I have failed at growing anything…many times. It didn’t matter whether it was inside or outside, I usually killed it. I have learned some things along the way that I think were critical to not killing everything. I’m still new and still learning, but I wanted to share what I have learned so far.
I am not an expert, but this has been working for me, just a regular brown-thumbed person. Some of these tips may seem like common sense, but if you are not that familiar with growing vegetables, or anything for that matter, these are tips that could make all the difference.
- Start with plants instead of seed. I think I could do this with seeds, but considering I always get started so late and am still learning, this was a good way for me to start. I will probably try seeds next year.
- Use fertilizer. I always assumed that since the Miracle Grow Potting Mix came with fertilizer that anything more would be too much. Not true. I use the Garden Select from Lowes and love it.
- When planting new plants, do not cover the stems with dirt. I read that this will cause the new plant to rot. The one exception is tomatoes. I did not totally believe this, but it’s true. The tomato plan will actually grow roots on the stem, and the tomatoes do best with a strong root base, so go ahead and plant some of your tomato plant stem.
- Most vegetable plants require about 6 hours of full sun.
- Put holes in your containers. All containers do not come with holes. I assumed the people making the containers knew what they were doing and that they would have put them in the container if you needed them. Not true. Put holes in your containers. You will drown your plants if you do not. Watering will be very difficult.
- Water daily. Plants like a good deep soak. It creates a stronger root base. This is where the holes come in handy. Soak it until you see the water coming out of the bottom.
- Watch for bugs. Some are beneficial, some…not so much.
Placement for my container garden was key. Not only did it need to have sun, but it needed to be where I would check on it daily. We moved our old pool deck to the back of the house last year, and it is the perfect place for my garden. I love to walk out on it every day and see what new surprises I have in my garden. Between my bohemian wax myrtles, my vegetable garden, and my water fountain, I feel like I am in paradise.
If you want to see how far I have come, click here to see my embarrassing garden from last year. Apparently, I have no shame or I would not be sharing this.
Click here to see pictures of the vegetable container garden in progress.
