Starting a Garden

[sunnychooks]

This spring will be my first attempt at really having some type of veggie garden. I've been lurking around this forum and it's been interesting and, at times, a little confusing (were you guys talking about compost or rocket science??? ).
Anyway, I was out in the yard today trying to decide where the best place would be to put a small garden in the spring and I have a few questions.
1. Is a sunny location best? Or should there be some shade or protection?
2. I live near the Jersey shore and we don't have dirt. We have sand. What would be the best types of veggies to grow in sandy soil. It has excellent drainage, but I'm not too sure about nutrient value.
3. I understand that chicken manure is too "hot" to use without composting. Is the same true for goat and sheep manure?
4. How do I actually USE the compost? Is it something I add once, or do I have to continue adding it throughout the growing season? Should I add it at the same time I plant or do I need to "prepare" the ground before the plants go in?
Thanks!

 

[2468Gardeningisgr8]

Hello...Everyone has different ideas on how to start up a garden thats new..take everyone's ideas and come up with your own.....here are some of my ideas
1. I think a sunny location is best ...but at least half sun is good...
2.If you mix in alot of good soil,compost,well rotten manures into you soil.You should be fine...Ususally when I have planted carrots in the past I have always mixed in some sand.But its live and learn...Try and try again
3.I am no expert gardener but I think all manures have to be "composted alot" Goats and sheeps etc eat alot of weeds and grasses and you dont want to be picking weeds......well more weeds than veggies lol..... Plus its to green and may "burn" the plant roots
4.Everyone has different ways they use their compost...or Black Gold....I usually put some in the hole before I plant an actual plant and I mix it with soil a little.I put the well composted stuff around some of my mature plants and mix it into the top of the soil a little.You can also make a compost tea...read some great info on this site.....excellent stuff !!! Good Luck !!

 

[poppycat]

If you are growing veggies you should put them in the sunniest spot you can find. It's easy to make shade with a little cardboard or landscape cloth for plants that like a little shade, but it is impossible to manufacture more sunshine and the vast majority of veggies like LOTS of sun.

Also if you have poor soil, you might consider making some raised beds out of untreated wood and then improve the soil within them.

All manures (except rabbit) need to be composted for 6-8 weeks before you put them on your garden.

For me adding compost happens when I've got good compost and the time to add it. It's easiest to mix it into the soil before planting because you're already digging around.

 

[Reinbeau]

This spring will be my first attempt at really having some type of veggie garden. I've been lurking around this forum and it's been interesting and, at times, a little confusing (were you guys talking about compost or rocket science??? ).
Anyway, I was out in the yard today trying to decide where the best place would be to put a small garden in the spring and I have a few questions.
1. Is a sunny location best? Or should there be some shade or protection?

Since you've indicated you're going to start a veggie garden, then put it where it will get as much sun as possible. Late afternoon shade (after 3:00 or so) isn't a problem, but that's about as much shade as you want.

2. I live near the Jersey shore and we don't have dirt. We have sand. What would be the best types of veggies to grow in sandy soil. It has excellent drainage, but I'm not too sure about nutrient value.

You need to amend the soil with plenty of organic matter, but well-drained is actually much better than clay soil - clay soil is nutrient dense but difficult to work and doesn't drain well.

3. I understand that chicken manure is too "hot" to use without composting. Is the same true for goat and sheep manure?

Chicken manure is definitely too hot, unless you were to lay it down this fall and let it mellow on the garden over the winter. It's a great fertilizer, however, once it's mellowed a bit. Lots of nitrogen! Things grow like crazy when you use it (that's one of the reasons I want chickens here. That, plus fresh eggs. Next spring, I hope!)

My great grandmother used to put sheep manure straight on the garden - don't let it touch any plants, but it can be used fresh, as can rabbit. The best thing for a veggie garden is, as far as I'm concerned, well-composted cow manure. Cows ruminate, they grind up seeds, so the manure isn't going to carry as many seeds as, say, horse manure (it's a straight shot through a horse! )

4. How do I actually USE the compost? Is it something I add once, or do I have to continue adding it throughout the growing season? Should I add it at the same time I plant or do I need to "prepare" the ground before the plants go in?
Thanks!

You can add finished compost anytime. If you've got enough, put two or three inches on it and till it in before you plant. You can topdress throughout the growing season. It's very versatile, and if you've got access to quantities of it, good for you!

Is there grass where you want to put the garden? If there is, then put down a thickness of newspaper - I used ten sheets - and put ground leaves on top of it. Let6 it sit over the winter until you're ready to turn it all over next spring. The sod will break down and add to the organic matter in the soil. If you don't do this then you'll need to remove the sod before you start next spring.

Post back and ask any other questions that may come up!

 

[patandchickens]

As others have said, you need as much sun as possible for most kinds of veggies - for leaf vegetables and for other plants, it's just a matter of which plants you want to grow, how much you want to be watering (shady areas dry out less) and what areas are best sheltered from wind, tree roots, winter road spray, etc.

Sand is great, it just needs oodles of organic matter added. The absolute best veg garden I have ever had was in grad school in NC, at the biology dept field station, on completely sandy soil that had been a goat manure dump for years and years. Man oh man did I get some great cantaloupes <drool> Just dig as much compost as you can get your hands on into the soil.

This time of year, fresh compost is perfectly fine to use; closer to the growing season it's safer to only add aged (composted) stuff. If your soil is *really* sandy, 8" is not too much; in fact the only reason not to add more than that is just that you can't dig/till it all in at once Dump it on top, dig it roughly in, then let it sit til spring before messing with it further.

If you have compost that you suspect is going to be a weed farm (e.g. our horse manure here), then if you're double-digging the new garden site you can put the "seedy" manure at the very bottom of the underneath layer, where the seeds will probably never see daylight again but the plants can access the nutrients.

And as others have said, don't neglect the step of getting rid of the grass and other perennial weeds first. Really truly. Don't say you weren't warned

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Txchikngardners]

I love vegetable gardening - however I DESPISE weeding a garden plot! Not to mention - it's hard on the ol' body

Nowdays, I plant in large pots. I LOVE gardening in this way because there is NO WEEDING!!! Best of both worlds - fresh vegetables and no weeds!

Below is a picture of some of our pots- right now we have 4 tomato plants and 2 banana pepper plants in pots. These pepper plants are actually the same ones I planted back in the spring - they almost died back in August, but I gave them a little boost with some cut up fish bones/entrails and now they are producing more peppers than ever! Of course, now the chickens discovered the beautiful plants and decided they love not only the leaves, but the peppers too! They have almost destroyed one plant

Adding fish parts is a great way to 'continuous fertilize'. Just plant a handful of cut up parts around the outer edges and each time you water the roots get a fresh dosing of fish fertilizer! Don't plant too much or too deep or else it could burn the roots.

I'm excited to use the compost I'm steadily compiling - compliments of chicken poo. This is our first year with chickens, ergo our first year with chicken poo as fertilizer!

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

very nice picture!!!

what season was it when you took it?

 

[silkiechicken]

Might I also suggest check out your local extension offices to see what works best in your location? As for sandy soil. Grow some chickens on it first and let it overwinter

 

[sunnychooks]

Thanks for all the great info!
Txchik, That's a great idea and your plants look so nice and healthy!
I've been thumbing through my FarmTek magazines and saw the raised beds, like what Poppycat suggested. I could make something like that (without spending lots of $$$ on expensive borders). That might make it a bit easier to use a higher quality compost dirt rather than to dig up sand and try to add compost to that. Would I be able to fill it with sheep and goat manure when I clean the barn during the winter and have it age in the raised bed? Since I use the deep litter method in my chicken coop, would I be able to just add that in the spring since it composts in the dropping pit (I use wood chips)? And would it be ready by the spring?
Also, grass is not a problem here. Between the sandy soil and the animals we have none!
And I will definitely check with my local extension offices. I never thought of that! I would hate to finally start a garden only to find out the variety of tomatos I planted will only grow in Tasmania!!!
Thanks, everyone, for all the suggestions and help. I'll be "plotting" out where I'll be putting my garden in the next few days and start collecting wood to make the beds!

 

[Txchikngardners]

very nice picture!!!

what season was it when you took it?

I took that picture earlier this month - the camera marked it on Nov 8 - Since taking it they have become full of large green tomatoes

If they don't get red before if finally freezes here then we'll have lots of fried green tomatoes :yiipchick

I don't care either way - I love 'em both!