Originally published on April 13, 2020

With Spring in full swing, and the need to stay at home to keep everyone safe, we have been receiving numerous questions about starting a home vegetable garden. Growing your own vegetables is a great activity for the entire family. It gets everyone outside staying active, and it comes with added edible bonuses throughout the growing season.

As with any new adventure, you need to plant for your garden. Below are some steps and planning tips you need to consider before you start your garden.

Step 1: Think about the types of vegetables you would like to grow both in the fall and spring.

Step 2: Once you have decided on which vegetables you want to grow, take a look at our Vegetable Planting Guide to determine the spacing between your plants. These spacing recommendations will help you determine the overall size of your garden.

Step 3: Now that you know the approximate size of your garden, you need to begin to think about the materials you will use to create your garden. Vegetable gardens are being made from some unique things these days. The materials you choose will depend on a couple of things, the size of the garden, size of your lawn, or even the size of your budget. Gardening, like most things, can be as expensive or inexpensive as you make it.

Here are a few ideas of possible garden materials to spark your imagination. The traditional garden is one that is installed in the ground by tilling or cultivating the soil to create rows to grow your vegetables. This is a very successful option but does require the use of some machines that most homeowners may not have access to use.

Raised garden beds are extremely popular these days. These can be made of treated or recycled wood, and it can be made into any shape you would like to fit your needs. I typically recommend that most raised garden beds be at a minimum of 10” tall. This gives you enough room to grow most vegetables. I also recommend either killing or removing all grass in the area of your raised garden beds. This will reduce the amount of grass growing up through your raised bed during the growing seasons. I’ve also seen people use a variety of recycled materials to make their raised beds. Just as a caution, watch out for any materials that may have been treated with pesticides in the past as we do not want this to be a reason our vegetables do not grow.

One recycled material source that we have used in our school gardens are molasses tubs that are used by most cattle producers. These tubs are great, but just be sure to clean them well and drill drainage holes in the bottom prior to putting in your soil. These also allow you to move them around based on your needs.

Photo 1. Catholic Elementary of Pointe Coupee School Garden with both raised beds made of 2”x10” treated boards and recycled molasses tubs.

Photo 2. STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee School Garden utilizing both raised beds and recycled molasses tubs. Also pictured are rain barrels made or recycled plastic barrels.

Step 4: So now that you know what you want to plant, the size and materials of your garden, you need to make certain that the area you have in mind to install your garden receives at a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. In the case of your vegetables, the more direct sunlight they receive the better. When selecting your location, you want to also make sure that it is close enough to a water source. This is super important because as we all know, plants do not grow without water. In the heat of the spring and summer in south Louisiana we need to water more often than you may think, especially in raised beds. Another thing to consider is irrigation for your garden, but we will have to save this for a later article as this is something that can get lengthy.

Step 5: So now that your garden is planned and built, you will need to add in the soil. If you are planting directly into the ground, you are in luck as Pointe Coupee has some of the most fertile soil in the state. If you are installing a raised bed of some sort you must begin to think about the soil you will use. Most of the garden supply stores and feed mills in the parish carry topsoil or garden soil. Depending on the size of your garden you can get these products in bags or in bulk orders. I recommend adding a generous amount of organic matter such as aged manure, partially decayed leaves or peat moss to your top or garden soil. Make sure this organic matter is mixed into the soil thoroughly.

I am asked all the time about using an agriculture byproduct such as cotton gin trash or chicken litter. Both products are great; however, I recommend using them sparingly and only after they have broken down for at a minimum of six months to a year before adding any amount to your garden. If you do not let them breakdown or compost for a bit before adding them to your soil, you may end up causing a “burning” effect to your vegetable plants. So please use sparingly when adding it to your garden. Whether your garden is in the ground or in a raised bed, I recommend taking a soil sample to send to our lab, so you know exactly what nutrients you have in your soil. This little added step could save you a lot of headache during the growing season.

Step 6: Select your vegetables and get them planted. Some vegetables can be direct sowed into your garden, while others need to be started and transplanted later. These transplants can be found in a variety of locations across the parish at our local feed and supply stores. Our Pointe Coupee Master Gardeners also have a vegetable sale each March with LSU AgCenter recommended varieties for you to purchase. So please keep them in mind for future years.

Step 7: Water and scout your garden daily to see the needs of each plant. Please be on the lookout for anything causing your plant stress. Stressed plants are those that are susceptible to disease and insect pressure. So, keep them watered, remove the weed competition, and keep them healthy. If you have any questions about anything that may arise during the growing season, do not hesitate to contact me at the office (225)638-5533 or send me a photo via email at mcarriere@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Step 8: The best step of all, harvest and enjoy the fruits of your labor. It is true what they say, locally grown vegetables are truly the best.

Again, vegetable gardening is extremely therapeutic and a great source of exercise. Both of what we all need with these trying times. As I stated above, I am here to answer any questions you may have about getting your own garden started at home or throughout the growing season. Although we are currently working remotely, please give me a call (225) 638-5533, send me an email (mcarriere@agcenter.lsu.edu) or post something on our Pointe Coupee Extension Facebook Page. Follow our social media page for constant updates not only from myself but our other agents in the parish and those specialists from across the state. More information can also be found at the LSU AgCenter website, and remember we are here for you. Happy planting!