Welcome to Your Garden
You don't need to know everything about gardening before you start.
This guide is here to help you grow your first garden one step at a time. Start with what you're growing now. As your garden changes, come back when you have a question or notice something new.
Table of Contents
What You'll Need
The Basics
For Building Your Garden
- Compost
- Coco coir or peat moss
- Perlite — provided
- 4 × 10-gallon grow bags — provided
For Working With Your Plants
- Garden gloves
- Hand trowel
- Pruning shears or garden snips
- Plant labels
- A way to water — hose, watering can, bucket, etc.
- Plant support for tomatoes — cage, stake, sturdy branch, reclaimed material, or another safe structure
- Soft ties if your support system requires them
Helpful, But Not Required
These can make gardening easier, but you do not need to buy them to grow food.
- Kiddie pool or shallow container for bottom watering
- Watering spikes or DIY slow-watering system
- Bucket for mixing soil/fertilizer
- Harvest basket/container
- Garden journal
Start with what you already own before buying something new.
Build Healthy Soil
Healthy plants start below the surface.
Soil isn't just something that holds a plant upright. A healthy growing environment supports roots, holds water and nutrients, allows air to move through the root zone, and provides habitat for the organisms involved in decomposition and nutrient cycling.
We're using organic materials because they can do more than feed a plant once. As they break down, they return organic matter to the growing system and help build soil over time.
How you build that growing environment depends on where you're growing.
Growing in a Grow Bag
Your Mix — 1 : 1 : 1
⅓ municipal compost
Compost provides organic matter, nutrients, and biological activity.
⅓ coco coir or peat moss
Coco coir or peat moss helps hold moisture between waterings.
⅓ perlite — provided
Perlite creates air space and improves drainage.
Start at the Compost Pile
- Take your empty grow bags with you when you collect the municipal compost.
- Fill each grow bag approximately ⅓ full with finished, cool compost.
- If the compost is still warm or hot, allow it to cool before planting.
Finish the Mix at Home
Add approximately:
- ⅓ hydrated coco coir or moistened peat moss
- ⅓ perlite
Mix all three ingredients thoroughly throughout the grow bag. Don't leave them in separate layers.
The measurements don't need to be exact—aim for roughly equal parts.
Building a Raised Bed
A raised bed works differently from a grow bag. You don't need to fill the entire bed with a container mix.
Instead, you can use organic materials to begin building the bed from the bottom up.
Fill Your Raised Bed
Start with woody material
For a deeper raised bed, place untreated logs, branches, and other woody material in the bottom. Use material already available on your property when possible.
Add leaves and other organic material
Fill spaces around and above the wood with fallen leaves and other appropriate untreated plant material.
Create the growing layer
Finish the upper portion of the bed with mature, finished compost. Give your vegetables plenty of finished growing material above the woody layer for their roots to establish.
Protect the surface
After planting, cover exposed soil with organic mulch.
Free Wood Chips & Logs
Arborist-sharing services can connect you with local tree companies looking for places to deliver logs and wood chips from nearby tree work.
Logs and branches can help fill the lower portion of deeper raised beds. Wood chips can be used as surface mulch, around perennial plants, and on garden pathways.
Resource: ChipDrop — getchipdrop.com
Before requesting a delivery, make sure you have room for a large pile and a plan for how you'll use the material. Deliveries can be much larger than what a few raised beds require.
Why Build It This Way?
The materials underneath don't disappear when the garden is planted.
Over time, roots grow, leaves and woody materials decompose, organisms move through the bed, and new organic matter is continually returned to the system.
You're not simply filling a raised bed.
You're beginning a soil-building process that can continue as long as you garden there.
Protect Your Soil With Mulch
Once you've planted your garden, don't leave the soil bare.
Mulch is material placed on top of the soil around your plants.
It helps:
- hold moisture in the soil
- reduce how often you need to water
- protect the soil from extreme heat and heavy rain
- suppress weeds
- reduce erosion and compaction
- add organic matter as plant-based mulches break down
Mulch doesn't have to be expensive. Use safe materials you already have access to before buying something new.
Free or Nearly Free
Depending on what you have available:
- fallen leaves
- dried leaves that have been shredded or crushed
- untreated grass clippings that have not been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides
- plant material from your own garden that is free of disease and mature weed seeds
- arborist wood chips
Keep coarse wood chips on top of the soil rather than mixing fresh chips into the growing layer. They're also useful for pathways and around perennial plants.
Inexpensive
Plain straw can be an affordable garden mulch.
Know where it came from when possible. Avoid material that you know has been treated with persistent herbicides, and expect that ordinary straw may contain some seeds that germinate.
A Purchased Option
GardenStraw by HealthiStraw is the straw mulch used in The Plant Hacker garden.
Resource: healthistraw.com/gardenstraw/
When You're Direct Sowing Seeds
Don't bury newly sown seeds under a thick layer of mulch.
Some seedlings may not be able to push through it.
Leave the planting area uncovered or use only a very thin layer until the seedlings emerge. Once they're established, move the mulch around them while keeping it away from the stems.
Mulch Is Part of the Soil-Building Cycle
Organic mulch doesn't only protect the garden today.
As it breaks down, it becomes part of the organic matter in the bed. You can replenish it as it gets thinner instead of removing it every season.
Feed the soil. Protect the soil. Let the system keep building.
Planting, Watering & Feeding
Starting Your Plants
There are two main ways you'll start plants in your garden.
Direct Sow
Plant the seed directly where the plant will grow.
Some plants prefer this because they don't like having their roots disturbed. Others are simply easy to start this way.
Start Indoors + Transplant
Seeds are started in a smaller container and moved into their final growing space later.
You may also purchase seedlings that are already ready to transplant.
Your individual crop pages will tell you which method to use and when to plant.
Watering
Don't water simply because the calendar says it's time. Check your plants and growing mix.
Push your finger into the growing mix. If it still feels moist below the surface, it may not need water yet. If it's becoming dry, it's time to water.
Grow bags can dry more quickly than plants growing in the ground, especially during:
- hot weather
- windy weather
- periods without rain
When you water, water thoroughly rather than giving the plant a small splash.
Bottom Watering
A shallow kiddie pool or basin can make watering several grow bags easier.
Add water to the basin and place the grow bags inside. Allow the growing mix to wick water upward from the bottom.
Remove the bags when they're sufficiently watered. Do not leave them sitting in standing water.
When You're Busy
Gardening shouldn't require you to stay home just to water plants.
Slow-watering options can include:
- watering spikes
- DIY bottle reservoirs
- olla-style porous watering systems
These slowly provide water near the root zone and can help extend the time between hands-on watering.
Feeding
Plants need nutrients to grow, develop roots, produce leaves, flower, and make food.
Your compost provides nutrients at the beginning, but plants growing in containers have access only to what's available inside their grow bag. Over time, nutrients are used by the plants and can also leave the container with water.
Fertilizer helps replenish those nutrients.
Seeds Don't Need Fertilizer to Get Started
A seed already contains the stored energy and nutrients it needs to germinate and begin growing.
Do not add fertilizer when you're sowing seeds.
Let the seed germinate and establish first. As the plant grows and begins relying on its roots for nutrients, its feeding needs change.
More Isn't Better
More fertilizer does not mean more growth. Too much can damage plants, so start conservatively and pay attention to how your plants are growing.
Before assuming a struggling plant needs fertilizer, check the basics first:
- Does it need water?
- Has it been overwatered?
- Has the weather changed?
- Is there pest damage?
- Is the plant adjusting after transplanting?
Observe first. Feed with intention.
Growing Your Tomatoes
You're starting with four tomato plants.
Two are younger plants ready to grow, and two have spent too long in small containers and need some extra room to recover.
What You're Growing
2 San Marzano Determinate Tomatoes
- A red plum/paste tomato that's especially useful for sauces and cooking.
- Determinate growth
- Approximately 2–3 ft vines
- Approximately 5–6 oz fruit
- About 80 days to maturity
- Started this summer and already acclimated to outdoor conditions
1 Black Prince Tomato
- A dark-colored medium slicing tomato.
- Indeterminate growth
- Medium-sized fruit
- Great for slicing and eating fresh
- Will continue growing and producing as conditions allow
- Needs sturdy support as it grows
1 "Mom's Fave" Yellow Cherry Tomato
- A very sweet yellow cherry tomato with thin skin, grown from seed saved from last year's garden.
- Small yellow cherry fruit
- Very sweet
- Thin-skinned
- Saved-seed tomato
- "Mom's Fave" is the working name because the original variety name is unknown
Planting
Plant one tomato per 10-gallon grow bag.
For each plant:
- Make a planting hole deep enough to bury part of the tomato's stem. 1.
- Remove any lower leaves that would end up below the growing mix. 2.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of the provided Garden-tone fertilizer into the planting area. 3.
- Remove the tomato gently from its cup and plant it deeply. 4.
- Firm the growing mix gently around the plant and water thoroughly. 5.
Tomatoes can form additional roots along buried portions of their stems.
Give Them Support
All four plants should have support, but you don't need to buy a tomato cage.
You can use a:
- tomato cage
- stake
- sturdy branch
- trellis
- other secure structure you already have
The Black Prince and Mom's Fave will need especially good support as they continue growing.
The Two Stressed Tomatoes
Black Prince and Mom's Fave have spent too long growing in small cups. Some of their existing foliage is damaged or has died back.
After transplanting, don't expect the old leaves to repair themselves.
Watch the new growth.
New healthy leaves and stems are a better indication that the tomato is recovering.
Give them:
- more root space
- consistent water
- sunlight
- time
Pruning: Keep It Simple
For all tomatoes:
- Remove dead or badly damaged leaves.
- Remove leaves touching the growing mix.
- Keep enough foliage to shade and feed the plant.
- Use clean pruning shears or snips.
San Marzano — Determinate
Don't routinely remove suckers.
These plants have a more limited growth and fruiting cycle, and aggressive pruning can remove productive growth.
Black Prince + Mom's Fave
As the plants grow, you can selectively remove some suckers if they become crowded, but you do not need to remove every sucker.
Watering & Feeding
Use the watering and feeding practices from Planting, Watering & Feeding.
For tomatoes, consistency matters. Large swings between very dry and very wet growing mix can contribute to fruit problems.
Don't add extra fertilizer simply because a plant looks stressed.
Observe first.
What to Watch For
Healthy recovery and growth may look like:
new leaves → new stems → flowers → small tomatoes → ripe fruit
Because these tomatoes are being planted late in the season, weather will determine how much time they ultimately have to produce.
Check In With Your Garden
You don't need to inspect every leaf every day.
When you're outside, take a moment to notice what's happening in your garden.
The goal isn't to know what everything means immediately.
Notice when something changes.
Look at:
- the growing mix
- leaves
- stems
- new growth
- flowers and fruit
- underneath a few leaves
Keep Track — If You Want To
You don't need a garden journal to be a gardener.
If you're curious about what happens in your garden, keeping a simple record can help you remember what worked.
You might record:
- what you planted
- planting date
- first harvest
- something you noticed
- something you changed
- something you'd like to try differently
It can be as simple as taking occasional photos with your phone.
Your garden can teach you over time.
When something catches your attention, take a closer look before deciding what to do.
Something Looks Different
You might notice:
wilting or drooping
yellowing
purple or unusually dark leaves
curling
brown or crispy edges
spots or discoloration
stalled growth
One symptom doesn't always have one cause.
Observe first.
Something Is Eating It
Not every insect in your garden is a pest.
Some insects pollinate your plants, eat other insects, or simply live in the garden without damaging your crops.
If you notice damage:
- Look at the tops and undersides of leaves.
- Check stems and new growth.
- Look for insects, eggs, webbing, or droppings.
- Notice whether leaves, fruit, or entire pieces of the plant are missing.
- Take a clear photo.
Garden visitors can also include birds, squirrels, rabbits, and other neighborhood wildlife.
Identify what's causing the damage before deciding what to do.
Something Looks Ready
Your individual crop guide will show you what your crop looks like when it's ready to harvest and how to harvest it.
Homegrown food doesn't always look like grocery-store produce. Different sizes, shapes, and small imperfections are normal.
When the Weather Changes
Your garden doesn't follow the calendar perfectly. The weather matters.
Hot Weather
During a heat wave:
- Grow bags may dry faster.
- Plants may wilt during the hottest part of the day.
- Watering needs may increase.
- Newly transplanted plants may need extra attention.
Create Shade During Extreme Heat
Shade helps reduce the amount of direct solar radiation hitting your plants and can make the space around them feel cooler—the same principle as standing under a tree on a hot day.
You don't necessarily need to buy shade cloth. You can create temporary shade with materials you already have.
- An old sheet or lightweight fabric
- A piece of breathable cloth
- A patio umbrella
- Another material that blocks some direct sunlight without trapping heat
- Suspend it above the plants, rather than laying it on the leaves.
- Keep the sides open so air can continue moving through.
- Use temporary shade during the hottest part of the day or during extreme heat, then remove it when conditions improve.
A plant that droops during extreme afternoon heat but recovers later isn't necessarily dying.
Rain
Don't automatically water because it's your usual watering day.
Check the growing mix first.
A quick shower may wet the surface without thoroughly watering a 10-gallon grow bag.
Cooler Weather
As temperatures fall:
- Plants generally use water more slowly.
- Some summer crops begin slowing down.
- Cool-season crops become easier to establish.
Observe the conditions and adjust.
Need Help?
You are not expected to know every answer. When something happens that you don't understand, gather a little information first.
Before Asking for Help
Try to capture:
- What plant is it?
- What changed?
- When did you first notice it?
- What has the weather been like?
- When was it last watered?
- Have you recently fertilized, transplanted, or treated it?
- Clear photos of the whole plant and the problem area
Trusted Resources
Penn State Extension — Montgomery County Master Gardeners
Local, research-based gardening education and resources for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
The Old Farmer's Almanac
Planting calendars, crop-growing information, and general gardening references.
The Plant Hacker — Janelle Fofie
For questions about your garden, help interpreting what you're observing, and support as you continue growing.
