Throughout the several weeks I have been active in the LCAAHC gardens, I have asked tons and tons of questions about gardening process and I have learned tons of information. The purpose of this blog is for someone to start their first row of their own garden.

To start a basic above crop garden you’ll need several tools: garden tiller, two stakes, string, hammer, garden hole digger, fertilizer, gloves (optional) plants and water (optional depending on the weather.)

The garden tiller is an important tool because this device is used to make the ground soft enough to garden. If the dirt is hard or not tilled at all such as grass instead of dirt, the gardener will not have a prosperous garden. Tilling is a long process and it requires the person to repeat the process over and over. The person should repeat the process until the dirt is soft to the touch and fine in texture.

Once the ground is properly tilled, it is time to make a line. The purpose of a line is to make sure that the gardener’s rows are straight. (This is extremely important for later because the gardener may want to use a small tiller through the rows of the garden. If the rows are not evenly spaced, the gardener may damage or destroy their plants.) A line is very simple to make. First the gardener will need a stake and a string. Wrap most of the string around the stake tightly and make sure there is extra string not wrapped around the stake. (Also make sure the tail end of string is secured so the string does not unravel.) After the string is wrapped around the stake, the gardener needs to find the first row of their garden and hammer the stake into the ground and make sure that it is secure. Then walk the loose string to the other side of the garden. Use another stake to wrap the rest of the string around it. Check the strings tightness by viewing. (The string should be 90% to 100% tight, depending on the string type.) Roll the string on the stake to tighten or unroll it to loosen. Once the string is rolled to the appropriate position, hammer the stake unto the ground. Check the line and make sure the row is straight, if it is not straight adjust the string according.

The next step is to dig some holes for the plants. Read the instructions on your plant and dig according to the plant’s specifications. Using the garden hole digger, dig the number of holes according to the number of plants. After the holes are dug, drop around 1/8 of a cup of fertilizer into each hole (using a standard plastic drink cup). Fertilizer provides important nutrients to the plant and supports growth.

The next step requires the gardener to get their hands a little dirty so the person may want to use gloves or just get dirty because it is time to plant! Hold the plant according to the proper depth needed, maintaining the upright position and touching the line. (The common error tends to involve the plant not touching the string therefore causing the row not to be straight.) Once the plant is placed correctly, bury the plant in dirt. (Optional: if the weather is dry, drop a cup of water into the ground surrounding the plant.)

Congratulations! You have started the first row of your garden. Keep up the good work!

I hope this may help a newbie gardener.

Thank you for reading!