One of the greatest pastimes that leads to the most satisfaction for a person who has a yard is spring vegetable gardening. Vegetable gardening is quite possibly one of the world’s most wholesome pastimes. Whether you’d love to grow your own salad, or just plant a few herbs to spice up your pasta, spring vegetable gardening is the hobby for you.

The first step to taking up gardening as a hobby is finding out whether or not you have a yard or flower bed you can plant vegetables in. If you do, you are ready to decide what you would like to plant. Deciding what you want to plant is simply getting an idea of what type of vegetables grow well in your climate and region, and then plotting out how much space would be required.

Once you know what you would like to plant, the next step towards successful vegetable gardening is plotting out the area you would like to turn into a garden. This should account for the different growing patterns of each vegetable you intend on planting. Once you have decided on the spot you want to turn into a garden, go to your local garden supply and buy a pick, a trowel, and a rake. Also, look for seeds for the particular plants you have in mind. It is also a good time to buy peat moss or potters soil if your dirt isn’t particularly rich. Also, look for a bit of general fertilizer, something that is balanced should suffice for beginners.

Now that you have the supplies you will need, start picking! The key is to turn and loosen up the soil so that it will have plenty of air incorporated so the seedlings can root themselves in easier. After you pick the soil and it looks relatively soft and fluffy to a depth of at least 6 inches, you should incorporate the potter’s soil with the rake to make the area raised just a bit above the surrounding soil. Do not be afraid to sweat. When spring gardening comes around, it is time to get that valuable exercise your heart and body has been begging for all winter.

Once the soil is ready, you can begin plotting the seed spots and plant the seeds. Plant the seeds in groups of 3 per hole. When you plant them, you allow them to grow into seedlings and then leave the strongest one after a couple of weeks. This insures you will have a stronger, hardier crop. Once you plant the seeds, it is time for patience and careful weeding. Everyday, you should carefully pull up any weeds that are beginning to pop up. If you are careful, you will be able to stay ahead of weeds.

It is a good idea to water seedlings everyday until they sprout. Depending on your climate and soil type, you can cut back on watering once the seedlings take hold.

Spring vegetable gardening is a great way to spend your mornings and evenings before and after work. It will help you relieve stress and will give you a sense of tranquility and accomplishment that is offered by few other past times. If you begin spring vegetable gardening this year, I can guarantee it will become one of your most memorable and fulfilling habits.