Cicero famously said, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Being a literature fan, I carried a mini library with me wherever I went. Although I always had a money plant or a cactus on my desk, I never had a proper garden.
Last year when I shifted to my apartment, I decided to start a small balcony garden finally. But I hardly knew anything about gardening and farming. Over the months, I researched the internet thoroughly. Even though I collected a lot of information, I felt I needed more. Then, I joined the EnthuZiastic gardening club. Thanks to the amazing people, I got a lot of practical insights.
In this blog, I will tell you briefly what I learned from my experience. Without any further delay, let’s dive straight into the basic gardening tips for beginners.
Check your schedule
My first tip for beginners is: check your schedule. Although it may sound unnecessary to many, I think time is one of the primary resources to make a home garden. Be it a small balcony garden or a few potted plants, check your availability before buying them.
If you plan to grow flowering plants like orchids, gardenia, peace lily, or rose, make sure you have ample time in your hand. Similarly, some vegetables need utmost care to grow, such as cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, onion, etc. I suggest you go for these plants only when you gain a little experience and have the time.
Hey, don’t worry! I also have a list for beginners like me (and for busy gardeners). If you don’t have enough time in your hand, I recommend beginning your gardening journey with houseplants that need less sunlight and water.
1. Snake plant
2. ZZ plant
3. Pothos
4. Silver pothos
5. Silver Satin
6. Cactus
7. Spider plant
8. String of pearls
9. Ponytail palm
10. Succulents
The above-listed plants are very easy to maintain. In addition to that, most of them need low light and infrequent watering.
Again, there are many of us who want to start directly by growing vegetables. Here’s a list for you folks:
1. Tomato
2. Lettuce
3. Green beans
4. Bell peppers
5. Carrot
6. Beetroot
7. Zucchini
8. Mint
When I started my garden during the pandemic, Mr. Sarthak Nayak from Enthuziastic gardening club suggested beginning with mint and tomato. He said growing these plants would give me confidence. And yes, it did. Tomato plants grow easily. Once you see the little red fruits of your hard work, you will already feel like a gardener.
Know your geography
Yup, you read it right—know your geography. Often, we tend to read the internet blogs while picking plants for our garden. I suggest you question yourself before buying any plant.
How much sunlight does this plant need? Do we have the appropriate weather?
If you don’t have the answers, try to find them. Learning about the climate and weather you are living in is the second step towards your gardening journey. Also, try to find out which plants are suitable in which season. After all, you can’t grow coriander in New York winter, and you can’t grow ferns in Delhi’s 48-degree Celsius summer.
Soil
Once you know your geography and decide which plants to buy, it’s time to think about the soil. My first tip for soil is—don’t look at the YouTube videos.
Most of them suggest mixing up soil, manure, cocopeat, and fertilizer. While I totally agree with the experts mixing soil, I think it’s better for beginners to buy the readymade potting soil from the nearest gardening store.
I have tried to prepare soil several times. But every time, somehow, I mixed in the wrong proportion, and the plants died within a month. I suggest experimenting with the soil after gaining a little experience.
On the other hand, if you are gardening in the backyard or planting directly in the soil, I recommend checking the soil quality. How to do that?
Well, you can dig the ground for a few inches and hold the soil in your hand. One tip: the soil shouldn’t feel too wet or too dry. Also, it shouldn’t have excess rocks and rubbles. Touch the soil and try to judge the moisture level. If you feel the soil isn’t good enough, you can buy ground soil from a store and mix it up with it.
An additional, easy tip to make your soil more nutrients rich: try to mix it up with kitchen waste like used tea leaves, vegetables and fruits peel, and eggshells, etc. It nourishes the garden just perfectly.
Gardening Tools
You will need tools for digging, pruning, watering, and weeding. If you buy the below listed tools, it will be more than enough. Don’t worry! These are suitable for different types of gardening at home.
1. Spade
2. Pruning scissors
3. Trowel
4. Gardening fork
5. Watering can
6. Garden hose
Let’s talk money
Yup. Beginners must think about their budget. When I started gardening for the first time, I was so excited that I ended up buying a lot of gardening items that I never used. I bought plants that weren’t favorable to the climate where I was living. I bought unnecessary gardening equipment, which I never used. Also, I bought expensive soil, cocopeat, and manure which I never learnt how to mix in the right proportion.
To conclude, if you know your weather and can pick the right plants, you are almost halfway to become a successful gardener. Don’t worry! Making the soil, adding fertilizers, watering routine, and buying the right tools aren’t rocket science. Just follow the basic gardening tips and you will be successful in your venture in no time. Happy gardening, everyone!