Gardening 101: A Beginner’s Guide

The second that last drop of snow melts away and the days get longer, we can all feel our inner Homes and Garden persona calling. Gardening has become a widespread inspiration on TikTok and Instagram, encouraging people to build their own garden beds and grow fresh produce right from their backyard. Homesteading has become more mainstream within the last few years, with people swearing it can save you money while forming a new hobby that benefits you and the environment. That all sounds very appealing, but if you’ve never stepped foot into your local plant nursery, or thought the word nursery only pertained to babies, we can help guide you through the basic steps of starting your gardening journey. 

Find Your Plant Hardiness Zone

Before you even think about getting your hands on a packet of seeds or a plant from your local gardening center, determining your specific hardiness zone for your area is crucial. Native plants that grow and flourish in Chicago are not going to be the same plants that thrive in Southern Texas. The easiest way to figure out your local hardiness zone is by using a zoning map and entering in your zipcode to find out your results. Once you know your zone, you can start researching what grows best in your area and start planting! 

@learntogrow1

The plant hardiness zone map is divided into 13 zones. A warmer climate will have a higher zone ️⃣. Cooler climates have lower zone ️⃣s as well as lower average winter temperatures.❄️ 🗺While it’s a good to know your growing zone, it’s only relevant to perennial plants and their ability to survive the lowest average winter temperature in your region. Perennial plants live more than two years. Your growing zone won’t matter if you’re growing annual crops like cucumbers, corn or radish, as they are grown seasonally, not year-round. 🌱When you’re shopping for perennial crops, make sure to check the plant tag. It should state the zones it is generally hardy to. I tend to choose plants that are rated for lower zones so they have a better chance of survival especially in the winter. ✳️ Some plants may tolerate or adapt to lower temperatures if planted in the ground as it will be more insulated. I hope you find this helpful! Have a good night! 💖🌙 Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Author USDA-ARS and Oregon State University (OSU) https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/eoarc #organicgardening #gardeningtips #growfood #vegetablegardening #perennials

♬ original sound – learntogrow

Find the Right Tools 

Next on your gardening to-do list: Buy the necessary tools! You don’t need many tools to begin, but a few essentials will help you maintain your garden properly. Gardening gloves, both small and big shovels, a watering can, and shears are your best bet. 

Starting From Seed and Covering the Basics 

You’ve picked out your plants and flowers and are ready to start digging. Seems easy enough, right? Not quite. It’s important to understand your plant’s needs, such as soil type and sunlight requirements. Depending on the brand and store you get your plants from, there will usually be some information on the back of the container or on a tag to help you get started. Don’t throw these out! Read through them and it will tell you how much sunlight it needs, how much and how often to water it, how deep to plant it, and what kind of soil it prefers. After that is said and done, you’ve got the basics down.

Creating your personal garden from seeds is another popular method that is a cheaper route, but it comes with more trial and error. You’ll want to start this process no later than early spring. Once you know what produce or flowers you want to start growing, you can find the seed packets at almost any grocery store, home improvement shop, or your local plant nursery. Much like the full grown plants you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes, the seed packets will have information on the back that guides you through the growing process and what you’ll need. Again, you’ll need high-quality soil for your seeds and enough heat in your environment to begin the germination process. 

@fromdreamtoseed

New to seed starting? Here’s some tips for for beginner gardeners. #gardentips #seedstarting #beginnergardener #seeds #gardenhack

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You can start this process from the inside of a greenhouse or even a makeshift one using these kits at home. When you start seeing little green stems popping up from the soil, give yourself a pat on the back! The hardest part is over! Now, just stay consistent with watering and enjoy watching your plants grow like a proud parent!

Starting Your Garden

Once you have your plants rounded up, pick an area that is best suited for the plant’s needs. For most produce, full or direct sunlight is best with afternoon shade, like tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers! Whether you’re planting straight into the ground or in garden beds, you need to make sure you have high-quality soil and fertilizer for your plants to prosper the best they can. Follow the depth and width instructions for each plant when you’re digging, and give them a good, thorough watering to set them in place and establish their roots. From there, just maintain a consistent watering schedule and reap the benefits of what you sow – quite literally!