I live in Ohio (zone 5) and I'm starting a small vegetable garden in the
backyard this year. It is 7'x8'. I figure it is wise to start small the
first year and, if all goes well, increase it's size next year. I've never
gardened before - ever. The only thing I've done so far is dig up the
garden with a shovel. I got rid of all the grass sod and several rocks.
The soil is mostly clay, so I'm going to add some sand and good dark soil.
I will either rent or buy a tiller. I figure after the garden is tilled all
I have to do is plant. I figure the end of May to be good for that. Does
anyone know any good vegetable gardening websites? I'm particularly
interested in zone 5 gardening. I'm looking forward to participating in
this group.

"Hud" wrote in message
...
I live in Ohio (zone 5) and I'm starting a small vegetable garden in the
backyard this year. It is 7'x8'. I figure it is wise to start small the
first year and, if all goes well, increase it's size next year. I've never
gardened before - ever. The only thing I've done so far is dig up the
garden with a shovel. I got rid of all the grass sod and several rocks.
The soil is mostly clay, so I'm going to add some sand and good dark soil.
I will either rent or buy a tiller. I figure after the garden is tilled
all I have to do is plant. I figure the end of May to be good for that.
Does anyone know any good vegetable gardening websites? I'm particularly
interested in zone 5 gardening. I'm looking forward to participating in
this group.


Hi Hud. I've been gardening for many years in zone 6. A garden only 7' by
8' can be dug by hand, no tiller needed. Our veggie patch is 25' by 25'.
Since we already had a tiller from where we lived before, so use it. Before
I plant I still do it by hand with the spade as the spade does a better job
by going deeper. The tiller loosens the top 6 to 8 ". A tiller can form a
hard-pan. Google hardpan. When the tiller goes we're not replacing it. We
also have clay soil. We compost everything we get our hands on from kitchen
waste to ground leaves. It's mixed in in spring and in the fall. It's
really improved the condition of the soil. We also add a general garden
fertilizer at the time we turn in the compost in the spring. What veggies
do you plan to start with?

In article ,
"Manelli Family" wrote:

A garden only 7' by
8' can be dug by hand, no tiller needed.

Which raises the question, in my mind (go figure), as to whether a
tiller is a good thing or not. I've read that tillers wipeout earthworms
and their edifices. Anybody have an opinion on tiller verses no tiller?

- Bill
Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 23:04:23 -0700, William Rose
wrote:

In article ,
"Manelli Family" wrote:

A garden only 7' by
8' can be dug by hand, no tiller needed.

Which raises the question, in my mind (go figure), as to whether a
tiller is a good thing or not. I've read that tillers wipeout earthworms
and their edifices. Anybody have an opinion on tiller verses no tiller?


It depends on how large a plot you have and what your level of fitness
is. We are both over 65 and have about 1/2 acre of garden to be
prepared. We use a tiller. And we still seem to have earthworms.
Shovels can also cut earthworms up too.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On Apr 9, 8:57 pm, "Hud" wrote:
I live in Ohio (zone 5) and I'm starting a small vegetable garden in the
backyard this year. It is 7'x8'. I figure it is wise to start small the
first year and, if all goes well, increase it's size next year. I've never
gardened before - ever. The only thing I've done so far is dig up the
garden with a shovel. I got rid of all the grass sod and several rocks.
The soil is mostly clay, so I'm going to add some sand and good dark soil.
I will either rent or buy a tiller. I figure after the garden is tilled all
I have to do is plant. I figure the end of May to be good for that. Does
anyone know any good vegetable gardening websites? I'm particularly
interested in zone 5 gardening. I'm looking forward to participating in
this group.

Why don't you make it easy on yourself and build one or several raised
garden beds . . . http://www.raised-garden-bed.com

"Hud" wrote in message
...
I live in Ohio (zone 5) and I'm starting a small vegetable garden in the
backyard this year. It is 7'x8'. I figure it is wise to start small the
first year and, if all goes well, increase it's size next year. I've never
gardened before - ever. The only thing I've done so far is dig up the
garden with a shovel. I got rid of all the grass sod and several rocks.
The soil is mostly clay, so I'm going to add some sand and good dark soil.
I will either rent or buy a tiller. I figure after the garden is tilled
all I have to do is plant. I figure the end of May to be good for that.
Does anyone know any good vegetable gardening websites? I'm particularly
interested in zone 5 gardening. I'm looking forward to participating in
this group.


Spend the first year developing the soil with quick decomposing material,
and some that's slower to decompose. Do not use cedar or other such wood
chips/slivers. Add a weak coated fertilizer in the process. Keep it turned
once a couple of weeks. Keep it damp. Weed it as you go along. No
herbicides. No insecticides. Lots of work, worth the payoff.

You can use sandy loam if you know what to look for in the potential. Look
for seeds, roots, branches, stalks, weeds. Look for hard black clay and
rocks. None of which you want.

Dave

In article .net,
"Lil' Dave" wrote:

Keep it turned
once a couple of weeks.

How does this affect the earthworm?

- Bill

Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

"Manelli Family" wrote in message
...

"Hud" wrote in message
...
I live in Ohio (zone 5) and I'm starting a small vegetable garden in the
backyard this year. It is 7'x8'. I figure it is wise to start small the
first year and, if all goes well, increase it's size next year. I've
never gardened before - ever. The only thing I've done so far is dig up
the garden with a shovel. I got rid of all the grass sod and several
rocks. The soil is mostly clay, so I'm going to add some sand and good
dark soil. I will either rent or buy a tiller. I figure after the garden
is tilled all I have to do is plant. I figure the end of May to be good
for that. Does anyone know any good vegetable gardening websites? I'm
particularly interested in zone 5 gardening. I'm looking forward to
participating in this group.


Hi Hud. I've been gardening for many years in zone 6. A garden only 7' by
8' can be dug by hand, no tiller needed. Our veggie patch is 25' by 25'.
Since we already had a tiller from where we lived before, so use it.
Before I plant I still do it by hand with the spade as the spade does a
better job by going deeper. The tiller loosens the top 6 to 8 ". A
tiller can form a hard-pan. Google hardpan. When the tiller goes we're
not replacing it. We also have clay soil. We compost everything we get
our hands on from kitchen waste to ground leaves. It's mixed in in spring
and in the fall. It's really improved the condition of the soil. We also
add a general garden fertilizer at the time we turn in the compost in the
spring. What veggies do you plan to start with?

I've already bought Burpee Nantes Half Long carrot seed (easy sow seed tape)
and Tenderpod green bean seed. Soon I'm going to get some Roma and Better
Boy tomato plants and some kind of peppers. That's about it.

Hud wrote:
I live in Ohio (zone 5) and I'm starting a small vegetable garden in the
backyard this year. It is 7'x8'. I figure it is wise to start small the
first year and, if all goes well, increase it's size next year. I've never
gardened before - ever. The only thing I've done so far is dig up the
garden with a shovel. I got rid of all the grass sod and several rocks.
The soil is mostly clay, so I'm going to add some sand and good dark soil.
I will either rent or buy a tiller. I figure after the garden is tilled all
I have to do is plant. I figure the end of May to be good for that. Does
anyone know any good vegetable gardening websites? I'm particularly
interested in zone 5 gardening. I'm looking forward to participating in
this group.



I can recommend a great little book that despite all the other gardening
books I've bought over the years, I find myself going back to this
little treasure for information year after year. It's called Vegetable
Favorites by the late Lois Hole.

http://www.amazon.com/Lois-Holes-Veg...6231201&sr=8-5

If the link is too long, just go to amazon (or any book site) and search
the title or author name. It also gives a lot of basics about your
garden without getting complicated.

..

Zone 5b in Canada's Far East.

"cloud dreamer" wrote in message
...
Hud wrote:
I live in Ohio (zone 5) and I'm starting a small vegetable garden in the
backyard this year. It is 7'x8'. I figure it is wise to start small the
first year and, if all goes well, increase it's size next year. I've
never gardened before - ever. The only thing I've done so far is dig up
the garden with a shovel. I got rid of all the grass sod and several
rocks. The soil is mostly clay, so I'm going to add some sand and good
dark soil. I will either rent or buy a tiller. I figure after the garden
is tilled all I have to do is plant. I figure the end of May to be good
for that. Does anyone know any good vegetable gardening websites? I'm
particularly interested in zone 5 gardening. I'm looking forward to
participating in this group.

I can recommend a great little book that despite all the other gardening
books I've bought over the years, I find myself going back to this little
treasure for information year after year. It's called Vegetable Favorites
by the late Lois Hole.

http://www.amazon.com/Lois-Holes-Veg...6231201&sr=8-5

If the link is too long, just go to amazon (or any book site) and search
the title or author name. It also gives a lot of basics about your garden
without getting complicated.

..

Zone 5b in Canada's Far East.


Thanks, Cloud Dreamer! I just bought the book on Ebay. Can't wait to read
it.

"William Rose" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Manelli Family" wrote:

A garden only 7' by
8' can be dug by hand, no tiller needed.

Which raises the question, in my mind (go figure), as to whether a
tiller is a good thing or not. I've read that tillers wipeout earthworms
and their edifices. Anybody have an opinion on tiller verses no tiller?

If you plan a large garden you may find a tiller helpful but a better bet
would be a small tractor with a plow or those disks to turn the soil in the
manner farmers do. I would never spend the money to buy another tiller.
They don't go deep enough. If your soil is very sandy they may work better,
but of it's clay..... well, better to turn the soil by hand.


- Bill
Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

"Hud" wrote in message
...

I've already bought Burpee Nantes Half Long carrot seed (easy sow seed
tape) and Tenderpod green bean seed. Soon I'm going to get some Roma and
Better Boy tomato plants and some kind of peppers. That's about it.

If you're going to grow carrots and beans make sure you are either in a
rabbit free area or fence the veggie patch. If there are rabbits they will
eat the tops off right down to an inch or two above the ground. They don't
touch peppers or tomatoes.

"Manelli Family" wrote in message
...

"Hud" wrote in message
...

I've already bought Burpee Nantes Half Long carrot seed (easy sow seed
tape) and Tenderpod green bean seed. Soon I'm going to get some Roma and
Better Boy tomato plants and some kind of peppers. That's about it.

If you're going to grow carrots and beans make sure you are either in a
rabbit free area or fence the veggie patch. If there are rabbits they
will eat the tops off right down to an inch or two above the ground. They
don't touch peppers or tomatoes.

I do worry about rabbits. I thought a chicken wire fence might be a good
idea. But then a friend told me that rabbits just dig right under them.
Someone else told me to pour ammonia on the ground all around my garden. He
said that would keep them out. Another buddy told me to get some cat fur,
stuff it in panty hose and hang it on posts on the corners of the garden to
ward off rabbits. I've never heard of any of these ideas before. Anybody
have any other good ideas on how to keep rabbits out of the garden?
Thoughts?

"William Rose" wrote in message
...
In article .net,
"Lil' Dave" wrote:

Keep it turned
once a couple of weeks.

How does this affect the earthworm?

- Bill

Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

Hope there's more than one. Why is there just one in your scenario?

If you mean earthworms, same as the helpful bacteria and other small stuff.
Some are injured, some die, most get better access to the nutrients they
feed on.

If you want to something of concern that directly affects plants, how about
the bee population decreasing.

Dave

"Manelli Family" wrote in
:

*trim*


If you're going to grow carrots and beans make sure you are either in
a rabbit free area or fence the veggie patch. If there are rabbits
they will eat the tops off right down to an inch or two above the
ground. They don't touch peppers or tomatoes.


At one time we had something eating tomato plants. The solution my
mother used when I was young was simply to put a bit of screen around the
base of the cages, and that solved the problem.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm