Getting started gardening

[Agilityscots]

So do you need to keep the soil temps up the entire time they're indoors? Or just for a certain length of time?

This is all very helpful, everyone. Thanks!

Amy

 

[HobbyChickener]

Have any of you ever tried floating beds to grow your starter sets? I see it alot in this area for tobacco slips and can't help but wonder if it would work for veggies.

 

[sundance]

We live in middle tennessee, and the rocks seem to reproduce overnight. since we also live in a mobile home i do not have a large space for a garden, so i just got some of the black plastic rolls from wal-marts garden center, put it about 3 feet from the side of the house(its only about 6 inches tall, ( the black plastic rolls, not the mobile home)and filled it with horse droppings, top soil and planted my tomatoes and squash, i use hay for a mulch and have no problem with weeds, now that i have my chicks, i have natural fertilizer and hay mixed together. I also put about a teaspoon of sugar under each plant and we have more than we can eat. I have squash plants about 8 ft across.

Mother to: 24 RIR, l pitt bull 1 poodle mix. and 1 yorkie

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
I keep them all inside at room T of about 70 deg for the first 4-5 weeks or so and let them be what ever the outside temps are for 1 hr, 2 hr, 3 hr, 4 hr.. etc hours untill they are outside all day and night. The 18 hr to 24 hr jump is usually started on nights I know will stay above 45 or so though.

 

[silkiechicken]

And here are some of the veggies as they were about 2 weeks ago. They have grown since, especially the corn. The rain has done them well.


These were started indoors, it is about 1/3 of all of the plants outside. As usual I plant densely in very chicken poo or pony poo soil so that weeds are crowded out when they get larger. In addition, close planting of about 2 feet between plants, lets me only water once or twice a week when it is sunny... which is only every 3 or so weeks...

These zuchs are literally growing out of chicken poo. Where they are is where the chicken cage was all last winter... about 8 inches of heavy poo and mulch, I just dug, with gloves, holes into the junk and placed in a started plant from the house. Benifits of this system is zucchs love fertilizer and the high organic matter soaks up water like a sponge. Also only water once a week and planted plants about 2 feet apart. There are 6 there.

And where that short season corn is, it only gets 4 feet tall, is where I spread out chicken manuer from the previous year. I have to water them twice as often as the close spaced zucch's and tomoatoes as they are more space greedy. They are now the height of the fence.

And as a side note. If you want beans from your bean plants... and not just leaves, you can't over fertilize them. ie, don't grow them out of fresh poo.

 

[chicks rule]

I have gotten lost trying to read all the post in this thread so not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but, for those with limited space this is a great idea.

http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/tomato2.html

 

[Agilityscots]

Silkiechicken, what a lush and beautiful garden you have! Just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing those pics, and also thanks for the info on soil temps and how you do it.

Amy

P.S. I'm buying two Rubbermaid garbage cans to start composting today (saw some very easy compost cans on an ag extension website). I realized that in my chicken litter bag in the basement (chicks are still in the brooder) I've also been dumping their feeder as well. Is it okay to include chicken litter with chick starter in the compost? I'd hate to throw it all out because of the chick starter, but I'm not sure it will break down.

 

[silkiechicken]

Oh yeah, chick feed will break down. Throw in old grains and anything that once grew and it can be broken down and used. Just don't throw in plastic cups and wrappers and you'll be fine.

 

[Agilityscots]

Excellent, thanks Silkie!

 

[HobbyChickener]

Don't forget to stir it every now and then. If you don't it will get VERY!!!! hot. Feel the outside of your container once in a while. I had a compost pile the started to smolder it got so hot.