1st timer - starting from seed

[SaltyMomma]

Hi! I'm new here, and new to gardening as well. This year my husband made me two 4'Wx8'Lx12"H garden boxes and tomorrow I will be planting my 1st seeds!!

I live in zone 7b.... I think, I've got fresh new garden soil with some compost and fertilizer mixed in, and I'm going to be planting in the square foot style.

Here's my plan....

BOX 1

Top Row (left to right) 2 roma tomatoes and 2 beefmaster tomatoes, 4 cucumbers, 4 derby (bush) beans
Middle Row (left to right) 1 cabbage, 1 cabbage, 4 bibb letteces, 1 green/red pepper, 1 jalepeno pepper
Bottom Row (left to right) 1 ocra, 15 beets, 20 carrots (1/2 long), 2 nasturtiums, 20 carrots (tendersweet), 2 marigolds, 4 spinach, 1 banana pepper

BOX 2

Top Row (left to right) 4 oregano, 4 rosemary, 4 parsley (italian), 4 basil, 8 chives, 8 cilantro
Middle Row (left to right) 25 onions, 1 zucchini, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 yellow squash, 4 snap dragons
Bottom Row (left to right) corn (six plants)

So, I'm wondering..... any advice for a newbie? I'm only planting one seed per green dot on those charts... Am I setting myself up for failure by not planting more seeds per dot and then thinning out later?

Also wondering... how often do I water once the seeds are in?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me. :happy_flower

 

[digitS']

Welcome to TEG !

. . . So, I'm wondering..... any advice for a newbie? I'm only planting one seed per green dot on those charts... Am I setting myself up for failure by not planting more seeds per dot and then thinning out later?

Also wondering... how often do I water once the seeds are in?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me. :happy_flower

I like this . . . !

Box #2 looks to me like you may have some problems. My rosemary doesn't grow too large with the fairly short season here and I have to bring it in during the winter months. You may not have to do that and the rosemary will grow LARGE.

Oregano and rosemary are perennials. Parsley is a biennial but can reseed if left to itself, so is often grown in perennial beds. Chives are also perennial. Basil and cilantro are annuals - in fact, cilantro will grow and bolt to seed very quickly. I guess what I'm thinking is that you are putting plants that have 12 month requirements with those that may only be around for a few weeks. Try to think out how you are going to work around them and if that will be a problem.

One thing, if you had another home for the perennials, there would be more room for those summer squash. They are going to do some pushing! And, if your squash had more room, there could be more than 6 corn plants.

Yes, you cannot be sure about getting 100% germination from your seeds.

Water? Would you want to measuring it? How about 1 1/2 inches each week? You could put down about 3/4th of an inch twice a week; 1/2 inch, 3 times. Stay flexible and if you see problems with wilting from lots of sunshine and heat - change things a little. . . . and, account for rainfall.

1 US gallon = 231 cubic inches . . . okay, it may make things too complicated .

Steve

 

[SaltyMomma]

Thanks Steve for the great advice. I agree that putting the perennial herbs in with everything else may not work out the best, so I'm moving them to some plastic planting boxes that I have and I've rearranged BOX 2 like this....

Clockwise (starting top left) 2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 12 cilantro, 4 basil, 4 snapdragons, 25 onions, 10 corn

I think I'll only plant half the cilantro now, then the other half in a few weeks.. hopefully that way I'll have a longer harvest. I may even be able to replant after I harvest the first half because of our great weather.

Thanks again for the help. My littlest two (ages 3 and 4) and I will be putting seeds in the ground today.

 

[vfem]

Hi and welcome!!! I think I recall you from over on BYC.

I think Steve gave you some sound advice. I keep my herbs mostly seperated from my veggie beds (other then annuals that do well as companion plants, like basil and tomatoes do really well next to each other.)

Things like oregano though, they can spread and become invasive even. You shouldn't need 4 plants... mine got huge and filled a pot quickly last year, I've split it and now have 2 super full pots trying to keep them under control.

Cilantro will do the same in our zone I've been told, but by seed. Its a self sowing monster (Dill too). I do however like the idea of bolting cilantro, corriander seed keeps well and long whole and is great if you love to cook. Mmmm.... seeds ROCK!

Ok with that all said, most of my gardening has been from seed, so their have been quite a lot of trials to learn from, and mountains to climb going this route. But if you are interested, I post it all on my blog: http://fromseed.blogspot.com and if it helps, I am in Zone 7b too!

 

[SaltyMomma]

Hi vfem... yep that's me on BYC. I'm new there as well, and I'm anxiously awaiting my 1st chicks to arrive mid-May.

Actually, if you see a SaltyMomma anywhere on the net (Twitter, Facebook, etc) chances are good it's me. My four daughters' 1st initials in the order they were born spell SALT... thus making me the SaltyMomma.

Anyway, thanks for your advice and the link to your blog, I will definitely check it out.


UPDATE on seed sowing.....
This morning my youngest two (ages 3&4) and I put the seeds in the ground. And, for all of the tiny little seeds (think cabbage, carrots, etc) I did NOT put one per hole, because um... that would be next to impossible. Those things are so tiny!! In fact my 4yo dropped a bunch of the cabbage seeds by accident so I may have a bunch of thinning out to do.

It's not too exciting to look at yet but here's what it looks like right now...

The red bucket in the background is a dwarf sweet cherry tree that my MIL sent us. I didn't know she was sending it and was very surprised when I got a tree in the mail! It seems to be doing well and already has some green buds/sprouts.

Now that the seeds are in I'm just doing a lot of this...
and some of this... :watering

Thanks again for the help!

 

[lesa]

They look great, keep us posted!

 

[old fashioned]

First let me say

About the watering-In addition to what digits/Steve said, you could also check to see if it needs water by scratching down into the dirt around the plants a few inches to see if it's dry or damp below the surface since raised beds dry out faster than in-ground.

One other thing, I don't know about anyone else but my thought is that your family must REALLY like summer squash or you know alot of people who do. I know most people can't eat up what even one plant of each can produce & with 2 of each....well.....OH MY! They can be VERY prolific!

Anyway, happy gardening :tools

 

[SaltyMomma]

>> about the squash

Ok, my family does like squash... personally if I didn't have to buy it I could eat it steamed every day. YUM!! Also, one of my all time favorite things to bake is zucchini bread... chocolate zucchini bread... YUM YUM YUM!! (great now I'm craving that).

Anyway, I agree that I am probably planting more than we will need, but a part of me (maybe a bigger part than it should be) is VERY worried that my seeds won't sprout. So, I guess if we end up with more than we can handle I'll have to figure something out.

We do have family we can share with, and um.... does it freeze well? I believe I will be googling "freezing squash" in the near future.


Oh! Just realized that one thing I forgot to mention in the beginning of this thread is that we are a family of six. Myself, my hubby, and four little girls ages 8, 7, 4, and 3. I'm lucky because my kids actually LIKE eating fruits and veggies, and they are very excited about eating what we grow. (so, maybe not too much squash?)

 

[old fashioned]

mmmmmmmm chocolate zucchini cake (or bread) I'm not sure if there is much difference here.

If I were you I'd go ahead and plant the two of each. Just to see if you could keep up with that many or not. Just keep a close eye on them cause I know the ones that are only finger size in the morning are baseball bat size in the afternoon (or atleast it seems that way)

Last year I had one plant of each (zuke & yellow) and there are 4 of us (me, DH, & 2 boys 10 & 8). We ate them fried, baked, stir fried, stuffed, etc. I cut & grated & froze a bunch & yep they're freezable. My neighbors ran to lock their doors & windows everytime they seen me & I took some to the food bank that also the people mysteriously vanished......I'm just sharing my own experience, so it's up to you and yes I plan to do the same again this year, I guess I never learn hahaha

 

[SaltyMomma]

old fashioned -
My husband and I cracked up at your vanishing neighbors and food bank workers. I have a feeling I may end up in the same situation