Newbie Question (Possibly stupid, but here goes)

Okay, I've been thinking about this. I want to start my seeds early next spring. I'm going to have more room than I expected, so I have plenty to start and some good ideas. BUT I have a few questions, and figured this was as good a place as any (and better than most).

1. Companion planting - I've heard a little about it, but don't know all that much. I know the Three Sisters thing (Corn with peas/beans growing up it and squash as ground cover), but don't know any others. I read up on what things are nitrogen fixers, but... are there any resources for that? Places online I could go to learn more extensively? And how worried should I be about space? Will the beans prevent the corn from setting ears?

2. On seed packets, they generally show days-to-germination, days-to-harvest, etc. I'm going to be starting seeds and transplanting, in many cases, so I can get full harvests. How do I know how many days (even roughly) to give between day-of-transplant and day-of-harvest? None of the packets has that? And how many days from germination to transplant, as a general rule?

3. Okay, nitrogen fixers are good for N, but what about Calcium and Phos and Sulfur? Do I need all? What can I do to fertilize if I absolutely can not use anything toxic or unnatural (yes, I know, some 'organic' things are pretty toxic. We want organic because that's the rule on one of the plots we're going to be using, and I want as nontoxic as possible for the kids).

4. I hear about so many pests... I'm scared. How bad is it, really? Is there hope of actually having a serious harvest? Anything I need to really watch for in general, given that I'm growing all sorts of veggies for the family? How much extra should I plant, to be sure of having stuff to eat and seeds for the following year?

Many more, but at this hour, that's what I've got.

-Sev

Sorry Sev. That's way too complicated for me. I just go with nature. Plant summer crops in the ground after cold weather passes. cold weather crops in the ground when the ground thaws out in the spring and again when the cool weather of autumn begins to arrive. I plant what I like to eat,(and maybe something a friend likes to eat) add fertilizer and and organic matter as needed or available. Harvest what nature provides. Never concern myself with esoteric methods, just plant some for the worm, some for the crow, and some for to grow. Some plants you have to fight insects and diseases, others you don't. You might want to start with plants that are adapted to your area. You can get totally frustrated trying to do too much right out the gate.

Farmerdill is right. Don't overanalyse. I've never had much luck with a Three Sister's planting, looks like a weedy mess and hard to harvest. (I've tried on multiple occasions too)

Prepare your soil and plant seeds. You're temperate enough that you'll get a wonderful harvest without starting things indoors. The only exceptions would be tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Start them about 6 to 8 weeks before you want to plant them outside. There's nothing gained by keeping transplants inside for months during the winter. At the 6 to 8 week age, the plants are still small and will adapt quicker to the garden.

Start small. Even with indoor seedlings. Too many little plants will overwhelm you and you'll lose the battle. Disease and pests will even show up indoors. They are a whole different set, but with too many seedlings, and little experience, it can happen.

I start my seeds indoors about the middle to end of Feb. You'll most likely need to wait till the first week of March, or thereabouts.

Just remember that most seeds do better direct planted where they are meant to grow and produce. You've got a perfect climate for doing so. New Jersey isn't called the Garden State for no reason.

Enjoy your garden, it's a great experience!

I've tried a lot of transplanting into the garden to get an earlier start, but what I often find is that seeds direct-sown at the same time take off faster and mature at just about the same time as the transplants. What I suggest your first year is to try both methods and see what works in your garden.

The days-to-maturity information is useful for planning, so that a crop is matured before the first freeze kills it, or the heat makes it bolt.

Woo okay, it _is_ that easy. I've heard so much complicated advice. I don't remember my mother doing any seed-starting or anything weird, really - and we were in New England (various parts incl. NH and ME). We had tomatoes anyway, and beans and squash and little... I think they were Sweet Williams. We called them Little Willies, after my baby brother William. They were the only pure flower in the garden.

Anyway, yeah. I get nervous thinking about all the mess of things I'd have to do, and your words about the harvest help. Should I be worried about extra water? I saw you talking about the drought, Farmer Dill - you just let it go? Really?

Melody, what do you use for fertilizer? In the plot I'm going to have the corn and melons and such in, we're not allowed to do anything non-organic. So bean plants work, but Miracle Grow or whatever won't. Should I just do bush beans between the other plants, or just totally not worry about it? The plot is in a little ... I hesitate to say floodplain, because it's not quite _that_ bad, but it's right next to a river, and very weed-heavy. I'm told melons and squash do amazingly there, due to all the water. Will corn like it? Peppers? Anything I should avoid having there (do it at home instead, where I can control the water better)?

I'm actually really excited. Planting for my family is something my family did, but not something people around here do much of. Weird, that in the Garden State, so few people actually have gardens.

-Sev

There are a few things that have to have water, cucumbers for example. Most everything else will stand a lot more drought than most folks realize. Watermelons are my most drought proof plant, followed by sweet potatoes. but I also grow beans, broccoli, cauliflower, corn squash etc without irrigation.

For nitrogen loving plants like corn, composted chicken manure is good. For everything else compost, especially composted cwo manure works well. A lot more expensive than the concentrated farm fertilizers, but work well for small plots.

Hey, seed starting isn't that weird -- or that complicated! :-) I start tomatoes, peppers, basil seedlings inside under lights. Tomatoes and basil get a 6 to 8 week head start, peppers get 8 to 10 weeks, maybe even 12 (partly because peppers take a week or so longer to germinate than tomatoes).... but since peppers get planted out about 2 weeks later than tomatoes, that means everything gets planted around the same time, about 7 or 8 weeks before the average date of last frost (check with your local ag. extension service for this date in your area).

Cucumbers and other vines I sometimes start just a couple weeks ahead, but that's more to give them a chance to toughen up and be less tempting to slugs and bunnies than if I direct sow them.

"How do I know how many days (even roughly) to give between day-of-transplant and day-of-harvest?"

That's what given when they give "days to maturity." That number is the number of days between transplanting and harvest (not the number of days between sowing and harvest, except for things like beans that are usually direct sown and not transplanted).

Composted manure... I suppose I could ask at the local poultry farm, but we haven't got any critters but the cat and two ferrets. And I don't think I want ferret poo in my garden. I remember chickens having a smell, but nothing like ferrets *shudder*

Although... it would probably keep mice away. Far away. Predator poop and all that...

Then again, mice are dumb. We found one the cat killed this winter, in the living room. Stupid thing came into a house full of predators *laugh*

Critter, so how do I know which is which? That makes no sense, why would they put some on one envie and different things on another, without saying so? *grumble* Phooey, guess I'll have to do it the other way and just watch for maturity.

Oh yeah, someone said beans would stop producing (and cukes) if I let them 'go to seed' or 'grow to maturity'. Are we supposed to eat them immature? How do I know when to pick them?

Thank you lots for answering my questions - I was nervous about posting them, I've had some less-than-pleasant experiences in the past with being new and not knowing things that seem obvious to the oldtimers in various places.

-Sev

Green and wax beans, cucumbers, zucchini - you want to pick all these as young as possible, before they get seedy. You pick them as soon as they get to "grown-up" size. And it only takes a day or two before they get too big and tough. At the height of the season, every day is harvest day.

All garden centers including Lowes and Home Depot sell both composted cow manure and Chicken manure in 40 lb bags. Straight from the chicken house it will be quite smelly. Vegies that are eaten fresh, probably the best way is to pick them as they get similar in size to those displayed in produce stands. Beans of course, it depends on whether you are growin snap beans or dry beans. Dry beans of course you want to fully mature before picking and shelling them.

Ooh thanks, Farmer Dill - I hadn't realized Home Depot sold that stuff, and we have one nearby! Very cool!

:)

-Sev

Pick of beans I found - I'm going to go through and figure out if I want to grow them or not, they look tasty. :)

Love those wandering veggies, these came in from someone else's land, wandered over during the summer sometime.

They look like a very nice 'dry bean'. I'd let them mature till they are completely dry and rattle in the pods, shell out, and use in soups and stews, or just soak and cook with your favorite bean seasoning.

That's how I got them. They were hanging on the vine, totally dried out - some of the pods were already opened and curled back when I found them. I shelled them out. There aren't enough to eat though - maybe one serving - so I think I'm going to PLANT them instead! :D

I love seeds. I love that you can DO that. There's just something wonderful about taking a handful of beans - not enough for a family meal - and turning them into enough for multiple family meals the next year. :)

-Sev

Ah, Sev, congratulations! You have just been bitten by the gardening bug, big time. LOL Welcome to this wonderful, crazy world.