Help to start gardening and planting

[rainbowgardener]

People have different ways of doing things, but I like to have big, sturdy, healthy plants for transplanting. Gets them past a lot of dangers that way. So my transplants, depending on what it is, are often a foot tall and leafy.

As far as your beans and cucumbers that sprouted, then died. If the pots were very small seedling pots, like the 4-5 cm wide ones, and you weren't adding fertilizer regularly, then they might just grow until they ran out of nutrients. But more likely it was a watering issue. Over-watering kills more seedlings than anything else!

[TareqPhoto]

It is not a problem, I just stated last year late months, and all were as tests, happy to find that I can plant something, I thought [stupidity] that I can't grow anything in my country except those very hot resistance trees and most of them I don't like to eat fruits, didn't know there are plants I like to it can be grow in my country as well, and even more surprise to find out that many plants I thought it will never grow in warm sunny weather actually turned out to be a sun loving plants such as tomatoes and sweet corn, I really thought that I can't grow some vegetables or herbs, but once I talked with the person who first made me to think about planting told me how lucky I am to live in a sunny warm/hot country for plants.

I will try to plant in my garden what I already mentioned I need, and those I tested them out of the garden in pots and containers and even in cups, and all those are left outside in same condition of my garden, in fact I just need to fertilize my garden so it can be a rich soil then I can plant things permanently to grow, I don't feel sad if some seeds grown successfully or sprouted and some didn't, at least I got a great idea about which can be germinated in any condition and which doesn't, and with those which didn't germinate or sprouted then it will force me to find out or search about why it failed, it is always fun to learn and to correct mistakes, almost 90% of seeds germinated and that is enough for me to make me happy, if 90% didn't germinate then I will really feel sad and disappointed.

Watering is an issue then if over-watering, in fact I really don't know how to water plants properly, for me it is not enough someone saying just give water enough but not saturated, or make it wet but not too much water, how can I know how much volume or water level needed to each plant? maybe I over-water it or I may give it too less water then it will die slowly[gradually] without knowing it, so I really want to know the proper amount of water needed to each plant in whatever space they are [pots, containers, ground,....etc], and always I read about making holes in pots and containers in the bottom side for drainage, so isn't this helping me if I over-watering the plant then the extra water should be drained through those holes and keep the plant away for over-watering? also how many times to water it, or to check if it is wet so no need to water it everyday, I water my plants only once everyday because it is not hot no warm weather nowadays and it doesn't dry quick, but maybe I don't need to water it everyday as well, but I am not keen about checking if the soil is wet or the plant doesn't need water anymore until next time soon.

Last thing, about those not germinated sees, I will read more about it but what made them not germinated at all when other too many seed did germinate successfully even in worse condition or soil? I planted 4 seeds of onions, 1 of them is a type [white I think] and it germinated and grown fine, the other 3 is another one type [red or violet] and none germinated although they are in one container with spacing in between, and I made that soil in the container better mixed, the other with one seed was planted in a potting soil that doesn't have any sand or any fertilizer, strange if that made it to work more than the mixed one, but I will check it out sooner or later, and the container is bigger size than the pot which one seed of onion germinated which is another confusing, and parsley never germinated in any pots [all small/medium size] regardless what soil I used, I even bought a container so I can have plenty of parsley in it than a smaller sized pots, but if it never germinated then what the point for another bigger sized beds?!!!

[rainbowgardener]

Wow... I really don't know what of all that to try to respond to. You will get better with trial and error and learning what works for you. I can't tell you how to water, because your climate is so different from anything I have experienced. But to be successful, you will need to get over this:

"but I am not keen about checking if the soil is wet or the plant doesn't need water anymore until next time soon." The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow. That means you need to be out there, paying attention, checking on how things are doing and what they need.

I also really recommend keeping some records. Next year you won't remember what you started when, indoors or out, at what temperature, etc. If you want to learn and get better, you need to know what you did before, what worked and what didn't.

I do have to caution you a little. Certainly people grow a lot of things in your country and you can too. Crops that come from Egypt include rice, wheat, corn, cotton, sugar cane, beans, citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes, and potatoes. But some things like tomatoes, even though "sun lovers" don't really do well with very high temps, especially above 90-95 F (30-32 C). Look for heat resistant tomato varieties.

[TareqPhoto]

Wow... I really don't know what of all that to try to respond to. You will get better with trial and error and learning what works for you. I can't tell you how to water, because your climate is so different from anything I have experienced. But to be successful, you will need to get over this:

"but I am not keen about checking if the soil is wet or the plant doesn't need water anymore until next time soon." The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow. That means you need to be out there, paying attention, checking on how things are doing and what they need.

I also really recommend keeping some records. Next year you won't remember what you started when, indoors or out, at what temperature, etc. If you want to learn and get better, you need to know what you did before, what worked and what didn't.

I do have to caution you a little. Certainly people grow a lot of things in your country and you can too. Crops that come from Egypt include rice, wheat, corn, cotton, sugar cane, beans, citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes, and potatoes. But some things like tomatoes, even though "sun lovers" don't really do well with very high temps, especially above 90-95 F (30-32 C). Look for heat resistant tomato varieties.

You are right, but I mostly not into plantation or gardening too much, I just started but I have other things I am busy with these days, and those tests in pots aren't the best I will have, but something to start with, and slowly I will do more and have more time for plants later, not in rush, and the site here could be a big help or assistant for me too, even after 1 year I can come here and read my posts so I can remember things, and within 1 year sure I will learn more and more.

I agree about very high temp, even we are human can't stand that very high temp, and that time of the year I will make sure to provide some kind of shades for my plants and watering more, I have some trees in my garden survived the high temp, even I remember that the end of summer still high temp last summer [2015] I moved to my house and the person didn't water the garden and I didn't water it too for a bit, so about 1 month or more the trees or plants didn't have water under very high temp, but once I water them most plants/trees came back to life, but I will not forget them for next years in summer for sure so they can grow or live/survive better with me than before, it is life after all with the plants, in very cold winter or very high temp summer the trees or plants should die temporarily so they will wake up again in fall in our country or in spring in your region.

Again, we have nice weather only not in summer, and our summer is long, say from May until October it is bad time, then simply we grow out of that time, I started 2 months ago and I still have 3-4 months before the heat start, so I hope by May when it is warm the plants grown good enough or even some giving fruits by then, then with heat it may slow growing or die in peak summer, but I don't think all plant will die at once in very hot summer if I water them good enough, and this coming summer will be another test also to see which plant can survive and which can't, I will try to take care of my plant nowadays until summer so I can have stronger or healthier plants in summer, if some die or failed then simply I will grow them again after summer earlier this time to have more time before another summer [2017,.....]

[applestar]

I like your approach -- yes, gardening is a continuing cycle of seasons and learning, and each plant has individual requirements that you will learn in time.

It sounds like you are on the right track, and learnings which crop to plant when to their best advantage sounds like a priority. You may very well have off season in the height of the summer in the same way we have our off season in the depth of the winter.

Don't be afraid to plant in the ground though, especially if temperature and rainfall are favorable.

Also, just because a seed will germinate and grow a little seedling doesn't mean the soil is good -- yes good enough to favor germination, but the seed gets its initial energy from the seed itself, which usually turns into the first pair of (seed) leaves. Once that energy/nutrients are depleted, and first feeder roots grow, the plant needs nutrients from the soil, and in a limited soil volume and biosphere of a container, that is depleted quickly, whereas the micro-and macro-cosm in the soil are working to recycle nutrients in the air and soil.... Plus the roots can range farther out to seek nutrients and water. When even that is depleted, you as a gardener have to supply the necessary building blocks to make the soil fertile again.

[TareqPhoto]

I like your approach -- yes, gardening is a continuing cycle of seasons and learning, and each plant has individual requirements that you will learn in time.

It sounds like you are on the right track, and learnings which crop to plant when to their best advantage sounds like a priority. You may very well have off season in the height of the summer in the same way we have our off season in the depth of the winter.

Don't be afraid to plant in the ground though, especially if temperature and rainfall are favorable.

Also, just because a seed will germinate and grow a little seedling doesn't mean the soil is good -- yes good enough to favor germination, but the seed gets its initial energy from the seed itself, which usually turns into the first pair of (seed) leaves. Once that energy/nutrients are depleted, and first feeder roots grow, the plant needs nutrients from the soil, and in a limited soil volume and biosphere of a container, that is depleted quickly, whereas the micro-and macro-cosm in the soil are working to recycle nutrients in the air and soil.... Plus the roots can range farther out to seek nutrients and water. When even that is depleted, you as a gardener have to supply the necessary building blocks to make the soil fertile again.

I am already keep going with my plants, I just got lazy last few weeks or say 1 month, I forgot to post about the rest of the trees plants I still have in my garden that is taking a place in the planning area, the man who watering my garden and clean the yard already removed most of the weeds and grasses, still not fully removed as new weeds grown and because we had 2 or 3 times raining during 1 month so I will give it a last sowing to remove more weeds and I will start immediately regardless if the weeds may damage or affect my seeds, unless I transplant, in all cases I am not looking for using mulch as it is a nightmare to find them and using papers mulch is giving bad look, what is easy to get there in your country may not be as easy here, and I am suer they will charge for mulch even non used or throwing one and I have to drive around to find free enough amount, the only thing I will do is I keep or the man keeps removing the weeds/grasses manually.

I know about fertilizing the soil, but I was talking about start the seeds in soil, not meaning when the seedlings sprout and grow, if I planted those seeds in salty pure sand will they germinate? this is what I was talking about, and if the soil mixed I use is good enough then all what I do is just water it and add fertilizer, if the soil isn't good from beginning it may not help growing even with fertilizer and water, no?

I didn't take photos recently as I was busy and lazy, but soon I will do and see what I should do next, it is a new year and we still in nice weather season so I think it is time to plant something suitable for this season before it is getting warmer and summer start later.

[TareqPhoto]

An update:

I hired or brought one person who is experienced in gardening [not a master or top experienced, but he was doing gardening or farming for almost 5-6 years] and I asked him to prepare my garden on the area you know about, and he did prepared it good enough, I am not sure his way is good or not, but I didn't wait too long just because of weeds or grass, but he said I just dig enough depth and those grass are dead, and most weeds he removed by hand too, so he just sowed the ground, added the potting soil to mix with the existing sand and some fertilizers too, then he planted seeds and transplanted all tomatoes seedlings, I hope those transplanted seedlings will keep growing then.

Also I made a block for corn, he planted the seeds but not sure he measured proper spacing, but at the end, I start something is better than I keep waiting long and thinking too much about how to do when and where.

In that planned area I already planted the following:

- Tomatoes
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Cowpea
- Lettuce
- Watermelon
- Garlic

And soon I will continue with more plants as following:

- Onion
- Melon
- Maybe Pea

Not sure what else I should grow, that garden told me or suggested to go with Spinach, or okra [ladyfinger] or even cabbage/cauliflower, but I don't eat any of those, my wife sometimes like to eat a dish that has an eggplant as a recipe, but I won't grow that in my garden, so once I am done with those I may think to prepare another area if not invading most of that side yard space to keep it simple and enough space to walk around.

I forgot to say that I bought a seedlings of lemon [citrus] that has one lemon fruit small existing so hope it can produce more fruits soon, I was going to buy another seedlings not this which has more flowers, but I decided to go with a seedling that has already a fruit even small, well keep it. Also I bought a mango seedlings, and I just removed one tree[or seedlings] of what I have in my garden that is almost closer to my planned area beds, and I planted that mango seedlings in its place after that gardener removed that previous tree completely from roots and digging deep, sounds the ground is deep enough, he did dig around 2 feet to put that plant and same with lemon seedling.

I will post photos later, I was taking some photos when all my plants/seedlings are still in pots/containers, but I think I better ignore that and just take new photos of latest update as soon as possible.

[imafan26]

It sounds like the gardener you hired did know what he was doing. He amended and pulled the weed and fertilized before planting.
Different plants have different needs for water and it depends on how well your soil drains. The soil in the pots will not be the same as the one in the garden. Some of the seeds that did not germinate or dampened off in the pots may do better in the ground.
Talk to the gardener about putting in a drip watering system. You will waste less water and you can use different emitters to control the flow rate. How long you keep the system on will depend on how long it takes to saturate the soil down 4-6 inches. You have to test that yourself.

[TareqPhoto]

It sounds like the gardener you hired did know what he was doing. He amended and pulled the weed and fertilized before planting.
Different plants have different needs for water and it depends on how well your soil drains. The soil in the pots will not be the same as the one in the garden. Some of the seeds that did not germinate or dampened off in the pots may do better in the ground.
Talk to the gardener about putting in a drip watering system. You will waste less water and you can use different emitters to control the flow rate. How long you keep the system on will depend on how long it takes to saturate the soil down 4-6 inches. You have to test that yourself.

In all cases I started regardless he knows what he is doing or not, and all what I have to do now is just wait and watch, he made some kind of lines higher than the ground of the garden where I planned and kept lower area as beds for water, so he plated seeds and seedlings all around those higher lines [kind of small mountains/hills form].

Not sure if I really need to make that watering system as long I am not using the whole garden area, and it may cost me another budget and then I may need to provide another outlet of water, and if I use it for entire of my garden then it will give not that nice look, I don't think they will install something as hidden watering system or invisible, and I am sure they will not make underground type, so I will keep it as it is with manual standard watering way, the person who was renting my house and made this garden didn't make that system first place since long time, so I am not going to do it just yet now.

I remember in other house where I was living for almost 5 years we planted smaller seedlings and smaller trees and we were watering it regular way manually, and now the tress are high like it is a jungle, so within 5 years plants grown crazy, not all of them but most are, and I already have few tress tall in the backside of the garden, means they are doing fine without that watering system or network, and I know it is making life with watering system and I still like to have it, but not now, I can wait and see if I will need it as a must.

Now I have to think about the outside garden or space for plants, still didn't decide which plants I will grow rather than the 2 I am sure about, so I will watch this site so I may get an idea here or there.

[imafan26]

Hand watering is fine if you have the time and dicipline to do it.

[TareqPhoto]

Hand watering is fine if you have the time and dicipline to do it.

There is a person who is coming to my house everyday except Friday to water my plants and clean my yards [and sometimes my car too]