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As some of you know I will be moving into a house in about 3 weeks and although it may be a bit
aggressive, my goal is to start my first garden in the backyard. May dad was going to help me build
a raised type garden. Not sure about size yet but I am really looking for any good advice you guys
could give me. the yard is fenced in on the west and southern edges of the yard and the plan was
to keep the garden along or close to one of those edges. Should I keep it on the southern for best
chance at sun? No trees to worry about. No real plan on what to plant. I was initially thinking
tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos and maybe green peppers. What do others like planting?
I am really new at this and doing it as a hobby and something to keep me busy. Any advice, serious
or not would be appreciated. I apologize if there is a thread on this already but I couldn't remember
seeing one.

T-Bone

Congrats on the new house and good luck with the new garden. I can barely keep house plants alive so I am probably not going to be much good at giving planting advice. Make sure to water them. :lol:

Not joking

WORM POOP

The best stuff

Keep it away from any shed, fence, or deck that may be leaching chemicals from treated wood.

Fertilize with peat moss, add lots of top soil, and then, when you have sproutlings, add at least a few inches of a good fine mulch to manage/preserve water and keep weeds out (be careful of where you get your mulch - you don't want a brand new termite/insect/pest problem).

Placement in relation to the sun is key as well. You want good east, south, and west exposure, but east and south are most important.

Buy or make a big compost box and throw all of your grass clippings, eggshells, fruit peels, and organic, non-meat (meat = hormones in today's grocery aisle - steer clear) refuse in there along with some redworms (you might have to special order these). The worms aerate and break down the mixture, leaving more organic slime and goodness behind. By next year, this compost will be so nutrient-filled that your vegetables will be the healthiest in the land.

Find and purchase organic, non genetically modified seeds, and re-culture (re-seed, clone/clip & keep inside house or greenhouse) them as much as you can.

Believe it or not, Wasps and ladybugs are the most natural and safest form of pesticide (this is what Disney uses in lieu of chemicals).

try lettuce- it comes up quickly, regrows all summer, and just about everybody likes lettuce

I would recommend to definitely plant a couple hot pepper plants and some tomatoes -- I kind of like cherry tomatoes because you can just snack on them.... sometimes if we have too many regular tomatoes, we get too much at once and you have to can it or give it away or just let it rot. Usually peppers and tomatoes are no problem with our creatures, but we did get strawberries regularly stolen.

Also, I would highly recommend planting some herbs.... that's something you can harvest basically at your whim. Basil is really a great one to grow, I also like sage, chives, oregano, mint (they have some really cool mint hybrids.) Those things you can forget about for a while and they don't rot, and again the animals mostly leave them alone. Basil is so easy to grow, it grows like a weed and you just have to remember to snip off the tops when they start flowering. You can make tons of pesto for next to nothing.

Author:	T-Bone [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:11 am ]
Post subject:	My First Garden -- Advice
As some of you know I will be moving into a house in about 3 weeks and although it may be a bit aggressive, my goal is to start my first garden in the backyard. May dad was going to help me build a raised type garden. Not sure about size yet but I am really looking for any good advice you guys could give me. the yard is fenced in on the west and southern edges of the yard and the plan was to keep the garden along or close to one of those edges. Should I keep it on the southern for best chance at sun? No trees to worry about. No real plan on what to plant. I was initially thinking tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos and maybe green peppers. What do others like planting? I am really new at this and doing it as a hobby and something to keep me busy. Any advice, serious or not would be appreciated. I apologize if there is a thread on this already but I couldn't remember seeing one. T-Bone

Author:	SomeGuy [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:25 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
T-Bone wrote: As some of you know I will be moving into a house in about 3 weeks and although it may be a bit aggressive, my goal is to start my first garden in the backyard. May dad was going to help me build a raised type garden. Not sure about size yet but I am really looking for any good advice you guys could give me. the yard is fenced in on the west and southern edges of the yard and the plan was to keep the garden along or close to one of those edges. Should I keep it on the southern for best chance at sun? No trees to worry about. No real plan on what to plant. I was initially thinking tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos and maybe green peppers. What do others like planting? I am really new at this and doing it as a hobby and something to keep me busy. Any advice, serious or not would be appreciated. I apologize if there is a thread on this already but I couldn't remember seeing one. T-Bone I actually planted my first garden last year and learned a ton. I will type a screes when I'm at my computer.

Author:	Urlacher's missing neck [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
Just make sure your garden isn't wicked or you may find a doped up Weiland running through it.....and that is just bad for a good harvest.

Author:	Chus [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:31 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
T-Bone wrote: As some of you know I will be moving into a house in about 3 weeks and although it may be a bit aggressive, my goal is to start my first garden in the backyard. May dad was going to help me build a raised type garden. Not sure about size yet but I am really looking for any good advice you guys could give me. the yard is fenced in on the west and southern edges of the yard and the plan was to keep the garden along or close to one of those edges. Should I keep it on the southern for best chance at sun? No trees to worry about. No real plan on what to plant. I was initially thinking tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos and maybe green peppers. What do others like planting? I am really new at this and doing it as a hobby and something to keep me busy. Any advice, serious or not would be appreciated. I apologize if there is a thread on this already but I couldn't remember seeing one. T-Bone Put the garden in the location that receives the most sun. Tomatoes and peppers thrive in hot, sunny conditions. Ask Tall Midget for advice on tomatoes. He has helped me out tremendously.

Author:	Bagels [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:37 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
plant some ganja

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Author:	Elmhurst Steve [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:46 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
You might want to put a fence around it, to keep critters from eating your produce before you can. Seems elementary but many don't bother and live to regret it. Also a few balls with pennies glued around them placed around the garden will keep slugs away. Slugs LOVE tomatoes and will ruin a lot of them, if unchecked. They also have chemicals you can use for slugs, but I prefer the pennies. Miracle Grow shake and Feed is a great fertilizer that will greatly increase production come harvest time. make sure the garden is in a spot that gets full sun. Also, if you eat bananas throw the peels around the base of your tomato plants. The potassium from the peels is really good for them. Make sure to add some mulch to the soil and if you use plants (rather than seed) to start your garden, make sure to put a little Shake and Feed into the plant hole (not too much-don't want fertilizer burn and kill the plant) in the hole. Make sure to follow directions as to spacing of plants. Putting them too close together will result in stunted plants and lower production. Good luck.

Author:	Phil McCracken [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:49 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
Congrats on the new house and good luck with the new garden. I can barely keep house plants alive so I am probably not going to be much good at giving planting advice. Make sure to water them.

Author:	T-Bone [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:53 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
Phil McCracken wrote: Congrats on the new house and good luck with the new garden. I can barely keep house plants alive so I am probably not going to be much good at giving planting advice. Make sure to water them. Yeah, I have never even had a house plant so I am really diving in head first here.

Author:	bigfan [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:06 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
Not joking WORM POOP The best stuff

Author:	Seacrest [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
bigfan wrote: Not joking WORM POOP The best stuff It's called vermicomposting and it can be incredibly expensive to get started if you use this method exclusively. As you said though, it is the best stuff.

Author:	SomeGuy [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
If you have ground squirrels like I do.....make sure to dig deep enough and line the box with wire fencing. Those fucking things.....organized, well trained and equipped, I have it on good authority that the local rabbits are feeding them intel and giving them refuge. Neighbor's dog may also be involved.

Author:	doug - evergreen park [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
the best compost is fish guts, heads, and bones with a solid volume of Chain O' Lake water...or you can pee on your plants. Mulch is the great weed killer, holds water to keep the ground moist, and is a heat barrier to "baking" your topsoil layer. The nice thing is that you can use it as a "plant barrier" as well. I would recommend seeds and store bought plants to get started. the seed cup starter kits are a hit or miss venture until you get the hang of things. nowadays with townhouse porch garden, I just buy plants. If you do mulch. buy twice as much as you think you need...trust me, you'll probably still go back and buy more. plant some flowers. chicks dig flowers. guys like to look at flowering things....sex, etc.. "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west against the backdrop of stars." Consider your rear yard tree canopy coverage. Rabbits, mice, squirrels, and racoons will eat half of what you grow...but critters are stupid enough to manipulate. if you surround your prized veggies with hot peppers... the critters figure that your garden "sucks" real quick. i buy a few serranos and jalaps and put them out for the critters to "try" It works fkn great.

Author:	Peoria Matt [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
Q.Bovifs wrote: Keep it away from any shed, fence, or deck that may be leaching chemicals from treated wood. Fertilize with peat moss, add lots of top soil, and then, when you have sproutlings, add at least a few inches of a good fine mulch to manage/preserve water and keep weeds out (be careful of where you get your mulch - you don't want a brand new termite/insect/pest problem). Placement in relation to the sun is key as well. You want good east, south, and west exposure, but east and south are most important. Buy or make a big compost box and throw all of your grass clippings, eggshells, fruit peels, and organic, non-meat (meat = hormones in today's grocery aisle - steer clear) refuse in there along with some redworms (you might have to special order these). The worms aerate and break down the mixture, leaving more organic slime and goodness behind. By next year, this compost will be so nutrient-filled that your vegetables will be the healthiest in the land. Find and purchase organic, non genetically modified seeds, and re-culture (re-seed, clone/clip & keep inside house or greenhouse) them as much as you can. Believe it or not, Wasps and ladybugs are the most natural and safest form of pesticide (this is what Disney uses in lieu of chemicals). We are composting for the 1st time this year. Went to an earth day celebration at our local hiking/nature center and picked up a ready to go redworm compost bin. Great advice, Q. Good call on the non-GMO seeds. GMO's and Monsanto are a blight on this country but I'm not gonna derail a gardening thread. Good luck with the garden.

Author:	Elmhurst Steve [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:24 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
an addition .......don't just use fencing that can keep adult sized rabbits out. Use chicken wire, as it will keep even baby rabbits out. In the spring one year I had a bunch of baby rabbits that could easily squeeze through the openings in my fencing, even if it kept the grown ones out. Those baby rabbits ate every last green bean plant in the garden. Had to re-plant them. Lesson learned. As far as seeds go, I have always liked Burpee seeds best by far. The plants they produce tend to be more drought and disease resistent.

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Author:	bigfan [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
http://wormpoop.com/Product/Product.htm

Author:	K Effective [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
Pay close attention to the planting instructions on seed packs, an extra half-inch deep doesn't always help. Whatever/wherever you put the garden, make sure the water source is convenient. Any extra hassle and you will eventually skip watering, reducing yields (soaker hoses buried in the mulch of a raised bed plus timers= no hassle) try lettuce- it comes up quickly, regrows all summer, and just about everybody likes lettuce have fun

Author:	newper [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
Raised gardening has a lot of nice benefits -- you don't have to bend over, you eliminate a lot of the problems with animals... not all, but a lot. I would recommend to definitely plant a couple hot pepper plants and some tomatoes -- I kind of like cherry tomatoes because you can just snack on them.... sometimes if we have too many regular tomatoes, we get too much at once and you have to can it or give it away or just let it rot. Usually peppers and tomatoes are no problem with our creatures, but we did get strawberries regularly stolen. Also, I would highly recommend planting some herbs.... that's something you can harvest basically at your whim. Basil is really a great one to grow, I also like sage, chives, oregano, mint (they have some really cool mint hybrids.) Those things you can forget about for a while and they don't rot, and again the animals mostly leave them alone. Basil is so easy to grow, it grows like a weed and you just have to remember to snip off the tops when they start flowering. You can make tons of pesto for next to nothing. Last year, my father grew some brussel sprouts and I think I'd like to try that one of these years -- they look so cool on the vine.

Author:	Darkside [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
I mentioned growing mint in a post that was deleted for some reason. I've heard it prevents rabbits if you plant around the edges of the garden

Author:	Chus [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
K Effective wrote: try lettuce- it comes up quickly, regrows all summer, and just about everybody likes lettuce Lettuce can be planted early, when it is still cool outside. You can have lettuce by Memorial Day or early June.

Author:	Chus [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:36 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My First Garden -- Advice
newper wrote: I would recommend to definitely plant a couple hot pepper plants and some tomatoes -- I kind of like cherry tomatoes because you can just snack on them.... sometimes if we have too many regular tomatoes, we get too much at once and you have to can it or give it away or just let it rot. Usually peppers and tomatoes are no problem with our creatures, but we did get strawberries regularly stolen. If you yield more tomatoes than you can eat, make a huge pot of tomato sauce. You can freeze it, and use it later. newper wrote: Also, I would highly recommend planting some herbs.... that's something you can harvest basically at your whim. Basil is really a great one to grow, I also like sage, chives, oregano, mint (they have some really cool mint hybrids.) Those things you can forget about for a while and they don't rot, and again the animals mostly leave them alone. Basil is so easy to grow, it grows like a weed and you just have to remember to snip off the tops when they start flowering. You can make tons of pesto for next to nothing. Basil is probably the easiest thing to grow. Grow some basil in and around your tomato plants. The flavor of both the tomatoes and the basil will be improved.