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Tips for Veggie Garden Noobs
noob
/nuːb/
Learn to pronounce
noun
INFORMAL
a person who is inexperienced in a particular sphere or activity, especially computing or the use of the internet.
Why do you want to grow your own veggie garden? Is it because you want to be eco-conscious? Are you perhaps feeling the influence of inflation? Maybe you’re stressed and all the self-care Tiktoks suggest spending time with your hands in the dirt.
All of the above are wonderful reasons to start your own veggie garden. But how, exactly, are you supposed to do that?
HOMEMAKERS has the definitive noob guide right here:
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Veggie Garden Noob Tip 1: Pick a Perfect Place
It is crucial to choose a decent site for your garden. Substandard vegetables come from a subpar location!
Since most veggies require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day, pick a sunny location.
Because moist soil leads to wet roots, which can eventually decay, the region should drain efficiently.
It must be solid and wind-free. Avoid planting your young plants in areas where there are frequent strong winds that could topple them or prevent pollinators from doing their job.
Size Matters
Your beginner garden should be at least 10 square meters and no larger than 15 square meters. Pick 3 to 5 of your favourite vegetables and buy 3 to 5 plants of each one.
Noob Note: make sure that you have paths between the rows that allow you to access your plants to weed and harvest.
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Veggie Garden Noob Tip 2: Choose a Cute Crop
Tips To Choose Your Veg
Choose what you and your family will actually eat.
Be realistic about how many vegetables your family will need.
Consider the availability of veggies at the shops and only plant what you can’t find for cheaper.
Homegrown herbs are far less expensive than buying.
Noob Note: if you choose veg that takes a lot of maintenance you might be discouraged quite quickly.
Top 10 Easy Growing Vegetables
Lettuce
Green beans
Radishes
Cherry Tomatoes
Zucchini
Peppers
Beets
Carrots
Spinach
Peas
Noob Note: Mix in plants such as citronella grass and lemongrass or flowers such as chrysanthemums or petunias. These discourage pests, attracts pollinators, and add some colour!
Veggie Variety
Planting both cool- and warm-weather vegetables will give you a harvest of vegetables and herbs continuously through spring, summer, and autumn.
Noob Note: cold weather veggies – lettuce, rocket, peas, radish, carrots, broccoli.
warm weather veggies – tomatoes, peppers, aubergine, herbs.
spring or autumn veggies – potatoes, cabbage and spinach.
Plant tall veggies on the side of the garden so they don’t shade shorter plants.
Make sure you don’t plant all of one crop at the same time. If you do, you’ll have to eat it all at the same time.
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Veggie Garden Noob Tip 3: Prohibit the Pests
Whack Those Weeds
Keep weeds to a minimum since they compete with your vegetables for light, water, and nutrients. Around larger plants like tomatoes, a mulch made of clean straw, compost, or plastic can keep weeds at bay.
Make Insects, Out-sects
Large insects and caterpillars can be manually removed and thrown into a pail of soapy water. Try insecticidal soap sprays if there are more insects present.
Fight the Fungus
By watering the soil rather than the plant’s leaves, you can lessen the probability of developing fungal illnesses. Water in the morning so the leaves will be dry by dusk. Utilise crop rotation to prevent the population of disease-causing microorganisms from growing.
Noob Note: don’t add sick plants to your compost pile.
Veggie Garden Noob Tip 4: Go All In!
Keep Notes!
One of the most effective ways to actually advance as a gardener is to journal about your garden. You should be aware of how particular plants perform in your garden, as well as what you did that worked and what didn’t.
Now you have all the info you need to become a veggie veteran. Go forth and propagate!
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Read more in our latest Digital Magazines!
Johannesburg
Pretoria
Cape Town
Durban
Vaal Triangle
Bloemfontein
