Mrs. Spud,
I'm sorry to type so much.
Never apologize for asking questions...
We enjoy helping new gardener's, and their
plants..
So do nottttttttt hesitate to ask, and ask and re~ask if you have to....
***That is how you learn, and we all were new gardeners at some point in time too***
And you're getting some great answers here..!!!!
Great on starting the garden...
Tilling and all..
The soil and it's build up of good soil and aerations and organics put in...
plants will thrive better with good soil..
(and it's good it's gone fallow for a few years..
That helps the soil return to health after being used for several years in a row..)
The other cold stuff, you can start now..
And start those peas... *I'm a very slow person, and haven't even started
seeds yet for my
plants, but I did get my peas in last week... and some are up already... they like the coolness...
Strawberries are pretty cold hardy too..
If you start to harden them off, you can get them outside too..
*I have them, and are looking nice..*
just make sure to harden them off if they are nursery bought!*
Pumpkins are alottt of fun... but are heavyyyyyy feeders, and take up alot of room... be prepared..
The book Wrennie suggested,
Get the book Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.
is a greattttttttt book... I love, love, love that book..
*Find any book on Companion planting if you want to use every square foot of your garden...
There is infinate combo's to try, depending on what you like..
Example: Basil and Borage are good
plants to
plant by tomatoes..
I like Rodales' Companion Planting hard cover book too.
I do alot of space saving stuff...
I have 5 raised beds, but I
plant sooooo much I have to be thrifty in space..
I have fencing hoops, that are from one side to the other and grow fast
growing radishes under it.
They'll be done producing by the time the cucumbers fill in....
[IMG][/IMG]
And leaf lettuces at the base of corn...
*I also did peas, at the base of corn..
Now it was a bit shadey, and the peas didn't do all that great, but the corn was a whoppin' 8+ft tall..*(and I used it for Halloween decorations)
Wrennie also talked about a soaker hose..
They are very good.. easy on you for watering and your time... great for cutting down soil/water cause borne disease's.. and perfect for not wasting water...**and
water in the morning for best use of water for the
plant.. the
plants drink in the morning, and utilize the water during the course of the hot day..
The furrows are a good way to garden as well,
Depending on the
plant, to
plant on the top of the furrow or at the base..
Planting in the bottom parts, especially if you have low rains during the summers, keeps the
plant well cool, and near the moisture..
If it needs gooooooooood drainage, on the top of the furrow is good.. that way, it's up high, roots can penetrate down into the tilled soil, and the rain will collect into the furrows and keep water down there and away from the
plants...
and you talked about raddish's..
I love
growing raddish's.. and I love to let them go to
seed too.. they have pretty
flowers, and then
seed pods form, and heck I just left them..
and they re~
seed for me....(I'm on my third
spring with them now..)
I do have to thin or pull out and replant when some
seeds fall on the ground too close and sprout right together..