For those out to maintain a healthy diet or maybe even curtail the purchase of store-bought vitamin supplement products, starting up a vegetable garden can be an excellent option. The process doesn’t require too much effort, and the effort put into it is likely to be very well worth it. Here are 10 simple steps to starting up your very own vegetable garden.

1. Choose a Location

The first step to growing what you need for a self-sustained healthy diet is to choose a good location. Ideally, this will be a place that’s close to a water supply, is level, and gets a lot of exposure to the sun throughout the day.

2. Select You Vegetables

Next, it can be fun to select exactly which plants you’d like to grow. Most gardeners make these selections based on personal tastes and dietary needs as well the growing climate in their area. Some also opt for easier plants to grow at first such as carrots, cucumbers, and lettuce.

3. Prep Your Soil

Step three entails preparing your garden’s soil for a good grow. This is usually done by “tilling”, or loosening the soil, and removing any vegetation that may already be there. The addition of compost and other natural fertilizers may also be helpful at this point.

4. Place Hardscape and Signage

You may also want to create physical markers around the boundary of your garden as well as signage to denote which plants are growing where. Additional hardscape options at this point can include garden lattice, posts, fencing, scarecrows, or other elements to aid in the grow process.

5. Plant Seeds

Now, simply add your selected seeds to the soil. It’s important here to also follow depth and spacing instructions designated to each particular type of seed.

6. Add Water

With seeds now in the ground, gently water the area with a mist-like, broad spray pattern. Too heavy or hard of a watering pattern can move the seeds around and bring many up to the ground surface where they will not sprout and take root.

7. Note Your Sow Time

It can be very helpful to take note of the exact date on which you sowed your seeds. As time progresses, this will aid in being able to further approximate progress and time remaining until harvest. Also, become familiar with the signs that you’ll be looking for later that show that your harvest is ready.

8. Apply Regular Maintenance

At this point, the seeds will grow, little by little, every day. It’s now important to keep weeds from encroaching on the garden soil as well as to make sure that pests and other hungry animals aren’t feasting on your soon-to-be harvest.

9. Water and Fertilize as Needed

Beyond weed prevention, also make sure that your garden is adequately watered and fertilized throughout the grow. Your plants will also show signs of distress that will tell you of these needs should they not be addressed already.

10. Reap What You Sowed

Finally, your vitamin supplement filled fruits and veggies are ready! Harvest your bounty, rinse it off, and enjoy.