First Time gardner - Zone 8b

[AL]

So I planted a garden this year .... approx 40'x60'. My tomatoes strugged the whole season with blossom end rot (my guess). My Eggplants were little wimpy things. My corn had nice stalks but runty little ears of corn. My peas were my saving grace - I have declared pinkeyes my favorite things to grow!
ETA - my peppers, radishes and mustard greens did great as well.

Now my watermelons are coming in - hopefully they'll keep doing ok

I have turned the horse into the garden to till and fertilize for me and will be taking my chickens on a gardening field trip a couple of times this week weather permitting. Then I will till, clean out grass clumps etc, spread my compost and till again. This will put me mid-end of July being ready to plant.

So .... what do I plant? Can I plant Mississippi SilverSkin peas? Okra? Cabbage? Pumpkins?

Does it matter what I plant where? ie - most of my garden plot was pinkeyes and crowders (no idea what kind), so I have no choice but to plant peas in the same spot.

 

[boggybranch]

So I planted a garden this year .... approx 40'x60'. My tomatoes strugged the whole season with blossom end rot (my guess). My Eggplants were little wimpy things. My corn had nice stalks but runty little ears of corn. My peas were my saving grace - I have declared pinkeyes my favorite things to grow!
ETA - my peppers, radishes and mustard greens did great as well.

Now my watermelons are coming in - hopefully they'll keep doing ok

I have turned the horse into the garden to till and fertilize for me and will be taking my chickens on a gardening field trip a couple of times this week weather permitting. Then I will till, clean out grass clumps etc, spread my compost and till again. This will put me mid-end of July being ready to plant.

So .... what do I plant? Can I plant Mississippi SilverSkin peas? Okra? Cabbage? Pumpkins?

Does it matter what I plant where? ie - most of my garden plot was pinkeyes and crowders (no idea what kind), so I have no choice but to plant peas in the same spot.

What's your "20"?......Can only guess by your screen name and zone that it must be Alabama.

 

[AL]

No... well... kinda LOL

Pensacola, FL.... what we affectionately call "L.A." = Lower Alabama

 

[boggybranch]

No... well... kinda LOL

Pensacola, FL.... what we affectionately call "L.A." = Lower Alabama

WOW...too cool. That's where I was born and lived in Ensley.

 

[AL]

Wow that is cool..... because I live in the 9mile rd area between Ensley and Cantonment

 

[AL]

So Saturday my dad brought his lawnmower up and mowed my garden for me - pulling pea vines in 100* heat was just getting to me, besides, I figure maybe tilling them under will be good for the soil? I did pull all of my nasty tomato plants and put them in the trash. I left my pepper plants because they are still making well... my eggplants had several blooms but they met their fate by lawn mower blade when I wasn't watching where my dad was cutting.

I tilled half of the garden Saturday, the last half today. Then I will spread what little compost I have and till that under just before I am ready to plant.

Lessons learned from my "epic fail" on this garden:

- rows wider apart - otherwise the plants overcrowd each other and the weaker one dies

- mulch... and more mulch!!! (will fresh beddign straw work for this?)

- as long as it is raining, don't water unless you use a drip / soaker hose - otherwise you risk damaging the blossoms or knocking them off, and uneven watering


any other tips before I get started? The plan is for peas, okra, pumpkins and cabbage. (subject to change at any whim )


ETA: Anyone garden in tubs / buckets? I have some huge rubbermaid tubs I had purchased for hauling horse / dog gear / moving to my new place...... can I plant something?