How to start a small garden? (just enough for my bf & I)?

Question

want to grow vegtables...

Answer 1

Small?? Define Small??
It's a little late in the season to start an in ground garden no matter where you are due to soil amendment possibilities etc...., so.....the raised be garden sounds like a good answer to your problem.
A raised bed can be made out of just about anything depending on how permenant you want it to be, what you plan to plant, and how you plan to start it. Not knowing where you are living, I'll try to make it as basic as possible.
Decide what you want to use as your "wall" material. If you want ot use stone/lumber/bales of hay/straw, make it at least as tall as the roots of your longest planting are long. If you are going to try tomato, even this late in the season, it needs to be at least 18 inches tall because you can't count on it being able to break trhough the turf that you will be making your box on top of.

Mark the perimiter of your raised bed and dig out a trench at least 3 inches down and as wide as the material that you are using to make your walls. Put in your walls. Use waterable landscaping fabric to seal out the insides of your walls. This keeps dirt from escaping between planks/stones/bales and also cuts down on the chemicals that can leach into the soil. I suggest the "breathable" because it still permits water to seep IN the box to the roots, while holding the dirt inside.

Line this year, and because it is so late, don't worry about tilling out the interior area of the box. Simply spread about a half inch of peletized gypsum and a quarter inch of lime across the interior area and then line it with cardboard (brown only, minimal ink) or about an inch of newspaper (no sunday funnies...black and white only). This will help the soil under the cardboard break down (if clay-y) start the cardboard and paper breaking down, and the cardboard/paper help keep the grass or seeds of other things that might be getting ready to grow there from creeping up through your soil and choking the roots of your newly planted yummies.....it also keeps you from hating gardening due to tilling out or shovel clearing the grass and sod and such.....

Next comes the "soil". I don't know why people always say just use topsoil. Topsoil is just that...the top level/layer of dirt. It's been cooked in the heat, watered out, has no nutrients or growth value, and frequently has seeds in it that have not been filtered or cooked out. The easiest way to fill int he box is with something like Miracle Grow Veggie and Tree Soil. It comes in huge bags at a lot of different places and you can figure out how much you need by bringing in the measurements of your box (don't forget the depth), and just makie sure you buy about 3-5 extra bags....cause they always underestimate. I said "Easy".....NOT "cheap"......'cause it definately isn't .

On a slightly tighter budget?? On top of the cardboard lay in a few inches of composted manure. COMPOSTED...not raw. I always but a good layer in the bottom because by the time the roots get that deep they need the extra nutrients. Then mix peat moss (or Super-Fine Soil Conditioner), composted manure (yes...more manure), and organic humis. Basically, the ratio is one large peat moss or super fine, to five manure, to 8 organic humis. You'll need to figure out how many "sets" you'll need in order to fill whatever size box you make. You could also just buy a little of the ready mix and stretch it by adding this stuff in the same ratio.

Plant your plants (really look at maturity/production requirements), consider planting "cold" crops: broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, collard greens etc...) and if you are going to try peppers/maters etc...get older, already blossoming plants because (since I don't know where you live), there is nothing worse that having to vine ripen those green tomatoes in December by hanging them in your garage!!)...yup...been there/done that!!) If you don't know how many to plant for just two, and really want to keep the space used to a minimum, try companion gardening. There is a great book out there that will help you pick plants that are freindly to each other, can design the prettiest, most productive garden you could imagine, and help keep you from having to beg people to take some stuff off of your hands because you didn't know that a tomato plant could make that many, or that squash just keeps dropping fruit forever....and ever....and ever.....it is, after all, the plant that keeps on giving.. The exact title??? (been a long time and my brain is getting empty...as you can probably tell by my typos!!)....
The Vegetable Factory: a guide to companion and square foot gardening.....or something very much like that.....

Landscaping fabric across the top or around the individual plants isn't as essential in a taller box as the seeds of weeds don't usually fly that high (even when weed-whacking), and even if one does take a trip on a flying trim line....it's easier to maintain....but I do mulch! Hardwood nuggets mold less in the humidity, but don't seal in the moisture as well as shredded pine bark in the dry heat...depends on where you live!

Last note about a raised bed: they do dry out faster than "in ground gardens". You will need to water them more frequently if you have a long, rainless spell. Really cool things about them, other than easier to set up in the first place, is they are easier to maintain. It's easier to expand them when you want more space. It's easier to then use other bordering materials to create new spaces around them so that it then becomes a decoration in your yard as well as a garden......and finally....if you are renting or have to move.....they are easier to take down, smooth out, and get rid of so that you don't lose deposits or $$ from sales!

Good luck and happy gardening.

Answer 2

It's late in the season, and it's lots of work to dig planting beds. I would suggest container gardening. You can grow virtually anything in a large pot. I even have a tangerine tree growing in a big pot, and it produces a fair amount of fruit each year! For veggies, you can still get a crop of tomatoes, bell peppers, and herbs this year. Buy some started plants; there's not enough time left to grow them from seed (except maybe some of the annual herbs, like cilantro, dill, basil... but even those will take a couple of months from seed.) Get some good quality potting soil; soil from your yard will pack down too much in a pot, although you could use it if you mix it with a generous amount of finished compost. Get a big pot - at least 15 inches in diameter (and preferably bigger) for tomatoes and peppers. You could get away with gallon size containers for herbs, although bigger would be better. Put the pots in a sunny location - at least 6 hours of direct sun a day, if you can. Plants in pots need to be watered more often than plants in the ground. If you are using a good commercial potting soil, you won't have to fertilize the plants for a month or so; then use a good vegetable or general purpose fertilizer according to the package directions. Another fun thing to do is just to cut a slit in a big (2 cubic foot) bag of potting soil and poke some dranage holes at the bottom. Then plant your plant right through the slit in the bag! I have seen some very healthy and productive tomato plants grown this way. Good luck, and have fun! You'll learn a lot from growing your plants this way, and next year you can start earlier and prepare a good planting bed. (I have over a half an acre and I have lots of fruit trees, grape vines, veggies, herbs, and flowers growing in the ground, but I still have dozens and dozens of container plants, too, because it's so versatile.)

Answer 3

Start by picking out a sunny location. Till the soil and put in some compost. You can buy it from a garden center by the bag. Dig that into your soil. Then plant 2 of each vegetable that you love. Stake the tomatoes. One squash plant should do. You should also try container gardening.

Answer 4

Absolutely, make sure you know what kind of soil you're working with, and that your plants will get enough sun and water.

You might want to build a raised bed: Those are easier to tend, and you can more easily keep compost in it (to help enrich your soil). There should be books at your local library about how to do that. And contact local farmers or the local extension agent about what plants grow well where you live.

Happy gardenning!

Answer 5

Start by picking up some good top soil, seeds and planting pots at your local garden center they will have answer to all of the question that will come up from there on in. Oh ya and get your bf to help you with tottin' the bags of top soil..

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Priority is for the soil to be good, nice and rich, easy to dig and not like clay, you can always buy in top soil. Then decide what you would like to grow, grass ( the stuff you cut!) flowers or vegetables, - that leads on to some many more questions!

Answer 8

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Answer 9

My grandma has lots and lots of flowers in our frontyard and backyard. I asked how does she have a garden like that. She gets Perennial flower plants, the flowers survive longer. She also buys fertilizers for the plants.Good soil is I think important. You will have problems with snails!!! You have to kill them coz they kill the flowers. At night time they go out of their hiding places and kill them when you see them. Water your plants everyday!

Answer 10

Get a big garden, and cut it up into small ones....simple