Linda asks…
How often should I water my veggie garden in zone 5?
GardenersCardiff answers:
All vegetable gardens should be watered every morning. Not knowing exactly which way your garden is located, if it is facing the south or southwest and it’s 80 degrees or more temperature-wise, then it would be beneficial to lightly water at noon, too. And no overhead watering, especially with tomatoes, as it causes viruses.
I live in zone 5 and water in the morning, drip system, for 30+ minutes, and then I go out and use a watering can to water new plants or seedlings that may have been missed in any way.
Maria asks…
“Blooming” plants for an asian inspired garden? (Zone 8)?
I need some ideas for plants for my asian inspired garden. I’ve found tons of ground coverings & grasses & things that don’t produce blooms. Now I’m trying to find some plants with color that will hopefully attract butterflies, but need them to fit into the asian theme, & they need to be able to thrive in Zone 8. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Forgot to mention, I am wanting flowering plants.
GardenersCardiff answers:
I always think of irises, wisteria, plum, chrysanthemums, rhododendrons, cherry blossoms, peonies and poppies first in connection with the gardens of China and Japan.
Some ideas:
http://www.jgarden.org/plants.asp
http://www.a-japanese-garden.com/japanese-garden-plants.php
Valdar’s book Garden Plants of China
Chris asks…
gardening?
im doing a project which involves some gardening which is a topic that i know nothing about.. i was wondering if someone could help me? I’m making a garden and am wondering what kind of plants to get.. i need something that is easy to maintain and that I can plant asap.. lots of colour and that will still be there for a while after i leave.. what ever you have that can help me will be very much appricated..
thanks
i live in a small town in ontario, canada and leaving is im graduating at the end and leaving to go to school and it would prolly be out it the sun
i live in a small town in ontario, canada and leaving is im graduating at the end and leaving to go to school and it would prolly be out it the sun
GardenersCardiff answers:
Gardening is so “local” to the area. What works in west Texas would not work in east Texas, and vice versa. You HAVE access to experts in your area: Your county extension agent will LOVE to walk you through finding out what kinds of plants would thrive in your climate, how to prepare the soil, and specific suggestions to get the look you want.
Look them up in the phone book. They’ll likely be located in or near your county court house if you live in a suburban or rural area.
Another local set of experts will be your master gardeners’ club. Check the community calendars, and make friends at the meetings. They WANT to share all they’ve learned.
Have fun. There’s a lot to learn.
Added as an edit – I don’t know if Canada has the extension agency system, so my suggestion won’t work unless they do. In lieu of that, find your “region” on map for hardiness zones like this one: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. Then call a county in the US in a similar region.
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Sharon asks…
Growing vegetables.?
I am thinking of using my very large garden to grow vegetables. Any tips on which are easiest to grow in the UK ( Shropshire ) I want to grow stuff that will attract as few as possible insects and pigeons.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Beginning a vegetable garden is a massive project but is worth a lifetime of happiness. Begin by getting the soil tested in several locations to determine what nutrients are lacking in your soil so that you can amend the soil before planting. Also it is not so much knowing what plants grow in the UK as knowing what has been successful right in your own neighborhood. Talk to folks with vegetable gardens that are near your home and find out what has worked best for them. Neighhborhood experience is the best education. Insects are good and bad. In a well balanced garden, insects take care of each other. If you use pesticides you might knock off the “good bugs.” Get some really good gardening books that give you layouts for plants that complement each other. Give your plants lots of space for good air circulation. Til and enrich your soil. Any vegetable such as a carrot, parsnip, etc that is a root vegetable, needs unobstructed soil about 12 inches deep. Your top 6 to 12 inches of soil must be free of rocks, sticks, etc. A vegetable garden is a wonderful challenge but initially a lot of work. If you dont do this work, you will be disappointed with your results.
Paul asks…
Is it easy to grow your own vegetables?
I was thinking of growing some stuff to save money but if its very difficult and time consuming, i won’t do it. just how much work is it to grow something like tomatoes or green beans? how long does it take?
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.
Mark asks…
Is it cheaper to grow my own vegetables or get it from the supermarket?
Do people plant their vegetables in the backyard nowadays more as a hobby or do they actually find it more economical to do so? Is it worth the time and water?
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.
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Charles asks…
How People live on being self sufficient?
Im trying to understand how people can be self suffecient, grow there own food, have there own farm aninmals etc…Arent some plants ONCE A YEAR plants? So how is that that we stay stocked with fresh fruit and veggies at the store all year round?
I have been looking into buying a property and pretty much be self sufficient with my own farm animals , plants , etc. I just dont understand how this is possible because i always thought most plants are once a year crop. So how would u eat in the winter when the plants arent producing?
GardenersCardiff answers:
The five answers before me are all correct – save seeds, home processing
but they forgot a few things like
electricity – use a wind jammer or a nacelle
heat – wood, coal, gas, propane, corn to burn for winter heat and cooking foods, or processing foods, heated water
soap – need wood ash and lye to make it (you can’t make lye, it has to be purchased)
clothing – especially shoes
salt and sugar for processing
the only thing you addressed was food – your physical needs aren’t addressed – lumber is another, got a saw mill in the back forty?
Unless you live on a tropical island you will never be self sufficient – our modern lifestyles can’t promote it – unless you are willing to sacrifice every thing including your car you won’t be able to do it
your first goal is to drop off the grid
no electricity purchased, no gasoline purchased, no natural gas purchased, no credit cards used – this is extremely difficult to do for 99.0 percent of the people – so that means no more computers, phones, television, electronic banking,
you have to earn cash some how and you still have to pay into taxes and social security
just because you want to be sufficient doesn’t mean uncle sam will forget who you are
we personally grow 75 percent of what we consume for food, but we can’t grow cotton to weave in our climate, we can’t grow sugar, we can’t produce salt, we need these things to live
the amount of acreage you need to be totally self sufficient is large and you will need help to maintain it, hired help that will want paid – so that takes away from being self sufficient – you aren’t if you need help doing it
a balance has to be met – one family member has to work a job for money and taxes and insurance, the other family members work to maintain the homestead, growing food and maintenance of the land, there are a lot of chores to be done, to many for one person, a generator is used and a wind jammer, but the generator need diesel, you can produce it but you need a home refinery to do it and the cost outweighs the usage, clothing is purchased second hand so it is cheaper, there are a lot of different things that have to be done to live this lifestyle
hey maybe you can read up on the amish lifestyle – they aren’t even self sufficient – but some of them are way closer than any of us
Mandy asks…
Is New Orleans a good area for vegetable gardens?
I plan to move to the area soon. One thing I enjoy doing is growing my own food. Do gardens work well down there? Does anyone have tips for successful gardens?
Thank you so much!
GardenersCardiff answers:
Yes hot humid Summers an usually mild winters are good for many crops
a local expert is Dan Gill, Times-Picayune garden columnist
you can email him here with any questions you have
dgill@agcenter.lsu.edu
Jenny asks…
What’s the film about the family who has stopped using money?
I saw a trailer a long time ago. One memorable scene was the dad speaking to a business man/visitor telling him they grow their own food and make their own clothes and the little money they do get they get from selling vegetables. The visitor calls him a genius. The family is happy and content with their life. They lived somewhere in the countryside in the USA.
Any help as to the title of this movie would be great.
Many thanks.
GardenersCardiff answers:
The Mating Game (1959)
starring Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall and Paul Douglas
IMDb synopsis:
Tax collector Lorenzo Charlton comes to the Larkins’ farm to ask why Pop Larkins hasn’t paid his back taxes. Charlton has to stay for a day to try to estimate the income from the farm, but it isn’t easy to calculate when the farmer has such a lovely daughter, Mariette.
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Nancy asks…
Where do I start to learn how to create a backyard vegetable garden?
I have a roughly 20’X3′ area in the backyard that would be perfect for a vegetable garden. Having grown up in the city I have very little clue about gardening.
Where do I start to gain knowledge about gardening and specifically about vegetable gardens. The vegetables/herbs/fruits I would like to grow would be tomatoes, parsely, lemons, etc. Suggestions on what is possible are also very welcome.
I am looking for recommendations on books, websites, etc.
I am in central California, USA.
Thanks very much in anticipation of your replies.
Regards!
GardenersCardiff answers:
Http://www.vegherb.com/
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden
http://www.essortment.com/in/Gardening.Growing.How.To/
http://www.heavenlychef.com/gardening.htm
Thomas asks…
How to start a home garden?
Hello. I’m interested in starting my own garden at home. I’m planning to plant strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries, watermelon, and grapes. I’ve chosen a plot of land, but I don’t know exactly how to start a garden. The plot of land is riddled with weeds, soil seems to be poor, a bit sandy. What can I do to make it suitable for gardening? I’m an absolute beginner.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Take the grapes off your list, for starters. If you’re a newbie, start small, with a few plants, and expand your garden as you gain experience. A common mistake for first-timers is that they put in too big a garden, with too much, and then are overwhelmed, and give up in frustration.
Strawberries I recommend growing in containers where you see them every day, and can keep an eye on them. A small vegetable garden with a couple tomatoes or peppers, or 1 or 2 other things is a good start. Pick your spot – a 3 foot by 10 or 12 foot is plenty big for your first year – in a sunny place, that isn’t too far from water or a hose. Till or just turn the soil with a shovel, and work in a lot of compost a couple weeks before your last frost date, and you’ll be ready to plant.
Grapes are a whole learning curve in themselves, and I recommend them NOT being the first thing your plant.
Blueberries, if your soil ph is below 6.5, are do-able, as they’re fairly simple to plant. If your soil ph is close to 7.0, though, they will never be very happy.
Tomatoes will want about 9 square feet of space per plant (I often see them planted about a foot apart – easy to do when they’re so small when you plant). Watermelon will sprawl – the vines traveling 10 to 20 feet…but if you have the space, you can kind of “direct” where the vine goes as it grows.
Michael asks…
How can I keep people from stealing from my garden?
I live in area where people are known to steal from peoples garden, unlike others who stopped gardening, I would like to plant this year.
I also have limited yard space to work with.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Plant something like squash that makes a lot and give it to your neighbors. Share what you have even if its not much at all. Talk to people who walk by while you are gardening. Give it a year or so. People don’t steal from their friends so be their friend.
Friendship and talk brings a sense of community instead of distrust and bickering.
I get more pleasure from sharing my produce with friends than actully eatting it all myself. Nobody in my area would steal becasue all they have to a do is ask.
Downtown in summer you must lock your car doors. If you don’t somebody will fill it with squash!
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Susan asks…
Is Wisteria poisonous to peafowl?
I hope not, ’cause they’ve been eating the leaves like popcorn for weeks now. I hear different things from different garden supply places, please let me know if anyone has experience with this bidness.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Yes it is and i had experience wth the bidness.
Robert asks…
How many college campuses have herb and vegetable gardens?
I am trying to write an article about a vegetable and herb garden. Does anyone know how many colleges have a vegetable and herb garden that supplies their food service units?
GardenersCardiff answers:
Nah, they just have maruijana plantations =]
Sandy asks…
Where do you find/buy composting worms?
Other than gardening supply stores, where’s a good place to buy or find composting worms, specifically red wiggler worms or European nightcrawlers. I live near DC
GardenersCardiff answers:
Uncle Jims. They are the best. OK for fishing too.
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Susan asks…
Starting Vegetable Garden in February South Texas?
I live in S. Texas and would like to start a vegetable garden. It’s February and I don’t know where I should start or how to begin. What should I plant, etc. Please help.
GardenersCardiff answers:
To start a vegetable garden, you really have to plan it:
“Planning a vegetable garden is not difficult though, so we’ll go through an overview of each step here for you.
1. What vegetables do you want to grow? Knowing which vegetables you want to grow in your garden is the first step in planning. There’s really no use planting things you will not use yourself, unless you plan to give vegetables away or sell them.
Most people start vegetable gardens for their own personal use though. And starting simple and small is usually best, so try selecting five to ten of your family’s favorite vegetables to get started with, then you can grow from there each year.
2. Where will your vegetable garden be? The location of your vegetable garden is an important decision that needs to be made in the planning stage. Not only do you need to plan for enough room to grow all the vegetables you want in your garden, but you also need to plan the space based on how much sunlight it gets throughout the day, and how easy it will be to get water to the garden.
Most vegetable gardens need at least five hours of sunlight each day in order to grow abundant amounts of healthy produce. If you don’t plan the location well, you may end up with no vegetables to harvest from your garden because there’s not enough sunlight or water for the plants to grow.
Since you planned your vegetables already in the first step of this process, you should have a good idea of how much sun and water each of them will need. And this in turn will help you with planning the location for your vegetable garden.
3. How large will your garden be? This ties in closely with planning the location of your vegetable garden, because you must make sure you have enough space for the amount of vegetables you intend to grow.”
I found the above tips on the following site:
http://www.gardenbot.com/vegetable-garden.html
It’s a huge gardening site with tons of information on vegetable gardening as well as gardining in general
Nancy asks…
How Have you contributed to saving the planet in the struggle against Global Warming?
I cant say that I have made a start yet but Its been on my mind a lot because of the media coveage on the topic as well as the obvious change in weather patterns we are experiencing.
Well last week I planted 2 rose trees in my garden but I hardly think it was enough.
GardenersCardiff answers:
I don’t consider that I have done anything,because I consider this as a lifestyle and not a “save the planet” thing.Recycle,reuse,redo that can apply to most anything you can buy.So it all lasts much longer and is more usable keeping your garbage down.However as lots more of us do that prices will go up even more because less is being bought,there are no easy answers anymore,we each just have to figure out whats works best and stick with it.And still keep some level of comfort,with me its not about owning things but to have some comfort in my home,without waste as much as possible.I don’t like the new light bulbs they will have to get much better before I do them completely.Its not saving money if every light in the room on just to read a book.Congratulations on the roses,the bees love them(we need the bees)they will be beautiful,your enjoyment,and every little thing helps.Bless you.
Chris asks…
What can I make with zucchini and squash?
My friend has a huge garden, and he gave me a bunch of vegetables. I tried growing some over the summer and failed miserably…I guess he felt sorry for me or something. Anyway, I’m only going to be home until Tuesday and I need to use all of it by then, because I know the rest of my family won’t and it will end up rotting.
I just want to make something that will be quick and easy. I have a lot of it so I’ll need to make multiple things.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Well, Zucchini Bread is always good to make. I liked this recipe, it was moist and tasty: http://awellplannedmeal.com/?p=84 ***EDIT*** I found a better recipe, when I made it, it was absolutely perfect. Http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/chocolate-chip-and-walnut-zucchini.html
You could make a casserole; with chicken, rice, condensed soup, and of course your zucchini and squash. I like making casseroles because I can play around with the ingredients; I usually add broccoli and green beans, and top mine with cheese
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