Congratulations on making the step towards your first vegetable garden. In an outdoor space of your own, growing an edible garden is a worthwhile investment and a fruitful lifestyle change. Although it takes a little TLC in the beginning, your own mix of vegetable staples can cultivate an organic diet and minimise your grocery bill in the long run.

Starting a vegetable garden requires some planning and intentionality. Once you’ve decided on the type of veggies you’d like to sprout in your lawn, select an appropriate spot where your seeds will thrive and remind yourself to water your garden. To get you going, we’ve got some tips to growing an edible garden:

How to grow tomatoes

Tomatoes are versatile and delicious in pasta sauce, a fresh sandwich or paired with some bocconcini. One of the best things about tomatoes is that they’re relatively easy to grow.

The ideal location: Tomatoes need plenty of sun for at least five hours, an area with well-drained soil and a patch that isn’t too windy. Some compost will help prepare the soil for your tomato seeds.

• Planting tomatoes: Plant the tomato seeds as deep as you want and water them with a seaweed solution once every few weeks. Putting the stakes in early to prevent any future disruption. Fertilise minimally at the start then add more as flowers start to shoot.
• Maintenance: Mulch the tomatoes in late spring or early summer, water tomatoes regularly and prevent frequent pruning.

How to grow cucumbers

Cucumbers are classified as fruits as they take well to warm weather and come in a wide variety of types. Nonetheless, cucumbers can be a staple food item and are a great plant to grow in your first vegetable garden with numerous health benefits: 

• Plant in early spring: Plant cucumbers early in September as a seedling or newly planted seeds.
• Pick a spot with lots of nutrients and organic matter: Cucumbers need lots of water while growing so plant seeds in moist, loose soil that’s well-drained.
• Give them space: Distance your cucumbers half – a metre apart to give them space to grow.

How to grow potatoes

Potatoes are a versatile vegetable with a wide range of uses. While potatoes can grow from an existing potato, planting seeds from a local garden centre will give you a better yield of crops.  

• Timing is key: Plant potatoes between late Feb- September and you should see growth within a week to ten days. Potatoes will mature in four to five months. Potatoes should be planted at least 10cm deep and at least 50cm apart from each other.
• Additions will help: Loosen up your garden’s soil with additives like manure that provides the needed phosphorus for potatoes.
• Keep your crops covered: During the early growth phase, keep potatoes covered with soil and mulch because sunlight can render potatoes inedible. Keep potatoes moderately watered but overwatering can cause rotting.
• Harvest when vines die: The ideal time to harvest your plants should be when the lower half of the plan begins wilting, approximately a month after the flowering has begun. Store your harvested potatoes away from the full sun and ensure they’re completely dried before storing them away.
  

How to grow garlic

Garlic is easy to grow all year round and while it’s a tiny addition to your recipes, a small clove makes a big difference in flavour and seasoning.

• Plant in full sun: Choose an area of your garden that receives full sun all day. Garlic doesn’t use seeds and a clove can be planted in a pot or a patch as it won’t harm plants nearby.
• Garlic blooms in March: The middle of March when the days are short and nights are cool, make it an ideal time to plant garlic. Plant a garlic clove two- three centimetres under the soil with the narrow end upward facing. Separate your cloves about a fist distance apart in rows that are about 35cms wide. Water garlic generously about twice a week.
• Harvest garlic cloves when the leaves die: Simply grab the stalk of the plant and pull the bulb from the soil. Simply brush the dirt off rather than washing a garlic clove.

Sounds simple enough? Read more on how to grow your first own vegetable garden or connect with an expert for your outdoor space here.