Whether you blend them up in cozy soups, pop them in the oven as healthy sides, or slice them into spears for dipping, vegetables are a staple ingredient in every kitchen. Chances are, you have a variety of leafy greens and root vegetables in your fridge at all times—or, at the very least, that bag of carrots kept on hand for snacking. While you can always swing by the grocery store, what if you could grow your own vegetables?
Garden-grown vegetables are much fresher than their store-bought counterparts; plus, nothing beats watching your crops sprout, grow, and flourish! Just take it from Ree Drummond, who has a thriving vegetable garden on the ranch, which yields a variety of crops used in her cooking.
Don't worry if you're a beginner, because starting a garden in your backyard couldn’t be easier! Even if your space is small, you can place containers on your deck, patio, or balcony to grow many new plant varieties. From choosing the right location to planting the right crops, here's exactly how to start a vegetable garden in your backyard—regardless of your skill level and the size of your lawn.
Scope Out the Ideal Spot
To help your vegetable garden flourish, most of your crops will need at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day (with the exception of leafy greens), so be sure to prioritize scoping out a sunny spot for your veggies. Additionally, you’ll want to find an area that’s accessible, well-draining, and sheltered from strong winds.
Select a Small Plot Size
You may have big plans to execute your vegetable garden, but before you spend all that time and money on a large garden, it's best to start a small garden and learn from experience! Select a plot no bigger than 10-by-10 feet for your first attempt at an in-ground garden or a four-by-eight-foot raised bed. You can also place several pots on your deck, patio, or balcony. Containers should be at least 16 inches deep, so the roots have room to stretch. However, a window box is completely fine for shallow-rooted varieties like lettuce.
Gather Gardening Tools
You don't need fancy gadgets or expensive devices—just a few basic gardening tools will do. A garden trowel is a great for digging small holes, while a garden fork or spade will help you loosen the soil and mix in compost. As you care for your crops, use a watering can to sufficiently hydrate them and garden gloves to protect your hands from sun exposure and poison ivy. Once your crops are ready to eat, hand pruners are ideal for trimming and harvesting them. As your vegetable garden grows in size, you can always add on to your collection.
Choose the Right Crops
It may seem obvious, but grow what you love! There's no sense in having a bumper crop of tomatoes if you hate them. If this is your first backyard vegetable garden, stick with veggies that aren’t too finicky. Some of the lowest-maintenance, fastest-growing veggies to plant are radishes, leafy greens like lettuce and kale, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, squash, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Most of these have minimal pest issues and thrive in both containers and gardens.
Understand Timing Differences
Cool-season crops like lettuce, peas, and broccoli grow in early spring and fall, whereas warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers grow in late spring through summer. Be sure to check the “days to maturity” part of the seed packets to help you map out when to harvest them.
Design a Smart Layout
While most vegetables are annuals that require fresh plantings every year, some are perennials (asparagus, rhubarb, etc.) that need a permanent spot in your garden, so you’ll want to factor that into your vegetable garden layout plan. The order in which you plant your crops also matters—tall crops should go on the north side, so they don’t block any sunlight from hitting the shorter veggies.
Plan a Watering Schedule
Soaker hoses deliver water right to the roots of plants, but a good old-fashioned watering can or hose works fine, too. If it hasn’t rained lately, stick your finger in the ground. Is it dry to the touch? Then, that's your sign to water. If not, wait another day or two. Containers dry out faster than in-ground plantings, so keep an eye on them, especially if they are made of porous materials like clay or ceramic. Also, the bigger your container plants get, the more closely you’ll have to watch them. In the hottest part of summer, you may need to water them daily.
Enrich the Soil
Nutrient-rich soil is vital for a healthy and happy vegetable garden. Before planting your crops, consider taking a soil test, so you have a good idea of your soil’s nutrient levels and pH. Adding compost will also improve the structure and fertility of the soil.
Plant Flowers Nearby
Forgetting to plant flowers near your vegetables is a common beginners' mistake. These budding blooms aren't just there to look pretty, but they're also helpful at attracting pollinators that many vegetables need to make fruit. For example, without flowers like marigolds, nasturtiums, or sweet alyssum, you may get cucumber flowers but no fruit or funky-shaped fruit. The flowers don’t have to be in a separate bed or pot: Just mix them in between rows or in the same pot as edibles.
Nurture Baby Plants
As your veggies start to grow, you'll want to check on them every day or so. Watch out for pests or yellowing leaves that could indicate disease or nutrient deficiencies, and yank out weeds as they appear. Regularly feeding them with a balanced fertilizer will also help them flourish—just make sure you follow the package instructions.
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
