Getting close to the start of my first good garden. Last fall, I tilled 2 rows for use this year. They are 16 ft long, 8 in deep and around 15 in wide. In each row, I tilled in 5 of the 1 cu ft bags of compost from Walmart. Miracle Gro Natures Care Really Good Compost is the name of it. I also tilled in all the leaves from our 2 huge maple trees. Was at the Walmart yesterday, they just got in the same compost plus some bags of Cow Manure and Organic Compost. Do I need to till in any more compost this spring before I start the planting? Anything else I should put in the soil to help things out? I get lots of fish in the spring, will fish bodies do some good? Lots of questions.
The rows are 4 ft apart. I plan on putting a 16 ft long, 4 ft high welded wire panel in each row, then attach a strip of 36 in wide smaller wire to each one, making an "A" shape when viewed from the ends. Everything will be held in place with 6 ft posts driven 2 ft into the ground. Gonna put my plants every foot or so, cucumbers on one side and some squash and early silver line melons on the other side. I plan on a few tomato plants and a couple pepper plants in a different area. The boss also wants me to plant some sweet taters along the fence line.
The veggies I think I have control of but have questions on the sweet taters. Would it be OK to just put small golf ball sized whole taters in the ground every 18 inches or so until I get what I want planted or do I need to do the slip thing? I have read lots on the taters and it seems either one works. What do the people on here think? This is going to be my first real garden. Last year, way too late, I just dug a little hole with a hand tool and stuck seeds into the ground. Things grew but I want to try to deo a good job this year and keep the Boss happy. Anything that you fellow dirt diggers can offer to help a guy out sill be greatly appreciated.
I notice that most everyone has a zone listed. How do I determine what zone is me? I am in North Eastern Kansas, Fort Riley/Junction City area to be exact. Thanx David