|
|
Talk It Out:
|
|
|
"I highly, highly recommend ‘Square Foot Gardening’ by Mel
Bartholomew. It saves space, time, and work and gives good results.
That was what I used to get started." ~ Theresa
|
| "One of the best things that I can suggest is contacting your local extension office. Many of them have master gardener programs and they can be a wealth of information. There sure is nothing better than growing it yourself and oh, the fresh taste is the best!" ~ Jill |
|
"I am an avid organic gardener. My husband and I are
vegetarians, and took very early retirement, with the understanding that
we would be growing a great deal of our food. That certainly doesn't
make me an expert, but my experience tells me to start slow. Plant just
a few of your favorite things the first year. So many first-time
gardeners plant a half acre, and by July it has run them out of town!
Read all you can—FREE from the local library—and while all
those leaves that you gather this fall are rotting away this winter, you
can read about what to do with them. Chopped up w/the mower, they make
perfect mulch, helping to keep down weeds and reduce watering. Added to
a compost pile, along with your vegetable scraps and (untreated) grass
clippings, manure from a local barn or stable, they will decompose and Read Worms Eat My Garbage for more info. I keep a worm bin in the house during the winter, when my compost bins outside are frozen. I then move the worms to the garden in spring, and feed my compost piles all my scraps I collected during the warmer months. You can join online discussion groups about gardening and seed swapping and get some free seeds that way. Or you can send for free catalogs and spend the winter planning your garden and placing your order. Start saving 'seed starter cups' now; old yogurt cups are great. You can make cups from folded newspaper too. I would start seeds in a soilless mix, not garden soil. It is light and is sterilized so will be free of things that may harm your plants. If you have to buy a few tools, buy good ones and you'll only buy them once. Take care of them. Rent a tiller rather than purchase one, if you need to turn your soil over. You should only have to do that the first year or so. Doing that this time of year is perfect, because then you can plant a green manure cover crop of rye, alfalfa, or clover to grow like a blanket over the garden area all winter. Next spring, till it under and your soil will already have a big head start over just planting your seeds into bare soil. You can buy such seed very reasonable at your local feed and seed or farm supply store. You can get lots of free advice from your local Ag Extension service. If you live near a state college, be thankful. They are a tremendous free resource for gardeners! They also offer classes on becoming a master gardener. Happy gardening!" ~ Jan |
|
"Welcome to vegetable gardening. There is no better way to relax
then to tend to your own vegetable garden and reap the benefits of your
work. When I want to be alone to think, I head for my garden! What I have done in the past to conserve on costs is to use the seeds from vegetables I have purchased. This is an inexpensive way to start your own seedlings in early spring. I would purchase bell peppers and allow the seeds to dry prior to putting them in a zip lock sandwich bag. I have grown my own tomato, squash, bell pepper, zucchini plants. The cost is far less then purchasing plants from stores. An added plus, you know what additives you are using to help them grow. I use brewed coffee grounds and ground up eggshells to help plants grow. Once they are established and planted in the garden I water with
Miracle Grow once a month to give plants a boost. When flowers start to
bloom on tomato plants I trim off any branches that do not have flowers.
This puts the nutrients back into the plant and helps the tomatoes grow.
To keep weeds at bay, I use the grass clippings I collect when I mow my
yard. Can't beat the price. Next year I'm planning on getting straw for
under my zucchini plants. This way the zucchini has a soft dry place to
rest while growing. |
| "A few years ago I also started my own vegetable garden. Everything was new to me, so I read several books and lots of websites on starting a garden, and about organic gardening. The best pieces of advice were: 1) start small, and 2) only plant what you know your family will eat! If at all possible, try to keep your vegetable garden ORGANIC (that is, no harmful chemicals are used). Gardening will give you a lot of satisfaction, but it involves a lot of work and requires constancy (just like child-rearing!) Best of luck." ~ Eva |
|
"I love to garden and am a professional Garden Designer and Master
Gardener. My first advice would be to contact your local Extension Office
and get all the free handouts you can. Also, depending on the area you
live in, local nurseries sometimes offer free or low-cost seminars on
specific subjects. Visit the nurseries, ask questions and get on mailing
lists for upcoming events and lectures.
I would also recommend organic gardening. Pesticides can be expensive and very unnecessary and they also cost our planet in the long run. Feeding your family chemicals doesn't help anyone. The library usually has some great gardening magazines like Organic Gardening and Fine Gardening and Horticulture. There are some good online sources too. When it comes to potting soil for containers, don't buy the cheap stuff. You get what you pay for. Potting soil doesn't have to list what is in it and it could have a high clay content that doesn't drain well and your plants will drown or it could have too much bark and then your plants have no nutrients. Buy a nice light, well draining mix. I like to fertilize with Alaska Fish Fertilizer but not too much. Too much fertilizer can equal too much nitrogen and that can show up as nitrites in your food or in the ground water. I also don't start plants from seed. I think it requires a lot of work for not much return. As you grow in gardening and you want more exotic plants, starting from seed may be a way to go. But for the time being, check in with some local garden clubs and organizations. They often have plant sales with great prices of plants that really grow in your area. I could go on forever....it is my passion. There is nothing like creating your own little slice of Eden. Remember to garden with the birds, butterflies and all creatures in mind by gardening pesticide-free." ~ Lisa |
| "Contact your local home extension service (in the phone book) or your local nursery. Library, too. The nursery may have monthly flyers telling what to be done now for planting in the spring--all FREE. The extension service will have the same and may be able to give you freebies on seeds, plants and the like." ~ Barb |
| "Check out www.garden.org The site is great for finding answers to most of your gardening questions." ~ Beck |
|
Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. |
Home
Products and Resources
Speaking Engagements Nancy's
Itinerary |