TT MA gardening

[flumma]

I know pretty much nothing. Last summer was the first summer in our new place, but I was pregnant and miserable. Hopefully I can do better this year. I'm among now because last year I had nothing planned, and then it suddenly seemed too late to do much of anything.

advantages of raised beds? We have some leftover 2x4s from the freaking of our basement. Maybe this would be a good project for that.

I'm also assuming the reason the blackberry Bush we already had here didn't peroxide anything was because I didn't get my pregnant butt outside to water it.

[rrrrrachel]

Do you know what zone you're in? There's some stuff I can plant a.ready here in nc. Main advantage to raised beds is no digging, but you will probably have to buy soil. Blackberry bushes produce on the previous years canes. So the canes that grew last year will give you this years fruit. Do they get plenty of sun?

[freezorburn]

With raised beds you have more control over the soil quality, because you can start with something good from the garden center, rather than the backbreaking work of amending what is already in the ground. Also if you design them right, everything will be easier to reach.

Look up square foot gardening, a lot of good ideas should show up.

[flumma]

Jan 28, 2015 14:05:29 GMT -5 rrrrrachel said:

Do you know what zone you're in? There's some stuff I can plant a.ready here in nc. Main advantage to raised beds is no digging, but you will probably have to buy soil. Blackberry bushes produce on the previous years canes. So the canes that grew last year will give you this years fruit. Do they get plenty of sun?

5b I just looked it up. Far North Chicago burbs, almost Wisconsin. 

I think so? It's On the east side of our house, but I could be wrong. .. I should probably keep a better eye on that.  I remember seyeing plentyof berries on the Bush when we bought the house. The previous owners planned it. So it obv is capable of producing something in that location. 

[freezorburn]

Local garden centers are a great resource. Also look up your state Agricultural Extension, they should have lots of resources for your climate and soil type.

[ovenrack]

Yes, what they ^said about beds. I know lots about gardening and would be happy to give other advice.

[rrrrrachel]

That far north you probably have awhile before planting. I can plant stuff like leafy greens and lettuce now, maybe March for you? There are all kinds of garden planner tools online. I explain it to people like this, think about how a plant grows, first leaves and roots then flowers then fruit, that's basically how things go through the season. Things we eat the leaves and roots of can be planted earlier, then flowers (broccoli), then stuff we eat the fruit of comes into season latest.

[flumma]

Jan 28, 2015 14:30:49 GMT -5 rrrrrachel said:

That far north you probably have awhile before planting. I can plant stuff like leafy greens and lettuce now, maybe March for you? There are all kinds of garden planner tools online. I explain it to people like this, think about how a plant grows, first leaves and roots then flowers then fruit, that's basically how things go through the season. Things we eat the leaves and roots of can be planted earlier, then flowers (broccoli), then stuff we eat the fruit of comes into season latest.

I know I still have a while before I can plant anything. But I feel like I at least need some kind of plan now. Otherwise I just won't do anything again. Couldn't I start some things indoors until it's safe to plant outside tho too?

[freezorburn]

Yes you can start plants indoors. There are also various frost protection products you can buy or DIY.

[rrrrrachel]

Yeah now is a great time to start stuff indoors! Or prepare your beds and scout out where to buy plants when the time comes.

[Nik Pal]

Jan 28, 2015 14:30:49 GMT -5 rrrrrachel said:

That far north you probably have awhile before planting. I can plant stuff like leafy greens and lettuce now, maybe March for you? There are all kinds of garden planner tools online. I explain it to people like this, think about how a plant grows, first leaves and roots then flowers then fruit, that's basically how things go through the season. Things we eat the leaves and roots of can be planted earlier, then flowers (broccoli), then stuff we eat the fruit of comes into season latest.

Does this mean I'm already late to the party in NC? I have a lot of seeds I wanted to try this year, so I guess I could start working on seedlings indoors now? I swear this was going to be the year I really did it.

[rrrrrachel]

Definitely not too late! But time to get going. You can already direct sow peas and leafy green outdoors here.

[piccyami]

Jan 28, 2015 15:17:40 GMT -5 Nik Pal said:

Jan 28, 2015 14:30:49 GMT -5 rrrrrachel said:

That far north you probably have awhile before planting. I can plant stuff like leafy greens and lettuce now, maybe March for you? There are all kinds of garden planner tools online. I explain it to people like this, think about how a plant grows, first leaves and roots then flowers then fruit, that's basically how things go through the season. Things we eat the leaves and roots of can be planted earlier, then flowers (broccoli), then stuff we eat the fruit of comes into season latest.

Does this mean I'm already late to the party in NC? I have a lot of seeds I wanted to try this year, so I guess I could start working on seedlings indoors now? I swear this was going to be the year I really did it.

I still have things in my garden from the fall. Most of it froze, thanks to the ridiculously cold weather we had a couple weeks ago, but some of it has survived. I guess I need to talk to my FIL and find out if I'm allowed to plant things or if he's going to come do things to my garden. (Both ILs work for nurseries, so we let them do what they want to our yard)

[flumma]

So I found one of those garden planning sites. They have pre planned beds. I'm looking at the fun for kids one. There's a feature to make changes. In the fun for kids hasten, they have 2 calendula plants taking up 1sq foot. I have never used calendula before. At all. I doubt I'm going to start now. What else could I put there? V loves strawberries,but how many plants would I need to get a decent amount? Or would just one be enough. I could plant lettuce too.

There's also 3 Sq ft containing 24 Pea plants.that seems like a lot.


I'm so clueless. I'm sorry.

ETA I'm looking at this site here

[ovenrack]

Jan 28, 2015 21:54:01 GMT -5 flumma said:

So I found one of those garden planning sites. They have pre planned beds. I'm looking at the fun for kids one. There's a feature to make changes. In the fun for kids hasten, they have 2 calendula plants taking up 1sq foot. I have never used calendula before. At all. I doubt I'm going to start now. What else could I put there? V loves strawberries,but how many plants would I need to get a decent amount? Or would just one be enough. I could plant lettuce too.

There's also 3 Sq ft containing 24 Pea plants.that seems like a lot.


I'm so clueless. I'm sorry.

ETA I'm looking at this site here

Strawberries take a couple years to get anything worthwhile, and you need a lot of plants, in my experience.  

Lettuce sounds like a great idea.  It doesn't like the heat of summer but is great in spring and fall.

Peas are vines, and they will grow up whatever you put over them as a trellis.  They're easy and delicious and if you buy seeds, you'll have wayyyy more than you need anyway, so you could certainly do 8 per sq. foot.

Other things to consider, if your family likes to eat them: peppers (sweet bell, or hot), an herb patch (be careful of ones which take over, like mint and oregano), beets.  

Also flowers, just because they're fun.  Nasturtiums are cute and fun and you can eat the blooms in salads.  They're a little spicy and taste sort of like radishes.

And that's a good website to use.

[love4science]

We don't garden because I kill plants just looking at them (we've tried but failed miserably to get things to grow). But my parents have a huge organic garden and are in a similar zone to Northern Chicago. They start their indoor plants in April because the soil's not warm enough to plant until at least late May. They usually direct sew lettuce, swiss chard, and peas in early June. Then they do another planting of lettuce and chard at the end of August and it lasts until the first frost in November-ish. I know they've bought seeds from Johnny's for as long as I've been around (www.johnnyseeds.com).

[flumma]

Jan 28, 2015 22:27:32 GMT -5 ovenrack said:

Jan 28, 2015 21:54:01 GMT -5 flumma said:

So I found one of those garden planning sites. They have pre planned beds. I'm looking at the fun for kids one. There's a feature to make changes. In the fun for kids hasten, they have 2 calendula plants taking up 1sq foot. I have never used calendula before. At all. I doubt I'm going to start now. What else could I put there? V loves strawberries,but how many plants would I need to get a decent amount? Or would just one be enough. I could plant lettuce too.

There's also 3 Sq ft containing 24 Pea plants.that seems like a lot.


I'm so clueless. I'm sorry.

ETA I'm looking at this site here

Strawberries take a couple years to get anything worthwhile, and you need a lot of plants, in my experience.  

Lettuce sounds like a great idea.  It doesn't like the heat of summer but is great in spring and fall.

Peas are vines, and they will grow up whatever you put over them as a trellis.  They're easy and delicious and if you buy seeds, you'll have wayyyy more than you need anyway, so you could certainly do 8 per sq. foot.

Other things to consider, if your family likes to eat them: peppers (sweet bell, or hot), an herb patch (be careful of ones which take over, like mint and oregano), beets.  

Also flowers, just because they're fun.  Nasturtiums are cute and fun and you can eat the blooms in salads.  They're a little spicy and taste sort of like radishes.

And that's a good website to use.

What is another fruit instead of strawberries that V will devour then? Would grapes be good? 

I only said 8 per sqft because that's what the website said. The pre made garden has 24 Pea plants on the plan. It sounds like a lot.


DH does not like peppers, I don't have a clue what I would do with beets. I did try basil lay year with the intent of making pesto. And then it never happened. But I'm going to do better this year! 

The previous owner did an awesome job with flowers. Thereare flowers in bloom from spring till late fall, going around the entire house. So I think we're good there granted, I still have very little clue as to what they all are. 

What about potatoes, or sweet potatoes? 

And I have no clue how much a single plant will yield. 

[flumma]

Oh, also, our yard backs up to a wetland/preserve type of area. There have vee been deer in the yard, and other animals I'm sure.

[emmyg65]

Check out the book "Square Foot Gardening." Your library probably has a copy of it. It lays on the theory and gives instructions for various vegetables.

[rrrrrachel]

A lot of fruit is kind of high maintenance. It takes a year or two to get established. You can do strawberries and just know you won't get s ton (but you'll get some and maybe enough to be fun). I think fun stuff for kids are things like peas and cherry tomatoes they can pick and eat right there. There's a miniature kind of pepper like that, too. The nice thing about sq ft method is you can swap out square feet to whatever suits you. It's a bit fussy for my tastes but I'm more of an improvisor.

It's nice to have some blooming stuff like calendula because they attract pollinators and are often beneficial in other ways.

[rrrrrachel]

Potatoes and sweet potatoes have both grown well for me, but of course I'm in a very different zone. Potatoes go in earlier usually and sweet potatoes later. Digging potatoes is really fun even for me so I imagine kids would like it.