Getting a garden started

One book that I have found at my library that is very good is Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener, you can find it at Amazon.com for a penny used, up to $25.00 brand new.  It has really helped me better understand gardening, especially orangic ways.  Another good book, purely for information and a good read is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barabra Kingsolver, I usually read it this time of year.  One seed site that is just plain awesome is Seed Savers Exchange, the site is http://www.seedsavers.org, I just love looking through their catalog with all of the heirloom seeds, I wish I could plant every single thing.  Start out small, we will be planting corn, green beans, tomatoes- slicing and paste, plus strawberrie.  Each one we use throughout the year and will be able to either freeze or can.

Beth

Lindsey – How is your garden?  Did you do a raised bed garden? 

I don’t know much about gardening, but I plan to start one next spring.  I have this year to read up about it and make plans.   The land I have for gardening is an estimated 15 feet by 50 feet.  It is what we call “the bottoms” as our land is not level and there is standing water there all spring.  So I am not sure how suitable it is for which vegetables.  Raised bed sounds nice, but sounds expensive for that much land.  Although I would like to eat healthier, my primary reasons for gardening is to save money on groceries and for the kids to help with and learn about.  So I need to keep my costs down.  I will check into some of the books.  Did you find any others resources you recommend?  Any tips?

I would also like to plant some fruit trees and berries.

So sorry to hear that, Lindsey.  We got your rain, and I regret that I did not start a garden this year even though I have not read up on it or made a plan.  I trust you will try it again next year. 

@sue_mom23-do you know your zone? For NE Ohio, from waht I can see on the zone map, your zone 5; I just don’t knw whether a or b (zone 6 starts in more southernly Ohio):http://www.garden.org/zipzone/index.php?img=neusa

Here’s a zone 5 and 6 planting schedule. There are things you can palnt for Fall and/or winter; esp. if you can use cold frames or other protective measures. This schedule uses N.Missouri as a mid point, so you’d probably be 2 wks. soooner in the fall (it depends upon your first frost date):

http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/resources/planting-schedules/zones-5-6-planting-schedule

Eliot COleman’s books teach about growing food in the Winter; you may find them at your library:

Four Season HArvest: Organic Vegetables from your HOme GArden All Year Long

and

The Winter HArvest HAndbook: Year ROund Vegetable PRoduction Using Deep Organic Techniques and UNheated Greenhouses

@Sarah-start preparing your soil now for spring time. Plant any fruit trees now. My favorite soource for fruit trees is a farm in Arkansas. If you want the info on them, I can dig it up.

I grow for many purposes: good stewardship, self-sufficiency, knowing what kind of food we are eating, teaching my children hrad work and responsibilty, experiencing the satisfaction of growing; but ultimately it must save us money as my husband is disabled and that’s what we live on.

Rachel

I completely agree. I actually prefer a Fall/winter garden over a spring one. The plants that aren’t completley harvested will go dormant and then reappear in the spring without the extra work (at least here, zone 7, they should in TX, too) and the best part is you don’t have the bug problems that you have in the spring.

Rachel

Here in SW Illinois, we had too much rain and that did a lot of damage to our vegetable garden – the flowers did great, but the vegetables got waterlogged too early and then the humidity kicked in and so it has not been a good year here for us either. We have a community garden at a farm we go to, and that has been badly affected by the weather especially all the rain in the spring. The only people who I have seen have success this year in my area are those who planted in pots, and their stuff just did great. I think next year I will try pots and raised beds and mix it up. It is so disappointing when this happens, but for all of us novices it is hard to know what to do when the weather is so brutal and changeable. Keep on trying is my motto, and I too will be planting fall/winter crops to see what happens with those. If we could just balance out the sun and rain amongst us all, we would have great gardens. Lindsey, sorry about your garden, the draught has been dreadful for all of you guys and your hubby worked so hard – still keep moving forward and one day we will all have success. Linda

Preparing soil-

determining where you want to plant what

do soil tests if you want

apply amendments-lime, compost, wood ash, etc, what’s needed in your area to give you a balanced soil

a legume cover crop if you need to loosen the soil and add in nitrogen

I’d recommend checking in with your local extension office to inquire about your soil type, if you don’t already know, and read up on ways to prepare your soil with the appropriate organic amendments for the crops you want to raise. Being in Ga. with our clay soil, preparing the soil is of vital importance.

As for planting fruit trees, I think it depends on what zone you live in. Here in Zone 7, planting in the fall works really well because it allows the palnt to get in some strong roots, then come spring, the tree is almost a whole season ahead. Plus, our springs can be rough with fungus and such. When planting strawberries in the fall, in springtime, they think they’ve been in the ground a whole year already adn you get a harvest; wheras if palnted in spring, you have to wait.

Happy researching!

Rachel