So you've decided to grow a garden? It's a lot easier than you might think! The first step is to figure out what you want to grow, then provide the right accommodations for your plants—think soil, sunlight, and water. In this article, we'll walk you through each gardening step, so you know exactly how to plant a garden.

1

Pick a sunny location with well-drained soil.

  1. Choose an area that gets around 8 hours of direct sunlight. Most vegetables need a lot of sunlight to put on healthy growth, especially sun-loving plants like tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. You'll probably want to place your garden on the south-facing side of your yard, so it gets the most light. Choose a location that doesn't have puddles after heavy rain.[1]
    • If the soil in your garden doesn't drain well, water will puddle at the roots and can cause root rot.
    • To make it easier to garden, pick a location that's level and doesn't have trees or shrubs that you'd have to work around.
    • Some vegetables like radishes, turnips, and beets can do fine with closer to 6 hours of sunlight, but the more sunlight the better!
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2

Map out a space for your garden.

  1. Start with a small garden if you're a beginner. Think of planting a 10 ft × 10 ft (3.0 m × 3.0 m) patch. You can choose up to 5 vegetables and grow up to 5 of each plant in a space this size. Plus, working in a small garden will help you get the hang of designing, planting, watering, and maintaining the space.[2]
    • If you don't have space for an in-ground garden, don't give up! You could plant herbs in containers or set up raised beds for vegetables if you've got patio space.
    • If you have some gardening experience and want a larger garden, aim for a garden that's 300 to 500 square feet (28 to 46 m2).
3

Go with vegetables that thrive in your climate.

  1. Choose veggies or herbs that you enjoy eating, too. When you get seeds or plant starts, read the labels and choose varieties that work in your particular growing region. This way, you know the plants can thrive in your area's temperatures. If you're new to gardening, pick plants that are easy for beginners to grow like lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Some plants like spinach and radishes also grow quickly, so they're great options for containers.[3]
    • If you're still unsure about what to grow, think about the produce that you buy every week. If you go through a lot of lettuce or zucchini, give them a try!
    • Practice companion planting to keep pests away—grow fragrant marigolds throughout your garden, especially near cabbages or melons to keep beetles away.
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4

Plan your garden layout.

  1. Sketch out rows and decide which vegetables to plant in each. This helps you keep track of what you're growing and you can control how much space to leave between the rows—read the plant labels for the recommended amount. For instance, you might plant cool-season crops in rows and designate another part of your garden for warm-season crops.[4]
    • Use recommended spacing as a guide for your garden layout. For example, plants like okra need 3 feet (0.91 m) of space between their rows. You could alternate rows of onions between the okra since onions only need a minimum of 1 foot (0.30 m) of space between them.
5

Gather your basic garden supplies.

  1. In addition to seeds or starts, collect gardening tools. If you're planting a small garden, you can get away with simple hand tools like a garden trowel for digging, a rake for leveling the soil, shovel, and a watering can. Here are a few other things to pick up from your local nursery, garden center, or online:[5]
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6

Level the soil and add fertilizer or compost.

  1. Remove rocks, roots, or sticks, and add nutrients to the soil. Walk through your gardening space and pull up anything in the soil that could make it hard for plant roots to grow. Then, mix all-purpose fertilizer (like 13-13-13) or compost into the top 4 inches (10 cm) of the soil. Drag the rake across it, so the soil is level.[6]
    • Plan on using 1 pound (450 g) of fertilizer for every 100 square feet (9.3 m2) of soil.
    • Most vegetables will be fine if you fertilize at the start of the growing season.
7

Plant warm-season crops after the last frost.

  1. Grow crops that need lots of sunlight and heat if you want a summer garden. Most beginners start gardens in the spring or early summer because so many crops thrive with plenty of sunlight and warmth. These are some of the best warm season plants for beginners to try:[7]
    • Beans, cantaloupes, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, pumpkins, southern peas, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelons.
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8

Plant cool-season crops in late summer.

9

Sow your seeds or plant your starts.

  1. Dig holes for your plant starts or bury seeds 14 to 12 in (0.64 to 1.27 cm) deep. Read the label for each plant start to find the recommended depth. Then, dig a hole and put the start's roots down into it. Fill the hole with soil and gently pack it down. For seeds, scatter them over the surface of your soil and cover them with the recommended amount of soil.[9]
    • Keep in mind that seeds aren't planted very deep because they need to get sunlight as soon as they germinate.
    • If you prefer to have straight rows of seeds, use your ruler to mark straight rows. Then, drag your finger lightly through the soil to make a very shallow indentation. Place your seeds in the rows and cover them with the soil.
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10

Keep the soil in your garden moist.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    Are there any vegetables I cannot plant side by side?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Many vegetables have certain other plants with which they are incompatible as neighbors. See a list at NaturalLivingIdeas.com/incompatible-plants.
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Things You’ll Need

  • Gardening gloves
  • Small spade
  • Watering can or hose
  • Shovel
  • Rake
  • String and stakes, optional
  • Fertilizer or compost, optional
  • Fencing supplies, optional

About This Article

Andrew Carberry, MPH
Co-authored by:
Food Systems Expert
This article was co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Centere at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee. This article has been viewed 72,714 times.
18 votes - 90%
Co-authors: 20
Updated: July 16, 2022
Views: 72,714
Categories: Planting and Growing
Article SummaryX

Once you’ve decided where to plant your garden, mark the corners area with rocks, flags, or stakes to show the boundaries. Remove any rocks, sticks, roots, or big weeds from the garden, then use a soil tiller or a garden fork and rake to break the ground into small pieces. Work the soil to a depth of about 12 inches, and mix in any compost or fertilizer you are using. Using a spade, dig holes for your seedlings, making sure to plant them at the correct depth for each plant. Water your garden each morning, and remove any weeds at least twice a week. For more tips from our Gardener reviewer, including how to choose plants that will complement your garden, read on!

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