This free beginner course is a guided path through our existing guides and calculators, six short lessons you can work through in order, at your own pace. There is nothing to sign up for. Each lesson links to the full guide, which cites university extension sources.
Lesson 1: Plan your first garden
Read how to start a vegetable garden, then check your local frost dates with the free planting calendar.
Lesson 2: Choose easy crops
Pick crops that forgive mistakes. See the 10 easiest vegetables for first-time gardeners, and space them with the plant spacing calculator.
Lesson 3: Understand your soil
Use the soil test interpreter to read a lab report, and start a pile with the home composting guide.
Lesson 4: Start seeds on time
Work out your dates in when to start seeds indoors and the seed starting calculator.
Lesson 5: Little space? Use containers or herbs
Try container vegetable gardening or an herb garden.
Lesson 6: Keep weeds and pests down
Learn whether mulch helps in does mulch prevent weeds, size it with the mulch calculator, then browse the weed library and beneficial insects library.