Planting a veg/ fruit garden, some hints please?!?

Question

I just planted a garden in my backyard, I live in northern california in the valley & the area gets full sun.

I planted rasberries on a mound in one corner, I planted 3 watermelon plants in one mound then another mound with 2 Ambrosia melon plants, then 3 raised rows with corn, peas, and peppers.

My questions are thease:
IS there anything SPECIAL I have to do to thease plants?
( Besides water and pick weeds)
Do you think they will produce fruit. vegtables this season?
Because I dont know if I planted them too late?
The area is 25 feet by 10 feet, do you think this is enough room?
Any suggestions and hints are appreciated, this is my first time growing something that produces fruit or vegtables :)

Was also wondering, I put up a wire fence arround the whole garden if the rasberry plant is on one side can i get it to grow over the whole fence?
so it looks like a rasberry fence ?

Answer 1

You may or may not have planted too late but there is nothing you can do about that now. Also, watermelon will spread a lot as it grows so it may grow into other plants. Don't know what Ambrosia melon's are. When your corn is about 6-8 inches tall you should "side dress" (dig a small trench about 5-6 inches away from the plants down the row) and put a high nitrogen fertilizer in it and cover it up. Corn needs lots of nitrogen. Next time you plant corn make it 3 or 4 rows so it pollinates better. Your peas and peppers should be fine if you've got good soil, moisture and sun.

Back to the melons. Watermelon plants will send out tendrils for many feet. I've got some that are over 10 ft. and still growing. (I'm in central Texas). Same is true for cantaloupe, don't know about Ambrosia.

Good luck and good eating.

Answer 2

It sounds as if you got everything set up pretty well. If you are going to add fertilizer via water, such as miracle grow, wait until the plants start to produce fruit and vegetables to add the fertilizer. That is when they plants need the added nutrients the most.

If the raspberry bushes are new, or young, they probably won't produce this year. Even if they are well established, they may not produce. It could take up to 2 years before you will get good production from the raspberry bushes. Also, raspberries tend to want a lot of water when they are first transplanted/planted, so that they can start establishing a good root system. If they start looking wilted or drooping, then they need water. If you don't want your raspberries to spread, you need to cut the cane tops before they become top heavy and fall over to the ground. Once they do, the tops, and any part touching the ground, will start to root, and will create another plant. Also, cutting them back causes them to branch out, and become more bushy.

Good luck

Answer 3

The only plants you mentions that are perennial are the raspberries. They do have several needs that will be constant. They like lots of organics in their well drained soil. They do not like wet roots especially in spring.
They are very sensitive to verticillium wilt that can come with plants like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or eggplant. Do not use compost on raspberries made from these plants.
Raspberries prefer a soil pH of 5.6 to 6.2 and to be fed at 1/2 pound each of N-P-K per 250 square feet. If you haven't done a pH test for the soil you can get universal pH strips that read 4-9 at your pharmacy along with a bottle of distilled water. You must use bottled distilled water so you are not reading the pH of the water you use for the test.
You just said N. CA. so your pH can be like Napa's typical soil pH of 5.0 to 7.0 or like Paso Robles drier less highly weathered soil with a pH ranging from 6.0 to 8.5. Napa regional soils will grow raspberries without pH adjustments unlike Paso Robles.
How to lower pH
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/1731-05.html
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/lowerpH.html
These plants need more water than a lawn for their best fruiting. Give them 1-2 inches per week applied regularly so they have a steady supply. Raspberries root in the top two feet of soil. Mulch the mound heavily at the outer edges but more lightly next to the canes. No plant likes mulch piled up its stem and deep mulch will make it harder for new canes to emerge next year.

Answer 4

Just make sure they have enough room to grow , they need like 3 ft. of space so they don't tangle and grow on top of one another. good luck