How Do You Start An Organic Garden For Beginners

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Even if you've never gardened before, you can start your own organic garden to grow flowers, fruits, or vegetables. We'll help you get started, from choosing your site to helping your plants thrive.

1

Get started early. Get a jump on your gardening effort at any time of year by choosing a site for the garden, buying containers for a container garden, planting seedlings, building garden boxes, and making compost for your garden.
2
Choose a small site for your organic garden. Think small, especially at first. Find a spot in your yard that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day.^[1] A well-maintained 4 ft × 4 ft (1.2 m × 1.2 m) garden can furnish all of the fresh vegetables that one person will eat.
- Even a window box or a few containers can be a starter garden.
3

Think about using your lawn as a garden. A pristine lawn is a lot of work and, depending on your climate, may require a lot of fertilizer and water to keep green. It's also a mono-culture that is difficult to maintain. At the very least, consider letting clover and other plants in, and don't panic if a few weeds spring up. Consider planting something besides lawn or making your lawn smaller, especially in arid climates.
4
Consider a container garden. Try growing in pots, boxes, or buckets on a patio. Even growing herbs in one of your south-facing windows to garnish your favorite dishes and soups is great fun.^[2]
- Even if you don't have a sunny backyard or patio, you may be able to grow parsley, mints, garlic/green onions, chives, or even small tomatoes this way.
- 5 US gal (19 l) buckets can be easily converted to gardening containers by adding a layer of pebbles to the bottom and drilling 3 or 4 ¹⁄₂ in (13 mm) holes on the bottom for drainage.^[3]

1
Make a compost pile . Compost is the main ingredient for developing rich organic soil. You can use almost any kind of organic material to make compost that will enrich your soil, but the best things to start with are usually right there in your garden:^[4]
- Fallen leaves
- Weeds (preferably before they go to seed)
- Grass clippings
- Old fruit and vegetable trimmings
- Don't use anything containing oil, fat, meat, grease, feces, dairy, or wood chips.^[5]
2
Test the pH of your soil . Test the pH of your soil by buying pH test strips from a garden store. Stir a handful of soil with lukewarm distilled water until it's the consistency of a milkshake, then dip the pH test strip in. Hold it there for 20-30 seconds, then compare the strip to the test kit's key.
- The pH (acidity versus alkalinity) of your soil should be somewhere between 5.5 to 7.0 for plants to thrive.^[6]
- If your soil is too acidic (below 5.5), buy dolomite or quick lime to add to the soil, then retest.
- If your soil is too alkaline (above 7.0), add more organic matter, like peat moss or compost, then test the soil again.
3
Measure your soil's drainage. Dig a hole in your garden or container 1 ft × 1 ft (0.30 m × 0.30 m) wide. Fill the hole with water and wait 24 hours. Then, fill the hole with water again and measure how fast the water drops with a tape measure. The ideal rate is 2 in (5.1 cm) per hour.^[7]
- Adding a few cups of compost or peat moss will help soil that drains too fast and soil that drains too slow.
- For a less scientific test, moisten your soil and grab a handful of it. The soil should hold together, but fall apart when you poke it with a finger. If your soil holds its shape or falls apart without a poke, add more organic matter (compost or peat moss) to improve its drainage.
4
Add organic soil from your compost heap. The key to organic agriculture is great soil. Add as much organic material to your soil as you can, preferably from your compost heap. Soil that has been built up with plenty of organic matter is good for your garden for a lot of reasons:^[8]
- It will nourish your plants without chemical fertilizers.
- It is easier to get shovels into—and weeds out of—enriched soil that isn't packed hard.
- It is softer, so plant roots can penetrate more easily and deeply.
- It will help water and air spend the right amount of time in contact with roots. Clay soils can be heavy and will stay wet for a long time. Sandy soils can drain water too quickly. Compost mitigates both conditions.

1
Choose plants for your organic garden. Think about what you like to eat and how often you want to eat it. Plants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash will keep producing all year long, while vegetables like carrots and corn will only produce once. Buy seedlings from a garden store or farmer's market.^[9]
- Be sure to buy seedlings that haven't bloomed yet, and make sure to ask if they've been treated with chemicals. To be a true organic garden, your plants should be completely free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
2
Plant your seedlings in full sun after the last frost. Plant seedlings into your organic, compost-rich soil and set them in areas where they'll receive full sun: at least 6 hours a day.^[10]
- Plant thickly to prevent weed growth. Companion plantings can fill in spaces in vegetable gardens, too, and will help you make the most of a small space. Spaces that are planted thickly enough will discourage weeds from growing between plants that you want.
3
Mulch areas around plants 2 in (5.1 cm) deep. Organic mulches, including bark, wood chips, and grass clippings, gradually break down and enrich the soil.^[11]
- In the meantime, they control weeds, help to moderate soil temperatures, and slow evaporation, meaning that you can water less.
4
Water your garden in the morning. Water in the morning, when the temperature is cool and there's less risk of evaporation, which will deprive your plants of water.
- Watering in the evening isn't ideal, as it keeps your plants wet overnight and encourages mildew. It's still preferable to watering in the middle of the day, though.^[12]
5
Weed your garden every few weeks. Regularly taking off the green portions of weeds will deprive them of the nourishment they need to continue growing. Weeds are any plant you don't want growing in an area, and may include invasive ornamental or productive plants, such as ivy and mint.^[13]
- Use a hoe and keep it sharp. Try a Dutch hoe or scuffle hoe instead of a conventional gooseneck style hoe. Hoe each area frequently enough to keep green weeds down.
- Hand weed to remove the roots of perennial weeds that grow back. Also hand weed carefully around established plants, to avoid uprooting the plants you want.
- Try heat to control weeds in cracks, in the form of steam, a heat gun, boiling water, or even a small blowtorch, carefully applied.
6
Attract helpful creatures by adding seeds, compost, or flowers. Many creatures can help your garden. Arrange the conditions of your garden to encourage them by:
- Putting out seed for birds^[14]
- Adding compost to your soil to attract worms^[15]
- Planting alyssum, sunflowers, lemon balm, and parsley to invite beneficial insects^[16]
7
Avoid using chemicals in your garden. In order to be certified organic, a farm must abide by restrictions on the types of chemical insecticides and fertilizers they can use. While your home garden doesn't necessarily have to fit the criteria for an organic certification, you should try to focus on sustainability, and avoid using chemicals as much as possible.^[17]
- Instead, you might opt for natural solutions to rid your garden of pests, like spraying them down with soap and water or neem oil.

Add New Question

Question

How do you start a garden from scratch for beginners?

Ben Barkan is a Garden and Landscape Designer and the Owner and Founder of HomeHarvest LLC, an edible landscapes and construction business based in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben has over 12 years of experience working with organic gardening and specializes in designing and building beautiful landscapes with custom construction and creative plant integration. He is a Certified Permaculture Designer, is licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and is a Licensed Home Improvement Contractor. He holds an associates degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Garden & Landscape Designer

Expert Answer

Always research and double-check your gardening supplies before actually using them. Keep in mind that some products that are considered organic, like copper-based insecticides, can still be harmful for the environment. Be sure to research any product thoroughly before you use it in your garden.
Question

What vegetables are best to plant in a small garden?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer

Some of the best plants for a small garden are Shallots, Kale, Lettuce, and Potatoes. There are several other types, as well.
Question

What are the benefits of eating organic foods?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer

They are healthier in that they don't have pesticides, and they are typically fresher as well since they don't contain preservatives.
Question

What makes an organic garden?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer

A garden is considered organic when the flowers, herbs, or vegetables are never exposed to chemical or synthetic fertilizers. This extends to the methods used to control pests.
Question

How can I keep out weeds without pulling them all out as they come up?

I live in Florida and have been using Red Lava Rock in any sunny space where I don't want growth. The sun heats the rocks and weeds are just a memory. They look nice, do a wonderful job, and I am not overheated trying to keep up with weed-pulling. You can buy them at gardening or hardware stores. You could also look up recipes for homemade weed killers that won't damage your garden.
Question

What vegetables can I plant this time of year?

Read the back of seed packets. They'll tell you when to plant.
Question

Do I have to start with organic seeds to have organic plants?

Yes.
Question

How do I make a landscape barrier to keep weeds out?

There are many plastic or fabric ground covers available. Some people use newspaper or cardboard. A thick, organic mulch can be effective. However, wind-blown seeds can defeat almost any barrier (except a cloche).
Question

When is the best time to harvest vegetables?

Whenever the vegetables are "full-term" and ripe, you can harvest them. Since this varies depending on vegetable type, you'll need to look up the harvest time signs for each vegetable type.

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You don't really need compost bins or tumblers; just pile up your material and wait for it to decompose. If you want to speed things up, "turn" the pile every once in a while to mix it up and incorporate air.
Make your planting beds small enough that you can reach the whole thing without stepping on your plants.
Aphids (tiny soft-bodied crawling insects that multiply in the spring and early summer) can be removed from your plants with a strong stream of water.
If insects attack your plants, the best way to control them is to pick them off by hand. Practice crop rotation, permaculture methods and companion planting. These systems can greatly reduce pests, and in some cases render them non-existent.
Organic gardening differs from conventional gardening because it does not rely on synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Instead, it relies on healthy soil, careful variety selection, and physical barriers (such as mulch and hand-removal of insects.)
You can also add leaves and grass clippings directly to your garden as a weed-suppressing mulch, which will enrich the soil.
The key to pest and weed control is to act early and often and keep them from becoming a problem.
You can use almost any kind of organic material to make compost that will enrich your soil, but try to avoid materials that have been treated with chemicals, like grass clippings which have been sprayed with herbicides and pesticides.
Try the square foot gardening method! You can grow more with less space, you don't need to worry very much about soil, and it reduces weeds.
Try IPM (Integrated Pest Management); it's an effective way of handling pests. ^[18]

Don't ever use bark mulch. It might look good, but it robs nitrogen from the soil as it rots, and will keep almost anything from growing well. It also attracts termites.
Don't use the following for your compost pile, even if it's organic:
- No meat, flesh, bones or fat of any kind.
- No oil or grease.
- Avoid large amounts of watery fruits or vegetables such as tomatoes, oranges, cucumbers, melons, prepared foods, etc. (press, drain, to dry them some if you want to use them).
- No feces (poop) from any animal that eats meat, especially from dogs or cats (people too).
If you're going to grow edible vegetables, always test the soil for lead first.^[19] Lead can leach out of weathered paint for many years and remain in the soil. Never plant fruit, veggies, herbs, or fruit-bearing trees in the soil next to your house if you know—or suspect—that it was painted with lead-based paint. ^[20]

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If you want to start an organic garden, begin by making a compost pile. You can compost leaves, fruit and vegetable scraps, weeds, and grass clippings to make a nutrient-rich soil for your garden. Once you have enough soil, choose a site in your yard that receives full sun or plant in containers and place them in a sunny spot. Then, get organic seedlings from your local nursery and plant them after the last frost. Add about 2 inches of mulch around your plants to help prevent weeds and water in your new plants. For tips from our Horticulturist reviewer on how to test the pH of your soil, keep reading.

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