HELP! Brand-spankin'-new to gardening...

Hi everyone!

I'm brandnew to gardening. I decided just this morning to start a garden...we recently moved into a rental & have the perfect spot out back. The area is overgrown & has to be prepared so I know I'm going to get a late start...this will be my learning season.

Any suggestions on preparing the ground? We'll have to mow the area..it looks like some type of wheat grass has been growing...then till. I plan to have some rich soil delivered to till into the ground.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I've been reading through some of the topics and was starting to get a little overwhelmed but know I've come to the right place :)

There are many ways to get started. Mowing will be a good start. Depending on how big a spot you want for a garden, there are all-kinds of possibilities. I plant in the ground, so my first step would be tilling the soil. A small spot I would turn over with a shovel, A larger plot, i would rent a tiller, or hire someone with one. A large plot, I would hire a farmer with a tractor and implements to prepare it. Be careful bringing in topsoil, it might be worse than what you have. Manures or compost will good. If you are close to a city that picks up yard wastes and composts it, it will be quite inexpensive and excellent for the soil. Start with something you like and grows easily in your area. Then in subsequent years you can really experiment and push the envelope. There are many other approaches such as raised beds, Lasagna, etc but I am not very knowledgeable on those techniques.

I agree with Farmerdill, cut back all the grass or it will cause seeds to grow all over the bit you have cultivated, for me, if it were my first attempt, I would start a small area off and do the soil prep well, rather than a large area that you could become disappointed with until you get the hang of the tasks required, well prepared soil is the best start for anything to grow, so dig your area over, get out all the weeds/roots stones etc that will regrow and crowd out whatever your growing, add as much manure organic stuff as you can lay your hands on too as this feeds, airs and breaks up the soil for the roots to grow into. If it's veg, then concentrate or things you know you will eat, salads are always a good learning crop to start with, then as you get the hang of what plants need like water, weeding and pos even transplanting etc, then come winter, you can always start to extend the area for other veg, there is nothing more off putting to a new gardener than a huge plot of bare earth and a disaster of crops because you started off too big, if it is already late in your season, then you can always buy veg / flowers etc as starter plants to give you a headway instead of germinating all your own seeds, but go to the library for some books on gardening and these will give you even more ideas/ hints etc and how to prepare your soil etc. so Good Luck. have a good first year with your new hobby, remember we are all here to help if you need more answers. WeeNel.

When I started mine, I put built a raised bed to start my veggies. it was small and it works well trying to get the feel for fertilizers and watering and sunlight and all that. it's great because its my starter thing so if it doesn't work out in one area I pickup the frame and move the box (very time consuming)... ( and labor intensive)... and if I put too much fertilizxer down or something I can flood the area much easier. Next year I till the earth and sow them right in the ground.