Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I am planning on putting veg.plants in my flower garden anywhere that I would normally put an annual flower. I figure I can get a couple doz. tomato plants worked in and maybe a couple squash, pumpkin, maybe cucs. We are talking here and there small. our whole back yard is flowers and very small. My question is what do you use for soil enhancer or fertalizer. I did use some yuk stuff on my flowers 2 yrs ago but not last year. I hope this won't leave enough residue to greatly affect my fruit or do I need to let it go for another year. This is pretty new to me. When I was a girl, my mom had a large garden but I never was very successful with veggies so I put everything to flowers. I really do want to try to grow some of this myself though. I would appreciate any advice. Sandy M. Whole family SCD 3+months in support of 5 yr old son who raged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 You would have A LOT of tomatoes with a couple dozen plants! Depending on the variety, the plants can grow very large and will sprawl. I have four 12'X4' raised beds. One of them is dedicated to tomatoes and peppers. I usually plant 8-9 tomato plants and that gives me more than enough. If you support them with a tomato cage, you will need less space and the fruit will stay off the ground (and away from slugs). I usually grow 4 slicing or beefsteak type tomato plants, and 2-3 each of cherry and sauce tomatoes. There are also varieties that can be grown in containers on the patio. The problem I have with these is you have to remember to water. I am a " lazy bed " gardener, and rarely need to water in raised beds. Most of those in the cuke/squash family will take up a ton of space. I'd recommend growing cukes and putting them up on a trellis. You would get quite a few. I find that pumpkin and squash take up a ton of space for the amount of fruit you get out of the plants. You may be disappointed. I've never got more that 1-2 in a season per plant. I live in Maine, so I can't get these types of things planted until mid June which does make a difference. Spaghetti squash would be the exception, I had about 30 squash one year from 2 plants. Zucchini and summer squash don't take up too much room, are easy to grow and are prolific. 1-2 hills with 3-4 seeds each will give you lots of summer squash. If you eat broccoli, that would be easy to fit a few plants in here and there, also baby lettuce mixes or romaine are super easy and can be put in several small places. I buy a truckload of organic compost from a local farm, but you can buy bags of moo-poo at garden centers. Just don't buy some of the " organic " compost such as milorganite (sp?) I made that mistake once and then found out it is from a wastewater treatment facility. Blech! I wouldn't worry about what you sprayed 2 years ago. I think for a farm to be considered organic, they just have to stop spraying for two years before anyway, at least in Maine (MOFGA). I wouldn't plant any food near pressure treated lumber (decks) or railroad ties(flower beds), the arsenic and creosote leaches into the soil. Good luck and have fun! I love gardening! Becky mom to Noah (6, HFA) and (3, NT) SCD 7 wks I figure I can get a couple > doz. tomato plants worked in and maybe a couple squash, pumpkin, maybe > cucs. We are talking here and there small. our whole back yard is > flowers and very small. > My question is what do you use for soil enhancer or fertalizer. > > > > > > For information on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, please read the book > _Breaking the Vicious Cycle_ by Elaine Gottschall and read the following > websites: > http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info > and > http://www.pecanbread.com > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Gertrude Snicklegrove wrote: > I place rinsed broken eggs shells, crumbled around the base of my plants. Explain why you rinse your egg shells? I could be saving them now, right? Do they stop cut worms? Thanks for all your input. I am saving your message and will refer often. Sandy M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Yes, start saving your egg shells now! No, they do not stop earthworms, earthworms are underground mostly, and are adept at moving around them, but slugs and snails don't duck into the dirt and tunnel that easily, they prefer to turn back around. I rinse out my egg shells (just a quick rinse) to get the egg white out to deter neighborhood cats and the occasional dog from coming into my garden for them. Really, many animals are attracted to eggs themselves. Keep meat and bones out of the garden. Fish fertilizer is already slightly fermented and deoderized, that's fine. moeller124 <no_reply > wrote: Gertrude Snicklegrove wrote: > I place rinsed broken eggs shells, crumbled around the base of my plants. Explain why you rinse your egg shells? I could be saving them now, right? Do they stop cut worms? Thanks for all your input. I am saving your message and will refer often. Sandy M. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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