Home✓ Follow-up at 8 weeks1,670 views
I keep trying to grow a garden but everything dies
A beginner gardening success plan covering plant selection, soil preparation, watering schedules, and starting with easy-win plants for your climate zone.
📊
Follow-Up Result
8 weeks laterSuccessfully grew tomatoes, herbs, and peppers after starting with the right plants for the zone
The Problem
I've killed every plant I've ever owned. I tried a vegetable garden last year and nothing survived past June. I either overwater or underwater, I don't know what to plant when, and the soil in my yard might be terrible. I see my neighbors with beautiful gardens and I feel like I'm missing some fundamental knowledge that everyone else has. I want fresh tomatoes and herbs but I can't keep anything alive.
The Plan
Week 1-2: Set Yourself Up for Success
Find your USDA hardiness zone at planter.garden — this tells you what grows in your area and when to plant
Start with foolproof plants: cherry tomatoes, basil, zucchini, and marigolds. These are almost impossible to kill
Test your soil with a $15 kit from any garden center — you might need to add compost or adjust pH
Start with containers if your yard soil is bad — a 5-gallon bucket with drainage holes works perfectly
Water deeply but less frequently: most beginners overwater. Stick your finger 2 inches into the soil — if it's dry, water. If it's moist, wait
Week 3-4: Build Good Habits
Water in the morning, not the evening — wet leaves overnight invite disease
Mulch around plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds — 2-3 inches of wood chips or straw
Feed plants every 2-3 weeks with a basic vegetable fertilizer
Check plants daily for pests — catching problems early is 10x easier than fixing them later
Don't give up after one failure — gardening is a skill that improves with each season
Resources
Your local cooperative extension office — free, expert gardening advice specific to your area
The Old Farmer's Almanac planting calendar — tells you exactly when to plant what
r/gardening — incredibly helpful community for beginners
YouTube "beginner vegetable garden" — visual guides for every step
Follow-Up Result
8 weeks in: I'm eating tomatoes from my own garden. The key was starting with the right plants for my zone (I'd been trying to grow things that don't thrive here) and using containers with good potting mix instead of fighting my clay soil. The cherry tomatoes are producing like crazy — I have more than I can eat. Basil is thriving and I've made pesto three times. I killed one zucchini plant by overwatering but the other one is enormous. The soil test was eye-opening — my yard soil was way too acidic. Next year I'll amend the beds and plant in the ground. For now, containers are my gateway to gardening confidence.Know someone with this problem?
Share this solution. They get $5 off their first plan.