Newbie needing lots of help starting a garden!

[browneyebuttafly]

I've decided I'd try a big garden this year. I've tried twice before without alot of luck. I did have some tomatoes and zucchini come up. I'd like to try from seed (not sure if now is too late too start??) but I don't have much sunlight in my house. I live in a 120+ yr old farm house built on a slab and against a dirt wall. By the time the sun makes it around to the front of the house....theres 3 large trees blocking it. I just wanted a little of everything. Tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, carrots, onions, pumpkins, watermelons, diff peppers, eggplant, and prob others. I had bought those little plastic greenhouse things from walmart that has 60? spots to plant something (I can't remember what its called lol :/ I had success with the seeds growing, but some died off after a couple-few weeks.

Basically I'm just looking for help to start a garden from seed indoors or even a handmade greenhouse outside (which I also need ideas on how to make one for cheap)

I'd appreciate it very much!

 

[lesa]

Before we can be of much help- we need to know what zone you are in?

 

[retiredwith4acres]

Check out Mother Earth News this month for a shot article on building a greenhouse from "hog gate panels" and plastic. I am going to build one this fall over my raised bed. We have several of those panels we use as stakes for tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas so won't have to buy anything but the plastic. The panels bend in an arch, brace in the ground, and add the plastic.

I don't know where you live but we do just as well putting squash seeds directly into the soil. I also bought my broccoli and cabbage plants this year but will do my own next year. I just had other things to start this year and had to think about room.

Good luck!

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Yes, it really depends on where you are. Here in Texas I start some of my seedlings as early as Febuary and have nearly everything out in the garden already, but some of the Northerners on here haven't even started their tomato seedlings yet. We'll be more than happy to give you all the advice you want (and maybe more than that even.)

 

[digitS']

Is it just your house or is all of your property shady?

Windows can work for plant starts but they are limited in the direction the light is reaching the plants. Therefore, those windows must be in especially sunny locations. Once plants are out in the garden, there should be hours of direct light even if the plants can benefit from indirect light better than they could indoors.

Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant probably need 8 hours of sunlight each day. That may be true with some of the other plants you would like to grow. However, there are choices for shady locations.

Steve

 

[browneyebuttafly]

Sorry, I'm from Western PA, zone 5. My house is kinda complicated. The back of my house is on a hill (where the sun comes up) By the time the sun comes around to the front of the house, the trees are blocking it from my house. BUT in the yard, where I can have a garden its really sunny from about 1 til the sun goes down.

 

[897tgigvib]

Browneyebuttafly, Some folks start their seeds in a basement and use special grow lights. If you do decide to get lights, do not get incandescent lightbulbs, even if they say they are grow lights. They make short 2 foot skinny flourescent tubes and holders for them that are not very expensive, and in a pinch, one of them will do for a single flat of seeds. 2 are better, but one will do. Ya make a thing to hold it on both sides, and turn it on at or before sunrise, and off before bedtime. If just one, move it from kind of on one side to kind of the other side sometime during the day. Once those seeds are up the cover can be off during the day so you can keep the light a few inches above the seedlings. Try to make sure things are clean and dry around it especially at night to keep the damping off from happening. That is probably what made them die off. Dry warmth will be the best protection from that. Water only in the morning if at all possible, but do not let them dry out either.

Watermelons are a difficult crop for a beginner, or anyone actually not in watermelon growing country. Get some black plastic and lay it down in your watermelon patch and use things to make sure it stays. Cut an X where the plants will go, cut some of the X off to make a spot a few inches around for the plant. You need to fool melons into thinking they are growing down south. Sweet Siberian is one of the best varieties for the non south beginners. That variety grows lots of roots even in cooler soil, and works hard to reproduce, making football sized watermelons with delicious yellow flesh.

Your eggplants and Peppers can use this too.

Sounds to me you have a pretty cool place there!

I'm not sure when the best time to plant the cole crops in your area is, but may I recommend you try a few different Kale varieties? Lacinato will grow and grow easily. Kale and Collards are easier for a beginner, next comes purple sprouting broccoli and regular broccoli. Cauliflower is tricky, but some of them will make good little heads for beginners. The Kale and sprouting broccoli will give you an idea of how they grow, and some encouragement. Timing the planting is the tricky part. Others may have better advice if they live in your zone and area.

 

[momofdrew]

to start you need clean containers and seed starting medium...i use a flourescent light fixture that can be raised and lowered to accomodate the plants growth
you need to have warmth to start seeds 70 degrees...i use a grow mat but you could put then on top of your refrigerator to start or near your furnace... they need to be kept moist not soaking...also you need to cover them with either a dome made for that purpose or plastic wrap... remove after seeds sprout....
when the second leaf set start to grow you will need to transplant them into larger containers especially if you started them out in muti-pack trays 60???to a tray is very small
keep the light on for at least 8 hours a day and just above the plants not quite touching... hope this has been helpful... you can usually find great books on gardening in you local library...