Vegetable garden

Pbgrl04

Does anyone do a vegetable garden? If so do you have any tips or a good website to look at?

jenniferlynn2477

I just started about 3 years ago and I live for it every year. I look at a ton of websites depending on what I want to find out, lol. Pinterest has a lot of cool ideas for anything and I have seen some very nice gardening ideas. I have purchased some unique seeds from Burpees online to grow. I have put out a garden in my back yard for the last three years and will do another one this year, but we're adding 2 raised garden beds in front. We also do container gardening for certain items that I don't want in the garden.

newlifecowgirl

Hubby and I do one every year, his parents do too. Ours is fairly big, his parents is HUGE.
My first recommendation is to have your soil tested, see what it's low on, what it needs, doesn't need etc..

Natural fertilizers are the way to go, none of the miracle gro or anything like that...good old farm animal poop

This is just my personal preference, but we buy only non-gmo seeds, the heirloom varieties, to me they are better plants and because I am an over achiever I harvest seeds at the end of the season. A good site for them is Baker Creek seed company, they have a lot of info as well and books on growing.

Start out small, nothing is more daunting when you are first starting out than getting a ginormous garden going and getting overwhelmed. Lettuce is super easy to grow, cucumbers, potatoes and corn are all fairly easy to grow.

There's tons more but your best bet is to get the info on your soil, maybe call your local extension office for a list of plants that do well in your area.

Have fun!

bpotts44

I have a big garden and use no till methods. My main inspiration for my methods comes from the book "Weedless Gardening" by Lee Reich. I grow tons of the food I eat. Can't wait for my lettuce and spinach to get going again

KANGOOJUMPS

yummy, yes, nothing is better then fresh veggies.

mrfrodogetdown

I love gardening, I'm taking over SO's because he's not too great at it.

A bit of everything. Tomatos, beans, beets, radish, lettuce... Hmm need to think of what else to grow to fill it up

Swiss chard

Kyledrums

I've just started growing my own chillies. I hope to do a lot of other things as well

ecc4912

I'm big into the concept of companion planting. There are certain plants that grow well together. There are certain plants whose growth will be stunted if planted next to a certain one. For my tomatoes, I always plant basil and marigolds right next to it. The bugs that might eat your tomatoes will be repelled by the marigolds. Basil improves the flavor of the tomato. Here is a website that I always have handy as I plan out my garden. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants

huanu

Years ago we transformed a hill around our back deck (it never would grow grass) into a double tier veggie garden. It was the best thing we ever did! It has expanded and taken over our backyard and this year we plan to turn our front yard into an edible landscape style garden.
We are also debating about getting 2 chickens as well. We live in a subdivision so 2 is our limit according to town bylaws.

We grow asparagus, garlic, onions, carrots, lettuce, tons of tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, peppers (red and jalapeno), watermelon, eggplant (although I didn't like it but it was fun to grow), zucchini, chives and many herbs....
this year I want to get some berry bushes growing and squash and cabbage, etc.

The key to a great garden is great soil! Well worth the initial work. Also understand the various plants so that you know what they are vulnerable to and you can recognize signs of distress right away. We choose to do things in an organic way so it means a lot of proactive planning to keep pests under control.

Once you grow your own food, you'll have a whole new appreciation for what you eat! It tastes better and is much healthier for both you and the environment. Good luck!!

michael7585

Me and my girlfriend are gonna try building a raised garden this year. we need some advice and tips on how to do this. please responde to this. thanks

BCSMama

We have a pretty good sized veggie garden. I would strongly recommend you check out your local ag extension office as a resource if you have one. They will have good information for your area. I've also gotten a lot of valuable information from local nurseries. The bigger chains that sell seeds and plants are not nearly as knowledgeable, so look for the locally owned places.

We've had our garden for several years and I feel like I learn something new each year. The biggest think is start small. The first year, I was gung ho and planted tons of different things without bothering to see if I should be sowing seeds or setting transplants and most of it failed. Find out what varieties are best suited for your area and when you should plant them. Get a good fertilizer; we use mushroom compost from a local mushroom farm that is absolutely wonderful. Be sure you water enough, especially while seedlings are being established. Stay on top of pests before they get out of control; we use an organic insecticidal soap spray that works well if we catch and treat early.

Enjoy! I have found gardening to be very hard work, but oh so rewarding.

rllewell

I went vertical 2 years ago when I invested in a Tower Garden which uses an aeroponic growing system . I plan to purchase a second TG so I can have even more variety of fruits and vegetables this spring/summer/fall. They are great for patios and desks. No soil so no weeding or tilling. Waters itself through a timed pump system. There is nothing like picking your own vine ripened tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, etc. from your patio for a salad right then and there. I can email you a few pictures and videos if you want to see it in action!

gsbrooks1

if your starting from seed then go to Seedsavers.com, Bakes rcreek heirloom seed company. Stay Heirloom if at all possibly with your plants and seeds. burpee's organic plants and heirloom are not recgonized as Non GMO so stay away. Buy your heirloom plants from local growers that sell at the farmers market. I have a 3000sqft organic garden and love it. It produces more food than my family can handle, so i give to family and friends. I use the raised wide row method that produces mega quantities of food. I will post the name of the book that i learned this method from.

caribear1984

We have a raised bed garden, chickens, and rabbits. It is great. The rabbits and chickens produce fertilizer for the garden, they eat the weeds and such, and give us eggs and sometimes meat if we need it. So far as raised beds go, my advice is to not make them too wide. IMO you should be able to reach the plants in the center without stepping into the bed. About 4 feet is a good width. You can go as long as you have room for. Start a little smaller than you would like, because it is easy to get overwhelmed with your first garden. You can always expand next year if you want to. Grow the things you eat most often, if possible. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peas, melons and squash are generally pretty easy to grow. It is a lot of fun and very rewarding. Good luck!

THExNEKOxCHAN

I do, and I love it. I'd have acres of garden if I could manage it. But for now, I have my house garden (small yard, alas), and three plots that I rent at the local community garden.

I use local seed companies, and only heirloom, open-pollinated, organic seeds, and natural fertilizers (manure, crushed eggshell, etc). I am learning how to collect and save seeds as well.

I don't use pesticides/herbicides. I am considering trying to make a mild solution from rhubarb leaves for the brassicas though. I haven't even used the sulfur I bought for the powdery mildew.

Check online, and through your local library catalog to find ideas on utilizing your space. Look up sites like Mother Earth News and Homestead.org for great articles.

Have fun. Take pictures of your garden so you can see the progress you've made.

redladywitch

I've been gardening for years. I would suggest contacting the Master Gardeners in your area. They will give you specific information on the climate, the varieties of vegetables that grow best in your area and will help you with just about any gardening question.

colorslide

Me and my girlfriend are gonna try building a raised garden this year. we need some advice and tips on how to do this. please responde to this. thanks

I'm also going to be trying to build my own raised veggie garden this year. Hopefully within the next month.

eileenchristine

Tried straw bale gardening last year. Did very well, but this year going to just make no till gardens out of them. Was quite the adjustment moving from Boston area to Iowa! Things went crazy. Had way too much stuff! Couldn't keep up with it.

Looking forward to this year being lighter and stronger and I will keep up with it. Had mostly lettuce (super easy) peas, tomatoes, green beans, cukes, MELONS. Had so many melons in my little tiny backyard!

Just google for info. I like Davesgarden.com for information. Huge site. Better Homes and Gardens website has good info. Ordered seeds this year from http://www.sampleseeds.com/ Last year got them from GrowOrganicNow.com (?) I like trying new things

This will be my 2nd year gardening at this house. I can't wait for this white crap to cease and desist!

Square foot gardening is an interesting idea for new gardeners with small spaces.

Have fun!

TravisBikes

I have a couple "square foot" beds set up, 4'x4', chilies are potted (bhuts and the like).

The tomatoes and squash really take off for me, may try doing more variety this year if i can fight the critters off.

WendyTerry420

I know some people don't like it, but I swear by the Miracle Gro. I have had great success when I've used it.

mustardseedmom

I've been perusing www.mysquarefootgarden.net for tips. Also, www.sproutrobot.com tells you what to plant when according to where you live.

I just started my 4x4 raised bed and will hopefully have a 4x2 bed, too (I have the frame, need to decide where to place it and get the soil... starting small because we would have to terrace our backyard or I will have to haul the hose all the way down the hill in 100 degree summer heat and level places are limited. Hoping for the best. I planted carrots, lettuce, spinach, bush beans, and grape tomatoes today. I have cucumbers started in a small pot and will transplant them when they get a little bigger...

would a tomato cage work to help the cukes grow vertically and save ground space?

I also have cilantro started in a pot and planted basil and rosemary seeds today. My kids helped, they were so excited.

BluePHX

I have herbs growing in my window. Cinnamon basil, fresh peppermint, edible Province Lavender and sweet basil. It smells great and it's soooo easy to care for! I love it.

bpotts44

No need for raised beds unless you live in an area with excess rain. Very unlikely really. Just do the garden ground level or even down if you are in a doughty area. Weedless Gardening by Lee Reich has all the information you need to prepared a notill organic garden and get all the production you would ever dream of getting out of your space.