Want to Start Vegetable Gardening? Follow our Guide!

Want to Start Vegetable Gardening? Follow our Guide!

Not everyone is born with a green thumb. Thankfully, RE/MAX has a bunch of tips to help beginners set up their first vegetable garden. Some say we learn from our mistakes and while this may be true, why waste time and money. Here is some advice that will guarantee (or almost guarantee) an abundant veg patch this summer. Is your thumb changing colour yet?

Pick Winning Vegetables for Your Garden

When starting out, it is best to select vegetables that are easy to grow over what we most like to eat. Your best bets are tomatoes, radishes, zucchini, green beans and lettuces. They are all more resistant and more forgiving when we slip up!

Where to Grow?

You must remember that your future vegetables will need at least six hours of sunshine per day, so choose a spot that is almost always sunny. Likewise, if your yard allows, avoid placing your garden against a wall, which could shade it somewhat. And be aware that vegetables hate growing near trees (at a distance of five metres or less) as the latter’s thirsty roots absorb all the water as wells as the nutrients present in the surrounding soil. Also, don’t locate your garden on a slope or on waterlogged ground.

When to Plant?

It’s time to get planting once winter has most definitely given way to spring and the soil will not freeze again. The best time is usually around the end of May. You can, however, start at any time during the summer, although intense heat may prevent plants from growing optimally. If you missed planting in spring, it is best to wait until the end of August. You will then have just enough time to harvest a few treats before the cold weather sets in.

Spacing?

You’re better off giving things too much room than not enough because in an overplanted garden, each vegetable will have to fight for its share of water and nutrients present in the soil, and these are finite resources! If after a few days, you notice that plants are starting to crowd each other, you must thin them, that is to say pull the seedlings that are too close their neighbour. This does require some patience, but what would we not do to keep our veg, and our stomach, happy?

Don’t Be Afraid to Water!

It’s time to water as soon as you’ve sewn your first seeds or earthed in your first plants. Do this every day (unless it rains!), and water longer and more frequently during heat waves. The ideal technique is to direct the spray to the base of the plants instead of giving them a shower. A strong stream may provide them with more water, but it could also cause damage. The best time is early in the morning (the plants will retain the water longer) or at the end of the day; however, watering in the evening may attract undesirable insects. The most important thing to remember is that it is almost impossible to drown your vegetables: don’t be afraid to pull out the hose!

How to Protect Your Garden?

Certain insects and animals can damage your crops, even completely destroy them! There are simple solution to prevent this. For example, adding strongly scented plants to your garden like nasturtiums, lavender, lemongrass and basil. Sprinkling cayenne pepper around the garden’s perimeter can also be a life saver. You can equally make your own insecticide spray by combining water, dish soap and cayenne pepper. You might also consider raising your vegetable bed a few centimetres off the ground. This will prevent some critters from using it as a buffet.

Which Soil to Choose?

Gardening professionals usually agree that choosing good soil is an essential step towards a successful vegetable garden. It should be rich and healthy. Price is a good indicator of quality; beware of cheap black earth. Understand that if you initially opted for relatively fertile soil, you won’t have to add fertilizer (which should always be natural, like manure, and stay away from nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers). Psst! Before sewing your seeds, work your soil well to aerate it.

Now all you have to do is watch your garden grow! Bon appétit!

RE/MAX Québec

By RE/MAX Québec

By RE/MAX Québec

A leader in the real estate industry since 1982, the RE/MAX network brings together the most efficient brokers.