Plant growing?
Question:I am only 13 years old and I need a hobby for the summer. I found some seeds and decided that I wanted to make a garden. I want to grow cucumbers, tomatos, peppers, lettuce, and potatos. I don't want to grow all of them at the same time, but those are the ones I like. I need to know how to grow them, if it is to late to grow them and any other tips you may have. Thanks so much!
Answers:
Skittles,
It somewhat depends on where you live and how long your growing season is...but if you're going to start a garden, you need to get going!
Hon, you need to get all of them planted---NOW---if you have any hopes of harvesting a crop. Therefore, you hopefully have a big enough garden plot to plant them all. You may get some of your crops a bit later than someone who's alteady planted, but there's still time.
If you don't have a bed already worked up, ask your mom or dad (or brother if you have one) to rent a Rototiller to work up a patch of soil. (This can also be done with a spade, but is way more labor-intensive!) You can apply a small amount of all-purpose fertilizer, like 12-12-12, but it's not vital. Mark your rows (you'll be surprised at how quickly you can forget what's planted where!) and hoe out a thin, straight line; plant your seeds, not too deeply, cover, and water.
Please consider buying some tomato and pepper plants already started. These take a long time to get going from seed, and there should still be some plants available at a local greenhouse.
Best of luck to you Hon. If it doesn't work out exactly as planned, try starting a bit earlier next year, and I hope your experience instills a lifelong love of gardening in you! And remember, even experienced gardeners have failures sometimes. Just keep on!
It's a little too late for most of those, but it depends where you live if you are in the far north part of the country or at a high altitude go for it. If you are using seeds you would plant all of those just after the last frost. If you are in the South you can have a Fall garden which you should plant in August.
One exception is peppers they love the heat so you could plant those now.
First, don't get discouraged. Second, spend some time every day in your garden, and some time every day reading a general purpose gardening book from the library, or search the net. Third, decide if you're growing "organic" or will be using pesticides/chemical fertilizers. Since I don't know what "zone" you live in (I'm in 6), I'll just tell you what I do. We put our potatos in the ground around March along with lettuce (you can also wait and plant it later when it cools down).Once you sow your lettuce seeds, save some and sow every two weeks so you'll have a continuous crop. I've never had any luck with Iceberg lettuce, but ButterCrunch works well. Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatos and peppers all like water, and the last two love heat. Buy some instant dry milk, put some in the hole for your tomato plants, and bury them at least halfway up their stems. Cucumbers and tomatos don't absolutely need trellises, but it will make your hobby easier. You can make your own by using three large sticks/tree limbs, lashing them together in a teepee fashion. Last note: tomatos either ripen all at once ("determinate") or a few at a time ("indeterminate"). We grow both, canning the determinate for later use and eating the indeterminate as they ripen. It's been said that "Gardening is the path to serenity." I hope you find that and MORE!
I like gardening,, but I am better at flowers than veggies,,,
you could go to a garden store and look around and check out what plants or flowers apeal to you,,see what care they need,, lots of sun,, little sun,, lots of water..little water,, do they come back each year or do you have to re-plant them,,,
I like to plant flowers that attract butterflies,, and hummingbirds,, but you need to check to see if the plant or flower is the type that will over grow and choke out the other flowers,,
I don't know how much room you have,, or what state you live in.. I live where the summers are hot and dry and the winters can be hard,,, so ask what zone you live in that way you will know which flowers will do good for you..
this is just some of the flowers I have,, I enjoy gardening very much. I started at about your age helping my Mom in her garden and now my daughter helps me in mine,, so I feel its time well spent,,It can been alot of work to get started,, but the end results are wonderful,,,
Marigolds are very easy and like alot of sun,, and come in a wide range of colors and sizes,, some tall, some short,, butterflys like them...
Petuna's work well in a hanging basket,,and will continues to bloom if you pick the dead flowers off, ( deadheading ), they will leave a sticky feel to your fingers but its nothing to hurt you..they also come in lots of differant colors..
Lantanis's is a bushy plant and will come back from year to year,, unless you have alot of room you will have to cut it back ( pruning ) evey year,, but I love the little bouquets of flowers it blooms..
Milkweed is the host plant to the Monach butterfly.. The first time I plant this I didn't know it was,,But what a treat ! the Monach will lay its eggs on the plant and you can watch the whole lifecycle of this butterfly,,It was wonderful to watch them come out of their cocoon,, they can't fly right away because their wings have to dry out before they can,, so you get the chance to get a really good close up look at them..
Well I hope that helpss, I know you asked about veggies,, but I do flowers,, you might like that better...
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