I just bought my first house and I really want to have a vegetable garden. I’ve bought tomato, cherry tomato, green pepper, brocolli, squash, zuchinni, watermelon, green beans, carrots and corn. Am considering sweet potato. I’ve read the packages and have started indoors those that the package suggested to. I put them in a flat, and once sproated I transfered them into those little pots you can plant ouside. I’ve also had a compost pile going for 6 monthes. I’ve read some articles, so I think I sort of know what to do, but I would love any advice, pointers, and lessons learned from any experienced gardeners.
thank you!
Good point-I live in Oklahoma. My last frost date is March 25th.
You don’t say where you live, so I’ll start by saying you need to pay attention to your "last frost" date. I’m in zone 5, and it’s May 15th here.
You will want to wait to plant most of those things until your last frost date.
Broccoli, you’ll want to put in 6-8 weeks before the last frost….it’s likes cool weather. I usually start seeds around now, and plant them out about the third week of March. Once really hot weather arrives in late June, they don’t do so well. Then I start more seeds in mid-July, and plant outside in mid-August. The second crop really takes off as the cool fall weather comes, and they can take light frosts.
The tomatoes and peppers, I’ll plant "starts" (the young plants) about a week before the last frost date. Zuccini, watermelon, green beans, corn and squash – I plant the seeds directly into the ground around the last frost date. Carrots you can direct-seed into the ground 4-6 weeks before the last frost. They’re fairly tough critters…they take a long time to germinate though. (and they don’t like to be transplanted – I don’t recommend starting them inside)
Most of those things are going to want full sun. Beans and broccoli will do fine with half day sun (broccoli actually does better with 3-4 hours of sun for me – helps them live longer into the heat of summer)
Biggest "newbie" mistake is planting things TOO CLOSE TOGETHER! Those cute little tomato and pepper plants look just fine about a foot apart when you plant them….but they get BIG! 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart! Really!! Trust me! The zuccinni…three seeds per hill….and imagine a plant that is 4-5 feet across. The watermelon will travel…the vine will crawl about 20 feet! It needs ROOM!! If you actually get small watermelons, slip a flat rock under the fruit to lift it off the soil. You avoid soil-borne rot troubles that way.
Sweet potato needs a LONG growing season – and it likes it hot. If you are Zone6 or more northerly, consider covering your sweetpotato hill with black plastic for the few weeks before you plant to help warm the soil up.
Any seeds started indoors I try to do only 3-4 weeks ahead of planting them out. Also – you need to "harden off" the seedlings. Take them outside when you’re a week away from planting out, put them in full sun for 2-3 hours, increasing the time each day, and bringing them in at night if the nights are still cool. It lessens the shock on them.
——————————–
Okay – if your last frost date is in March – you’ll have NO trouble with sweet potatoes. I wouldn’t bother "pre-warming" the soil.
The broccoli, on the otherhand….if you can choose a shadier spot for them, I’d try 2-4 hours of sun a day. Otherwise, they’re going to just get too hot, and they aren’t going to produce well. if you haven’t sown all your broccoli seeds, I’d save some, and start them inside in august, planting them out in mid-late September> you should have good broccoli crops coming in November and into December.
You don’t say where you live, so I’ll start by saying you need to pay attention to your "last frost" date. I’m in zone 5, and it’s May 15th here.
You will want to wait to plant most of those things until your last frost date.
Broccoli, you’ll want to put in 6-8 weeks before the last frost….it’s likes cool weather. I usually start seeds around now, and plant them out about the third week of March. Once really hot weather arrives in late June, they don’t do so well. Then I start more seeds in mid-July, and plant outside in mid-August. The second crop really takes off as the cool fall weather comes, and they can take light frosts.
The tomatoes and peppers, I’ll plant "starts" (the young plants) about a week before the last frost date. Zuccini, watermelon, green beans, corn and squash – I plant the seeds directly into the ground around the last frost date. Carrots you can direct-seed into the ground 4-6 weeks before the last frost. They’re fairly tough critters…they take a long time to germinate though. (and they don’t like to be transplanted – I don’t recommend starting them inside)
Most of those things are going to want full sun. Beans and broccoli will do fine with half day sun (broccoli actually does better with 3-4 hours of sun for me – helps them live longer into the heat of summer)
Biggest "newbie" mistake is planting things TOO CLOSE TOGETHER! Those cute little tomato and pepper plants look just fine about a foot apart when you plant them….but they get BIG! 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart! Really!! Trust me! The zuccinni…three seeds per hill….and imagine a plant that is 4-5 feet across. The watermelon will travel…the vine will crawl about 20 feet! It needs ROOM!! If you actually get small watermelons, slip a flat rock under the fruit to lift it off the soil. You avoid soil-borne rot troubles that way.
Sweet potato needs a LONG growing season – and it likes it hot. If you are Zone6 or more northerly, consider covering your sweetpotato hill with black plastic for the few weeks before you plant to help warm the soil up.
Any seeds started indoors I try to do only 3-4 weeks ahead of planting them out. Also – you need to "harden off" the seedlings. Take them outside when you’re a week away from planting out, put them in full sun for 2-3 hours, increasing the time each day, and bringing them in at night if the nights are still cool. It lessens the shock on them.
——————————–
Okay – if your last frost date is in March – you’ll have NO trouble with sweet potatoes. I wouldn’t bother "pre-warming" the soil.
The broccoli, on the otherhand….if you can choose a shadier spot for them, I’d try 2-4 hours of sun a day. Otherwise, they’re going to just get too hot, and they aren’t going to produce well. if you haven’t sown all your broccoli seeds, I’d save some, and start them inside in august, planting them out in mid-late September> you should have good broccoli crops coming in November and into December.
References :
Remember that you need all day sun…..and water, water, water.
Go to this link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_12174_start-vegetable-seeds.html
References :
Hi:
You can actually start to prepare the ground in March. Make sure you properly prepare the soil. If you have a large enough area, till the area. The more you til the soil, the better it is for your vegetables. Add some of your compost in at this time. You can actually prepare the soil a head of time before planting. Rake out the area and make sure each of your plant specimens are placed properly. This will ensure their healthy growth and good development of their root systems.
I would wait until after the last frost date and also make sure your ground temperature is warm enough for the vegetables to survive and grow. This is very important for any plant specimen. Add some pine straw to help hold the moisture in.
Sounds like you have a good start to your plants and another option for you is to think about adding a little variety to your garden with some herbs and annual or perennial flowers. This creates a great look and you can use the herbs in culinary dishes.
I will link you to the garden project section as there is a page on a vegetable, herb, and flower garden. I will also link you to the plan – prep – plant page as this a good overall method for doing any type of garden. I will also link you to the site map as this page has everything that is on the website. Browse through and see if you can find any other information that would be helpful to you. Good luck and have a great day!
Kimberly
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Vegetable.html
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/plan.html
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html
References :
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Vegetable.html
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/plan.html
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html
are you battling that okie clay?
contact the Ag extension or OSU for gardening in Oklahoma tips they are great.
they key is going to be adding as much organic matter as you can to the soil.
composted longhorn manure should be available at Lowes, Home Depot, or if you are near OKC go to Precures- at Reno and Council. or at a TLC—great resources.
You will need to give the plants as much light as possible and as soon as the days are a little warmer (above 48 during the day) you can put them out to during the day to toughen them up.
Get a soaker hose, don’t work in the soil if it is muddy.
Cotton burr mulch is pretty good for holding the moisture in when it gets really hot.
Osmocote makes fertilizing easy.
Consider doing raised beds.
….have fun gardening in Oklahoma!
sweet 100′s tomatos best ones i ever grew were grown there.
References :
fluffy