Five Things to Know Before Starting a New Garden

Starting a new garden is exciting. Images of fresh vegetables and bright flowers dance in your head as you stare at a barren patch of land. But before you start throwing seeds in the ground, there are five important things you should consider when deciding where and how to lay out your new garden.

1.        Raised Beds vs. In Ground Planting

The first thing you want to decide is if you are going to build raised beds or plant your garden directly into the ground. There are pros and cons to both.

 The pro of building raised garden beds is that you get to control the quality of the soil you’re putting in the bed. So you can fill it with nutrient-rich soil, which will help you grow strong, healthy plants. When you’re buying soil to fill a garden bed, look for one that’s 96% topsoil mixed with 4% organic compost. That’s the sweet spot plants love.

 The cons of building raised beds are price and labor. Whether you build your own or buy a pre-made bed, there is cost involved, and it can be significant. And then you have to factor in the cost and labor of filling the bed with soil. Between wood, soil, and labor, the costs can add up fast. 

 Plus, if you’re in a dry area like we are in Colorado, another downside to consider is that water evaporates out of the side of raised beds, so your soil dries out faster. And, being above ground, the soil and therefore your plants, get colder faster so your late season crops might suffer a bit. 

 The pros of planting directly into the ground - with no garden beds to build and fill with soil, 

It’s less expensive and faster. 

 The con is that you don’t know the quality of your soil. If you choose to plant directly into the ground it’s a good idea to have your soil tested before you plant. A lot of universities offer this service, as well as local garden centers.  Our soil was tested by Colorado State University. The entire process was easy and inexpensive, and the results included recommendations on how to amend the soil for optimal plant health. 

Keep your garden close to your house if possible

2.        Easy Access

You’re going to be spending a lot of time in your garden, so convenience is key. When deciding where to put your garden remember, you want your garden to be close to your house if at all possible. 

 And when you’re plotting out where exactly the plants will go, think about how you are going to get in and out of your garden. Make clear pathways through the space so you can easily access each plant. 

 This includes factoring in how tall and/or wide each plant will ultimately grow. They are tiny at first, but by late summer, that little row of corn you grew by your backdoor will be a wall blocking you from getting in and out of your house if you’re not careful. Taking the time to plot out and plan where each plant will go ahead of time can save you a lot of misery down the road.

Different areas of the country require different sun exposure. Check your location before planting

3.        Sun

 Plants need sun to grow, so watch and assess how much sun an area gets before committing to a garden location. On the east coast, you want a spot with about ten hours of direct sunlight each day. In Colorado, because we are at a higher elevation, the atmosphere is thinner, so we only need six hours of direct sunlight per day for growing. Check how much sun is needed per day for your area before choosing a garden location. 

 And beware of too much of a good thing. Because our garden in Colorado gets significantly more than six hours of direct sun per day, we have to use sunshades over our plants to avoid them getting sunscald. 

Keep in mind where your water source is coming from

4.        Water

 Water is just as vital for your garden as the sun, so it’s important to consider how you’re going to water when planning your garden.

 First, how close to the well and/or faucet is your garden? Whether you’re hand watering or using a hose-based system, being close to your water source is going to make your life a lot easier.  So, if at all possible, choose a spot that is close to your water source. 

 And then you’re going to need to decide how you want to water your plants. Most people use a drip irrigation system because watering close to the roots of the plant saves water and is healthier for the plants themselves. 

 Watering from above the plant with a watering can or spray hose can spread disease when water droplets hit a sick plant and then splash onto a neighboring healthy plant. Overhead watering can also promote tomato blight if you’re a tomato lover like we are. 

 But if you don’t want to immediately commit to the cost and effort of setting up a drip system and choose to hand water, that’s fine; just be careful to water close to the roots.

 Most plants want about an inch of water per week. Click here for a quick trick to figure out how much water your handheld hose is providing.

Grow what you eat or give excess to local food bank

5.        Decide What to Plant

 The best advice for deciding what to plant in your garden is simple - plant what you enjoy eating. A lot of new gardeners get excited and plant a wide variety of vegetables and then realize they don’t actually like eating those vegetables. So, if you want to eat what you grow, grow what you like. Another great option is to grow whatever your heart desires and then donate the excess to your local food bank. 

 Let us know in the comments if you decide to go with raised beds or in-ground planting for your new garden. And if you want to grow your own starter plants from seed, check out our video on how to make your own seed starter mix.

Happy gardening!