I have this new garden that was left alone for 2-3 years and now i want to plant flowers and herbs but i am worried that all that weed is going to suffocate whatever i plant there no matter how much i clean it. Do i need new topsoil? i dont want to use weedkillers (chemicals) Any ideas are appreciated.
Any tips on cleaning an overgrown garden?
As the plan goes. Till the soil, add leaves and kitchen waste, till every week for one season. Add lime in the spring and till again. After the last Frost seed and water and enjoy.
Reply:borrow a goat from a neighbor
Reply:Get together with your friends and family one weekend and have a jolly weed free party, they can all help with the clearing and you can supply the refreshments. Then you can decide if you need new topsoil after they have been and gone. Many hands make light work - so it is said.
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Monday, November 16, 2009
What's the best way to start a vegetable garden in my back yard?
I'm thinking about starting a veggie garden since I can't afford to incorporate fresh veggies and such into my diet. what's the best way to start a garden and mantain it, in the south east?
What's the best way to start a vegetable garden in my back yard?
I think starting a garden is an excellent way to get your veggies without spending a lot of money... and for me it's turned into a therapeutic hobby too. :)
There are a lot of factors-- type of soil you have, amount of sun, wat size garden, what you want to grow, etc, etc....
Here's some general advice--- (the best I can do without knowing more about your yard)
Find the sunniest spot in your yard.... rent a tiller to turn the soil....
Then, see what the neighbors are growing (chances are they have the same type of soil you do)..... or take a soil sample to your local nursery and ask them, "what will grow in this type of ground"?
As for maintenance..... put down a lot of mulch.... it will keep the water in and reduce the number of weeds..... if you want to get fancy, they have plastic or burlap tarps you can put over the garden to keep weeds down.
The south east is a great climate because you have a longer growing season.... if you have good soil, you should have a bountiful garden. :)
Here's a link to an ebook that may help you-- it's pretty thorough and offers some good advice. It's titled Vegetable Garden Secrets. http://www.iwantateachingjob.com/garden.... Maybe the book can help you get started. :)
Best of luck!!
Reply:Need more info on what size of garden and soil type etc..
Reply:Try checking out " square foot gardening" on the web, the process is simple and effective.
What's the best way to start a vegetable garden in my back yard?
I think starting a garden is an excellent way to get your veggies without spending a lot of money... and for me it's turned into a therapeutic hobby too. :)
There are a lot of factors-- type of soil you have, amount of sun, wat size garden, what you want to grow, etc, etc....
Here's some general advice--- (the best I can do without knowing more about your yard)
Find the sunniest spot in your yard.... rent a tiller to turn the soil....
Then, see what the neighbors are growing (chances are they have the same type of soil you do)..... or take a soil sample to your local nursery and ask them, "what will grow in this type of ground"?
As for maintenance..... put down a lot of mulch.... it will keep the water in and reduce the number of weeds..... if you want to get fancy, they have plastic or burlap tarps you can put over the garden to keep weeds down.
The south east is a great climate because you have a longer growing season.... if you have good soil, you should have a bountiful garden. :)
Here's a link to an ebook that may help you-- it's pretty thorough and offers some good advice. It's titled Vegetable Garden Secrets. http://www.iwantateachingjob.com/garden.... Maybe the book can help you get started. :)
Best of luck!!
Reply:Need more info on what size of garden and soil type etc..
Reply:Try checking out " square foot gardening" on the web, the process is simple and effective.
Looking for suggestions for a flower garden in Minnesota?
I want to put a flower garden in the yard in front of my house, but I'm not sure what I would be able to use. Since that side of the house faces the west, it doesn't get sunlight until the afternoon. I've looked around at a few different green houses to get some ideas, but all I find is plants that require full sun. I would like to get flowers or small shrubs or maybe even some climbing flowers. Any suggestions??? Thanks!
Looking for suggestions for a flower garden in Minnesota?
Look for part sun plants or shade plants. Perennials - Black eyed susans, echinacea, daylilies and poppies come to mind - they are all pretty easy to grow in various conditions as long as they get some sun. Hostas are also an option, and shrubs - look for weigelia and spirea - also very easy to grow. Azalea is an option, too. Climbing flowers - or vining flowers - morning glories, an annual, are easy, and my favorite is nasturtiums - they aren't really a climbing flower, they are more of a cascading flower. Also an annual.
All of these plants do very well in various locations in my yard, and I live in upstate NY - zone 5. Ensure that you boost your soil before planting - add some compost (you can purchase bags) and I like to add a bag of top soil. Mix it all up good, and you should be in good shape.
Please accept my apologies if I spelled some of the plants wrong. Good luck!
Looking for suggestions for a flower garden in Minnesota?
Look for part sun plants or shade plants. Perennials - Black eyed susans, echinacea, daylilies and poppies come to mind - they are all pretty easy to grow in various conditions as long as they get some sun. Hostas are also an option, and shrubs - look for weigelia and spirea - also very easy to grow. Azalea is an option, too. Climbing flowers - or vining flowers - morning glories, an annual, are easy, and my favorite is nasturtiums - they aren't really a climbing flower, they are more of a cascading flower. Also an annual.
All of these plants do very well in various locations in my yard, and I live in upstate NY - zone 5. Ensure that you boost your soil before planting - add some compost (you can purchase bags) and I like to add a bag of top soil. Mix it all up good, and you should be in good shape.
Please accept my apologies if I spelled some of the plants wrong. Good luck!
How to tear up a garden and plant a new one?
I know absolutely nothing about gardening, I just moved to a new house and am interested in trying to grow a few vegetables. There are some flower beds in my yard and I have noticed some of those tags lying in teh soil showing what has been planted by the people before me. Is it possible to plant vegetables there? If so, do i just go out and plant them or do I have to get the stuff that the people before me planted out? And how would I get all that out of the garden? I am very confused about what to do and could not find any help on the interent about getting rid of one garden and starting new. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
How to tear up a garden and plant a new one?
So easy. For veggies, make sure the garden gets a lot of mid day and afternoon sun.
Dig up the old plants. Till the ground if you can by shovel or tiller. Turn it over and over, pull out all old roots and grass and anything that is not soil.
Now mix in a general fertalizer that is good for gardening. No reason to get expensive, anything. The 'TONE' products are good, like Root Tone and Plant Tone...just anything safe for VEGGIES.
Now, plant the plants. I highly recomment NOT getting seeds, but the litte plants they have at walmart. Plant tomatoes about 3 feet apart, rows the same, 3 feet apart. Plant vining plants where you don't have to worry about mowing...cukes, etc. Zuchinni, tomatoes, peppers of any kind, cukes, all super easy to grow. Just keep them watered. If you see a problem, ask here.
Skip corn for now, it can be a real mess with pests.
DO believe the directions, for example that little zuchinni plant really WILL get to 3 to 5 feet across!
Good luck and happy gardening!
Reply:forget the tiller!! just go out and grab the flowers by the base of the stem, where they meet the ground and pull!! they should come up fairly easy more so if they have just been planted this year.
then as long as you have what looks like good rich air-rated soil I would just follow the directions on your seed packets, or get some advice on the specific plants you buy from a nursery
if your soil looks cruddy (lighter in color or alot of clay) I would say you will probably need to till or turn in with a shovel, some compost
Reply:get a rear tine tiller (Not Front Tine) till the area you want to use for your garden, till all existing vegetation under it will decompose and add nutrients to the soil, have your soil tested for Ph and Alkalinity ETC then find you a chart with planting tables so you know what to plant when also take into consideration your region and weather patterns
Reply:Do you own a tiller? I don't know how much they cost, but you might need to till up the land, before planting.
Remove the old flowers, veggies, etc. Till the land. Then plant your own seeds.
Cheers
Reply:Rent a roto-tiller and turn up the area. Remove all the roots and weeds. You should now be able to plant what you desire. You can add amendments and fertilizers after you get new growth.
Reply:If you realy ant a beautiful garden I would suggest you buy a tiller or rent one.
Till that ground up and remove all the weeds of grass.. This will take several days depedning on how big of a garden you want.
After removing all the grass and weeds. Go buy some potting soil, nutrients and fertalizer. Till that up all together in the garden.
Buy as many bags of potting sopil you need depending on the square footage of your garden so that you have plenty.
When your done. it should look very dark and fluffy.
Then water it down and saturate it for two days.
Let it dry and get a metal rake and rake it all loose.
Then plant whatever you want to grow from vegetables to flowers and they will grow like a weed in that fresh dirt with nutrients and alrready processed so you plants will not burn from the fertalizer.
I use nitrate fertalizer and chicken poop in my garden and I grow Watermellons, Cantelopes, Corn, Tomatoes, and Squash like you wouldn't believe.
My Garden is 20 ft by 20 ft
I bury all my fish guts in there too from fishing.
My Garden is so processed that you can plant virtually anything in there and it grows.
My wife wanted to plant a Sunflower in my garden and that Sunflower grew 11 ft tall and 18 inches wide. We had to use a pole to keep it from drooping. The Sunflower was huge. She made the Newspaper and The Garden Fairy on line posted her pic of it.
So happy Gardening and always remember you only get out what you put in to it.\So shower your garden with love and food and it will grow you a many times over anything you want.
Reply:Rent or buy a roto-tiller and do some re-consructing around your garden. This machine will alow you to mes sup your garden and start over clean.
then you can grow a new garden
you can usually find these at wal-mart or home-depot
How to tear up a garden and plant a new one?
So easy. For veggies, make sure the garden gets a lot of mid day and afternoon sun.
Dig up the old plants. Till the ground if you can by shovel or tiller. Turn it over and over, pull out all old roots and grass and anything that is not soil.
Now mix in a general fertalizer that is good for gardening. No reason to get expensive, anything. The 'TONE' products are good, like Root Tone and Plant Tone...just anything safe for VEGGIES.
Now, plant the plants. I highly recomment NOT getting seeds, but the litte plants they have at walmart. Plant tomatoes about 3 feet apart, rows the same, 3 feet apart. Plant vining plants where you don't have to worry about mowing...cukes, etc. Zuchinni, tomatoes, peppers of any kind, cukes, all super easy to grow. Just keep them watered. If you see a problem, ask here.
Skip corn for now, it can be a real mess with pests.
DO believe the directions, for example that little zuchinni plant really WILL get to 3 to 5 feet across!
Good luck and happy gardening!
Reply:forget the tiller!! just go out and grab the flowers by the base of the stem, where they meet the ground and pull!! they should come up fairly easy more so if they have just been planted this year.
then as long as you have what looks like good rich air-rated soil I would just follow the directions on your seed packets, or get some advice on the specific plants you buy from a nursery
if your soil looks cruddy (lighter in color or alot of clay) I would say you will probably need to till or turn in with a shovel, some compost
Reply:get a rear tine tiller (Not Front Tine) till the area you want to use for your garden, till all existing vegetation under it will decompose and add nutrients to the soil, have your soil tested for Ph and Alkalinity ETC then find you a chart with planting tables so you know what to plant when also take into consideration your region and weather patterns
Reply:Do you own a tiller? I don't know how much they cost, but you might need to till up the land, before planting.
Remove the old flowers, veggies, etc. Till the land. Then plant your own seeds.
Cheers
Reply:Rent a roto-tiller and turn up the area. Remove all the roots and weeds. You should now be able to plant what you desire. You can add amendments and fertilizers after you get new growth.
Reply:If you realy ant a beautiful garden I would suggest you buy a tiller or rent one.
Till that ground up and remove all the weeds of grass.. This will take several days depedning on how big of a garden you want.
After removing all the grass and weeds. Go buy some potting soil, nutrients and fertalizer. Till that up all together in the garden.
Buy as many bags of potting sopil you need depending on the square footage of your garden so that you have plenty.
When your done. it should look very dark and fluffy.
Then water it down and saturate it for two days.
Let it dry and get a metal rake and rake it all loose.
Then plant whatever you want to grow from vegetables to flowers and they will grow like a weed in that fresh dirt with nutrients and alrready processed so you plants will not burn from the fertalizer.
I use nitrate fertalizer and chicken poop in my garden and I grow Watermellons, Cantelopes, Corn, Tomatoes, and Squash like you wouldn't believe.
My Garden is 20 ft by 20 ft
I bury all my fish guts in there too from fishing.
My Garden is so processed that you can plant virtually anything in there and it grows.
My wife wanted to plant a Sunflower in my garden and that Sunflower grew 11 ft tall and 18 inches wide. We had to use a pole to keep it from drooping. The Sunflower was huge. She made the Newspaper and The Garden Fairy on line posted her pic of it.
So happy Gardening and always remember you only get out what you put in to it.\So shower your garden with love and food and it will grow you a many times over anything you want.
Reply:Rent or buy a roto-tiller and do some re-consructing around your garden. This machine will alow you to mes sup your garden and start over clean.
then you can grow a new garden
you can usually find these at wal-mart or home-depot
How can i create a Low cost, low maintenance garden, that looks nice?
At the minute i have a little porch out the front and french doors leading out to the garden, which is fenced with a lowish fence, the gate is next to the little porch. Outside the porch and french doors there are small white stones but weeds have grown through them, the rest of the garden is dull looking grass!
This is my new house and i want to change it from the previous owners. I also dislike the white stones.
All ideas welcome
How can i create a Low cost, low maintenance garden, that looks nice?
When I'm faced with a potentially expensive project and want to do it cheaply, I first hit the library, or the internet (if adequate resources are available).
The following materials will prove invaluable when installing gardens and beds:
*Shovel
*Spade
*Wheel Burrow or Garden Cart
*Rake
*Seeds and Plants (Don't purchase this item until you've read the instructions below)
Tips and Tricks For Simple Gardening:
When creating a garden, it's best to think of space planning. Grid out the area on paper, and then watch the areas that you decide that you wish to put plants on. In order to decrease the costs of the garden, you will want to know about how much sun the areas you plan to place plants get every day (not doing this places your plants at risk of becoming stunted or perhaps dieing).
Depending on how fast you want your change, you should probably start with seed and bulbs to decrease cost. A quicker solution would be to purchase plants.
In order to protect the plant beds from weeds, it would also be best to put mulch down around the plants after you have finished your plantings.
Your rocks will likely have to be moved manually (By shovel, or by other means; depending on size), and then replaced with whatever you want there.
Reply:just buy a little soil andd some seds. draw out the amount of space with a shovel or hoe, dig up the grass within the area, put down soil, plants seeds, water daily, and there you grow!
Reply:all you need is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground...
Reply:I like to go to places like Lowes and Home Depot and purchase a lot of their discontinued or clearance flowers and I plant them and water them and when they get rooted, they usually come back beautiful. Its best not to invest a lot of money when you first start your garden, just in case, things don't work out for you. Experiment with a lot of flowers that are easy to grow and do "come back" each year. Perennials come back every year but Annuals do not. Keep your stones for decorations, but make sure ALL your weeds are pulled out or killed with WEED_BEGONE or another weed killer.Just keep planting and sometimes there are Garden centers that give away free plants once or twice a year. Good Luck. Oh,and do Get the right fertilizer from the start.
Reply:OK u have 2 choices for planting flowers, i assume u want them to come back every year so u probably want perennials. so u can buy bulbs and plant them this fall, or u can wait till this spring and go to a store like Lowes or something and buy the plants that have already grow and u have to do is bring them home and plant them.
Lowes has a good variety of perennials and they r not overly expensive.
Reply:Here's some sites with landscaping pictures of front yards:
http://www.kerrilandscape.com/index.asp?...
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...
This last picture illustrates how you can use a few well placed shrubs %26amp; some brightly-colored flowering plants in front of them to create a beautiful front yard.
Nice %26amp; neat %26amp; color up front wouldn't cost much.
This next site provides info on foundation planting:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_borde...
Choose plants according to the amount of sunlight or shade the desired area receives. Also keep winter in mind, especially in northern parts of the country. Choose a variety of plants but keep growing conditions in mind. Keep out weeds with plenty of mulch.
These pictures illustrate how the use of mulch pulls everything together %26amp; helps define the space. Just a few shrubs are the backdrop for the flowers:
http://www.landscapingwithstyle.on.ca/ph...
More front yard gardens:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...
Garden Plans, Yard Makeovers, Garden Designs, Outdoor Rooms:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jsp?cate...
Good luck! Hope this was helpful.
Reply:I would consider investing in some grass seed because you said that your garden's grass is very dull. Grass seed doesn't have to cost a lot and usually you can find some at your local Ace Hardware, Home Depot or Lowe's. Also, if you don't like the white stones in your garden, just remove them and replace them with other stones you can also get at your local home improvement center. Now, if you want flowers in your garden you can get nice looking but inexpensive flowers at your local home improvement center. Now, you said you want it to be low-maintenance as well. Well, I suggest investing in some self-watering flower bulbs so you don't have to keep constantly watering your plants. These will give the plants water only when they need them.
Hoped that helped!
Reply:talk to your neighbors as to what grows there. Fall is coming and planting bulbs is easy and not real expensive. Who knows some of your neighbors may have stuff you can have if theirs has overgrown...sounds beautiful!
erythema
This is my new house and i want to change it from the previous owners. I also dislike the white stones.
All ideas welcome
How can i create a Low cost, low maintenance garden, that looks nice?
When I'm faced with a potentially expensive project and want to do it cheaply, I first hit the library, or the internet (if adequate resources are available).
The following materials will prove invaluable when installing gardens and beds:
*Shovel
*Spade
*Wheel Burrow or Garden Cart
*Rake
*Seeds and Plants (Don't purchase this item until you've read the instructions below)
Tips and Tricks For Simple Gardening:
When creating a garden, it's best to think of space planning. Grid out the area on paper, and then watch the areas that you decide that you wish to put plants on. In order to decrease the costs of the garden, you will want to know about how much sun the areas you plan to place plants get every day (not doing this places your plants at risk of becoming stunted or perhaps dieing).
Depending on how fast you want your change, you should probably start with seed and bulbs to decrease cost. A quicker solution would be to purchase plants.
In order to protect the plant beds from weeds, it would also be best to put mulch down around the plants after you have finished your plantings.
Your rocks will likely have to be moved manually (By shovel, or by other means; depending on size), and then replaced with whatever you want there.
Reply:just buy a little soil andd some seds. draw out the amount of space with a shovel or hoe, dig up the grass within the area, put down soil, plants seeds, water daily, and there you grow!
Reply:all you need is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground...
Reply:I like to go to places like Lowes and Home Depot and purchase a lot of their discontinued or clearance flowers and I plant them and water them and when they get rooted, they usually come back beautiful. Its best not to invest a lot of money when you first start your garden, just in case, things don't work out for you. Experiment with a lot of flowers that are easy to grow and do "come back" each year. Perennials come back every year but Annuals do not. Keep your stones for decorations, but make sure ALL your weeds are pulled out or killed with WEED_BEGONE or another weed killer.Just keep planting and sometimes there are Garden centers that give away free plants once or twice a year. Good Luck. Oh,and do Get the right fertilizer from the start.
Reply:OK u have 2 choices for planting flowers, i assume u want them to come back every year so u probably want perennials. so u can buy bulbs and plant them this fall, or u can wait till this spring and go to a store like Lowes or something and buy the plants that have already grow and u have to do is bring them home and plant them.
Lowes has a good variety of perennials and they r not overly expensive.
Reply:Here's some sites with landscaping pictures of front yards:
http://www.kerrilandscape.com/index.asp?...
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...
This last picture illustrates how you can use a few well placed shrubs %26amp; some brightly-colored flowering plants in front of them to create a beautiful front yard.
Nice %26amp; neat %26amp; color up front wouldn't cost much.
This next site provides info on foundation planting:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_borde...
Choose plants according to the amount of sunlight or shade the desired area receives. Also keep winter in mind, especially in northern parts of the country. Choose a variety of plants but keep growing conditions in mind. Keep out weeds with plenty of mulch.
These pictures illustrate how the use of mulch pulls everything together %26amp; helps define the space. Just a few shrubs are the backdrop for the flowers:
http://www.landscapingwithstyle.on.ca/ph...
More front yard gardens:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...
Garden Plans, Yard Makeovers, Garden Designs, Outdoor Rooms:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jsp?cate...
Good luck! Hope this was helpful.
Reply:I would consider investing in some grass seed because you said that your garden's grass is very dull. Grass seed doesn't have to cost a lot and usually you can find some at your local Ace Hardware, Home Depot or Lowe's. Also, if you don't like the white stones in your garden, just remove them and replace them with other stones you can also get at your local home improvement center. Now, if you want flowers in your garden you can get nice looking but inexpensive flowers at your local home improvement center. Now, you said you want it to be low-maintenance as well. Well, I suggest investing in some self-watering flower bulbs so you don't have to keep constantly watering your plants. These will give the plants water only when they need them.
Hoped that helped!
Reply:talk to your neighbors as to what grows there. Fall is coming and planting bulbs is easy and not real expensive. Who knows some of your neighbors may have stuff you can have if theirs has overgrown...sounds beautiful!
erythema
I want to switch out a garden tub to a jacuzzi tub. How much would the installation cost?
I just need to know in general how much in labor the installation would cost to switch a garden tub to a jacuzzi tub. I want the jets. :) I realize this depends on where I live too. I live in Delaware.
I want to switch out a garden tub to a jacuzzi tub. How much would the installation cost?
A lot will depend on whether or not you can find a Jacuzzi that is the same size as the existing tub. Large tubs generally require some type of support framing that may need to be modified. Jacuzzis also require electrical power and access panels for the pump motor and wiring. You'll have to have a qualified electrician run a dedicated GFCI circuit for the new tub. Dedicated, means the tub will be the only thing on that breaker; GFCI is a safety that shuts down the power if the circuit shorts out due to water or any other type of problem, so you don't get electrocuted. You also need to consider whether or not the water supply lines and existing drains will work with the new tub.
Next you have to consider the walls around the existing tub. Drywall or plaster will be pretty easy to patch up after switching the tubs. Tile will take much more effort, and matching tile may not be available; so for it to look good you might end up re-tiling the entire area.
To have this done professionally, plan on anywhere from $1000 to $3000, plus the cost of the new tub.
Reply:besides the installation they might have to reinforce your floors which would be extra money, i would call some plumbers and get an estimate
I want to switch out a garden tub to a jacuzzi tub. How much would the installation cost?
A lot will depend on whether or not you can find a Jacuzzi that is the same size as the existing tub. Large tubs generally require some type of support framing that may need to be modified. Jacuzzis also require electrical power and access panels for the pump motor and wiring. You'll have to have a qualified electrician run a dedicated GFCI circuit for the new tub. Dedicated, means the tub will be the only thing on that breaker; GFCI is a safety that shuts down the power if the circuit shorts out due to water or any other type of problem, so you don't get electrocuted. You also need to consider whether or not the water supply lines and existing drains will work with the new tub.
Next you have to consider the walls around the existing tub. Drywall or plaster will be pretty easy to patch up after switching the tubs. Tile will take much more effort, and matching tile may not be available; so for it to look good you might end up re-tiling the entire area.
To have this done professionally, plan on anywhere from $1000 to $3000, plus the cost of the new tub.
Reply:besides the installation they might have to reinforce your floors which would be extra money, i would call some plumbers and get an estimate
How do you paint a cement garden bench?
We've had these 2 white garden benches that are made from cement, they're a bit discolored over the years, should we paint them white or should we just brush them off with a hard-bristle brush?
How do you paint a cement garden bench?
masonary paint
Reply:Its been awhile since I've done any painting, but I do believe with cement you have to clean it, seal it (because its so porous), then use a masonry paint on it.
I'm sure if you ask someone in the paint dept. at Home Depot or Loews, or even go to a Sherwin Williams or other paint store, someone there will be able to tell you what is the latest %26amp; greatest way to handle this.
Reply:we've just painted our cement porch. you can stain it or paint it depending on the look you want. paint gives a more covered look. check out the web site.
How do you paint a cement garden bench?
masonary paint
Reply:Its been awhile since I've done any painting, but I do believe with cement you have to clean it, seal it (because its so porous), then use a masonry paint on it.
I'm sure if you ask someone in the paint dept. at Home Depot or Loews, or even go to a Sherwin Williams or other paint store, someone there will be able to tell you what is the latest %26amp; greatest way to handle this.
Reply:we've just painted our cement porch. you can stain it or paint it depending on the look you want. paint gives a more covered look. check out the web site.
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