I have no clue what im doing but im starting a garden looking for advice and tips?

im looking to start a garden. i have not a clue what im doing but im going to try it out. need a hobby. ive been reading books and watching some gardening shows. i started this weekend by shoveling the spot that i want to have the garden. i bought a few tomato plants and a few pepper plants but havent planted them yet.





just looking for any advice or tips on how to make this an easy painless experience starting out.I have no clue what im doing but im starting a garden looking for advice and tips?
Start small, to start with--you're on the right track with just a few easy plants first.





When you plant your tomato plants, notice that there are little bumps along the bottom of the stem. These are also roots, and you can plant the tomatoes up to the top of these, which will root them better, and they'll be less likely to fall over.





Also, you may want to put down a layer of black plastic before you plant, then cut X's in it where you plant the plant--that way, you won't spend all your time weeding, plus it holds in moisture.





Check the backs of your packs of seeds--they're very good about telling you what zone you're in, and when you should be planting what.





Unless you LOVE zucchini, tomatoes, or peppers, or you have a big circle of friends, don't plant a lot of them--one year we planted 60 pepper plants and 120 tomato plants (my husband's idea, not mine), and we were taking out a bushel of produce twice a week!I have no clue what im doing but im starting a garden looking for advice and tips?
Go ahead and plant your plants in containers as it will take some time to get your garden ready for planting. You cannot simply shovel out a spot, and plant your plants. The soil must first be tested for the pH level, then tilled, amended with compost and fertilizers, and tilled again. It's best to prepare the bed in the fall, before the ground becomes saturated with water, and allow the added organic material to compost over the winter.
Good luck with the painless part. Until you become proficient at gardening know that you will probably experience set-backs, which is par for the course.


I have been gardening since I was 12 yrs old and one thing I have learned is that no matter how careful you are, how green your thumb is and how much information you have that there is always the possibility of failure. This is because you are dealing with the cooperation or uncertainty of nature.I've lost complete gardens due to various factors-- not enough rain, too much rain, soil depletion, bad plants, etc.


My advice to you is to go to a local garden center and talk to someone there because they are more aware of the growing season and soil discrepancies in your area.





And Have a green day.I'm thinking about building a green house with heat so I can garden all winter long.Then I won't have to rely on store produce and can have fresh tomatoes for salad in Dec. and Jan.
Gardens are a lifelong project. Learn as you grow. The first thing to do is make sure you have a good base for the plants to grow in. Compost compost compost. Veggies esp need it. I use llama compost and mix it in with the dirt then cover everything with mulch. Horse and cow manure will burn the plants if its not aged. Old hay is great to mix in too.





For flowers, if you are impatient, as I am, grow annuals with perennials to keep the interest. Perennials take a couple years to reach their full potential sometimes and annuals can help fill in until then. Vegetables, there are so may varieties of them, one may do better for you than it does for your neighbor.





Hope this helps.
its not going to be easy or painless but that is whats fun, trial and error are key words to gardening just get stuck in, research your plants on the net keep the weeds down to a minimum water on dry days and feed once a fortnight in summer but most of all have fun its a hobby not a chore.


hope this helps !
It helps to test your soil to see if you're lacking nutrients. If you don't want to take the time, it is always beneficial to work compost or manure into the soil. You can buy manure by the bag for under $2.00. Once you plant, lightly work in Osmocote around your plants. It is a 4 month slow release fertilizer. I always place about 1 inch of some type of mulch around my plant to help trap moisture and keep weeds out. Water regulary, harvest in the fall....that's it!