Hello from NE Georgia

JakeGa 5/3/2011, 2:28 pm

Hello, I am new to the forum but not a new gardener. I have been sorta/ kinda gardening by the square foot for several years but have expanded my garden greatly this year. I have six 4 X 8 foot beds and one 2 X 16 foot bed and am considering another 2 x 16 foot bed. I did make a late start due to weather and work and we have just this week put everything in the ground. I do mean everything. Carrots, kale, lettuce, kohlrabi, pole beans, peas, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, cukes, melons, spinach, and a few things a have probably forgotten in the planting frenzy. I have gone back to a heavier garden due to the price of vegetables in the stores and markets and also I am nearing retirement and will turn this into a useful hobby.

After reading the forum for a bit I was inspired to also take an old trashcan, drill some holes in the bottom and sides, and mix some potting soil to try vertical planting with potatoes. In the meantime my wife found part of a store bought bag of Jolly Green Giant Idaho potatoes that had hidden in the back of the kitchen cabinet and sprouted. She was going to throw them away and in the waste not-want not will work and will make spuds. It cost nothing and I figure the worst thing that will happen is I will have to dump the dirt into another bed for later use.

I do have Mel’s book but admittedly do not use his mix (kind of expensive on our budget) but do follow his advice and a great many other issues. I simply tilled up the ground and mixed some leftover potting soil and cow manure in with the dirt in the boxes. The older boxes have set fallow for two years and I am hoping they still have some grow left in them. I do like the forum and enjoy reading others experiences n the garden and the recipe area is great.

**Furbalsmom** 5/3/2011, 3:28 pm

Jake

Nice to "meet" you. I have family in NW GA and miss being able to visit with them often.

Late starts in prepping and planting your veggies is not fun.

I am glad you have the ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING book, because it is full of so much helpful information.

Hope you get a chance to change over at least one of your beds to Mel's Mix. You would not believe the difference it makes in the ease and production of your garden. I also began gardening using Mel's older amended soil from the original book, but have converted to table tops with Mel's Mix. Now that I am retired, I find it much easier to deal with the table tops and MM. No weeds! No bending over. It is amazing. And using five types of compost gives your plants the nutrition they need to provide great harvests. Yes, it is expensive to do the first year, but each successive year, you will only need to add blended compost to the Mel's Mix, so spread out, the cost is not bad at all. I bought my MM ingredients in bits and pieces over the winter, so I did not spend much money each month.

My potatoes are being grown in an old sack instead of a garbage can. I am filling the bag as the sprouts grow. I also used potatoes from the grocery store that had sprouted in the house. Mine are yukon golds. Looking forward to some fresh potatoes.

The price of veggies this year has been astronomical, so I intend to do what I can to have fresh homegrown veggies in my kitchen.

Keep us posted on your progress.
Again, welcome!

middlemamma 5/3/2011, 11:51 pm

FarmerValerie 5/4/2011, 8:29 am

We too garden for food, not just for the season, to stock up so we can feed our 14you human garbage disposal (aka our 3rd son) and his sister. What a challenge that can be. I cannot wait to see your progress, and please share pictures when you can. For more local help check out our regional forums, and I am sure you will be an asset to the forum, having grown food for so long!

ashort 5/4/2011, 9:30 am

Welcome! I think all of us hope to reduce the food budget a bit...

Hello from NE Georgia Wgff10

sherryeo 5/4/2011, 10:29 am

Hi Jake, It's so good to Hello from NE Georgia 396615

you to the forum! I'm very envious of all your garden beds! I started small, like Mel recommends, with 2 4X4 boxes. I'm aching for more space and hope to add some for a fall garden. I think you'll love the forum - so many nice folks to offer advice, commiserate when pest or plant disease problems show their ugly heads and celebrate when things go right!

Post often, post some pics when you can and hopefully, we'll all learn from each other about this wondrous sfgardening technique! I can't believe how few weeds I've had to pull from my sfgs! It's like a miracle! Most of all, have fun with it! Hope to see you around the forum! Very Happy

JakeGa 5/6/2011, 5:47 pm

Thank ya'll for the warm welcome. It's been busy here and my darlin' wife had to rush home and cover the plants on Wednesday night (I was pulling a double at work). The weather station indcated a late frost and they were right. 31 degrees and windy during a time of the year it usually starts to get really warm. I really don't remember a frost this late in the year but we have been having some rather strange weather in the last few years. No damage to the garden but I am going to keep an eye on the thermometer for a couple of more nights. I'll shoot some photos soon and try and figure out how to post them. I'm a little electronically challenged and may have to get one of the daughters to help me.

JakeGa 5/8/2011, 7:04 pm

I have sprouts, lots and lots of sprouts (pole beans, peas, broccoli, lettuce, chives, cauliflower, and kohlrabi) after only 8 days in the ground. When I can get the camera working I'll try an post some photos.

stripesmom 5/8/2011, 7:24 pm

Hi Jake, I would love to see some pictures. I'm also electronically challenged, your not alone, lol. Can't believe this weather we have been dealing with, but I do think that SFG is the way to go. Last year, up here in Iowa, we had a long, wet and gray summer. Nobody got any thing from their gardens. Even the ones that were the most competative. I think, if I'd had a SFG then, I could have at least controlled the amount of moisture my plants got. Plus, if I'd used some reflective material, like mirrors or mylar, I could have increased the sunlight too. With the way the economy is, I can't afford to buy organic, let alone, the stuff from the farmers market. Who wants to spend a $1 for a tomato. Well, maybe it's more now, I've not gone up there for a couple of years. OH, what do you do with kohlrabi besides eat it raw?

dixie 5/8/2011, 8:17 pm

Welcome to the forums, so glad to have you join us. Post pictures when you can.

We got down to 34 with frost a few nights ago (SE Tennessee, about 2 1/2 hours from Franklin, NC where I went to the gem show this weekend). I have corn up & tomatoes blooming in a 4 x 12 bed, but I was able to cover them & had no damage. I had tomatoes & peppers in other beds that didn't get covered up and they evidently were sheltered somehow & didn't suffer any damage. You are right about the weather, April 15 is our usual last frost date, but this year has been crazy.

JakeGa 5/8/2011, 9:18 pm

Photos as soon as possible.

Hey Dixie, I see you are a beadaholic too. My wife owns a store called Lovebeadz (sells beads and jewelry) and was also at the show on Saturday. And yes, the weather has been strange.

dixie 5/8/2011, 9:22 pm

I'll be going to the show in July too. Does she have an on-line shop?

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Hello from NE Georgia

Hello from NE Georgia

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Hello from NE Georgia

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Whoopee!!! Sumpin's growin'

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