No gardening experience... could use some input...

[RevJammer]

Hey all,

The only real gardening experience I have is from when I was a kid, grandpa would take us out to pick beans and corn, and dig potatos. I have some space in the back yard and would like to make an attempt at beginning to grow some stuff.

I would like to start with something very simple. I have no idea where to start. No equipment or anything.

I am also in dire need to lose some weight so I figure if I start small and simple, gardening may blossom into an outdoor hobby that will help me be more active.

If you would like to contribute knowledge, you'll have to start from scratch and K.I.S.S. (keep it simple (I'm) stupid).

Thanks if advance.

RJ

[tomato204]

You're right, gardening is good exercise. Many beginners start with a few tomato plants bought locally.
My advice tho is to only plant what you like to eat. Seed catalogs and gardening departments are full of temptations, lol.

[DM]

I'd start by takeing a spade, and turning over a SMALL area that is well drained and in full sun, as soon as you can this spring, pulling the grass and roots out as you go. Keep it small, or the fun will be over very soon.

You can buy and spade in few bags of composted cow manure to supplement the soil...

Do you like tomatoes? Green beans? A few tomato plants are a good first plant to buy and grow... Beans are very easy seeds to plant and get to grow. Just try to pick something you like to eat, and stay small for the first year.

DM

[backlash]

Try to find someone locally that can give you advice.
Do any of your neighbors garden?
If they do I would talk to them.
We started out 2 years ago and we didn't do very well.
More tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini than we could give away but other than that it was poor.
I over fertilized the garden and a lot of things didn't grow.
This year we are going to scale back.
We'll still have tomatoes and zucchini but not in the same quantity.
I'm thinking about putting in raised beds.
I have more than enough garden space but I want to go smaller.
Way to much weeding last year.

I read somewhere that older people garden to keep from going to seed.
It is good exercise.

[Junie]

Rev, you've gotten good advice so far. Start small, with just a few plants. If you take good care of a couple of tomatoes, for instance, they will produce more than a dozen plants that were not taken care of. Also, if you get too gung-ho right off the bat, by mid-summer, if not sooner, it will be overwhelming, so plant less than you think you'll use the first year or two.

To start out, all you really need is a shovel and hoe. Turn over the area where you want the garden. Make sure it's someplace that gets at least 6 hours of sun per day. Chop up the clods with the hoe. It doesn't have to be perfect, just fine enough that the clods won't cut through the tender plants. Remove any rocks that are the size of an egg or bigger. If your soil is clay, consider adding compost to it. Work it in to a depth of about a foot.

For beginners, it's easier to put in plants than to start them from seed. Buy them from a reputable dealer. If you have Amish or Mennonites in your area, they are often good plant sources. If you plan on saving seed, look for plants that are either heirloom or open-pollinated and only grow one kind (so they don't cross).

Plant your plants according to instructions, keep them moist, but not wet, and keep the weeds out. Weeding is more important than most people let on. If they're tall plants, prone to falling over, stake them. I use forked branches, stuck in the ground, with strips of material (old socks, cut up) to tie them to the stake.

Check your plants daily for insects. If you have just a few, you can pick them off by hand and kill them. If there are too many, you might have to resort to other methods. Insects can do a lot of damage, so you need to stay on top of them.

Learn how to tell when the vegetables you're growing are ripe and that's about all you really need to know to grow a decent little garden.

[Pokeberry Mary]

The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the gardener..

that's an old proverb that basically means you really do need to go check on your plants often--daily or even more if possible.

Here in the south I do that in the morning and evening. This way nothing bad gets ahead of you and nothing good gets missed. ;)

[fredfl]

The first thing I did was to learn how to make compost as the land I was working had very little topsoil. Even if your land is productive at first it won't be long before you will need some kind of fertilizer. I used to make compost from horse manure and table scraps and leaves but I have also made it from just leaves and grass. Another way to accomplish same thing is to plant cover crops and turn them under. I've used winter rye,buckwheat and clover with success.

[NCLee]

In addition to the excellent advice already given.....

Check with your county extension service to see what they have to offer in terms of what's suitable to grow in your area. Sometimes people plant things that just won't grow well, if at all, based on their climate suituation.

And, you may want to check into their Master Gardener program, if available. Learning to be a "master" gardener will reap rewards in terms of how quickly you learn the how-to.

Spend some time in your local library, bookstores, and on line, learning the individual growing requirements for the plants that you choose to grow. Getting the itch and getting started too early, for the particular plant's needs, can often lead to failure. Some plants just can't handle having cold feet. While others, keel over when it's too hot. For example, peppers love the heat while green peas hate it.

Agree with the others, start small the first year. Especially if you don't plan to can, dehydrate, or freeze your crops for future use. However, if you do plan to preserve your harvest, study the yields of the plants you choose and try to plant enough to do that. In this case you may want to reduce the number of different types of plants and increase the quantity of those you do plant.

Finally, read as much as you can, about gardening from any available source(s). Especially now, while it's too early in much of the country to actually put seeds into the ground. The more you can learn about the concepts involved with soil improvement (based on your soil type), planting times, micro climates, fertilization (especially organic), garden layout for maximum yield, pest control, etc, the more successful you'll be in your first year.

Good luck with getting started and having a successful first year. And, please don't get discouraged if things don't go according to plan. Keep in mind they are part of the learning process and will make you a better gardener in the future.

Lee