How to start a vegetable garden
Quick answer
Choose a spot with 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, start small with one bed or a few containers, mix compost into the soil, and plant according to your area’s last frost date: cool-season crops like lettuce and peas first, warm-season crops like tomatoes after the frost has passed.
Step by step
- Pick the sunniest spotMost vegetables need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. Watch your yard for a day to see where the sun actually falls.
- Start smallOne raised bed about 4 by 8 feet (1.2 by 2.4 m), or a few large containers, is enough for a first season and easy to keep weeded and watered.
- Improve the soilMix a few inches of compost into the top layer. Good soil is crumbly, drains well and smells earthy.
- Find your last frost dateLook up the average last spring frost for your area. It tells you when each crop is safe to plant.
- Plant and waterPlant cool-season crops a few weeks before the last frost and warm-season crops after it. Aim for about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water a week, more in hot weather.
Most first gardens fail for the same reason: they’re too big. A small, well-tended bed produces more than a large, weedy one, and it’s far more fun to keep up with.
What to plant first, and when
| Plant before the last frost (cool-season) | Plant after the last frost (warm-season) |
|---|---|
| Lettuce, spinach, peas | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant |
| Radishes, carrots, beets | Beans, cucumbers |
| Onions, kale, broccoli | Zucchini, squash, pumpkins |
Radishes are ready in about a month, which makes them a satisfying first crop. Tomatoes and peppers are easier to buy as young plants than to grow from seed.
Raised bed, ground or containers?
- Raised beds warm up faster in spring, drain well and are easier on your back.
- In-ground beds cost nothing but need more work to loosen and enrich the soil.
- Containers suit balconies and patios; tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and herbs all grow well in pots of at least 5 gallons (about 19 liters).
Keep it going
- Mulch with straw or shredded leaves to hold moisture and block weeds.
- Water the soil, not the leaves, ideally in the morning.
- Harvest often. Picking beans, zucchini and herbs regularly encourages the plants to produce more.
Growing herbs alongside your vegetables? Here’s how to grow herbs at home. And if your garden tap starts dripping, see how to fix a leaky faucet.
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