Sportinus wrote:
My chcildren have talked me into a vegetable garden and some fruit
plants. I really do not know all that much about gardening, I am
looking for some info. I live in a western burb of Chicago and the
kid would like, Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, grapes and
blackberry 9are they the same as raspberry?)
Will they grow in some shade? how far apart do they need to be? will
they spread all over?how many plants do you need to have a good
pollination? Any preferences for my area? Are strawbeeries better in
theose bag things or betterin the ground? Can any of these be grown
in pots? How much room is needed for grapes? I have an 8 ft by 14
ft fence patio on the side are those runes long enough for a couple of
grape plants?
The rear of my home face nw. closer to the west than the north.
Thanks for your time and patience answering all these questions. I
will post soon with all my vegetable garden questions.
Others have pointed you to extension offices. Let me share with you
a few working issues.
- Tilling is excellent work for children
- Planting is excellent work for children
- Weeding is excellent work for children
- Harvesting is excellent work for children
- Presrving & canning are excellent work for children
- Supervision is an adult task!
- Be the hero your wife always thought you were by also
instilling in them the value of learning to cook for a
family. It just takes supervision and quality control.
Afterall they grew the food.
- Learn a lot about pest control including rabbits, deer, and birds.
- Humans are one of the few animals dumb enough to eat hot peppers
so plant habeneros near the edges where rabbits/deer may enter.
- Consider planting lettuce, tomato, carrots, and eggplant.
- Do not bother planting zucchini as people give it away!
In the summer, my car windows stay up out of fear strangers
will try to give me some of their zucchini.
Words to live by:
They wanted a garden and you are there to help them learn
how to maintain a garden.
Dick
- Founding member of the Anti-Manual Labor Society