I was a noob myself in 2015 and still remembered how I start.

What seems common sense to seasoned gardeners may not be so clear for new gardeners.

I read a lot of posts in every group that I joined.

Do some reading in gardening books and watched online videos and yet, with the volume of information available, questions still arose.

What was simple to experienced gardeners is a minefield for new gardeners.

We all been to this starting point, so take comfort.

You are not alone.

 

How to start? Make a list of what you want to grow.

What to grow? In the past, I often advised, “Grow what you like to eat” !

But what happened if new gardeners are connoisseurs who love to cook with rosemary and thyme?

These herbs are not easy to grow for even some seasoned gardeners.

I have learned to be more specific with my advice.

Here is a list of some easy edibles to consider.

For example, mint, kang kong, basil, peanuts, pak choi, arugula, etc.

Rule of thumb for beginners is, “READ FIRST” then rushed out to buy the gardening essential.

The reason is, plants have different needs and the designated area for gardening may not be suitable.

Most edibles thrived better where there is sun.

At least 6 hours of sun if possible or at least, a very bright area.

If there is no sun, fret not, your options are limited but there are grow lights or just grow more shade-loving plants instead.

For less- sun edibles, check out chrysanthemum greens (Tang-Oh), lemon balm, lettuce, or even coriander.

 

TIP – USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS A LEARNING TOOL 

 

Gardening tips for new gardeners
See that Magnifying glass on the right corner?

 

Effective use of social media as a learning tool starts from knowing how to source for information quickly.

Use this magnifying glass to search for answers to your questions.

You will be amazed at how quickly Facebook gathered and collect related posts for reading.

The questions we asked as noobs may have been posted many times before.

To save time, this was how I learned gardening using social media groups.

The advantages of such a tool are being able to learn at your own chosen time.

To find the common problems (pests, pollination difficulties) affecting these plants and how to handle them before experiencing them yourself.

Last but not least, who the experts are in that area and are able to ask directly.

 

SEEDS or CUTTINGS?

 

Some edibles need not be grown from seeds.

Most plants can be propagated.

The word simply means to grow from a parent plant.

By the way, I learned about this method when I helped my then 10 years old daughter with homework.

Thus cut a stem or trimmed off the end on a slant cut, and stick this in water and wait for roots to emerge.

Then plant in your preferred medium.

This blog post on mint described how to do this and steps to follow as the cutting grows.

 

Gardening basic for new gardeners
Rosemary propagation – better chance of rooting if stems are from a live plant than grocery herbs!

 

WHAT SOIL TO BUY?

Ever stand in front of the aisle where the soil is sold?

It is a different reality when standing in front of rows of soil options, isn’t it?

These are just too many types to choose from.

Read this post to know your options and how to customize to suit different plants’ needs.

 

 

WHAT IS SEED COMPOST?

This mixture aids seeds to germinate and for young seedlings.

It will have more husk and sieved soil to retain moisture.

For this brand, fine sand is added to keep the soil loose for young roots to grow without hindrance.

Fertilizer is included to last 2 months.

It’s a darker color compared to the Horti brand.

For your information, seeds do not need fertilizer to start.

 

 

IMG_3164

 

SEED COMPOST VS. SEED POTTING MIX

I think not much difference in terms of purpose.

Seeds compost or potting mix tend to have fewer barks, looser and water-retaining properties than other types of soil.

For seeds, I preferred to start them in seeds compost.

 

Gardening basics for new gardeners
Seeds Potting mix and Potting soil

 

WHAT IS POTTING MIX?

 

Essentially it is the same thing but with more barks, some perlite (volcano ash that had been heated into pebbles form).

There will be added fertilizer in the mix for growing plants.

Most seasoned gardeners mix their own mixes for different plants.

Check out the formulas at the above link.

 

Gardening basics for new gardeners
Soil for edibles

 

FERTILIZER NOTES

TIP – LESS IS MORE WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY

 

Most soil mixes from the stores have fertilizers in them to last 4 – 8 weeks.

There are many different kinds of fertilizers.

We preferred organic fertilizers, such as rabbit poo (any herbivore animals’ poo) or worm casting.

At home, we tried making our own from seaweed fertilizer and recycled green waste for compost in my outdoor gardens.

Amy Choong made her own orange peel soil conditioner.

Some gardeners kept earthworms and harvest worm tea and casting (poo).

Most fruit-bearing plants need higher Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) fertilizers.

Banana Peels for compost and worm bins seem to improve our fruits’ harvests.

 

Gardening basics for new gardeners
Worm casting – many different brands available!

 

NO SOIL OPTIONS

 

If you are exploring your options, why not consider our workshops, to grow vegetables, herbs, and even lavenders.

Trust me, plants don’t really care where you grow them in as long as their growing conditions are met.

 

Gardening basics for new gardeners
Hydroponics salads

 

Our gardens mainly grow in recyclables instead of buying pots or systems when we started our journey.

 

The children demonstrated the simple steps to grow in liquid.

 

 

How they harvested salads in their bedroom’s gardens.

 

Gardening basics for new gardeners

 

BENEFITS OF AN INDOOR EDIBLES GARDENS

There is no waste, we only harvest what we need and then the plant continues to grow.

It was very convenient to always have fresh herbs and vegetables indoor.

Kids too are better at science subjects because of our hobby.

 

Gardening basics for new gardeners
To Table 🙂

 

Fast Forward to 2018, our vegetables gardens now look like this!

 

Creative PET bottles garden containers
Vertical Salads!

 

We grew really cool seasoned salads like oysterleaf, ice plants, spinach, and many more in hanging containers gardens.

Do check it out on our Exotic and Greens page.

The learning journey never stops and it is such fun!

We hope you will join us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thought on “Gardening 101”

  1. I attended the workshop on soil, hydroponics and vegetables this afternoon as a beginner with zero knowledge of gardening (and a track record of succulents dying under my care D:). The workshop was an enriching and enjoyable experience, and it completely exceeded my expectations. The workshop was well-paced and Victoria covered both the theory and practical aspects of gardening. She explained the pros and cons of using soil and hydroponics and then demonstrated both processes. I was given the chance to try out both methods and Victoria was especially patient when I was struggling to transplant the tiny seedlings! She was also very hands-on when guiding me during the process and imparted tips and tricks on how to handle the seeds/seedlings. I especially appreciated how Victoria taught me how to properly use the nutrient solution and how the plants, required different water/nutrient conditions at their different stages. Victoria never grew tired of my many questions and she answered them all patiently!

    Besides giving me a ton of information about gardening, Victoria also showed me the various plants she had been growing in her place, and we had a taste test of different leaves like scarlet kale and oyster leaves! We then enjoyed mint tea with the leaves freshly plucked from her home garden, and I must say the mint leaves were really strong-smelling!

    Prior to the workshop, I had indicated that I was interested in growing kale. I was therefore touched to find out that Victoria had specially prepared more kale seeds for me to grow. What further surprised me was when Victoria gifted me with many seedlings / budding plants of different varieties! This included both herbs and a very unique byblis plant. I did not expect this at all, and it made a lovely start to my gardening journey. I left the workshop with my head and heart full! The workshop was value-for-money and it was a wonderful afternoon of learning and chatting with Victoria.

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