Want to start a garden? Ask your questions!

8 years ago

Woodcote garden · More Info

Are you delving into gardening for the first time. We'd love to hear any questions or fears you might have about (literally) digging into gardening.

There are no stupid questions! Let's hear them!

Featured Answer

lnc11

8 years ago

All of you have great questions especially you first timers. Not to take away from this site but I suggest you look up the agriculture university extension in your state/area for the answers to most of your issues . I live in Ohio so I would look up Ohio State University Extension. You will be given research based information. I'm also a Master Gardener. We are trained by the Extension & you will find Master Gardener Volunteers in just about every county in every state. One of our functions is to answer questions like the ones above. We usually have booths at farmers markets or such events. I suggest using that resource since we can answer questions specific to your region.

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Comments (137)

maridela109
7 years ago
Anyone have advice on what to do with a tomato plant that won't grow. Thanks
printesa
7 years ago
is that sand? I don't know how well they do in sand
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minjeeah
7 years ago
Question. Has anybody has luck with growing green beans? We tried once had no luck.
csch
7 years ago
Green beans are one of the easiest things I grow, I always have more than I can eat. Don't overfertilize them, their roots add nitrogen to the soil, don't overwater them. There's many different varieties both bush (short) and pole (tall, what I prefer). I usually grow Kentucky wonder and haricots vert in Bay Area, both are very reliable.
printesa
7 years ago
I grow beans every year,Plant in the spring and you'll get beans in no time. This year I tried some purple ones and we had more than we could eat. Last year I tried different green ones. Snow peas are also easy to grow and delicious
minjeeah
7 years ago
Thanks printesa
minjeeah
7 years ago
Thanks csch!
minjeeah
7 years ago
Has anybody had luck with salad?
csch
7 years ago
Salad greens do best from fall thru spring, they don't like to be overheated and too much sun makes them go to seed quickly. Lettuce is very easy to start from seed, spinach I sometimes do from seed, sometimes buy seedlings. Keep picking the outer leaves of baby lettuces, with head lettuces wait till the whole thing is mature.

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/cool-season-vegetables-how-to-grow-salad-greens-stsetivw-vs~3786420

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/10-easy-edibles-for-first-time-gardeners-stsetivw-vs~24463550
minjeeah
7 years ago
Thank you
maridela109
7 years ago
Oh the tomato plant is not in sand its just sort of dry dirt
printesa
7 years ago
You should test your soil..From the photo, it looks like it has sand mixed in it, which is fine, but it might not hold water and dry too fast..It might also miss some nutrients. You can't know that without testing it. My tomatoes grow too big,,that is my problem here;)
maridela109
7 years ago
Hello anyone have advice on how to start a pomagranate seed. Thanks
minjeeah
7 years ago
Maridela
Can you look on google and figure it out?.
Can you maybe try to put them in your garden but I have no clue if it would work. Never grown any.

put your seeds in the ground?
Just ideas have no clue it it would work.
maridela109
7 years ago
Hello again I have some sunflowers^. Some of the petals have already fallen off, so all I want to know is what do I do next.(first blooms) Like how to know if they have seeds and how to harvest them. Thank you
printesa
7 years ago
Sunflowers need to mature. Yours seem to be very young. Seeds will form later in the season and only when the flowers are done and the middle dry, you can get the seeds. We have sunflowers every year and they do take an entire summer to mature
maridela109
7 years ago
Sorry for asking so many questions but for the sunflowers ^ do I cut them so the plant can keep growing or leave them if so how much do I cut
maridela109
7 years ago
Sorry for asking so many questions but for the sunflowers ^ do I cut them so the plant can keep growing or leave them if so how much do I cut? Thanks
csch
7 years ago
Leave the flower heads to dry on the plant if you want to harvest seeds. It will take a couple weeks till they're ready, depending on how warm it is. The plant will die back on its own, if you let some of the seeds fall you should get new plants next year.
maridela109
7 years ago
Hi again my

tomato is doing great right now. I found these neat little fertilizer spikes that helped alot. I was even able to start an apple seedling and pomagranate.
minjeeah
7 years ago
I'm so glad they are doing well!. We tried to keep ours alive during the winter but the last freeze took them!...
We covered and tried and they still didn't!
madoanh12
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hello I have this tomatoe, that all of a sudden the leaves started turning yellow And I dont know what to do
theres three plamts in that pot
printesa
7 years ago
Usually that happens if there is not enough water
Jessice Lenney
7 years ago
I trying to start a garden. What I have for now is a glove. I bought no cry Puncture Resistant Gardening Gloves. I just want to ask what tools do I need to have to avoid cuts and blisters?
minjeeah
7 years ago
What kind of plants are you wanting?.
madoanh12
7 years ago
Hi the tomatoes that I have are not rippening and they been on the plant about a month or two
csch
7 years ago
Madoanh12, I'm assuming you're in the Southern Hemisphere to be growing tomatoes now, are they getting 8-10 hours of direct sun? They need that to ripen, otherwise they would need growing lights to help.
madoanh12
7 years ago
yes im in central Florida.The plants get almost full sun all day. Could waterong or food be a problem
csch
7 years ago
Yes, don't overwater once they have set fruit. Water them if the stems or leaves look droopy. They don't need any food once fruit has set.
madoanh12
7 years ago
Hello are these lettuce about ready to take in?
printesa
7 years ago
yes, you can harvest them
madoanh12
7 years ago
Also how do I cut them or do I just pull them of(the leaves)?
partim
7 years ago
Cut the outside leaves off at the base with scissors. If you pull on them, you may disturb the roots. If there are little leaves in the middle of the plant, they will keep on growing if the roots are still undisturbed.
floral_grow
6 years ago
I planted a clematis last year, it blossomed this summer and then the deer ate the flowers. Will it rebloom this year, or even next year.
printesa
6 years ago
yes, they will bloom. If they are the type that rebloom later in the season, they will rebloom. Otherwise, it will be next year. I used before Deer Stopper spray and it worked. The deer used to come and eat all my tulips
floral_grow
6 years ago
thank you, I have liquid fence I use for rabbits and deer, however, I didn't spray the clematis.
housesketcher
6 years ago
I am overwhelmed. A moonscape of less than perfect soil. Tiny budget. Can I begin by planting shrubs/flowers without top soil, and add mulch on top when planting is done and every subsequent year and eventually amend the soil? Lawn is not an option - ever again. Trying for Mediterranean style, grasses, shrubs, etc. Thanks for *any* advice.
csch
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Housesketcher: Spend your money on amending the soil for now. Most master gardeners will tell you 90 cents of every dollar spent on a garden should be spent on your soil. If it hasn't been tested, contact your local extension service, buy a testing kit online or at your garden center, or

https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-test-soil-acidity-alkalinity-without-a-test-kit-1388584

https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/10-easy-soil-tests

you'll need to find out what needs to be added to the soil, especially if it's been compacted by machinery.

Are you in the correct zone for a Mediterranean garden (little to no summer rain, temperate climate year round, sandy or quick draining soil) otherwise you might not have much success long term and would have to replant every couple of years. And if your soil is clay you'll need to do a lot of amending for Mediterranean plants to succeed.

The best times for planting are in Autumn and Spring, so if you amend your soil for now and draw up a plan, sketch out your ideas and research what plants to add, by the time October or March comes around everything should be ready to go and you can buy your plants or seeds. I'm glad you're not just going to put in a lawn and good luck to you.

[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/get-the-dirt-on-your-gardens-soil-stsetivw-vs~63577554[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/get-the-dirt-on-your-gardens-soil-stsetivw-vs~63577554)

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housesketcher
6 years ago
Oh, csch thanks so much! I suspected soil now would have to be the way to go. I will take your advice to heart, have soil tested - there is a university extension/research center nearby - and probably bring in one load at a time, building the garden little by little. Thanks, again.
rebecca
4 years ago
Hi, I have built a 16’ planter box along my northern fence (similar to the one in pic )and would like to plant something low maintenance that will partially hide our ugly fence. We are hoping we can do something like 3 cedars that grow in columns with something in between perhaps (see pic 2), but welcome all suggestions. The boxes are 4’ wide and 18” high (no bottom). We live in Toronto so have 4 seasons. Lastly, we have lots of topsoil. Can we fill boxes with it or must we fill with topsoil?
Cathy
4 years ago
I had a garden for years but not the last two, due to low plant production. I believe my soil was the issue. Well now the “garden” is a bunch of weeds... so I do not want to plant there unless I put down some sort of barrier (Im going with a raised bed garden so I can more easily control soil quality). I want everything to be organic and heard landscaping fabric is not. I know some gardeners use food grade plastic but I haven’t found any in small quantities and it seems to cost over $50 - not every budget friendly! My questions are: 1) how deep should my bed be (typically grow peppers, cud’s, zucchini, beans and tomatoes) - easiest build is 10.5 inches but heard I should go with 12”?
1. suggestions on what to put under my bed if building over previous garden?
2. another option I heard of is to place raised bed over existing grass which will break down and be beneficial. Do you agree? Just afraid of getting lots of weeds again!
  Thanks for your help!
printesa
4 years ago
I have a raised bed for veggies and it's about 1 foot deep. I don't use any fabric or other barriers..weeds will grow regardless..seeds fly and you will get them. It's much easier to pull weeds from a raised bed than regular garden (I have a very large garden and it takes a long time to clean it)
jeanninelyons
3 years ago
I have a question. I have been reading about poison manure. How it remains in the animals that eat the grain and can still be in the composted manure even the stuff you purchase in stores. How common is it? Is there a test for it. Have they found a way to neutralize it yet. I'm building beds now I'm afraid to bring anything in. It will be hard to do so without it.
jeanninelyons
3 years ago
One more question. I have been reading that ancient grains can be planted in even poor soil and it will improve the existing soil. Then you harvest the grain and chop up the stems to mulch and also add organic matter. I'm in cypress Texas just outside houston by the way. Since I'm using leaves grass clippings and the dirt from what I hope will one day be a pond. I need something to plant that will hold my beds keep the weeds down and improve the soil till spring. Can I do several succession of this kind of thing until I can improve enough to plant veggies or until I can get chickens to help with manure
printesa
3 years ago
You can plant beans and peas to fix nitrogen into the soil over the winter
csch
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Jeanninelyons,

Here’s some advice about cover crops and vegan alternatives to manure, this is an organic company I buy from and they have many more informative articles and products

https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/cover-crops?_pos=1&_sid=6d6e8a624&_ss=r

https://www.groworganic.com/search?q=Cover+crops

https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/vegan-organic-gardening?_pos=21&_sid=7b847d0cd&_ss=r

https://www.groworganic.com

Rodale is another good source for info

https://rodaleinstitute.org/

Can you have your own chickens or animals to source manure from? (I have indoor pet bunnies that provide much of mine) and building compost beds sounds like a good project to start.
jeanninelyons
3 years ago
Chickens are my next planned thing. It will be a small flock. It will be late next year I'm doing all the work myself and have some limitations. I have a lot of earth to move. My plan is to plant a green crop on each section as I finish. Then if nature helps I will have a filled pond with mosquito fish or maybe bluegill. Then chickens.
pipersparkz (Houston, Tx - Zone 9a)
3 years ago
I want to plant vines to cover an iron fence. Would you suggest planting both annuals and perennials at the same time? The reason is to cover the fence NOW-ish with the annuals, and overtime the perennials will cover it permanently throughout the seasons.

Is it unwise to plant two types of these vines right next to each other?

Thanks!

Luke
csch
3 years ago
pipersparkz

Luke, if the annuals set and drop seed there will be more competition after you plant the perennials. You might look at hybrid annuals which are less likely to seed and if you like how they look and work can keep planting them next year instead of pulling out volunteers that are crowding the perennials. You’ll still have to clean up the dried out annual vines after they die.
HU-144683569
2 years ago
This year i decided that i will start to do some gardening :) this is my first plant pot.

Want to start a garden? Ask your questions!

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