How do you start a garden for beginners?

This is a vegetable gardening guide for beginners that includes essential steps you need to take to start a garden. Growing a vegetable garden is one of the most life-changing and rewarding things you can do. Starting a vegetable garden using organic gardening principles can save you time, money, and labor while greatly benefiting the environment. This guide starts at improving the soil and will cover every step you need to take for your starting your vegetable garden. 

Improve the Soil

The first step to start a vegetable garden is to improve the soil. Most importantly, do not till the soil! Tilling the ground is the most destructive thing you can do since tilling causes soil erosion and loss of soil diversity resulting in sterile soil that required more input. Instead, use a no-dig gardening technique that dramatically improves the health of the soil and environment. Once you pick a sunny area for your garden plot, layer the following material in this order: 
HOW TO START A VEGETABLE GARDEN

1. Apply at least 3-4 sheets of newspaper. 
2. Apply at least 3-4 inches of organic compost. 
3. Apply at least  3-4 inches of wood chips as a mulch on your garden. 
4. Apply a dusting of composted animal manure as a natural fertilizer on top of your garden as needed throughout the growing season. Do not add chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides!
5. DO NOT TILL THE SOIL! All of the materials you used to mulch your garden plot are biodegradable and will immediately begin to decompose, breaking down into nutrient-rich soil. 
6. Make sure your garden plot is always mulched! Mulch provides a protective covering on top of your soil that helps retain moisture which reduces watering, weeding, and work. Wood chips also decompose into rich soil overtime. Sign up for a free delivery of wood chips today!

Free Delivery of Wood Chips

How To Start a Vegetable Garden

WHAT TIME OF YEAR IS BEST TO START A VEGETABLE GARDEN?
It is ideal to start a vegetable garden in the Fall when wood chips are readily available and have time to compost over winter. However, you can start a vegetable garden any time of the year!

Pick What You Want to Plant

The second most important part of starting a vegetable garden is​ the seeds you plant.  For the best results, plant non-GMO heirloom seeds in your vegetable garden. Heirloom seeds produce the best tasting and most nutritious fruits and vegetables. You can save your own seeds if you plant heirloom seeds which can save you money in the long haul. There are so many incredible varieties of heirloom seeds available from the leading heirloom seed companies.
RECOMMENDED SEED COMPANIES

• Seeds Now
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
• Ark Heirloom Seed Kits
• Pinetree Garden Seeds
• Johnny's Selected Seeds
• J.W. Jung Seed Company​

ARK Heirloom Seeds Kit

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HOW DO I PLANT MY FIRST VEGETABLE GARDEN?
​Plant your heirloom seeds in your improved soil by pulling back a row of wood chips and planting in the compost below the wood chips. Many vegetable seeds are extremely tiny and need to be directly sowed into soil. Seeds need water to germinate so make sure to water your seeds daily so they do not dry out.  

TIPS FOR GROWING A PERFECT VEGETABLE GARDEN

MULCH, MULCH, MULCH your vegetable garden to ensure all the wonderful benefits of mulching! Mulch helps reduce weeding, watering, fertilizing, and working! If you notice weeds growing in your garden, pull them out or add more wood chip mulch to smoother weeds. If you notice plants wilting, you can always add more wood chip mulch to help conserve watering needs. Sign up for a free delivery of wood chips today! 

Improve the Soil in Your Vegetable Garden