Starting a small garden, whether it’s on a windowsill, balcony, or backyard patch, is one of the most satisfying and practical hobbies you can take up. Here’s some extra beginner-friendly advice to help you start strong and avoid common pitfalls:
🌿 1. Start Small and Simple
- Don’t overcommit—choose just 3–5 easy plants to begin with
- Planting too many things can become overwhelming fast
- You need some time to adjust to how these specific plants grow and how to care for them
- Try herbs (basil, mint, parsley), salad greens, green onions, or cherry tomatoes
- These plant types can be kept small or transplanted into larger pots or a garden bed to spread out
- They are commonly used plants that also have great health benefits, for instance mint is used primarily for digestive issues, but also for respiratory problems, skin irritation, and more
- It’s known for its soothing properties and ability to relax muscles, particularly in the digestive tract
- Focus on high-yield, fast-growing crops you actually eat
- Radishes: These root vegetables are known for their incredibly fast growth, with some varieties ready for harvest in as little as 21 days. Radishes thrive in cool weather
- Lettuce: Many loose-leaf lettuce varieties offer a quick turnaround time, with baby leaves ready to pick in about 21 days.
- Using the “cut-and-come-again” harvesting method, you can harvest outer leaves while the center continues to grow, providing multiple harvests from a single planting
- Lettuce also does well in cooler temperatures
- Microgreens: These are the ultimate fast-growing crops, ready for harvest in a week or two
- Microgreens are essentially young seedlings of various vegetables and herbs, packed with flavor and nutrients
- You can grow a wide variety of microgreens, including radish, sunflower, pea, broccoli, and mustard
🪴 2. Use Containers if Space is Limited
- Buckets, pots, or even recycled containers (with drainage holes) work great
- You can repurpose things like solo cups and other containers to help reduce waste into landfills
- The key is to have holes in the bottom of the dirt container
- Make sure you have another container without holes which the first one will fit into to catch excess water
- If you pick a solo cup as a container, double them up, poke a few well-placed holes in the bottom of the first cup
- Then you add a few rocks into the bottom of the outside cup
- Put the first cup with the holes into the outside cup without holes and fill the empty one with gardening soil
- You can do this with several types of recycled plastic containers!
- Containers make it easier to control soil quality, sunlight, and water
- One main thing to remember with containers is to always check for moisture
- Containers can dry out very fast or if they have no drainage, they can saturate the root system, and your plants may suffer from root rot
- Good picks for containers: lettuce, spinach, radishes, peppers, herbs
☀️ 3. Pay Attention to Sunlight
- Most veggies and herbs need at least 6 hours of direct sun per day
- If you are in an incredibly hot climate, then placing the plants in a partially shaded area may be the difference between the plants thriving or merely surviving
- For instance, my family lives in Florida. We have very hot summers, and I have lost too many “full sun” variety plants
- I eventually planted them in partial shade and never looked back. All my gardens have some sort of tree or tall shrub nearby to cast a shadow for some of the day, and this decision has been game changing
- For instance, my family lives in Florida. We have very hot summers, and I have lost too many “full sun” variety plants
- If you are in an incredibly hot climate, then placing the plants in a partially shaded area may be the difference between the plants thriving or merely surviving
- South-facing windows or balconies are best
- The southern direction gives you the most sunlight
- Not enough sun? Use grow lights (LED full spectrum) indoors
- Many online and brick and mortar retailers offer lots of these lights at a great price
- I have found many on social media for free or very cheap
- I like to do this to save money and keep these usable items from ending up in a landfill somewhere
🌱 4. Use Good Soil
- Don’t use dirt from outside—start with high-quality potting mix or raised bed mix for containers
- Most big box stores will have sales in the end of winter or springtime for gardening supplies
- Add compost for nutrients or mix in slow-release organic fertilizer
- You can look online to find farmers or in social media groups for farming and homesteading for raw materials
- Many will have already mixed compost or most of what you would need to mix it
- Get a new or used composter or look up free online plans for a easy to make compost bin you can have outdoors
- Be sure to have the compost away from the house if it is in a bin as it may attract some pests
💧 5. Don’t Overwater
- Overwatering is the #1 killer of beginner gardens
- I think most every new gardener makes this mistake in the beginning
- Water when the top inch of soil feels dry
- The best way to know is to stick your finger into the soil one knuckle deep
- If it is damp, you can wait another day or two
- If it is dry or dusty feeling, then it is time for some refreshment.
- The best way to know is to stick your finger into the soil one knuckle deep
- Use pots with drainage holes and avoid letting the water pool at the bottom
- As mentioned earlier, root rot is a problem you don’t want to have
- Root rot is a plant disease caused by various pathogens, including fungi and bacteria, that attack and damage a plant’s root system
- This leads to the deterioration of the roots, causing them to decay and turn mushy or black
- Ultimately, root rot can lead to plant decline and even death
- As mentioned earlier, root rot is a problem you don’t want to have
🧼 6. Label Everything
- Especially helpful when you’re growing from seed or have similar-looking herbs
- I have made the mistake of not having all my plants labeled
- It can be very frustrating to have to figure out what is growing in your garden after the fact
- Organization is key to having a prosperous garden
- If you don’t know what it is then you won’t know how to care for the plant
- I have made the mistake of not having all my plants labeled
- Use popsicle sticks, stones, or plant tags
- Make sure to use a permanent marker and write in a bold print
- Sun can damage the ink and fade it along with water damage
- I have used popsicle sticks and then taken a longer piece of clear packing tape to fold it over the stick, and then trimming it closer to the stick, protecting the writing
- It lasts about twice as long by doing this
- Make sure to use a permanent marker and write in a bold print
🐛 7. Keep an Eye on Pests
- Aphids, spider mites, and fungus gnats are common, even indoors
- Use neem oil or insecticidal soap for organic pest control
- Diatomaceous earth is also something that will help control pests
- Use this with a “puffer”, which is a squeezable applicator. *DO NOT breath in the DE powder. This can permanently damage lungs. Apply the powder as directed on the package
- Check under leaves regularly
🧠 8. Learn by Doing
- You will make mistakes—it’s part of the process
- Keep a simple garden journal (or use a notes app) to track what works
- Watch how different plants behave in your space through the seasons
🌦️ 9. Time Your Planting
- Start with cool-season crops (like lettuce, peas, spinach) in early spring or fall
- Warm-season crops (like tomatoes, cucumbers, basil) need soil temps above 60°F (15°C)
- You can also stagger plantings every 2–3 weeks for a continuous harvest
🌸 10. Enjoy the Process
- Gardening is therapy, even when it doesn’t go perfectly
- Celebrate the small wins—like your first sprout or first harvest
- Don’t worry about perfection—just grow