[messn'n'gommin']

This will be my first garden and I thought I would document it to help keep me motivated. Also, I have a brother-in-law who has had a garden for about the last 50 years and he has agreed to mentor me, so I am in good hands.

My garden is about 12'x25' and I turned it by hand in about six hours time (lol...I think gardening will suit me as I am not a hurry up and wait kind of guy!). I'm getting a bit of a late start, as I live in sort of a transitional area between zones 6 and 7, but I don't think it will matter all that much in the long run and I hope it will be a long run! A soil sample has been sent off to the county extension office and I am waiting for the results to determine what amendments I will need to apply. It has the potential for being a good loamy soil as it is mostly a mix of clay and sand as of right now. I know it is better to make any amendments in the fall, but I didn't really get bit by the gardening bug until I started growing an "illegal" garden.

My neighbor has dogs, so I put up a few "posts" to mark my territory with raw urine in a spray bottle to keep them from dumping in the garden. I don't know if it will really work to that effect, but I don't have anything to lose. You can see one of the posts in the second pic though.



I can't wait!

Comments and/or advice is most welcome!

Namaste, mess

[messn'n'gommin']

I have been reading until my eyes are crossed. But, lol...I quickly found out what the word "loam" means. Still, it will be another week or so before I get the soil analysis back from the extension office and I will make any amendments then.

I wanted to go as organic as possible, but the reality is that it may have to be something of a compromise between that and the use of some chemical fertilizers. I will be adding some peat and I am guesstimating I'll need about 15-16 cf (2" for 300sqft?), so I am thinking that means even more dolomitic lime than what the soil analysis calls for.

Bought some corn (Silver Queen), green bean (Kentucky Wonder), pepper (California Wonder), tomato (Beefmaster), and jalapeno seeds today, as well as some cilantro/coriander and sweet basil seeds. So, I will have to find a spot for a small herb garden. I know it would have been easier to buy some of them as plants ready for transplant, but I wanted to start them from seed (lol...yeah, I know...I'm a hard head!). I have a spot already picked out that I will need to setup with a 4' shop light for germination. Other than that, it is something to do until the soil test results get here.

Namaste, mess

Looks good man, my buddy's just getting his garden started too. Be nice to see what you do with it.

[messn'n'gommin']

Thanks! But, to be honest, I'm interested in what I'm going to do with it, too! Don't know if it his first garden or not, but I wish your buddy good luck! lol...I am finding that the more I learn, the more I am scratching my head wondering just what to do!

The neighbor's dogs seem to be respecting my territory, because I haven't seen any new droppings yet. Time will tell.

Been pricing bulk peat because it is almost bare of any thing to keep the soil loose. But, I don't know if I want to apply it, till it, then turn it, apply again and till again (for about a total of 12" depth of organic matter) or just one application and tilling.

Beginners just have too many questions!

Namaste, mess

It's his first too, I think he tilled up his plot for it on Sunday. Pretty sure he's doing it so he can reuse his grow soil and also grow his own fruits veggies and peppers

[messn'n'gommin']

Sounds like a plan! I have about 8 or 10 gallons of used soil to make a leaf lettuce and green onion bed with, but the ground isn't dried out enough to work yet. Maybe Sunday, since I need to get the onion sets out soon, even though it's supposed to start raining here Sunday evening, Monday, and into Tuesday. We'll see.

Namaste, mess

[messn'n'gommin']

Got my lettuce and onion bed started Saturday evening, which was a good thing because it started raining early Sunday morning and didn't quit until yesterday afternoon.



Ya, I know, it's pitiful looking and isn't layed out very well, but, I am as proud of it as most anything I've ever done!

Oh, yeah! Got my soil test report back the other day, too. Low P and K, high Mg, and a pH of 6.0 and a buffer of 6.8. They recommended 2-3 lb of N, 3-5 lb P, 3-5 lb of K, (or 42 lbs of 6-12-12) and 30 lb of lime per 1000 sq ft. Taking a third of that (for 300 sq ft of garden) and doubling it, I put down about 20 lb of triple 12 and about 10 lb of dolomitic lime (I will be adding about 16 cf of peat by the time I till the soil) and I don't think the additional N will hurt anything by the time it is all said and done.

Not a very organic way of growing, but I am one of those who needs to do it before they can learn it. I'll get there!

Namaste, mess

Nice dude, I'll still be watching, cause I plan on doing the same thing on my next move. What a great way to reuse soil and keep yourself busy :P

[messn'n'gommin']

Thanks TroubleGuy, I appreciate the kind words!

My brother-in-law came by Monday morning and tilled my garden and he suggested that I might want to plant the rest of the strip with the leaf lettuce and onions with a few green bean seeds and take the chance that the frost won't get them. I had exchanged the Silver Queen corn for some Peaches and Cream (SE) seed. So, over-doing it, I planted two rows of corn and two rows of green beans. My reasoning was that the lows weren't expected get below the mid-50's for the next several days and the 15th is the last expected frost date.

The corn is on the left and the green beans are on the right. I left a space to plant a couple more rows of corn, a couple more rows of gr. beans and tomatoes come mid-May.



I also sprouted some basil, jalapeno, and bell pepper seeds in some MG MC soil and peat pots. Like a total beginner, I forgot to label the peppers, so if you can identify them from the pics It would help me a bit. But they are going to get planted anyway about the 15th of May.

The basil. The aluminum foil is just to catch any run-off.


Which pepper is which?


This is coming along better than I expected! Still, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Namaste, mess

[iGro4Me]

Hey Messn'....growing up, we ALWAYS had a veggie garden......nice to see you getting those seeds in the ground my friend.

Your Bell Peppers are on the right in that top pic