Feel like trying out your green thumb, but have no clue where to get started. Check out these five tips for newbie gardeners.

1. Get to know your soil. To grow a bountiful garden, you must first start with the soil. Determining whether you have loam, clay, or sandy soil can help you select the best flowers, bushes, fruits, vegetables, and more to plant. Try a soil test kit to determine this.

2. Play to the sun. Watch the way sunlight moves throughout your yard before choosing your garden plot. A vast majority of edible plants will need at least 6 hours of sun per day to grow properly.

3. Determine your frost dates. Don’t kill your garden’s chances of thriving by accidentally planting too early or late in the season. Make sure you know the average spring and fall frost date for your area so you plant at just the right time.

4. Keep a close eye on weeds. After all the time and effort you put into planting your garden, the last thing you need is for your plants to be suffocated by weeds. Read up on the common weeds in your area and the safest and best way to rid your garden of them. Make sure to keep a record of these for the years following so you don’t have to repeat your research.

5. Water and feed diligently. Morning is the best time to water your garden to allow it to fully soak into the soil before it is evaporated by the sun. Each plant is different so make sure you pay attention so you don’t overwater.