By Joshua Rigsby
Growing up here in Tennessee, gardening has always been a part of my life — even when I was a little kid. I have so many childhood memories of summer weekends at my grandparent’s farm, and much of those are in some way related to growing something. My grandfather planted a garden every year that was easily two acres in size.
So much of what I know about gardening and growing things I had the privilege of learning from him. I may not have enjoyed helping him with those things as much as I enjoy the memories of helping him now, and I definitely never saw myself growing into someone who gardens constantly, but a lot of what I grow now is grown with purpose.
One of the biggest reasons I think everyone should garden is just to throw some extra variety into their diet, and why not trim some additional savings off of that grocery bill during the warmer months. Gardening can open a doorway to so many options beyond those found in any local grocery store. Gardening also cultivates patience and can foster a much deeper appreciation for many of those foods you’ve commonly seen in the produce section.
Size matters
The first thing to consider before beginning your garden is the physical space with which you have to work. Your space will determine what you actually can grow. If you’re new to gardening, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the size you should expect from the mature adult plant of whatever you’re planting. A common mistake new gardeners make is overcrowding baby plants that quickly outgrow their space and fail to produce much, if anything at all.
Beyond how much room you have, you also want to consider how many hours of light (direct and shaded/indirect) your space receives. Many popular garden veggies need a minimum of four to six hours of sunlight a day if you expect the plant to produce an acceptable harvest. This is entirely dependent upon your location and will be different for everyone, so be sure to observe your planting space throughout the day to get an idea of how much light your garden will get.
Once you have an idea of where you’re going to plant and how much room you have, your attention should turn to what you would like to grow. This is one of the most fun and enjoyable aspects of gardening. My advice is to grow things you like to eat and are familiar with, but take a pause to plant a variety of something that you can’t get at the local grocery store.
Tomatoes, for example, come in over 10,000 varieties. From small cherries in your salad to beefsteak large enough to overlap sandwich bread, you have a ton of options! This is true for everything. Whether you’re starting from seed or purchasing seedlings, try to pick and plant varieties that can’t be bought off a local store shelf.
I’d also suggest planting popcorn. Yes, popcorn! Popcorn is its own variety of corn, and while many people may think it’s “just regular corn that’s had something done to it,” you can grow it from a seed just like any other garden vegetable. I recommend Strawberry Popcorn as it’s small and has a beautiful fall color. It pops quite easily in a small covered pot with olive oil and salt!
As you’re deciding what you want to grow, start thinking about where you’re going to plant your different vegetables. Certain root systems of plants don’t do well with other neighboring types of plants and their root systems. Corn does very well near beans or legumes and squash, but it doesn’t appreciate being close to tomatoes. And while tomatoes aren’t near as fussy and do well with onions, squash and peppers, they don’t like corn, dill or potatoes. This doesn’t mean that the plants won’t grow at all or that they’ll die off if planted close to one another, but you’ll likely end up with two plants that have managed to stay alive all year but haven’t really given you anything to show for it in terms of a harvest.
If you plant it, it will grow
Next comes the planting! If you’re limited to potted plants this part of the process is easy. If you’ve got a couple of raised beds, this part will require some elbow grease but nothing that most people can’t manage. However, if you’re breaking ground on a traditional plot, this step requires a little more planning and prep. This is especially true if you haven’t broken the ground before, and I’m of course assuming you have access to a garden tiller or a tractor. Regardless, if you haven’t broken ground on this plot before just be prepared for a few days of work over a couple of weeks.
I first break ground on my garden sometime in March with the plan to plant in mid-to-late April. This is to give the ground plenty of time to dry out between tillings, as well as to interrupt the growth cycle and kill off a lot of the weeds or plants that are already growing over where your garden will be. Giving time between tillings dries out the soil and makes it easier to till the next time you work on it. In the end, you will want it to be well broken up and as powdery as possible.
Once you’re completely ready to plant, take care to dig rows or prepare your mounds for whatever you’re
planting. Transplanting seedlings right out of a tray will save you a lot of time at this stage of the process, but will likely cost you. Planting seeds directly will save you a lot of money, but you have to be mindful of the extra time that’s inherently involved with starting from just a seed.
While most seed packets have growing and germination instructions, these are often generic guides. If you haven’t started from seeds before, the most important thing to keep in mind is depth. Do your research for what you’re planting and make sure you’re planting seeds at the right depth.
All living things need water and attention
As soon as everything is in the ground the real work begins — tending to it regularly and waiting for your first harvest. Make sure to water your garden right away, and you’ll want to make sure to keep it watered while things are taking root and developing underground.
Watering early on is very important as the root systems throughout your garden are very young and still developing. Even if it’s not very hot out, young seedlings can dry out and die easily if they don’t have enough water. Your garden will struggle to thrive if you water sporadically. The plants will expend too much energy trying to survive and they won’t have enough energy to produce food for you, so make sure to develop a watering schedule.
Your other chore until harvest begins is pulling weeds or any plant that’s growing somewhere in your garden where it’s not meant to grow. Weeds are the enemy of success and no weed is too small to pull! Even a small weed can stunt the growth of a nearby plant tremendously. To make your work easier, I suggest doing this often! The larger a weed gets the larger its roots get, and the more you risk damaging a neighboring garden plant as you extract it from the soil.
Whatever you decide to plant, just remember to have fun with it! Gardens are a labor of love. Be patient as you and your garden grow together, but also remember that you get what you give out of it. If you give your garden attention, it’ll give you a plentiful harvest as a reward. If you’ve never gardened before, don’t be afraid to start small and simple and grow from there in the years to come. And if you’re already an experienced gardener then you should stop reading now and go pull some weeds!
ABOUT JOSHUA RIGSBY
Joshua was born and raised in Sumner County. A self-made Master Gardener, he’s also a home-brew hobbyist (wine not beer), amateur woodturner, and loves propagating plants. His oldest plant is over a decade in his care and is now over 7’ tall, and his proudest propagation accomplishment so far is pineapples. Joshua is also passionate about volunteer work, nature conservation, and community activism. Joshua received an AS in Business and Commerce from VSCC, and a BS in Organizational Communication from MTSU. He is currently a Sales Performance Coach at Technology Advice in Nashville Tennessee.
