Posted: 4/5/2009 7:09:35 AM EDT
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I want to grow some stuff - tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, ?????
When should I start? If I'm going to buy one book on this subject, which one should it be? Thanks for the help. |
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I'm starting my first garden as an adult this year...
I found these two sites (possibly here); when used together you can find out when to start what. Find when your first and last frost dates are: http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/pa.html (set to PA for you) Find when to start plants from that frost date (some get sown indoors and transplanted - others get sown outside) http://www.chestnut-sw.com/growform.htm Like I said, first time for me, and I did not find these resources early enough to get stuff started inside on time, but we'll see how it goes. |
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where in PA are you? Just today I planted my FIRST garden. Check our Square Foot Gardening. +1 Mel Bartholomew has many vegetables laid out in his method with very well laid out, easy diagrams as to when to put stuff out or start from seed according to last frosts and for continual harvests.This section in the book is great general knowledge for a lot of varieties for any type of garden you make. I've been using the SFG method for over 15 years. Give this a try. |
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http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Mel-Bartholomew/dp/0878573410 http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DRN7W6AML._SS500_.jpg I think that's the "old" version which was replaced by the "new" SFG which I am following. See Here |
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Quoted:
I want to grow some stuff - tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, ????? When should I start? If I'm going to buy one book on this subject, which one should it be? Thanks for the help. My potatoes are already coming up. Had to cover them to keep the from getting frozen last night though. For us here in TN second week in April is the earliest to plant outside. That doesn't mean you can't start them inside. Our peppers and tomatoes have done nicely on the kitchen counter where it's always warm and sunny. So far we have 7 varieties of tomatos, 8 of peppers, egg plants, carrots, garlic, camomile, evening primrose, catnip, rupturwort, bee balm and a few other things. Some will get transplanted some won't, like the garlic. |
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Square Foot Gardening (you'll need to get it from Amazon or used quite likely), or the NEW Square Foot Gardening, which is SFG in raised beds. Depends on which you'd like to do. Like others have said, buy the book. It's the best investment you can make in gardening. Kitties |
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Instead of buying a book, I'd start w/ your state's extension service. Not sure which college in PA this is, but in IN it's the Purdue Extension. They'll have a LOT of stuff that's specific to your area, and FREE.
-Slice |
I'm just above the border on PA and NY. I started my 'maters about a month ago and I just moved them from the starter cells to Pint cups a couple days ago. I know there's a month till I get them to ground, but it gives me something to do with all my ( ) free time...Also started red bell peppers and hot peppers at the same time. I have 1.5 inch plants right now. My sugar baby watermelons are just coming thru the soil this morning from a planting a week ago. It's now time for me to start turning the soil and adding some amendments like compost, manure and maybe a bit of peat(I have very clay heavy soil here). Last year I added about 100 lbs of Alpaca Poo to my small (15 x 15) plot and my tomatos went nuts! Am I on to something here? Good luck with yours! |
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OK, we're into our second year with SFG... have doubled the boxes from 4 to 9 and am mulching, fencing (for a herd of deer that come by twice a day to graze), and tilling the soil, adding manure, vermiculite, loam and looking at fertilizers. Sort of late because it's Michigan and we had a blizzard just a week or so ago....
Couple of questions for the hivemind.... How to care for a peach tree? Yes, a scraggly old tree growing apart in a flower bed bloomed last year and produced 3 small peaches to our shock and amazement. It's still small (about 4') but we want to care for it this time around. What's the fertilizer for Peach trees? Asparagus. Take up alot of space in the SFG, anyone have any tricks to grow them better? Green houses made of plastic tubing and plastic sheets.... anyone have one? How about a starter box with glass? (I have two old glass doors I'm thinking about building into the 'roof' of a 'starter box'.... again, since it's Michigan there are seedlings I'd like to start early next year but can't keep indoors. |
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That. |
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I know planting things in the northern parts is different for you guys but, Most of us here in my area. Of Louisiana wait till The day after Easter since for some weird reason Easter morning we have our last frost.. So far I've got half of my peas sweet corn and beans planted. Still got another half acre to go with other stuff. You should be able to get farming info on your area from your local Department of agriculture extension. I recommend getting the heirloom seed which you might have to order from one the companies mentioned. As you can save some of the seeds from your harvest for next years crop. Saves you some money for next year. As seed does add up.
If your going to do a small garden you might want to consider what I do on smaller gardens. Instead of killing the grass and then tilling. Take a shovel and dig down and flip the dirt over. This will causes the grass to die. Along with turning it into natural fertilizer. After you flip it wait about 2 days or so I usually wait about a week and disc or till. to insure that the grass has died. It's alot of work but it works good luck on your first garden. Now get out there and get after it. P.S. Burpee's Has a good book on plants, but it covers flowers also. they sell good seed also. |
| If you are wanting heirloom seeds try this company baker creek heirloom. They are Missouri Company with a great reputation. |