BasicsSoil Preparation 101
Loosen the top 8–12 inches, work in 2–3 inches of compost, and test pH before you plant anything. Everything else in your garden depends on this step.
The How-To Library
How to Garden Gardening Basics for Beginners & Beyond
Good gardens start with a few habits: knowing your soil, your light and your frost dates. These guides walk you through each one, from your first bed to your fifth season, written and tested by working horticulturists.
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Basics
BasicsNo. 2 this month
Composting Basics
Mix about 3 parts browns to 1 part greens, keep the pile as damp as a wrung-out sponge, and turn it every 1–2 weeks.
BasicsNo. 3 this month
Essential Garden Tools
A trowel, a hori-hori, bypass pruners, a stirrup hoe and a good hose nozzle cover most beginner jobs.
BasicsNo. 4 this month
Watering Wisely
Most beds need about an inch of water a week. Water deeply at the base of plants, early in the day.
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Gardening Basics
Soil, sun, water and zones. The four things every planting decision rests on.
BasicsFind Your Hardiness Zone
Zones are 10°F bands of average winter lows. Knowing yours tells you which perennials will make it through winter.
BasicsReading Sun Exposure
Track a bed’s light for one full day. Six hours of direct sun counts as full sun; three to six is part shade.
BasicsMulching 101
Spread 2–3 inches of shredded bark or leaves, and keep it a hand’s width away from stems and trunks.
BasicsHow to Test Soil pH
A home kit or lab test tells you whether to add lime or sulfur. Most plants grow best between pH 6.0 and 7.0.
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Pests & Diseases
Identify the problem first, then reach for the gentlest fix that works.
PestsControlling Aphids
Knock colonies off with a firm spray of water, then let ladybugs and lacewings finish the job.
PestsSlugs & Snails
Water in the morning, hand-pick at dusk, and use iron phosphate bait around tender seedlings.
PestsPowdery Mildew
White dust on leaves means humid nights and poor airflow. Space plants wider and remove affected foliage early.
PestsJapanese Beetles
Shake beetles into soapy water in the early morning, when they’re sluggish. Skip pheromone traps, which draw in more.
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Annuals, Perennials & Shrubs
Keep borders blooming from spring bulbs to fall asters.
FlowersHow to Deadhead
Snip spent blooms just above the next set of leaves to keep annuals and repeat bloomers flowering into fall.
FlowersDividing Perennials
Lift crowded clumps every 3–4 years in spring or early fall, split them with a spade, and replant at the same depth.
FlowersPruning Flowering Shrubs
Prune spring bloomers right after they flower and summer bloomers in late winter. Timing decides next year’s flowers.
FlowersPlanting Spring Bulbs
Plant tulips and daffodils in fall, about three times as deep as the bulb is tall, pointy end up.
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Vegetables & Herbs
From seed tray to harvest basket, with timing for your frost dates.
EdiblesStarting Seeds Indoors
Sow 6–8 weeks before your last frost date, under grow lights kept 2–3 inches above the seedlings.
EdiblesGrowing Tomatoes
Plant deep, stake early and water evenly to prevent blossom-end rot. Each plant wants 8 hours of sun.
EdiblesPlanning a Raised Bed
A 4×8-foot bed, 10–12 inches deep, lets you reach the middle from either side. Fill it with 60% topsoil and 40% compost.
EdiblesHerb Garden Basics
Mediterranean herbs like full sun and lean, fast-draining soil. Harvest often to keep plants bushy.
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Indoor Gardening
Light, water and humidity for houseplants that thrive, not just survive.
IndoorRepotting Houseplants
Move up only 1–2 inches in pot diameter, in spring, once roots circle the bottom or poke through the drainage holes.
IndoorPlants for Low Light
ZZ plant, snake plant and pothos tolerate rooms several feet from a north-facing window.
IndoorSigns of Overwatering
Yellowing lower leaves and soggy soil mean roots are short on oxygen. Water only when the top inch is dry.
IndoorHumidity for Tropicals
Calatheas and ferns like 50–60% humidity. Group plants together or run a humidifier instead of misting.
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A to Z
Garden Glossary
The terms you'll see on seed packets, plant tags and in every guide here. Tap a term to read its meaning.
Plant typeAnnual
A plant that completes its whole life cycle in one growing season. Zinnias, marigolds, basil.
Plant typePerennial
A plant that lives three or more years, often dying back to the roots in winter and regrowing in spring. Hostas, peonies.
Plant typeBiennial
A two-year cycle: leaves in the first year, flowers and seeds in the second. Foxglove, parsley.
ClimateHardiness Zone
USDA regions defined by average coldest winter temperature, in 10°F bands from zone 1 to 13, each split into “a” and “b” halves.
LightFull Sun
Six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. Most vegetables and many flowering perennials need it.
LightPart Shade
Three to six hours of direct sun a day, ideally in the morning when it is gentler.
Plant typeDeciduous
Sheds its leaves each year, usually in fall. Maples, hydrangeas.
Plant typeEvergreen
Keeps its foliage through the year. Boxwood, holly, pine.
TechniqueDeadheading
Removing faded flowers so the plant puts energy into new blooms instead of seed.
TechniqueHardening Off
Moving indoor-raised seedlings outdoors gradually over 7–10 days so they adjust to sun, wind and cooler nights.
SoilMulch
A 2–3 inch layer of bark, straw or leaves on the soil surface that holds moisture and keeps weeds down.
SoilN-P-K
The three numbers on a fertilizer label: percent nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. A 10-10-10 bag is balanced.
SoilSoil pH
Acidity on a 0–14 scale. Most garden plants prefer 6.0–7.0; blueberries want 4.5–5.5.
Plant typeCultivar
A cultivated variety selected for a trait, written in single quotes. Echinacea ‘White Swan’.
EdiblesBolting
When a crop flowers early, usually from heat or long days, turning leaves bitter. Common in lettuce and cilantro.
TechniqueCompanion Planting
Grouping plants that help each other, such as basil near tomatoes or marigolds among squash.
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Quick answers
Beginner Questions
The questions our editors hear most from first-season gardeners.
When is the best time to start a garden?
Plan around your average last frost date. Sow cool-season crops like peas and lettuce 2 to 4 weeks before it, and plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and squash once frost danger has passed and soil reaches about 60°F.
How do I find my hardiness zone?
Enter your ZIP code into the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones are based on the average coldest winter temperature, in 10°F bands, so a zone 6 perennial should survive winters down to about −10°F.
How often should I water my garden?
Most beds need about 1 inch of water per week from rain or irrigation. Water deeply and less often, in the morning, and check that the top inch of soil is dry first.
What are the easiest vegetables for beginners?
Lettuce, radishes, bush beans, zucchini and cherry tomatoes are forgiving, fast and productive in most zones.