Planting a Vegetable Garden and Building a Vegetable Trellis

Not only is a healthy, thriving vegetable garden something to be proud of, it can also be a beautiful addition to your home. Besides, getting down in the dirt is good for the soul.

Want to give it a try? Experience isn’t necessary – all you need is about 30 square feet of yard space and you’ll be on your way to creating your own patch of veggie heaven.

Live in an apartment or condo with only a small patch of land or un-tillable backyard? Don't worry, you can be a gardener, too. Just grow up – straight up – by building a vegetable trellis.

Follow our step-by-step guide to creating a backyard vegetable garden and building a vegetable trellis. And remember, your True Value garden expert can provide all the advice and supplies you need.

How Does Your Garden Grow?
Build Your Own Vegetable Trellis
Timing is Everything

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Why buy supermarket produce when you can grow firm and juicy tomatoes, tender baby lettuce, crispy green cucumbers and more, right in your own backyard? If you're ready to reap the tasty benefits, read on.

Step 1: A Place in the Sun
Choose a sunny spot about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide. Dig down about 6 - 8 inches and fill the space with compost.

• Pressed for space? You can grow plants in a plot of land as small as 20 square feet - just choose compact varieties of veggies, like squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. You can also contain yourself by growing compact vegetables in containers and never replanting them - which is called, not surprisingly, container gardening. Get started by planting seeds in large containers or simply purchase already-sprouted container plants.
• If you have room to roam, congratulations. But remember, you'll need to spend about an hour a week on each 100 square feet you plant.

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Step 2: Get the Dirt
The key to growing healthy plants is having rich, fertile soil to nurture them. Buy enough bags of high-quality potting or garden soil to generously cover your garden, and distribute the contents over the compost.

• Don't skimp on the amount or quality of soil you buy - great dirt will make your thumb seem a lot greener.

Step 3: Power Plants
Here comes the fun part - picking and planting seeds or starter plants. Which is best? It depends on you. Remember, seeds are more economical, but require more work - and are trickier to grow - than budding plants.

There are dozens of veggie varieties out there, but beginners will do best by choosing the ones that are hardiest and easiest to grow. It's also important to consider your local growing conditions and climate before making a choice - ask your True Value garden expert for suggestions. As a general rule, though, the following eight are generally considered the most foolproof for beginners in most parts of the country:

Carrots. A very hardy crop that prefers cool conditions, but grows well in nearly all climates. If your soil is rocky, choose baby carrots; full-size varieties don't do well in rocky conditions.
Green bush beans. Bush beans take up very little space and tolerate nearly every growing condition. In fact, they're so easy to grow, your kids can help.
Lettuce. Another easy crop for beginners, with lots of varieties from which to choose. Lettuce will tolerate most climates, though it prefers full shade. 
Peas. They're a cool climate crop, but even grow well in the summer in shade. But remember to plan ahead - peas need to be planted six to eight weeks before the last frost.
Radishes. Though they prefer cooler weather, radishes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, producing edible results in less than three weeks.
Spinach. A cool weather crop that loves damp conditions and grows well until the weather turns warm. Plant early and harvest some leaves when they're very young, and the rest at 30 to 40 days.
Tomatoes. Tomatoes thrive in heat and humidity, so plant them where they'll get lots of sun. To ensure success, buy young tomato starts instead of seeds, and choose hybrid varieties that aren't fussy.
Zucchini. These summer squash like temperate weather conditions. They're a very prolific crop - you'll only need one or two plants to feed your family all season.

• Ask your True Value garden expert to recommend the hardiest varieties to match your needs and your local area.

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Step 4: Plant Some Seeds
Early spring is the best time to plant outdoors, so space your seeds about 6 inches apart and 1/4 inch deep. If it's still chilly in your neck of the woods, plant your seeds indoors. Simply fill pots with bagged garden soil, make some holes with a fork and drop in the seeds. Cover them with soil and use a watering can to water them daily - but don't soak. In about a week, you'll be rewarded with your first shoots and leaves. When another set appears - and you're sure the threat of frost has disappeared - transfer them outdoors, spacing them about 6 inches apart.

• Use peat pots to plant your seeds - when it's time to replant them in the garden, you can just bury each pot without transferring its contents.

Get a Bud
For a ready-made garden, buy budding plants. You can buy bigger ones if you wish, but they're more expensive - and luckily, younger plants catch up quickly. Plant them in rows in your garden, approximately 6 inches apart. To make sure they continue to grow healthy and strong, apply organic pest control spray directly to the leaves - it will keep pests away without harming the plants.

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Step 5: Water Works
It's the elixir of life, but too much or too little water can mean peril for your plants. Different veggie varieties have different needs, depending on the soil, the weather and their specific thirst requirements. For example, lettuce likes to be kept moist, while beans prefer drier conditions. Labels found on seed packages or buds are a great source of information - they also include tips about preferred climate, spacing, maximum height and whether the plant is an annual or perennial. For personal advice about your plants, just ask your True Value garden expert.

• Seeds and plants in containers - Because their strict confines limit their soil and water, container plants need to be watered more than their cousins in the ground. Water as soon as the soil's surface feels dry - but not before, to prevent rot. If you accidentally allow the pot to completely dry out, though, it may need a good soaking to bring it back to life.
• Newly planted seeds and plants - When they're small, these babies have comparatively shallow roots and may need frequent watering to keep them healthy.
• Outdoor plants - The general rule is to water daily, but different varieties and different conditions may dictate more or less frequency.

• Are your plants' leaves turning yellow? They're probably getting too much water. If they're wilting or fainting, they're trying to tell you they're thirsty.
• To check soil conditions, use a trowel (which resembles a triangular cake knife) to dig a hole. If its tip remains moist, your soil is properly hydrated. If it's dry, it's time for your plants to drink up. If it's saturated with water, let the soil dry out for a day or two before watering again.
• If your garden has a southern, western or southwestern exposure - or even if it's located close to your house - you'll have to water more frequently. Why? Because it will get less rainwater and dry out from the reflected heat of the walls.
• What's the best watering tool to use? Depending on the size of your plants and the area you need to hydrate, a watering can, a garden hose with a spray attachment or a moveable lawn sprinkler will all do the trick.

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Build Your Own Vegetable Trellis

Vegetable trellises maximize your garden space, as well as your bounty. Vertical growing allows you to grow two or more crops in the same space. Their lofty position exposes them to more sunlight and oxygen - and less rot and mold - than their earthbound counterparts. And because they're not embedded in soil, trellis-grown plants are easier to pluck.

Step 1: Location, Location, Location
Before you can build your trellis, you have to decide where you're going to put it. If you already have other plants in your garden, try to choose a sunny spot on the north side - that way, your trellis won't cast shadows on its floral friends. The ground should be flat and level, without any rocks or debris within two feet of the surface.

Step 2: Post Time
Ready to start building? Take a shovel and dig two 24 inch holes 10 feet apart. Use a mallet and drive a wooden post deeply into each hole. Cover both of their bases with dirt.

• Use wooden stakes to give your trellis more support. Drive each stake into the ground, angling it toward the foot of each post.

Step 3: Get Wired
The wire is just like the trellis' skeleton, supporting the netting that will, in turn, support your plants as they climb. To attach the wire, wrap it tightly around one stake, then back up to the top of the post. Staple it securely at the top. Then run the wire over to the other fence post, wrap it around the post and staple it there. From there, run it back down to the other stake and tie it tightly.

• Your knots must be very tight to make sure the trellis stays solid and steady. Get a grip with a pair of pliers.

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Step 4: Net - Working
For great net results as you hang your netting, start by spacing S-Hooks every 12 - 15 inches across the wire between the posts. Hang the plastic netting from the hooks, just like you'd hang a shower curtain. Staple the netting to each post with your staple gun, keeping it taut as you go. Move downwards, stapling every 2 - 3 inches until you reach the bottom of each post. That's it - you're ready to plant.

Step 5: Cultivating Climbers
What kind of vegetables can you grow on a trellis? You can train many different varieties to grow upward, but you'll get the best results from natural-born climbers like cucumbers, beans, squash, peas, and especially tomatoes. Since they're vines, they're born to scale the heights. In fact, they'll climb nearly any structure they can wrap their tendrils around.

• To train vegetables to climb your trellis, start when they're small. Use twine to attach them to the trellis until they're sturdy enough to go it alone.

Timing is Everything

Start planting when the threat of frost is over - preferably in the spring or early summer. If you'd like to plant several different varieties of vegetables, start with peas in the early spring - they'll co-exist nicely with the other vines. Plant pea seeds 6 - 8 inches apart, leaving room for the other vegetables in between. A few weeks later, add the other plants.

• Trellis plants are lucky - they get extra sun and air exposure. All that added exposure tends to dry them out (which also makes them absorb water quickly) so be sure to water them daily.
• As your vegetables become bigger and heavier, they'll need extra support. Create an easy support network by cutting slings from cheesecloth, old T-shirts or pantyhose legs. Start using your homemade slings as soon as your vegetables start to form. Simply attach the cloth or nylon to the netting and wrap around each veggie, adjusting to fit as it grows.

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