Gardening for the first time.

[Gibs]

So a friend of mine was talking about the things she gardens and it made me interested enough to decide I wanted to try it. Unfortunately for me she lives in a different country then I do, so I am all alone in my endevour.

Any ideas, instruction, or whatever would be greatly appreciated. I intend to plant inside first, as we are still having some cold weather, the weather here in Newfoundland is very unpredictable.

What would be the easiest way for me to start this...I read this article Skruben: How To: Self-Watering Seed Starter Pots and thought it was an interesting way to repourpose new bottles and start growing seedlings.

So I went to the dollar store and got the following items to try it:









Has anyone ever used the topsy turvy before for growing tomatoes or even other vegies?

I am excited to start getting my garden ready, I have no idea where to start, if I will need more/different soil, or even how to prepare the ground. I am quite the newbie with gardening. So any insite or even the simplest things I would love to know....

Also wondering if perhaps soil from decompost would be good to use, if so, I would love ideas on a simple compost method.

Thanks in advance
Gibs

[Contrary Housewife]

Well, to start, where are you going to plant these things? Look at the envelopes and figure out where they will go. The tomatoes and peppers need a good amount of sun. The rest of it will do ok in a sunny to partly shady area.

The flowers can go right into the ground according to package directions. Water daily until they get established.

Carrots and peas need a tilled bed, especially the carrots or they'll end up all stunted and twisted. You'll also plant those directly into the ground according to directions on the pack. The peas need something tall (as tall as you are) to grow on.

You need some potting mix for the jiffy cups to get the tomatoes and peppers started. I have no experience with the tomato hanger, but you will probably need potting mix for that too, and I suspect that thing can only hold one mature tomato plant so you may need more of them as well. I hope you didn't get into this thinking it would be "free vegetables".

Tomatoes and peppers need to be spaced 2-3 feet apart so that they get enough air and sun and don't compete too much with each other for soil nutrients.

To prepare a garden bed in your yard choose a flattish place with good sun and no overhanging trees ( because you'll have roots too) and good drainage (water doesnt sit in puddles). Remove the grass. Dig or till the soil to a depth of two feet.

IMO you can never have too much compost. Compost happens. Throw it in a pile and next year you can put it in your garden.

Read, read, read. There is a ton of gardening info on the web and at your public library.

[Gibs]

Hi contrary housewife,

I plan to plant them in my frount yard. We have a fair amout of space there and it should be a good spot for sun. The flowers I plan to create a flower bed in front of my picture window on the front of my house. I haven't sat and read the envelopes yet, I plan to do that tonight, and I already have some potting soil, but I think I am going to need more.

Just a question, in your garden would you put potting soil on top?

I did not start this for free vegies, I more or less thought it would be a good thing to do, hopefully an enjoyable experience. And will keep my hands busy. (I have recently been diagnosed Bipolar)

I have never had a compost "bin" or "area" so that is something else I will research within the next few days and I will try to get that going as well.

I am a complete noob when it comes to these outdoor type projects, I have never done it and my parents never either. I do think one year my brother grew potatoes.

The weather here is very unpredictable, so thats something else for me to consider.

I have been searching for info all day on gardening, an also raising chickens for eggs, so been saving things in my favorites to read tonight when the kids go to bed.

Thank you so much for replying

[monkeywrangler71]

Start the peppers and tomatoes inside, but not the carrots and peas. The peas like it cold, so they will get planted outside fairly early. There should be planting dates posted at the farmers almanac site. Your tomatoes and peppers can't go out until it's warm; there should be a last frost date listed for your area, but they will probably be inside until June.

You might need a raised bed of some sort for the carrots. If your soil is as shallow as ours (and I know they don't call it The Rock for nothing ), they will just be all stumpy and crooked from running into rocks.

Peas and beans are the easiest things to grow, and well suited to the climate. Look for plants with short growing seasons that prefer cold weather - things that in places like the US would be considered a spring or fall crop - and that are not sensitive to frost. Spinach likes cold, so do brussell sprouts.

I haven't tried the topsy turvy, but I hear it keeps the soil warmer so it may actually be a good idea. Tomatoes like heat, so they can be hit or miss in this climate. Last year ours didn't grow at all.

[craftypam]

I myself am not crazy about seed starter.
As far as the topsy turvey thing; you won't get much produce. Start peppers and tomatoes NOW. Then do not plant them outside until it is warm; after frost. Peas and carrots can take the cold. You can buy plastic fencing and put a post "bamboo stick" up at each end and put the plastic fencing up between rows to grow the peas.
After years of gardening I decided to try square foot gardening. I really like the book and it has alot of really good ideas. You can borrow it from the library for free.
If starting from seed doesn't work; buy some plants they are very inexpensive. I always plant seeds and then fill in with plants. The square foot gardening is allowing me to plant more variety in a smaller space w/o having to weed 24/7.

[Contrary Housewife]

>>Just a question, in your garden would you put potting soil on top?

Potting soil is a specialty blend of fine organic matter and nutrients designed to give seedlings and transplants an extra boost. If someone gave me a truckload I absolutely would put it on the ground, but in reality the bags are fairly expensive so I just use it for seedlings.

My soil is mostly clay so what I have done over the years to "improve it" is to add compost each spring. Some I make, (I have one of these: http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/...post-bins.html) and sometimes we buy bags of it on sale.

[Gibs]

Thanks all three of you, this gives me a good place to start, I have a ton of links in my favorites to go through tonight, I am very excited about my new endevor.

[craftypam]

They sell soil with moisture and fertilizer already in it. I would suggest that. I have used top soil and not had much success. My sister started gardening a few years ago and doesn't have much room; so she filled very large pots with the moisture soil and had sooooo many cherry tomatoes she couldn't get rid of them all; giving them to all of her neighbors. Thats why I would suggest using that soil. There is one that doesn't hold the moisture that is also good by miracle gro.
You can look up the square foot gardening site too. One of the things he talks about is not planting a whole bunch of seeds of the same item all at once. He says would you go to the produce stand and buy 12 heads of lettuce; then why would you plant 12 heads all at once so they will be ready to eat at the same time. On the pkg of carrots it says to plant them and when they get so tall to cut off some of them so they won't be so crowded. Why not just plant less. Just giving you an idea why I like the square foot gardening idea. He also talks about dirt mixture.

[Gibs]

craftypam,

I went to the square foot gardening site, and I find it very interesting, and looks so simple, I think this may definitely be the method I will use.

Thanks for the advice on the soils, I will definitely look into getting it when I go to town again.

[freebs]

The topsy turvy is ok, it doesnt work like they show on tv tho. They show it flowing straight down loaded with tomatos. Well they grow up towards the light so it will look like an octopus growing..lol I only plant cherry tomotoes in it as the weight from the tomatoes break the trunk lines if they get to heavy, since they grow up towards the light. Also you have to water, water, water as they get dry very fast!!

[Gibs]

Thanks for the info Freebs also checking out your blog , very interesting!!

[Libby]

I am far from being called a gardener. Dad does the majority of it and I'm trying to learn from him. All I know is that the veggies need A LOT of sun and water (from my experience) in order to get a decent crop of produce. Dad would water them in the early am and again in the evening. This will be a daily chore but it does keep you busy. Besides after planting and watering you'll sit there and watch and wait for the stuff to show signs of it growing.

My fave part - the picking for eating I LOVE picking fresh leaf lettuce.

My least fave part - finding out that I brought bugs into the house when I picked stuff.

Tips for what grows well in your area - are you able to pop into a local nursery/green house/garden supply store and chat with someone? They may be able to give you specifics for your area.

Oh and if you plant herbs - try them in pots - this way they won't spread like wildfire and take over your garden (especially mint! )

Good luck and can't wait to see how your garden turns out!

[Gibs]

Thanks Libby. I am not sure if I will plant herbs, not sure what I would use, and in all honesty I am not sure I know how to use fresh herbs and stuff like that.

I think I like the squarefood garden method and plan to try that. Gotta get some things to make the frames and prepare the garden.

Today i spent some time outside rakeing. My youngest son and I (hes 4) raked two large garbage bags of stuff off the lawn so far.

I have no idea what the soil is like under the lawn yet so thats another thing that I have to do, is start prepareing the soil.

There is a nursery just up the road from me, Really fortunate for that because my community only got about 1400 people. I will go up there some time this week and have a chat with him about it.

Today I planted the tomato seeds and pepper seeds in the jiffy pots and watered them. How long does it usually take to show signs of life? My kids are quite excited over the idea of a garden.

[craftypam]

With the square foot gardening you don't have to worry about your own soil. After you build the frames you buy different kinds of compost and vermiculate to mix for the soil. It is very loose soil.

[freebs]

I use the hangign baskets for my herbs. I havent taken any pcs of my garden yet this year but need too!