My First Attempt at a Garden, Go Big or Go Home!

[preciselysimple]

So my boyfriend and I bought our first home in Columbus, OH and I was trying to figure a way out on how to make it feel more "home like". A year later I built and installed 3 raised garden beds all 4' X 12'.

I bought an array of different seeds started some inside and some outside. I lost my first batch of watermelons and cantaloups to frost so now I only have 3 small watermelon plants going. But I think thats okay. I also lost a few other things along the way but for the most part things are looking pretty good.

I still have a lot to learn and my have a powdery mildew going down that I have to take care of just need to work out my plan of attack cause it's been pretty rainy here.

Also I didn't really realize some things should't be planted together until it was too late, but for the most part everything seems to be thriving. And I way over planted my carrots and lettuce and had to thin them what felt like a million times. But it has all been worth it. I will be starting veterinary school here in the fall so hopefully my boyfriend will be able to keep up with the beast I created.

Has yellow and red potatoes, buttercrunch lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and carrots.

Has 2 types of cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, and watermelons.

Also the third box has steak tomatoes, zucchini, and summer squash. Just can't seem to up load the picture.

I'd love to talk about it, so comment away!!

[Rairdog]

You done good. Lettuce and carrots should be over seeded and thinned IMO. You will learn as you go. I think the cucumbers, melons and tomatoes will take over more room than you anticipated.....but that's how you learn and improve. You have lush green grass. Don't be afraid to let roots dig into that soil. Hopefully there is not a weed/fabric barrier under the beds.

[digitS']

... things are looking pretty good ...

!!

I'll say!!

Good Job!

Now, don't be upset with your BF later in the season if some of those plants don't look as nice. Remember, the primary purpose of a vegetable garden is to have veggies for the table. So, those lettuce plants should be going for salads, etc. I learned a new word growing potatoes, senescence. It means aging. Whether they have good growing conditions or not, as the tubers mature, the tops will yellow and fade away. This may happen within the next 6 weeks.

Steve

[preciselysimple]

I dug up one potato plant a couple of days ago and there where only about 5 med sized norland reds. There were a lot of really little ones so I figured probably just need a few more weeks for them to mature.
So I am not sure I think I may dig up 2 more plants in a week or so and see what that gives me. Even if it's a little it's still more then enough for the both of us.

I have been putting off starting to prune the leaves off the sides of my lettuce. Do you cut them off of pinch and rip with your hands?
I've noticed they are a little bitter but I blame our abnormally hot and humid weather here lately. Figured nothing a good dressing can't hide.

[Peter1142]

Nice job. It is a good idea to start with raised beds the first year... I did not, and underestimated the weeds, and it became a weed disaster... literally spent entire weekends weeding the garden, and they just kept coming back. This year I was a little more prepared and made better use of mulch.

For the biggest harvest you should let the potatoes completely die, and then wait 2 weeks (it toughens up the potatoes), and then harvest. But the ones harvested early are known for tasting the best. And really it is fairly hard to find the right place to store potatoes long term in your average home.

[digitS']

I plant leaf lettuce close together, in little "clumps" - about 5 plants together.

Harvest amounts to pulling 1 or 2 and leaving the others to grow. Outer leaves may be discarded.

One of the reasons for me to have a veggie garden is to have the best that's available. I figure I'm supposed to be encouraged and eat more veggies. Nothing encourages me more than wanting to taste them.

Steve

[Igotworms]

Nice looking garden! I love the use of colors in the second box. Mine looks like a jungle, just a bunch of green.

[preciselysimple]

You done good. Lettuce and carrots should be over seeded and thinned IMO. You will learn as you go. I think the cucumbers, melons and tomatoes will take over more room than you anticipated.....but that's how you learn and improve. You have lush green grass. Don't be afraid to let roots dig into that soil. Hopefully there is not a weed/fabric barrier under the beds.

I am coaxing the melons to grow outside the bed just rooted there and I am considering pulling the 1 plant because it's growth kinda got stunted. The other 2 plants are growing nice long vines but not that one. So I figured why waste the nutrients?
The cucumbers and tomatoes are definitely getting huge! I have no idea where I am going to lead the cucumbers to grow once they fill that area out. I'm guessing just let them cascade over into the lawn.

As for the grass I have Trugreen coming to my home, and we had a little hiccup they murdered my pumpkin plants. But otherwise I am really trying to improve the overall aesthetic of my yard so I have been babying my grass also. They don't spray near my gardens except the day they got a little too close when they attacked my pumpkins so I have to keep up with the grass around the garden and it gets fertilized with the plants every week or so .

I do have a barrier just because prior to the garden the weeds were pretty bad in my yard, so that is why I tried to make my beds as tall as possible to get more soil. Hopefully they still do well .

Also on a last little note. I have some serious night crawlers in my back yard. When it rains at night I can go outside and see hundreds!!!! My dad says that means I have good soil. So my question is, with that barrier, do you think on those rainy nights I should snag some of those big suckers and throw them in my garden or just let nature do its work? Just curious as to if the are beneficial or not.

[sweetiepie]

I would put some of the night crawlers in your beds, they should loosen up the dirt so it doesn't become so hard packed.