Starting a new vegetable patch

Gardening for beginners - 10 tips

The best way to start a vegetable patch is to work on one area at a time. Dig the soil thoroughly to remove weeds and stones, and rake it level so it's easy to manage. You can sow some seeds direct into the soil from March onwards – read each seed packet for instructions. Pre-warming the soil using a cloche can improve germination rates and mean you can sow seed sooner.

More on growing fruit and veg:

• Veg crops for beginners
• How to start an allotment
• How to grow potatoes

Find tips and advice on creating your own veg plot, below.

Find the right spot

Some veg thrive in dappled shade, but most need sun to grow well. No crops will grow under a tree or in deep shade. Pick an area that's level, has good levels of sunshine and is sheltered from the worst of the wind. Access to a tap or a water butt cuts down trips with a watering can.

Need a water butt? We've put together a guide of the best water butts on the market, so you can buy in confidence, or shop our quick links now:

• Buy water butts from Water Butts Direct, Drainage Superstore, Crocus, Primrose and Robert Dyas

Design your plot

Drawing out a plan of your new vegetable garden helps iron out glitches early. Plan beds in groups of four to make it easier to rotate your veg around the plot, so that pests and diseases don't build up. You can include flowers for cutting, too, such as gladioli, sunflowers and sweet peas.

Remove weeds

Prepare the soil well. Dig out perennial weeds like couch grass and bindweed before you start planting your vegetable garden. Where possible, leave the soil for a couple of weeks after weeding, so that any annual seeds brought to the surface germinate. you can then simply hoe these off before sowing. Discover five ways to deal with weeds in our guide.

Our experts have tested a range of the best garden hoes, to help you chooes the right one for you. We've listed the Best Buys from that test, below:

• Best Buy: DeWit Dutch Hoe
• Best Buy: Sneeboer Royal Dutch Hoe
• Best Buy: Burgon and Ball Dutch Hoe
• Best Buy: Spear and Jackson Kew Gardens Collection Dutch Hoe

Tackle a bit at a time

Start small – don't dig up the entire garden, only to realise you've taken on too much. Dig up a small area instead and get that right. Cover any unused areas with membrane or thick cardboard to keep weeds under control.

• Buy weed control membrane from Amazon, Crocus and Thompson & Morgan
• Buy pegs for weed control membrane pegs from Thompson & Morgan, Crocus and Amazon

Get the soil right

If your soil contains a lot of chalk or clay, it's easier to grow veg in raised beds. Fill the beds with a mixture of soil-based compost, council green waste and topsoil. If growing in soil, it's a good idea to do a pH test with a kit, to find out how acid or alkaline it is. Neutral soil is best, as most vegetable crops will grow well here.

• Buy topsoil, compost and manure from Wickes, Homebase and B&Q

Grow easy crops

Some vegetables are easier to grow than others. If you've never grown your own vegetables before, or if you're growing vegetables with children, it's a good idea to grow easy-to-grow crops first. Courgettes, potatoes, beans, strawberries, radish and beetroot are some great veg crops for beginners.

Discover more veg crops for beginners

• Buy vegetable seeds online from Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Dobies and Crocus
• Buy vegetable plants online from Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Dobies and Crocus