In partnership with The Fresh Toast

Gardening is a skill that develops over time. Here are some tips that can help you get started.

Gardening and tending to plants can be very relaxing. The activity allows you to care for living beings and to maybe reap some benefits off of it, like veggies. But gardening can also be stressful, especially if you don’t have the ever-elusive green thumb.

Gardening, like many other activities and hobbies, has increased in popularity over the pandemic. There’s something very rewarding about knowing that you can grow your own produce, especially amidst the apocalypse. Still, if you’ve ever tried to nourish a tomato or zucchini, you’ve likely seen it shrivel up before your eyes. Gardening depends on the weather, the plant itself and how well you tend to it.

Whether you’re planting some produce you want to cook up or your own batch of weed, here are 5 tips that can help you get started:

Have realistic goals

If you’ve never planted and grown a plant in your life, it’s best to come in with realistic goals and expectations. While gardening is not rocket science, there is a science to it, one that you’ll learn through trial and error. Start off slow, with a small and manageable project. If you’re planting your first weed plant, do that. If you’re planting cucumbers, do that. Stick to something manageable and have some patience.

Be mindful of the sun

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The sun is your friend, with the more of it usually the better. Look at your space and find a spot where plenty of sun hits and put your pot there.

Know your weather and your plant

Planting vegetables and plants all depend on your location and the type of plant you’re trying to grow. Do some research on the type of plant that grows well in your area, during this particular time of the year. By doing this, you’re more likely to have success in the long run and lose fewer plants over time.

Tend to them but not too much

Plants need love and attention but also not too much love and attention because you’ll overwater them and they’ll slowly rot. This has happened to me several times.

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Each plant has different requirements and recommendations, so don’t take a one size fits all approach. The majority of plants want to have their soil moist; come up with a watering schedule that works for you, perhaps in the mornings, when there’s more sunlight. If you notice that the water is accumulating and the soil is too wet, ease up on your watering. If you feel the soil is too dry, add more.

Cut yourself some slack

If you’re serious about your gardening habit then you should expect some heartbreak. Your plants will die and get diseases, and you’ll learn and tend to them better the next time. If you keep at it, at some point, you’ll smoke your own weed or eat your own produce, and that’s pretty cool.

Read more in The Fresh Toast

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