Beginner Gardener

[Esther Knapicius]

this is my oldest garden, it is 24 years old. yes it takes time to get like this.

and this garden is rarely mulched. and rarely fertilized.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Esther, that's true regarding mulch, it's important, but not in all situations. The type of mulch you use is also a factor. Very true in regards to self-sowing plants. Very good input.

 

[SCD4275]

Ask yourself couple of questions?
What do you want to grow: vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers?
How much land do you have? If you don't have land,do you think you can do gardening on bins.
Once you know what you want to plant, then research on how to find seeds and when to plant seeds..

Great advice, thank you Vinaya

 

[SCD4275]

Mulch can be important in SOME areas but not all areas. If you have a plant that self seeds, mulch will hinder the babies for next year. I rarely mulch.

Hi Esther, Got it thanks,may I ask what dictates where you mulch, is it high traffic areas etc, places that are likely to become compacted?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

@SCD4275 Places that do not have re-seeders. Places that will be open to weeds growing. In my picture above, there are no places open to weeds, are there weeds, yes, but so little, takes 20 mins to grab them, by the time all the plants grow to what you see they drown out the sun for any weeds. Not sure what you mean by high traffic areas---people do not walk in my gardens. I also may put mulch around a young plant prior to winter.

 

[SCD4275]

It certainly looks peaceful

 

[LivingHorticulturally]

The most important thing to remember is to make sure plants are in the right habitat. No matter what kind of plant it is. Not only the right zone but the right light and water conditions. I can't tell you how many customers plants I see in the wrong environment and they wonder why they aren't doing well.

 

[SCD4275]

Stay away from all synthetic chemicals

Build soil

Don’t buy “patented” seed or seed connected with Monsanto

Don’t try to do too much at once. Start with a few plants first.

Know what zone you’re in and what will grow in that zone

Mulch is important for many reasons; don’t forget to make use of it

Don’t over water your houseplants; plants aren’t fish.

Wise, good advice, thanks Invasive, am building the soil, have found I'm in 9B Zone, got any feelings on Aerated compost tea & Soil Amendments

The most important thing to remember is to make sure plants are in the right habitat. No matter what kind of plant it is. Not only the right zone but the right light and water conditions. I can't tell you how many customers plants I see in the wrong environment and they wonder why they aren't doing well.

Great advice thank you

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Wise, good advice, thanks Invasive, am building the soil, have found I'm in 9B Zone, got any feelings on Aerated compost tea & Soil Amendments

Wow your in 9B zone how wonderful. Would say with that zone is to be careful in selections of vigorous plants, as you do not have the real cold to slow them down.
There are some hydrangeas I would love to get that you can in your zone.

 

[SCD4275]

Wow your in 9B zone how wonderful. Would say with that zone is to be careful in selections of vigorous plants, as you do not have the real cold to slow them down.
There are some hydrangeas I would love to get that you can in your zone.

Yes Esther repenting at leisure on the vigorous growth front, coupled with past incorrect positioning of one particularly lively shrub, you can tell my learning curve is quite steep, & I'm at sea level, fun,fun,fun

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

SCD,

got any feelings on Aerated compost tea & Soil Amendments

I have never gone through the trouble of getting a pump and creating an aerated compost tea, so I cannot speak to it with any firsthand knowledge. I make use of traditionally made compost tea and mycorrhizae. It works very well for me.

For me it is all about the quality of what is being used and about diversity in regards to what is going in the soil. So I will use buffalo to create a compost tea, or really rich worm castings, cow compost from a really good organic farm, and so on. When it comes to buffalo I use “BuffaLoam Organic Plant Food”, it's just organic buffalo compost and Norwegian seaweed. In my opinion mycorrhizae is essential.

Getting a pump and making aerated compost tea, that sounds like it could be beneficial, more oxygen in the mix. It seems like it could be helpful in situations where you are creating and building up soil that is newly made and hasn’t been well established.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

@SCD4275 , We all make mistakes. That is why I am such a stickler for reading up on plants, learning what works local, holding on to your heart when you see the plant to not make an incorrect choice. Better to walk away when unsure than to plant and regret for months later.

 

[Kallie]

What are the most important things to consider in growing plants for a beginner gardener?

Do research on all plants you want to grow, and only grow what you will eat.

1. Research the growing conditions, how to cook, how to harvest, and how many plants per person.
2. Lay out a garden design - doesnt have to be complicated. You can even use a container garden.
3. Separate plants by shade, full sun and partial shade. Also use companion planting.
4. Invest in good compost and soil, as well as a simple fertilizer such as Alaska Fish Emulsion, which is very concentrated and super cheap. You can mix Black Kow ($6.00 at Lowes) with Miracle Gro together. I would even add in Perlite. Be creative and use whatever is most plausible or free!
5. Talk to fellow gardeners.

This are just a few ideas.

 

[SCD4275]

@SCD4275 , We all make mistakes. That is why I am such a stickler for reading up on plants, learning what works local, holding on to your heart when you see the plant to not make an incorrect choice. Better to walk away when unsure than to plant and regret for months later.

Wise words Esther, it's my turn to repent at leisure . I've had my head in some online research in this ACT area, oh the pain! Research is ongoing but the call is for much more. So I thought I had better get some of the info out there. The UKs' Soil Association link is easier to read than the second link

https://www.soilassociation.org/res...c-farmer-increase-yield-through-compost-teas/
&
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7hs4001x
I would love to say enjoy......

 

[SCD4275]

Do research on all plants you want to grow, and only grow what you will eat.

1. Research the growing conditions, how to cook, how to harvest, and how many plants per person.
2. Lay out a garden design - doesnt have to be complicated. You can even use a container garden.
3. Separate plants by shade, full sun and partial shade. Also use companion planting.
4. Invest in good compost and soil, as well as a simple fertilizer such as Alaska Fish Emulsion, which is very concentrated and super cheap. You can mix Black Kow ($6.00 at Lowes) with Miracle Gro together. I would even add in Perlite. Be creative and use whatever is most plausible or free!
5. Talk to fellow gardeners.

This are just a few ideas.

Hi Kallie, thanks for the good advice, I shall adopt it as I go, No1 is particularly interesting because of my limited space. Compost- all systems go, though I did have to sharpen up my practices. My approach is organic gardening & I have settled on a product range, Better Organix. From my studies there, I reckon the physical demands on my body are going to be minimized, using soil amendments etc, where I can.