How to Plan Your First Backyard Vegetable Garden

If you are thinking about planning a vegetable garden in your backyard, and you have never done it before, you are in the right place. This blog post is intended for first-time gardeners since we are covering a basic level of gardening, but anyone can enjoy it! Growing vegetables in your own garden is a delight. You will taste the difference when you grow and harvest fruits and vegetables yourself. You can easily grow a wide variety of vegetables in your backyard garden without much effort, time, or money, using only a few simple hand tools. Having a backyard garden adds to the beauty of your landscape, and also gives you an opportunity to spend time outdoors. You could also have your family involved and make it a group farming project. Another thing that would enhance your backyard garden would be a backyard pond.

What you’ll need

To start your own garden you don’t need a lot of money. Following is a list of things you need:

A spot where your plants can get plenty of sunshine.
Wire fence
Seeds or seedlings
A shovel
A hand trowel
Hand cultivating tools
A wheelbarrow
A long garden hose
Digging fork
Pruners

These are the basic tools you’ll need, but you may have to add items to your tool shed later on, as you become more experienced. You will probably find most of these items at your neighborhood dollar store. If not, go to a nearby Home Depot, or Lowe’s.

In-ground garden or raised bed garden

If your soil is too rocky it might be ideal for you to start above the ground gardening in a wooden frame. In this process, you will only need a wooden frame and topsoil. The main problem with a raised bed garden is that it needs more watering. However, if you have a good enough raised garden, it will be much easier on your back.
Constructing a raised garden bed is very simple. You can use almost any material, such as wood, stones, bricks, or even a pile of soil. Build a frame with any material, lay them down, and fill them up with topsoil. Prepare the bed by digging up some dirt and mixing it with the topsoil. You are now ready to plant seeds. Make sure you don’t use any treated lumber, use Cedar, which is naturally resistant to decay. Make the beds at least six inches deep for roots to grow. You can also add some organic fertilizers or compost to your soil.

In-ground garden

Choose a spot in your backyard that gets plenty of sunshine. Ideally, your garden should receive at least 6 hours of sunshine. Some parts of the garden may also need shade and partial sunshine for most of the day. Some plants including foliage plants can grow in the shade.

Preparing the soil

If you are a beginning gardener, you should start small, with a 10 foot by 16-foot size planting area. You need to dig and loosen up your soil, possibly up to 2 feet down. Mix the soil with some compost and organic fertilizers. It can be easily done with a digging fork.

What to plant

You can plant a wide variety of vegetables. A list of vegetables you can grow is given below. You may also want to contact your local Cooperative Extension Services.

Tomatoes
Zucchini Squash
Green Peppers
Lettuce
Beans
Peas
Beets
Carrots
Radish
Parsley

You can try The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Planner free software for vegetable garden planning.

Growing your own vegetables in your backyard garden is not only fun, but it can also bring your family together by engaging in fun outdoor activities. You will eat better and also save money from your grocery bills by growing your own fruits and vegetables, right in your backyard. On top of that, there are many environmental benefits. Locally grown food typically saves energy, reduces carbon emissions, and greenhouse gases. Plants also add oxygen to the atmosphere and use carbon dioxide. Eating your own homegrown vegetables also saves you money. When you eat fresh, you live healthier. There is no better way to enjoy clean, healthy, and safe food. Enjoy!

P.S.:- Try this out and let us know how well your backyard garden is doing, and don’t forget to share.