Plantin' stuff

[SoMissTV]

So I'm toying with the idea of planting some stuff that I could later eat, but I have no clue where even to begin.

Anyone got some suggestions?

[rollinthunder]

Back in the day...the garden's we worked fed whole families. The last one we worked fed 3 families...and that was work. Now though...Hummingbird and I do it just to be able to eat something we grew. No rows and rows of stuff to harvest and preserve. I piddle around with plants that are kinda easy to maintain....peppers...tomatoes...and I want to plant some greens now. I by no means have a green thumb...but I really like harvesting from a plant that I put in the ground and watched grow. I have no expert tips on what to begin with...especially this time of year....but green's come to mind...and I'm sure we have someone here to help us with those decisions......don't we HAWK...

[Hawkeye]

Yeah we do. SoMiss, you have to have a sunny location with decent soil, and you have to be willing to break a sweat. For specific plant nutrient needs (ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash) google the plant you're trying to grow. You will also prolly have to amend soil to desired Ph level. Gardening websites abound.

It's getting close to time for planting winter greens and its already time to prepare a plot for them.

Whatever you do, start small. If you don't like mustard greens and smoked neck bone, don't waste your time. You may just want to start with container or raised bed growing a little Mesclun.

Good luck and happy eating.

BTW: I saw yellow squash was $1.28 p/lb in Walmart recently. I must have harvested about $10,000 worth off about 21 plants this summer.

[PeachyKeen]

Hawkeye...when do we plant the greens? We're gonna till over our spot this weekend and get the soil ready. But I wasn't sure when to plant.

[carsalesguy]

Yeah we do. SoMiss, you have to have a sunny location with decent soil, and you have to be willing to break a sweat.

yup, that just killed it right there. :D

[Hawkeye]

Plant just a few at weekly intervals this month and next. You can't count on our weather these days. We could have a frost in October and/or be 100 degrees in December. Just shotgun it.

[SoMissTV]

Sounds like I'm gonna have to come spend a couple of hours with you one of these days, Hawk, so you can teach me some stuff.

[Guru]

Like Hawkeye said, start small until you get the feel for it. Have something successful under your belt so you don't give yourself a sour taste for the art.

Here is something you might try:

Act I:
Go to the Farm Supply on Highway 98 West and tell them you want to look at the long oval plastic water troughs.
They will be about 2' or so tall, about 8' long and about 3' across.
You can put topsoil mixed with peat moss and potting soil in there and have yourself a nice little place to grow some basic things in small quantities. These will be things like pepper, okra, tomatos, etc.
It's easy to do a small in town garden like that and you can move it to a part of your back yard that is fenced in and catches good Sun most of the day.

or

Act II:
Find that part of your back yard that catches good Sun.
Measure off a strip about 30' long and about 4' wide.
Go shopping for a rear tine counter rotating tiller.
You can find a good one for a decent price without getting crazy.
Mow the grass low, then pick up some Eliminator at Walmart and spray the grass in this area to kill it all the way down to the roots.
Use a water hose to lay out the boundary for your garden before spraying and do the spraying on a day when there is not a lot of wind. Hold the sprayer down low so you don't over-spray onto other grass in the yard.

Put the tiller depth to about medium, it has a way of putting a peg in depth holes.
Till up the ground, make several passes to cut up the grass and tear it from the soil.
Rake all the grass debris up, get it out of your garden.
Set the tiller depth a little deeper and eventually with enough passes work it on down to max depth.

For the first year, your entry, just go for one row of plants.
Pick some things you want to try. Go for some of the things mentioned above, maybe throw in some Eggplant or Squash and a few field peas and bush butter beans or whatever strikes your fancy.

Mix in some decent peat moss and some cheap potting soil and cut it in with your tiller.
Put your plants out about 3' apart.
Stake the tomatos so they don't fall over.
If you use a bagger with your lawnmower, use the cuttings to mulch around your plants.
This will help them hold the water in without it evaporating too fast and will also help you keep the grass out by blocking the sunshine from the soil.

Pick up some simple Osmocote time release fertilizer from Lowes. There is all kinds, buy the one for gardening plants.
This is your first shot so keep this all fairly simple. You will make up all kinds of ways and fertilizers and self-invented and borrowed techniques as you go along.

Don't over water.
Don't under water.
Use the finger test on your plants: If you can stick your finger in the soil and the soil sticks moistly to your finger then you don't need to water that day but when you do water make sure you water deeply enough to get below the roots.

To be farmer-fun you may even want to try some late sweet corn.
Something to remember about herbicides and corn.
Herbicides that won't kill anything but grass will kill corn.
Corn is a member of the grass family.
If you have to use some herbicide buy some "Post" for around your garden and use it sparingly, only getting it on the small grass that tries to infringe on your garden from the sides. Use a good Hoe that you will buy and sharpen first. Buy a coarse file about a foot or so long so you don't cut your fingers while sharpening it.

Welcome to the world of farming/gardening. You and your wife are going to really enjoy this. The personal rewards more than make up for a little sweat.