how to start my own garden?

Question

i live in the middle of nowhere, so i have alot of space to grow a garden. i don't want a huge one, just one that i can grow tomatoes and grapes and other things like that. we have 11 acres, and most of it is our front yard. i want to keep the garden pretty close to the house so i can keep an eye on it, since we have deer and raccoons out here.

so, what can i do to:
protect the fruit/vegetables
get the seeds (apples, tomatoes, grapes, strawberries, and carrots)

and how do i set up a garden, or what book should i buy that would help me? thank you!

Answer 1

Hi,

The first step is to plan it out. An ideal location will get lots of sun, fairly flat, and not under trees (no roots to get in the way).

Next is to clear the area. The easiest way it to get a rear tine tiller, but they are about $500+. Another way is to kill the vegitation with a chemical, put clear plastic over it until it dies from the heat, or mow it really short with your lawnmower and then turn it over with a pitchfork. Doing that in the fall will make things so much easier in the spring.

For seeds, our local Walmart sells burpee seeds very cheap (www.burpee.com). For fruit - grapes, strawberries, www.starkbros.com sells good quality plants with a year guarantee. For timing, the veggies go in after any chance of frost (mother day in PA - zone 6). Fruit goes in earlier - if you buy from a mail order company, they will ship at the appropriate time for your location.

To protect from deer and racoons, the best would be a fence with deer netting. I bought 100' of 7' tall netting for about $20 from Lowes / HD. Just add posts to hang it on. When planning out the grapes you will need a trellis for them to grow on. To save some $$, you can use the grape trellis as one of the sides of the garden fence to keep the animals out. Also, for planning, grapes and strawberries are perennials so put them in the right place up front so you don't have to move them later.

To learn more, I would go to the local library to see what they have in the gardening section. A good one is square foot gardening. Also, watch the gardening shows on HGTV and ask question here.

Good Luck

Answer 2

You need to put up a fence! I have had success with a wire fence with holes about two square inches. This was rather inexpensive--I think we spent $75 dollars for a 15x30 foot space. Having a dog outside at night should keep away things that can climb or jump the fence.

Go sustainable in your fertilizing techniques--compost is the best thing to be adding to your garden along with animal waste (chicken, rabbit, horse, cow manure). You can make your own compost or buy it, and most farmers are happy to let you take all the animal waste you want. Now is the best time to add these things to your soil for wonderfully fertile ground in the spring. I can't stress enough how important it is to go all natural, avoiding synthetic fertilizers like Miracle Gro. These kinds of chemicals produce good yields for a while, but eventually your soil will be unhealthy and pest ridden. Also avoid chemical pesticides. There are plenty of effective ways to make your soil and plants healthy enough to make those dangerous things unnecessary.

The very best Gardening book I have found is called The Vegetable Gardeners Bible. It is awesome and tells you everything you need to know to have a healthy, sustainable garden that will provide delicious, nutritious food.

Good Luck and God Bless!

Answer 3

Well the time of year for growing has passed. But that could be good because now you can plan for a whole year. Go to the local homedepot, lowes or other hardware store and check out the books they have on gardening.
Find an area that is flat. I suggest that when you dig up the area to plant things in, mix in some good fertilizer, like Mircle grow soil.
Your really not gonna be able to scare the animals away, racoons are really smart and can get into things that you think are boobie trapped. Our racoons, can take a trash can lid off, untie a knot in the trashbag and get to the trash. They also learned how to open up the shed door. You can try getting a motion detector light, that will come on when something is in the yard, but they may not care to much about light, it might actually help them.

Answer 4

I am sure there is a lot of help out there and most of the accurate stuff is down at your local nursery or garden center. The only way you are going to get good information of the type you are looking for is to ask the locals, your neighbors, etc. I could tell you when I plant, but I do not live any where close to you and so my answers would be useless for your area.

Answer 5

to clear an area lay a sheet of black plastic on the ground the site you want your garden,put rocks on so it doesn't blow away and leave for 3 weeks all vegetation under the sheet will die as it cant photosynthesize.
for seeds i usually remove the seed from the fruit or veg then dry in a dark dry room at room temp 17-20 c