How do you get your garden to grow?

[Nats Chickens]

I was wondering if there are any tips and tricks to help your garden, because mine is all done properely with carrots, capsicum, tomato and lettuce, but I got 2 buckwheat plants (?), an unidentifiable but very pretty plant, and carrots (or weeds, but pretty sure carrots). So what am I doing wrong?

 

[cmom]

I hope someone can give you an answer. Every once in awhile we have a plant come up in our gardens that we didn't plant that we call volunteers. Most likely from a seed that was in our compost since we put the vegie scraps, chicken poop, grass, leaves, litter from the coops into a compost pile. Every year about a month or so before we start planting we spread the compost in the gardens.

 

[Nats Chickens]

We have compost on there, but nothing is growing.

 

[fur-mum]

So many things could be just a little bit off. Moisture, soil temperature, age of the seeds, how deep they're planted, did the birds eat the seeds, all these things can affect germination rates (how well the seeds sprout). How long ago did you plant your seeds?

 

[fur-mum]

Also, different plants like different things. For example, peppers (capscicum) and tomatoes like hot summer weather. They won't even germinate til the temp soil is around 70 degrees F. Carrots and lettuce are cooler weather crops, and they grow better in spring and fall, and try to die in the scorching heat of the summer.
It may be too early or late in your growing season for one or the other type of veg.

 

[Nats Chickens]

Yeah, I planted them a few months ago. I have given up on them growing but hopefully will get some carrots.

 

[lazy gardener]

You are in your winter. There are a bunch of Aussies on BYC. I suggest you start a gardening thread for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere. Or perhaps go to your Australia thread and talk to the folks there for advice. (look in the Social, where are you, where am I! thread).

Feed the soil, and the plants will feed you. Your garden also needs lots of sun. Full sun is best, decreased competition from weeds, and appropriate water (and temps) If you have tree roots encroaching on your garden space, they will rob nutrients. It's amazing how very far roots can travel.

You might want to start by having a soil test done. If nutrient balances are off, your garden will fail.

 

[lazy gardener]

More info re: garden set up, conditions, type of soil, water availability would be helpful.

 

[cmom]

We have compost on there, but nothing is growing.

I don't know what your temperatures are there but here where I live in Florida I start my seeds usually within the next couple of months like peas, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, collards. Most green will tolerate a frost.

 

[cmom]