Hey everyone! I'm just starting out with gardening and I'm looking for some advice. I've planted a variety of vegetables in a 72-cell seed starter kit, and I'm excited to get my family involved this summer—my husband even built an above-ground garden bed for me and is making three smaller ones for our kids to use. I used a seed starting potting mix for the soil, but I'm planning to pick up some compost from the city soon, which gives away one yard per household in May. I've been browsing Pinterest for tips, but I'd really appreciate any advice and visuals you can share on setting up my garden!
Specifically, I'm wondering how often I should water my seeds. Should I be doing this daily? They're placed in my sunroom, getting around 8 hours of sunlight each day. Also, when is the right time to move my seedlings to the garden bed?
Here's what I've planted so far:
- Tomatoes
- Green Onions
- Radishes
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Jalapeños
- Bell Peppers
- Cilantro
- Cucumbers
Any and all tips would be awesome!
3 Answers
I’m new to gardening as well and don’t have much personal advice, but once you start moving your seedlings to the beds, look into companion planting! Certain veggies and fruits can really benefit each other in the garden. This can maximize your space and improve growth. Good luck!
I’m not a newbie, but I learned a tough lesson about using un-composted horse manure in my garden. It can bring in weeds if it's not properly composted. Make sure the compost you get is well-aged to avoid issues like I had with Bermuda grass! Watch out for that and keep it in mind for future rounds when you pick compost. I’m still dealing with it years later!
Thanks for sharing this! I would've never considered that the compost might not be ready. I’ll definitely keep this in mind when I go to pick some up.
For the first week to 10 days, giving them a light watering each day will really help with germination. Since you've got kids helping, consider adding Sugar Snap Peas, Danver half-long carrots, and loose leaf lettuce to your garden. They’re really fun for kids to pick and eat straight from the garden. My son loved snacking on peas right off the plant! Plus, pumpkins can be a great fall project for them to turn into jack-o-lanterns. Happy gardening!
I didn’t think about those snap peas and carrots or pumpkins! Definitely adding them to my list. Thanks for the tip! I'll stick to light watering for the first 10 days.
Great suggestion! I’ve seen some companion planting ideas on Pinterest but haven't bought any plants yet. Do you have any favorites that you've tried?