Backyard gardening for Newbies....

[Osmosis Mom]

The square-foot gardening is not going to work for us. We are definitely on a budget and have lousey soil (too rocky), but I'd love to have something growing. I somewhat cleared an area last spring, but in the end it was very rocky and nothing survived. What would be my best choice economically to enhance that area? I don't mind bringing in several bags of soil, but I do want to stay under $50 for preparation! I'd also like it to look lovely, but I guess that's another topic!!

[Blueridge]

It sure takes time and lots of patience, but the saying goes...no garden is as good as it will be next year. So take a small area, like a few square feet, and work to get those rocks out. Use a big fork digger and remove them to use around the edge for a natural border. Then buy a few large bags of composed peat or mulch and add to the soil. Anything you can add to make your soil looser and richer will help. You might even want to get your soil tested by your extension agent office to see what it needs. So keep the work area small and plant just a few things that the local garden center says will grow well where you are. Hang in there!

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

I get generic bags of manure from Home Depot for under $1 each. I got 9 of those and 4 bags of generic top soil for just over $1 each. I have had very good results. Also, try to compost. Get a plastic container with a lid and put all your "green" trash in there, it makes excellant soil fertilizer.

[Mergath]

Have you considered container gardening? We rent, which means we can't really tear up the yard for a garden, so we just grow in large containers, and we've had excellent results. It's nice being able to move the plants around as we like, and you can buy some really attractive containers.

[LMA]

The square-foot gardening is not going to work for us. We are definitely on a budget and have lousey soil (too rocky), but I'd love to have something growing. I somewhat cleared an area last spring, but in the end it was very rocky and nothing survived. What would be my best choice economically to enhance that area? I don't mind bringing in several bags of soil, but I do want to stay under $50 for preparation! I'd also like it to look lovely, but I guess that's another topic!!

 

Get your soil tested first. I would ask a local garden place where you can get testing. That will save you money as the test will tell you what additives the soil needs for gardening. We had a tractor come in and till a good size plot and everything stopped growing. Then a neighbor told us to get the soil tested this year first.

[MomsintheGarden]

You have gotten lots of great suggestions.

 

Do you have farms or a farm store nearby? If you do, you might want to check around to see if you could get spoiled hay delivered. That stuff is wonderful. Ruth Stout, who gardened in NE in the 1930's, popularized a method of gardening in spoiled hay over her thin, rocky soil. She would also tuck all of her kitchen scraps in the beds under the hay. You might still be able to find some of her books in the library. They are entertaining, but I've summed them up pretty completely in the above two sentences.

 

I hope you can get some plants to grow this year.

 

BTW, you might want to skip tomatoes this year. Folks in NE had an awful time with late blight on tomatoes last year.

 

GardenMom

[Mekanamom]

These are not cheap, but I have found that Earth Box container gardening works very well. I have 14 boxes and the automatic watering system. They produce well, save water, eliminate weeds, and require minimal work from me. This will be the third season using the same potting mix... they say you can use it up to 5 seasons in a row. Even just one or two boxes could produce quite a bit, depending on what you plant.

 

There are some knock-off's at Gardener's Supply, as well as other containers. Those galvanized raised beds they advertise? Check your local Craigslist and see if anyone is getting rid of old livestock water tanks.

 

I have not tried any of the grow bags GS is advertising, but I may try one for potatoes this year. I'd love to see how they perform! They are by far the least expensive container gardening option I've seen yet. I'm not sure how well they would hold in moisture, though.

 

I love container gardening... we have gophers and ground squirrels everywhere. Container gardening has (so far) been our best solution overall.

[MBM]

Do you have farms or a farm store nearby? If you do, you might want to check around to see if you could get spoiled hay delivered. That stuff is wonderful. Ruth Stout, who gardened in NE in the 1930's, popularized a method of gardening in spoiled hay over her thin, rocky soil. She would also tuck all of her kitchen scraps in the beds under the hay. You might still be able to find some of her books in the library. They are entertaining, but I've summed them up pretty completely in the above two sentences.

 

Here's an article from Organic Gardening magazine that talks about Ruth Stout, but GardenMom summed it up perfectly.

BTW, you might want to skip tomatoes this year. Folks in NE had an awful time with late blight on tomatoes last year.

 

I'm in Illinois and got the horrible late blight on all of my tomatoes last year, too. They were my best crop ever and then -- boom! -- goners. What a disappointment. GardenMom, do you know if last year's blight might affect this year's tomatoes?

[MBM]

I love container gardening... we have gophers and ground squirrels everywhere. Container gardening has (so far) been our best solution overall.

 

How do you manage to keep the rascals out of your containers? That's the first spot they look at my house.

 

As for my raised beds, I've given up. They win. So far, they've only stolen a few things and have been kind enough to leave the rest for me.

 

It's the raccoon that moved under our front stoop that has me most worried. S/he looks like a troublemaker.

[MomsintheGarden]

I'm in Illinois and got the horrible late blight on all of my tomatoes last year, too. They were my best crop ever and then -- boom! -- goners. What a disappointment. GardenMom, do you know if last year's blight might affect this year's tomatoes?

 

Thanks for the article about Ruth Stout! I have one of her books - she's fun to read. She combined wonderful NE ingenuity and sturdiness with humor.

 

I do not know what to say about late blight. I had early blight, but it was just as devastating. I used the product Serenade (organic control) last year with only marginal success, because we had so much rain I could not keep up with spraying. We had a miserable tomato crop. This year I bought seeds for the only early blight resistant tomatoes I could find (Juliet and JTO-99197). They will probably taste like cardboard! I have considered spraying with copper but it is easy to poison your soil forever with that.

 

There are non-organic controls if you are desperate (I won't throw tomatoes, because I probably won't get any!:))

 

Here is an article from the Gardener's Supply catalog about it. If you google, you will come up with tons of information.

http://blog.gardeners.com/2010/01/late-blight.html

Naturally they are peddling their products. I like GS but you can get Serenade more cheaply elsewhere.

 

Sorry to not be of more help!

GardenMom

[Mekanamom]

You know... I've just never had a problem with the critters climbing in or stealing the veggies so far. This will only be our third season with the Earth Boxes, so I haven't done this for all that long yet, though.

 

The plastic mulch cover that goes over the Earth Boxes helps cover up the scent of the organic potting soil. A determined raccoon or possum could easily tear through it, but they haven't (knocking on wood) yet. I think the plastic mulch must also be a pretty good deterrent for small burrowing rodents. For sure, that mulch cover totally eliminates weeds, and keeps the moisture from evaporating out of the box. (One drawback is having to purchase new covers every season. Some people make their own with plastic garbage bags and duct tape to keep costs down.)

 

The ground squirrels and the gophers are definitely there in the garden area, but so far haven't disturbed the container garden. Birds too... if they are helping themselves to any of the garden produce, it hasn't been enough to notice.

[AngelBee]

:lurk5:

[ChrisB]

For above ground varmints, I've heard planting marigolds around the outside of the bed keeps them away. Now those gophers and groundhogs...underground (wire)fencing or maybe containers...

[keptwoman]

I've been using the Ruth Stout method this summer, I was not able to find hay, so I bought straw, layered that with cow manure, a little compost from our bin and some compost from the garden centre. It was not expensive and we've had really good crops from the first year. With a source of ruined hay it would have been even cheaper. I have 4 beds, at the moment one is in the layering period and the other 3 are being used. I should be able to reduce it to half a bed being used for compost when this one is done, it breaks down so much quicker on the garden than it did in the compost heap!

[MBM]

I do not know what to say about late blight. I had early blight, but it was just as devastating. I used the product Serenade (organic control) last year with only marginal success, because we had so much rain I could not keep up with spraying. We had a miserable tomato crop. This year I bought seeds for the only early blight resistant tomatoes I could find (Juliet and JTO-99197). They will probably taste like cardboard! I have considered spraying with copper but it is easy to poison your soil forever with that.

 

There are non-organic controls if you are desperate (I won't throw tomatoes, because I probably won't get any!:))

 

 

Thanks GardenMom. I think I'm going to have to call you MasterGardenerMom!

 

Heavens to Betsy! I did not know copper could ruin your soil. That's good you mentioned it because I used it for the first time on some ninebarks (Diablo and Summer Wine) I have that always get a horrible case of powdery mildew every spring. I might have to rethink using the copper. Or, maybe I'll just put some weigelas (Summer Wine) in there instead. :)

 

As for the tomatoes, I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'm trying to do all organic gardening. I did break down and use a bit of poison on a small patch of creeping charlie in my fussy lawn, though. The guilt! I take it you're an organic gardener, too? I envision you having a potager complete with espaliered trees and possibly even a moon garden. LOL!

[MBM]

You know... I've just never had a problem with the critters climbing in or stealing the veggies so far.

 

No deer? We live in a suburb about 15 miles north of Chicago, and they are all over the place, fat and happy. I've had more skunks, possums, coyotes, and rabbits in my yard than when I lived in Montana. Our suburb even gets an occasional mountain lion. Ack. Well, so far, my gardens have survived. Must knock on wood now.

[OrganicAnn]

Blood meal, fox urine, human urine, marigolds, onions, a good fence all help keep creatures away.

 

For bad soil, you have two choices. Improve the soil - double digging and adding compost. Or start up higher with raised beds or containers.

 

Composting is the cheapest way to get better soil, but it takes time and effort.

[MomsintheGarden]

Thanks GardenMom. I think I'm going to have to call you MasterGardenerMom!

 

Heavens to Betsy! I did not know copper could ruin your soil. That's good you mentioned it because I used it for the first time on some ninebarks (Diablo and Summer Wine) I have that always get a horrible case of powdery mildew every spring. I might have to rethink using the copper. Or, maybe I'll just put some weigelas (Summer Wine) in there instead. :)

 

As for the tomatoes, I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'm trying to do all organic gardening. I did break down and use a bit of poison on a small patch of creeping charlie in my fussy lawn, though. The guilt! I take it you're an organic gardener, too? I envision you having a potager complete with espaliered trees and possibly even a moon garden. LOL!

 

Thanks - you gave me a chuckle! I do have a potager, which I more humbly call a kitchen garden. We also have a potato patch, and are still eating potatoes from it - we may make it through to the next harvest, and have had some to give away. I've grown four-o-clocks, but hardly a moon garden! And fruit trees - sigh - I'd need a huge fenced-in area (like Fort Knox) to protect them from the hungry deer.

 

My comment about copper was very unscientific and unsupported, but we must be very careful about applying metals to our soil. The overuse of lead arsenate in apple orchards (see http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2006/114-8/focus.html and other articles) is well-documented, and studies have shown that copper has produced poisoning effects. The question is, how much is bad for your garden? I have chosen to not go there in the first place, because once it's there, it's difficult to remove. I'm not thinking bad thoughts because you used some, though!

 

I hope you have a great garden year!

GardenMom

[MBM]

...fox urine, human urine, marigolds, onions, a good fence all help keep creatures away.

 

 

:D The problem for me is that a) I have my dignity, and b) I have a corner lot and about 8-10 neighbors have a clear view of everything I do in my backyard (thus the many bushes I recently put in). I could put my son and husband to work I suppose, but that might result in an arrest.

 

I have used dried fox urine. Word of warning to those who haven't yet but might use it: don't sprinkle this on yourself! It is extremely stinky.

 

MGM, I am just going to put the copper away. I do not like the idea of heavy metals in my soil. I'm sure I have some, though. It took me about a year to properly dispose of all the garden chemicals the former owner of our house left me. She even left a haz-mat suit! :eek:

 

Well, all this garden talk has had a good effect on me. Got my indoor seeds finally started this morning, and I plan to get outside again as more of the snow melts so I can tidy things up. I just love spring. :)

[Mekanamom]

No deer? We live in a suburb about 15 miles north of Chicago, and they are all over the place, fat and happy. I've had more skunks, possums, coyotes, and rabbits in my yard than when I lived in Montana. Our suburb even gets an occasional mountain lion. Ack. Well, so far, my gardens have survived. Must knock on wood now.

 

Lucky for us- no deer right where our house is. We get just about everything else, though!

[torikei]

The book Lasagna Gardening is wonderful. It's a great book for a beginner. My favorite book is New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman. This might not be appropriate as it focuses on larger gardens or market gardens, but the chapter on green manures is invaluable. Perhaps you could borrow it from the library.

 

If lasagna doesn't sound good look into double digging or French Biointensive. Double digging is great for small plots and makes it easy to incorporate compost.

 

Some other books

 

How to Grow More Fruits and Vegetable by Jeavons

Rodales Guide to Organic Gardening--not sure about that title

Anything by Amy Goldman is a delight. Her pumpkin book started a lifetime love of pumpkins for me. The tomato book is just as wonderful.

 

I hope this helps. You really don't have to spend a lot of money. You can grow your own transplants. It's really pretty easy. I think the real problem most beginning--okay all-- gardeners have is doing too much and then having difficulty keeping up with it.

 

Also, I have to put a plug in for using heirloom seeds. These are seeds that have been around for centuries in some cases. They are quickly disappearing as the big seed companies take over. The neat and frugal thing about heirlooms is you can save the seeds. Have fun!

 

Tori

[SproutMamaK]

Just wanted to bump this thread. We're doing a veggie garden for the first time this year - We've got an area about 8 by 12 feet. Can someone tell me more about square foot gardening?

[LibraryLover]

Oh, no. I hope we don't have trouble with tomato blight again. We had it here in MA and it was so drepressing.

[OrganicAnn]

:D The problem for me is that a) I have my dignity, and b) I have a corner lot and about 8-10 neighbors have a clear view of everything I do in my backyard (thus the many bushes I recently put in). I could put my son and husband to work I suppose, but that might result in an arrest.

 

We don't use human urine, but generally the idea is that you "collect" it indoors and then take the bottle outside and sprinkle it around.