Introduction

[grumpybear]

Hello--

I am new to this site. I stumbled across it when I did a Google search, and decided to check it out. I am very impressed with the forums, and all the knowledgeable people on here.

I am currently a newbie gardener. Up until April, I was living in Boston, in a "garden level" apartment that had nothing "garden" about it--just concrete and a barely sunny windowsill. Now that I'm in a house, on land of my own, I'm very excited about gardening. My first year was a little disappointing, but I keep reminding myself that it was a bad year weather-wise for everyone, and that I was trying to start my garden at the same time as I was moving.

Lately, I've been reading a lot about organic gardening methods, and I'm extremely interested in putting them into practice in my garden. I've also been learning a lot about the local foods movement, and am determined to change my lifestyle slowly but surely to be more eco-friendly and in tune with the environment.

So, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. I look forward to learning a lot from you wonderful folks.

[GeorgeSims]

I just found this place about a month ago, and have really picked up a lot here. Hope you find it just as enjoyable.

[Joan]

This is a great place to be! Welcome. Hope you enjoy gardening as much as all these dedicated folks here. Wondering what zone you are in. I am zone 6 and it would be nice to know what it like up north further. Keep us posted on your experiences!

[grumpybear]

Hi Joan,
I am also in Zone 6. I'm in Southern NH, where it might as well be MA, weather-wise. Since this is my first year in the house, I am paying special attention to when my first and last frost dates are. The towns listed in the Old Farmer's Almanac don't represent mine very well--the two closest are very far North and South of me. I'm hoping for a later frost date than the one I had listed, as I just planted a bed of leaf lettuce on Labor Day. I knew it was a little late, but figured I would give it a try, anyway--at the very least, I should have some "baby greens."

[redbrick]

Hi Grumpybear, welcome to the "patch"! I;m sure you'll love gardening, especially organically, since it "grows" on ya! sorry, cheap humor!

On a serious note, I can appreciate trying to move and garden at the same time. It's tough, double tough! The best advice for a new garden and gardener is this: Spend your first year planning and "laying in bones". If you concentrate on the structure of your garden and the layout method you want to use, you'll save a ton of headache later. Take it from someone who's done it both ways over the years, planning makes a difference!

Also, try to track down a copy of Mel Bartholomew's "Square Foot Gardening". It's an excellent resource.

Welcome aboard!

[balcony_belle]

Welcome Grumpybear :)

I'm glad you found these forums, and you're right--there are a lot of very knowledgable gardeners here. I *love* being able to search the forums or start new topics when I need help. As far as accurate frost dates go, you might try introducing yourself to your neighbors, then asking when frost typically first touches the ground, and when it lets up. If they do any gardening themselves, they're sure to have a pretty good idea--and their opinions would probably be even more accurate for your neighborhood than the local weather advisory (your second potential choice for weather temps). Subdivisions can frequently play host to micro-climates, so growing condition advice is best, and most accurate, when it comes from someone who gardens and lives as close to you as possible. Congratulations on deciding to try out organic gardening! I'm going to being experimenting with an in-ground plot myself in Spring after years of a similiar apartment arrangement. We can muddle through the ins and outs of 'green' gardening together :)

~Belle

[bluelacedredhead]

GRumpy, I too would like to welcome you to iDig. It's a great place for meeting fellow gardeners, making new friends and although I haven't much opportunity to share seeds due to the fact that I'm a foreigner...I hear that seed swapping is alive and well on this forum!!
I'm sure if you can post a list of veggies that enjoy eating or that you would like to try growing, that you will find more than your share come your way...

Hope to hear more from you
Regards,
WEndy

[Helen Wong-Joe]

Welcome grumpybear! I'm kinda new myself; got here some time last month. This is the place to find answers for your garden problems. Have a blast and enjoy yourself.

[johno]

Hey grumpybear, welcome to idig from johno! Oddly enough, my wife often calls me grumpybear...

[GreenZone]

Grumpybear, belatedly, "Welcome aboard. Make yourself @ home!"

Randel

[mrtomatoexpres]

hi welcome grumpybear these are great people here :) :D :p

[recipefordisaster]

Hi,

I'm new, in Rhode Island, and am planning to greatly expand my heirloom garden this year. I normally don't start much from seed(especially having a local Master Gardener to buy plants from)and am going to be doing a lot of it this year, so will probably have questions about it! I've only been serious about vegetable gardening for a few years anyway, so know I have a lot to learn.

I had a raised bed approximately 20' x 20' and have added a 40' x 40' bed and a few spots to put squash and other vegetables that I want to segregate from the others. I am growing mostly for two people, and being a vegetarian and an avid cook I go through a lot of veggies for just myself. There's nothing like being able to make your dinner out of your day's harvest! I especially enjoy the unusual items and making creative dishes with them.

I have horses and therefore have composted manure and other organic matter, some of it 15 years old.

Some of my growing plans for the year(if anyone has prior experience or tips to share!):

Jalapeno M
Cherokee wax beans
Blue & yellow peas
Mr. Stripey tomatoes
Caspian pink tomatoes
Carrots of all colors(normally I don't do well with these)
Arugula selvatica
Kale lacinato
Italiano largo zucchini
mustard greens
Neon eggplant
Thai hot pepper
Bistro corn salad
Blauhilde beans
Red currant tomatoes

I guess based on a frost free date of 4/13 I should start my seeds. I have pea & bean inoculant to try... haven't completely decided how I'm going to arrange all this. I don't have a lot of sunny space in the house and even less where dogs and a cat won't bother it.

I also want to put up a small stone wall to border my new bed... I know, lots of big plans for such limited free time!

-Skye

[dirtundernails]

Hi, Skye.

Nice plans! As far as carrots go, they like a leaner soil to reduce hair roots, making a bigger main root. If your trouble is forking, the soil may be too heavy.

Have fun in the dirt this year,

dun

[recipefordisaster]

I knew they wanted sandier, thinner soil, so had them in a sandy loose mix by themselves. Both the carrots and radishes never got much for a thick roots, but had nice tops. Oh well.

-Skye

[bluelacedredhead]

How much manure did you put in the carrot bed?? I just read something that said too much nitrogen will prevent carrots from putting down roots.

[Mary]

Hi Grumpybear, welcome,looking forward to talking to you, I've learned so much on this forum,people are so nice ( most of the time) just kidding haha!
Its a good place to be when you have a question or the weather is bad and you just want to talk.

[recipefordisaster]

I'd say there wasn't more than 25% manure(quite aged, too)where the carrots were-but maybe that was the problem?

Thanks,
Skye

[recipefordisaster]

One other recurring problem I have: something(deer, I think)eating my hot peppers once they start to mature. They'll eat a good portion of the plant, too, but not until there are peppers about a week too early to pick.

I covered everything with one of those white garden covers(like a sheer cloth)which helped, but the deer would pull it back if they could. It got to be really hard to go under it to weed and harvest and replace it adequately; it'll be even more difficult with the new larger bed which I won't have a cover for.

I'm thinking of using my old 20' bed for the larger climbing/support-needed plants and making a network of bamboo and/or lattice or something all over it. Then I could let the bush beans, salad items, etc. be free from shadows in the larger bed. How does this sound? Last year I used lots of tomato cages and a network of sticks and baling twine for peas(had only bush beans). That worked okay but it was hard to find stuff near the tomato cages.

Skye

[Joan]

Hi Recipefor disaster - you just gave me a great idea - if springs from baby's cribs haven't changed over the years, it would make a good trellis for plants to climb on.

You have a nice assortment listed for planting, now I am wondering if I
would be making a big mistake enriching soil with peat for my carrots, beets, radishes and turnips? That was my plan and now I am not sure.

Where about are you in RI? My son is in Providence. Welcome to IDig!

[recipefordisaster]

Okay, so I've planted my tomatoes in seed starters(36 cells full!)along with my eggplant. I put my hot peppers in short windowboxes-do you think I'll be able to leave them there or will they need to be transplanted into the raised bed at some point?

What should I get for a light/heat source for the seed starters-I was thinking a clamp lamp, but don't know the wattage/type of bulb I need.

If I'm posting in the wrong area, please let me know! I don't think I can start a new thread since I'm new.

Joan, I'm in Scituate, not far from the CT border-it's lovely here.

Thanks,
Skye

[Betty]

Hello Grumpy!
I am new also.
Been an organic gardner always but this century I could not garden because of health problems. I will be able to plant a very small garden this spring because the natural juice that I am drinking is healing me.
Organically grown foods taste much better and sweeter. I had rather have a small area of organic foods than acres of other! I like to not disturb the earth worms with a roto-tiller but just use my hands to pile the soil up around the plants. Tenderly treat the soil and little plants and they will do well. I am in zone 7 and the last two years gardens here did not do well because of the dryness. My plans are to shade the roots with cardboard or paper (not plastic or colored inks) and large rocks to hold the much needed moisture. My soil has rested for seven years and the worms are huge!
Be sure to let us know how your garden is growing.
Betty

[Betty]

Hello Grumpy!
I am new also.
Been an organic gardner always, but this century I could not garden because of health problems. I will be able to plant a very small garden this spring because the natural juice that I am drinking is healing me.
Organically grown foods taste much better and sweeter. I had rather have a small area of organic foods than acres of other! I like to not disturb the earth worms with a roto-tiller but just use my hands to pile the soil up around the plants. Tenderly treat the soil and little plants and they will do well. I am in zone 7 and the last two years gardens here did not do well because of the dryness. My plans are to shade the roots with cardboard or paper (not plastic or colored inks) and large rocks to hold the much needed moisture. My soil has rested for seven years and the worms are huge!
Be sure to let us know how your garden is growing.
Betty