Introduction
If you’ve ever thought about growing organic fruits and vegetables, now is the time to get a head start. With so many ways to grow and more information available than ever before, it’s easier than you may think to start an organic home garden. Whether you want fresh herbs for cooking or beautiful flowers, this guide will show you how to get started when it’s too cold to work outside.
Decide What You Want to Grow
Once you’ve decided to grow an organic garden, it’s time to think about what you want to grow. The first thing to do is decide on the types of plants that are suited for your climate and soil conditions. Depending on where you live, this might mean choosing between fruit trees or vegetables; if you have a lot of space in which to grow crops (such as an empty lot), then there are even more options!
The second step is choosing plants based on when they are ready to harvest. Do you want all of your plants to bloom and be ready for harvest at the same time? Or, do you want to have blooms and harvests across your zone’s entire growing season?
Next, think about what kinds of foods are most important for your family’s diet–do they like tomatoes? Potatoes? Peppers? Maybe there’s a particular vegetable or herb you’ve always wanted to try growing. Simply put, grow plants that make sense for you and your family.
Finally, consider what types, if any, of flowers you want. Are you looking for something colorful and bright? Or do you want plants that attract butterflies and bees to your garden? If you have a particular favorite flower, then consider planting it.
Plan your garden layout.
Now that you have a good idea of what types of plants you’d like to grow, it’s time to plan out your garden layout.
When deciding where each plant should go, consider:
- How much space do I have?
- How much space does each plant need as it matures?
- What season does each plant grow best in, if the plants you choose bloom in different seasons?
- Which plants need the same amount of water and sun? For example, if one part of your garden gets a lot of sun, plant veggies like tomatoes and peppers there.
- Which plants grow better next to each other? Do some research on “companion planting” to figure out which plants go well together.
Once you have this information, you can map out your garden. This will help you see how much space you have and make sure everything fits.
Make a schedule of when to plant each type of plant
The next step to getting a head start is to make a schedule for when you should plant each type of plant. This will depend on where you live as well as what type of vegetable or flower you want to grow. You can find planting schedules online, or just do some research on your own.
If this is your first time growing anything, it may be helpful to start with something simple like leaf lettuce or basil before moving onto more complicated crops like beans or tomatoes. Plants that have a shorter life cycle and don’t flower tend to be easier to maintain through harvest.
Get your seeds or bulbs.
Once you’ve decided what kind of garden you want to create, it’s time to get a head start on gathering the seeds or bulbs. You can buy these items online or at a local organic nursery. If you’re not sure what type of plant will grow best in your area and climate zone, ask an employee at the nursery for advice on which varieties will thrive locally.
When purchasing online is more convenient for you, look for organic options that have been grown without pesticides or herbicides—this way they won’t have any synthetic chemicals on them when planted in your garden!
If you still have some time before you can plant outdoors, properly storing your seeds and bulbs is key to their success. Store your seeds and bulbs somewhere dark, dry, and cool until you plant them. If you still have freezing temperatures, don’t store them outside.
Some plants do better when they are directly sown in your garden as starts or seedlings. Get your starts as close to the time you will plant them as you can because they require the same care as plants in your outdoor garden.
Inspect Your Tools
There’s one more thing you can do before it’s warm enough to plant outdoors—inspect your tools. If a tool is rusty or damaged, it won’t do the job as well and may even cause injury. To make sure your tools are in good working order, wipe them down with a damp cloth and check for rust or damage. Also check if any blades or edges are sharp enough for what you need them for (you don’t want to be cutting something with an unsharpened blade!).
It’s also important that you have all of the right tools before getting started on your garden project; if there is something specific that will make this process easier for you in terms of the size or scope of work involved in starting up an organic vegetable garden, then buy it!
Conclusion
If you’re looking to start an organic garden in the spring, these tips are sure to help you get a head start while it’s still too cold to work outside. Gardening can be a lot of work, but it’s worth it! If you follow the steps above and use our guide on how to build an organic garden, then you’ll be ready to plant as soon as spring comes to town.
Want to learn what things you can do outside before winter hits? Click here to find out.
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