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First Garden

M

MsSage

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
4,716
Location
NW Panhandle Texas
Well I am going outside to turn over the ground to start my first OUTDOOR garden. I hope it does better than the one I had in containers.....
I am starting small but I might go smaller yet LOL we shall see once I start digging by hand just how big it really gets.
I just want a couple tomatoe plants, some corn, I might try carrots and pototoes and maybe watermelon and squash.
I just want a few things I can put up either can or dry.

I need ideas for afternoon sun bushes for the front of the house.
 
I expect summer heat is an issue? If so, I would be a big mulch user, especially for the tomatoes. They really don't like drying out, especially when they're blooming. They like a nice steady moisture level, not too wet and not too dry.

You should check out gardenweb.com It's a goldmine of information, and they have forums that are based on different parts of the country. Post some pictures when you've got it planted, it will give all us who have to wait another two months something to look forward to. I still have a snowbank on my raspberry patch. :roll: :roll: :roll:

But I do have my pepper seeds started, and am starting my tomato plants today, so that will make the wait easier. :D :D
 
Which reminds me. Last week the head gardener here (not me) asked if I could build her a mini-greenhouse for starting plants. Ooops. :oops: We have a number of cast-off storm windows so that will be tomorrow's project.

I remember my mother's "hotbed" as she called it, an elevated wooden frame against the south wall of the house. The back side (against the house) was about 6 to 12" higher than the front and the cover was made from two storm windows that were hinged on the sides of the box.
 
Well I staked off what I thought was about 10 x 10. That would be big enough LOL
I got got to digging and had to give up and was feeling pretty bad about getting a bit over halfway...yeah I knwo getting old and using a spade is hard work.
Well I messured and its 15 x 9 PLENTY big enough
I know most of yall have 3 times that but its mine done by me and I am proud of it so far. Maybe next year it will be bigger and done by a tiller.

THANKS Kato for the link lots of great tips and info to help me out.
burnt you better get busy LOL
I like the hotbox idea ...cool thing I will add to hunnydolist
 
:D Everyone should plant a garden. More than once. :wink:

Don't give up on it Justin. There is absolutely nothing in the world that tastes as good as a tomato sandwich made out of a nice sun warmed tomato straight from the garden, on home made bread. mmmm...... :P Well worth the effort.
 
With those fried green tomatoes ( which I can eat just about as fast as they are cooked) throw in some fresh cut off the cob corn (we like the Peaches and Cream variety) a hunk of sweet onion and some cornbread and iced tea. UMMMM 'bout the only way I can eat a meal without some kind of meat- vegetables right out of the garden. Almost forgot, some pressure cooked green beans with new potatoes too.
 
06-09-08_1443.jpg


My kids garden a little.
 
Ya know I was going to show you how much I dug but after seeing "gardens" that are over a half acre my lil bitty plot of 9 x 15 will remain where it is.......
I would love to see the tractors that pulled the tillers on the big gardens :wink:
Mine was me and a spade and a whole bunch of jumping up and down and lifting and chopping LOL
I wait now for a couple days then take a rake and chop up the clods of dirt into smaller ones LOL and add fertilizer and some plants/seeds.
 
Oh what the hay.might give someone confidence to try a garden seeing my lil bitty thing LOL

I thought I had staked out a 10 x 10 oooppssss need to use tape messure next time.
garden-staked.jpg



This is how much I dug when I knew I couldnt go any farther.
garden-dug.jpg


This is the cool looking caboose I passed on my way home after shopping.
Yeap thats the dirt road I live on
caboose.jpg
 
Red Robin do your kids market thier ventures?,Looks like quite a hobby plot.

MsSage your plot probably as big as the time you have to devote to it.What are you planning?Home grown veggies are the best.

In these times or any time for that matter,everyone should have a victory garden. 8)
 
That is a fine piece of digging, if I do say so myself. 8) :D Looks bigger than 10 X 10 too. I bet you'll grow some super veggies there! Post more pictures when you get it planted, and give us poor cold climate gardeners something to look forward to. :wink:
 
Blkbuckaroo said:
Red Robin do your kids market thier ventures?,Looks like quite a hobby plot.
Click to expand...
They do market their produce. Their crop size is about 3 or 4 acres I'd guess. They mostly do the hard work by hand. I plow it and cultivate it but they hoe it, plant it and pick it. They really like doing it and I think it's a good way to teach them how to work hard.
 
redrobin said:
Blkbuckaroo said:
Red Robin do your kids market thier ventures?,Looks like quite a hobby plot.
Click to expand...
They do market their produce. Their crop size is about 3 or 4 acres I'd guess. They mostly do the hard work by hand. I plow it and cultivate it but they hoe it, plant it and pick it. They really like doing it and I think it's a good way to teach them how to work hard.
Click to expand...
Thats great,need more kids doing that.
 
Not many kids would do it. It's hard , hot work. Last year they had 12 rows of purple hull peas 400 feet long. They shelled several bushels a week too among doing the rest of their garden work. :lol:
 

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