Hello, I'm new to this forum (and LOVE it), new to gardening, and just moved into a house with a large neglected veggie garden. The garden plot itself is approx. 20 feet by 20, the soil seems to be in pretty good shape and I am in the process of getting things ready for my first attempt at growing vegetables. I have started tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and lettuce inside and would also like to plant peas and beans directly outside. I would like to use landscape fabric to keep the weeds to a minimum....my questions are; 1. Can I bury the fabric under the soil..if so how far down is good? If not what would you suggest? 2. Should I till in some kind of compost or other nutrient into the soil before I plant? 3. Is there any sort of "plan" I should be following for the actual planting of the veggies. Do certain things need to be next to each other? How far apart should each plant be? 4. For Southern Ontario when is a resonable time to be "hardening off" seedlings? Any advice / info on "getting started" would be much appreciated!! Sorry for the long post.
Hi Eyeris, I posted a bit of long answer in reply to your questions, and stopped by today to see if anyone else had added anything, but I don't see my post! Anyone know where it went? Anyway, I hope you got a chance to read it. If you never saw it, let me know. I'm an avid organic gardener and don't mind passing out my free advice :-)
Hi Eyeris. Fabric is a good way to help in stopping so many weeds, although you will of course still get some. Mine is down about 18", to allow for the deep-rooted veggies to have lots of room. I work in some sea soil or mushroom manure, and also a little peat moss to help with areating the soil and I've found it also helps retain some moisture in summer. I also put in a little lime each spring as we have very wet winters here in BC. Note that well-rotted home-made compost is welcome in the garden anytime, and invaluable as a mulch. I don't use any other fertilizer, except I use Miracle Gro on my tomatoes as it really does make a difference. I don't know much about seeds. I just buy a pack, read the instructions, and plant accordingly. I use the white protective fabric cover when I've planted my seeds, as it helps in germination by keeping the seeds protected against cold days/nights. I normally remove the covering when the seeds are growing, say about 1/2" in height. The fabric certainly helps tremendously in germination and is very cheap to buy from your local nursery. Good luck with your garden! sue
Plant association can be very worth while, many plants help each other and some dont get along heres a list of the ones that do get along, and the ones that dont, it gets a bit confusing so you may have to work out on paper which are to go next to which (bit like a dinner party really) :D Marigolds help Cabbage family, Peas, Potatoes and Tomatoes. Thyme helps Cabbage family.....but Thyme doesnt like Potatoes. Parsley helps Beans, Carrots, Asparagus, Turnips and Tomatoes. Asparagus helps Tomatoes and Parsley.....Asparagus doesnt like the Onion family. Beans help Carrots, Peas, Courgettes, Leeks, Turnips, Parsley and Strawberries. Beetroot helps Onion family Cabbage family help Thyme......but Cabbage doesnt like Onion family or Strawberries. Carrots help Beans, Peas, Leeks, Lettuce, Turnips and Onion family Courgettes help Beans and Peas. Leeks help Beans, Peas, Carrots and Turnips Lettuce helps Carrots and Strawberries Onion family helps Carrots and Beetroot......but dont like Beans, Peas, Strawberries and Cabbage family Peas help Beans, Carrots, Leeks, Turnips Courgettes......but dont like Onion family Potatoes help Beans, Peas and Strawberries........Potatoes dont like Tomatoes Strawberries help Beans and Lettuce......but dont like Cabbage family Tomatoes help Asparagus and Parsley...and dont like Potatoes Turnips help Beans, Carrots, Leeks and Parsley.
Ok, since my post didn't come back... A quick recap of what I replied... I have an organic garden where I'm growing tomatoes, sweet peppers, strawberries, and a few other great fruits and veggies. I started the project about a couple of years ago but struggled at first with the types of questions you have. As far as compost, quality does make a big difference based on my experiences. It has to be well-balanced and making your own is always good if you can do it right. Few companies offer truly organic and well balanced compost. I've found that it's pretty cheap to put it together and helps recycle. I built an enclosed area around my garden, so I haven't had the need for fabric. You definitely want to follow a plan in my opinion. A great article that helped me, which I've passed on to several gardening friends who have also found it helpful is <snip>'s organic gardening article. The link for it is <snip> It specifically discusses tomatoes and was a huge help for me. I hope this all helps. Jason
Daniel, You removed the link to the aricle because of the free reg and the address? Who cares where the address is?! I use their site all the time and that article is a great resource. Doesn't seem right to censor information like that. I'm very disappointed. Jason
(discussion on the post removal continues in this thread - let's keep this thread on the topic at hand)
You might check your library to see if they have a copy of Mel Bartholomew's "Square Foot Gardening." I used raised beds and follow his ideas for planting inside them. It also has some advice on what and when to plant based on your average date of last frost. That should be available to you locally somehow, either through a garden center or a local expert veggie gardener. If you see a house in your neighbourhood with a very nice vegetable garden, stop and say hi. I usually find people that keep a garden like that are very good about sharing advice. We have community mailboxes and people in the area have taken to leaving leftovers there at this time of year. I got my asparagus that way and my wife got some red hot poker plants. I usually put out strawberry and raspberry plants and any seeds I have left over. I usually collect far more than I need for myself each year. Good luck!
Thank you all soooo much for your posts. I've started a little garden journal and I'm going to keep track of everything and continue to learn as I go. It is really great to have such resourceful people at your fingertips!!! Thanks again, I'll probably be back...with any luck / planning with all success stories!! E.
I second the vote for Mel's SFG method. I've put in raised beds at the side of my house. There's not much space so I did 2x5 instead of 4x4 but the idea is the same. Some pics here: http://www.alexharford.com/2006/04/21/square-foot-gardening-continues/ PS. Skidmark, do you post on any other forums (Revscene)?
If your new to gardening you may wish to take a look at this site www.usagardener.com . It provides all the info you need for growing most veggy's, herbs and fruits. All have printable formatted articles with sowing info, soil temps, spacing and companion plants - great for starting a manual. also has info and pics on garden pests, weeds etc.
