Mainiac Newbie, take 2

[AnnaK]

Hello All from Maine!

I am preparing to try my hand at gardening again this year...after a very unsuccessful attempt last year (I harvested 5 green beans and about a dozen peas....and more weeds than I could count)
This year we are planning on doing 3 raised beds. We want to do tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, greenbeans, peas, lettuce and possibly brocolli, corn and potatoes. I am so far clueless as to when, how and even what varieties to plant here. I research a little each day, and I swear it just gets more confusing the more I read!!!
We had some decent success with our flowers last year. Grew some very pretty irises and lilies. Had a decent turnout for our nasturtiums and morning glories. This year we plan on expanding our flowerbed a little bit, not really adding anything new, just rearranging what we have and spreading out a bit, now that we have had a season to see what could be done better.

Anyway, any advice, tips, etc are really appreciated. And if you know of a good newbie guide/website I would love to hear about it!

Thanks a bunch!
Anna

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us!

All gardening is local. That means that due to climate and different conditions, varieties and even species that work for me in Arkansas might not work for you in Maine. But then, you have advantages over me in some things. Then we have our own microclimates that make differences. There is some trial and error involved in finding what works best for each of us.

You can get a lot of good information on this forum on a lot of things. And you'll meet some really helpful supportive people. I don't use the raised bed method so I can't help you on them. But several of our members use raised beds, so they are a wealth of information, for example. You might find someone on here that can help you with your local component, but you have other resources. I found this at your Extension Service site. Your Extension Service, either online or in the phone book under county government, has a lot of good local information.

http://umaine.edu/publications/2190e/

Good luck and once again,

 

[digitS']

Well, AnnaK, it is February and here you are . . .

You aren't having to throw yourself into the gardening in late Spring, as you did last year. You are making plans, probably, at the first signs of even the prospect of garden life in 2012. Good for you !!

You know -- you have some very important seed companies for home gardeners in Maine -- Pine Tree, Johnny's, & Fedco. People all across the US order from those 3 companies each year. They are very important to some of us. Probably, you'd better not choose any varieties that the seed catalogs claim take over 80 days to maturity, there in Maine.

I live where it is drier thru the growing season (& probably not quite as cold, outside the growing season). The cool nights because of low humidity and a fairly high elevation is part of the challenge. Weeds are a challenge to every gardener everywhere in the world! Given the chance, weeds will triumph - at the expense of our own choices as to what we want to have! What are you doing about them in 2012?

My veggies never see an herbicide. However, the ornamental gardens have permanent paths and I am up & down them with the weed killer a few times each year. Let me just say, that makes my life enormously easier!

I once had a neighbor who was a superb gardener. He grew olde . . . & turned over his gardens to his son . . . After tending more than twice as much as he was willing to, the son handed-off 1/2 of it to me . After his 1 growing season of rampant weed growth, I turned that garden into a flower garden . That meant -- I sprayed weed-killer wherever I could do that without causing injury to the flowers. ≥ !ʞɐqɯ! ≤ Weeds no more!

I am not suggesting that you use weed-killer on your vegetable garden. No. You should be in there like me - hammering away at them with a spading fork and 4-prong cultivator . Some, you can kill with a tiller - Some, you can spread around with a tiller. Weed-killer may be the 1st, easy step towards a garden where, the weeds are under some kind of control.

Here is the 2nd easiest way: plant something on the ground that you don't intend to use for anything other than suppressing weeds, turning under, and enriching the soil. Not getting very far in food production this year but . . . you can really snap those weeds' control of that ground! After tilling the ground repeatedly and running on a week or so into the frost-free season, sow a summer cover crop repeatedly, there in Maine. Something like sunflowers will quickly cover the ground with broad, green leaves! Give it about a month, then turn if over and sow more sunflower seed. When that 2nd sowing is growing really well, turn it under again!

I'm not a real great fan of deep mulch - field mice! But, some gardeners have real good luck with it. And, if you realize that you may get mice under it and take some steps to turn it fairly often to make sure they don't set up Mouse Metropolis, I bet you can smother most any weed over a season.

These last 2 organic choices for weed suppression will really benefit your soil. You will have to wait until 2013 to find out how much, however. Without some easy plan to deal with the weeds, falling back on cultivation is about the only alternative. I like the spading fork and 4-prong cultivator and I am willing to fall back on a stool and pull them all out of the veggie beds by hand but that puts me in a last-ditch effort to stave them off .

I hope you have a good and successful 2012 gardening season!

Steve

 

[lesa]

Welcome, Anna! Good for you, in deciding to give gardening another try! There can be no doubt that gardening is a continuing learning experience. Since you have a very short season, I would recommend going with transplants. Find a local garden center and buy some nice sized plants. You can worry about starting seeds, etc. after you have some success under your belt...Weeds are a big part of gardening (unfortunately!) The key to a weedless garden is continual weeding. If you spend a little time each day, pulling tiny weeds- you will never have that overwhelming issue of a garden full of weeds.
I find weed pulling very meditative. Crawling around in the dirt, with filthy hands makes time stop for me. I promise myself I will only stay in the garden for a little while- and before I know it, it is dark!!
There are tons of expert gardeners on this site, who will be more than happy to help you along. Think spring, and happy gardening!

 

[lillie]

Hi and welcome! I'm new here too. But already becoming addicted!

I've been toiling in the gardens for years and still don't have the answer for weed control. My arch nemesis is quack grass...the stuff is EVERYWHERE in my gardens!

I tried raised beds for the first time last summer - I'm really impressed with how well they worked and made weed control much easier. I don't grow any root vegetables in them though, because they are only 6" deep. I have the "old garden" where I plant potatoes & stuff right in the ground.

Good luck with the flower bed rearranging...mine get dug up and redistributed every year. Drives my hubby nuts.

 

[AnnaK]

Thanks for all the kind words and advice everyone!
It has been really interesting learning all the different tips and tricks I am finding everywhere. So much to learn and thanks to the internet I have it all right in my livingroom

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

welcome from just over the boarder in NH! good luck in your gardening ventures here in New England! just remember 'if you don't like the weather, just wait another minute, it'll change'

 

[catjac1975]

Hello All from Maine!

I am preparing to try my hand at gardening again this year...after a very unsuccessful attempt last year (I harvested 5 green beans and about a dozen peas....and more weeds than I could count)
This year we are planning on doing 3 raised beds. We want to do tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, greenbeans, peas, lettuce and possibly brocolli, corn and potatoes. I am so far clueless as to when, how and even what varieties to plant here. I research a little each day, and I swear it just gets more confusing the more I read!!!
We had some decent success with our flowers last year. Grew some very pretty irises and lilies. Had a decent turnout for our nasturtiums and morning glories. This year we plan on expanding our flowerbed a little bit, not really adding anything new, just rearranging what we have and spreading out a bit, now that we have had a season to see what could be done better.

Anyway, any advice, tips, etc are really appreciated. And if you know of a good newbie guide/website I would love to hear about it!

Thanks a bunch!
Anna

I refer to grass clipping as my gold.I mulch with them starting with the most difficult to weed plants. Onions and carrots are the most difficult. I use a Mantis tiller between rows . Don't let weeding get away from you. Start small. Maybe you planted too much your first time.
Hoe or cultivate while weeds are tiny so they don't become overwhelming. There is a corn product that is a preemengent organic herbicide that can help with the battle.

 

[AnnaK]

This warm weather is playing with my mind! I am so excited to get on qwith our new adventures in gardening....then I look outside and still see snow
My husband has jumped on board with the garden like I had never imagined! Hes drawing up plans, checking to see when we should start planting......doesnt seem like a lot, but it is from a man who previously rolled his eyes at my idea to start gardening! He's even looked into planting potatoes using the tire method and has since started collecting tires

 

[lesa]

Super! Gardening together is so fun and rewarding! Think spring!