Top garden tips for beginners

Just starting out on your gardening journey and need some tips?

There are so many benefits to getting in the garden - it can be great for your physical health, mental wellbeing, and your pocket! Nothing beats that rewarding feeling of harvesting fresh food you've grown yourself at home.

It's never to late to start and our wonderful Facebook community have shared their top tips to help you on your way to a lush garden and bumper homegrown harvests.

Top tips for beginners from our Facebook community:

• If you move to a house with an established garden only maintain it for the first year. You never know what surprises will "spring" up. - Sandra
• Gardening is like fishing - there is no guarantee of success, but you have to dangle the line to have a chance. The earth is a living thing and gives back tenfold. - Alida
• Grow what you eat. - Lu
• Timing! Things will die if you plant too soon or too late. Things will fruit at the wrong time if fertilised too late. Some things need time to adjust to different spots. "Harden off" seedlings. Water at the right time of day. So much about timing! - Kelsey 
• Don't purchase plants till you know exactly where you are going to put them and have prepared the soil. - Johanna
• If you a new to the area, walk around the area to see what is growing great in the area. - Janet
• I’ve learnt to let some things go to seed and they will self-seed and grow again for free! Also to collect cosmos and marigolds flower heads and collect their seeds and sprinkle around your garden like fairy dust. You don’t even need to sow them into the soil! Before you know it you’ve got free flowers for the bees that deter bad bugs and make your garden look pretty. - Kaza
• Keep a diary of what grows well and where you have planted things. Rotate crops! Always make a great base foundation - if your soil is bad the plants won't ever grow! - Lisa
• Composting, turning the soil and planting companion plants as this helps both plants grow better. - Rhonda
• I had always bought whole lettuces so when I started growing them I would pick the whole lettuce. I was starting to doubt the financial benefit of growing your own when someone mentioned just picking leaves. Brilliant! - Leigh

• Don't pull out the whole broccoli plant after you get one head! - Sandra
• Don’t over water your plants - you will kill them with your kindness! - Vanessa
• Little bit more planning and homework, understanding heights and widths of plants, some more time prepping soil, and plants, for planting. And mulch mulch mulch. - Deb
• Cut your spring onions just above the roots instead of pulling them out and they will continue to grow back time and time again. - Ashlyn
• Lots and lots of compost and mulch, don't stress when some plants don't work out too well. - Jamie
• Succession planting so you get a continual supply not all at once! - Amanda
• Gardening is a journey. There are no absolute rights or wrongs, mistakes will be made but that is not really a problem because from that you will learn. Try things, change your mind, enjoy! - Carmel
• Soil condition is key and don't be afraid to try things out, failure can be a good teacher. - Sarah
• Learning what likes to be in the sun, dappled light or shade, and to get it right! Also what likes a rich or poor soil. - Elaine
• Every time you’re in or near the garden, pull some weeds. Don’t look away, they are prolific procreators. - Michelle
• It’s worth the effort to give anything a try. Every experienced gardener was once a novice. - Sandra

Check out our top 5 beginner crops here >

Find out more about cut & grow again crops >