Starting Your Own Vegetable Garden
If you’re aiming to improve your eating habits, growing your own vegetables can be one of the best ways to achieve that goal. A home garden can provide fresh, pesticide-free produce, customized to your tastes. The winter season is an ideal time to start planning your garden so that you’re ready to begin planting once spring arrives.
Planning Your Garden
Begin by keeping a garden journal. Answer these essential questions:
- What motivates you to start a garden?
- How much space do you have available?
- How much time can you dedicate to gardening?
- How many months would you like to spend gardening? It’s possible to start as early as February and continue harvesting into December!
- Which vegetables do you enjoy eating?
- How much produce do you aim to grow?
Once you’ve clarified your objectives, assess where the garden will be located. Consider the amount of sunlight the area receives. Warm-season plants such as tomatoes and peppers require at least six hours of sun in midsummer, although eight to ten hours is ideal. Cool-season plants like greens, brassicas, and certain root vegetables thrive with four to six hours of sunlight, and some can even grow better in partial shade. These crops are typically planted in the spring or fall.
Soil Testing
Get a soil test to measure the available nutrients and determine the necessary amount and type of fertilizer. The test will also provide the pH level of your soil. Vegetables generally grow best in soil with a pH between 6.8 and 7.2. If the pH is too low, plants will have trouble absorbing nutrients. For a new garden site, testing the organic matter content is helpful in deciding how much fertilizer to add. If the pH is too low, lime can be added as recommended by the test results. You can get soil tests from your local extension office, nurseries, or garden centers. Further details are available at the [Penn State Extension Soil Testing page](https://extension.psu.edu/soil-testing).
Site Considerations
It’s important to know the history of your site. If the land previously hosted a building that may have used lead-based paint, be sure to check for lead contamination in the soil. Penn State’s Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory can help with lead testing, as outlined in the soil testing section.
Some sites, especially those that once held large buildings, may have compacted soil. In such cases, extra effort will be needed for soil preparation. Be mindful of underground obstacles, existing vegetation, and areas prone to waterlogging after heavy rainfall. Pay attention to the soil structure—look for clay or shale—and be prepared to protect your garden from pests like rabbits or deer. Also, consider how easy it will be to provide adequate irrigation.
Start Small and Expand
Like most new projects, it’s best to start small and grow as you gain experience. You can buy seedlings from local nurseries or garden centers. Many heat-loving vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and okra are typically purchased as plants, though you can start them from seeds indoors 6 to 10 weeks before the last frost.
Sowing Seeds Directly
Some vegetables can be directly sown into the garden—this means planting the seeds straight from the packet into prepared soil. Winter is a great time to order a seed catalog. These catalogs offer useful planting information and can serve as a reference throughout the growing season. Seed packets also include planting and harvest dates on the back, and you can find them in stores as winter ends. As you gain experience, you might want to experiment with more unique vegetables or varieties.
Understanding the Best Planting Times
Soil and air temperatures are key factors in determining the best time to plant seeds or transplant seedlings. Many gardening books, websites, and seed catalogs provide detailed charts to guide you. Planting too early, before the soil reaches the right temperature, can delay or hinder seed germination. Heat-loving crops like tomatoes, peppers, and okra thrive when nighttime temperatures reach 50°F or higher. Planting them too early can cause stress and reduce yields.
Harvesting and Successive Plantings
Pay attention to the