Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening For Beginners [Must Read]

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

Gardening comes with its fair share of euphoria, especially for beginners. It's a new experience that can turn out to be great or otherwise. In turn, it is this uncertainty that makes the whole experience all thrilling. 

However, as a beginner, it's possible to increase your chances of achieving success, and significantly at that.

All it takes is attention to details and, of course, effort. So, what do you need to pay attention to?

Here are some keys to starting out.

2. Choose The Right Vegetables 

Most well-intentioned gardeners wonder if there's anything like the right vegetable. Well, especially for a beginner, there is. You will need to ensure you plant only the right vegetables.

While we get to the best vegetables to plant later in this article, here, I'll tell you what to consider when choosing veggies. 

Here are some things you'll be smart to remember when choosing vegetables.

• Pick only vegetables that you enjoy eating. You don't want to choose a vegetable you or your family don’t consider as food regardless of how attractive it might seem.
• It would be best to go for options that you like but can't easily access at the supermarket.
• Choosing vegetables that fit into your schedule and entire season. You don't want to pick a high-maintenance vegetable when you're going to have a busy schedule or go on summer vacation each planting season.
• Ensure you get high-quality seeds when going for a veggie. 
• You can always ask your friends for advice on what to plant.

Location Guide | Where to Place Your Garden?

Next up, you'll need to pick a location for your vegetable gardening. I've got to tell you; this is no child's play and any first-time gardeners.

In fact, getting this right will determine the whole course of your vegetable gardening experience. So, you've got to pay extra attention to getting the right location. 

Well, I wouldn't tell you what to do without telling you how to do it.

Here are some steps to take when placing your garden each season. 

1. Get A Location with Good Access to Sunlight 

If there's one recurrent vegetable gardening idea, it's the reality that you can't do without adequate direct sunlight. Like you can see, it's not just sunlight but adequate hours of sunlight. This is because most veggies you'll plant require access to a degree of sunlight.

You'll find that a minimum of six hours of access to sunlight per day is required for most plants. They require this for their regular growth and development. In turn, they will experience poor growth without access to it. 

So, when looking for where to place your garden, you want to be sure you get a space that guarantees access to sunlight. Now, if you're using a raised bed, you've got more options and flexibility. 

Regardless, ensure that you do not neglect to prioritize access to a sunny location. This way, you're on your way to get the yield and results you desire from your vegetable gardening. 

2. Get a Location in a Firm and Stable Environment 

The next thing you'll want to consider when getting a location is finding a stable and well-balanced environment. Keep in mind that this is about the environment and not the ground. You're likely wondering what the environment has got to with your garden.

Well, a lot. The stability of your environment goes a long way in determining if your plants will survive or not. For instance, you don't want to pick a place that records strong winds. 

In such an instance, your plant roots might not get the time to dive deep into the soil before they get blown away. The winds might prevent pollinators from functioning effectively. In turn, all this will culminate to hand you a bad experience.

You surely want to avoid this. Ensure you pick a location that enjoys stability. You don't want a location that suffers from flooding. You also don't want one that suffers from considerable foot traffic. All these are far from good news for your vegetable garden.

You want to devote considerable time to get a well-balanced environment. 

3. Go for a Well-drained and Moist Soil

Your choice of soil is perhaps the most important consideration when choosing a location. This is because of the significance the soil plays in the result of your gardening enterprise. You use a less than great soil, and you're on your way to a bad harvest. It's that simple.

You want to ensure that you pick a location that offers the best soil composition suitable for vegetable gardening. In some cases, it might be hard to get this naturally. This is where using a raised bed comes in. 

It allows you to get the best soil composition irrespective of the soil's existing deficiencies in your area. You can also use mulches to improve your soil. Now, there is more to know about getting the best soil. So, we will get into more details as you read on.

How to Start Your First Vegetable Garden

Now that you've got a clear idea on choosing the best location, we can get right to starting your first vegetable garden using a raised bed. 

Here is all that you need to keep in mind when it comes to the garden plans.

Best Vegetables to Plants

After getting everything right, one thing you can't afford to miss is planting the best vegetable plant. We have already detailed the things to consider when choosing vegetables.

Here are some of the best types of vegetables that you can try out. Remember, you can get seed packets from garden centers close by.

Beets

My first pick of the best vegetable plants is beets. I've chosen this option thanks to its fast-growing capacity that allows you to enjoy multiple harvests.

Even more, you don't need to worry about providing considerable care for this option. 

Green Beans 

Next on my list is great beans. As expected, you'll get loads of yield when you harvest. Even more impressive is that you can easily preserve green beans following your harvest through freezing or canning. 

Radishes

One great option is growing radishes. This is because they are easy to grow while also being fast growers. In turn, you can start planting by spring and still harvest fast enough to plant again in summer. 

Salad Greens

If you're looking for a plant that will keep rewarding your dedication to gardening, then salad greens are for you. Whether you go for spinach, carrots, or lettuce, as long as you grow them under the right conditions, you'll enjoy an impressive harvest. 

Onions

Onions are another great option thanks to their multi-use. Precisely, while the bulb might not mature properly, it's nothing to worry about. This is because you can also use even that. 

Potatoes

You also want to try potatoes in your vegetable garden. They produce great harvest by the beginning of summer. Even more, when you harvest, all you need to do is leave the plant and be ready to harvest again through fall. 

Peppers

Whether you're going for bell or hot peppers, peppers are generally a great choice. They are easy to cultivate and provide color to your garden. Even more, it's a substance that will bring a great harvest. 

Basil

Another great option you would be wise to try out is basil. It stands out as an easy herb. Even more, it pairs great with a lot of other vegetable options. So, it's a great combination. 

Tomatoes 

You'll hardly go wrong with fresh tomato plants in your garden. They provide large yields that will make your investment worth it. So, you want to try out tomatoes.

Cucumbers

This climbing and vining plant is another great option that you want to try out. As long as there is enough room for their growth, you'll get consistent growth all summer. 

Pumpkins

While you'll need a large area to grow pumpkins, they are still a great place to start for beginners. Of course, you've got to have space. It is fun to grow and also provides great yields in large sizes. 

Bush Zucchini

With the bush zucchini, you're opting for an option that's easy to grow. Even more, you'll enjoy a steady supply of this veggie throughout the summer if you cultivate it. 

Other items you can go for include:

• Pole beans
• Summer squash
• Eggplants
• Asparagus
• Rhubarb

Don't Make These Mistakes When Gardening

Now that you've got a comprehensive idea of what to do, you must remember one more thing. These are the things to avoid when using raised beds for vegetable gardening.

Keep in mind that this is extremely important. This is because even if you were to do all the right things, the best result becomes harder once you do any wrong things. So, you want to ensure that you avoid any of these things.

Now, here are the mistakes that you want to avoid when it comes to vegetable gardening. 

1. Avoid Planting Too Early

If there's one thing you must prioritize, it's planting at the right time. In turn, you mustn't make the mistake of planting your vegetable too early. 

This is because your plant requires a certain level of heat and sunlight for it to germinate or develop. In turn, if you plant too early, you will only expose it to frost, which will hinder its growth. Eventually, you will find your seedlings failing to germinate and all your efforts wasted. 

As a beginner, I've been there myself thanks to the absence of proper guidance. Luckily for you, this doesn't have to be your case. So, ensure you look out for the appropriate timing based on your location and avoid planting too early.

Also, you might consider planting indoors and vegetable transplants to beat the frost. While that is a good idea, you need to note that some crops require deep soil to grow best. In turn, starting too early and indoors might not be the best bet.

So, ensure you consider your plant's need, wait for the appropriate weather, and ensure you're not planting too early. 

2. Avoid Ignoring the Pests

In most cases, you can't avoid the threats of pests and insects in your vegetable garden. However, it is sometimes convenient to conclude that these pests pose little or no problem to your veggies. In turn, you pay little or no attention to addressing them. 

Unfortunately, this is a mistake that you must avoid if you have any intention to get great yield from your garden.

As you know, pests dwindle your yields and can even result in little or no yield in cases where you allow them to spread. 

So, you want to avoid neglecting the influx of pests in your garden. In fact, it would be best to make arrangements for pest control from the beginning. You can easily plant different crops that will naturally reduce the influx of pests. 

Even beyond this, you can have a fence for other types of pests like rabbits and deer. You can also opt for pesticides and insecticides in a way that does not damage your vegetable.

Regardless, what you must ensure is that you do not take the threat of pests too lightly. 

3. Avoid Neglecting the Soil

As you already know, a significant part of getting the best result in a vegetable garden is having fertile ground. Unfortunately, in some cases, access to the best soil for a vegetable garden might be difficult in your area.

Well, this is why a raised bed becomes a sane option.

Unfortunately, it is easy for gardeners to believe that all is well and great with a raised bed. However, this is far from the case. No doubt, a raised bed will allow you access to suitable soil for your vegetable garden.

Yet, this only works if you pay attention to get the best composition in the raised bed.

So, ensure you are not complacent with fine-tuning your raised bed. Your complacence would no doubt defeat the purpose of a raised bed.

Pay attention, test the soil, and get the right soil composition before you get planting. You can resort to various techniques like succession planting to get the best result.

4. Avoid Neglecting Irrigation

I know it's quite easy and convenient to tell yourself that you'll water your garden manually. Well, I also did tell myself the same thing. However, just before you dive fully into that reality, remember that this is another mistake that you need to avoid.

This is because watering manually will turn out to hectic and even ineffective. In time, you will find yourself abandoning this and leaving your veggies without adequate water.

I bet that I don't need to remind you about the effect of inadequate water. 

So, don't get into a false sense of security believing that hand watering will work. You want to plant for an irrigation system. Even when you still want to water manually or use a sprinkler, ensure that you're very close to a water source.

This way, watering your plant is easier. 

Regardless, getting an irrigation system represents your best bet. It allows you to avoid overhead watering, which wastes water and might cause fungal diseases in your foliage. 

5. Avoid Using an Extremely Wide Raised Bed 

If there's one thing you want to avoid, it is getting a raised bed that's too wide. This is because this will defeat the purpose of getting the raised bed in the first place.

A raised bed allows you to avoid soil compaction since you don't need to step on them.

However, once you get a vast raised bed, it becomes impossible to access the whole area without entering it. In turn, you will ruin the soil and record poor growth.

You want to avoid the mistake of going for an extensive raised bed.

At best, ensure your raised bed isn't beyond 4 feet wide. This way, you can easily reach all areas. Also, if you will be placing your bed against the wall, this means you can't access the other side.

You might want to go for something smaller that you can access from one side.