How to Plant Your First Garden

If you have sunny, spacious backyard, you could soon be growing fresh, tasty vegetables from a garden of your own. Start with a small plot at first, and carefully plan where you want your crops to grow. With a little work and a lot of love, your garden will soon be sprouting spinach, carrots, kale, potatoes, beans, or whatever else you want to grow. Gardening is an easy and fun activity that you and your whole family can enjoy.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Planning the Plots

Plant as close as possible to a spigot, well, or other source of water while still allowing for other planting needs like good soil and sunlight. If possible, connect a hose with a spray nozzle to your spigot to make watering easier. Otherwise, invest in a watering can.^{[1]XResearch source}
Vegetables grow best in areas that receive 10 hours or more of sunlight each day.^{[2]XResearch source} Try not to plant your garden near trees, buildings, or other sources of shade.^{[3]XResearch source}
3
Plant in raised beds if you want a more manageable garden. Raised beds are low boxes filled with dirt. Instead of planting your garden directly in the earth, you’ll plant in the raised bed. The beds can be of any size, but are typically 3 or 4 feet (0.91 or 1.22 m) wide and 12 inches (30 cm) high.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Fill your raised beds with gardening soil obtained from your local farm and garden shop.
- Garden beds make your plants inaccessible to many pests and animals, and can minimize the growth of weeds and soil compaction, too.
- Raised beds are also an elegant solution in cases where your soil is rocky or too shallow to grow in.^{[5]XResearch source}
4
Draw a map of where each plant will grow using grid paper. Measure the space you want to plant in, then draw a map of the space using grid paper. Make each square on the grid paper equal to 1 square foot (0.093 m²). This will better help you determine what you have space for and whether you need to scale back your garden ambitions.^{[6]XResearch source}
- If your garden area covers a large space, be sure to mark paths through the garden grid map to enable access to everything you’re growing.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Deciding What to Grow

Since this is your first garden, your best bet is probably to stick to easy-to-grow plants like radishes, cucumber, lettuce, peas, beets, tomatoes, and Swiss chard.^{[7]XResearch source}
2
Plant vegetables that thrive in heat if you live in a hot climate. If you’re in an area that has a long, hot growing season, hardier crops like corn, okra, peppers, sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, and melons are a good choice.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Peanuts also do well in hot climates.
If you don’t have much space and your garden is in a shady location that gets less than 6 hours of sun daily, you can still have a great gardening experience. Swiss chard, spinach, and kale do well in shady areas. You could also plant radishes, rhubarb, scallions, and potatoes.^{[9]XResearch source}
4
Talk to other gardeners about what you should plant. Long-time local gardeners are a wealth of information about what grows well in your area and what does not. Consider joining a horticultural society to gain access to these veteran gardeners, and ask them questions about gardening to help you decide what to grow.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Online forums are also a great resource that can help you decide what to grow.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Growing Your Vegetables

Once you’ve decided what you want to grow, visit your local garden supply shop to get some seeds. Choose top-shelf seeds to improve your odds of a healthy garden.^{[11]XResearch source}
2
Plant according to the directions on your seed packet. Your seed packet will have directions on it regarding when you should plant the seeds, how deep each seed should be planted, and how much space should be between each seed. Read and follow these directions carefully, and keep the seed packet even when you empty it of seeds so you can refer back to it as necessary.^{[12]XResearch source}
- The seed packet will also likely let you know how often the seeds should be watered.
3
Plant according to the growing season of each vegetable. After obtaining your seeds, check the seed packet for information about when each should be planted. Mark your calendar with details about when your seeds should be planted.
- Some plants need to be started indoors early in the season. Tomatoes, for example, should be started 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Lettuce and radishes, on the other hand, can be direct sowed.
4
Divvy up the planting process by planting your vegetables over a long period. Instead of trying to put all your plants in the soil at once, do so over the course of several days or weeks to avoid exhaustion. This extra time will enable you to tend the seeds carefully.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Planting in succession allows you to give everything its longest possible growing season. For instance, if you have one plant that can be planted in April and another that can be planted in May, planting both in May wastes valuable growing time for the plant that could be in the ground in April.
5
Put the seeds in the soil according to the directions provided by the seed packet. Some seeds can be placed close together, but some need to be spaced far apart. Different seeds also need to be planted at different depths. Some even need to have dirt mounded over them after they are placed in the ground. Your seed packet will provide specific planting information for each of your different vegetables.
- Each plant has its own, specific planting requirements. Read the packets and don't assume that different plants will have the same needs.
6
Start with a small garden of about 20 square feet (1.9 m²). Since this is your first time planting a garden, it’s easy to underestimate how much work it can be to plant, water, and harvest everything. To avoid planting too much and making more work for yourself than you want, stick to a relatively small area at first.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Enlarge your garden as you become more confident with your abilities.
- The number of plants a space of this size will hold depends on what you plant. If you plant seeds that require minimal space, you will be able to grow more plants than you would if you planted seeds that require a lot of space.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Tending Your Garden

1
Pull weeds up by the roots using a hand fork or a border fork. Push the fork into the ground near the base of the weed, then pull the handle down and back toward you. This motion will push the weed up and out of the ground. Pull the taproot (the long, thick root at the base of the weed) up and dispose of it.^{[15]XTrustworthy SourceRoyal Horticultural SocietyLeading gardening charity in the U.K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plantsGo to source}
- Some of the most common garden weeds are dandelions, thistles, stinging nettles, and bindweed.
- There are many different species of weeds, so they all look a bit different. However, if you see something shooting growing in your garden that is not in a spot where you planted a seed, it’s probably a weed.
2
Pour water around the base of the plant. Applying water to the plant itself can cause it to pool and collect in recesses rather than get to the roots of the plant where it belongs. Pour or spray the water gently over the base of the plants you’re growing.^{[16]XResearch source}
- On average, plants needs 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water each week, but you should consult plant-specific guides or the directions provided on the back of your seed packet for information regarding exactly how much water your various plants need and how often you should water them.
- Feel the top few inches or centimeters of soil around your plants to detect moisture levels.
3
Rotate your crops every year. Rotating your crops refers to the practice of not planting the same crop in the same place year after year. As a general rule, you should not plant the same crop in the same soil it was grown in initially for at least 3 years.^{[17]XResearch source}
- Rotating crops allows the soil to rebuild its supply of nutrients and minerals. It can also help to control pest infestations.
- Failing to rotate your crops will lead to soil exhaustion, and you will be unable to grow anything.
Your first garden will give you a wealth of experience that you can use in subsequent years. Keep a notebook about growing conditions, how much you watered various plants, what grew well, what didn’t grow well, and so on. As you continue learning and gardening, continue to take notes and refer back to them at the start of each growing season to improve your methods.^{[18]XResearch source}
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Question
How can I make my garden bee-friendly?
Monique Capanelli
Plant Specialist
Monique Capanelli is a Plant Specialist and the Owner and Designer for Articulture Designs, an innovative design firm and boutique in Austin, Texas. With over 15 years of experience, Monique specializes in interior botanical design, living walls, event decor, and sustainable landscape design. She attended the University of Texas at Austin. Monique is a Certified Permaculture Designer. She provides plant and botanical design experiences, from small gifts to entire transformations, to shoppers as well as commercial clients including Whole Foods Market and The Four Seasons.
Monique Capanelli
Plant Specialist
Expert Answer
The biggest thing you can do is plant things that bloom. The more flowering plants you have, the better. Also, try to plant things that are native to your area. That will help attract bees.
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Do I plant in the fall?
Lauren Kurtz
Professional Gardener
Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014.
Lauren Kurtz
Professional Gardener
Expert Answer
Some things can be planted in the fall, like garlic. Most vegetables will be planted in the spring.
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Do different plants need different water systems?
Lauren Kurtz
Professional Gardener
Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014.
Lauren Kurtz
Professional Gardener
Expert Answer
Yes, different plants require different watering schedules. Group plants with like watering needs together.
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Tips

Unless you have reason to believe your soil is contaminated, testing for soil acidity, lead, and other pollutants isn't required. Still, doing so can help you decide what to grow and how much fertilizer you will need to use.^{[19]XResearch source}
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