How to start a garden...

[suki]

I've read several posts from folks indicating they'd like to start a garden or that they missed out this year but hope to have one next year.

Well, you can get started now! Hubby has been working on our garden for 12 years. It started as one small raised bed and grew from there. It is a constant work in progress.

There are tons of books on gardening and lots of websites with tips. And, I couldn't possibly share as much information as could be found at your local library. But, I do have a lot of tips for getting started and I bet other FV gardeners do too!

So, it's mid-summer and you wish you had a garden. You set a goal to have one next spring and put the thought out of your mind. Stop. It's time to get to work, NOW!

First step: Pick a place for your garden. Don't be overly ambitious. You will get discouraged if you bite off more than you can chew the first time out. Depending on how hard your soil is to work (in the Ozarks we grow rocks so it takes a lot of work to create a garden spot) stake out a garden plot you can reasonably work.

Second step: Soil Test. Contact your local cooperative extension agency http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ and get a free soil test completed. Follow the directions they give you, except hubby says to get a little bit of soil from various spots in your garden to give you a better overview. If you are building up your raised beds with purchased soils, it's still a good idea to have a soil test.

Third step: Start a compost pile. You don't have to have fancy bins, tumblers or such... just a designated pile in the yard, preferably close to the garden. Here you will pile grass clippings, leaves, veggie scraps (peels, ends, etc), egg shells and coffee grounds. Just pile it and leave it, for now.

Fourth step: When you get your soil test results in, they will most likely recommend chemical alterations to your soil. The same results can be achieved organically. Turn your soil and begin amending it. Cover it with plastic for the winter (to kill weed seeds).

Fifth step: spend the winter reading, and planning your garden. Plant with a purpose.

Okay, FV Gardeners... what are your tips for someone just getting started with their garden?

[Russ]

BUDGET!!! Don't forget to add your garden to your budget.

seeds
plants
tools
water bill or water barrel

Location, location, location. Make your garden easily accessible, not out in the back forty.

Get your family involved!

great thread Suki!!

[IntlMom]

Suki! What a fanstistic post!!! I am coming from the angle of "I bit off more than I could chew" this year. We moved into a home that had not been cared for inside OR outside! The dirt is junk, and I planted before I ammended well, and I am sooooo paying the price. I have out of control weeds, but not much produce. (some, but not much)
Ok, so some of my additional thoughts (yours are brilliant, I might add!) are:

1. Think about the amount of time you want to invest. I planted a massive (to me) garden, and now it 100 degrees and I don;t want to be outside.......if I had planted less, it would be much less overwhelming.

2. Think about your summer travel plans (I was gone 2 1/2 weeks and came home to a MESS!) If you know you are going to be gone mid summer, consider early veggies (lettuces, peas, spinach, etc....) or veggies like potatoes that can go through your absensce. (this is a lesson learned for me!)

3. See if you can't help someone with theirs this year. I guarantee you, if you offer help, it will be happily accepted.....if not, come help me!!

4. Seriously, start small!!!

[Momto2Boyz]

1. Fence it in! If you have dogs, or live in an area with rabbits or squirrels, they will attack your new plants! Cheap metal or wood posts and chicken wire work well, if you don't have a big budget. We put up a white picket fence around our garden, becuase we like the look. We still had to go back and put chicken wire along the inside of the fence to keep the bunnies out. If you have rabbits, don't wait until they attack. They can wipe out your garden quickly! Just put the fence up from the start!

2. Plot your garden out according to the package directions! Make sure plants are spaced apart correctly! I made this mistake my first year and planted way too much in my small space. Everything grew together and I couldn't get into the back to pick my ripe tomatoes without stepping on something else and ruining it!

3. Keep a garden journal the first year, and each year after that! It'll help you remember what you did that worked and what didn't work!

4. Insecticidal soap to keep the bugs away! I believe it is 1 TBS dishsoap for 1/2 gallon of water. This simple mix will save you the headache of trying to figure out what is eating your leaves!

5. Water often! I soak my garden 10 minutes a day, unless it rains. My tip...turn on the sprinkler and set the kitchen timer, so you don't forget about it. I've flooded my garden twice this year, becuase I forgot to set the timer!

6. Weed more often when the plants are young! When the plants are growing, the weeds can pull nutrients from the soil and even grow large enough to block the sun from your veggies! My rule of thumb is to keep the weeds smaller than the veggies. So pull once a week or so!

I think those are my garden "basics"!

[Russ]

Visit your garden often and pull a few weeds. It is far and away a lot easier to spend a few minutes daily pulling weeds rather than a few hours all at once.


on edit... Momto2Boyz beat me to this tip.

[Ceashels]

Absolutely fabulous Suki, thank you.

Earlier in spring I got my soil turned over and then nothing more happened to my garden and the weeds took over. I just got it all pulled out last Friday and I want to get layers of newspaper on it so they don't grow back. I look forward to planting next year.

[suki]

Great tips!

I know starting a garden can seem overwhelming, especially if you've never done it before. I can't stress enough the soil test and begin amending your soil before planting in the spring. It will save so much headache and heartache.

Also, don't worry about how "pretty" your garden is. Mine will never be on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens. Right now, it's very weedy because we were busy with other things and I've let a lot of stuff go to seed. It's okay!

Be on the lookout for things you can re-purpose in your garden. Examples from our garden include, tv antenna tower, old fiberglass satellite dish, cattle panels (great for having cucumbers grow up), old webwire fencing, cedar poles, sawdust, wood chips... I think that's it. We have a natural/rustic look going on and it works for us. Of course, we don't really have any neighbors. Start saving and gathering things now.

Think about your irrigation system. How will you water your garden?

Oh, and end of season clearance will be going on soon... buy your garden supplies now for next year! Also, look for second-hand items on sale. Seeds will last till next year, so buy them too! If you buy heirloom seeds, they're a one-time purchase (save the seeds from your crop and re-plant, trade for others, sell or share).

[TexasPeanut]

Oh this is a great thread!

1. I second the garden journal. I started one immediately at my first planting and it has been a great way to keep track of everything. If possible keep your empty seed packets with your journal.

2. Keep things simple and functional. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying it all at first.

3. Plant certain items in stages not all at once unless you will be preserving your harvest. You don't want to end up with 10 heads of lettuce and cabbage at one time and no idea what to do with them and they spoil.

3. Most important - don't give up. If something doesn't grow don't beat yourself up about it. Try a different variety of seed or another vegetable in it's place. Never give up on your garden.

[Russ]

2. Keep things simple and functional. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying it all at first.

The more I think about this thread, the more I think that this can not be stressed enough.

Don't plant a huge garden if you are a first timer. There is no quicker way to get discouraged than to be overwhelmed with garden work.

If you are going to involve your family, give them an area or even one plant so the whole experience is fun and not a "job".

And the most important tip... take pictures and share with us!

[Edna_E]

I inherited a functional garden when I moved into the current house, and waited to see what came up from prior years. I recently planted a few things, and probably should have had the soil analysis done first. Knowing what is leftover from before, this fall I intend to clear the whole thing around early October. I will use the suggestion of covering it to keep out weeds, and I think I may create walkways through it so that none of it is out of reach without stepping on plants (a current problem).

[nandmsmom]

My mom has always had a veggie garden. I was never interested until I got my own home and started playing around. I read lots of books and got an idea of how I wanted to lay things out. The first year it was 3 4x4 squares and every year it got bigger. It is now about 1000 sq feet. I also have fruit trees and bushes to add to the mix.

Every year you learn more, but you have to write it down! All those wonderful things you learned will be forgotten and you'll kick yourself for not keeping track. It's not rocket science, but it can be frustrating sometimes. That is, until the first tomato comes in.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/2008/Journal/D...urgan2008.html
The 2008 Journal.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html
The 2007 Journal.

Both journals are mostly pictures with a meaningful explanation of events and actions.

My 0.4 acre yard was grass when purchased in the late Fall of 2003.
I developed the property by hand over the last five years. My object is to eliminate the grass, and grow something useful. Enjoy.

[zenmama]

Don't forget the great herbs that you can plant too and bring indoors come Winter time. My rosemary and laurel plants are coming along great, they get transplanted into the garden at summer and back indoors during winter. I love gardens!!