So, I'm gonna give this gardening thing a shot (pics)

tsh0ck
tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
in Chit-Chat
for the friends -- and anyone else, really -- that were curious about what my weekend of garden-building turned out, here are some photos. went from empty to a light tilling, just scraping the surface. then deeper tilling, building up mound rows and topping them with some additional soil. then some compost and a good watering.

waiting for a few days to get in there and grab the weeds that pop up, and then will probably plant a small, initial crop of some carrots, peas, broccoli and the like. stuff that can handle a random cold snap a little easier. least, from the reading that's what it seems to say.

friends on here have said to wait, so I'm going to hold off for a bit on the bulk of the planting. but probably will put some flowers out this week on one of the far rows, just to get something growing out there.

any gardening/harvesting advice will certainly be accepted ... I'm just learning this stuff on the fly!


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Replies

  • hoppinfroggin22
    hoppinfroggin22 Posts: 165 Member
    ok im jealous!! i gotta get to work on mine!!
  • bethhyg
    bethhyg Posts: 209
    Ok, I am loving it. You look like you live in the country. It seems to be so peaceful. Good luck on the garden.:flowerforyou:
  • jplord
    jplord Posts: 510 Member
    WOW, you are ambitious! That is a huge garden!!! We keep the work load to a minimum by following a method known as square-foot gardening and using raised beds.

    You must be really young or choosing to burn calories in the dirt rather than the gym....
  • lombrica
    lombrica Posts: 1,419 Member
    When you do something... you REALLY do something! I didn't really know if I expected to see this quite so... big. But, yet, it also doesn't surprise me?!?

    So.. yeah, step it off and give some dimensions...

    This is gonna be awesome - and maybe will even help you with eating more of your veggies... I can't wait to hear and SEE the progress... See, now that you've posted photos once... I will expect to keep seeing the progress. Ha!

    No wonder the time and the burn... great job! And... good luck... NOW... hold off a bit and plant at a reasonable time! I'm thinking that it definitely looks like some room for carrots (cause you seem to be part rabbit)... ha, ha, ha.

    (kinda a little jealous... my garden is much, much smaller... but then, I don't want to do all the weeding and just do a bag garden in a raised bed. So, I'll remember that I don't really have to weed... every time I hear about you harvesting more of your goods!)
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    ha! I actually tilled up twice what I am using. figure I can either use that to expand at a later date or, more likely, rotate the planting area. next year I can move it to the back half, giving the front end a break. I have no idea if this is a good idea or not ... but since I had the tiller out, I figured I might as well get it started for the next time.
  • juliecat1
    juliecat1 Posts: 3,450 Member
    Looks fantastic! think of all the fresh homegrown goodness youll have all summer! I cant wait to tear into mine.
  • Icewolf_The
    Icewolf_The Posts: 308 Member
    Looks AWESOME!!! :)

    So my advice for planting since you have the room you crazy wombat you... Is when you plant your corn. (and I know you will) ;) Plant your pole beans around the base of your corn stalks. The beans will 'climb' up the corn stalks and save you the hassle of having to lay wire string runners for the beans ;)

    Otherwise, rock on dude.. OH :)

    One last thing.. If you put your water lines down the center of the walk rows and then run feeder lines to the plants, you'll never have to re-dig your lines. When you re-till the mounds and re plant, you just pull back the feeder lines and coil over the main lines and away you go ;)

    Shazam ;)

    Awesome dude! ;)
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    I'd read about putting the beans with the corn ... it won't choke one or the other off?

    the paths were going to have straw. read about laying down newspaper or cardboard, wetting it and then putting a straw bed on top of that. tried it with one row, and just didn't like it at all, so took the straw out.

    anyway, not sure what I'm gonna do water wise. when I used the sprinkler to wet it down, the one sprinkler hit pretty much the entire garden area. one of those that rotates, 180 degrees on the top, back and forth? thought I might just use that. I have some of those drip hoses, but right now they are living in my flower beds ... which are actually starting to come up -- though, not as quickly as the weeds. ugh. I hate weeding.
  • OMGLeigh
    OMGLeigh Posts: 236
    If I recall, corn take up the nitrogen, beans replenish it. The trinity of crops is apparently corn, beans and squash. All grown together.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    so obviously the corn has to be there first ... how long before the corn comes up and is able to take on the beans?
  • OMGLeigh
    OMGLeigh Posts: 236
    so obviously the corn has to be there first ... how long before the corn comes up and is able to take on the beans?

    Here you go, a page about gardening with the "three sisters".
    http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html

    Corn first, beans and squash when it is 4 inches tall.
  • Gohomebay
    Gohomebay Posts: 116 Member
    Wow I thought I was an excited gardener that is simply fabulous.
    Started some new things this year from seed inside bunch of lettuces and spaghetti squash, I hope I did not start too early snowed here today lol
    Last year we had so many tomatoes I sun dried them so delicious and easy to do if anyone wants to know just ask me.
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,670 Member
    i have jealousy.
  • lombrica
    lombrica Posts: 1,419 Member

    the paths were going to have straw. read about laying down newspaper or cardboard, wetting it and then putting a straw bed on top of that. tried it with one row, and just didn't like it at all, so took the straw out.

    ugh. I hate weeding.

    So... isn't part of that to help squelch out the weeds? I mean... that's what I've heard about the newspaper and that's what I used it for... it worked - really, really well!
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    I think so. but it was only the path ... so guess I don't much mind if they are a little on there. though maybe I should. see? I have no clue. :)

    (and I didn't even think the part I set up was that big! shows what I know.)
  • lombrica
    lombrica Posts: 1,419 Member
    Well... when you measure it out - we'll all know if it's "that big" or not. :)
  • ladytinkerbell99
    ladytinkerbell99 Posts: 970 Member
    WOW, you are ambitious! That is a huge garden!!! We keep the work load to a minimum by following a method known as square-foot gardening and using raised beds.

    You must be really young or choosing to burn calories in the dirt rather than the gym....

    I was wondering the same thing. :happy:
  • ladytinkerbell99
    ladytinkerbell99 Posts: 970 Member
    I think so. but it was only the path ... so guess I don't much mind if they are a little on there. though maybe I should. see? I have no clue. :)

    (and I didn't even think the part I set up was that big! shows what I know.)

    You are so cute. I love it.

    You will realize how big it is when it is hot outside and the garden is full of bugs!! LOL
    I wish I were you. It should be so much fun. You are so lucky.
    It really looks like you did an amazing job.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    The bigger the garden, the longer the weeding. So not sure how lucky I am ... but thanks.

    :)
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    so, stepped it off this afternoon. looks like the prepped area is right about 30 x 30. (the un-prepped but tilled area behind that I may eventually either use or rotate planting into is probably about the same.)

    is that really that big?
  • 281rocky
    281rocky Posts: 5
    I am having a garden in the city community garden this year and since I raise my own plants and eat just about anyhting I am really looking forward to the good stuff. Summer squash, okra,tomatoes,cabbage,cucumbers( love them) sweetpotatoes also. beets and radishes too. tempted to try kale and turnip greens and mustard greens. Living in Iowa we don't find this stuff in stores. Yours looks awesome. pretty large too.:smile:
  • kamillathunder
    kamillathunder Posts: 4 Member
    I think you will do a great job there:)
  • lombrica
    lombrica Posts: 1,419 Member
    so, stepped it off this afternoon. looks like the prepped area is right about 30 x 30. (the un-prepped but tilled area behind that I may eventually either use or rotate planting into is probably about the same.)

    is that really that big?

    hhhhaaaaaa, ha, ha... ummm, yeah that is REALLY... THAT... BIG!! Wow... 30 x 30?!? I'd say that is pretty huge, considering this is your first garden. So... how many rows have you prepped in that 30'? That makes a difference too... if you have the 30' rows - just wondering how many of said rows you have then...

    The good news? Welp - first there is no way that you aren't going to have some success with something... let's hope all of it grows really well. Second, you will get plenty of natural exercise in caring for the thing. Third, you will make good with your neighbors when you have lots and lots of produce to share! ... I'm happy to have some of the extras, I know I am not next door - but, feel free to share up the road! ha!

    Honestly... it's just gonna be fun to watch and listen to how it's all going! I was excited when I planted mine the first time and it's a 4' x 12' garden... which was enough. I remembered thinking at the beginning of the summer, this is nothin'! By the end, I was glad that it wasn't double the size, which is what I was originally hoping for... BUT - I think it's gonna be great for you and what you want to do. I think that you will have fun with it and as I said before, maybe this will help you eat your veggies! LOL.

    And... did you check out the things that you needed for the peas? (nope, still didn't look to see what they are called) And, get some sugar snap pea seeds... getting your extra produce of those would be worth a drive to Billings! ha, ha, ha. Gee - maybe I should be encouraging you to plant already... so you have stuff ready by Dash time... LOL.

    It's a great looking garden and I wish you much luck and success with it...
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    huh. just seemed like a small garden to me. see? I'm clueless.

    rows? I believe I have either seven or eight there. I think seven. wanted plenty of walking room in between.
  • lombrica
    lombrica Posts: 1,419 Member
    Well... that might be why it doesn't feel so big... that and you have what an acre? acre and a half? of yard... so of course 30x30 wouldn't seem that big in perspective!

    Seven or Eight rows... seems way more managable versus thinking in terms of 30x30... Because you are really looking at more like a 240 foot linear area... that seems more reasonable!

    ... yeah, I see the photos up top! You aren't as clueless as you might pretend... I'm not buying that, not completely! LOL.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    yeah, I have about an acre in the back ... that doesn't really include the garden area, though ... that's kind of more front/side.

    and, really, truly ... I'm pretty clueless. I just fake it well. sometimes.
  • ptcruiser55
    ptcruiser55 Posts: 11
    love your garden, you'll burn lots of calories working that :) . I started a square foot garden this year, had to put hardware cloth underneath and fence it to protect it from our plentiful gophers.

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