15 Useful Gardening Tips for Beginners

Gardening can be one of the most fun and relaxing hobbies. But, it can be stressful if you don’t know what you’re doing or if you’re a beginner. In order to get the most out of gardening without having to deal with the frustrations, here are some great tips for gardening beginners.

First off, don’t ever be afraid to talk to experts or go to your local nursery. These people are specifically trained in taking care of plants and will be more than willing to help you out! Those at the local nursery will know best since they’re familiar with your area.

When you’re picking up a lot of plants at your local nursery, put a ladder in the back of your track or your back seat. You can put the plants between the steps of the ladder, which will hold them in place while driving!

Keep a gardening portfolio that has all your plant tags, instructions, and other information. You can keep it in a photo album so that everything is neat and organized.

Know your region so that you choose plants and flowers that will grow well in your garden or yard. Depending on where you live (and what time of year it is), this will affect what you should plant and how to take care of it. Again, talk to your local nursery when needed.

Before you start planting, make sure you test the soil. You want to determine what the PH level is so that, if necessary, you can make changes in order to keep the soil safe and healthy for your plants.

When starting your first garden, don’t get too out of hand. Start your garden small so it’s manageable. You don’t want to outdo yourself before you’ve even started!

Try your best to pick easy plants for your first garden. Plant veggies and fast-growing plants that are easy to keep alive. A good example is lettuce, which (depending on the type) can be fully grown in less than a month.

When determining where to start your garden, make sure you choose a good spot. It needs to be somewhere that doesn’t collect water, has good light, and won’t get ruined by pets or other pests. Some of these features will vary depending on what plants you’ll have, but these are all things to consider.

For potted plants, put milk jugs, water bottles, or packing peanuts at the bottom of the pot before you add the soil. This will save you money on soil and also make the pot lighter since it won’t have as much compact soil.

Before planting, or before even buying your plants, plan out your garden. Decide what type of plants you want, how much space in your yard you’ll dedicate to the garden, and other factors. This will help things go much smoother when you actually plant.

To make digging easier, spray your garden shovel with a silicone or Teflon lubricant. This stops the dirt or soil from building up on the blade, which means digging won’t get clunky and annoying.

Start your garden with a friend or family member so that you can keep each other accountable and help one another when needed. By doing the buddy system, you’ll make sure you’re each taking care of the garden and doing it right.

Build or buy a gardening basket for all your tools and materials. Instead of lugging around a bunch of spades, shovels, seeds, etc., you can just put it all in one basket for easy access!

When gardening, always wear gloves. Even when you don’t think you need gloves, wear them. You’d be surprised at how much time you can save if you never have to worry about scrubbing dirt, grime, and gunk off your hands and out from under your fingernails.

Set goals for yourself and your garden when you first start out. You don’t want them to be too prestigious, but also set some that will challenge you and give you the best garden possible. Write down what you want to accomplish this month, this season, this year, and then work from there.