Ready for Garden 2004 ?!?!?

[happyhomeschooler]

So, has anyone started planning for their gardens this year? We are going to do the square foot gardening again, each child will have a 4 x 4 plot. We "meant" to do a journal last year but it just didn't happen. This year we will plan earlier and do the journal.

[MrsManiac]

I am SO ready for spring so I can start planting! We do square foot gardening in raised beds--I swear by it! The only problem is the tomatoes--I have to keep pruning them back because they grow like crazy and get tangled in each other.

I've also ordered some more berry bushes and a few dwarf fruit trees. I planted strawberries and raspberries last year and the kids loved it. As far as veggies go, my neighbors were surprised to see their son sitting on the swings with a handful of fresh green beans in one hand and strawberries in the other. He just loves picking his own veggies. They live in an apt--so he's planning on helping us plant this year lol!! He's going to share the kids' garden(they get to plant whatever they want, but have to care for it).

It's strange looking at the snow piled up and planning my garden! I can't even see the beds under all the snow lol!!

[Irish Angel]

What should I be getting ready to do now??
I am not very experienced with gardening.
I have saved the cardboard type egg cartons. Can I make mini greenhouses to sprout plants?

I need HELP!!! lol

[luvsbirds]

YES!!!!
I cant wait to garden.
Hard to imagine as I look into the yard and see
snow, Snow snow.... But I am not complaining I have been enjoying the beauty of it all. I love the seasons.
We usually have a pretty good sized garden for canning and freezing.
We will see what this summer will bring.
We live in a different climate now, and different situations.
So this will be an adventure.
We are also renting as of now...
But the Landlady said that we could do whatever we wanted.
As of now the yard is solid dirt.
So we have alot to work with.

I love the raised bed gardening. Yes, the tomatoes love it.
Mine also went to town with their growth.

We have great wind here in Wyoming- hope that I am not confined to what I plant.
I hear wind shields around gardens are needed.
Still reading up on others experiences.
Thanks for sharing.
Excited to share ideas and experiences with others.
Melissa

[MrsManiac]

Cathy, you can definitely make mini greenhouses. You can put clear baggies over the egg cartons(you may have to trim the cartons), or put toothpicks in the dirt and put plastic wrap over the top. And, depending how much storage space you have, start tearing/shredding newspaper to use as mulch. It works really well and also will break down into the soil as the season progresses. It looks a bit odd at first, but turns into a neutral grayish color within a few days, especially after watering.

You may also want to start watching the sunlight in your yard to make sure your intended spot gets enough light. Also keep an eye out for critters--we had a raccoon that would trample our garden because it was in "his" path through our yard lol!!

Since you're new to gardening, read all you can about it. Then try to not go crazy with all the options you'll have! Make sure you have enough space to grow the things you want, or come up with a way to grow more in less space.(I'm always trying this one!!) For example, I grow pole beans instead of bush beans--I can fit 8 vines onto my string trellis, whereas I can only squeeze 4 bushes in the same spot. And I grow my tomatoes upside down in buckets hanging from a wooden ladder screwed onto a few 2x4's. Not only does this open up space in the veggie beds, I can also grow peppers in the tops of the buckets!

[LJsmom]

Now I'm really confused. Sounds like a great space saver, but I can't quite picture it. Doesn't the dirt fall out?

I have rebar pounded down through my tomato cages. Its the only thing I've found sturdy enough to keep them upright.

The Easter bunny brings seeds every year. DD#1 could care less, but #2 has a ball. When I can find them, I get the Kid Seeds. I think thats the name of them. They have funny names and pictures on them like Harry Carrot, Carl Cucumber, Ollie Onion etc. and boy do they grow good.

[MrsManiac]

Actually, I couldn't picture it, either! Basically, you cut a small hole in the bottom of a big bucket, fill the bucket with dirt, then place your plant in the hole in the bottom. Then you hang the bucket. The plant grows "upside-down" but will turn up a bit towards the sun. It's pretty cool, actually. I never would have thought of it myself lol!! Dh had an old wooden ladder that he screwed onto some 8-ft lengths of lumber and then buried two feet of them in the ground. You have to have something heavy-duty because the dirt gets heavy lol!! I get a kick out of the look on people's faces when they see my veggie garden--most of them think you can only plant in rows lol.


I don't buy seeds--I just can't seem to get anything to grow no matter what. I buy plants at our local greenhouse--I can get more than enough for less than $15. We have a very short growing season here in Michigan, so any head-start is a good start!

[Irish Angel]

I think I will do that. I have a floresent light in the basement.
I LOVE the idea about the seeds for Easter. Delia would love that! Thanks for the idea with the newspaper too!

Hugs!

[crystalk33]

This is the first year that I am going to have a garden. My kids are going to help me with it. They are thrilled! They are 10 and 7 so I hope they stick with it. They want their own little patches!

[Robin whittington]

I enjoy gardening with my kids. We do veggies,
fruits, herbs, flowers. We butterfly and hummer container
garden on the deck and we grow stuff for all the critters we have here.
A nice book to look at is Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots.
It's for kids and gardening.
Robin in NC
www.southerncomfortrefuge.co.nr