Farmer's wife who doesn't know how to garden....help!!!

[girlinjdg]

I always wanted to have the wonderful joy of eating my veggies from MY garden, having a beautiful yard that is lanscaped the way I dream of. *Sigh* I have a black thumb I truly blame on not ever being taught to do any of this. I want to try again this year, and maybe with your help I can make it work.

 

Where do I start?

 

[opinionatedmom]

start with your easy ones tomatoes, lettuce, okra and peppers and work your way up from there. with being a farmers wife definately do a compost pile. manuare, leaves table scraps especially veggies, egg shells some hay and newpaper, chicken bones, brush , etc. you should have one of the best gardens among us you have the fertilizer and live in the country so you have no restrictions. if your husband fishes do fish skins and bones. use a black plastic to kill your grass start now where you want the garden to be. planting time just put a hole in the plastic and plant whatever you want there. I would do carrots and onions too. get the cheap seeds to start with to learn the basics. don't spend to much to start with because your learning trial and error. the better you get the more you spend next year. take a potatoe with 2 eyes half it and bury it eyes up it is free.

[michiganmom116]

BUMP!

[Sarahsmommy1008]

I agree, being on a farm should mean you can have some of the best soil.  Can you get your husband to help you add in the compost/humus, etc?  Getting the soil ready correctly will get you off to a good first start. 

Then pick some easy vegetables - I've got a brownish thumb, but have been able to grow tomatoes and yellow squash.  I would think the lettuces/spinach would be fairly easy since you harvest them early in the spring and then don't have to worry about them in the summer (I'm going to try them this year I think). 

Also, read the directions on the seed packet - bury under 1/2" of dirt or 3' apart or in full sun - this will tell you how/where to plant your seeds for the best success.

[girlinjdg]

 Thank you all for your advice... I have managed to get a few veggies to grow... (YAY ME!!!) lol You have all been a big help!

 

[Ell564]

I would recommend going to a used book store and buying a bunch of gardeing book to read over winter. That way youll know what and when to start. Also when i moved a few years back i didnt know about growing things in my state. I came across a website for the college students studying agriculture at my state university site. Best find ever. Tells me so much on gardening in my state. I hope you get lucky and can find something like that.

[mikesmom65270]

All of the above are excellent suggestions.  I would also add to check with your county's university extension service for a Master Gardener program.  All states have these programs and they are an excellent source of information.  You can consult them with any gardening questions, inquire about any workshops, classes, etc.  If you are really wanting more info, you might even consider taking the Master Gardener course yourself (costs vary by state) and becoming one yourself.  You don't have to know a lot going into the program, just want to learn and have some enthusiasm for gardening.  Master Gardeners keep certification by providing info to the public and many other programs to promote gardening, also provide many opportunities for interaction with others and for continuing education.  I have been a MG for 8 years and love it.  Anyone can garden, it's like anything else you might want to do--get educated, practice it, etc.

[NWP]

I would love to hear your success stories. Please share!

Quoting girlinjdg:

 Thank you all for your advice... I have managed to get a few veggies to grow... (YAY ME!!!) lol You have all been a big help!