Looking to Start a Garden

[johnandlynds]

My wife and I just bought our first house in the Phoenix area and we're looking to start our first garden. We have two dogs, and they love food. So we're planning on enclosing the area with a wood frame and chicken wire. The area we have to work with is 20'x7'

Any suggestions on how to set up the garden? I believe she is looking to grow some broccoli, tomatoes, kale, strawberries (or any berry that will grow in Phoenix), bell peppers and some herbs. Not sure how much room will be needed for all of that. Do you think the space provided will be enough? Any suggestions are welcome, we're both pretty new to this. I know how to design the area and do the manual labor, and that's about where my knowledge is exhausted. I am definately not a green thumb.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[digitS']

John', you could put a path right down the middle of that and create 2 beds. Soil from the path can be moved to add to the depth of the beds. Cultivate as deep as you have top soil - assuming you don't have 5' or 6' of top soil! My guess is that you won't have more that 10". If you are person of normal height, you should be able to reach from the path all the way across your beds. Perhaps, you will need a board on the bed to put your foot on, for balance. Otherwise, stay off those beds right thru the season.

It would be a very good idea to add amendments to the soil to increase fertility and hold moisture but be sure that whatever you are putting in, is well composted. You don't want something like wood shavings sucking nutrients away from your plants this year.

If you can work your strawberries (other berries) and herbs into another location in your yard, perhaps in front and behind a flower bed, that would probably be best. Those are perennials and once they are in the ground, you will want to leave them there.

Here is something from Purdue that should help you. It is just a 4 page pdf that you can print off and carry around: Small Plot and Intensive Gardening. I think that all that is in there is good information and clearly written.

Here is Wishing You the Best of Luck!!

Steve

 

[wsmoak]

Consider building some sort of structure to hold shade cloth, or your plants will bake and much of the water you put on them will evaporate!

(I lived in Chandler for 10+ years and tried growing tomatoes in our south-facing back yard *once*. After that I concentrated on citrus -- I miss my tangelo trees!)

-Wendy

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Yeah I like Steve's idea, I have just read a book with a lot of methods of Intensive Gardening as well as Square foot gardening and I would definely do that for a small garden for two.

 

[jonassmith12]

I'm also planning to start a garden for myself. I'm so glad found this form. Anyway, thanks for sharing this out.

___________________



stores online

 

[catjac1975]

My wife and I just bought our first house in the Phoenix area and we're looking to start our first garden. We have two dogs, and they love food. So we're planning on enclosing the area with a wood frame and chicken wire. The area we have to work with is 20'x7'

Any suggestions on how to set up the garden? I believe she is looking to grow some broccoli, tomatoes, kale, strawberries (or any berry that will grow in Phoenix), bell peppers and some herbs. Not sure how much room will be needed for all of that. Do you think the space provided will be enough? Any suggestions are welcome, we're both pretty new to this. I know how to design the area and do the manual labor, and that's about where my knowledge is exhausted. I am definately not a green thumb.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

Start small
I need a good fence-don't know if you do. CHicken wire will not be a life time fence. Whatever you use, use the green coated. We have some that 34 years old and looks brand new
It's all about soil, soil, soil. Manure and compost.
Learn more each year. One year's failure dose not mean you are a bad gardener.