Vegetable gardening?

LostMind · #1 03-20-2005, 07:03 PM

Anyone here grow their own veggies?

I've wanted to since I was a kid (strange huh?). Now I have a HUGE backyard (ok, huge for a city boy), and want to setup a couple raised beds.

Anyone here have a garden setup they'd care to share? How about other gardening sites for some tips?

Thanx in advance

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #2 03-20-2005, 07:48 PM

I built my parents some raised beds out of landscaping ties. You have to interlock them for strength & stability & I like them up pretty high since weeding is a pain in the derriere. You'd also need a big electric drill to punch holes for long spikes. It can be more expensive than just piling up the dirt into rows but I think it looks nicer & is easier on the back.

When I was a fish farmer, the managers & workers would take home any morts (dead fish) and bury it/compost it for their gardens. Boy, did they grow some humongous veggies.

Start early with planting your seeds into little plastic pots so you'll have a head start when it warms up. Seeds are way cheaper than buying seedlings, but if you're only doing a small plot, seedlings are much simpler & have a higher success rate since you can choose the bigger, stronger seedlings to buy.

Have fun. My dad has a green thumb but mine is blue & salty (I think I just set myself up for all sort of disgusting innuendos)

Anthony

LostMind · #3 03-20-2005, 07:58 PM

Thanx Anthony.

I was thinking to make the beds about 18" high, using allen blocks (the interlocking, no mortar required landscaping brick things).

I've already got some seeds germinating and plan to grow them indoors for at least 3 more weeks... we'll see how they do.

dead fish eh? hmmm. somehow I dont think I'll be tossing a salmon into my compost heap anytime soon. but I am guessing it made a replacement for the fish meal fertilizer you can buy.

chwkreefer · #4 03-20-2005, 11:00 PM

Regarding the adding of fish parts. I do the same thing. Last year I made some raised vegetable garden beds. Then last fall after I would fillet my salmon I would bury some of them in the bottom of my raised beds.

Recently I was digging in the garden and have noticed way more earthworms in my gardens. That is a sign of healthy soil. Remember you want to feed the soil, the plants will benefit greatly from a soil high in nutrients. Especially organic.

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #5 03-21-2005, 12:57 AM

Actually, if you go to a local fish shop, the seafood kind, you could probably ask them to save you a bag of fish guts & stuff if you want to compost that in the future. Or if you are a fisherman or have friends who are, fish guts really make for a fertile garden.

JMO

Anthony

robzilla · #6 03-21-2005, 02:34 AM

the only problem with burying lots of fish parts is the neighbour hood cats and dogs will be searching out that smell. another good soil additive is manure (steer/horse/sheep). same results but less smell

if you use the bagged variety

chwkreefer · #7 03-21-2005, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

Actually, if you go to a local fish shop, the seafood kind, you could probably ask them to save you a bag of fish guts & stuff if you want to compost that in the future. Or if you are a fisherman or have friends who are, fish guts really make for a fertile garden.

JMO

Anthony

I am a fisherman and where I live I am close to both the Fraser and the Vedder and take home lots of Salmon every year. It's basically the head, backbone and skin that ends up being buried. I tend to only do it in the fall when my garden is pretty much winding down and almost empty.

chwkreefer · #8 03-21-2005, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robzilla

the only problem with burying lots of fish parts is the neighbour hood cats and dogs will be searching out that smell. another good soil additive is manure (steer/horse/sheep). same results but less smell

if you use the bagged variety

No problem with the animals. Where I live we have Racoons too, but if the fish is a foot below the surface, it's not a big deal.

Yeah I use manure too, but it really isn't the same in terms of nutrients being added to the soil. They are both good, but the fish will bring a lot of trace minerals that manure doesn't. Fish emulsion and kelp are some of the best products for the garden. If it's buried properly there is no smell. Maybe where you live it's a bigger problem with the animals.

LostMind · #9 03-21-2005, 03:56 AM

fish emulsion and kelp are two things I keep reading about.

I was curious if I could just toss some of the nori I use for my tangs into my compost heap.

Heck, some people recommend putting cardboard or carpet liner to cover the dirt so weeds don't grow - they also recommend straw mulch or bark mulch. I was wondering if I could just use sheets of nori

hehe. I think I make everything harder then it is...

chwkreefer · #10 03-21-2005, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LostMind

fish emulsion and kelp are two things I keep reading about.

I was curious if I could just toss some of the nori I use for my tangs into my compost heap.

If you started adding nori to your composter you might not have problems with dogs or cats but you might get a bunch a tangs coming around.

Oh Oh I've think I've taken too much medication.