from 'comunity garden' - into 'first try at a garden'..

[canesisters]

Hello all,

I haven't been in TEG very much - spend most of my time in BYC. But I'm thinking that I'm going to be here A LOT now.

I was talking to a friend yesterday and found out that he's really struggling to help his ex keep the pantry filled and the kids fed. This just tore at my heart. I don't have any extra money to offer - but I do have a big yard, horses, chickens and a love of growing things (flowers/shrubs/trees, that sort of thing).

I've never had much luck with veggie gardening. I mostly end up with a crop of incredibly vigorous weeds. And since I've never learned how to can - and my freezing efforts usually ended up in nasty mush - I just never had the desire to put that much work into veggie gardening.
But I want to spend the winter getting ready to plant a community garden. The purpose would be to give away almost all of the harvest. I have an area - between the barn and the coop that's around 100' square - flat - open to the sun all day - close to a water source - and growing grass like nobody's business.

SO! Garden Gurus, what's my first step?

Here's what I'm thinking right off.
I have 6 pallets that I can use to build a compost bin(s) once I pick a place convenient to the sources of compost-able-nure.
I'll need some way to kill off the grass so that I'm not starting out battling weeds before my seeds even sprout.
Then what?

I know I'm biting off more than I can chew... I'm going to trust that either help or energy will be provided as needed.

 

[so lucky]

One way to start would be to dump large amounts of manure, compost, leaves, chicken litter, etc, to smother the grass for a few months, then till it in, dump some more, wait till spring and till again. You may get someone to donate and haul a load or two of cow manure if they know you are doing it for a community garden. Probably lots of things you can get donated. I think you have a wonderful idea, but it might be good if you could get some of the future recipients to do some work in it. People appreciate things they have "earned" more than things that are given to them. Would give them a sense of pride, etc. Also, you may have to give some cooking classes to show how all the fresh produce is prepared. Many young people don't know what to do with a squash or fresh green beans. (not anyone on here, but, believe me, many city folks are not accustomed to getting fresh grown vegetables) I'm sure more people will chime in with relevant ideas. Good luck!

 

[canesisters]

I did some research last night and the opinions seem to be that 'bed gardening' is more productive and less labor intensive than 'row gardening'.
It doesn't HAVE to be raised beds, does it?? I don't think I can get my hands on the materials to build that many raised beds. Unless tree trunks can be used... I might be able to swing a few of those. I know someone who is an arborist (sp?) and is often having to pay to dispose of logs.
HAHA - just got a mental picture of a 'giant Lincoln-log farm' in my back yard.

 

[digitS']

Canesisters, have you seen Marshall's garden?

I took the boards off my raised beds when they became a trip hazard. All of my gardening space is in beds this year; no bed is surrounded by anything but permanent paths.

Row culture is for mechanized cultivation, to my way of thinking. Without boards (or logs) you can even use a tiller during the off-season and it only takes a shovel to clean up the garden afterwards. I'm just not interested in paths for me, every couple of feet. I'd rather garden with quiet hand tools. Sitting on a stool out there is my best choice. I can fairly well reach across a 4' bed in that position.

Now, if I was back in the 25' by 200' garden I've had - the tiller would get as much work as I could assign it! Everything would be planted in rows.

If your community garden idea is mostly you growing for others, you should evaluate the others' ability to handle fresh vegetables. It could be that storage crops - like potatoes, onions, winter squash, cabbage etc. - would be best for those who would have trouble dealing with a lot of quickly perishable food.

Steve

edited: now that i think about it. the current "big veggie garden" is quite a bit larger than 25' by 200' but that old garden was entirely "messed up" by a tractor, once each year & i couldn't rebuild that many beds & paths.

 

[canesisters]

Marshall's garden? Can you give me a link?

So you're saying that in my 100' space, I should just plant a bunch of 3' or 4' sq spaces? That sounds more 'up my alley' than LONG rows of things.

How about suggestions of things to group?
For instance, if I have, say 6 of these squares with paths between them - would I fill each one with something particular or are there combinations of things that will help each other? I've heard that marigolds will keep some bugs away... which bugs? And what should they be planted with? In a little pot of cherry tomatoes last year I surrounded it with mint and only picked a couple of those scary green worms off over the whole summer.

 

[so lucky]

You can find one of Marshalsmyth's posts, click on his name, and a page will come up. Scroll down to find "see all posts" or 'see all topics" By using these, you will be able to search for and find pics of his garden where he shows the various beds for different groups of veggies. He's quite creative, and uses a lot of "found" material.

 

[canesisters]

Here's part of the space that I'm going to use (there is a good bit behind where I was standing). That's the shed that became my chicken coop in the trees.
After a little more thought, I think that maybe I should start out JUST a bit smaller than first planned. Learn a bit about what I'm doing and grow a 'customer' base.
I think that I'll still try to start preping the whole area, but only plant about half the first year.

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[897tgigvib]

Yes. What so lucky said. Gather the friends and neighbors and get them to chip in with the work.

Call them WORK PARTIES. Put each person in charge of something.

Have a "secretary" draw up the evolving plans. Have a "huddle" before each work party, and make schedules for them. Some folks'll have sundays off, some whatever days. Have someone in charge of sandwiches or hot dogs or something for lunch. Soda pop, iced tea, lemonade, apple juice, or beer for after the work parties help. (We have work parties like that where I work and live, but for other tasks like plumbing, or working on the boat docks, but it's the same concept.) Have someone in charge of recipes. Someone in charge of compost. Some garden methods include growing things mostly for compost; comfrey, favas, wheat...

Look around your area and see what garden styles are common there. The Mama Chicken uses the Texas style very well, the entire area rototilled and varieties in rows. She can describe that method best, and how the chickens can help.

Maybe parts of the garden can be one style, parts another style,

I think you mean the size is about 100 feet by 100 feet? That's 10,000 square feet, pertnear a quarter acre. That will be some work.

Find out from the locals what the animal pests are. What to do to protect from maurading critters.

Start with easy crops.

All that grass is going to be tricky, or a whole lot of work. Making a series of "burn piles" on it to burn it may be an idea. Just don't use gas or diesel to help it burn. a propane torch is ok.

Let me do some more thinking...

 

[897tgigvib]

I think it's april manier who is actively doing, or running a community garden of some kind.

 

[digitS']

Marshall's garden? Can you give me a link?

So you're saying that in my 100' space, I should just plant a bunch of 3' or 4' sq spaces? That sounds more 'up my alley' than LONG rows of things.

How about suggestions of things to group?
For instance, if I have, say 6 of these squares with paths between them - would I fill each one with something particular or are there combinations of things that will help each other? I've heard that marigolds will keep some bugs away... which bugs? And what should they be planted with? In a little pot of cherry tomatoes last year I surrounded it with mint and only picked a couple of those scary green worms off over the whole summer.

Marshall's garden (click)

Well, you may have long beds but that's what I've done. Actually, I find a few paths across the garden really help in getting around. Most of the beds are 25' to 35' long (4' wide).

I plant "salad beds" but, as I say, you should determine your recipient's ability to deal with those kind of perishable vegetables. This year, I tried planting onion beds, pulling some of them green, and putting in late cucumber plants. Now that the onions are all being harvested - end of their season - the cucumbers are taking over the beds & producing well.

Steve