How to Prepare a Garden

There are great guides that you can use to help you build your first garden! Take a look at some of these helpful links we’ve gathered to learn how to start your own vegetable garden at home!

Soil Type

What type of soil do you have: compact, grainy, sand, clay, etc. You want something that will give plants necessary nutrients and allow water to disperse well. When planting, give each plant enough room to establish and grow a root system and enough room above soil to grow! If your soil is too compact, some plants may have a hard time sprouting. If it’s too loose, they might not be able to anchor themselves to the ground and fly away! (not really; they just won’t hold up and be able to produce as expected!)

pH

pH of the soil should be around 6 or 7. Too acidic or too basic and your plants will not grow well.

Soil Food

Composting, cow manure mixes (you can buy these), straw, and mulch are all really good soil foods to use in your garden! They provide nutrients to the plants, oxygen, and allow for moisture to be held. They also bring in bugs and worms that are helpful to maintaining the health of your soil.

Composting: your veggie scraps, coffee ground, loose leaf teas and grass clippings/ papers, egg shells in vinegar, banana peels (anything that will eventually break down in a couple of months!)
Soil Testing: Iowa State has a great site with information on soil testing to determine important nutrient and pH levels of your home soil. Please follow this link to learn more about home soil testing, including when to soil test, how to do it, and how to understand your results.

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Sunlight Requirements

Normally, you will need at least 6 hours of pure and unblocked sunlight for your plants. You’ll want to find out the different requirements for each plant, as some may need more shade than others. Before starting to build your garden, take a few days or weeks to observe what the sunlight is like in the area you are considering.

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Planting Zones

It is important to know what planting zone you are in as this determines the different months/times that you can begin planting your different plants. Make sure to keep your planting zone in mind while you plan your garden and what you want to put in it and when. Grinnell is located in a 5b zone. Follow this 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find your planting zone.

FROST DATES

Watering

When watering, make sure you are watering the roots, not the foliage! The roots are the ones that absorb the water. Do not drown your plants with water; water them slowly and thoroughly. Make sure that you are not overwatering your plants; that is, do not water your plants if the soil is still wet/moist 1 to 2 inches below ground. When you first plant new plants, you will want to water them more consistently in order to help them get established.

Tools

You’ll need a watering can or hose and gardening gloves (not necessary but definitely recommended!!). Hand pruners are good to have after your garden is established and a hand shovel (or hand trowel) is one of the most “handy” tools you can have. A hand rake can also be very helpful to turn the soil. If you have thicker weeds, investing in a weeder would be good!

Families

Here are some basic families of gardening that will be helpful to know when deciding what to plant next to each other and where to plant during a new season! Nightshade: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes. Cruciferous: cabbage, broccoli, kale, and radishes. Cucurbit: cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and melons. Legume/pea: peas, beans, and lentils. Umbellifer: carrots, celery, parsley, and cilantro.

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Start Small

Starting small is a great way to find what works and what doesn’t work! Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t work out the first time around – gardening takes a lot of patience but it’s very rewarding and provides fresh food for you and those around you!

GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS

VEGETABLE GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS

GARDENING TIPS

What Do Weeds Look Like

The best time to weed is when they are young so keep looking and checking in on your garden! You’ll want to get the roots of the weed out so that they can’t grow back. Easiest time to weed is after the soil is wet or moist as it is easier to get the roots out. Here are some common garden weeds and what they look like!

VIEW GARDEN WEEDS

DOWNLOAD GARDEN HANDOUT

Gain Experience by Volunteering

Consider volunteering at one of the local Giving Gardens in Grinnell if you would like to gain experience taking care of a garden before starting your own.

VOLUNTEER AT BAILY PARK GARDEN

VOLUNTEER AT FAIRVIEW GARDEN

When to Harvest Your Garden

It often depends on the type of plant you are growing that determines the signs you can use to see when they are ready to harvest. Most of the time it is dependent on color, firmness, and size.

Spinach

Spinach when starting out looks a lot like grass, the only way to find out if its grass is to give it time before it develops the iconic spinach round leaves.

Carrots

Carrots when they first start out, might look like some weeds that are toxic. One way to distinguish them is by: looking at the stem; carrot stems are solid green. The leaves are broad and compound. Carrot leaves when crushed have an earth smell. Poison Hemlock would leave a foul smell on you if crushed. But if you are unsure, always double check and find a reliable field guide. Here is one we found.

VIEW FIELD GUIDE

Please visit our web page for more harvest tips on common plants that we ourselves have planted in the Giving Gardens!

VIEW HARVESTING TIPS & RECIPES

What does it mean if my plants start flowering?

If your plant is going to produce vegetables (like cucumbers, zucchini, squash, etc.), flowering is a sign that your plant is on its way to producing food! These flowers will turn into the vegetable you will harvest later on. However, if they are flowering, but not producing, there are some reasons why this might be occurring: there might be a low number of pollinators (you could plant milkweed or zinnias to encourage bees or other pollinators to come to your garden), it could be too hot, or the soil could be too wet. Click the link below to learn more.

VIEW FLOWERING RESOURCE

If your plant is being grown for the foliage, this is not a good sign. It means your plant is now directing more energy towards the production of flowers than it is to the desired foliage. If you see this happening, you can deadhead the flower or cut the flower off at the base of the flowering stem. This will allow the plant to redirect energy towards the parts you will soon enjoy! Fun Fact: In herbs or annual vegetables (lettuce, spinach, etc.), when they start to flower, this can be known as bolting! See these helpful guides below for more information on what herbs flower and what it means for those herbs.

VIEW HERB BOLTING RESOURCE

VIEW VEGETABLE BOLTING RESOURCE

If your potatoes start to flower then that means it has reached maturity and it’s ready to give its energy into creating potatoes! If the flowers do get pollinated it might grow a small potato, do not eat it, this is a seed potato that can be planted but does not taste good.

VIEW POTATO PLANT RESOURCE

Essentials of Starting A Garden

How to Prepare a Garden

pH

Soil Food

Gain Experience by Volunteering

When to Harvest Your Garden

What does it mean if my plants start flowering?