How to start our new Community garden plot

[wsommariva]

Hi everyone;

We are about to get a ten foot by ten foot plot. Organic gardening only. Fully fenced in to prevent deer rabbit and groundhog. Old farmland, so the soil looks good. We'll plant punkins, tomatoes and other stuff.

I have my own homemade compost.

So, any and all advice I'd love to get.

Thanks

[imafan26]

10x10 plot can you put up a trellis? Unless you get a very short vine pumpkin and only a few tomatoes
10 x10 won't plant that much. Most community gardens also have height limits too.

How about an ice box watermelon instead. It has a six foot vine. Trellis the tomatoes. If this community garden is some distance away, think about how often you are going to be there. Mulch a lot, it will save you weeding and deep watering will let you go a few days before you have to water again.

If the community garden has a lot of issues with theft, and almost all of them do, it would be good to plant some unusual vegetables that people may not know that much about. Asian greens, herbs, cardoon, jicama.

In my community garden, I grow plants that I can harvest all at once tatsoi, daikon radish, jicama, pineapple, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and taro. I don't plant too many beans because they need to be harvested every couple of days and I don't go there every day.

Square foot garden plans work well in small gardens to help you space your plants properly. It is easy to plant more than the space can handle. Small plants need to have room to grow and plan for succession.

You can make an easy hoop structure using 10 ft sch 40 pvc, rebar and string. Hoop structures are good for weather and bug protection.

Attend and participate in garden meetings. You should get a handbook with the garden rules. Not all gardens will allow timers. Some plants will not be be allowed and height limits are usually imposed to prevent you from shading or encroaching on a neighboring plot. Hose bibs may have to be shared so you cannot always leave your hose attached. Tools may be shared, but you can bring your own. Don't leave anything expensive in the garden.

If the community garden does not have its own compost pile, you will have to haul off your trash and weeds.

In established gardens, it is best to get disease resistant plants. Disease spreads rapidly in community gardens as some gardeners may not recognize or choose to keep plants even though they are sick.

In my community garden, I can only grow maize mozaic virus resistant corn and prsv resistant papaya. You may have to protect your veggies from feral cats using the garden as a toilet and wild pigs, birds, and other critters.

Small community gardens with less than 100 plots are easier to police. Larger gardens are harder. Gardens always need monitors to help with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNqbkdoXPCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnnjOmQbtJQ

[wsommariva]

Thanks very much. Can I mulch with compost?

Garden is close to home, has it's own compost piles and I think someone is there daily.

My wife wants pumpkins so we'll need to monitor and cut it when it extends beyond our plot.

I want tomatoes, I'll plant three plants all different kinds.

We'll start slow and talk to the people who have good looking plots.

No wooden structures allowed, I'll get metal tomato trellises.

Can I just use my compost for plant food?

[wsommariva]

Wife wants pumpkins, we plant pumpkins.

I'll use those round supports for my tomatoes.

I have lots of not quite done compost and I'll use it for mulch.

Thanks very much, we just signed the papers and now own farmland!

[wsommariva]

Ok I'll cancel the round supports.

I'm getting three tomato plants. I'll use old fashioned stakes and tie em up.

Maragolds and basil we have added to our list.

[SOB]

Wife wants pumpkins, we plant pumpkins.

This made me chuckle

I will add that even though the pumpkin may take up most of your plot, atleast they are low to the ground. If you plant them at the opposite end from the tomatoes you give the 'maters a chance to get tall before the pumpkin grow under/around them.

Good luck and keep us updated!

[imafan26]

It will be hard to cut the pumpkin vines. You can try looping them back and forth. I did that with my pumpkin vine, but vines will grow 30 ft or better and although you may get twenty pumpkin fruits started only 1-3 will mature. You could do a Florida weave with three tomatoes. It will take three stakes and some string. I use rebar for stakes, they do not bend from the weight of the vines. Marigolds and basil are perfect for a small plot, but they will be overrun by the squash vine so maybe think about planting it after you figure out how the vines will be contained.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWGNCuGO-78

I also find that vines don't like to grow where you want them too. They go where they want to.

I have chayote on the fence. I just cut it in half. It also goes over the citrus trees and I have to pull them off of them and the neighboring fence all of the time. It is very productive as I can eat the squash and the squash tips. When it produces chayote, I even give a lot of it away. The vines will grow 50 ft. Cutting the vines makes them branch and that makes more vines.

[wsommariva]

I looked up Fl weave - very interesting. I will think about that. We planted pumpkins last year at home, so I know they grow long and where they want to go. I'll guide them. We have an end plot, so we have less neighbors to piss off.

[ruggr10]

I say you look up square foot gardening on youtube and find how that could work for you.

[wsommariva]

OK I'll do that

[gardeningwithe]

Hey! I'm just curious as to how it all went.

[wsommariva]

I dug up all the rocks and turned the soil. Planted three tomato plants from Lowe's? We got a lot of fruit but not too tasty. However my wife made a great sauce from them. Next year I'll try some tomato fert.

I also planted three or four varieties of pumpkin seeds. At least 40 seeds. We got a few plants and two nice size pumpkins. Just enough for us. Can't understand pumpkins.

I think the best luck we had was the basil plants. They looked great at least.

I didn't add compost after the first application. My wife thinks it's too potent...............

.....so next year I'll experiment with a couple of plants with massive amounts of compost - just to see what happens. I gotta win one in my lifetime.

Overall a very nice experience. I'm lobbying a friend for one of their heirloom tomato seedlings for next year.

[tomc]

I dug up all the rocks and turned the soil. Planted three tomato plants from Lowe's? We got a lot of fruit but not too tasty. However my wife made a great sauce from them. Next year I'll try some tomato fert.

Tomato like some nitrogen, but will grow just fine with fairly high-carbon compost. Burying more of the stalk (in a deep hole or long trench) is at least as important as fertilizer.

I also planted three or four varieties of pumpkin seeds. At least 40 seeds. We got a few plants and two nice size pumpkins. Just enough for us. Can't understand pumpkins.

Here is where a richer compost will help. Blood meal, cotton-seed meal, etc.

I didn't add compost after the first application. My wife thinks it's too potent...............

.....so next year I'll experiment with a couple of plants with massive amounts of compost - just to see what happens. I gotta win one in my lifetime.

The average compost tests out at around 2-2-1 (the number is the soluble percentage). its only a tiny fraction compared to chemical fertilizers.

Overall a very nice experience. I'm lobbying a friend for one of their heirloom tomato seedlings for next year.

Stick with reds and pinks for the first couple years... They will get by under timid eaters radar.

[wsommariva]

My mom made it seem easy..........we'll do better next year...........with the added advice.

[gardeningwithe]

I've noticed that my garden has gotten a lil better each year. Still no where near what my grandparents do, but it is a learning process and an evolution I believe. Each year I learn a little something new (either to do or not to do) and gain a lil confidence. I am going to try heirloom tomato seeds this year. Last year was my fourth year I think and the first time I had a semi successful garden going on... we'll see how this next year turns out.

I'm glad things grew for you!!! That is the important thing! We have things we just can't seem to grow well- maybe it's our spacing or maybe our soil or the fact that certain pests always win- cabbage, broccoli, eggplant and any melons are a no go. I keep trying eggplant though b/c I love them- maybe one year it will grow at least one Then we have things that grow pretty well like cucumbers and herbs.

You and your wife seem happy with what you grew for the first year and I chalk it up to a win!! Pumpkins in a small space is nothing to sneeze at and who doesn't like tomatoes! Good luck next year and give us an update at how year 2 goes!

[wsommariva]

When I retire I'll have the time I need to do a proper garden. We know a couple who have great success. Paul just retired, so I need to pick his brain. He jars great sweet pickles and what a cook he is.

As always winters in NJ are a month too long. Thanks for the thoughts

[gardeningwithe]

That's how I feel. We only have a small area to plant because I work away in the summer and can only handle so much on the weekends. Thankfully my husband waters for me when needed while I'm gone but he isn't the least bit interested in gardening. We started with our front flower bed and then dug around the side of the house and a little bed in the back. I guess they are in ground beds? I can't wait until I retire and get to have a big garden. Oh the possibilities.

[wsommariva]

I can't wait to retire. Get my lawn in the shape I want it - perfect.............