Starting a garden?

Question

What do I need to buy to start planting a veggie garden? I already have the seeds and bulbs, but i don't know if I need soil, plant food or what. If you can also tell me brand names that would be great.
Thanks!

Answer 1

Great gardens are ones that have been worked well for a period of time. If you are planning a garden in a spot that has never been a garden before will take some work.

You realize that you have got to till well to loosen the soil. Many people do this with all the grass or weeds still well and alive. I prefer to kill everything in the garden spot with "roundup" for thin bladed leaves like grass, and crossbow for wide bladed leaves like dandilions.Or something else that will do the same. If you don't you will be fighting weeds something awful. So kill it all and then till.
Till it well going several directions and going deep. Rake out all the dead vegitation and presto. You just saved one heck of a lot of work from weeding.

If you have rich lumas soil you may not need to add anything.
If you don't know you might go ahead and find someone that will deliver you a truck of steer manure, spread it out and then till it in. Do this after you have already tilled the spot well. People that raise cows have alot of it and sell it. Normally cheap. Sometimes give it away. Buying it by the bag is far to expensive. It is Good stuff.

Make a diagram of what you want to plant. Like a blueprint.
Plot out on your blueprint where to put different things and follow it when planting. Go to your plot now and steak it out just like your blueprint. Run strings on steaks hammered into the ground to mark off each plot for each vegie you are planting and have a path inbetween plots to walk down.
Do NOT plant to close to the strings if your vegie is a big growing plant like squash or brocoli. They do grow you know.

Run your rolls from North to South and your taller plants on the North end of your garden plot. The sun goes from East to West and that way will shine on all your rolls.

As for fertilizer. You may not know "nitrogen" "potash" etc.
Just remember this when looking at those boxes of fertilizer.
There are three numbers . For example : 10-10-10 or others.

Think of this : Lettuce, Tomatoes, Potatoes.

For leafy vegies like lettuce, spinage etc. Have a bigger first number.

For vegies that produce on the vine or plant like tomatoes
look for a bigger middle number. ( same for flowers ).

For vegies that produce a root that is harvested, like potatoes
beats, onions, etc. have a larger 3rd number.

Thus the lesson : lettuce tomatoes and potatoes for picking out your fertilizer for a certain plant. best to have something of the other numbers too mind you. It takes all three.

I like to plant my plants just a little bit closer then the directions . The plants get big and are close and keeps weeds from popping up in between them .

Water as needed and fertilize once a week and keep the weeds out and you will do very well with these directions.

Gardens are work but if you do it right they are so much less work. They look nice and you will be showing it off to all of your friends. Keep a salt shaker handy for the tomatoes and the onions. Right from the garden is the best.
Put your love into it and you will taste it BIG TIME....

Read your books , follow these directions and you should be very happy with yourself.

kenney goss , portland oregon.

Answer 2

It depends on what kind of soil you are starting with. If it's bad soil - clay based you have to build it up with peat and compost and do this every year. If your soil is more sandy just adding soil mixed with a little compost should get you started.

Now as to what kind of veggies you will grow. Carrots are a difficult veggie, where as green beans are easy. Cucumbers grow fairly well with something to grow up on and plant food. But something like melons or squash is more difficult.

I don't suggest starting Tomatoes from seeds for some reason they've never come out quiet right. Even those started in a home green house.

The best plant food is Miracle Grow. Either use a hose end sprayer or watering can per instructions.

Answer 3

I just started a garden, too! :)

Are you doing container gardening? Or are you planting in a planter in your yard?

If you are doing the yard thing.... turn your existing soil over with a shovel and mix in some good nutrient rich potting soil.

If you are doing container gardening - make sure your pots have good drainage.

You can do this either way. I am doing both.

So that's what you start with. Pay attention to the instructions of your seed packets (some recommend certain times of year to plant, and proper spacing)....

If you are planting tomatoes, you will need to watch those vines.... they grow like crazy once they start growing and will need 'training' on a trellis contraption (usually wire ones are okay - called tomato cages). Ditto for green beans.

If you are growing any herbs, some of them grow better the more you clip/trim them and/or pinch leaves (in the case of basil).

There is a site that is helpful:
http://www.backyardgardener.com/veg/index.html#how

This is how I got started.

I was even inspired to plant a fruit tree... a Meyer lemon tree.
I am growing cilantro right now, too.

I feed mine - I use Jobe's Organic-Based Vegetable Spikes. Good stuff.

Have fun. Experiment with the veggies you like. I hope this Summer you have enough wonderful veggies for a lovely salad and pasta primavera! :)

Answer 4

I am starting a garden with earth boxes. You can find them online,and if you do a search on how to make them yourself you can do so for under $15.00.
The original Earth Box center is in my local area and the size of the plants, both veggies and flowers are awesome. They are pricey, but making our own was not hard and I even had someone ask me to sell them one.
With the instructions are the exact things you need -soil, fertilizer and plant food.
Good luck.

Answer 5

No you're no longer late. in certainty this is style of early to plant maximum vegetables or annuals exterior in Calgary. you could commence with some seeds planted in pots indoors, vegetable or flora, and that they are going to be severe-high quality sized once you're arranged to set them out after the final frost. There are dozens of gardening web pages on line. Spend a sprint time reading up on strategies and advice from different gardeners.

Answer 6

I think you should go to a gardening center & ask same question if you really want a veggie garden, & hope you do.It's fun to watch things growing,that you planted yourself.

Answer 7

you can find garden furniture in this site

http://www.gadwood.com/index1.html

i hope they can help you