Planning and Building Your First Vegetable Garden: Tips, Options, Ideas, and Principles to Know!

Watch this video before you build your first vegetable garden. It will help you get off to a great start growing food and having fun in your garden.
Thanks so much for your support! Cheers & Thanks, Gary!
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[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Thanks! Here is how you can support me, more videos, and The Rusted Garden... The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSG Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks... Companies I am Affiliated With... Bentey Seed Company bentleyseeds.com GreenStalk Garden Vertical Towers:greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=therustedgarden Vegega Metal Raised Beds:www.vegega.com/?ref=le64f3gm3 AgroThrive Water-Soluble Fertilizer: bit.ly/3qx7rot The Rusted Garden 'Scan & Grow' Seed Collection www.therustedgarden.com/search?type=product&q=qr Just scan the QR code and watch a planting video: Follow me on Instagram instagram.com/therustedgarden/ Join The Rusted Garden Homestead FB Group facebook.com/groups/Therustedgardenhomestead Follow me on TikTok www.tiktok.com/@therustedgarden My Books The Modern Homestead Garden: amzn.to/43iXbyx Growing and Edible Landscape: amzn.to/3NgMUxj Visit My Amazon Store Front I earn from any eligible purchases you make. www.amazon.com/shop/garypilarchiktherustedgarden Become an affiliate of The Rusted Garden and Earn 15% on sales. Sign up here: the-rusted-garden.goaffpro.com/create-account @THERUSTEDGARDEN

[@jaytoney3007]

Hi Gary. Nice tips for people getting started with gardening. I have a large garden, but it is a fraction of the size of your garden, three 4' x 8' raised beds, two 5' x 30.5" raised beds, three 2' x 8' raised beds, three GreenStalk Towers, an 8 ft long cattle panel tunnel trellis, about thirty fabric pots, two plum trees, and three cherry trees. I am debating about adding a Fuji apple tree, and a Honeycrisp apple tree to my tiny orchard. I'm feeding two people, so it is more than large enough. I have plans on adding straw bales for growing Wine Cap mushrooms this spring, and replacing some of my fabric pot groupings with raised beds. I am also introducing more herbs to the garden, Sweet Marjoram, cilantro, chicory, peppermint, and parsley. I am already growing onions, basil, dill, mint, spearmint, comfrey, oregano, and dill. One of these days, I'll get the garden exactly how I want it, but I am starting to run out of room. My orchard is in the backyard (North side of the house), my main garden fills the west side of the property, and my herb garden, and GreenStalk towers are in the front yard (South side). The east side has a road for access to the pond and back side of the property, so no planting there. It also serves as an easement for the utility companies. My garlic and Elephant Garlic are doing great! I have enough Nagasaki cabbage growing for one good harvest, my Komatsuna is beat up but still growing after 5F temp, and I just harvested turnips Monday, and have many more that will be ready to harvest soon. A two legged creature helped itself to the hog wire ring I had protecting my carrots from deer Monday night, so deer got to them and ate the greens down to the soil. I'm not sure if they will grow back, or if they do, will the carrots have time to form large roots? I did manage to pull up one small carrot that is large enough to snack on.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

The asian vegetables can really take the cold. Your garden is a good size! And carrots will grow back leaves. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@joannc147]

Frankly, I’m thrilled to see your casual approach - no pristine “picture perfect” set-up here! 👍🏻 Broken shovel, empty transplant pot….yessir….this is garden reality. Yay! You make this all an accessible plan for us. Love those fabric grow bags! Thanks for the tour, Gary.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

It is truly what a garden looks like lol. I do fix it up at times to look YT worthy but this what I want people to see. Relaxed, growing, and clean up as you can. Thanks! Over 1500 gardening videos on my YT channel. Here is how you can support me, & The Rusted Garden... Please Subscribe & The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/

[@adventurecreations3214]

Good solid information. Many will benefit from this video. Grow more food!!!

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Thanks. Helping people grow food is my goal. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@nickiepurandare]

I’ve started Alpine strawberries this year . I’m so excited for them

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

They grow well. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@jamiescountryliving]

Hello, and thank you Gary. Very helpful.😊 Have a great weekend

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Glad to share. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@NinaElizabethRose]

I've been gardening for years but I still learn things in these starter videos lol

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

LOL I still learn when I refresh my research on video topics.

[@clairequinn8665]

Hi Gary last fall I gathered all the leaves that fell of trees I covered my garden with the leaves and left it till now . Should I rake them and use as compost now😊 it is Februsry 3 2024 frost date here is June 1

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Really depends how much they breakdown. Sometimes you can just leave them and just them let them be mulch or pile them up to fully breakdown. Get your GreenStalk Vertical Gardening Towers now for a spring series. Grow Vertically! Use the Discount Code THERUSTEDGARDEN on GreenStalk 'Vertical Tier Systems'. Use this link and enter my code for the discount greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=therustedgarden

[@brianseybert192]

Off topic question. Have a bunch of extra onion seeds. Any ideas how I could grow the extras to put up for sale in the spring? Was thinking about putting about 20 seeds in a 5" pot and selling for like, 6 bucks. Stay Well!!!!

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

I might add more than 20 but the idea is right. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@willsolarski8550]

Earth beds were going to be my 'go to', but then I discovered the joys of voles up here in the PNW haha. They decimated my root crops so I've transitioned to raised beds with hardware cloth bases as well as grow bags and it has been a real game changer. A little pricier, but at least I get to eat the veggies 😊

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Hardware cloth makes a big difference in that case. And each garden has its issues for sure. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@Gardeningchristine]

I have a question that seems really dumb to me but I have to ask. Ok I have a 4 ft shelf with the 6000 lumens, it’s working great for micro greens and seedlings. But I’m wanting to switch to led. I bought a 6500, and a 9500. Will the 9500 fry my plants? I also have a 30 inch shelf and the 24 inch leds are 3500 lumen. But it’s 1/2 the space, so do I need half the lumens or do I need 2 lights side by side? I don’t want to fry my seedlings but I don’t want them to be leggy. I’ve put foil around and I’m just setting up this smaller area. Plus being 3500 lumens they do put off some warmth. Might not need a heat mat on the shelf above if I use 2.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

You probably have to keep the 9500L a bit higher. Good news if it does damage, just raise it. You want to best coverage across the flats/plants. A small shelf or large shelf is really about do you feel 1 light covers the area you want. Sorry I cant be more specific on the last part. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@jaytoney3007]

I think you are confusing lumens (1 lumen equals the light from one candle), and Kelvin (Spectrum red, green, and blue together equals white). The spectrum, or Kelvin needs to be between 5000-6500 Kelvin. If the light exceeds 6500 Kelvin, the intensity needs to be turned down with a dimer, or you will burn your plants. With lights, two 2ft panels together doesn't increase/change the light spectrum. It just spreads it over a larger area, so the 3500 Kelvin lights are not sufficient for use as grow lights.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

For lumens to stack, they have to be on top of each other technically. So it's not purely additive side by side. Anyway it will be brighter and the plants should still grow. Good luck.

[@robinmc0628]

Hi Gary! I still don't get notices on the lives and i really want those with spring around the corner. Entering my third year so I have better questions. Any insight? Thank you!

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

NO sorry. Notifications all come from you turn it on but I know that is often not the issue. It is something I hear a lot and is related to YT. There is nothing I can do on my end. I do put the events in the COMMUNITY Tabs on my YT channel. It's a pain but maybe use that to set up a calendar. Sorry.

[@venusgarden959]

Amazing video❤❤

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Thanks Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@jackiekerr4792]

I planted strawberries 2x in milk crate stacked grow bags. I took them apart after 1st planting and both times they died😢. So mad cause it cost me alot of $$. CALIKIM DOES IT ALL THE TIME, No problem. What am I doing wrong?

[@jaytoney3007]

It is hard to answer without seeing the process. Strawberry roots can take a lot of damage, so that isn't a problem. When transplanting my strawberry plants, I often cut the roots to four inches to make transplanting easier. As a guess, I'd say that either the crowns were damaged, or buried. The crowns need to stay above the soil.

[@kathynix6552]

The existing leaves in the runner might die off after transplanting but the crown starts producing new leaves once it’s settled in.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Hmmm. I dont know. They are pretty strong plants when it comes to moving them. The bare roots should dry out and I would cut back some greenery when transplanting them. IF the crown tips are above the ground the should be okay. Sorry I cant help more. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@stevebuck1737]

Hi Gary, I saw in this video a 4 x4 raised bed with an "A" frame made with 2 x3 or 2 x4 with strings. If you grow beans or cucumber what would you plant under this space. I'm moving in March and will have at least 20 x 20 area to devote. I find your videos so helpful.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Glad to help and thanks for the info. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@beckysanders2935]

Hello Gary, I’m in Indiana & first time gardener, hubby bought me a greenhouse much like yours. I also have a 2x4 grow tent and since my greenhouse isn’t setup yet I’ll be starting my seeds in the grow tent. I have lots of annual flower seeds to start and veggies too.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Have fun with it. Congrats on getting started. Thanks! Over 1500 gardening videos on my YT channel. Here is how you can support me, & The Rusted Garden... Please Subscribe & The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/

[@brownbear3699]

I tried many years to grow vegetables in my other property but somehow I never succeeded,and it’s funny because the layout was better ,we used to have more than 8 hours of sun,🤷🏽‍♂️

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Hmmm. I hope you give it another try. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@JaimieNJesus]

Thank you, this is our first year growing

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Congrats. And let me know if you have any questions. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@brownbear3699]

I live in a cul de sac,so the layout of my garden is kind of weird,we have around barely close to 7 hours of sun ,but I have grown many vegetables in the last three years that we have been live in this property 😁

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

It's possible for sure. 8 or more is best and afternoon sun is more intense. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@katespencer4038]

I have been gardening for a long time and my biggest problem is in garden layout. Thank uou for the tips

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Good luck! Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@nolawarren3560]

Wow, what a crazy back yard. All that clutter would make me crazy😅

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Crazy lol. Thats the bones of a winter garden. Garden are like that. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@Nick-mc2hy]

I have an area picked out I’d like to build my first kitchen garden in. My frost dates at 5/6 & 10/6 and it will be in full 8 hr sun during those growing dates but from November to April it probably gets 5-6hrs of sun. Are there any potential problems I’m overlooking for factoring 8hrs for just my actual growing season?

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Good questions an if it gets 8 during the growing season you are fine. The sun is higher and we get more hours. Plus herbs can take less light BTW. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@Nick-mc2hy]

@@THERUSTEDGARDEN thank you!

[@AnnetteWaits]

Do you use pressure treated lumber for your raised beds?

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

I do. Always have. Arsenic was remove decades ago. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Vegetable Seeds & Home Garden Supplies: www.therustedgarden.com Neem Oil: bit.ly/43IJl9C Peppermint Oil: bit.ly/43IJl9C Rosemary Oil: bit.ly/43IJl9C

[@irenetillis207]

Does the compost have to be in the sun?

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

It does not. Any space will work. Sunny space might require more watering as it has to stay moist. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@tathimitchell]

Hi Gary! Do you plan to have a seedling sale this spring? I'm local to you, and would love to support your work this way.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Thanks so much. I am working on the idea but sometimes that gets side track. However, I will be at Freetown Farm and they will be selling plants. I'll keep people updated. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@patfrat666]

Hell yeah, Gary. Lookin to do a new raised bed this Spring in Ohio. Great advice. Your effort to put this out is appreciated.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Thanks for watching. Always appreciated. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@alishahammer7207]

My favorite gardening channel! It was 70 degrees here in VA yesterday. Perfect for cleaning up old pots and beds.

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Thanks so. much. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@arlinerobertson6377]

We’re moving around the Dayton area so I have to start over. But that’s good .

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Take all your experience to a new spot. Enjoy the new build. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

[@thenaturalhuman9568]

I think you forgot to edit out the last few minutes of the video, but otherwise nice vid:)

[@THERUSTEDGARDEN]

Uh oh. Thats me making a bunch of faces for creating a thumbnail LOL. I just removed it but it will take an hour to update. LOL. Thanks.

[@thenaturalhuman9568]

I figured, i do that also lol