How To: Plant a Vegetable Garden--Kira

 Have you ever eaten a cherry tomato, freshly picked from a tomato plant? Or maybe squash, green beans, or carrots? What about one that you put your time and effort into? From my experience, it is one of the best tasting things in the world! Starting all the way back when my great-grandparents were first married, my family has always had a vegetable garden. My great-grandma taught my grandma how to garden, who taught my mom, who has taught me! Lucky for you, I have a basic step by step of creating a vegetable garden, as well as some excellent pointers from my family!

1. Gather supplies

Being prepared is possibly the most important step of all. You will want to get all of your supplies before the planting season begins, so you don’t run out of time. The recommended time to plant seeds is in March. If you plant too early, there could possibly be a freeze (though California is pretty warm) and the plant could die. If you plant too late, your vegetables will not have enough time to grow and get strong before the tough heat (again, California gets pretty warm). This could also lead to plant death. We are approaching May, so if you are thinking about starting a vegetable garden, you better get on it!! To have a garden, you will need:

• ●  Seeds
  **double check that they are plants / vegetables that grow in the summer!**

• ●  Enriched soil

• ●  Shovel

• ●  Small containers, ex: paper cups

• ●  Access to water

2. Choose a good spot

Plants need a ton of sunlight in order to grow. Plan out where you are going to plant your seedlings when they are ready to go into the ground! My mom has planter boxes where she is planning on putting her plants, as shown below!

3. Prepare the soil

Plants turn sunlight into energy, but they need nutrients from the ground as well. To ensure your plant with the best quality dirt, first clear out any weeds or hindering rocks. You can add the enriched soil to the dirt already in your backyard. This will give your plants the boost they need to grow strong and healthy. As seen from the picture of the planter boxes above, my mom also has compost piles to further “feed” her plants.

4. Plant the seeds

To finally begin the seed planting process, your plants will need to start growing in a controlled environment. This way, they are not exposed to harsh weather conditions while they are still so young and fragile. Use the enriched soil you have and put it in small containers. Then, place the seeds in the soil. Be sure to read the packaging on the seeds, as it will tell you all the important information, such as how far down the seed needs to be planted and how often they need to be watered. Seedlings usually need to be watered everyday to keep the soil moist. These seedlings also need to be placed somewhere in your house where there is plenty of sunlight.

5. Transplant your seedlings

How will you know when the vegetables are ready to be transplanted? It may depend on the type of plant, but it is usually around 3 weeks after sprouting or when your plant has 1-2 sets of true leaves. What are true leaves you may ask? They are simply the leaves that grow after the seed leaves. Here is an example of true leaves on a tomato plant!

https://growfully.com/true-leaves/

Once they are ready, it's time to transplant them into the soil you have previously prepared! Again, make sure there is nothing in your soil that could harm your little seedlings, like rocks or weeds. The soil could also be too hard. This could make it difficult for your plant’s roots to grow. You can fix this by tilling your soil (breaking the ground) with a shovel!

After your soil is ready, dig a hole large enough to fit your seedling into. These holes should have the correct amount of space between them. The packets your seeds come from should tell you how far apart each seedling should be. Online, there are great tips for transplanting specific plants. For example, a tomato plant seedling needs to be planted deeper than say a green bean one. Then, carefully remove your plant from its small container (try to not mess with the roots and dirt) and place it into the hole. Use the displaced soil you dug up and pat it into any extra space or around the seedling.

After planting all of your seedlings, water all your plants with plenty of water and get ready for your plants to grow!!

6. Care for your babies

Now that your plants are in the ground, it is time to watch them grow! Water them according to the plant-specific recommended amount each week! A good guide is that your soil should be moist enough to form a ball. If it is too dry (as it can get in California), it is okay to water a little more than the recommended amount. As it gets hotter, your plants also might need more water to keep them hydrated.

You will also need to continually weed during this process. All of your hard work will go to waste if weeds take over and destroy your plants! When weeding, try to catch them early so it is easier to pull them out. Also make sure you pull the root out with the stem so it doesn’t grow back as fast.

7. Harvest

How do you know your plant is ready to be harvested? It’s pretty simple. My mom says she starts to harvest when the vegetables... look like vegetables! For example, a tomato is ready to be picked when it turns from green to bright red (or yellow depending on the type of tomato). Or green beans, when they are as long and thick as your fingers!

The thing that is great about vegetable gardens is that you can harvest from them all summer long! For some plants, like zucchini, they will grow bigger and bigger until you harvest them. Especially in the case of zucchini, they can hide under the plant’s big leaves. This has led our family to some huge zucchini!

8. Make delicious food!

Having a vegetable garden is extremely rewarding, and the food is great too! There are so many different things you can make with your vegetables. You could grill, cook, or even just eat them right off the plant!

I hope you have learned something new about planting a vegetable garden! I can’t wait to hear how your garden grows and how that first bite of a freshly grown cherry tomato tastes!