Garden

[Biftu]

I'm thinking of buying a raised bed and try growing vegetables for the first time this year.  What are the easiest plants to start with and when (in zone 6) should I start buying and planting?  What soil should I buy?  Do I need to cover the plants from critters?  As you can see I'm a rookie at this.  Any help would be appreciated.

[brandiwine]

I would suggest to contact your local Extension Office.  They have Master Gardeners available and all the information you need you can get free of charge from them.  Happy gardening.

[fthunt]

YOU WILL LEARN A LOT MORE HERE FROM EXPERIENCED GARDENERS  THAN ANY PRINTED BROCHURE ...FOR SURE.

Tip #1 first layer = bottom layer of stones for drainage - then soil

Another poster can add Tip #2

[ValuSkr]

Yes, if you have deer, rabbits, or other hungry critters in the neighborhood, you'll want to cover your bed.  Otherwise, they will thank you for beautifully setting the table for them.

[cheriere]

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@Biftu wrote:

I'm thinking of buying a raised bed and try growing vegetables for the first time this year.  What are the easiest plants to start with and when (in zone 6) should I start buying and planting?  What soil should I buy?  Do I need to cover the plants from critters?  As you can see I'm a rookie at this.  Any help would be appreciated.

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If you're in zone 6 you should plant around May 1.  Depends on what you're thinking about putting out.  For a raised bed, maybe green onions, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage.  If you plan on planting tomatoes, they'll have to be staked so they'll grow tall and not break.

As another poster mentioned, you'll definitely want to cover with some chicken wire or other type.

[cheriere]

@Biftu    You can get a big bag of topsoil at Walmart for about $7.  Depending on how large your bed is will determine how many you'll need.  Sorry I neglected to answer this before.💝🌸

[On It]

@Biftu This is an ad for a Critterfence I wanted to try, but my husband thinks it is too low for our elk. It might give you some ideas.

[cheriere]

@On It    That's really nicely done. 💝🌸

[LizzieInSRQ]

Maybe start smaller, like with patio pots of tomatoes or strawberries or the like. Reasearch on the internet at least what grows in zone 6 and when and perhaps in pots first. If one is a rookie without having researched, you may want to see if you even like gardening before all the investiment without knowledge.Go from there sticking your toes in.

[gardenman]

What veggies do you love? Peas are a great early-season crop and fresh peas from your garden are hard to beat. They take a little while though. Crops with a very early return on the investment in time and energy are leaf lettuce and radishes. You can start harvesting radishes in just three weeks from the time the seed hits the soil. Leaf lettuce isn't far behind it. Neither crop is especially picky or difficult. Crops like parsnips take a long, long time before you get a crop and for a new gardener, the wait might be a tad too long. I'd avoid crops with lots of pests (most of the cabbage family) and focus on easy to grow, hard to fail at plants to start.