Rank Newbie here - need advice!

[Lanatwo]

Hi guys! JUST joined here and you all seem like wonderful hardworking and helpful individuals! I am so looking forward to all the help you're gonna give me, and boy do I need it!

So, I live in an apartment right now, and have for the past 2 years. I had been nursing a planter garden on my porch but that did not end well - most of the plants died in an extremely random frost that hit us central floridians in March this year, and I gave up! Planter gardening was really hard, I either didn't give them enough plant food or I burned them with too much! Plus the darn heat here - the pots dried out so fast and I'd come home to wilted tomatoes even if I watered them that morning.

But great news! Fiancee and I are buying a house and I finally get to garden in real soil, in a real yard! I am so excited. I am going to have a few hens, 2 dogs, my indoor kitties, and fish! On top of that I also rehab squirrels. Oh, and fantastic news about the property - it has honeybees! They are very docile and have never stung anyone - the seller trims and mows right around their hive, which is under the shed, without them getting angry so I assume they aren't africanized. I am looking forward to all the interesting crosses I will probably get from the bees doing their thing!

So! I need all the help I can get - I have no idea what I am doing! Have not grown a single edible thing yet, ever, and I don't know anything except I WANNA GROW MY OWN FOOD! WOO!

So, what can I grow in Florida? What should I grow? I need to start composting, how do I even begin? Should I separate my chickens from the plants or will they only help by eating bugs? How can I nourish sandy soil? Can you guys really turn a black thumb like mine green? How do I build raised garden beds? WHO AM I?!?!?!

Please speak as though I am ten years old with a learning disability, slowly and with much detail! XD

 

[Collector]

Welcome, lanatwo congrats on the new place.there are alot of really experienced gardeners here. I don't happen to be one of them though, as I am here to gain more knowledge also. Lots of nice and helpful folks here who enjoy sharing their gardening knowhow, so you've come to the right place.

 

[vfem]

WOw... !

OK, now.... slooooooooooooooooooooowly... begin your gardening journey. I was so amped when we bought our first home and moved here in 2008. I was ready to dig everything up and turn it to lettuce, tomatoes, squash & roses!

Then I realized the overwhelming amount of work & information I was really in for. I've never done any of it before. (Not since I was young and w/ my grandmother.)

So I decided to 'grid' myself in. I came here first (hooray for you and the first right step). I asked questions about what to invest in first.... perennials won out, so we put in fruit trees and fruiting bushes. They take the longest to produce, cost more up front but will produce on their own for years and years will little to no work from me... and the most return.

Then there was deciding between 'in ground' gardens, and raised beds. We ended up with both, but started with raised beds because I learned part of my yard flooded.... and we had septic lines I didn't want roots to damage.

There was initial investments that made me take it slow, and now I keep adding new beds, and adding new beds as I know I can handle the work... it gets easier and easier.

But you are RIGHT ON TIME for when we all start discussing what to order to plant next year. We all figure out the needs for them, and when they need to go in for our Zone. You can jump right in since most of us are just planning, and dreaming and buying up seed (and we trade seed too if you want to join in) for spring 2011.

Don't forget, find your zone (I think you are zone 9) and there are tons of sites with advice for plants that will work for you and whether they are annual or perennial. I have to say... you in florida... I'm jealous! That's a GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD long growing season you got there... and you get citrus trees... which I so wish I could have.

So glad to meet you!!!!




:watering

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you are here!

I think good advice so far. I suggest you contact your county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, or visit the Florida extension website. They should have all kinds of information on what grows in your area (not just type of plants but varieties that do best in your area) and how to grow them. They will help you avoid mistakes that can be very disturbing or expensive, like planting Winesap apple trees when you don't have enough chill hours for them to do well. In Arkansas, I've gotten pamphlets from the extension agency on a lot of different topics, a calendar that tells me what to plant and when to plant it, detailed instructions on how to grow blackberries, to how to grow leeks, and a lot more.

Don't forget to come back on this forum to ask questions, teach us what you learn, and just enjoy the company. Gardening is very local. What works for me may not work for you because of the differences in soils and climate, but many lessons carry over.

 

[ninnymary]

Welcome!:tools

Sounds like you have alot going so far! Great that you will have chickens and bees! Alot of us here have the chickens and some of us wish we could have bees. I can't because I have a daycare/preschool.

Right now I would just dream about your layout and start researching what you would like to plant. For now, I would plant only things that I like to eat or flowers that I just love.

Whatever you do, keep it SMALL. This is going to be very hard because you will want everything!

Good luck, I know you will enjoy being here.

Mary

 

[hoodat]

Welcome to our gardens. I think you came to the right place. We have lots of Chicken enthusiast her and several beekeepers. My first advice would be not to let yourself be overwhelmed with all you have going on. I've never gardened in Florida but one piece of advice goes anywhere you garden. Humus, humus and more humus. The more organic matter you can get into your ground the more alive it will be and the better your plants will grow. In a really hot climate you might do better adding your organic matter as a heavy mulch and letting it decay and enter the ground on its own. A hot climate can burn the organic matter right out of the ground if it is buried. The critters in the soil digest it too fast and too completely.
One piece of advice on your chickens, they can do nothing but good for a piece of ground but don't let them run where your veggies are or they will beat you to the harvest every time. It's best to keep them penned up and let them out only when you can be there to supervise and where your veggies are fenced off from them.

 

[journey11]

Hi Lanatwo and !

Sounds like you are going to have fun working your new property. We hope we can be helpful along the way.

I rehab'd a baby squirrel once. It's a demanding job being a squirrel-mama! Hope you find time for the rest! J/K

 

[Lanatwo]

WOw... !

OK, now.... slooooooooooooooooooooowly... begin your gardening journey. I was so amped when we bought our first home and moved here in 2008. I was ready to dig everything up and turn it to lettuce, tomatoes, squash & roses!

Then I realized the overwhelming amount of work & information I was really in for. I've never done any of it before. (Not since I was young and w/ my grandmother.)

So I decided to 'grid' myself in. I came here first (hooray for you and the first right step). I asked questions about what to invest in first.... perennials won out, so we put in fruit trees and fruiting bushes. They take the longest to produce, cost more up front but will produce on their own for years and years will little to no work from me... and the most return.

Then there was deciding between 'in ground' gardens, and raised beds. We ended up with both, but started with raised beds because I learned part of my yard flooded.... and we had septic lines I didn't want roots to damage.

There was initial investments that made me take it slow, and now I keep adding new beds, and adding new beds as I know I can handle the work... it gets easier and easier.

But you are RIGHT ON TIME for when we all start discussing what to order to plant next year. We all figure out the needs for them, and when they need to go in for our Zone. You can jump right in since most of us are just planning, and dreaming and buying up seed (and we trade seed too if you want to join in) for spring 2011.

Don't forget, find your zone (I think you are zone 9) and there are tons of sites with advice for plants that will work for you and whether they are annual or perennial. I have to say... you in florida... I'm jealous! That's a GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD long growing season you got there... and you get citrus trees... which I so wish I could have.

So glad to meet you!!!!




:watering

Thank you so much!

Yes, I am totally into the fruit tree idea too - there are trees there already as well! There is a pineapple orange hybrid tree, a tangerine tree, and a lime tree. The tangerine tree is SO laden with fruit it touches the ground even with a ladder supporting it.

It's too bad peaches don't grow well here (right?) - I'd love to have a nice peach tree. The squirrels would love it!

What other perennials like that would you consider? To be honest I am not a huge fan of annuals - I like the more productive plants that I don't have to pull out!

Also, yes really digging the raised bed idea since the soil here is sandy. Gonna re-use some busted concrete as the 'rocks' around the wooden wall!

 

[digitS']

Welcome to TEG, Lanatwo !

All of us in the north country probably had the same response to the idea of a fruit tree laden with fruit at this time of year:

. . . . oh . . . . . .

Yes, I have enjoyed the sight of an orange tree laden with fruit in November ! I just checked the map: "Distance: 1373.81 miles!"

Ecopepper should be along after awhile; she gardens in the Orlando area. We also have a gardener who lives just north of Pensacola in Alabama and others in the deep South . . . probably should have a separate forum for y'all to talk to each other about fruit trees laden with fruit in November!

. . . . oh . . . . . .

Steve

 

[hiker125]

WOW! what an awesome set up.

You have everything that most long for- garden, chickens and bees.

In addition to this website, check out backyard chickens. It completely rocks too.

I also love Edward Smith's, WORD method of gardening. It is a great read as well as reference. Best of Luck to you and welcome!