2,000 Sq. Foot Garden Need Plant Ideas

If the garden  is that big  then each square  may be considered  a grid section .

donnainzone10 wrote:Beautiful!  But I saw no grids....

I ran out of time to get the grids built before I had to start planting. However, after working the garden this year I don't think I am going to add the grids. Each segment is 3' x 4' so it is easy to draw the grids in the dirt. The main reason for not adding the grids is because when I am side dressing with fertilizer I dig my little trenches exactly where the grids would be. I have to fertilize about every 3 weeks because of the poor nutrient quality of the compost that is available in the area. Although I wanted to add the grids, functionality to be able to deal with the challenges of growing a garden in my specific area of the pacific northwest wins.

It sounds like you weren't able to find the 5 composts that Mel recommends for SFG. If you had been, there would be no need for fertilizer or side-dressing, and you would have had room for the grids, which are an essential component of the method.

Now that I live in Central Oregon, I've found a plethora of composts and organic planting mixes that I use in my garden. Mint compost may be available in your vicinity, for example, and there may be local llama, chicken, goat, or cow farms. Did you check Craig's List? It's sometimes possible to obtain free compost that way.

Some of the bagged composts I use include Gardner & Bloome Supreme Harvest, bark fines and cow manure from Freddy's, composted fruit and vegetable waste from Whole Foods, and an OMRI-certified compost from the Rogue River Valley that contains composted plant material. It's likely that something similar is available in your area. And there are generally chicken and mushroom composts. I also add a bit of bat guano and worm castings to each batch.

Do you ever travel to Portland? If so, there are two resources I know of: Portland Nursery, and Concentrates Ltd. (I think that's the correct name) in Milwaukee.

I love the design and look of your garden and would like to help in any way I can.

southern gardener wrote:holy toledo!!  that's amazing! how do you water all that? How have your harvests been? would love more pics of your harvests if you have time !!

Because of the way the beds are laid out, it is fairly easy to water. It takes about an hour and a half to water the whole garden. We do have to water every other day because of the low humidity here. We have lightweight hoses that are easy to pull around with a long wand.

Because of the area and having to figure out the fertilizing needs, I am just starting to get to harvest. Everything was planted at different times to prevent everything from coming in all at the same time. I can only pick and put up so much in a day. What type pictures of the harvest would you like?

donnainzone10 wrote:It sounds like you weren't able to find the 5 composts that Mel recommends for SFG. 

I appreciate the info and offer of help. I did find the 5 composts as Mel recommended. When everything came up but refused to grow anymore I went looking for answers. I tried adding fertilizer and everything took off like a rocket. I finally found Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades by Steve Solomon. It explained that the soil is poor due to all the rain leaching the nutrients. Therefore the compost and manures that come from plants and animals that feed on the vegetation from the poor soil are low-grade too.

I am quite a bit higher in elevation than you are in central Oregon. I am over four hours north of Portland and on the east side of I-5. The soil just doesn't stay warm enough to breakdown the compost quickly enough to provide for the plants' needs. I found this out from a local nursery and it was also confirmed in the book I mentioned above. I will still add compost to the garden but also supplement it with a mixture of seed meal, lime, bone meal, and kelp meal. Lots of healthy plants in exchange for grids and some organic fertilizer. I'll take that deal all day long any day of the week.

SLake2000 wrote:

southern gardener wrote:holy toledo!!  that's amazing! how do you water all that? How have your harvests been? would love more pics of your harvests if you have time !!

Because of the way the beds are laid out, it is fairly easy to water. It takes about an hour and a half to water the whole garden. We do have to water every other day because of the low humidity here. We have lightweight hoses that are easy to pull around with a long wand.

Because of the area and having to figure out the fertilizing needs, I am just starting to get to harvest. Everything was planted at different times to prevent everything from coming in all at the same time. I can only pick and put up so much in a day. What type pictures of the harvest would you like?

Hmmmmmmmm...any pics I guess? I'm just in awe of the size of your garden, and would love to see any pics...even close ups of your plants, veggies etc!
I agree with one of the other posts that with a garden THAT size, each bed could be a "grid" lol! What did you end up fertilizing with? We've had to supplement our garden too, despite using the MM recipe to a "T", so I am wondering what you used? Congrats again on a beautiful garden!!

What are the trace elements missing in your area .Here in Brisbane Australia boron is an important one problem is if you add excess can cause problems.Iodine is also a problem in Australia seaweed is recommended here for healthy plant health.Looked on one site and showed in USA  over supply of iodine can be a problem.

I don't know how you guys do it I have trouble filling 3, 4 X 4 boxes. That garden is huge! I have a box and a half that are running empty because I have no idea what to plant this time of year. My lettuce finely bolted after a week in the 100s and my corn seams to be having issues as well the cobs are small and the plants keep falling over. My Pumpkins are going great guns we have a bumper crop this year.

Slake!

You may have just scored! Check this out from Craigslist - Arlington/Smokey Point (free Organic Compost/Manure - http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/grd/3962126741.html You may want to check it out before it's gone!

These listings are a far south of you. Up for a nice Sunday drive??
NE Olypia (free compost/horse manure)- http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/grd/3965614855.html
Enumclaw, Wa (free composted manure) - http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/zip/3962964256.html

WOW!!!  That is so wonderful!

Are you able to grow eggplant and ginger? I did not notice them on the list.

Ok. I just snapped some random pictures. Hope this is what you were looking for.

This is the bucket full I got yesterday. I just went out and picked for about an hour to get some various things for stir fry and salads.
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I actually have an artichoke coming in. This is the first year so I didn't expect anything until at least next year.
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One of the sunflowers has bloomed that is mixed in with corn, parsley, pole beans and cucumbers.
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The scarlet pole beans have pretty blooms now which is a promise of things to come.
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The peas are growing out of the beds. This was a variety that was not supposed to need trellises or stakes.
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They are covered with peas. Every time one of us walks by we cant resist grabbing 1 or 2 or 10.
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The zucchini plants are growing out of the beds as well.
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I have about 60 tomato plants of all different types. They are all covered with tomatoes that we are waiting on them to ripen. Here are just a couple pictures. The black tomatoes are a new type that I've never had that are looking promising.
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The peppers are doing well. These are the black beauties.
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There is lettuce mixed in with the peppers and beans are ready. I normally just go through and grab leaves for the day's salad. I have a lot more room in the garden than I do in the refrigerator.
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The picture is of the purple beans because they show up a lot better in a picture than the yellow or green ones.
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Thanks to the cool climate here, the cauliflower is doing well.
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In one section I planted a few gourd plants. You can see a little bit of an unusually colored gourd with a huge flower below it promising more.
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This is one of the last strawberry squares that I planted bare roots that I got on sale at the end of the shipping time for them. Looks like we are going to get a nice crop of strawberries from them.
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The grape arbor that is next to the garden is going nuts. Looks like a bumper crop of grapes coming in this year.
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The blueberries that have escaped the deer are looking promising.
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Hope this is what you wanted to see. I could take almost 2,000 pictures. Everything is either covered with things waiting to mature or stuff that is ripe waiting on my backside to get off the computer and harvest it. lol.[/quote]
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Hoggar wrote:I don't know how you guys do it I have trouble filling 3, 4 X 4 boxes. That garden is huge! I have a box and a half that are running empty because I have no idea what to plant this time of year. My lettuce finely bolted after a week in the 100s and my corn seams to be having issues as well the cobs are small and the plants keep falling over. My Pumpkins are going great guns we have a bumper crop this year.

I don't know how well they would do in 100+ temps but I personally would try Okra and Black-eyed peas. They tend to love and demand heat. I put in a a little bit but they don't like the cool weather here. Next year I will try again but hoop them to raise the temperature for them. Being a southern girl those are the two things that just make a garden to me. Melons are another thing off the top of my head that like heat.

You could also google for some tropical type plants to try for fun while you are waiting on the cooler fall temperatures. You can always put some heat loving annual flowers in to attract bees to pollinate your other veggies. Then your beds would be pretty until you were ready to do your fall planting. Your local nursery would be able to give you the best advice on what will grow well in your area at this time of the year.

batmap wrote:Are you able to grow eggplant and ginger? I did not notice them on the list.

My family is not big on eggplant so I didn't plant any. I didn't think about ginger. I have a ton of herbs mixed in all over the place. Thank you for the idea. I will add ginger.

murarrie25 wrote:What are the trace elements missing in your area .Here in Brisbane Australia boron is an important one problem is if you add excess can cause problems.Iodine is also a problem in Australia seaweed is recommended here for healthy plant health.Looked on one site and showed in USA  over supply of iodine can be a problem.

Here, due to the leaching by the rain, the overall amount of plant nutrients is low. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are really low. The soil is acidic with high levels of potassium. The berries and fir trees love it but the garden not so much.

CapeCoddess wrote:I'm speechless.   

Is everyone enjoying the experience & the food?

CC

Work is work any way you slice it. However, my 18 year old son will tell you really quick that he and I have first dibs on produce. He is bad about "keeping me company" while I am picking. This translates into he talks and walks around eating while I am picking. He is addicted to the fresh veggies and has no problem watering the garden for me. Since I haven't used any pesticides or chemicals on the plants, everything is safe to eat directly out of the garden. I am just as guilty at times. If I am working in the garden, I don't bother walking back up to the house for lunch.

Slake, Your garden looks so green and healthy and pest free. The produce is ready for a photo shot.  

those were the pics I was hoping for! congratulations on great job and garden! outstanding

SLake2000 wrote:

Here, due to the leaching by the rain, the overall amount of plant nutrients is low. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are really low. The soil is acidic with high levels of potassium. The berries and fir trees love it but the garden not so much.

That's a wonderful garden!

For the leaching problem, why don't you try biochar? This is finely crushed charcoal, which won't add nutrients, but helps to hold the ones you have. It's part of an ancient technique called "Terra Preta." You can Google that for more info.

I have my own homemade retort, and I don't waste any good organic matter. The things that compost poorly, like peach and cherry pits, pine cones and bark, woody plant stems, clean wood from tree and shrub trimmings, small bones, etc. all go into the retort and are charred until they are crumbly. Then they are added into the compost pile to soak up nutrients, and eventually become part of the garden soil.

We have a similar problem with leaching, especially in this very wet year, and also the normal hot soil conditions that tends to burn up compost.

SLake, that is an amazing garden. I am impressed that you took on such an enormous project, and have followed through with it. Now you can enjoy the rewards for your labor.
Madge

Love those pictures of the harvest...simply beautiful!!

I'm envious. Everything is beautiful!

Pollinator wrote:

SLake2000 wrote:

Here, due to the leaching by the rain, the overall amount of plant nutrients is low. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are really low. The soil is acidic with high levels of potassium. The berries and fir trees love it but the garden not so much.

That's a wonderful garden!

For the leaching problem, why don't you try biochar? This is finely crushed charcoal, which won't add nutrients, but helps to hold the ones you have. It's part of an ancient technique called "Terra Preta." You can Google that for more info.

I have my own homemade retort, and I don't waste any good organic matter. The things that compost poorly, like peach and cherry pits, pine cones and bark, woody plant stems, clean wood from tree and shrub trimmings, small bones, etc. all go into the retort and are charred until they are crumbly. Then they are added into the compost pile to soak up nutrients, and eventually become part of the garden soil.

We have a similar problem with leaching, especially in this very wet year, and also the normal hot soil conditions that tends to burn up compost.

That is a fascinating google! I'd never heard of this very interesting subject until now.

Are there the same potential pH problems I've read can develop with ash?

Dandelion are a good source of nutrient  . Soaking in water for a month and using as a weed tea  .