TraceyS/FL Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 OK, it will probably evolve into MORE than one question. I"m determined to do the garden thing, and while we have all the room i could use - i think this is the best bet for us right now. I have NEVER had a garden and well, gee, ok, this should be interesting! LOL!! http://floridagardener.com/vgarden/raised.htm So this suggests 4' wide and how ever long you want. Ummm, ok, how do i go about figuring that part out? Do i need to pick what i want to grow first? Or can i put DH to work prepping the ground and building boxes for me (Ha, ok, doing them myself probably) using say a 4'x10' measurement? What i hear mentioned anyone might want to grow: Child 1: Cantaloupe Child 2: won't eat it, but is obsessed with Eggplants & Peppers Child 3: Pretty pink flowers! LOL!!! My goals: Bell peppers/peppers, zucchini, potatoes (some lady at WM told me they were easy??), tomatoes, cucumbers, romaine, onions.... Is there a good book someone can suggest to get started??? Oh yikes, just don't tell anyone i'm doing this :tongue_smilie: (they already think i moved to the sticks! LOL!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumbledeb Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 A good book is "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew. I have just started gardening this year too although I've read heaps of books over the years. Hope it goes well for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 A good book is "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew. I have just started gardening this year too although I've read heaps of books over the years. Hope it goes well for you. Thanks!! I think i'll go spend more of DH's money and order it today. Hmmm, what was that other book i needed?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojomojo Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I tried my hand at raised bed gardening this summer (lets not talk about my experience though :tongue_smilie: ). Look at squarefootgardening.com - that book has tons of information that will really help you get started. It even has suggestions on how big to make the beds (and how many based on family size) depending on what your goals are (feed your family for the season, canning, etc). Starting out, definitely start small ;) I'd say one, maybe 2 4x8 beds would be plenty to start (and I say 4x8 only because standard lumber sizes available - nothing wrong with 4x10 - just stick with 4' wide). Just put your hubby to work while you figure out what to plant :D If you aren't sure of what to fill the beds with, the book I suggested above calls for 1/3 coarse vermiculite, 1/3 peat, and 1/3 compost (from a min. of 5 sources....you want a good mixture of top quality stuff). That book also has guidelines on how to space all the plants. Hope that helps! Good luck with your garden! I'd love to have FL right now to keep gardening :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojomojo Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 A good book is "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew. We posted at the same time :D Great book with lots of info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PariSarah Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Especially since you're in FL, you'll have a different growing season than most of the rest of the country. I like this series. It's not specific to veggies, but it should give you a pretty good overview of your growing season. This plus Square Foot Gardening should be more than enough to get you started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 I just ordered it!!!!! Even sprung for PAID shipping - because i had a $2.71 credit so it only cost me $2 :P I have to jump on this why he'd 1/2 way interested - but i was thinking if i spread the boxes all over the yard then the lack of landscaping would be easier to deal with! LOL!!! (we have 1.25 acres - all au natural... aka, grass/weeds/dirt). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 HMPH. I had that one in my hand at Lowes - maybe i'll spring for it too. This gardening stuff is going to be expensive! LOL!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanga Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 A good book is "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew. I have just started gardening this year too although I've read heaps of books over the years. Hope it goes well for you. I have the old "Square Foot Gardening" book and I love it. I use raised beds with chicken wire because we have lots of rabbits. I have 4' x 8' x 12" with the chicken wire going up 2' on low growing plants and 4' for vining plants. The only thing you really need to know is if you are going to plant climbing plants so you know which boxes to add trellises to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanda7 Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 You'll love the book! I would suggest you start out with a 4-foot by 4-foot garden the first year to get your feet wet and not get overwhelmed. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and onions are probably the easiest things on your list to grow. Cantaloupe, squash and potatoes need a little more horizontal space than other crops, although they are still doable. I've actually heard of growing potatoes in barrels and large planters. BTW, vermiculite is much, much cheaper from pool supply stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 Ohhh, thanks for that tip. DH can buy pool stuff at wholesale (the pool supply places by from "his guy"). I'll have him find out about that. But where the heck do i buy compost at? Well, there was a place down the road - but they sold out. I'm going to have to had at least 4, 4x4's - the kids will want their own... and really, i need SOMETHING out in the yard, i'm tired of looking at the dirt/grass/weeds! LOL!!! OK, now that i have my amazon stuff straightened out (after i cancelled the orders because i couldn't find out how to ADD something, then i found the combine button :glare:), i'll be stalking the mailbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Book Crazy Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Having grown a few veggies it FL, it can be tricky to judge the growing season compared the rest of the country. This book has been a life saver for me Vegetable Gardening in Florida I know that you don't live far from me, so if you wanted to borrow it for a while, I can send it on to you. I used lots of bags of Black Cow, you can find this at ACE Hardware. You will also need to test your soil for lime content. If you look at this website it will give you lots of help. Just type in the veg you want to know about in the search box. UF IFAS Extension I have had great succes with green beans, tomatoes, peppers, and okra. You can start tomatoes and peppers from seed a lot earlier than you can in the rest of the country. One place I like for seeds is Burpee It has lots of help for finding what will grow in your zone, which I think is 9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 A little late, but another vote for "Square Foot Gardening." I've had the book for years and it's packed with great info, even if you don't use the "square foot" method -- perfect for a newbie. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanga Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Instead of compost I used a lot of aged horse manure in my boxes. If you look in the paper/nickel trader there are usually offers of free horse manure if you pick it up. I actually have a waiting list of friends who want to pick up manure but it needs to mature over the winter before it will be ready : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 Thanks Sarah - i may take you up on that, let me see what i ordered tells me (hmmm, maybe the library would have something? i should check! LOL!!). I"ll check Ace then, Black Cow i think is the brand that was made down the road - but i noticed it was gone last time i went out to Sumter Landing. One thing i liked about the Square foot thing was NOT having to worry about your soil since you use his mix. Off to go read more!!! Thanks you guys, i'm actually WAYYYY less stressed about this. When i showed DH the stuff i printed from the Square Foot website he was even more into it. Now, here is hoping my black thumb doesn't come out with all of this. HMPH. Really, maybe i should make the kids do it all??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 I"ll have DH check around - ohhhhh, wait, gee, his (part time job) boss has horses. Tell me more about "aging" it - it would be free that way right?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I"ll check Ace then, Black Cow i think is the brand that was made down the road - but i noticed it was gone last time i went out to Sumter Landing. One thing i liked about the Square foot thing was NOT having to worry about your soil since you use his mix. Even without using a special mix, you shouldn't have to do anything with your existing soil. I put in 2 4x8 raised beds 2 years ago, and I just put several layers of newspaper down on the grass and covered them with top soil. I buy bags of store-brand/generic topsoil from Home Depot, and occasionally also get a bag or two of compost/composted manure. I think it took about 10 large bags of topsoil to fill a 4x4 raised bed. Edit: during the summer the soil settles considerably. The beds started out absolutely full, and now have settled at least a couple of inches. I will probably add more soil next year, but it's likely that it will "fluff" up just fine without extra. Everything has grown great without using a special mix. I can't imagine any better growth had I used name brand products. I haven't even used any kind of fertilizer or pest control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 OK, it will probably evolve into MORE than one question. I"m determined to do the garden thing, and while we have all the room i could use - i think this is the best bet for us right now. I have NEVER had a garden and well, gee, ok, this should be interesting! LOL!! http://floridagardener.com/vgarden/raised.htm So this suggests 4' wide and how ever long you want. Ummm, ok, how do i go about figuring that part out? Do i need to pick what i want to grow first? Or can i put DH to work prepping the ground and building boxes for me (Ha, ok, doing them myself probably) using say a 4'x10' measurement? What i hear mentioned anyone might want to grow: Child 1: Cantaloupe Child 2: won't eat it, but is obsessed with Eggplants & Peppers Child 3: Pretty pink flowers! LOL!!! My goals: Bell peppers/peppers, zucchini, potatoes (some lady at WM told me they were easy??), tomatoes, cucumbers, romaine, onions.... Is there a good book someone can suggest to get started??? Oh yikes, just don't tell anyone i'm doing this :tongue_smilie: (they already think i moved to the sticks! LOL!!) I agree with those who have recommended that you start small. No reason to end up with 5 boxes and an overwhelming amount of work. That said, if you have ANY intentions of really trying to grow cucumbers and canteloupe, you're going to want at least two boxes, because those kinds of plants will take over one whole box. They RUN! I left a huge growing space and came to town last year. We installed a small raised bed this season and have enjoyed moderate success. I have only three cucumber plants and am fairly overrun with cukes. Melons come in all at once, so bear that in mind when you are planting what you plant. Potatoes need deep and rich soil which brings up the point of how high your beds will be. If you can get them to be 6-8" high, great! You'll end up with better yields, but you'll have to invest more in whatever you fill them with. Call your Cooperative Extension -- a division of your Department of Agriculture -- and ask them for a planting schedule for your area. I'm thinking that in FL, you'll be planting lettuces very early, like January or February. Potatoes and onions would be similar. Other warmer weather crops (tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, cucumber, melons, peppers) would go in a bit later. Here's it's late April-mid May. In FL, I'm guessing you'd be looking at two months earlier. It will be good to have a guide so that you don't miss the window of opportunity for the things you want to try. Also consider setting up a soaker hose situation so that you don't have to waste water using an overhead sprinkler. We ran a standard garden hose from the side of the house to the bed, then looped a 50' soaker hose all through the bed, and it has worked out very well. As for pretty pink flowers, I'd recommend you start with some zinnias. They are easy to grow, come in lovely shades of pink (plus every other color you can imagine) and last a long time as a cut flower! Have fun!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_Edgerton Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Two books I have found helpful are Planters, Containers, and Raised Beds by Chuck Crandall and Barbara Crandall and The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux Et Veritas Academy Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I had about 15 of them, and got rid of all of them. They were so dry all of the time. I dreamed of having these beautiful organized beds, but here in the Northeast- we suffered. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. at J.A. Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 A good book is "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew. I have just started gardening this year too although I've read heaps of books over the years. Hope it goes well for you. I haven't read the other replies but I definitely second this book! It was awesome and indispensable when creating my raised beds! Angela:iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele B Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Have you ever looked at lasagna gardening? You can google it. You build soil by adding layers of green and brown organic material like composting. That might help you fill in the raised beds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanga Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 I"ll have DH check around - ohhhhh, wait, gee, his (part time job) boss has horses. Tell me more about "aging" it - it would be free that way right?! Yes, I just rotate the pile over the winter (that is when we get our precipitation) and by spring it almost looks like dirt. It is rich and dark brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanga Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 I had about 15 of them, and got rid of all of them. They were so dry all of the time. I dreamed of having these beautiful organized beds, but here in the Northeast- we suffered. Best of luck! We live in a very dry area. I filled the last two inches with miracle moisture control. It is spendy, but it really does seem to help the boxes retain more moisture. For the boxes with berries I put straw down to keep the fruit from hitting the dirt, but it also helps retain moisture. My dh just ran soakers to the boxes next week. I am kind of sad. I looked forward to my am and pm watering times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Do google searches for French Intensive Gardening and Intensive Gardening, any you'll get a LOT more depth than you do from the SFG book! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 My books are here!!!! I had to fight the kids for them..... but now i can have something to read and start planning!!! YAHOOOO!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Reya's right. The SFG is a good start but then read some more. John Jeavon's (sp??) books come to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 GROW BIOINTENSIVE workshops with John Jeavons John Jeavons has been the Director of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Mini-Farming program for Ecology Action since 1972. He is the author of How to Grow More ... www.johnjeavons.info/ - 7k - Cached - Similar pages I was going to suggest John Jeavons as well. Books are great, the log book is helpful, there is a newsletter. You'll learn a lot. Have fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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