5 Gardening Tips for First-Time Growers

While gardening seems like a happening process, it can be challenging for first-time growers. Only your love for fresh fruits and veggies is not enough; you need the patience to see your plants grow, see them destroyed due to pest and irrigation problems, and finally enjoy the end product in the form of an edible. So, this article discusses some of the common yet effective gardening tips for beginners. Read on.

Start Small With Right Plants

The first step is to select a small and good planting site for the plants to be grown. For a year or two, try to maintain a small pot with two or three garden beds and stick to their care. But don’t make it too small that it ends up leaving you disinterested after working on the same area again and again. So, choose a few plants you’d like to grow and look after them until you think you’re ready to plant more crops.

Lighting Is Important

Different types of plants would need different care. For instance, if you’re growing a cannabis plant at your home, you would need special lights as marijuana plant stages generally require a combination of different lights, depending on whether you’re planting indoor or outdoor. Otherwise, all edible plants need proper sunlight. So, choose a site that has access to light.

Keep Your Soil Healthy

The most important thing in gardening is the soil. Before starting planting, you can get a soil test done to know the features of the soil, such as its fertility, type, etc. This would help you add soil amendments into your soil, such as compost, to give it all the nutrients and make it an ideal base for your plants to grow. Loamy soil is considered best for most plants as it has a perfect balance of clay, silt, and sand and provides good drainage.

Use Three-second Rule While Watering Your Plants

For most edible plants, you should water them often, but getting water all over the leaves doesn’t work and can invite more diseases. Horticulturists suggest using the three-second rule while watering the plants. It means to water the garden bed until you can count to three seconds with the water still merged on top. This is an indication that the water has properly drenched to the roots.

Now, the question of how often you should water the plants is a bit complicated. It depends on different factors, including the season, type of plant, the weather, etc. It is advised to water the plants when you get a sign that they’re thirsty and need watering. But generally, you should water the garden three times a week.

Pick Often

While some plants and crops need a certain time to be picked, most plants should be picked often and at an early stage. As soon as things look delicious to eat, pick them before they lose their flavor and texture. In fact, early and frequent picking can actually stimulate the plants to produce more.

Gardening can be both interesting and challenging for beginners. Make use of the above-mentioned tips and enjoy the process.