@Broadcaste
Haha yea, the post is pretty big I'm not gonna lie! I'm a very visual and detail-oriented person and can't stop doing something until I've
over-done it. Maybe there were too many pictures
.
Hopefully the bunnies won't be able to fit through the fence. If they can, I'll have to put a netting on the inside so they can't get through.
I've seen them around though, so I know they're waiting for the right time to strike. Damn bunny ninjas!
@howardbeale
Thank you kindly sir! Trying to inspire other people to get their own gardens going and grow their own food!
@Oski
That is pretty darn awesome! The problem I had with trying to grow potatoes before (small scale operation) was that they depleted the soil where other
stuff was planted and killed the plants. This method is fantastic! I can't believe the amount of potatoes you were able to grow in these boxes!!
I'll have to try this next season.
I'm making a trip to the lumberyard to get more garden bed pieces soon, I'll pick up some lumber to build that as well. Great idea!
@lucentenigma
Yea it can be tough sometimes if you don't have a lot of room to work with, but you can still plant a lot of stuff if you manage space right. I've
filled up most of my beds but have pots hanging everywhere and pots on the ground. I mean, the lawns got little 'pot circles,' kinda like crop
circles, all over it.
If things get really bad, you can always turn the lawn into a garden
. You'd be missing all that greenery but your stomach would be thanking
you
!
Oh, check out this website as well. A lot of good free stuff on small space gardening:
www.gardeninginsmallspaces.com...
@inspiration 1911
Yea it can be intimidating when gardening for the first time! The first year I tried to garden I grew 3 tomato plants and 2 eggplants in pots. They
did alright, but if you want something to do exceptionally well you need to plant it in the ground.
The
first thing you need to do is figure out what USDA Zone you are in.
Texas contains Zones 6,7,8, and 9, which is a pretty big spread. A lot of what you can grow depends on where you live. You can grow stuff that's
meant for Zone 8 in Zone 6, but you need to cover it or bring it in for the winter if it's a perennial or an annual. Start off by taking a look at
this map (below):
(Map from
Univ. of Missouri)
Once you've figured out what zone you're in, it's time to figure out how much space you want to use for gardening.
Use a tape measure to measure out an area in your backyard that you want to plant in. Once you've measured it out you can even mark it off with
stakes and twine (in a rectangular sort of fashion, or whatever shape you want).
Once you've figured out how much space you have, you have two choices to make;
1.
Do I want to plant directly in the ground?
Basically, this is the most common way of gardening. Just plant whatever you have in the ground (of course after tilling/turning soil, or adding
topsoil).
2.
Do I want to build a raised bed?
Raised beds are GREAT for gardeners who have problems with poor soil conditions. It allows you absolute (almost, this is nature here) control over the
soil make-up and texture. This is perfect for mixing for picky plants as well (desert succulents who need some sand in the beds). Raised beds also
allow you to organize and separate your plants easily. You can plant tomatoes in one bed, squash in another, herbs in another bed, etc... the
possibilities are unlimited, be creative!
So consequentially, the next question you need to ask is;
"Is my soil any good?"
If you have good soil, just add a little compost or manure to help the plants grow. If you don't have good soil you might want to buy topsoil from a
local nursery, or mix in your own loam (sand, silt and dirt mixed together), or even your own compost!
Check out this link on soil
If you want to start your own compost (cheaply), get a trash can. Paint the trash can black so it absorbs heat. You also need to make sure you have a
lid for the it. You start throwing all of your plant food debris (veggie skins, left over apple cores, etc...) into the composter. It will eventually
turn into compost after a week or two, which is ideal for gardening.
Once you have taken care of the soil situation, you need to figure out what to plant!
This is the best part. What do you want to plant in your garden? Assuming you've figured out what zone you're in, you now know what would grow best
in your garden. Of course you can grow stuff from lower zones in higher zones, but you need to keep them watered and cool for them to thrive
(generally speaking). The same goes if you want to grow plants from higher zones in lower zones, give them ample water and keep them warm.
To buy seeds, I would suggest finding a local nursery in your area (use google to look for one), buying online (I'd recommend Johnnyseeds.com, but
you might want to find one suited to your zone), or even getting seeds from organic fruit that you consume. I've grown an apple tree from
store-bought fruit!
The hardest question to answer when gardening might be, "what do I want to grow?"
Once you've answered that, you're on your way!
@redoubt
That's awesome! I was thinking of building a shade bed sometime soon, almost have too much of it in my backyard. I love your veggie selection as
well, you can't have a garden without cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash!
Excellent! Post more pics if you get a chance, I'd love to see them!
@troyb
Hey troy, yea you're right about the veggies, can't beat ones you grow yourself. I don't think I'll have much problem protecting my garden where I
live though, pretty rural area of New England.
