How to Plan & Plant Your Own Vegetable Garden

1. Picking out your vegetables:
   • Decide what produce you want to grow and what makes sense for your household.
   • Don't get too eager and over populate your garden with produce you will waste.
   • Check out these easy to grow vegetables including green beans, beets and carrots.
   • Do your research to find out which seeds you want to buy.
2. Choosing a place for your vegetable garden: 
   • Try to pick a place close to the house for easy access.
   • The average vegetable garden is 400 to 600 square feet.
   • Full sunlight exposure is best for vegetable gardens. 6 hours minimum of sunlight is necessary for optimum growth.
   • Access to plenty of water is key so consider setting up a sprinkler system.
3. Prepping the area:
   • Consider how you want to plant: Raw Cropping means you plant in rows versus Intensive cropping with closer spacing between the produce.
   • Check the quality and drainage of the soil or you can opt to raise the beds and fill with new loam soil (see how to raise the vegetable garden beds here).
   • Plant your seeds!
4. Caring for your vegetables:
   • Your veggies are in a safe, light filled healthy soiled place.
   • Ensure the crops receive about an inch of water a week.
   • Weed your garden regularly.  Consider using a mulch or compost to help promote healthy growth.

Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can still plant your own vegetable garden this Spring and when you're eating a delicious salad with fresh, incredible produce that you grew yourself (with the help of the Internet, of course), you will be glad that you did it!