New Garden Help

[hplayer13]

Hey everyone,

I'm a new homeowner and trying to get some guidance for a first time gardener. Our property sits on 5.5 acres with a lake on the back of the property. Soil is very dark and seems to be incredibly nutrient-rich. I am now trying to figure out where to create the garden, how big, and what I want to plant in it. We want a widespread of fruits and vegetables. We have wild blackberries growing on the property already and I planted two apple trees recently. Any advice on what will grow best in this environment (Michigan) and what should be planted and when? Thanks!


I have no idea how to get started... I do have access to cow manure and some good seaweed/muck for some organic nutrients. Please help!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Welcome hplayer13.

What part of Michigan?

How about a satellite photo so we can see the layout. Personal photos will do too.

Eric

[rainbowgardener]

Congratulations on being the new owner of what sounds like a beautiful space.

If you are a first time gardener, I would be very careful about over-doing it. Turning your 5 acres into the kind of oasis you want it to be, will be a long term on going project for years. What you should be doing now is mainly a lot of careful thinking and planning. Think about what things you would like to be doing on your land and would like to have: will you have a boat on the lake? Woods with walking trails, orchard, fountain, fire pit, outdoor kitchen, eating space, hanging out with a book space, flower gardens, herb gardens, kids play space, lawn, equipment storage shed, vegetable garden, composting area, brush pile. Do you have ambition some day to have most of your produce come from the vegetable garden or you just want a few fresh tomatoes? You have land enough not to have to choose, you can pretty much do it all. Make a detailed large scale map of your land and start planning out what goes where and where paths will be. Then you can make it happen a little bit at a time.

Put your veggie garden near enough your house so it is easy to get to, run out and pick something for supper, but in a full sun area, where it is not shaded by trees. Personally I think it keeps it manageable and organized to lay it out in beds with paths between. Shovel the topsoil off the paths on to the beds and you have raised beds (they not need to be boxed in or anything and it would be a waste, with how much room you have). Four 8x4 beds will be plenty to start with, unless you are retired and planning to work in the yard full time-- maybe even then. Getting the soil ready and prepped is the main thing you should be doing this time of year.

If you have some veggie beds ready soon, you could plant some cool weather stuff like beets, broccoli, cabbage, and in October plant garlic cloves.

Here's a planting guide, what to plant when, for zone 5-6. If that doesn't include you, you can reset it to your zone.

https://www.thevegetablegarden.info/reso ... g-schedule

Remember take it easy and keep it fun! If you have success with a few veggie beds, that is way better than starting a huge plot and then it gets all weedy and full of bugs and you get all frustrated and hate the whole thing....

[rainbowgardener]

For inspiration look for some of tomf 's posts in landscaping forum and elsewhere (here's one to start you off: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 12&t=53770 ) . He has some wooded acreage which he is making very beautiful.

Did I say prepare your soil?? Start a compost pile, add in all the organic matter and nutrients you can to what will be your veggie garden space. The secret to good garden is good soil (though it sounds like you are blessed with naturally good soil to start with).

[Northernfox]

IMHO I recommend raise beds for first time gardeners. They are easier to control. I highly recommend not using the native Soil yet. I would start with a 12 inch deep bed. X feet by 12 inch deep by 4 foot wide is a good place to start. A couple of shorter ones is easier to learn with. 4 foot wide will allow you to reach it all.

Then bring in compost. Use only composed manure in the garden but Not as the only medium. Peat moss compost and vermiculite is a common mix. I drop the vermiculite but that had to do with my Eco zone. Often garden centre will have soils called garden mix. I recommend mixing in equal parts garden mix, compost and composted manure.

Below the beds you can use non-glossy newspaper or cardboard to keep the weeds down and bring in worms.

Plant things you like and use. Picture will help the real experts on this forum advise on location and specifics.

Remember the soil is the most important part IMO. I struggle with poor soil I use and now had a ton of work on my small garden to remove and re-place.

[imafan26]

Please put your zone and location in your profile. It helps everyone know what kind of advice you need. Congratulations on your new home. It sounds beautiful. I have a lot less than that to work with. Some of the small farms here are 5 acres.

I agree with what everyone has said. Better to start out small with only one or two beds until you get the hang of things and know how much you can handle. Gardening is hard work.

https://migarden.msu.edu/vegetables

[rainbowgardener]

Those were posts from 2013. Hplayer hasn't been heard from for nearly a year.

Hp, if you are still out there, let us know how your garden went!

[tomc]

Michigander, you want to google, "loess soil". Pretty as it is, it is every bit as suseptible to depleation and low fertility as any other soil.

it is easier to work than clay. You will need to add liberal amounts of manure (or) compost yearly.

[shayneca25]

Hi,

Congrats on the the new home.
What to plant is simple...plant what you like.

Where to plant is more complicated.
First remember that saying..''Call before you dig'' make sure your not going near any utility pipes, wires, etc..marking is free.
Second, You want to place your garden where it will get the most sun light. Close to the water is good, but not too close. If there is a rise in water your garden will get flooded out. You can also get a water pump and use lake water to water your garden. The nutrient rich water will be great for your plants.

The first year your garden should be fairly small. Consider it an experiment to see if that is where you want it and if it grows well in the selected area. My Garden is 30' x 70' (plus 3-4 raised beds on the other side of the yard. It taken several years to get there and deciding what goes best where.

Finally, you want to do soil testing in various parts of your property that you picked out. This will help you in deciding where to place your garden. There are several kits you can buy. They are fairly inexpensive.

Good Luck