Any veggie gardeners out there?

[natty]

I started my garden today after getting access to a nice tiller. Tilled about a 15'x15' section. Planted today: salad mix, okra, zucchini, cucumbers and some hops rhizomes I got from a coworker. In the next couple of weeks I'm adding more(different) salad mix, yellow squash, baby watermelons, cantaloupe and herbs(basil, mint, cilantro, etc).

I'm not expecting much because I have a severe rabbit problem but I'm just trying to gauge what I can handle and what kind of problem I'll face. Next year I'm planning to start earlier and going crazy on some berries and grapes.

[LifeisaGarden]

You can deter the rabbits by putting up some wildlife netting, get it at Lowes (7'x100' approx $15). I have it all around my 20'x40' garden and have never had an issue with rabbits or other fauna. I'm currently having a problem with cutworms, I hate them!!!! I had been going out with a flashlight to find & kill them but I got some Dipel to get rid of them instead.

I suggest you look up each plant you have individually to find out what each needs are and what they are susceptible to. Your biggest issues will probably be insect and weed control.

Because I'm trying to stay away from chemicals that will kill us and our pets I try to use natural things to get rid of pests and weeds. Right now I'm using Dipel for the caterpillars and worm control, Neem concentrate for insecticide, fungicide and miticide, hand cultivators for weed control, Diatomaceous earth for crawling insect control. This year I put down professional landscape fabric to keep the weeds under control, I hope it works! I hope to be getting a hold of some free chicken doody pretty soon for fertilizer & compost, that will make my day.

You might want to look into companion gardening since you're doing a mixture of vegies & herbs. Some herbs keep pests away from certain veggies and some veggies don't like to be planted near other things. Also go to your local farm supply/feed store and ask questions, those people will know whats good for your location and they don't mind giving free info. Good luck with everything.

[natty]

Weed management is definitely going to be the big issue for me. I already know I'm going to have to set up barriers for the rabbits. It's not uncommon to see 3 rabbits in my yard at any given time. I'll have to bury chicken wire at least 6-8 inches around my garden so I'm trying to gauge how much I can handle working 9-5 and having limited time on the weekends. I let the weeds go pretty much unchecked last year(moved in late March) and they proved they can take over everything in a hurry. I had some that were easily 4' tall. My back yard has plenty of room for a gigantic garden if I want but I can't possibly tackle it all at once. My basic plan this year is to go for it and see what happens.

I also want to stay away from chemicals, hell I was hesitant to use a fertilizer/weed killer combo on my front lawn because might run off into my garden. I don't know at all what to expect with insects.

Thanks for the tips. :)

[Wither]

Sounds like too much work.

[jasonluckydog]

You need the Rabbit Killer 2000

always for hire

[Cat]

i wonder if its too late for me to add a blueberry bush to mine. anyone?

[Shufdog]

To keep weeds and grass out of my garden I just put down news paper between the rows, about two pages thick, and cover with compost. Don't use the funny papers or anything with a lot of color in it and don't use the plastic coated paper like ads and coupons.

It's a little bit of work but it should last all season. When you till up the garden at the end of the season, the paper will have broken down and the compost is great fertiliser!

[Hawk]

I'm a carnivor gardener...does that count?

[LifeisaGarden]

i wonder if its too late for me to add a blueberry bush to mine. anyone?

No, it's not too late, I'm getting ready to plant 3. Blueberries supposedly produce better if they are cross pollinated, you'll need more than one from different varieties. I've heard you should pick off any flowers or berries prior to planting because it causes stress. They also can get to be about 6'x8' or larger but can tolerate overcrowding.

[natty]

Well I think I've found a good solution. On my workout nights I can weed between my squat sets. I already had some that were a couple inches high. ><

[LifeisaGarden]

Post pics. If you show me yours I'll show you mine.

[natty]

Well there's nothing much to show right now, but I did snap a pic with my phone earlier. This is the cleanest my backyard has been since I bought the place. I mowed over everything this weekend, including the money grass you can see in the front. I actually mowed over a rabbit nest with 3 or 4 babies in it, but I couldn't bring myself to kill them.

I've only planted 2 rows on the far left, with the hops planted around the 'trellis'. My creepy rabbit overlord will keep watch.

[LifeisaGarden]

Looks like you're off to a great start. I don't have any to post now but I'll take some tomorrow & post them.

[LifeisaGarden]

Sweet million tomatoes and 2 kinds of eggplant. Both are looking rough for some reason.

Baby Corn

Big lazy garden. Makeshift irrigation until I can get the drip irrigation. Daughter's pool in the background I'm getting ready to set up.

Cutworm Damage to Pepper plant

Pretty supersonic tomato

cutworm collar on pepper plant