What are good plants for beginners?

[lyndatu]

Hello

I'm planning to get in the planting hobby. Good thing I found this great forum. I was wondering what fruits or vegetables are easy to care for and are good for beginners. What do you recommend? Plants that take up big space is ok, but not too much. Oh, and we also keep chickens and I'm planning to make a compost pile to use their poop as fertilizer. How do you apply fertilizer on the soil when there is a plant growing on it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[patandchickens]

IIRC from BYC you are in the Phillipines or something like that? I have no idea about specifics outside of eastern N America, sorry... but, look around and see what are the commonest things for other people to grow, those are usually the easiest things

In general, though, leaf veggies and squash/melons and bean/pea type things are usually among the easy ones.

Also tomatoes and peppers if you get already-started plants (not that they're difficult to start from seed, just that it adds another layer of complexity is all). Fruits mostly take longer to start bearing - I would not plant them til you've spent a year caring for veggies etc and have a better idea what you can cope with and what your soil and seasons are like from a gardening point of view.

The better your soil and the more predictable and sufficient your watering, and the more-adequate your sunlight, the easier ANYthing is to grow. Also, things are easier if you can spend more attention on them, so it is a really good idea not to make your first veg garden too big - try to shoot for something like half the size you *think* you can manage and maybe you will be ok

Your chicken cleanings will have to compost for AT LEAST 3-4 months before you put them on the garden. Ideally they should be about half poo and half shavings or straw or whatever you're using. If you still have a sand run, mix the poo you clean out with some dead grass or dead leaves or something, pref. small not large pieces. Don't put the compost on the garden til it is darkish brown and crumbly.

You fertilize growing plants (as per recommendations, now, not just willy-nilly!) either by using liquid fertilizer diluted in water and poured around the plant, or by putting some FINISHED compost around the plant but not within about 4" of its stems. (The nutrients will gradually work their way into the soil, and worms etc will gradually work the compost into the soil too... although for some crops you can hasten the process by lightly ruffling it into the top layer of soil with your fingers or a cultivator). Well ok there are some other ways of fertilizing too but those are the main ones to start with

Good luck, and sorry not to be more help,

Pat

 

[silkiechicken]

Sorry, I also don't know much about your area, but as pat suggested, look around locally to see what other people grow there. I'd reccomend peas as easy as all get out, BUT I recall you saying winter was 70 deg F! SO, if that was the case... peas might not even set seed since they like temps in the lower range.

 

[digitS']

Lyndatu, I've done a little thinking about your question. If your climate is not too wet and warm and somewhat similar to the interior of the southeast Asian mainland, I may have some ideas for you :rainbow-sun. I don't know anything about growing in tropical, coastal areas.

Leaf mustard and bok choy will give you quick, vitamin-rich greens during the cool parts of the year. For long-season crops, my ideas are all fairly space-consuming plants but once planted and with a little weeding, they may be able to pretty much take care of themselves.

You could assign some space to sweet corn and allow vines to "invade" the ground beneath them during the growing-season. A little trellising can also provide the vines something vertical to climb on so that they take up a little less room. Watermelon, squash, luffa gourd, bittermelon, and cucumbers all grow well in the highlands of Southeast Asia and require little attention. Perhaps they will work well for you.

Tomatoes shouldn't be much trouble for you even directly seeded into your garden and peppers are likely to be perennials. I don't know if that would be a good or bad thing .

Here's wishing you the Best of Luck !

Steve