What is a good low cost way to get a veggie patch started?

[wildeyed]

I have tow small raised beds, but I want to get a larger patch going soon. I am in the SE. Soil is hard clay, so getting it worked and read to plant is always back breaking. I remember some posts here from a while back about getting a patch started by layering newspaper and organic material, but I can't remember what it is called.

This article made me so mad! It is inspiring me to raise more of my own veggies. They can put trade restriction on local growers, but see if they can regulate my backyard garden!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/opinion/01hedin.html?th&emc=th

[NMDemDist2]

1. it's called lasagna mulch or gardening

TygerBright was doing it a couple years ago in NM IIRC

check your library

http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm

[wildeyed]

2. I may give that a go.

I have a ton of leaf compost this year, all I need to do is save newspapers for a few weeks. Prolly get extras from my neighbors as well.

Did you get your bath tub garden going yet? Did you need to poke extra holes in it? I have a very sunny and well protected patio. It is lovely in early spring, but viciously hot during high summer. I was thinking of trying to locate a bathtub for free or at low cost. If I put some wheels on it and filled it with dirt, I could start tomatoes and peppers very, very early in the hot, protected spot, then wheel the whole shebang over to the cool side of the patio when it started to get really hot in July.

[NMDemDist2]

3. I dunno about rolling one around

I'm buying the soil today, I have about 8-10" of rocks in the bottom of it as a drain field (one thing I have plenty of, rocks LOL)

I will take some pics, but set it so the faucet and handle holes are on the west side so I can rig up a shade cloth if I need to using the deck railings on one side and I can stick some poles in through the holes to hold it up

[wildeyed]

4. Hmmm, I will keep my eyes open for two smaller containers.

Easier to move. I got the idea from this.

http://www.gardeners.com/Tomato+Success+Kits/VegetableGardening_TerrificTomatoes,35-776RS,default,cp.html

I just don't want to spend the $$$.

[NMDemDist2]

5. kitchen sinks

a couple double sinks would do the same, but lighter

[wildeyed]

6. Maybe I will swing by re-store, see what looks like a good idea.

They might have some used planters that would work, too. I could make or buy this self watering system as well. The problem with patio plants is keeping them watered. In August, I have to do it twice a day or everything scorches.

http://www.gardeners.com/Adjustable+Reservoir/PotsPlanters_SelfWateringPlanters,34-507RS,default,cp.html

Still much cheaper than the entire system new.

[wildeyed]

7. Oh, no way!

I just found and old plastic utility sink out in the garage. I will get my dh to put casters on it so it is movable. Perfect for a couple of small tomato plants! :woohoo:

I also found an old diaper pail that looks pretty heavy duty, bet I can do something with that too.

Has anyone built their own self-watering water reservoir for container plants? I am anxious about keeping the plants watered in the hot summer weather.

[NMDemDist2]

8. I'm gonna dig in some gallon milk cartons and juice bottles

put holes in the jugs then bury them to the shoulder with the pour mouth above ground so you can get a hose to it

that's what I'm doing in my bathtub but I have a bit more room than you do, but you should have room for maybe a 2 liter soda bottle to do the same thing? or quart jugs?

[wildeyed]

9. Does that slow release the water into the pot?

Or just get it closer to the root system?

[NMDemDist2]

10. depends on how many holes and how big they are

smaller holes, slower flow eh?

[hippywife]

16. Also, keep the caps!

We did this in the garden last year and if you put the caps on after you fill them, it slows down the release of water.

[NMDemDist2]

11. here's a bit of a thread on the different ways to do it

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf18501842.tip.html

[wildeyed]

12. Good idea!

I might try that with all my veggie garden plants this summer. I know a few of my neighbors drink soda, so I will ask them to save plastic bottles for me.

[NMDemDist2]

13. and if you don't have room in your containers

just fill em and stick em in the ground

[wildeyed]

14. I found these.

http://www.gardeners.com/Aqua+Cones+153/18034,default,pd.html

This way, you don't have to bury the entire container, just aim the spike toward the root system. Now if I only had some soda bottles!

[NMDemDist2]

15. OMG

I am in PAIN

I hauled all the rock for the bathtub today, raked the whole yard and hauled 100 pounds of dirt into the tub

man, I need to get in shape

LOL

those things look cool, but do you need more stuff? I'm trying not to buy anything!

[wildeyed]

20. Just don't throw your back out.

That is painful and takes a long time to recover from.

I am not going to buy them straight off. I will try the pop bottle method first, then if it is successful but needs tweaking, I might buy the spikes.

Watering and garden maintenance are a serious problem for me. Anything that helps with that is worth a few $$$. I am even considering a timed patio watering drip system. But first I want to give the pop bottles a go. They may be fine and free! :)

I bought a top level seed starting system years and years ago. Super system, still using it, never regretted that purchase. The problem with me, for every successful buy, there are three no-gos sitting around. Gawd I love gadgets! Roomba, anyone?

I *am* trying to be less impulsive about purchases in general, without ruling them out altogether. A good system to water my patio plants in August would be worth something to me.

[NMDemDist2]

21. I won't, this was just the good soreness. I'm feeling fine today thank heaven

I know what crap shape I'm in and I'm taking it slow

why not put the kids on water patrol? have em help paint the bottles and buy them cute little watering cans to fill them? kids + water + August = FUN!!! and what kid can resist growing radishes and they are ready so fast the kids get some fairly instant gratification for their efforts so that the longer crops are added to the excitement

here's an article which states radish is also a great way to break up heavy clay soil

even if they hate radishes (i did until about 10 yrs ago) it's still fun eh?

http://www.helium.com/tm/364757/radishes-vegetable-gardenone-easiest

[wildeyed]

22. It is so miserable here in August, we don't even go to the pool.

102 degrees, huge humidity, mosquitoes swarms, fire ants; the fun never ends. We usually leave town and go to the mountains for at least part of the month. On the plus side, the spring and fall are long and lovely and winters are mild, so I guess it evens out in the end.

But I will try getting the kids more involved in the garden this year. I remember a few years back, I was carefully weeding a row and I look behind me and my 2 year old son is "helping". He pulled up every single little seedings, lol. It was frustrating at the time, but cute in retrospect.

[NMDemDist2]

23. shows he's a budding gardener seems to me

:rofl:

[wildeyed]

24. He always did want to know the name of all the plants,

even when he was really little. Like to cook, too. Must be my kid :)

[Kittycat]

17. Use Gympsum or Lime to help break up the clay.

Make sure the ground is good and dry. If you use sand, make sure it's builders sand, and not the fine sand used in sand boxes or play areas - that will only make it worse. Add in course compost, leaves and then the lime. It's better to amend a large area with a tiller than to do small patches at a time. Once you get all that worked in, then add in a couple bags of rich soil. I like to use a 3part of mushroom compost, top soil & manure. You can add in some of the little white balls that are used in potting soil too, which improve drainage, if desired. If you're growing bulbs, fertilize with bone meal. If other plants, fish emulsion is a great natural fertilizer.

[wildeyed]

19. You really can't use too much lime or sand in my neck of the woods.

The soil is clay, atrociously hard and acid. I have pretty much given up on tilling. I break up the soil some, add lime and sand, then either pile amendments on top or build a raised bed if I intend to do veggies or something else high maintenance.

[NMDemDist2]

18. wow, I just read the article you linked

:wow:

that's really messed up

:banghead:

[Joanne98]

25. I'm trying some square foot gardens this year.

I've never done it before. Any advice?

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

[Kolesar]

26. Those close plant spacings mean competition for nutrients, water, and sun

Raised beds are a good idea, but with the early shade that our garden gets, I don't think it would work.

I found the data on complimentary vegetable plants to be hard to interpret, so the only complimentary planting I am going to try is to put onion sets whereever onions are advised.