5 Things My First Year of Gardening Taught Me
I’m sitting here in mid February staring out my window at the gloomy skies, reminiscing on the sunny days from last year’s growing season. I’m eagerly awaiting the day I can get back in the garden. Like seriously, it needs to get here ASAP!
*deep breath*
If there is anything the garden has taught me, its to have patience. As I wait, I’m thinking back at my first attempt at gardening and I can’t help but laugh. So young and so naive I was. I want to share with you 5 lessons I learned from my very first year of gardening. I’m very new to the world of gardening so there’s still SO much to learn, but as I begin planning for the garden this year, these are some things I’ll be sure to keep in mind.
Don’t start all your seedlings so early! I made the grave mistake of starting not just my spring crops, but my summer crops as well last February and so many seedlings never lived to see the sunlight. I started all of my seedlings in a very warm tropical greenhouse (courtesy of my partner’s tropical plant nursery), and I had no idea that such warm temperatures would not only jumpstart my seedlings, but propel their growth significantly. I had full grown bean plants ready in just 4 weeks and it wasn’t time to plant them for at least another two months. If there are any seedlings to start in late February or Early March, it would most definitely be your cooler growing spring crops like brassicas and leafy greens.
I’m sure your head tilted when I mentioned I started some bean seedlings. *sigh* This brings me to my second lesson. Not every plant is meant to start as a seedling and then get transplanted, especially beans. Those poor beans... There are a few plants that do much better being planted straight into the ground. From what I experienced, these plants absolutely despised being transplanted - BEANS, BEETS, CARROTS, CORN, and PEAS. Transplant shock is far too real and far too much for these plants. Spoiler alert, they died. (Actually, my carrots lived, but they grew into really funny shapes having been hindered by the pot and unable to expand properly).
For those plants that do well with being transplanted such as brassicas, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and okras, it is SO important to harden your plants off and acclimate them to the merciless conditions outside of your greenhouse, home, or wherever you’re starting your seedlings. I was keenly unaware of this and so many of my seedlings perished. It makes sense though, they’ve been growing in the very safe and very controlled conditions of your indoor environment, never having experience a gust of wind or direct sunlight. They have no clue whats waiting for them on the other side. Baby steps. To harden them off, introduce your seedlings to the outside world little by little until they can handle full sunlight. I’d recommend starting two weeks before you’re ready to plant them outside. Start off by bringing them to shady spot, not exposed to any direct sunlight and have them sit out for an hour or two before bringing them back in, gradually increasing the exposure by an hour every day. After a few days in the shade, introduce them to the sunlight for an hour or two and gradually increase the exposure by an hour as they days progress. By the end of your two weeks, they should be hardened up and ready to plant. It may feel like quite a bit of work, but starting your seedlings is a really great way of getting a jump start on the growing season and you don’t want all that work to go to waste by bringing them outdoors too fast.
Besides growing my own seedlings, I also bought starts (seedlings that someone else grew) to plant in my garden. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably buy WAY more than you’ll need. Please don’t. There is absolutely no reason to buy 20 cauliflower plants for your kitchen garden, especially if you don’t have the room, which brings mean to my fifth and final lesson (for now).
I was keenly unaware of how important spacing is when it comes to planting, so I ended up planting all of my brassicas inches away from one another. I laughed so hard typing that. Honey, your brassicas need room! I had no idea that they could grow so big. I’d say at least 18 inches is a safe enough distance for them. They really need the space to stretch out, otherwise they’ll compete for nutrients, overshadow each other, and never reach their full potential. Please pay attention to the spacing requirements for your plants when you start plopping them in.
As much as I want to get my hands in the dirt right now, we have to be patient and make sure we’re doing things right. It will save us a lot of time, labor, and money in the long run. I found this super cute little guide for growing veggies and I think it’ll help you know when its appropriate to start your spring and summer seedlings. Disclaimer: I’m in zone 7b here in Tennessee, so this may not apply to everyone reading this. Different zones have different timings for planting things so be sure to learn yours!
I hope you’ve all enjoyed this little read and have learned something from my mistakes. I’m heading into my second year of gardening EVER and I couldn’t be more excited. To grow your own food is such a gift and truly one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to experience it all over again and continue to grow with my garden.
If you have any funny experiences with growing your veggies or any tips, please feel free to share! We’re all in this together.
Love and light.