Thread: First time Garderner

I have looked for books on gardening, but they didn't really help any. But I will look for it. Thanks!

best to get them started in a container first. Keep inside until they sprout. then put out side til they are big enough to put in ground. keep out of frost and dont let them dry out.

Hi everyone! I ran across this thread, and although it's old, it's that time of year again and I thought some information may help out those of you who want to put a garden in this year. The answer to Cheyenne's question depends on how early she wants to get the garden going. Seeds can be started inside about two weeks before the expected last frost. As in two weeks they should be sprouted and can be put into the ground after the threat of frost is gone.

Or, the seeds can be sown directly into the ground once the soil temperature is appropriate. For cool-season crops (onions, potatoes, lettuce, radishes, etc..) I would recommend a minimum temperature of 40 degrees F. Warm-season crops (corn, cucumbers, squash, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers, etc..) need soil temperature between 50 and 60 degrees F to germinate. The warm-season crop seeds are usually put in after the last frost. This is if you are sowing seeds directly into the soil. You can find soil temperature thermometers at most hardware stores.

I generally sow all of my seeds directly into the garden, and buy young tomato and pepper plants as I don't have a place to start them inside. If you time it correctly, you can have multiple crops of many of the vegetables. Once one batch gets close to maturity, plant more. That way you can enjoy your crops into the Fall season.

Also, before planting, I recommend fertilizing the entire garden with 12-12-12. All plants require different amounts of the nutrients in fertilzer and you can research and fertilize specifically for each plant, but I found this to be a well balanced routine. Just till it into the soil before planting. Also, in the cold months, if you have access to manure it is great to till that into the garden as well. Rich, fertile soil produces vigorous plants. Some may choose to be completely organic as well and keep a compost pile of scraps from the kitchen and then throw that into the soil before planting. If my young plants are looking a little yellow, I will give them a shot of miracle grow/water mixture just once and they perk up wonderfully.

Watering is a must during the hottest months, but be careful overwatering seeds and young plants as they can rot if the soil does not have good drainage. Some summers I can get away with watering once or twice a week. Never water during the hottest part of the day, as the plants can actually burn up and a lot of the water evaporates anyway. I water in the evening.

I am sure I left many things out, but this is my passion and I would love to help others discover the amazing benefits gained from growing your own food! Please pick my brain for any questions you guys may have. I may not have all the answers but I really enjoy learning new things about gardening each and every year and I will try to help you learn too!