A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Another Newbie! HELP!!

First, I love this site! It's incredible! Now for the stupid questions, How do I found out what region I'm in. Jackson, SC. I'm starting new garden this year, just tilled it this week. I think I'm a little late, what kind of fert. should I use. Should I till a lot between now and planting time or will it matter. I found out my land was a cornfield and soybeans years ago. Was easy to till up. Is horse manure ok to use? Exactly how long do I have to wait after fert? Is there anything I can do to make up for lost time?Thanks ahead!

It looks like 7b or 8a.

Don't over till. That can cause the soil to clump up and strangle your little seedlings. Before adding any amendments do a soil test for pH. You can find the kits in the garden center where you live. I found mine at Lowe's. How much and what kind of fertilizer depends on what you intend to grow.

Your not behind times for planting.

You can start with young plants rather than seeds if you are looking for the earliest possible blooms/harvest.

Decomposing horse manure is fine as a fertilizer.

Tell us more about your garden.

thanks for the quick reply! I'm planning to plant tomatoes, squash, potatoes (in tires or a barrel), cabbage, lettuce, brocolli, cucumbers, watermelons, bellpepers, onions, carrots, okra, hot peppers, radishes, may plant a seperate section of corn and will for sure plant a spot for asparagus (then wait a couple of years patiently!) I also wanted to ask about using plastic in the begining for weed control but also through the season on and off to help with weeds. Is that ok? Thanks for all the help, you folks are so cool. I will be a part of this family forever!!! Bill

I'd buy the broccoli and cabbage plants...summer heat is hard on them, so you need a head start. Get the potatoes planted now, as well as the lettuce, radishes and onions...possibly the carrots, too. Start the peppers and tomatoes now unless you buy plants later. Plastic is fine as long as you leave room around the plants...mulch well with straw, leaves or whatever you have.
Sounds like a big, ambitious garden...think about how much time you can devote to it. Good luck!

As far as the corn goes if you goggle this site you should find a very good string with all the information you need on that subject. Planting corn is different than planting most things.

Did you look up companion planting while you were looking through the site? You want to do that because it can help you with the size and taste of your harvest.

I think if you keep at the weeding thing you will find that after a few years it becomes less of a problem. And like Weezie says weeding after rain is much easier than doing it while the ground is dry.

Are you going to compost? I just started gardening last year and I'm finding it is much cheaper if I am willing to compost. And I'm all about saving a penny or two or three lol.

Because full to note that potatoes try to grow up out of the soil and they have to remain covered so having some thing like straw around that you can cover them with is very important. Green potato is poisonous. I'm not trying to scare you it's just something that you need to know so you can keep an eye on where you plant your potatoes.

For yellow onions you will need "slips". I think that's what they are called. I'm not quite sure where you will find those. Otherwise I think those are a two year crop too. I'm doing garlic from seed as well as from bulbets this year. From seed is a two year crop also. That way althought I only started growing them this year I'll already have both years crops in now so it will be continuous after next year.

Personally I would stager sowing radishes, green onions, carrots and the like. Doing some every other week. That way you can harvest them all summer long. That's because I love fresh veggies and I'm only a family of one.

Yeppers time is an important consideration. Do you have a drip irrigation system all set up? Or how do you plan to water. That is very important as I found out last year. I hand water and it is a pain. If I owned the land you know I'd put a water source out there and drip lines even though my plot is small. Because with the really warm temperatures were have been getting the last few year it takes a bunch of water to keep everything growing.

I looked on my big hardiness zone map that shows all of the US counties, and I would say you are definitely in zone 8a, but fairly close to the border of zone 7b.

I agree with Tammy!! Radishes and green onions don't take long to mature. In fact, you can harvest radishes in as little as 4 weeks!

I already have onions, shallots, garlic, peas, potatoes, lettuce, radishes, brussels sprouts, and cabbage in the ground.

Most of these are cool weather crops.

I'm planning a drip system but gathering info now. I'm running PVC now but need info on dripping. I'm going to get my soil tested this week, how much does it cost if I have someone do it. Everyone around me says our area is not that successfull for gardening, but they don't use this site! How soon can I plant after adding lime and fert? I'm waiting 3 weeks for the section I added horse manure, but not sure about other stuff. I'm starting my first compost pile tomorrow.

detectorbill, I've heard people say not to plant right after fertilizing, but I do it all the time--and I mean immediately after fertilizing. The only time I wait is after I till in winter rye, as the rye has the effect of retarding seed germination. In this case I wait 2 weeks before planting my seeds.

Thanks Terry! What kind of fert. do you use?

I use Harmony. It's an organic dry granulated composted poultry manure.

I've heard people say not to plant right after fertilizing, but I do it all the time--and I mean immediately after fertilizing. The only time I wait is after I till in winter rye, as the rye has the effect of retarding seed germination. In this case I wait 2 weeks before planting my seeds.
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I use Harmony. It's an organic dry granulated composted poultry manure.
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I think it's advised to wait a while if using a chemical fertiliser or if the manures etc are still hot. Organic ferts as you describe Obywan are slow release and ready immediately. I use something similar as well as blood and bone, compost and well rotted manures. Basically dig 'em in today and plant whenever i like.

Detectorbill,
Sent you a PM on the cardboard ...

A good way to make sure that your corn does well is to first soak the seeds in sour milk for at least 2 hrs. before planting. This will also keep critters from digging up your seed.

SusieF

Thanks Weezie, tried to reply but your pm is full, here it is: I can't believe as busy as you must be you take time for a lowley gardner like me! Your an inspriration to us all! I'm planting squash, broc, watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, bellpeppers, jalapenos, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, potatoes (separate with high PH), aspargus (separate 2 year plan) fish, gold bricks, okra, Moose, corn. You will be happy to know I'm starting my first compost pile this year also! Thanks for all your help, I'm telling everyone about this site!

In most area's the county extension office will do soil testing for free, check out you county offices or call you local agriculture agent and they can advise you as to where to get your soil tested.

I can't believe as busy as you must be you take time for a loley gardner like me! Your an inspriration to us all! I'm planting squash, broc, watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, bellpeppers, jalapenos, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, potatoes (separate with high PH), aspargus (separate 2 year plan) fish, gold bricks, okra, Moose, corn. You will be happy to know I'm starting my first compost pile this year also! Thanks for all your help, I'm telling everyone about this site!

DetectorBill

Horse manure is good but so is chicken manure as well. Last year I used about a half pickup truck load of it and athough my garden stank for a few days it worked GREAT. I had the best growing season ever.....That is untill the big drought hit but I got my Brocolli and my colliflower harvested before that (in june) and my tomatos and pepers did well, So did my potatos. My vine plants did`nt do so good because of lack of water.

Oh I also grew lettuce before the drought. plant that early and just put the seeds on the ground...DON`T plant them, then just through dirt on top of the seeds. Lettuce grows on top of the soil like raddishes and onions. BTW....I got over 4 BOXES of romaine lettuce. Grew it for giggles and to see if it would grow. If kept weed free they grow like weeds. I had a 6'x 1' of carpet lettuce (thats how well it covered the ground.)

Cucumbers and watermellons like and will take LOTS of space and will climb all over what ever they get there vines on/into. Water WELL and you will get a good harvest.

Is it OK to raise all my rows in mounds? I'm planting toms, broc, squash, peppers, (hot & sweet) carrots, radishes, lettuce, cabbage.

Raising them in rows and mounds have been done for like everrrrrrr...

Is is good especially for heating up the soil early... and getting warmth to the soil...
Is great for drainage, it's up higher so it drains much better, especially if you have a clay based soil area.... or a lower spot for your garden where water would end up...
Is good, cause then you don't walk on that area and doesn't compact the soil..

But, remember if you live in an area where it's warmer, it will dry out quicker...
so make sure you ammend your soil, like with Compost, for some water retention and nutrition..

Sure! Its probably better that way cuz it helps with drainage. Poor drainage is a plant's worst nightmare. Just keep an eye on erosion or use some mulch to prevent it.

thanks, was'nt sure if raising the mounds was good for anything. What about melons, cant. and watermelons, does it matter? I have good drainage. By the way, how far will watermelons travel, I put my patch 12' away from my garden.

oh yea, nother question. Is there ever a problem with soil being too hot? Was wandering about leaving plastic on all season. Was also wandering why everyone doesn't do that always? Seems like the only way to go to me unless I'm missing something. WHAT about Potash, I'm low on my soil sample and added a sprinkle then a little dirt, then my potatoes. Think it'll burn 'em when the roots get there, had second thoughts after I did it. What else besides compost (which I'm gonna go crazy with thanks to what I've learned on this site) is good for potassium? preferably organic??? THANKS!!!