Question: I have a raised bed and few pots; with exception of herbs here and there, nothing ever grow; I have used seeds and transplant; what is the easiest to grow or veg I should focus on? I get a few baby potatoes from eyes that I put, and a few green onions and beans have germinated with some leaves. I am itching to grow. Any guidance is appreciated! Regards. – Rashmi, Frisco TX

Answer: Hi Rashmi,

So glad you reached out!

Because you’re not getting much success, that tells me that the problem is across the board– that it’s environmental. There are a few things I’m thinking might be happening for you.

First is temperature. Are you planting the plants in the right season, or are you trying to grow kale in the warm season and tomatoes in the cool season? Be sure to compare your temperatures to the temperatures your crops thrive in and plant at the appropriate times.

Second is soil. If you put soil from the ground in your containers and raised beds, this may be causing the issue. While you can add some soil to the raised beds, you’ll need to cut it with potting mix or other substrate meant for raised bed gardening. And you should only use substrate for containers (never soil).

Also, if you took material from the earth around you that didn’t have plants growing in them, that’s dirt, not soil.

It’s dead and lifeless.

So, I would start by cultivating healthy soil/substrate for your raised beds by using the right substrate for your containers, adding compost, and then looking at your temperatures. You might also consider taking a beginner gardening course to get all the fundamentals of gardening down in case a few concepts are missing or aren’t completely solidified for you, so you can create a garden that thrives!