Vegetable gardening has been found to be one of the most relaxing and inexpensive ways to relieve stress, work out, bond with nature and grow healthy food. Today, more people are more aware of healthy alternatives and are more willing to eat fresh produce, work out and reduce lifestyle-related illnesses. Everyone can now grow food, whether in an apartment building or in the spacious suburbs regardless of the weather patterns, and be fulfilled in the knowledge that your favorite vegetable will always be in season.

For the beginner who’s been looking to start up, here are some simple tips to getting those vegetables out of the soil and onto your plate;

1. Start small with the simplest vegetables that take the shortest time to grow. Keep in mind that as a beginner, you still have a lot to learn and it is better to carry out the experiment on a small scale than have an epic large scale fail (please note that not all beginners fail, so it depends on luck and how well you follow up on the vegetables)

2. Carry out research and find the best seeds that promise high yields and are disease and weather resistant. In doing so, you guarantee that even if some of the vegetables won’t survive to see you palate, at least you still get some.

In the same space, buy small quantities of seed that will be used all at once instead of having them remain to carry over to the next time you plant. This ensures that their high quality is retained, giving good yields all the time.

3. Once you make the decision to start your vegetable garden, commence soil preparation. It may be a good idea to visit one of the farmer’s stores and consult with the experts on the quality of the soil. Professionals with soil experience are more likely to do soil tests for you and advise you on what soil nutrients to increase and fertilizers to use to add to the soil value, depending on the vegetables you want to grow. They may also advise you on how much water the soil needs for whatever favorite vegetable you hope to grow.

4. Once you get your seeds, fertilizer and soil, consider the ideal location to place your garden, where the vegetables will get sufficient light. Different vegetables need varying lengths and intensity of sunlight. It might be advisable to have a protective tent if the garden is the plot behind your house to cover the vegetable once the sun is too hot, or where you can install lighting in case you need artificial lighting.

If you intend to use pots, buckets, sacks or cut bottles, then consider having them in an area that has drainage to allow excess water to flow, and consider having holes in them where the excess water can drain off.

5. Finally, go ahead and begin your journey to getting an all year round supply of fresh vegetables that guarantee you good roughage, steady supply of vitamins and relaxation as you work on the garden.
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These simple tips are far from being exhaustive and are not only meant for vegetable gardening but can be applied to many crops that are easily planted at home. Any beginner can go ahead and try them out, customize them to suit their surroundings and add onto them to make the experience more successful. Who knows, maybe these tips are what you need to discover that green thumb you always thought you had.