How to start a vegetable garden in 6 steps

Use an existing sunny bed or turn a corner of lawn into a vegetable patch. This suits soil that is easy to dig and drains after rain; there is no frame to build or large volume of fill to buy.

Gather the basics for the garden you have in mind:

A hand trowel, plant labels and a watering can or hose will come in handy whichever you choose. Next, pick the vegetables you'd love to eat, then choose your seeds, young plants and any supports they need.

Unsure about the soil in your yard? Near an older painted building, busy road, former factory or old orchard, ask a soil-testing laboratory about testing for lead and other contaminants before planting food. Describe the site's history so the laboratory can recommend suitable tests; a routine nutrient test may not include them.

Until you know, keep vegetables out of that soil. Use pots filled with potting mix whose supplier can confirm it has been checked for metals. An open-bottom raised bed does not isolate plants from contaminated ground. Never plant food in containers that held paint or chemicals.

If your raised bed will sit on paving, check how deep it needs to be and how water will drain before filling it.

Use the planting-date guide to find a calendar for your area, then check your vegetable, this week's forecast and its soil-temperature needs.

Lay string or a garden hose around the bed before you dig or build. A bed 2–4 feet wide is usually manageable with access from both sides. Kneel at the outline and check that you can reach the middle without stepping inside. Make it narrower if needed, especially against a fence where you can only work from one side.

Use the instructions for the garden you're making. Garden beds and containers need different preparation and different soil mixes.

For seeds, mark the rows and check both the row spacing and the final spacing between plants. Step 5 explains sowing and thinning.

Allow room for cages or trellises as you arrange the plants. Position taller vegetables where they won't shade the shorter ones.

If you're using drip tubing or a soaker hose, lay it beside the planting rows and run it before planting. Check that the soil gets wet where the roots will be. A watering can or ordinary hose is also fine for a small garden.

Set aside straw or shredded leaves for mulch after planting. Spread it once seedlings are established; leave newly sown rows uncovered and keep mulch away from stems.

Check the packet's planting window, depth and spacing. If you're still deciding which vegetables to grow from seed, see starting seeds indoors or sowing outside.

Once seedlings are growing, thin crowded rows: remove extras to leave the packet's final spacing. Snip unwanted seedlings at soil level if pulling them would disturb the roots of those you're keeping. This reduces competition for light, water and nutrients.

For seeds and tiny seedlings, feel the soil next to the row at the packet's sowing depth without uncovering seeds. Keep this shallow layer evenly moist.

For new transplants, check the root ball and nearby soil. The potting mix around the roots can dry differently from the garden soil.

Check pots daily while you learn how quickly they dry, and again later on very hot or windy days. A wilted plant is a reason to check the soil, not proof that it needs more water. If the soil stays soggy, check drainage before watering again.

In pots, water the potting mix slowly and thoroughly until excess drains from the bottom. Empty saucers afterward. For self-watering pots, follow the reservoir instructions rather than treating them like ordinary pots.

How much water? Around an inch a week, including rain, is a starting guide for a vegetable bed—about 5 gallons over a 2 × 4 ft bed. It isn't a fixed dose or a rule for pots. Weather, plant size and soil change what is needed; use the moisture checks above to decide. A rain gauge helps you keep track of what has already fallen.

Use the packet's harvest time to start checking for ripe vegetables. These are useful cues for four starter vegetables:

Salad radishes give one root per plant; leaf lettuce, bush snap beans and tomatoes can give repeated pickings. How much you harvest depends on variety, weather and care. Notice what your household actually uses before making the garden bigger.

Pull small weeds before they spread, check that supports are secure and look under leaves as well as on top. If leaves turn yellow, use the yellow-leaves guide to work out what to check before choosing a treatment.

On your next visit, feel the soil, look over the plants and pick anything that's ready. Regular attention to a small garden is a good way to learn what it needs.