Gardening can be a fulfilling hobby and income-generating project. You get to exercise, build strength, breathe fresh air, enjoy the connection with nature, and boost your mood. Aside from growing flowers to beautify your yard, you can also cultivate an edible garden to harvest fresh products.

For some, gardening may seem intimidating, especially since it requires attention and physical labor; this is even more so if you don’t know how or where to begin. To help you get started in gardening this 2023, here’s a quick guide to consider:

1. Gather The Right Tools And Equipment 

The first order of business is to ensure you have the necessary tools, equipment, and supplies for gardening. The list is quite long, but it depends on your yard or farm size and the plants you intend to grow.  

As a good start, here are some essential gardening tools: 

• A digging fork to get rid of weeds 
• Garden kneeling pads to kneel on while planting and weeding 
• A small stool to sit on for time-consuming gardening chores like pruning 
• A wheelbarrow for ferrying waste materials and other garden transport needs 
• Gardening gloves to protect your hands from blisters and splinters 
• A rake for leveling and breaking up or loosening the soil for planting 
• A spade for digging up weeds and scooping or loading soil and waste materials onto the wheelbarrow 
• Water hose, sprinkler, or a watering can for irrigation 
• Pruning shears or secateurs for cutting off excess branches and cleaning up or shaping plants 

Aside from the list above, you may need a greenhouse if your area’s climate isn’t favorable for your intended plants. A greenhouse can help you create a microclimate and control various plant growth parameters like humidity, temperature, and light. Moreover, they allow you to grow plants and crops all year round, regardless of the prevailing climatic conditions. You can check out suppliers like Sproutwell Greenhouses to know your options in terms of sizes, types, and designs.

2. Decide What To Plant

Different plants thrive in specific climatic and soil conditions. Thus, it’d be good to note you may not be able to plant whatever crop you desire. Generally, the temperatures, humidity levels, rainfall amount and intensity, and soil type in your yard or farm will determine your choice.  

For dry and hot climates, you’d want to grow drought-resistant crops like amaranth, New Zealand spinach, eggplant, purslane, Roma tomatoes, or rosemary. You can also plant lavender, Japanese irises, and Dietes. For cooler climates, you can grow crops like radishes, kale, or beets.

Consider consulting with your local department of Agriculture for insight into your area’s climatic conditions and patterns. They can also advise you on what crops and plants perform best in your area.

3. Prepare The Soil

With the right tools and specific plants, you can now embark on soil preparation. First, determine the extent of your garden and fence it off, if possible, to keep away children and pets. Next, slice off the top few inches of soil to eliminate weeds, grass, and moss. You can compost the chopped-off layer for later use. After that, till the soil to about one foot deep using a hoe or motor-driven rotary tiller. As you do this, remove any large stones, timber, plastics, or metals you encounter. 

Once the soil has been sufficiently churned, you can add lime or sulfur to alter its acidity or fertilizers to boost its nutrient content. Organic matter such as manure and compost of leftover fruits and vegetables can also supply additional nutrients and improve the soil’s structure.

4. Plant Seeds Or Seedlings

It’s now time for the most awaited activity—planting. You may have seeds or seedlings depending on the crop. Dig holes using a hand trowel or shovel to a sufficient depth. Ensure there’s adequate space between the holes to give each plant enough space for growth, as overcrowding may lead to malnourishment and stunted growth.

Place the seeds into the holes and cover them with a few inches of soil. Compact slightly to prevent birds and rodents from digging up the seeds. If it’s the rainy season, no further action is needed. But if you’re planting on dry soil, you must adequately water the seeds to facilitate germination.

5. Take Care Of The Plants

Gardening isn’t a one-time thing. As mentioned, it can be demanding since you’ll always need to assess the plants’ performance and see if there’s anything you can do to make them thrive. This includes tending to your flower or vegetable garden or farm through weeding, pruning, spraying herbicides and pesticides, thinning, topping fertilizer, and frequent watering.

Conclusion

Curating and tending to your garden or farm can be a rewarding activity. Aside from exploring if you have a green thumb, gardening also allows you to reap health benefits, like reducing stress and allowing you to exercise and strengthen your body. While it may take a lot of work, gardening can be enjoyable even with little knowledge. 

As a beginner, there are many ways you can expand your knowledge and gain helpful gardening advice. This article, for instance, has outlined some steps to help you get started with gardening and enjoy the fruits of your labor.