Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

“Best Answer – Chosen by Asker
I think starting a garden is an excellent way to get your veggies without spending a lot of money… And for me it’s turned into a therapeutic hobby too. 🙂

There are a lot of factors– type of soil you have, amount of sun, wat size garden, what you want to grow, etc, etc….

Here’s some general advice— (the best I can do without knowing more about your yard)

Find the sunniest spot in your yard…. Rent a tiller to turn the soil….

Then, see what the neighbors are growing (chances are they have the same type of soil you do)….. Or take a soil sample to your local nursery and ask them, “what will grow in this type of ground”?

As for maintenance….. Put down a lot of mulch…. It will keep the water in and reduce the number of weeds….. If you want to get fancy, they have plastic or burlap tarps you can put over the garden to keep weeds down.

The south east is a great climate because you have a longer growing season…. If you have good soil, you should have a bountiful garden. 🙂

Here’s a link to an ebook that may help you– it’s pretty thorough and offers some good advice. It’s titled Vegetable Garden Secrets. Http://www.iwantateachingjob.com/garden.html
Maybe the book can help you get started. 🙂

Best of luck!!
1 year ago”

“Best Answer – Chosen by Voters
I did some research on this very subject a few days ago and here is what I found….The following is a list of vegetables of partial shade-tolerant vegetables. While productions may be greater in the sun, these plants will produce an edible crop when grown in a shady location. However, remember that nothing will grow in complete shade. Plants will need some morning, evening or filtered sun; a total of two to six hours of direct sun is the minimum.
Arugala Rhubarb Beans Rutabagas Beets Salad Burnet Broccoli Salsify Brussels sprouts Sorrel cabbage Spinach Cauliflower Summer Squash Celery Turnips Cress Endive HERBS Garlic Angelica Kale Borage Kohlrabi Caraway Leaf Lettuce Chervil Leeks Coriander Parsley Lemon Balm Parsnips Lovage Peas Mint Potatoes Tarrgon Pumpkins Thyme Radish
blueberries, raspberries, and several kinds of pears
In general, leafy vegetables are the most shade-tolerant, while those that fruit from a flower (tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplants) are the least. In between are the root vegetables requiring at least a half day of full sun: potatoes, beets, carrots and turnips. Shade tolerant leafy vegetables include lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, endive and radiccio. Broccoli (and its relatives — kale, kohlrabi, turnips, mustard and cabbage — also grow in partial shade.

Good Luck”

Note: Crisphead, also known as iceberg, has a tightly compacted head with crisp, light green leaves. Many gardeners find this type difficult to grow due to high temperatures.

GardenersCardiff answers:

All the basic s are available here i hope this of some help for you
http://www.gardenadvice.com/

HOW TO CHOOSE A POT AND PLANTER – There are signs all around us that spring will soon be here. The song birds are returning, buds are starting to appear on the trees, and the sales ads at all the garden centers and home improvement stores are filled with pictures of lush, healthy plants in pots and planters.. >> more

GARDENING USING TREES AND SHRUBS WITH SCENT IN MIND – Trees can affect the character of a garden and all gardens, however small, should have at least one. They make such a strong outline against the background and the sky. >> more

STRAW BALE CULTURE TECHNIQUE – Straw bale culture is a form of soilless cultivation or hydroponics. The technique is quite effective at growing healthy plants and can grow tomatoes, peppers or even cucumbers to list a few. Root vegetables like turnips or carrots are not ideal for straw culture. >> more

SECRETS OF A GREAT GARDEN REVEALED – The real secret to a great garden is so obvious that many people look right past it: great plants. Master gardeners know that not all plants are created equal. Put the right plant in the right place and an outstanding garden can be as easy as sunshine, water and a dash of plant food now and then. >> more

INVITE SPRING EARLY – GROW IN YOUR BASEMENT – Early Spring is the time to get ready to grow your own seedlings! It’s not really difficult, and can extend your growing season by many weeks… More

FIVE MUST-HAVE INGREDIENTS FOR THE ORGANIC GARDENER’S TOOLKIT
For anyone contemplating the switch to organic gardening, here are a few ingredients that should be in every gardener’s toolkit. >> more

10 FREE GARDENING PRODUCTS One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding alternative ways of coming up with the same, if not better, end result….more

FALL PREP WORK MAKES FOR A GREEN SPRING – Although it’s tough to admit, summer is drawing to a close and backyard activities will soon be slowing down; but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of your lawn just as you would if spring were right around the corner. As a matter of fact, there are several things you can do now to get your lawn ready for winter and, ultimately, the following spring. >> more

TEST YOUR WEED IQ – Test your knowledge with this basic weed IQ test to see if this year’s gardening will be an up-hill battle or a walk in the park. >> more

SUMMER PRUNING: PINCH AN INCH – Summer pruning, pinching, isn’t recommended for trees that are growing slowly since it will further slow down growth. It is most desirable with trees that naturally have a tendency to get much tall than we want them to be… More

PREPARE FOR SEED STARTING – How do you satisfy the gardening itch in the middle of winter? Easily! Start plants from seed. Now is a great time to get a jumpstart on the gardening season. >> more

GARDENING TIPS & TECHNIQUES – Simple ideas to help your garden grow. >> more

PLANT DIAGNOSIS – Plant diagnosis, how to tell what your plant may be suffering from. Plus indoor gardening, insects, bulbs, toxic plants, herbs, aromatherapy, seed collecting, weeds, greenhouses, and much more. >> more

HORTICULTURE DEFINITIONS – Some simple horticulture definitions to get you started in understanding the language of gardeners. >> more

COMPOSTING – Composting is easy. You don’t need any special knowledge or equipment, and it takes only a little extra effort to collect your wastes and establish an active compost pile. Once you’ve got it going, it just about takes care of itself. >> more

WILDFLOWER SEEDS – TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PLANT – Ever since that time more and more plants have been introduced from around the world with very mixed results. Although many of the imports are now prized garden specimens, others are regarded as invasive weeds whose cultivation is actively discouraged eg Japanese Knotweed. The benefits of growing wildflowers are many, but here are just a few..
Http://www.pioneerthinking.com/garden-basics.html

GardenersCardiff answers:

Hollywood actor Joe Morgan shared several gardening tips in the following article – http://www.rosebudmag.com/hydroponic-tips-ideas/joe-rogan-plants-growers-hydroponics

5 Great Plants for School Gardens are:

Radishes

Radishes are fast. Some varieties are ready to eat just three weeks after the seeds are sown, making them a satisfying first plant for beginners. Radishes are also easy to harvest, and kids will have fun pulling the whole plant out of the ground while learning about root systems. Like all of the plants on this list, they are easy to eat raw. Their sharp flavor can be toned down by grating them into a slaw or pairing them with a dipping sauce.

Rainbow Chard

Many greens and lettuce varieties work well in school gardens because they are less frost-sensitive and can be planted in the spring and fall. Rainbow chard is an especially nice choice because a single seed pack will yield a neon display in shades of yellow, pink, green and orange. It is also very hearty and will continue to produce through the summer and fall if it is harvested regularly. The seeds are relatively large, making them easy for small fingers to handle. Mature leaves usually taste best sautéed, but small, young leaves are good in a salad.

Peas

There are two basic types of peas, those that we shell (English peas) and those we eat whole, pod and all (sugar snap peas). Fast-growing, fun to harvest, easy to eat, and tasty, peas are always a big hit. Most varieties like to climb, so they might need more infrastructure than your other plants, but they aren’t difficult to care for and do well in cool, spring weather. Peas are a great example of a delicious and nourishing seed; use them to discuss the lifecycle of plants and all their edible parts.

Cherry or grape tomatoes

Tomatoes can be tricky since they usually ripen during the heat of summer when school is not in session. A truly successful tomato crop will require summer volunteers who can keep the plants alive until kids return in August or September. If that’s possible, however, tomatoes will continue to bear fruit until the first frost. Why grape or cherry tomatoes? Because they’re easier to grow, bear more individual fruit (which means more students can participate in the harvest) and are fun to eat. Of this list they are the only fruit, which completes the lesson about the different edible parts of plants.

Herbs

If you are short on resources (space, time, money or water) herbs might be the way to go. Some herbs, like mint, are so easy they verge on weed status, elbowing their way into other garden beds and taking over. Basil, parsley and oregano are other good bets, and sage, rosemary and even lavender grow well in drier climates. Herbs are also great for engaging all five senses, and harvesting even a small amount can flavor a dish for a whole classroom.