How to Start a Vegetable Garden for Beginners (and for Cheap!)

Vegetable gardening is easily one of the most rewarding hobbies. Whether you dream of plucking fresh tomatoes from your backyard or growing crunchy carrots, the journey from seed to harvest is very satisfying. If you’re wondering how to start a vegetable garden, this guide will take you through every step to ensure your garden thrives.

How to Start a Vegetable Garden

Starting a vegetable garden can get costly if you don’t choose the right options. You want a healthy and thriving garden, but I’m sure you also want to spend less money.

And this is perfectly possible when considering everything as a whole. Yes, you have to buy soil. Yes, you have to put in some work. This is expected!

But with a few changes here and there, we can set up a thriving garden with less money.

That being said, let’s get right into how to start a vegetable garden from scratch!

Products

To buy high-quality garden seeds, check out Burpee.

For a wide selection of perennial garden plants, check out Nature Hills Nursery.

For gardening equipment, check out Bootstrap Farmer.

Where to Plant a Vegetable Garden

Location is the most important thing to consider when starting a new vegetable garden. And you have to get it right because, well, vegetable gardens are not the easiest things to move around!

Consider these factors when selecting a location for your new garden:

1. Sunlight: Most vegetables require 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day. To ensure this, observe the sun patterns in your area for a few days to see if it meets the requirements. Try to choose a spot without any buildings blocking the sun.
2. Drainage: If you are growing in-ground, you have to ensure the area has good drainage. This is not so much a problem with raised beds and containers, as they are raised from the ground and have their own soil.
3. Proximity: Place your garden where it’s easily accessible. If it’s too far or hard to get to, you’re not going to go there to care for your plants.

Can a Vegetable Garden Grow in Shade?

Some vegetable crops can actually tolerate more shade than others. Generally, the leafy greens and root crops are the most tolerant because the edible parts don’t require too much light energy to grow properly.

These plants can tolerate only 4 hours of direct sunlight per day, making them perfect for a vegetable garden in the shade. These include lettuce, carrots, beets, kale, and arugula.

Fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers must be grown in at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.

How Big Should Your Vegetable Garden Be?

The key is to make your garden manageable. Some people go too big, then they get frustrated when they can’t take care of it. Remember that there is always next year to improve your garden, so don’t think you can do everything at once.

But whatever the size is, make sure to leave paths between your beds to give you space to actually care for your plants. If you have paths, you can access the plants near the centre of the beds for pruning, weeding, watering, and fertilizing.

Starting an In-Ground Garden Bed

I feel like in-ground gardening is how most gardeners start out. Probably because it is practical; there’s already soil there so you might as well, right?

Here’s why growing in-ground might be good for you:

• Cheaper: Compared to raised beds, it’s much cheaper to start an in-ground vegetable garden. This is mostly because the soil is already there and you don’t have to buy new raised beds.
• Endless Soil: The soil in the ground goes on for many feet below the surface. This gives your plants access to lots of nutrients that would otherwise be left there. It can also mean that water will drain better because it actually has a place to go.

But I wouldn’t go all in for in-ground beds just yet. Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t grow in-ground:

• More Work: Typically, more work is required to set up an in-ground garden bed, compared to raised beds. You have to dig a lot, remove weeds, amend the soil, and more. This is all avoided with raised beds.
• Poor Soil Quality: The soil in our backyards is not the same as packaged soil in the store. It’s usually the leftover dirt from digging everywhere around our homes. Obviously, this means that it is probably depleted of nutrients and won’t do much good for our plants. There may also be large rocks that can inhibit root growth.
• Poor Drainage: Again, backyard soil is almost always poor draining. Most native soil is very clay-heavy and requires supplemental amendments to fix it. This can cause problems with your vegetables which are easily avoided with raised beds.

Remove Sod and Weeds

If you are putting this bed in an area with grass, you need to remove it before you do anything to the soil. If not, it will just keep coming up and outgrowing your vegetables.

To do this, use a flat-bladed shovel to outline the bed that you want to make. Make it about 2-4 feet wide and however long you can fit it.

Then, use the shovel again to cut up the grass into smaller squares. This will make it easier to lift off of the ground.

Once all the sod pieces are cut, then you can put your shovel underneath the sod (about 4 inches deep) and lift off each piece.

You should also remove any weeds that you see on the surface. The grass won’t come back after being ripped out, but the weeds will keep coming back until you get rid of all of them, so stay on top of weeding.

Keep the pieces of sod, they are good organic matter. They can be used to fill dead spaces in your lawn, or to make a hugelkultur raised bed in another part of your garden. Just make sure to put them upside down in the hugelkultur bed to ensure they don’t keep growing.

Amending Vegetable Garden Soil

Amending your soil is crucial when making an in-ground vegetable bed. As I said, most native soils are clay-heavy, which means that most vegetables won’t grow well in it.

To fix this, simply choose amendments that help to break up clay soil. But first, we need to break up the clay soil. We can do this with an automatic tiller (which is available for rent at most local hardware stores) or with a shovel if you are willing to work a little harder.

Generally speaking, organic matter is always the best additive for clay soil. Choose compost, manure, or leaf mold to help break up the large clumps and encourage beneficial microorganisms to populate. This is one of the few steps that actually requires you to use money to buy the bags of compost.

Make sure to till in about a third of the volume of soil in organic matter for it to be fully incorporated.

I also like to add other soil amendments like perlite and biochar. These help to break up the soil further and allow for proper drainage.

Growing in Raised Beds

Setting up raised beds is definitely easier than growing in-ground. It requires less upfront work and less maintenance work, but requires more upfront money to get started.

However, here’s why I think it’s well worth it to spend the extra money on raised garden beds:

• Customizable: Raised beds come in many different shapes and sizes, especially if you decide to build your own. They are also easy to place anywhere in your garden, whether there is soil on the floor or not.
• Long-Lasting: The right raised beds will truly last you a lifetime. A cheap wood or plastic raised bed obviously won’t do anything for you. But these galvanized steel raised beds from Burpee will contain your plants for easily over 20 years.
• Less Work: It may seem like more work to set up raised beds, but let’s really think about it. Nothing has to be dug, nothing has to be weeded, and nothing has to be amended. And over the years, this is just going to get more true. Additionally, if you are worried about breaking your back when gardening, then raised beds are for you because you can establish a vegetable garden without tilling.

So if you really don’t want to spend the money, then don’t. I can’t force you. But really think about the options.

Choosing the Right Raised Beds

There are many different materials for raised beds, such as wood, concrete, plastic, and metal.

Raised beds made of wood tend to be a lot more expensive (unless you make them yourself). But they also don’t last as long, anywhere between 5 and 10 years. So it’s kind of a lose-lose situation, but if it suits your garden’s aesthetic, then go for it.

Concrete can be a very good raised bed material, or a very bad raised bed material. In my climate, concrete is a very bad material for raised beds, simply because of the freeze-thaw cycles that occur every year. This causes the concrete to crack and it really only lasts one season.

However, it may still be good for you; maybe you live somewhere where it doesn’t freeze in the winter. In that case, this can be a perfect material for a long-lasting raised bed.

Plastic raised beds are by far the most affordable options. They also resist rot very well and they say that they can last over 50 years. In my experience, plastic raised beds or pots start to degrade in the sunlight and heat, making them very brittle.

This causes the plastic to crack easily over time, which may not be ideal for growing vegetables.

Metal, on the other hand, is an almost perfect material for raised beds. It is long-lasting, rot and weather-resistant, and aesthetically pleasing. Burpee carries these amazing galvanized steel raised beds.

For under $200 you get a trustworthy brand of raised bed that holds up to 36 cubic feet of soil and that will last you a lifetime.

Plus, you save 10% on your order from Burpee when you use code BURPEE10.

I do think there are uses for other materials for raised beds, but metal is definitely the way to go for most vegetable gardeners.

Filling a Raised Garden Bed

Raised beds are often very tall, meaning it has to be filled to the top for it to be worth it.

But are we supposed to fill it all with soil? Of course not! That would be way too expensive. Instead, try the hugelkultur method for filling a raised garden bed.

This method involves filling the bottom of the raised bed with organic matter, like logs, branches, sticks, grass clippings, and that sod from earlier. Leave about 8-10 inches for actual soil.

This helps you save money, but it also provides a healthy base of organic matter that will feed your plants for many years to come.

Best Soil for a New Vegetable Garden

Because you are starting your garden from scratch, you want to give it the best chance possible to succeed. If you’re growing in raised beds, this is another part where you may have to buy something new.

Generally, garden soil needs to be well-draining, full of nutrients, and full of organic matter. Don’t make it difficult for yourself, just buy a pre-made soil mix from the store.

Don’t confuse yourself by mixing so many different ingredients, they sell soil for a reason. Just buy a high-quality soil mix from your local nursery. Because you are spending money, make sure to get the best product that you can find.

These potting mixes are often formulated specifically for growing vegetables, taking into account all of their requirements.

I also like to add a little bit more compost to the mix as well. Generally, a ratio of 20% compost to 80% soil is ideal for vegetables. To get this, mix one part compost with four parts soil. This means that 1/5 or 20% of the mix is compost.

Applying Mulch in Your Vegetable Garden

Vegetable garden mulch is an organic material that is layered on the top of a garden bed. Mulch is essential for any vegetable garden, no matter what vegetables you are growing.

Here are some reasons why mulch is essential for a vegetable garden:

1. Insulation: Mulch insulates the soil from extreme heat and cold, allowing you to grow a larger variety of vegetables. Additionally, this allows you to extend your gardening season into the hottest and coldest parts of the year.
2. Water Retention: Mulch reflects sunlight off of the soil surface. This means that less water will evaporate from the soil, meaning you won’t have to water as often.
3. Decomposition: As the mulch sits on the soil for a few months, it will naturally decompose. This acts as a sort-of compost, feeding your plants in the process.
4. Weed Suppression: Think about it, if weeds try to grow but are blocked by something in the process, wouldn’t they just … die? Yes! Isn’t that beautiful?
5. Erosion Control: Extreme winds and rain can blow away soil from your garden beds. Mulch acts as a layer on top of the soil that prevents it from being blown or washed away.

Since we are trying to make the least expensive vegetable garden, choose a mulch that you can get for very cheap or even for free.

A lot of us can get free mulch from fallen leaves. My area has a lot of deciduous trees that drop their leaves every year. You can easily shred these leaves and use it as a mulch for your vegetable garden.

You can also look into other free sources like sawdust, pine needles, cardboard, and grass clippings. These are all good sources of free mulch.

When to Mulch Your Vegetable Garden

There is a little bit of debate about when to mulch your vegetable garden beds.

Some say that you should wait until all of your plants are planted first, then apply the mulch.

The smarter people say that you should mulch right away. Can you tell which side I’m on?

Obviously applying mulch as early as possible is best for your vegetable garden. When you finally get to the plants, you can just remove a small amount of mulch and then make a hole for the plant. It’s much easier this way then having to wait until all of your plants are in.

Choosing New Vegetable Garden Plants

Most garden vegetables can be divided into 4 main categories:

• Leafy Greens: These are the vegetables that are grown mainly for their edible leaves or stems. This includes spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula.
• Fruiting Crops: These are vegetables that are grown primarily for their edible fruits, which is botanically the part of the plant that contains seeds. Using this definition, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, and cucumbers are examples.
• Root Vegetables: These are crops that are grown mainly for their edible roots, tubers, or bulbs. This would include carrots, beets, potatoes, and onions.
• Herbs: Of course, these are vegetables that are grown for their aromatic flavour. This includes rosemary, thyme, basil, and lavender.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to vegetable varieties; there are literally thousands of different varieties of each plant. Check out Burpee, one of the most trusted seed companies in North America, to see all varieties.

To grow a variety of different vegetables, choose one from each category and make them your staples.

For example, as my top crops this year, I might choose spinach, tomatoes, turnips, and basil. Then I can add other ones that I want to grow as well.

Here are some of my favourite varieties:

• San Marzano Tomato: This heirloom Italian tomato is perfect for sauces and canning.
• Little Gem Lettuce: This variety produces a personal sized lettuce for individual salads.
• French Breakfast Radish: These radishes mature in only 23 days, making it one of the fastest growing vegetables.

Check out Burpee for the full breakdown.

Easiest Vegetables to Grow For Beginners

To get started with vegetable gardening, check out these easy-to-grow vegetables that are perfect for beginners. (Tip: Click on the name to read the complete grow guide):

• Lettuce
• Beans
• Peas
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Tomatoes

Generally speaking, the leafy greens and root crops are the easiest, while most fruiting crops require more care.

However, these plants are fairly easy to grow compared to other vegetables. They require less care overall and can tolerate a range of conditions.

Should You Start Your Seeds Indoors?

Starting your seeds indoors is definitely cheaper in the long-run. However, you can’t do it without some indoor gardening equipment. And nobody wants to spend thousands of dollars on complex setups.

Grow lights, seedling cells, seed starting soil, spray bottles, and more, are required to properly start your seeds indoors.

To avoid this, just buy all of your transplants from your local nursery. They aren’t that expensive, maybe $7 maximum, but it’s definitely worth it. Just think about how many tomatoes you can get from one $7 plant.

They have many varieties as well, though not the same selection as if you were growing from seed. But for a new vegetable garden, this is perfect.

Choosing the Right Transplants

Transplants are small plants that are sold at a nursery. They are called transplants because you are meant to transplant them to your garden after you buy them.

Like I said before, there usually isn’t many varieties available for transplants, so just choose a tried-and-true variety for each crop.

Make sure to look out for signs of disease. This can mean wilting leaves, yellowing leaves, or root rot. That’s right, you need to check the roots as well. You never know what pests or diseases these plants can carry to your garden.

Squeeze the bottom of the seedling cell and slowly pull out the seedling. Inspect the roots for pests and signs of disease. Make sure they are plump and healthy.

You also need to smell the roots. I know, I said it. The roots should smell like dirt. If they have a rotten smell, then they are rotten; don’t choose that plant.

Also check that the roots are not root-bound, meaning that they are not spiralling around the bottom of the container. This isn’t too big of a deal, but it may be hard for that plant to take root in your soil.

And don’t be afraid to talk to the workers about their plants. Ask them about the plants’ growing conditions, how old they are, if there are any pests or diseases present, and how they deal with them. Most employees will be more than willing to help you.

Planting Your New Vegetables

Wait until the last frost date in your area has passed. This is the day in the spring when the chances of frost go below 50%. So wait until after this date to plant all your crops.

Check out Old Farmer’s Almanac’s frost date calculator to learn more.

Make sure to follow proper spacing requirements, which are listed on the transplant labels and seed packets.

Dig a hole about the size of the seedling cell, take out your seedling, and place it in the hole. Make sure to back fill the hole with soil and press down the seedling to make sure the roots touch the soil.

I also like to add an all-purpose organic 5-5-5 fertilizer to the hole before putting the seedling in. This will give the plants some more nutrients for healthy growth.

Give all your plants a healthy watering and then top off with some mulch.

How to Water Your Vegetable Garden

Most vegetables require a constant supply of water to keep the soil consistently moist.

Some vegetables, like cucumbers and squash require even more water than other vegetables.

A simple trick to ensure proper watering is the knuckle test. This is when you stick your finger into the soil up to your second knuckle. If your finger tip is still moist, then you don’t have to water. If your finger tip feels dry, then you should water your plants.

Some beginner gardeners freak out when their plants wilt, but this is actually a natural response that helps them survive. Plants wilt when it’s really hot and water is evaporating from the leaves faster than the roots can absorb it. This is completely normal.

So don’t water right when you see your plants wilt. Instead, wait until the sun passes in the evening. If the plants are still wilted, then you should water. If the leaves have come back up, then you’re good.

Make sure to use a nice thick layer of organic mulch to protect the soil. This will help to reduce evaporation, meaning you won’t have to water as often.

When to Water Your Vegetable Garden

Most people will recommend to always water your vegetables in the early morning. And I do agree with this, as it gives them enough moisture before the heat of the day sets in.

However, we need to water our plants when they need water. If it’s 1:30 in the afternoon and the soil is looking dry, don’t wait until tomorrow morning to water the plants.

You should only have to water your plants maximum 3 times a week, depending on how hot it is. During the spring, it may be less than once a week. But in the summer, you will always have to water 2-3 times a week.

When to Fertilize Your Vegetable Garden

Fertilization is very important for growing healthy vegetables.

Many vegetables, like tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli, and cauliflower are heavy feeders. This means that they use a lot of resources to grow. Generally, most fruiting crops and large leafy vegetables are heavy feeders.

Any other crops, like lettuce, carrots, beets, and radishes are light feeders. This means that they don’t use a lot of resources to grow properly.

I fertilize my heavy feeders about every 2 weeks with either a liquid or granular fertilizer. Check out Burpee’s fertilizer selection to learn more.

For the light feeders, a fertilizer application every 4 weeks should be good as well.

Check out our guide on organic fertilizer to learn more about vegetable garden fertilization.

Vegetable Garden Maintenance

There are many things that you have to do throughout the year to maintain a healthy vegetable garden. Here are some things to consider:

• Weeding: Weeds will start to grow, no matter how much you try to prevent them. They can steal nutrients from the soil if you let them grow too large. So remove them as soon as possible.
• Pruning: Some plants, like tomatoes and cucumbers, require some pruning to concentrate the growth in an area.
• Staking and Support: Plants that grow tall, like beans and squash, need a trellis to support their weight. If they are left to grow, they will take over the entire horizontal space of your garden, leaving no room for anything else. Check out our cucumber trellis and tomato trellis guides to for some more vegetable garden trellis ideas.

Doing these things throughout the growing season will help you get healthier plants and a better harvest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Even More Gardening Ideas

Here are a few more posts to get the ball rolling in your garden!

• How to Grow Tomatoes that are Juicy and Delicious
• How to Make Biochar as a Soil Amendment
• 9 Practical Uses for Sawdust in the Garden

---

If you liked this article, make sure to share it with your friends and family members who are also looking to sharpen their gardening skills. Also, consider signing up for our email newsletter; don’t worry, we won’t send you spam, just fresh gardening ideas every week!

If you want to learn more about vegetable gardening, check out The Real Gardener on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Pin this post for later:

---