Well we just bought some horses so that should take care of that lol. It will be a coiple of week before we get the horses but if I start a compost pile this year will it last until the next season or do you have to start new every season. And id rather test the soil myself I like to do that stuff will it be ok to do that I know its not as good but will testing it myself work.
Depending on the size of the garden and the size of your compost pile if your compost will last even one season. I start 3-4 piles a year and my garden consists of 5 rows about 45 ft. long, one raised bed that is 12'x4', a spot with a long and tall trellis for my blackberry vines and 2 additional trellises for cucumbers and beans.jared185 wrote:Well we just bought some horses so that should take care of that lol. It will be a coiple of week before we get the horses but if I start a compost pile this year will it last until the next season or do you have to start new every season. And id rather test the soil myself I like to do that stuff will it be ok to do that I know its not as good but will testing it myself work.
In all, I figure I bring in anywhere from 6-8 full size pickup loads of stable waste, probably close to 50 large bags of grass clippings and leaves and all my organic waste from my garden and kitchen. Not to mention all the leaves and grass clippings I place between the rows when things are growing to help keep the weeds down and moisture in the ground to help with watering. Also, before placing the leaves between the rows, I head to the local supermarket and get enough cardboard boxes to put down a layer of that first, then cover with the leaves and grass.
When you mentioned a 100 x 100 garden, I figured you didn't think about all the work it takes to maintain it. Doing that by hand is a real chore that can overwhelm you if you don't have a few helping hands or at least a big tiller or small tractor to help maintain it.
Yeah like I said I'm still learning I have been hinting and fishing mostly for a hobby but I ive been wantingn to have a garden forever. I'm really excited and kind of jumped into it this year. So let me ask this I'm a beginner so what size do you think I should start with. Thats not hard on the old wallet but will produce a good amount of food for a family of four.
This is a good basic link to how to start a compost pile
https://www.composting101.com/
Ideas for basic garden planner
https://www.almanac.com/vegetable-garden ... -beginners
https://www.composting101.com/
Ideas for basic garden planner
https://www.almanac.com/vegetable-garden ... -beginners
jared185 wrote:Yeah like I said I'm still learning I have been hinting and fishing mostly for a hobby but I ive been wantingn to have a garden forever. I'm really excited and kind of jumped into it this year. So let me ask this I'm a beginner so what size do you think I should start with. Thats not hard on the old wallet but will produce a good amount of food for a family of four.
I mentioned in a prior post the size of my garden. It supplies enough for my family of 4 and then some. I put stuff up by canning and freezing and still manage to have enough left over to give away to family and friends on occasion.
Don't get me wrong, we don't eat every meal from the garden, but I use something from the garden almost every time I cook be it in the form of vegetables or herbs. For instance, I have about a 20 ft. part of a row planted in leaf lettuce and Swiss Chard, another portion planted in beets, broccoli and tomatoes. From this I can get a very nice bowl of salad every day until it gets hot enough to make the cooler weather plants bolt.
When my spring/summer garden is in full swing I can't possibly eat all that comes from it every day. There are days I find myself picking a few lbs. of green beans, half a dozen cucumbers, same with tomatoes, 50+ pods of okra, a nice bowl of various peppers, etc. This is when I generally can, pickle or freeze some of the excess.
One thing I know for sure. You'd be hard pressed to get stuff from the corporate style markets that tastes as fresh or as flavorful as what you take out the garden.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
There's a Sticky in the Compost Forum
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 89&start=0
about browns and greens. Basically if you pile up a mixture of browns (carbon rich, hard, dry) and greens (nitrogen rich, soft, moist, e.g. manure even though it is brown colored), keep it moist and keep it aerated, it will compost.
10x20 seems like a good starting point for the first time. It's about how much I garden and I eat something from the garden every day in the growing season and have some to can and freeze. It will definitely keep you busy, especially since you may be gathering, there is really a lot to learn at first!
No unfortunately the Wally world test kit is not good enough. Likely to seriously mislead you. And you won't have any way to interpret your results. The extension office or soil test company will tell you what you have and what you need to add, in per square yard form.
As people have mentioned already, be sure you don't add fresh horse manure to your garden. Pile it up, with bedding straw and other browns and let it sit for a year.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 89&start=0
about browns and greens. Basically if you pile up a mixture of browns (carbon rich, hard, dry) and greens (nitrogen rich, soft, moist, e.g. manure even though it is brown colored), keep it moist and keep it aerated, it will compost.
10x20 seems like a good starting point for the first time. It's about how much I garden and I eat something from the garden every day in the growing season and have some to can and freeze. It will definitely keep you busy, especially since you may be gathering, there is really a lot to learn at first!
No unfortunately the Wally world test kit is not good enough. Likely to seriously mislead you. And you won't have any way to interpret your results. The extension office or soil test company will tell you what you have and what you need to add, in per square yard form.
As people have mentioned already, be sure you don't add fresh horse manure to your garden. Pile it up, with bedding straw and other browns and let it sit for a year.
The advise you've gotten is very knowledgeable and correct but I don't think that you can do all that before you need to plant in your zone. The old fashioned way (the way I started over 50 years ago) is talk to neighbors that have established gardens. They can give you an idea what kind of soil you have and what you need, also when to plant what seeds you want. Go for it this year and watch your garden and what it does. Get a soil sample to your Co. Agent (or whoever does it in your area), start your compost pile and gather the amendments that are recommended. Some things may not do as well and some will do better. This fall start really improving the soil and follow all the advise you've been given here.
Compost pile(s) are usually plural.
You need a pile that you are building. You will keep adding layers to this one.
one that is cooking You will turn this one, but not add anything more
one that is being used. This pile will be a lot shorter than what you started wih and be the one that you are using in the garden.
Some types of compost are ready in 6 weeks, but most piles take 6 months to a year to finish depending on the size and type of material in the pile and how often it is turned.
If you are planning to put manure in the pile, get a soil thermometer and make sure the pile gets hot enough to kill pathogens. Cold composting will not kill pathogens.
You need a pile that you are building. You will keep adding layers to this one.
one that is cooking You will turn this one, but not add anything more
one that is being used. This pile will be a lot shorter than what you started wih and be the one that you are using in the garden.
Some types of compost are ready in 6 weeks, but most piles take 6 months to a year to finish depending on the size and type of material in the pile and how often it is turned.
If you are planning to put manure in the pile, get a soil thermometer and make sure the pile gets hot enough to kill pathogens. Cold composting will not kill pathogens.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
I think you can mail the samples in.
I like raised gardens. I think it is easier to build good soil by piling stuff on than digging down. For the size you want, I don't think you want to get in to building boxes, so think more about raised wide rows. Lay out where you want to have beds (not more than 4 feet wide, so you can reach in to it from the outside) and where you want paths (wide enough so your wheelbarrow can go through). Dig all the topsoil out of the paths and pile it on the beds. Lay down old carpet, burlap, or whatever you have on hand on the paths, so they don't turn into quagmires. Then add your amendments into the beds.
Bud you will still need amendments and you will still need the soil test.
I like raised gardens. I think it is easier to build good soil by piling stuff on than digging down. For the size you want, I don't think you want to get in to building boxes, so think more about raised wide rows. Lay out where you want to have beds (not more than 4 feet wide, so you can reach in to it from the outside) and where you want paths (wide enough so your wheelbarrow can go through). Dig all the topsoil out of the paths and pile it on the beds. Lay down old carpet, burlap, or whatever you have on hand on the paths, so they don't turn into quagmires. Then add your amendments into the beds.
Bud you will still need amendments and you will still need the soil test.
Another thing to consider when you plan your garden is how much time you have to work on it.
The size of the garden and the type and variety of plants you choose will all determine how much time you will need to put in for maintenance.
Prepping and building the beds take the most time.
But there are a lot of other chores that need to be done on a daily basis.
Seeding, weeding, watering, pest control, trellising, pruning, composting, harvesting, planting and mulching.
I put in about 3 hours three times a week and another hour everyday to water and pick out a few pests, push the tomatoes and other vines back onto the trellis, prune and pull weeds.
Even so, I am still behind on all of the things I need to do. I have not been out in the garden much in the last couple of weeks because of the rain. I know that when I do get out there, I will have to put in extra time because the weeds really love the rain.
The size of the garden and the type and variety of plants you choose will all determine how much time you will need to put in for maintenance.
Prepping and building the beds take the most time.
But there are a lot of other chores that need to be done on a daily basis.
Seeding, weeding, watering, pest control, trellising, pruning, composting, harvesting, planting and mulching.
I put in about 3 hours three times a week and another hour everyday to water and pick out a few pests, push the tomatoes and other vines back onto the trellis, prune and pull weeds.
Even so, I am still behind on all of the things I need to do. I have not been out in the garden much in the last couple of weeks because of the rain. I know that when I do get out there, I will have to put in extra time because the weeds really love the rain.
John Jeavons, author of How to Grow More Vegetables..., recommends that new gardeners start with 100 square feet the first year, 200 square feet the second year, 300 square feet the third year, and whatever they like after that. He even provides planting diagrams and succession recommendations and, for those with the room, tree-planting diagrams.
Starting small is a good idea. It helps new gardeners avoid the burn-out that can occur when trying to do/learn too much at once when starting up. Three hours three times a week! and still being behind!!! must represent much more than a "beginner" amount of space.
I have very little available space and have put in as many raised beds (in frames) as I can. I have 96 square feet under cultivation here at the house in the raised beds, plus as many pots/containers as I can arrange on the sunny side of the driveway. Occasionally I plant out in the parking strip, and that takes me over 100 square feet.
Although I've rented a 4'x8'x24" bed from the city for the last two seasons, the past several months have seen that bed become more and more difficult to get to, as my work has ramped up (so I can't get there during office hours, when they *want* us to go!) and the "improved" access system for evenings and weekends has been useless (the gate has two padlocks and gardeners have only one key; City workers are forever locking the gate with the lock we don't have the key to...). This bed was where I grew tomatoes in 2011 and 2012: it has a full southern exposure against a wall, so the temps are significantly higher than at my house. But I may give it up next month when the term expires b/c I just can't get to the bed to tend the plants....
So. 96 square feet. Unless I'm out there "communing with the plants," it simply doesn't take very long to check their health (insects? disease? is everybody OK?), pull the very few weeds that have grown among the veggies, stake up anything that looks like it wants staking, and water them.
Start small the first year. There's a lot to learn, and burn-out is real.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Starting small is a good idea. It helps new gardeners avoid the burn-out that can occur when trying to do/learn too much at once when starting up. Three hours three times a week! and still being behind!!! must represent much more than a "beginner" amount of space.
I have very little available space and have put in as many raised beds (in frames) as I can. I have 96 square feet under cultivation here at the house in the raised beds, plus as many pots/containers as I can arrange on the sunny side of the driveway. Occasionally I plant out in the parking strip, and that takes me over 100 square feet.
Although I've rented a 4'x8'x24" bed from the city for the last two seasons, the past several months have seen that bed become more and more difficult to get to, as my work has ramped up (so I can't get there during office hours, when they *want* us to go!) and the "improved" access system for evenings and weekends has been useless (the gate has two padlocks and gardeners have only one key; City workers are forever locking the gate with the lock we don't have the key to...). This bed was where I grew tomatoes in 2011 and 2012: it has a full southern exposure against a wall, so the temps are significantly higher than at my house. But I may give it up next month when the term expires b/c I just can't get to the bed to tend the plants....
So. 96 square feet. Unless I'm out there "communing with the plants," it simply doesn't take very long to check their health (insects? disease? is everybody OK?), pull the very few weeds that have grown among the veggies, stake up anything that looks like it wants staking, and water them.
Start small the first year. There's a lot to learn, and burn-out is real.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9