Need Advice for Starting my Garden

[NouvelleAgriculturist]

I am new to gardening and am in the planning stages of starting my organic garden this spring. I live in Indianapolis, IN. I'm not wanting to grow anything that's crazy weird but I have a good variety. I'm planning on Root Vegetables, Beans, Chokes, Celery, Cukes, Tomatoes, and Peppers. If I have enough space I was thinking maybe of doing a vine plant like a melon or a pumpkin. I have reviewed my zoning map, figured out last day of spring frost, worked out a propigation schedule. I'm going to till and compost as soon as the ground thaws. I know I need to test the pH of my soil, and amend accordingly as to which plant requires which pH level of soil.

I'd really like to know which plants grow how and what is the most succesful pattern for planting.

I guess what I really need help with is some info about the plants, how they grow, so I could create a schematic. I was thinking about doing my beans on the "teepee" method. My cukes on a trellis, and maybe my peppers on a trellis too. Any tips, suggestions, hints, secrets, ANYTHING would be helpful.

[farmerlon]

It actually sounds to me like you already have a lot more things figured out (or are at least aware of a lot more considerations) than most folks that are just starting out ... so I think you're off to a fine start.

Of course, you can find lots of good information and tips just by searching here at HG.
Also, for plant specific advice, I would recommend that you have a good general (organic) gardening book on hand ... something like Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically ...
[url]https://www.amazon.com/Burpee-Complete-Vegetable-Gardener-Organically/dp/0028620054/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1294856332&sr=8-2[/url]

Best of luck!

[gumbo2176]

In the past I have staked tomatoes with 6 ft. long pieces of 2x2 wood poles and tied the tomatoes off as they grew. Drive the stakes in the ground about 1 ft and go from there. I now use concrete reinforcing wire that is 5 ft. tall with 6x6 openings in the mesh. I got a 150 ft. roll at a local store for $85 and that is enough to make about 30 cages if you cut the wire at 5 ft. intervals and form a tube and secure it. Some folks here like to cut the wire longer for a larger diameter cage.

You have a handle on the pole beans and cucs. Cucs grow nicely on a trellis and it keeps the fruit off the ground for easier picking. Peppers can be staked and I find eggplant do better if staked to keep the fruit from pulling the plant over, especially if growing the large purple ones.

You mentioned chokes. If you mean regular artichokes, it may be a year or more before you see any production. I grew some a few times and never had a choke the first year. I'd cut back the foliage the first season, mulch it real heavy and it would return in spring setting out new growth. Not sure how that would work for you in Indiana as your winters are much harsher than New Orleans. The second year, each plant produced 4-5 chokes. The variety I grew got to be pretty large plants, each about 3 ft. tall and spanned about 4 ft.

[rainbowgardener]

You have to design your space since we can't see it. You didn't say anything about how much room you have. I can give you a few things to think about.

You mentioned root veggies, like carrots and beets? They can be directed seeded into the ground, much earlier than the other stuff goes out, like as soon as the ground can be worked (is unfrozen and dried out, crumbly). They grow well with tomatoes. If you have a bed or area where your tomatoes are going to be, you can start by planting the carrots/ beets all around the outside of it. Later you can transplant tomatoes into the center.

But not potatoes. You don't want to grow potatoes or peppers in the same bed with your tomatoes. They are all in the same (nightshade) family and prone to the same diseases, so they could infect each other.

You don't trellis peppers; they are woody, not viney. They will need a little staking once they start getting heavy with peppers. And they need plenty of room, they get bigger than you think.

Think about popping some onion and garlic starts in amongst the other stuff. It's good companion planting, tends to repel insects and pests and makes use of what would otherwise be waste space.

You didn't mention any greens, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, etc. Direct seeding greens into the ground as soon as it can be worked, gets your garden off to a much earlier start, than waiting on all the warm weather stuff. Swiss chard is the most productive thing I grow. Lettuce and spinach bolt when it gets hot, but the chard just keeps going.

Aren't you going to grow any herbs? Basil (annual) and oregano and sage (perennial) are really easy to grow, attract bees and other pollinators to your yard (if you let them flower a little bit) and are lovely to have in your garden.

[NouvelleAgriculturist]

I appreciate all of the info. Anything extra I can get my hands on will definitely help.

@gumbo thanks man but I don't have an extra $85 I was planning on just staking my toms.

@rainbow I appreciate all of the info. I definitely want to plant complementary. anything that will help out other things is definitely the way I need to go. My space is about 20' wide and really as long as I want to make it. I've got a decent sized yard. Then again, I don't want to get in over my head. I was thinking of some herbs, but I'd heard herbs shouldn't be in with your garden, because they tend to take over. Maybe a separate container placed around the garden?

I figured I would post my complete list and see if there were any other suggestions.

Globe Chokes, Asparagus, Celeriac, and Celery

Pole Beans, Great Northern Beans, Fava Beans

Pickling Cukes

Red Onion, White Onion, Yellow Onion, Garlic, Leek, Radish, and Carrots

Yellow, Red, and Orange Peppers

Tomatoes

I don't think I'm going to plant any cole crops I.e. chard, cabbage, lettuce. I typically don't do the whole salad thing. I would rather utilize my space customized around what I eat the most of. I can't even tell you the last time I bought cabbage, lettuce, or spinach. Anyway, thanks again so much, I appreciate any and all help
Once again guys, thanks for all the help

[rainbowgardener]

The herbs that take over are mostly things in the mint family. Mint should definitely be grown in containers! But the other herbs won't take over like that and do well mixed in with other things.

You are right to grow what you or your family will eat. I used to love to grow beets and pickle/can them. But no one in my family except me would eat them, so I gave up on that...

Just as a picky little detail of usage, cole crops (also called brassicas from their scientific name) are things in the cabbage/ mustard family including broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi and others. Lettuce, chard, and spinach are not in that family. Hard for me to imagine living without salads, but to each their own!

[sprout]

You can plant bush-type vine crops. They need less space, but there aren't as many varieties to choose from. You can even trellis many smaller squash. I have seen regular butternut squash climb a loquat tree- interesting visual effect having squash hanging up there

[quiltbea]

You can't go wrong by visiting your local library and taking out a few good gardening books, including
'Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening,' Bob Thomson's 'The New Victory Garden,' and Barbara Damrosch's 'The Garden Primer' among them. Even Mel Bartholemew's 'Square Foot Gardening' gives great advice on growing each crop whether you have raised beds of not. Lots of good information our there and ready for reading. Also a great way to spend these long winter nights.