Green Thumb Guide: How to Start a Veggie Garden in B.C.

There’s something immensely satisfying about heading outside to your own garden to pick vegetables that you grew yourself.

Imagine plucking and enjoying your own tasty strawberries, luscious tomatoes or leafy kale. The benefits of growing your own food are plentiful: it’s about reconnecting with nature, sustainability, reducing your carbon footprint, saving money and, more importantly, it’s about a greener, healthier future for everyone.

Whether you’re a novice or you tried growing carrots last summer with dismal results, Earthwise Society BC’s operations manager Matthew Wharrie offers a few of his no-fail gardening tips to ensure a bountiful harvest.

From choosing plants to preparing the soil, Wharrie breaks down the process. “April is the perfect month to start planting a wide variety of crops, but it depends on where you live in B.C.,” says Wharrie. “Wait until there is no frost on the ground.”

Read More: Spring Gardening 101: How to Prepare Your Garden for Spring in B.C.

Prepare Your Soil

“Feed your soil, not your plants,” explains Wharrie. “Healthy soil equals a healthy harvest.”

The best soil is an equal mix of sand, silt and clay.  Having an equal mixture is key to how soil retains water, permits air movement and supports plant life. Then, you’ll want to add organic matter, which is a natural, effective and sustainable way to promote healthy plant life.

Organic matter is any material that comes from living organisms and is in various stages of decomposition. This includes plant residues such as leaves, grass clippings, straw, compost, manure and decomposing animal material.

Choose the Location and Plant Placement

Placement and spacing of plants are crucial.

“When you plant a raised bed, for example, it is good to know which direction the sun is; southern exposure is the best,” says Wharrie. “Ideally, plant shorter crops facing south (e.g. turnips, lettuce, carrots and beets). Taller plants, such as cucumbers and climbing peas, should be planted on the north side, so they don’t shade out the shorter plants.”

Vegetables thrive in full sun, so give them at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily to support healthy growth. Less than that, and you’ll likely end up with stunted plants and low yields.

A well-thought-out layout enhances plant growth. Planting too many plants in a garden plot reduces your harvest because they compete for nutrients, water and sunlight. When vegetables are crunched together, the ones that survive are often stunted.

“Some gardeners place too many tomato plants,” adds Wharrie. “Tomatoes generally self-pollinate; one can pollinate another, and if you plant too many, they can easily take over your garden.”

In Defence of Mulch

Mulch boosts soil effectiveness, fights pesky weeds and assists in growing healthier, more productive plants.

“The best mulch is made of shredded straw, not hay, and you need to place it down at the base of the plants,” says Wharrie. “Other natural mulches include compost, chopped leaves and pine needles.”

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The Ideal Time to Water

It’s always best to water in the morning, ideally early morning. The time you water the garden can impact how efficiently your plants absorb the water, the risk of diseases and the overall health of your plants.

“Watering in the morning offers good infiltration and won’t evaporate quickly,” says Wharrie. “If you must water at night once in a while, water your soil at the roots, not on the leaves.”

Practice Plant Rotation

“By changing the plant location of crops each year, you keep your soil healthy and reduce bugs and diseases from becoming established,” says Wharrie.

Different plant families have varying nutrient needs, so rotation helps balance soil fertility. For example, follow leafy greens, such as lettuce, kale, spinach and mustards, that use more nitrogen, with root vegetables and then nitrogen-fixing legumes like beans.

For more specific growing guides, the provincial government also offers great online resources and information on vegetable production.