Vegetable Gardening

[Aggie_Ama]

Is that a tautology?

Oh lookie I learned a new word today! I guess in a way it is.

[ms pepperpot]

To start, I think my location means I'm in a completely different position to you climatewise

But....

From a few year of growing veg I would say the following:

- Never wiorry about space, you can always grow something. If it's tiny then herbs. as soon as it's bigger than a window box you can grow more than that.
- There seems to be types of squash that grow everywhere, but always need lots of water and possibly feeding if thye haven't had enough compost to starrt with. I had silly huge amounts of courgette (zucchini) this year. Some other winter squash - varies what they need but lost of water generally. others a few (a type of patty pan) needed more sun than others.
- Beans - there will be types that will grow everywhere and lots. beans are fab. this year i have grown cherokee trail of tears - wow they are amazing. tasty and go on and on and on. rather than glut they have given me a steaday crop (for a single person).
- tomatoes - great to grow because the taste is so much better. there are so many types - there's bound to be one that suits what you want
- cabbages and brassicas - I wish I could comment but the caterpillars ate mine.

this is just brief - but the main thing is just try and grow stuff, experiment and see what you can grow.

[gingerale]

I tried a garden a couple of years. I did learn one lesson, I planted way too many squash! I mean, I like squash but there was no way I could eat as many as I planted. And I didn't even think I'd put in that many plants.

Okra is a great thing that loves sun and heat, I think. My grandfather always grew lots of okra and tomatoes with his gardens.

If I had it to do over again, I'd also start with the tomato plants already started and not seeds. I live up in the panhandle so for me it didn't get warm enough to grow mine up in time before it began to get too cold.

[carpaltunnel]

I planted a little garden for the first time in several years. I re-learned one thing: you only need one zuchinni seed.

[gingerale]

I planted a little garden for the first time in several years. I re-learned one thing: you only need one zuchinni seed.

Amen, sista'! LOL

[OakLeaf]

The one Garrison Keillor bit sticks in my head, how in Minnesota in the summertime, someone will ring your doorbell, and when you come to the door there's no one there but a huge bag of zucchini.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Bumping this thread up because I am planning to put in a new larger vegetable garden in the back yard this year. For the past several years I've had just a small 5' x 18' or so tomato patch in which I stick a few greens and beans as well:

But this Spring I found i wanted to try growing more things and simply didn't have the room in that patch. I've already planted lettuce seeds and chard and cilantro in every available space that looks empty in the photo. And I can't expand it because it's almost at our property line already.

So DH and I talked today and mapped out a large rectangular spot in the back lawn that's 18' x 30' for an additional food garden. I know that sounds awfully large but there will be foot paths criss crossing around in it, and I can delegate some parts to squash plants and bean teepees, both of which take up plenty of room.

Whatever it winds up being, it will have to have a substantial fence to discourage the woodchucks, rabbits, and occasional deer. We have yet to decide whether it will be raised beds or traditional dug.
Either way I will need the landscaping/excavating guy's help and plenty of topsoil brought in. He helped us with our front grading/backhoeing/landscaping several years ago and we like him a lot, so he's coming over soon to perhaps help us plan it out. I know there is almost no topsoil there, but if there is a lot of dense shale there under the lawn we may have to use raised beds- he can advise us and can hopefully help us make the garden happen.
It'll be put in too late to plant much this year, but I might be able to get some leaf lettuces and other fast growing greens from it this year, depending on how quickly we can figure it all out.

Aggie-Ama- did you ever get your veggie garden going from when you started this thread?