A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Where to start......

We will be moving in January and I will be growing a garden this year. I have not done this in quite some time. I grew tomatoes successfully this year and always had a garden growing up, but am at a loss as far as how to really do this. Any suggestions are welcomed as well as planting suggestions(grouping, different plants, etc) Here is my new garden-to-be:



It is roughly a quarter acre or so. I think it was a garden at one time because of the way it has been cleared and the location to the house. I am soooooo excited!!

Woooohoooo Tonya......tomatoes are good...how about corn and radishes?
The size of that garden, you wont need veggies at the store!!!!

That's what I'm hoping for, Penny!!

The size of that garden.....i just hope not critters come and munch on your food!!!!

I'm hoping to do tomatoes, potatoes, corn, beans, peppers, carrotts, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, squash, radishes, garlic.....I know there is more, but....

There is only so much room.....wait, you have the room.....you will need a lap top to keep up on here with a gardent that size...you will always be out there.

With all the mowing I will be doing- I'll need something...I am trying to find a pic from the road looking back. I'm not getting anything done today

Is that the neighbors house then in the back????

The house you are seeing is actually across the road. The neighbor I mentioned is to the left of the garden in that pic. The house you saw is a rental and is usually vacant from what I've heard.

It will be nice to have someone close by....maybe they have a rider tractor to cut the grass with, that you can use for awhile...barter with veggies

This is standing at the back corner of the house looking towards the back of the property- the property line is the tree line in the very back!



How do you like Doug's new home??

Wow.....that is alot of property there!!!!

I'm really going to get something done now....like a shower! See ya later on!

OK- Now...any suggestions for which crops should be planted along side each other, or any "prep" suggestions?? Sorry- Seems I hijacked my own topic!

Even though you have ample space to work with, I would start out small with a few raised planters near the house. It's so easy to over do it, and exceed the fun/joy of gardening. It can become a real chore if the plot is a long way from the house and there's a lot of work awaiting you each day. There's nothing like taking a few short steps out the door and being able to snip/snip a salad together. Check out Square Foot Gardening for tips, techniques and plant spacing.

The garden is right off the side of the house, so rather than raised beds I am doing a portion of the whole "plot" I do plan on having probably 20 tomato plants(we had 9 this year and nowhere near enough tomatoes- we love them!), but I also want to grow a few things like potatoes, onions, and peppers for sure- the rest may have to wait until next year. Oh! and lettuce!

Thanks for the link, BTW- I bookmarked it!

I just saw this post
Can you get to the property and do anything to it now, or do you have to wait until the dots are dotted and t's are crossed...
**I apologize, I read the first couple of posts,
and will finish reading tonight**

If you can get to it now, rototill it up now..cover with any type of covering, cardboard or chopped leaves.. or even better after freshly tilled, find a cover crop to seed like red clover and till it in in the spring...

We can go to the property and all, but I can't get any tiller rental places to answer the phone to let me know how much it would be to till it for me (we are going to buy a tiller with the money from closing!

Tonya, google lasagna gardening and see if that will help you out...

Here is a link to get you started...

Dianna

I think there's even more here about
lasgna gardening...
Do a forum search for those words or even cardboard...

Thanks guys!

Now- any suggestions on plant grouping? Like which ones are planted together or which ones can't be planted together? I am soooo excited!

I think there's some info on that too,
if you do a forum search on the words
Companion Gardening..
I know Njoynit had asked that question
and there should be some other posts as well...

I am verrrrrrrry excited for you...
I wish I had that much land to garden.

Also, if you find two pictures, one from Triss's garden and one from Comfrey's gardens', I think there's great shots of awesome fences..
*and that's a great idea if you can afford it,
cause mine got mutilated from woodchucks this year..
*if you can't find them, cause I don't remember what posts' they had posted them under, but maybe you can entice them in here and ask them to repost those pictures...*

And Longy has some good ideas' too, with bails of hay around them too...*breaks down the soil under it, and is used as a make shift fence around the perimeter.. and then he breaks the bails I think and either shakes it on top of the soil in the fall time or uses it in the compost..
*and I have a post somewher'es about gardening inside a bail of hay*

So far- I can't find the pics of Triss' or Comfrey's fences....

I also have not really had time to search the other stuff..... 'Tis the season to be too busy, I guess!

Maybe once I get moved!

I cant wait to see what you've got planned for the garden~~~~!!!

Tonya,
I hear you more than you know on the time thing..
*that's why I was tryin' to get you to find the info.... wink~wink*

But bring this post back up and/or to my attention *I love to doing stuff in Winter,
gives me an opportunity to catch up* so,
I'll hunt the stuff done, and we'll get you hooked up with soooooo much info, you might not know where to start...
But we'll get'er done for you...
Can't wait and am excited for you!!!

I am calling around trying to find someone to "disc" the entire garden for me once we close and then I have a friend who is gonna give me "free" horse poop- I have to haul it, but don't have to pay for the poop itself I am going to try to ge a diagram drawn up of where I want everything so that I am more prepared when we get moved in.....busy, busy!!

Crikey Tonya. That's a massive area. Given that you can feed a family of four all year on an area 25' x 25' or less, i'd reckon go easy to start, as Mr Clint suggests. Otherwise, you're going to have a huge area of weeds or you'll have to work very hard to keep it all going. Do you have the rainfall or the water available to keep it all well watered? A small, well tended area will produce much better and with far less effort than a large, difficult to maintain area.
However, how big you go is up to you.

For prep, first get your soil tested. Find out the Ph, and the nutrient ratios. Then you'll know what you will need to add. Different crops may like a little more of this or that, so side dressings thru the growing season will assist. I'd also talk to a few neighbours and ask what the previous owners were doing with that area. It's obviously been used for something agricultural.

I'd till the weeds in the area along with whatever the additives are that your soil test reveals. Good preparation is the absolute necessity for growing vegies.

Make a plan of the beds you intend to use. Or the rows or whatever and set the garden out on paper. An area for Brassicas, one for potatoes and other solanums like tomatoes and eggplant etc. Cucurbits like pumpkin and cucumber would have another area. Beans and other legumes can be used to enrich soil for nitrogen loving crops like corn. Or you can plant them with the corn and allow them to grow up the stalks. Then you will have a beginning for crop rotation which will help prevent diseases and pests from getting ahead of you. It would be good to read up on basic crop rotation principles when setting out the areas on paper. Remember also that it's best to plant a small amount of something often rather than a huge amount in one hit. That way you get continuity od supply and if a pest or disease gets going, the losses are not so great.
Once you have a section producing well and gain experience and confidence, then you could decide if you want to expand. Have you thought of fruit trees?
Regarding the horsemanure. I'd pile it up on the area you will be developing next, or which you are leaving 'fallow'. Huge amounts are best. (You could easily use 10 cubic yards on a 10th of that area.) Allow it to compost and when you're ready, bust it into the soil and plant feral plants like pumpkin or other rambling vines in it. Horse manure can carry a lot of weed seed and is best composted. It's not that high in nutrient but is a great soil conditioner. Cucurbits love it.
In short, i'd research, plan, read and be patient. It doesn't have to happen yesterday and preparation is the key. Gotta walk before we run. Good luck :-)

Longy- thank you so much for the info! We are hoping to plant about half of the quarter acre "garden" plot this coming spring. I just got off the phone with my local county extension office about the soil testing( Free is always good! ) I will admit I had to google a few of the "scientific"( I think) names you gave, but I am on my way to planning a great garden! I am going out to measure and plot out where things will go this Saturday I hope. We do get plenty of rain and if not enough falls- the hose is close enough to water if needed. As a stay-at-home mom, I have the time to commit to it and the money it will save us in produce will be significant provided everything grows well. I'm sure I will have more questions soon!