Beginner Gardener

[CT Mommy]

Hi All-

I am planning on starting my own garden for the first time this year. YEAH!! I am very excited. I live on a small postage-size stamp yard in the city of Minneapolis and given the climate, I won't be able to start planting for awhile. We are zone 4 (I'm told).

Anyway, my parents always had a large garden in their very large yard when I was growing up, so I have had some experience. But frankly, I have no idea where to start, although I have ideas.

I would like to buy organic seeds/heirloom seeds of some kind--do they exist? Also, do I need to put a cedar barrier to keep the bunnies out? What other things do I need to know about urban gardening. I'm thinking of a small 3x6 plot to start.

ANY advice is GREATLY appreciated. I feel somewhat silly posting here since you all seem so advanced!!

[Katie T]

I'm new as well, this is going to be my second yr of gardening so I will tell you what I have learned.

This year I am going to put chicken wire around my garden because the rabbits are a lot of my produce last year.

I live in Iowa, but we plant our stuff in mid May. I have no idea what zone we are.

I am pretty sure you can get heirloom seeds but I don't know about organic, I always thought organic was how you grew them. But like I said I'm a newbie lol.

Hopefully more experienced gardeners will get on here and teach us both. lol

[goldfinches]

I just moved from Chicagoland. Zone 5. There are plenty of things you can be planting now. Many plants like cold weather - greens/lettuce/chard, peas, carrots, radishes.

You can get your seeds started indoors right now. I wouldn't plant your tomatoes or peppers or warm weather plants outside until the first of June, though.

I also did a wire fence to keep out the bunnies. I always had a mama make a nest in the spring, though, in my garden, and she did a great job of keeping other bunnies out.

I don't know about the cedar, sorry.

I got my heirloom seeds from Seed Saver's Exchange. They're growing great this year, I only had one pepper variety that didn't germinate

[Owen'nZoe]

I'm a little southeast of you in WI, on the border of zones 4 and 5. You can definitely start your lettuce, spinach, radishes, peas, and coles now (broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc.) anytime in the next couple of weeks. I already have lettuce and parsley sprouting, and expect my spinach to sprout soon.

Organic and heirloom seeds are definitely available. I like Fedco and Bountiful Gardens, since they have organic/heirloom and seem a bit cheaper than some of the other companies. I'm guessing you can probably also get Seed Savers locally, too. They're in Iowa, and I know they are easy to find locally here.

As for keeping the bunnies out - I have 6 inch high cedar beds, and they definitely don't keep the bun-buns out. I think you are better off with a wire mesh or chicken wire fence, or wire mesh cages over your veggies.

Good luck! And don't feel shy to ask - we're all still learning - that's the great part of gardening.

[CT Mommy]

Thanks gardeners!! I guess I'm further behind than I thought!

But, we decided to use a cedar bed b/c our yard is small and I'm worried that my littles ones will just trample through it if doesn't have some sort of definite barrier (and I'm afraid I need more than chicken wire to keep the kiddos out!).

We also decided on a 4x8 plot size. I hope that's not too much for a first timer!

And I was able to find some seed savers at my co-op and let the kids pick--carrots, peas and lettuce for now. We joined a weekly CSA (I'm not that confident in my gardnening skills to rely on only it at this point) so I'm trying to plant things we really love and will eat lots of, that I can freeze easily, or that the kids can enjoy from a learning perspective. My expectations are low--but my spirits are high!!

So onto my silly questions again-we compost here. Meaning, I put my composting materials in a bin and the city picks them up. If I were to start saving that compost for my garden (and buy an outdoor bin for such purposes?) how long does the compost take to, well, compost?

Also, I need to buy dirt (I cannot believe I"m saying this outloud) for this garden--is there anything I should know about dirt?

Thanks again!!

[MAMom]

Yes, there are definitely lots of companies that offer organic and/or heirloom seeds! There is a link in the sticky at the top of the forum with a list of non-Monsanto affiliated companies, and many of these fit the bill. I ended up ordering this year from Renee's Garden (that site has lots of great info for planning different types of gardens), Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, and
Sand Hill Preservation.

Originally Posted by CT Mommy

We also decided on a 4x8 plot size. I hope that's not too much for a first timer!

It will fill up fast!

Originally Posted by CT Mommy

So onto my silly questions again-we compost here. Meaning, I put my composting materials in a bin and the city picks them up. If I were to start saving that compost for my garden (and buy an outdoor bin for such purposes?) how long does the compost take to, well, compost?

It takes about a year or longer to get really decomposed. But if you start a few piles a few months apart for future purposes, then they be ready next year at different times to apply to your garden.

Originally Posted by CT Mommy

Also, I need to buy dirt (I cannot believe I"m saying this outloud) for this garden--is there anything I should know about dirt?

You should have the soil tested to know which nutrients it is high and low in so you will know how to ammed your soil. Many garden centers offer this type of testing. One thing I have noticed when I've ordered compost in the past is that sometimes there is plastic/glass/other undesireables mixed in. You really need to ask what they are composting from (municipal pick-up? something else?) and what kind of other junk it might have mixed in.

For the size of your garden, you could probably buy some bagged, good quality soil and compost for not too much $$. Also, search Craigslist for free composted manue. Many people with horses/other animals will list it there, free for pick up.

I am newer to veggie gardening this year, but have been doing flowers/herbs/container gardening for many years. I found that by searching/Googling for gardening blogs for my zone (5), I came up with several that are very informative and gave me great ideas. I went back to archived posts and read the month-by-month for early spring.

We have planted from seed so far:
- spinach (has sprouted)
- lettuce (2 types) (has sprouted)
- shallot
- calendula
- parsley
- cilantro
- chives (transplanted)
- peas (English & sugar snap) (have sprouted)
- sweet pea flowers (planting this afternoon!)

Enjoy & good luck with your garden!

[Owen'nZoe]

Originally Posted by CT Mommy

And I was able to find some seed savers at my co-op and let the kids pick--carrots, peas and lettuce for now...

Also, I need to buy dirt (I cannot believe I"m saying this outloud) for this garden--is there anything I should know about dirt?

One quick tip for the carrots - they take a looooonnnnggg time to germinate. If you plant radishes along with them, the radishes will remind you where the carrots are planted, their growth will help keep the soil loose while the carrot seeds sit there, and the radishes will be ready for picking about the time the carrots start coming in.

As for soil, you really can't go wrong with adding compost to what you have.

[goldfinches]

Composting, although it takes a long time, is so worth it. Not just for your garden, which it will make so much better next year, but just, it feels so good to compost instead of give it to your town or trash it.

[mama2toomany]

I am in Golden Valley, right next to you! I already started, but all my babies are inside sprouting, I have a tun of tomatoes of all sorts, oregano, cilantro, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, and some other stuff.

They are sprouting very well right now and we have a bigger yard, I plan to make the garden 20 x 20 but of course I will have to make dh do it lol I am too pregnant to be on my knees outside in the sun.

So yeah I am so new and scared of failure, but I figure I can grow babies, it might take work but I can grow veggies I am sure of it!