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Start Small

Don’t overcommit to planting a huge garden until you know what you’re in for. Starting small will show you how much time and work are required without so many plants to care for.

Good starter size gardens might be 6ft by 6ft with five different types of vegetables. If you don’t have the yard space or don’t want to fully commit to it yet, you can use pots or raised beds. The advantage of these is that you can get completely new, fresh soil, and shouldn’t have to worry about weeds too much the first year.

You can also save space by using trellises and planting vining crops like green beans and peas.

Choose Easy Vegetables

This isn’t the year for crazy ambition. Grow the easy stuff the first year. That means things like lettuce, tomatoes (including cherry tomatoes), zucchini, carrots, beets, peas, green beans, radishes, and spinach, kale, or chard. And be aware that you don’t plant all these at the same time of year.

Sun Is Good

Plants don’t grow without sun – lots of it. Pick a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of sun in the spring and summer months especially. For root vegetables like carrots, beets, and radishes, you can probably get away with 4 hours of sunlight.

Water Is Good

Even in the Pacific Northwest, you can’t rely on the rain to keep your vegetable plants happy. You need a water plan. You can set up drip lines on a timer if you don’t want to go out and water by hand, which you’ll have to do more frequently in the warmer months. But drip lines increase your up front costs, and take some time to set up properly.

You could also get a rain barrel and attach it to your gutter. That will give you a bucket of free water for when you need it.

Be sure to water your plants well the first few weeks after the seeds sprout so the roots get off to a good start.

Annoying Pests

The most likely villains who will stop at nothing to destroy your garden are weeds, bugs, and fungal diseases. Some places may also have to deal with animals like rabbits and deer.

You can avoid most fungal issues if you take care to water the soil, not the leaves of the plants. For weeds, you just need to stay on top of it and don’t let them get out of hand. For bugs, there are various insecticidal sprays you can get, as well as some natural methods. Planting marigolds and certain herbs, for example, can be a turnoff to certain bugs.

If you have rabbit problems, you’ll need to install a fence at least six inches under the soil. For deer, you’ll need a tall fence to keep them out.

Healthy Soil

Lastly, you need good dirt. Too much sand, too much clay, too much silt – these will inhibit root growth. So, you can get some compost and till it in to the ground to loosen it up and add nutrients. Or, if you’re using raised beds or pots, you won’t have to worry about the existing soil.