gardening help needed.

[Kilmer17]

okay folks, after mastering the art of tomatoes (not very difficult) Im ready to expand and start some serious veggie growing.

Any advice the masses can offer this novice are greatly appreciated.

I have an area about 10 feet by 20 feet, full sun for most of it, but the back corner has evening shade.

Im thinking about squash, cukes, peppers and maybe some lettuce.

Any thoughts?

[KingGibbs]

I don't know bud, but your wife probably favors the cucumbers.

[JohnLockesGhost]

okay folks, after mastering the art of tomatoes (not very difficult) Im ready to expand and start some serious veggie growing.

Any advice the masses can offer this novice are greatly appreciated.

I have an area about 10 feet by 20 feet, full sun for most of it, but the back corner has evening shade.

Im thinking about squash, cukes, peppers and maybe some lettuce.

Any thoughts?

Squash and cucumbers are easy enough. Just know that it's best to thin the plot as they come up so they don't choke each other. Don't let them grow too big either because they'll just get all seedy. Pick them while they're still a light yellow or green.

Peppers are tricky. They are really sensitive to cold and often the yield is much less per unit of work you invest. But they're cool to see grow.

[Ax]

Squash & cucumbers can take up a lot of space because of the vines having to spread out. There are some squash/zuccinni varieties that will do ok on a trellis to save space. Don't have a name, but I'm thinking about doing some myself in the spring.

You could consider some blueberry bushes as well. There kind of easy.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Get Chom, he grows all sorts of wacky ****

[Zguy28]

You don't have enough space for cucumbers, unless you use a tower and let them grow up it.

I grow tomatoes, squash/zucchini, and cucumbers. I'm also trying potatoes this year.

What kind of soil do you have? Acidic? Sandy or Clay?

Make sure you fertilize it early, like late February or early March, if you can work the ground, or else it will burn up your plants.

Peppers are good investment if you can get them to yield a lot, since they can be pricey at the market.

[KingGibbs]

I agree with Zguy and his recommendation on peppers. I grow my own and my fav's are habenero's which take up very little space.

[Mark The Homer]

Asparagus is one of our faves, but they take about 3 years to get going.

[Kilmer17]

I have sandy florida soil. Last year I tried 4 or 5 squash plants and they grew to about 4 inches per veggie then shrivvelled up and died all at once.

I will be planting my tomatoes next weekend, Im tilling and fertilizing this weekend. Will that be enough time to wqait to plant the rest?

Remember, it's South Florida. It's 80 here.

[JohnLockesGhost]

Hell, just grow some oranges.

[Zguy28]

I have sandy florida soil. Last year I tried 4 or 5 squash plants and they grew to about 4 inches per veggie then shrivvelled up and died all at once.

I will be planting my tomatoes next weekend, Im tilling and fertilizing this weekend. Will that be enough time to wqait to plant the rest?

Remember, it's South Florida. It's 80 here.

You should have no problem growing peppers then. I recommend Burpees California Wonder and Anchos (Poblano). Also they have hot peppers too.

http://www.burpee.com/jump.jsp?itemType=GATEWAY&itemID=13

I get some of my stuff from the local Amish. Be careful if you fertilize like I said, don't get too close to the plant or you'll torch it.

[KingGibbs]

I have sandy florida soil. Last year I tried 4 or 5 squash plants and they grew to about 4 inches per veggie then shrivvelled up and died all at once.

I will be planting my tomatoes next weekend, Im tilling and fertilizing this weekend. Will that be enough time to wqait to plant the rest?

Remember, it's South Florida. It's 80 here.

Speaking of tomatoes. I just had some imported from Canada and they are the best I've ever had and the wife agrees.

[Mr. S]

chili's are very easy to grow, and we have had good luck with bell peppers as well. Tomatos just grow wild for us.

Start early for Cucumbers. We foolishly planted ours in June, it took them until August to actually start growing and getting flowers. By then, it was basically september and too late. They suddenly just blossomed in August for whatever reason, then it got randomly cold.

[Zguy28]

chili's are very easy to grow, and we have had good luck with bell peppers as well. Tomatos just grow wild for us.

Start early for Cucumbers. We foolishly planted ours in June, it took them until August to actually start growing and getting flowers. By then, it was basically september and too late. They suddenly just blossomed in August for whatever reason, then it got randomly cold.

In the DC area, plants should be transplanted generally in the beginning of May. Seeds should be started indoors around mid/late March. Some plants like cucumbers or squash can be sown directly around early April, unless its a long winter.

Make sure you pick those suckers young though and they'll keep producing all summer.

And if your thinking about Pumpkins for fall, plant them in July. :2cents:

[Zguy28]

What do you guys use for fertilizer?

I going to use alpaca manure for the first time this year. Previously I've used store bought.

I've also used Ora-Grow added to my soil, which is an organic mulch-type material from Meadow Farms nursery. Expensive though, about $60 a truck load.

[Tarhog]

okay folks, after mastering the art of tomatoes (not very difficult) Im ready to expand and start some serious veggie growing.

Any advice the masses can offer this novice are greatly appreciated.

I have an area about 10 feet by 20 feet, full sun for most of it, but the back corner has evening shade.

Im thinking about squash, cukes, peppers and maybe some lettuce.

Any thoughts?

In the back of your space plant two 10' tall posts and spread a nylon gardening net between them. You can grow cucumbers and they'll grow straight up the thing. Ditto pole beans (I used to grow a burgundy type so the beans are easier to spot when they're ready - they turn green when cooked). Squash is going to take over a space that small, not worth it IMHO. Grow some hot peppers or eggplant instead. Okra grows straight up and you can get quite a bit from a few plants if you keep picking it. If you mulch with a foot or more of straw or hay, you can grow potatoes under your other plants (you don't bury the eyes, just lay them on top of the ground and mulch over them).

I used to have a huge garden, but gave up my prime space for a dog pen. Man, I really miss it. I grew everything from seed. This was an exciting time of the year as I'd be deciding what to grow.

Bottom line, with limited space, grow 'up'. You can get a lot out of a small space with trellis netting, using bamboo to make a tripod, etc...

[Tarhog]

I have sandy florida soil. Last year I tried 4 or 5 squash plants and they grew to about 4 inches per veggie then shrivvelled up and died all at once.

I will be planting my tomatoes next weekend, Im tilling and fertilizing this weekend. Will that be enough time to wqait to plant the rest?

Remember, it's South Florida. It's 80 here.

Depending on where you live, believe it or not, squash can be hard to grow. Theres a little **** bug called a squash vine borer that grows inside the stems and can kill your plants overnight. Unless you just happen to live in an area where they're not common, they're almost impossible to get rid of. Where I live, squash was hardly worth the effort.

Peppers and eggplant are extremely EASY to grow, not difficult at all. Unlike tomatoes though (which are more forgiving when people invariably plant too early - and where I live, anything before 15 April was too early), you really need to wait till the soil is good and consistently warm before planting peppers or eggplant. Flea beetles will eat them alive until it gets good and warm at which point they go away. Its easy to spot flea beetle damage, as the leaves will look like someones shot at them with a tiny shotgun.

[RLeVan]

On the topic of fertilizer, start a compost pile. This will save you a ton of money in the winter when you would normally go out an buy manure to till into your garden. Just let it be a pile next to the garden. Another trick, after the growing season and you've tilled the soil, plant clover in your garden. It's the poor mans fertilizer, enriches the soil with nitrogen with no risk of burning the new years veggies.

[Blighty Skins]

I don't know bud, but your wife probably favors the cucumbers.

:laugh:

Excellent!

[Zguy28]

Depending on where you live, believe it or not, squash can be hard to grow. Theres a little **** bug called a squash vine borer that grows inside the stems and can kill your plants overnight. Unless you just happen to live in an area where they're not common, they're almost impossible to get rid of. Where I live, squash was hardly worth the effort.

Peppers and eggplant are extremely EASY to grow, not difficult at all. Unlike tomatoes though (which are more forgiving when people invariably plant too early - and where I live, anything before 15 April was too early), you really need to wait till the soil is good and consistently warm before planting peppers or eggplant. Flea beetles will eat them alive until it gets good and warm at which point they go away. Its easy to spot flea beetle damage, as the leaves will look like someones shot at them with a tiny shotgun.

That's good to know. That's what happened to my Bell's last year.

Here in SoMD, the cabbage worms are brutal to Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, as I found out 2 years ago. They eat the leaves right off. I was forced to use Sevin

[CrabR]

okay folks, after mastering the art of tomatoes (not very difficult) Im ready to expand and start some serious veggie growing.

I used to run cukes on fence i made out of chicken wire, it was easy and saved space

[chomerics]

Nice, some good gardening talk

Kilmer, do you know the acidity of the soil? You should test it (a kit is like $10) and it will definitely help your yield. You can add different things to change the acidity of the soil, but I wouldn't mess around with it too much, I would just try to use what you have.

[Skinsfan1311]

All joking aside, the book "Gardening for Dummies" is an excellent resource.

[Insomniac]

I have sandy florida soil. Last year I tried 4 or 5 squash plants and they grew to about 4 inches per veggie then shrivvelled up and died all at once.

I will be planting my tomatoes next weekend, Im tilling and fertilizing this weekend. Will that be enough time to wqait to plant the rest?

Remember, it's South Florida. It's 80 here.

radishes, onions, garlic, and beets would all do good there, and all are easy as **** to grow.