What can I do with my little garden?

[ninny]

I have a small garden about 600 sq feet ish. I have another long skinny plot a ways from the reach of the hose about 75ft long and 5ft wide. It was suppose to be for flowers. I am really annoyed with my garden. I planted this year tomatoes in pots to give space to my melons. I am getting maybe two melons, a couple squash and some peppers. The soil is terrible mostly clay. I am going to do a soil test. My in laws have been working on it for the last 15 yrs. My potatoes got leaves and yet never even formed. I felt bad for the kiddos they tried so hard to cheer me up. They took their little shovels and kept digging trying to find them for me. To sweet when your only 2 and 3 years old. I let my the potato patch just go to weeds. My melons I'm trying to keep up with but it's a losing battle. I have baby number two due any day now and weeding is not much fun. The chickens have been put to work on the weeds. I use them for their bedding. So my plan is to toss all the chicken weeds on the garden after we mow the rest of weeds and till them all in. Which as my friend pointed out yesterday means more weeds next year. My thought I guess was to let it all rot with the chicken poo in the ground over winter then test again come spring. Maybe it will have helped.
I am trying to make this garden produce enough to can and have it go from spring to fall. I also am trying to do it as cheaply as possible.
My thoughts for next year so far are:
use a bit of square foot gardening wisdom and not do long rows. Plant in squares and mulch around each square to stop weeds. Move all space hogging plants to narrow strip so they don't take up space. Get a cattle panel and grow tomatoes up it instead of cages. If needed build raised beds out of pallets. What to do about the cost of soil though? Make some sort of selfwaterer for each plant or area.
I am trying to get stuff out of my garden. I would like to save money with it instead of wasting it like I have been.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[baymule]

Humus. Humus. Humus. You need organic matter in that heavy clay soil. When I started my garden, it was a strip of concrete-like hard dirt that even weeds hated. I dug in horse manure and the first year I had 3 beds. i grew tomatoes and a few peppers. The next year I expanded to 8 beds and more manure. I dig compost into the beds twice a year and mix lime in too. All year I toss in crushed egg shells. I compost grass clippings and horse manure and sawdust mixed with chicken manure.

Potatoes need loose, rich soil to make a good crop. Rake leaves and pile on your garden spot. Till them in or dig in with a shovel. My beds are too small for a tiller. I always say it is 2-3 weekends of hard work twice a year, then just water and pick. I spread paper feed sacks over my garden to keep weeds down. I worked 10 hours a day and did not have time to weed the garden to keep it pristine. If you don't have paper feed sacks, (don't use the woven plastic ones) then use newspapers. Weigh them down with rocks or bricks. Mulching with papers holds in water too. Just make sure the water can get underneath the papers.

Above all, DON'T GIVE UP!!! We all have our failures. Every year we have some vegetables that produce in over abundance and something else that shrivels up and makes us feel like failures. My zuchinni, yellow squash, basil and tomatoes were outstanding. The cucumbers dried up and died, despite my watering efforts. The bananna pepper gave me ONE pepper.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33993

Start a compost pile with organic material. Use grass clippings, leaves, manure.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=34203&p=1

And how precious to have little children helping you! I am 57 years old and one of my earliest memories is toddling behind my Daddy in his garden. You are making memories your children will treasure forever. They get to play in the dirt and help Mommy. Teach them how to grow their own food, it will be a learning experience for you too!

My garden is in beds between the sidewalk and driveway in the front yard because that's the only place that gets sunshine. I plant 16 tomato plants in a 4'x6' bed. I prepare the soil and cover it with paper feed sacks. I cut a hole in the paper and plant the tomatoes. I planted the zuchinni and yellow squash real close together and they shaded out the weeds. Weeds are a pain, but unless you are trying to win the Beautiful Garden Prize, who cares? maybe for you, making the rows wide enough to push the lawnmower down would work better. There is no wrong way to garden, no one has all the answers and we all learn as we go.

Can you coop your chickens on your garden so they scratch the soil and turn it all winter? They are great compost makers. They will eat the weed seeds, insect larve that overwinters in the soil that would hatch out into moths that lay eggs that turn into the worms that EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!!

You have some good ideas such as planting in squares and mulching to keep out weeds. Keep up the good work. Plan now for spring and get your soil ready. Get all the organic material you can get your grubby, dirt crusted fingernails on. last years hay bales are good to spread over the garden if you can find them. Turn the chickens loose on the garden and they will roto-till the hay in for you plus eat the grass seeds.

Good luck and I wish you the best. Healthy food is a wonderful gift to provide for your family.

 

[so lucky]

Well, we're all pretty much trying to grow food and save money, so we're with you there! You might want to think about what crops give you the most bang for the buck, and what crops normally do well in your area. Then grow what grows well, and spend the grocery money on the other stuff. You may be too far north to grow good peppers; if so, don't devote too much of your space to them. (for instance) Lots of people don't have enough space for melons, or pumpkins, and choose to leave them alone.
The people who do square foot gardening swear by it, so that might be the way to go. I use straw for mulch in the garden, and have almost no problem with weeds. (I also use newspaper and/or cardboard under the straw, in the paths). This year has given even the most experienced gardeners problems, so don't judge your ability by this year's harvest. By using chicken litter, compost, grass clippings, leaves, and other free stuff, you can make good soil.
And ask lots of questions. Try to be specific, so you will get the answers you need. There are some great teachers on this forum, who are happy to help.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Ninny - you have received some good advice already in the previous posts. Like so lucky mentioned, this year has been very difficult for gardeners in many areas of the country. So keep on trying - you'll surprise yourself someday.

Since you don't have tons of disposable cash (who does?) you can usually get old cardboard boxes from stores to use for mulch to keep SOME of the weeds down.

We will soon be into fall and many folks like to decorate their front yards with pumpkins, gourds, and bails of straw. Knock on doors to see if you can have their straw when they are finished with them.

By all means start a compost pile, or bin, or crib. Just about all waste from your kitchen with the exception of animal waste can go on your compost pile. Newspaper, magazines, paper towels, eggshells, coffee grounds, old bread are a few things that folks sometimes forget to put in the compost. Of course you will put all vegetable mater as well as sticks, leaves (green and dry), grass, etc. in there too. Toss a few shovels of your garden soil on top of the pile about once a week. The soil contains lots of good bacteria and organisms to assist in making good compost. Try to keep seeds out. Don't be anal about keeping animal products out as a little from time to time does not hurt anything. In fact, I know some folks who put dead farm animals in their compost with great success. The only thing you will want to consider when it comes to animal mater is critter attraction and odors. If you choose to have a closed compost bin dogs and other critters can be kept out and if your compost is out in the south forty odor is usually not a problem.

Don't be afraid to till mulch into your garden soil. The big chunks will not allow the clay in the soil to form "concrete" after a rainfall and also allows the roots of your plants to get the needed water and oxygen. Sometimes lots of mulch tilled into the garden soil will increase the acidity to a point where a little agricultural lime is necessary but it's usually no big deal. Lime comes in 50# bags and is fairly inexpensive and easy to apply. For a small garden you could apply by hand to about 1/4" deep and till it in in the spring. Sand and very small gravel is very good in the garden. Vermiculite and Perilite (available at the garden stores) are excellent soil amendments but they cost money. I wish I could put 8" of either on my garden and till it in. It is great stuff if enough is applied. Lots of gardeners think that their soil should be like powder when they plant their seeds but that's just not the case. Powdery (or very fine) soil will not allow the soil to soak up the precious water and soon turns into a hard pack that nothing like to live in. Don't worry about chunks of soil or organic material - plants love it.

Select things that are known to grow in your area. If you live in northern Idaho don't plant banana trees. Get my drift?

Get weeds before they get you. Some weeds excrete a poison down at the root level that will hurt the good plants. And all weeds will compete with the good plants for nourishment.

Good luck and remember . . . amend that soil over and over again. Your garden will be happy.

 

[Jared77]

Smiles is right you've got some really solid suggestions so far. I agree a compost pile will be a HUGE help. I'd even take it a step further and get a small plastic bucket (like a quart or 3) and keep it under the sink. When you cook or bake you take anything that could go on the compost pile and toss it in there. Peels, stems, tops, cores, shells, stalks, or stuff that you didn't eat up in time etc all go in the bucket instead of the trash. Then run that stuff out to the compost pile when your done cooking or have a minute and the bucket goes back under the sink for next time. That way your not wasting anything and your adding to the pile. It might not be a huge amount each time you take it out, but think about the number of trips you make and it will add up fast.

When you have something that isn't doing well, don't hesitate to ask.

Something else to think about are look for alternatives to traditional garden staples. For example I grow Antohi Romanian Sweet Peppers instead of colored bells because here in zone 5 I have a really rough time getting bells to color up outside. Greens do fine for me but I just can't seem to get any reds or oranges consistently. And I'm in zone 5. I still grow green bells because they do fine for me, but to get any other color I rely on the Romanians. I've learned while I can grow a big beefsteak tomato I won't get enough of them ripe in time to justify the space the plant takes up. My season just isn't long enough so instead I grow slightly smaller slicing varieties so I get a lot more ripe tomatoes that way and use those for sandwiches.

Go to the farmers market and ask what varieties they are growing. What kind/variety of tomatoes are those? People love to talk about what they've got for sale, and then buy something because they shared their time and some insight with you. That's how I learned about the Antohi Romanian peppers. I bought some at the Farmers market after talking with one of the sellers there. I never would have known if I didn't ask and now my garden has them.

Every year I plant my staples that I know do well for me. And I always try to save a little space to try something different. Ill buy a couple of a variety in a 3" pot or a 4 cell pack I've never grown to see if they do well for me and if I like them. If I do Ill add them to the mix, if not I'm only out what I put into them. No big deal.

Last year it was Green Zebra and Lemon Boy tomatoes (I found both for 25 cents a plant in 3" pots so I bought a couple of each). With the Green Zebras I liked the flavor but I didn't like picking them they took a while to check each tomato to be sure it was ripe before harvesting. As far as the Lemon Boys go I love the flavor, the size, and how prolific they were so now they are a staple in my garden.

This year I bought 2 Black Krims and 2 Jet Stars. The Black Krims so far they look really good, and are VERY prolific. I'm dying to try them. I kept reading on here how everybody was doing back flips over them so I figured they had to be something special so this year its my turn to try them. The Jet Stars didn't produce like I thought they would but given the weather we've had I can't get too down on them. I may try again but so far the tomatoes I've gotten have not measured up from what I've read. Next year I don't know maybe something pink. Maybe it will be a new pepper (mini bell peppers anybody?) or a variety of squash, I don't know we'll see what catches my eye.

What I'm trying to say is don't be afraid to try something. Even if its a failure at least you know, but you could be surprised and find something you really like and does well for you. Besides when you have some different things like red, green, and yellow tomatoes not only does your fresh salsa look REALLY pretty, it also tastes better because its not just one variety of tomato that make it up. Sure I have hope for anything I put in but sometimes its just not in the cards.

Gardening is a process. Its not math. Where 2 +2 = 4. Because sometimes you don't get 2 you may have 1 + 1 or 1 + 2 and you don't have a good year. Maybe you may end up with 5 + 3 and you end up giving food away to the food bank and your family and friends. Live and learn, take what you get from one year, note what works and what didn't work. Don't just focus on your failures, look at the whole thing and take what works and do it again. What didn't work try something different and see if that helps. Either way just don't give up. Your efforts will pay off and when it does the sense of accomplishment will make it all worthwhile.

 

[lesa]

Great advice from all... Getting your soil in shape is going to make the biggest difference. Until you have good dirt- you will always have difficulty. As beautiful as your gardens look, I am surprised you are not getting more harvest. You've got chicken poop, which makes a huge difference- now you just need compost to loosen up your gardens. As your soil becomes better- you will be shocked at what you can grow. Happy Gardening!

Apparently I was dreaming that I had seen pics of your garden... Sorry.

 

[catjac1975]

Compost, compost, compost. I don't know anything about clay soils, but local experts can tell you what can be added. Would sand help break up the clay? To keep things low cost amend the soil over time. Instead of mixing compost into the whole garden, mix it into the individual planting holes for the time being. When we started our garden many years ago my husband would collect leaf bags along the side of the road from the poor fools that did not know they were throwing away gold. I now get truckloads of chopped leaves delivered in the fall from a landscaper. My husband just left to get a load of manure from a horse barn. He takes their cart, empties it in a pile for now, empties it in the garden come fall. If your worried about the odor wait until cold weather, or spread powdered lime over the top of it to kill the smell.

 

[catjac1975]

Oh , and don't give up. Things will improve over time.

 

[Smart Red]

Right on -- what everyone else said! And did someone mention COMPOST? Give compost to your garden like you give love to your family. It's hard to give too much! That's love or COMPOST.

One trick that wasn't mentioned - unless I didn't read carefully and that happens - is to plant some daikon radishes. These radishes grow long, deep roots that will help to break up clay and deadpan soils. Plant some for the fall and let them stay to rot away in the garden. Plant them between fall, spring, and summer veggies and just cut the tops off when they start to bolt. Their roots will bring up nutrients from deep in the ground and will allow humus to fill the spaces they leave. Gradually, they can work wonders in improving the soil - cheap and easy, no?

Best of luck with your gardening adventures. We were all there at the beginning at one time or another.

 

[digitS']

You can kill weeds with a tiller. It just takes persistence. Timing is important - for everything having to do with gardening.

The idea is that you give the weeds a chance to start then disrupt their plans. Every time you do that, they lose strength until they can't come back. That's if they are perennial weeds. Annual weed seed will germinate and is easy to kill when it is tiny. A thorough raking at the right time will take those seedlings out and if you don't go too deep with your rake, no new seeds will have a chance to see the light of day thru season. Timing . . . wait too late and hoeing them out becomes more difficult.

Waiting may make sense: That is, waiting to sow vegetable seeds. You may want to plan your gardening schedule based on how weedy the ground is in various beds. Where there will be few weeds, that may be a good place for your spring garden. Where you will need to cultivate multiple times, that may be where you will want to put summer things. Transplants are usually best - so that you can see where things are and cultivate around the little veggie plants. You won't have to try to separate veggie seedlings from weed seedlings.

You can also sow cheap seed for something like sunflowers and allow them to grow a nice cover -- then till them and the weeds into the ground. THAT will add organic matter to your soil just as adding compost does, something like Linn Bee's radishes. Sunflowers would be a "summer cover crop" but you could still use that ground. For example, the tilling could be done in June and sweet corn could be grown on that ground.

Yes, consider your growing spaces and make separate plans based on conditions and what plants you would like to grow. You can work around your desires & problems just like you can plant and cover up your problems with mulch. It is important to - stay with it - and work your soil into good condition. You have a very big excuse for letting things get away from you this year: Congratulations on the Baby!

Steve