Gardening Thread

[NewWorldOrder]

I wanted to start this thread, since so many of us are trying to grow our own vegetables. I have never grown a garden, so I am very new at this. I tried to start some tomatoes in March, but they didn't do anything, but I don't think I did it right. So this time, I bought some ice trays, punched some holes in the bottom, filled each cup with some enriched soil and placed 2 to 3 seeds in each cup, and now they are sitting in my window sill and will stay there until they grow big enough to transfer.

I plan to use my flower beds to plant the seedlings instead of flowers. I hope that will be ok, because I don't want to till up my yard until I know what I'm doing. I'm starting with tomatoes, bell peppers, and green beans which I haven't started yet. What else should I do? I really am learning by trial and error here.

[icebear]

one of the first tips i'd add to this discussion is to find your hardiness zone, this can help you plan on what to plant and when. it also can help you figure out if you can get more than one crop- if you are completely new to gardening (some are, you can't know till you try :) ) its also goot to keep yourself from starting the seedlings indoors too early. seedlings that overgrow can end up going into shock when transplanted outdoors, it is called "transplant shock" and any time you may have gained in starting early can be lost due to this.

here's the clickable usda zone map:

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

[icebear]

a second thing i'd add is a phenomenon called "damping off" this is when you plant your seeds, they sprout beautifully and then suddenly, almost, overnight they all wither away and die. this is usually due to the soil being kept too moist. You can be sure it is "damping off" if the teeny stems appear to have been pinched in the middle, like a tiny beaver-chewed tree. IIRR, its due to a fungus that attacks the plant at the base just above the soil line. you can loose entire flats to this easily.

if this happens, remember next time to keep the soil moist, not wet. Personally, i have never needed to use the clear dome that comes with some of the seed starting trays, if you are prone to overwatering, the dome only compounds the risk.


Allowing damping off to happen was the biggest mistake i kept making when i started playing with seeds a number of years ago. :doh:lol2

[Legacy]

So glad you started this thread! I have had a couple of gardens in the past few years, and it was all trial and error. When I was little, I was only allowed in the garden when I was in trouble--and that was to pull weeds.

My first garden here was probably too big. I abandoned it toward the end of the summer as I almost stepped on a rattlesnake in there. I had overcrowded things and couldn't see him until I nearly stepped on him. You couldn't get me back in there even if my life depended on it! :lol2 So, when you do your yard, might keep in mind that vine plants (especially pumpkins and cucumbers) should be kept separate and "train" the vines away from your other veggies you reach into often (such as green beans). Other than that, I'm not sure I can be of much help, NWO. Oh, and not sure if you get hail, but my garden was wiped out 3 times from hail storms and it bounced right back. Don't panic too much when it looks hopeless. :)

I have a pretty big garden planned this year. I have a couple of questions I hope someone can answer. First...peas. It says to plant them 6-8 weeks before last frost. I got mine in the ground 4-5 weeks before last frost (usually around May 10th) for the first time ever. I normally plant them with everything else after last frost...not knowing any better. It took them a LONG time, but they are finally starting to come up. I got worried and looked around online and it said not to plant them until the soil temp is 65-70 degrees. :thinking Our soil doesn't get that warm until May normally...I don't think. One row--the first one planted--only has only about 5 that have come up. Is it possible they'll still come up? The rest (my other 4 fences) have come up pretty good.

Second, this is the first time I've purchased non-hybrid seeds, as I got a little spooked over the winter with the way the economy was headed. I have never saved seeds. My dad had a book on it, but the part about saving green beans, peas, and soybeans (edimames) was about 1/2 page long. I don't get it. Does anyone know how to go about saving seeds for next year?

Thank you so much! :hug

[Lisababy]

i'm new to the gardening thing too, i know almost next to nothing about planting vegetables (or flowers either for that matter).

I started with tomatoes. my mother purchased two tomato seedlings for me and i put both of them in a big bucket until they get a bit bigger, then i will transfer them into their own pot. i think if i can get tomatoes to grow then i will graduate onto other vegetables. i have a backyard i could plant a garden in but am afraid too because when it rains, the yard tends to flood a bit. so i don't want to drown out my garden. any ideas on certain vegetables that do well in pots instead of the ground?

[NewWorldOrder]

i'm new to the gardening thing too, i know almost next to nothing about planting vegetables (or flowers either for that matter).

I started with tomatoes. my mother purchased two tomato seedlings for me and i put both of them in a big bucket until they get a bit bigger, then i will transfer them into their own pot. i think if i can get tomatoes to grow then i will graduate onto other vegetables. i have a backyard i could plant a garden in but am afraid too because when it rains, the yard tends to flood a bit. so i don't want to drown out my garden. any ideas on certain vegetables that do well in pots instead of the ground?


I was curious about that too, so I asked somebody, and they told me that pretty much any veggie will grow in containers, as long as you use the right size container.

[chel0524]

a second thing i'd add is a phenomenon called "damping off" this is when you plant your seeds, they sprout beautifully and then suddenly, almost, overnight they all wither away and die. this is usually due to the soil being kept too moist. You can be sure it is "damping off" if the teeny stems appear to have been pinched in the middle, like a tiny beaver-chewed tree. IIRR, its due to a fungus that attacks the plant at the base just above the soil line. you can loose entire flats to this easily.

if this happens, remember next time to keep the soil moist, not wet. Personally, i have never needed to use the clear dome that comes with some of the seed starting trays, if you are prone to overwatering, the dome only compounds the risk.


Allowing damping off to happen was the biggest mistake i kept making when i started playing with seeds a number of years ago. :doh:lol2

I just had this happen and thought that's what I'd done wrong. I had started seeds of cucumber, pickling cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and they were growing so well! Then one day they were are withered away and dead. I knew I shouldn't have watered them! I had them sitting on topy of my dryer with the dome on. I also had pepper plants seeded and they didn't start coming up until after the other stuff died. I'm going to set those out this weekend if I can harden them up enough over the next few days.

[NewWorldOrder]

I just cleaned out the flower bed in the front of my house, and planted some green bean seeds. I'll spread them out when they are big enough, and add some stakes for them wind themselves on. I've left room for my tomatoes, and I'll be cleaning out the flower bed in the back of the house for more tomatoes and some bell peppers. Has anyone done that before, used your flower beds as a vegetable bed instead. :lol2

[chel0524]

I just cleaned out the flower bed in the front of my house, and planted some green bean seeds. I'll spread them out when they are big enough, and add some stakes for them wind themselves on. I've left room for my tomatoes, and I'll be cleaning out the flower bed in the back of the house for more tomatoes and some bell peppers. Has anyone done that before, used your flower beds as a vegetable bed instead. :lol2

No. But, it's a great idea! I have one flower bed behind the house that I hadn't gotten to yet. It's all fixed out and mulched and everthing, but nothing planted in it yet.

I think I'll put cherry tomatoes there! :thumb

[Lisababy]

I just cleaned out the flower bed in the front of my house, and planted some green bean seeds. I'll spread them out when they are big enough, and add some stakes for them wind themselves on. I've left room for my tomatoes, and I'll be cleaning out the flower bed in the back of the house for more tomatoes and some bell peppers. Has anyone done that before, used your flower beds as a vegetable bed instead. :lol2

i actually had this thought when i decided to start my garden!!! great minds think alike huh? only problem is my flower beds are in the front of my house which doesn't get very much sun. maybe if i can find some veggies that don't require that much sun to grow then i will still do it.