is an avid gardener and spends countless hours with his plants. Pretty soon you’ll be reaping the fruits of your labor.
I was excited to see baby squash and cucumbers! 🙂
Sometimes it’s best to go back to the basics with gardening right? You gotta get it in the ground for it to grow so I think I will share this on FB for all the folks needing that basic refresher.
Thanks Bliss! I have found that not everyone grew up on a farm and sometimes they need the most basic steps so that’s what I am doing. Thanks so much for visiting and sharing! 🙂
I wish I could have a vegetable garden, but I have too much shade in my yard. Great post and tips!
What type of tomatoes do you grow? Except for patio tomatoes, most get much taller than the tomato cages you are using. How do they support tall mature tomatoes without them flopping over? I only use those cages for peppers and eggplants.
Also, can you explain why you prefer traditional garden beds? My sister-in-law uses them, but is constantly battling weeds since half or more of the garden is walking paths. She also tills it every year which brings more weed seeds to the surface. Do you use no-till? Or doesn’t that work in traditional in-ground gardens?
Determinate tomatoes only grow 3-4 tall, but I grow indeterminate tomatoes also with no big deal. These kinds of cages come in two sizes so maybe you should get the bigger ones to try. I do not use no-till but yes, you could in a traditional garden. I don’t know that I prefer traditional gardening, that is just what I am doing right now. There are different reasons for choosing each way, but it all depends on your needs. I am going this way right now because I wanted a bigger garden and the thought of digging out that much grass was more work than I could handle right now.