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Thread: How to Garden for beginners, getting started:

  1. #1
    Pocket DogMan635's Avatar
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    Default How to Garden for beginners, getting started:

    Welcome to Gardening for beginners on how to GET STARTED:

    This is going to be a short introduction for anyone interested in starting there own backyard Garden. NO special tools or equipment will be needed. A small garden is about a 500-square foot. Stay clear of well water, septic systems. Before you start any digging into the ground you will need to have the area checked for underground pipes, wires, and this is found in county services. Once you have found a spot with most of the day in direct SUN light. Take some dirt samples into separate containers about a 1/2-cup of dirt. Mark them so you can match up with each sample with its location where taken from. Also a sample of water you will be using. About three dirt samples, one water sample and take them to your local county extension service. Also, let them know what you are planning on growing in your garden. Check with your HOA association as to guarding restrictions.

    They can advise you of the nutrition levels of your soil for the seeds you want to plant. Once you have the all-clear, time for some elbow work. Never pull anything out of the ground using your back. Use your legs and arms for smaller weeds. Outline your area with a square face shovel, clearing out one foot to 3-foot squares until you have the full 500-sq foot area cleared. Check the levelness of the groud as this will help with watering. And rainwater runoff.

    Some water-saving ideas did you know if your Air Conditioner runs all day you will get close to 15-gals of water from your A/C alone. If you have an attic unit you may want to consider setting up a rainwater barrel for collecting the runoff of the A/C water.

    Once you have your report back from the county extension service you will know what if anything you will need to mix into the soil to help with growing your plants. You want the soil about 6 to 12-inches deep to be loose creating some rows about a 6-12" high.

    Some plants and seeds will need protection for animals & Birds. Springtime is the best time to start your general garden. There are 100s of ideas for protecting your garden from two and four-legged creatures. Before you plant your first seed, build your mounds in rows and leave the ends open with a permit mound border to contain the water or fewer mounds if you want to stand water in yourself.

    If you have a sloping hillside to your garden you will need to fix your rows side to side and NOT DO NOT RUN THEM DOWN THE SLOP. as the coming rainfall will dig out your garden very quickly and you will have nothing left. As to the slop your on, you may have to dig a runoff about the garden so that the rainwater will run around and away. Rainwater falling into the garden in most cases if fine. Water running over the ground can become a problem.

    This is the simple 1-2-3s of making the soil ready to receive the seeds and grow your garden. You should have some ideas of what you want to grow. so read the instructions on the seed packets. Some plants will need help standing up with the heavy foliage like tomatoes. A 6-inch squad fencing wire works well making a circle and lifting the plant leaves as they grow up inside the wire. Doing so will give you more growth.

    If you live in a condominium, or restricted HOAs check if you can use EarthBoxes. I love them because they are simple and I'm just too old to fight as much as I once did. Once you have grown your first garden you will learn to plant with taller growers in the back rows and smallest in front. Hope you like let me know if you want more of this or not? YOUR FEEDBACK good or bad is welcomed. You should also find local gardening Clubs, Groups, and instructional teaching Guarding in your area can be most helpful for one on one attention.

    Next, post we can address building a simple poting bench to work off of for pots no more than two foot high.
    Last edited by DogMan635; 07-11-2020 at 11:25 AM. Reason: crrections
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    Senior Member Old GI's Avatar
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    Just follow the road to the supermarket. Isn't that where all food comes from?
    When Wealth is Lost, Nothing is Lost;
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    #1 wife's sister lives in NW MO. Their house is in the middle of a 100 acre field that gets planted in corn and alfalfa and clover sequentially. The rows come within 20 ft of their driveway. For years I have suggested that they simply claim about three rows next to the driveway and plant tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, whatever....

    They never do.

    This year my SIL planted a couple of tomato plants and she sent #1 wife a picture of her first ever tomato! 58 years old and finally grew a tomato. #1 wife gave her lots of praise and more advice, but stopped short of sending her a picture of what our kitchen table has looked like since mid April.

    Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

    I hadn't gotten around to Carrots, figs, calabaza, yet. That Okra is called "Cow Horn". Those pods are as tender as a sprout.

    I think I would be lost without putting some kind of seeds in the ground each year.


    Alan

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    My advice for beginner gardeners is much the same as DogMan's. While it is important to know your soil qualities, for small beginner plots it is not entirely necessary. Miracle Grow takes up a lot of slack on the soil prep for small plots. We don't make rows but rather furrows. We plant down in the furrow as that optimizes our limited water. In areas of high rainfall planting on the top of rows allows for drainage. Most of the time I water by running water down the furrows.

    I'd say the things a beginning gardener needs to do is dig up some dirt, smooth it out, plant some seeds, water and weed, and read, read, read....

    Oh yeah, "Pray for rain"..


    Alan

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    Hello,

    Can someone help!

    Last summer I bring a baby plant from my friend garden and planted well with proper soil, water and do not forget to watering my plants daily or maximum in two days. My other plants are growing well but have not seen any progress in the growth of tomato plant.

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Planted last summer? Let me help you with that before you come back and provide us with some amazing link to sell some amazing product that performs.......well.......amazingly.

    Bye, bye.
    Can't Means Won't

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    Baby plants are constantly following me home... Sometimes I think I run a foster home for plants...


    Alan

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    Senior Member WolfVanZandt's Avatar
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    You should be good to those orphans. Read Charles Dickens. One might grow up and inherit a lot of money from some tree in their family. ("Family tree". Get it?)
    True enough, my final home is still out there, but this is most certainly my home range and I love it. I love every rock I fall off and tree I trip over. Even when I am close to dying from exhaustion, a beautiful sunset doesn't lose it's power to refresh and inspire me and that, in itself, is enough to save me sometimes.

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    I see what you did there. Went right to the root of the issue.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Oh sure......use all of them ther flowery comments.
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    Senior Member Michael aka Mac's Avatar
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    Actually for beginners I suggest buying a new or used AeroGarden (hydroponic garden). It is beyond simple, germinates much faster then plants and soil, uses far less water during its' lifespan vs soil based plants, and you can harvest sooner too with year round harvesting of crops.

    here are the real simple steps
    1 Buy an AeroGAarden
    2 Place reservoir over base
    3 insert adjustable pole into base
    4 connect included LED grow lamp
    5 add water and 1 nutritional tablet
    6 plug into AC outlet
    7 Insert included seed pods and plastic caps over them
    8 add water & nutrients every 2-3 weeks

    I have harvested year round habanero peppers, cherry tomatoes, Basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, chives, oregano, etc. etc.

    again Year round harvesting. I have like 5 AeroGardens

    https://www.aerogarden.com/

  12. #12

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    I started out reading "Square Foot Gardening". It's an OK book. It goes into a lot of detail in an easy-to-read simple way about things you know you need to know (planting dates, watering, supporting some plants) and stuff you didn't need to know (pore space, soil structure, rotating crops).

    It's a good beginning.

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    Senior Member VnVet's Avatar
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    Welcome to the site!

    Where I used to work, a co-worker lived on a mountain in WV. His soil was more rock than dirt. He built a square foot garden and considering the small spaces; the results were great. He also grew potatoes in a 5 gallon bucket. I've grown potatoes in a bale of hay.

    Cold frames for winter root vegetables is also productive.

  14. #14

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    Thank you for sharing these gardening tips. I want to grow a good bean garden. I also want to learn about perennial crops. I tried growing garlic this fall, but only 2 of my cloves survived. Next time I think I need to add more soil.

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    Senior Member Michael aka Mac's Avatar
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    0206231208.jpg

    I actually enjoy hydroponic gardens. I have 4 at my home with the ability to put together a 5th. These are all AreoGarden brand hydroponic gardens. The ones I own use florescent grow lights but the new versions use LED grow bulbs.

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    Senior Member Michael aka Mac's Avatar
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    sigh only this website inverts my photos rather frustrating at times. Just rotate the photo 180 degrees, either direction, the black base is where the water is

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Did you take the picture with an iPhone or android? If so, then the phone knows to correct the orientation. The forum will post the picture based on the orientation of the camera. Some forums can adjust for that some don't.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

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