GardenersCardiff answers:

It is a committment to time and physcial effort…not mentally difficult. Getting started, no you won’t save money. You have tools to assemble and physical effort to get the soil in shape for growing. If you container garden, then you have the expense of containers and soil, etc.

You save money when you are experienced, have enough growing to justify the time and put quality over quanitity. If you are not gun-ho…….don’t bother.

Time: couple of weekends to get the soil in shape, planting a tomato in May, it won’t bear until August. Green beans from sowing to harvest is 75 days or so. During the time you have to be on top of watering, weeding and pest control.

You don’t sound like a good candidate, instead spend the time searching out local growers at farmer’s markets.

GardenersCardiff answers:

A little bit of both. Many people enjoy tending their own garden and enjoying the fruits of their labor. I spent about 15.00 on seeds at Walmart and have already gotten it back in lettuce, carrots and summer squash. And sweet peas. I should be picking my cukes very soon and as always, I will need to give some away as there are more than I can ever use for my family. Now tomatos this year are a different story. Normally I alwaaaaaaays start by seed under lights, but decided it would be cheaper to get plants than spend the electric on my plants 12 hours a day. So, I went to Lowe’s and spent 45.00 on 26 tomato plants and 1 frying pepper and one salsa verde pepper plant. While the tomatos need more time to get red (some yellow types and 1 purple), there are literally too many to count any longer. With the price of tomatos on sale for 2.99 a pound, I will easily recoup my 45.00, plus some. These will be canned and stored for salsa and sauce all winter. So to answer your question completely, while vegetable gardening is pleasurable, it is also well worth it to plant your own as opposed to buying at the supermarket. Additionally, the veggies are fresher and if you are an organic person, you can buy your plants and seeds as organics and raise them and feed them organically. My question, is why wouldn’t someone plant their own veggies? Good luck and I hope you try it yourself next year.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Idk but I wanna smoke with him one day.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Large-flowered Bellwort, and Blueflag.

GardenersCardiff answers:

You can plant pretty well anything you like, most things only need watering – if you have an allotment then the world is your oyster. Most allotments have a clubshouse where you can meet other allotment holders and share hints and tips, I would seek out the old timers with the best patches for their advice. If there are several other young people with busy jobs why not see if they would be happy to do a watering rota so that you only have to make one week night visit to water each week but you water each others allotments as well as your own.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Maybe because its been proven to be a drug with little damage compared to other drugs, its hard to overdose from it and its been kept illegal due to rumors.
And some people with MS grow it to treat themselves, some woman with MS said it made her life worth living on this documentary
i think it was called something like “the truth about cannabis”. I found it on youtube but i can’t find it anymore

GardenersCardiff answers:

It’s time to cut back those spring bloomers and spruce up with either late blooming perennials or some fresh annuals.

Here’s an article: http://www.ehow.com/how_4407772_that-summer-burnout-perennial-garden.html

GardenersCardiff answers:

Look for part sun plants or shade plants. Perennials – Black eyed susans, echinacea, daylilies and poppies come to mind – they are all pretty easy to grow in various conditions as long as they get some sun. Hostas are also an option, and shrubs – look for weigelia and spirea – also very easy to grow. Azalea is an option, too. Climbing flowers – or vining flowers – morning glories, an annual, are easy, and my favorite is nasturtiums – they aren’t really a climbing flower, they are more of a cascading flower. Also an annual.

All of these plants do very well in various locations in my yard, and I live in upstate NY – zone 5. Ensure that you boost your soil before planting – add some compost (you can purchase bags) and I like to add a bag of top soil. Mix it all up good, and you should be in good shape.

Please accept my apologies if I spelled some of the plants wrong. Good luck!

GardenersCardiff answers:

Good gardening tips – Weeds, pull as soon as you see them, they are much easier to get rid of when small and your garden looks better without them. Planting, plant one type of flower in groups of uneven numbers as it is more pleasing to the eye. Planting in drifts is also pleasing to the eye. If you have Hostas, snails and slugs love them, so take egg shells and squish them into little pieces and put around each Hosta since they will not want to crawl over them. If you want to have continual color in your garden be sure and dead-head all of your flowers and they will flower again. Happy Gardening!

GardenersCardiff answers:

1.Tomato Garden tips:

1.
Prepare the Garden
*
A young tomato plant sprouting from the seed.

The first step in planting your garden is to purchase tomato plants or seed. Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks prior to the start of the growing season to allow them to begin producing fruit sooner, and for a longer duration. Choose leafy plants with thick, green stems if purchasing seedlings. Invest in diverse types of tomatoes for maximum success and various ripening times.
Tomato plants will fruit faster when placed in a sunny location. They adapt well to most soils, but prefer a well-draining, loamy soil. To help soil nutrients recover, rotate crops so tomatoes are planted in the same location only once every three years. Cover the planting area with black plastic two to four weeks before transplanting to help warm the soil and jump-start fruit production.
Planting
*
Cherry tomatoes.

Plants should be a minimum of 6 inches tall before transplanting. Soil temperatures should range from 55 to 60 degrees F, with regular daily air temps at least 60 degrees F. Transplant on a cloudy day, after rainfall or during the late afternoon to help the plants adjust and prevent shock. Handle delicate tomato seedlings gently to prevent breaking or bruising.
For extra nutrients, spread compost over the bed and work the soil until it is loose. Tomato plants will sprout more roots from the stem, and require protection in cooler climates. In the north, dig holes deep enough to accommodate the entire root system and most of the stem. In southern climates, simply plant the root.
Care
*

A tomato garden requires some care to produce a high-yield harvest of high-quality fruit. Water a minimum of twice a week, soaking the top 6 to 8 inches of the ground. Add a layer of mulch around the plants to help them retain moisture. Fertilize a week after planting, and as needed, with a liquid or granule containing equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Secure the tomato plants to stakes, cages or a trellis support with strips of soft cloth. Pick tomatoes when the flesh is firm and fully colored.

2.Greenbeas garden tips:

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10 Easy Tips For Growing Green Beans
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Growing green beans (sometimes referred to as pole beans, snap beans, string beans, or bush beans) is quickly becoming a very popular vegetable in the vegetable garden. There is a good reason why – green beans are very easy to grow and prolific producers. Most green beans are ready to pick 45 to 60 days after germination, making them a favorite for a quick and steady harvest. If you love green beans and are interested in growing them in your vegetable garden, here are a few tips for growing the best green beans in town.
Growing Great Green Beans

Pole Green Beans
* Green beans grow best in full soil and warm soil that has reached between 65°F and 70°F.

* You can soak most green bean seeds overnight in a small dish of warm water. This will help speed up the germination process.

* Plant your green beans in fertile, well-drained soil to suppress the chances of root rot.

* Choose disease resistant varieties of green beans to prevent diseases such as rust, powdery mildew, and curly top virus.

* Maintain good spacing around green beans to increase air circulation and decrease chances of powdery mildew. Pole beans can be planted at a spacing of 2-1/2 feet, while bush beans should be planted at 3 foot intervals.

* Water your green beans at ground level using a soaker hose or drip irrigation system. This helps to keep plant leaves dry and prevent diseases.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Here you go.
Http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gardening_Zone_7

GardenersCardiff answers:

Your state or one of your surrounding states that are in the same gardening zone as you are should be a good resource for you. Also, there are often smaller garden centers that specialize in native plants and they are often very happy to provide advice.

Try searching with key words such as : native plants – horticulture -and then name of your state. Or gardening with native plants and the name of your state.

GardenersCardiff answers:

I did that when I used to live in a house with a big, big back yard! Wow, one summer I slaved myself growing ALL kinds of vegetable!!! Tomatoes, corn, radishes, lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, strawberries, cucumbers…OMG! Can’t remember what else…it was sooooooooo much work. I would go to the store and see that they had beautiful bunches or radishes for 50 cents, beautiful strawberries for 2 dollars per basket…lol!!! Other than the tomatoes, it was so not worth it. Now I live in a place with a very tiny are for gardening and I have 4 dwarf citrus tress…last year I actually had great Red Blood Oranges.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Get a copy of ‘Growing your own Vegetables’ by Joy Larcombe. (£9.99) This fantastic little paperback is simply packed with info on all the questions you’ve asked and more. Very readable and informative.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Sounds like you need to do some terracing and spend some time learning and deciding what you want. Visit some gardens, hang out at garden centers, look through books, and visit websites.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Get yourself some clones, and some lights that’s used in a fish tank, after setting every thing up make sure that your plants are in a dark place before turning on your lights, they will grow better

GardenersCardiff answers:

There are a couple of methods that you can employ in addition to your filter/light system.

Firstly, good ‘housekeeping’ helps prevent the conditions required for Algae to grow, and includes preventing run-off water from entering your pond from surrounding soil. This water is likely to contain the nutrients needed for Algae to grow. Keeping debris in your pond to a minium will also prevent this from decomposing down to the same nutrients – though we’d hope that the water filter will process most of the fish waste, ensure that fallen leaves etc don’t get a chance to enter or remain for long enough to become a source for Algea’s nutrient requirements.

Light is also needed by Algae to grow, so if any shading is given, this will restrict growth too. If you have surface plants, these will also compete with Algae for the nutrients, as well as restrict light from entering the pond, otherwise, consider other physical barriers.

Secondly, you can add products that are fish safe that will control Algae, including blanket weed. It’s always best to manually remove blanket weed if you, perhaps be twirling it around sticks etc. Otherwise it will decay, and provide nutrients to fuel further growth. The best product that I have used, which is a natural mix of enzymes, minerals etc, is called Blanket Answer, made by Cloverleaf , available from many aquatic supplies retailers – http://www.swelluk.com/pond/pond-treatments-and-test-kits-35/algae-treatments-277/cloverleaf-blanket-answer-10310.html

Otherwise, you can add liquid extract of Barley straw, which goes to work immediately, and is faster and preferable to adding a bale of straw, in my opinion.

Other general Algae can also be controlled by additives, such as this, which I use, and is fish safe – http://www.koibitz.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=378

So, keep your pond’s well being managed, and feel free to use natural Algae controls, in order to get great looking water, safe fish, and an easier life.

Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob

GardenersCardiff answers:

Hi there Bex,

I have kids and pets and understand completely what you’re up against.
Realistically, you have two options. You can either remove what’s there, or cover up what’s there.

OR cover up what’s there whilst you work on clearing the rest one square at a time. Yep, sorry, that’s three I know!

I had a similar situation, the garden wasn’t massive, but a fair size and way too big for me to tackle on my own. I partitioned off an area big enough for the swing and sand pit, and then went round every carpet shop I could find and asked for any old carpet that was being thrown out after the shop had laid new. Of course, there will be some really manky old stuff, but if you explain it’s for children to play on while you sort out the garden they won’t think you’re just a fussy old bird. Don’t worry about asking for the old stuff; just remember that the shop has to pay to get rid of it, so, you’re actually saving them money.

I took all the carpet home, and yes it did take some days before I had enough. Depending on how bad the rubble/glass is, will depend on how many layers of carpet to put down, and obviously, any visble shards of glass poking anything like upwards will need to be picked out.
Of course, this option is not ideal, but if will mean that you and the children can go and sit outside, have a tea party, do some painting etc.

MEANWHILE, with the rest of the garden, I got some string, and I made the un-carpeted bit into a grid with squares about a meter x a meter. I then got some heavy duty gloves, a heavy duty door mat to kneel on and a hand pick and buckets. And went over the whole flipping lot.

Of course it was hard work, but by doing it one square at a time, I could pace myself, and I just set a target of one square a day. Depending on the ages of your children, you could maybe kit them out with gloves goggles and get them to help.
Of course, only you know how bad the situation is at your end, it maybe too dangerous for them.
If they are able to help, it will give them a massive sense of achievement knowing that they have helped clear their own play area.

The added benefit of clearing one square at a time is that is maybe perhaps easier to get rid of the debris in smaller amounts. Skips are very expensive.

These tasks always seem so huge and overwhelming when we first look at them, but by breaking it down into small pieces, we can achieve fantastic results.

You can cut away the carpet one meter at a time as you’re clearing as you go, and this makes it easier to dispose of the carpet too.

I make good use of old carpet for all sorts of things. A lot goes down in muddy gateways where I keep my horse to- it saves me so much time, fuss and money. Ok, so I don’t always like the patterns, but hey, once covered in mud, who can tell?

GardenersCardiff answers:

He hasn’t found my still yet!!!!

GardenersCardiff answers:

I’d starve to death, waiting for them to grow.