I want a vegtable garden but the only place i got is on a hill i don,t think this will work ?

Question

i,ve also got lots of trees around

Answer 1

The two things that you need to worry about is does the area get sun, and can the garden retain water. If your hill is too much of a grade then all of the water you apply will run down and have virtually no benefit to your garden. If you really want to grow a successful garden I would suggest a terrace system, although it may be a lot of work it will pay out in the end.

Answer 2

People have been gardening on the sides of hills and mountains forever so that is not a problem. Just make sure you make your rows across the hill (like steps going up), do not make your rows up and down. If your hill is south-facing that would be ideal as you would get the best sun exposure assuming it is not so heavily wooded that your hill gets practically no sun at all ! Most vegetables require at least 8 -10 hours of direct sunlight per day. If your hill does not get this much sun you might want to find a better place or try container gardening on a sunny deck. Also certain plants do not like to grow near Walnut or Butternut trees because of a toxin called Juglans. You might find it helpful to pick up a book on beginning gardening from the bookstore. The best thing to do is to call your County Extension office. They will be able to answer all of your questions and have information specific to your area. Most of all, don't be intimidated, have fun! Gardening is a lifelong learning experience that can be very gratifying.

Answer 3

I built my large garden right into the side of the mountain behind my house! As luck would have it the slope is south facing... you might have a bit more trouble if your site faces north.
Anyway, I shaped the slope into flat terraces (think stairs... the steeper your slope the narrower your terraces need to be) and to prevent runnoff I shored up the fronts of them with plastic corrugated greenhouse roofing cut into strips (easily done with scissors). These corrugated strips are pushed a little way into the ground and held in place by pounding lengths of 1/2" PVC pipe (this is inexpensive and can be cut quickly with a hacksaw) about two feet into the ground directly in front of the lengths of corrugated. I built stone steps up the middle for easy access.
This method has really worked well for me. My garden has great light and drainage. The one big drawback is that all the soil ammendments, tools, harvest, etc. need to be carried up and down by hand as my hill is too steep for a wheelbarrow. But I just think of it as good excercise!
As for the trees, you might consider cutting down a few to make for better light if need be. But I purposely left a few in my garden; certain plants (lettuce, spinach, etc.) like a bit of shade in the afternoon during a hot summer day and the trees help extend my growing season for these crops.
Good Luck!!

Answer 4

Obviously the trees will hamper growth as vegetables need sunlight. However, can you anchor a terrace-type object(i.e. a tree trunk or landscape timber or rocks if you are ambitious) to hold the dirt/compost in place when the rains come? Just put some quality dirt/compost behind and you are ready to reap the rewards!

Answer 5

plant pumpkins