Growing your own vegetables in a vegetable garden offers several advantages. Not only does it provide delicious fresh greens, but it is also financially interesting. Growing your own vegetables is cheaper in the long run than buying them in the supermarket. Moreover, vegetable gardening is a great activity for your physical and mental health. And it is part of a sustainable lifestyle because you choose the shortest food chain without unnecessary transportation.

Are you excited about growing your own vegetables in a vegetable garden, but still looking for advice? We will gladly help you with tips and tricks to make your vegetable garden adventure a success!

Grow vegetables in a greenhouse, outdoors or in containers

Have you already decided how you will build your vegetable garden and where you want to grow vegetables? You can choose to grow vegetables in the open ground, as well as in containers and/or in a greenhouse. It depends on your available area, soil type and vegetable gardening plans.

Vegetable gardening in a greenhouse

Do you see vegetable gardening as a long-term lifestyle? Then it might be smart to invest in a greenhouse. But what exactly is a greenhouse? This garden room made of glass creates its own sheltered microclimate that allows you to extend the growing season, allowing you to grow vegetables even in your greenhouse in winter. And also give summer plants such as tomatoes, peppers and even melons a place in your vegetable garden. An ACD® greenhouse is always anchored into the ground and provided with foundations.

Also read: the guide to a greenhouse for beginners

There are different types of greenhouses so there is bound to be a match for your garden. Open area with lots of space, but also lots of wind? Then a greenhouse with sloping walls is a good idea, because it conducts the wind better and provides optimal light. A greenhouse with straight walls also allows vertical gardening with shelves, worktables and other greenhouse accessories. Do you have less available space? Then a wall greenhouse is right for you, which you attach to your facade and thus save space.

 

A vegetable garden in open ground

For those who have enough space, planting a vegetable garden in open ground is a good idea. After all, this way your plants have extra space to take root, grow and provide you with their delicious fruits. But the open ground also has the advantage that you need to invest less in furnishing, that the soil is already provided with natural nutrients and that the soil dries out less quickly.

Do you know what type of soil is in your garden? This is also important when you want to grow vegetables in open ground. Grainy sandy soil lets a lot of air through but does not retain water and nutrients as well. Clay soil is the opposite: moist and nutritious, but not air-permeable. So depending on which vegetables you want in your vegetable garden, you may need to enrich the soil in your garden with garden soil to achieve the ideal mix.

When growing vegetables in the open ground, also keep in mind that you cannot move the crops effortlessly. Moreover, they are subject to weather conditions, so you need to provide extra protection in freezing or stormy weather.

Growing vegetables in containers

In a smaller garden or on a terrace, growing vegetables in containers and pots provides a nice alternative. You really don’t need a huge surface area to enjoy your home-grown vegetables. Gardening in containers is space-saving and also flexible, because you can move the containers and pots whenever you want.

In containers, however, your plants have less space to grow and no direct contact with the moisture- and nutrient-rich natural soil. So they are very dependent on you to get enough water and nutrition.

Wondering what vegetables you can grow in vegetable garden containers? Beans and peas are vegetables that require relatively little water, so you can grow them well on a covered patio, for example. Corn, eggplant, sweet potato and chard are also vegetables that generally require little water. Provided adequate care is taken, you can also grow lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, chard, zucchini, radishes and even cucumbers just fine in pots.

 

Easy vegetables to grow in your vegetable garden

As a beginning vegetable gardener, don’t underestimate how much time and effort go into a vegetable garden. To start, choose a small amount of crops that are easy to grow. Good vegetables for beginners are:

  • Lettuce
  • Zucchini
  • Carrot
  • Radish
  • Beans
  • Tomatoes (preferably in the greenhouse)
  • Peppers and chilies
  • Pumpkins

These are relatively easy vegetables for your vegetable garden. But beware: they also need your time and dedication! Are you more advanced and want to grow unusual vegetables in your vegetable garden? Then choose “forgotten vegetables” such as parsnips, turnips and beet. Or go for unique fruits like kiwi berry, honeyberry and mouse melon. Do you have a greenhouse? Then you can also go the exotic route and grow different varieties of tomatoes, grapes or even kiwis.

The importance of a vegetable calendar

When you start growing vegetables in your garden, it’s important to create a calendar so you don’t forget any steps in the process. A vegetable calendar indicates when you will sow which crops, transplant them and when you can harvest their fruits.

So first you decide which vegetables you want to grow in your vegetable garden. Then find their ultimate seeding, planting and harvesting time in a general sowing calendar. Write this down for your vegetable garden on a separate annual calendar,

Tip: In addition to a garden calendar, create a garden plan. To do this, draw a map of your garden indicating which crops you are going to grow where. This is not only useful when you start sowing and planting, but also helps you to do combined growing. This way you avoid putting together vegetables that have an unfavorable effect on each other and choose the best possible arrangement for your vegetable garden.