There is an increasing number of people who are willing to install a vegetable garden in their backyard. Gardening has even become more than a hobby for some, who use this solution to compensate the price of food that keeps going up. You want to give it a try too, but don’t know where to start? Here are some tips to help you begin your gardening project successfully.

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Before you determine your garden location, take the time to select the vegetables you want to grow. If it’s your first garden, don’t go too big. Start with a small garden for the first year to get familiar with gardening. You can then enlarge it through the years. Visit one of our stores to shop for a variety of seeds. For you first season, we recommend choosing vegetables that are easy to grow like cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes.

You also have to determine the planting method:

• Planting seeds: Get a pouch of seeds in store and sow it directly in your garden.
• Growing your seedlings: You can get ahead and start seedlings inside. You’ll just have to move them outside in your garden when the time comes.
• Buying plants: You can also buy plants that already started to grow in our garden centre and transplant it in your garden.

To increase your chances of success, take the time to carefully find the perfect space, considering the following three main criteria:

• Sunlight: Choose a place receiving a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight a day. Make sure to observe your yard a few days before preparing your garden.
• Tip: You only have 4 to 5 hours of sunlight in your yard? Then choose some vegetables that grow well in semi shade like lettuce, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, mint, bok choy, radish, carrots, turnip, and potatoes.
• Incline: Choose a flat surface to set up your garden, as maintenance of a sloped garden is harder to do.
• Access to water: Make sure that your hose is long enough to be able to water your garden.

Container gardening
If your soil is poor, you don’t have a yard or you would simply like to be able to do gardening without kneeling, gardening in containers or in pots is another option. Make sure to place your setup in full sun.

You found the best spot? It’s now time to remove the lawn using a spade. Also remove all weeds. Once the square for your garden is defined, you must enrich the soil with organic amendments (compost, vermicompost, aged manure, etc.). Using only the soil in your yard will not give good enough results. You have to add 5 to 8 cm of compost and plow to mix all together. Turn the top 15 to 20 cm of soil gently with a spade.

If you use planters, start with filling your containers with garden compost.

Our suggestion: Garden compost 33 L

You should wait until the weather is warm enough before planting your seeds or seedlings. Read instructions carefully on each pouch or each label to know the right moment, the depth and the space to be kept between seeds or plants. For beginners, buying seedlings to transfer into your garden is the easiest method. Once you have covered the roots or seeds with soil, water deeply.

Our suggestion: Large Garden Trowel

Watering
If you planted seedlings, you must remember to water regularly for the first two to three weeks to ensure that the roots can develop well. When the weather is hot and dry, you should even water every day. Once they are deeply rooted, water only when the soil is dry to the touch. You will also have to adapt the watering frequency according to the weather.

Fertilization
It is also important to provide your vegetables with fertilizer. Start with adding fertilizer when planting, and then establish a fertilization plan to support the growth of your seedlings until the end of August.

Our suggestions:
Fertilizer for transplanting: Pro-Mix Blood Meal Plantboost 8-0-0
Vegetable garden: Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer 15-15-30
Flowers: All-Purpose Fertilizer 20-20-20

Mulch
Adding mulch to your garden with organic matter like straw, coconut fibre, and cocoa shells is a smart idea. Mulch does not only feed your soil as it decomposes, but it also helps control weeds and maintain a good humidity level.

Our suggestion: Natural Cedar Mulch

Inspection and cleaning
It’s a good habit to visit your garden daily and remove all weeds as they appear. Also check your plants for insect pests. If you see any, remove them manually (slugs, cabbage loopers, beetles, etc.). Using a pruner, cut the leaves that look sick or that are dried out.

Our suggestion: Deluxe Pruner & Scissors Set

Support
Make sure that your plants that are high or climbing can be supported by cages or stakes as they grow up. Tomatoes, beans and peas are examples of varieties that need support.

Harvest
Harvest your vegetables as soon as they are ready, since some varieties can change texture or taste if they stay in the garden for too long. Zucchinis, radishes, lettuce and cilantro are examples. Furthermore, if peas and beans are not harvested as they are ripe, their production will stop.

Enjoy your garden!