# First garden



## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

OK guys and girls. I know it's very late but I got a bug after tearing down an old storage building and wanted to cover up the dead ground underneath it. I decided to throw in a garden and get a couple buckets of peppers and a couple of orange trees off my ground. I went with watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, tomatoes and a couple of mail-order blackberry vines. Not very big, but I hopefully will be able to keep up with it!








Yes, those are rabbits in the background and they made me some nice fertilizer to turn in to the dirt!
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Very nice looking area. One problem I predict you may be facing soon is space....that combination of plants can quickly run out of space.

I hope you don't take this as criticism because I really don't intend it that way but as a warning that the plants you selected are going to compete mightily for the limited space available. The vining plants are each capable, by themselves, of taking over the entire space and more. 

If all the vining plants are flowering at the same time, you may have cross pollination issues. I have experienced that before with cucumbers and cantalope in the same proximity.


Watermelons take lots of room....lots of room. Cantalope by themselves could easily cover that entire space. Cucumbers need lots of room to spread out their vines. Blackberries...well unless managed carefully they can also easily overtake the entire space over time, depending on variety selected. 

Good luck and let us know how it turns out...those rabbits just might find some new and very appealing hiding spaces there.


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## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

Well I did plant the cantaloupes and melons on the end, figuring they wold run. Thought I would let them get into the grass if necessary. I will give it a try this year and adjust next year if need. Wasn't sure what to expect from the berries though, they are my son's and wanted to make room for them. I just remember my grandpa having them in his garden and that was the highlight of our trips to his house in the summer, to pick berries!
No, the bunnies don't leave the cages.:biggrin:


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

good advice for Meadowlark. I suggest getting some chicken or rabbit fencing and get those vines to grow up on it. good luck

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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Great looking garden!


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## wish2fish (Mar 1, 2005)

Yes, build some trellis on the edges and grow them vertically. I grew cantaloupes and cucumbers this way and it worked well. Watermelon may not work since they would be heavier. I have a smaller garden then yours and I haven't gotten great yields but it is ok. I was trying the square garden method but will probably expand this winter.


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## whistech (Jul 25, 2005)

Beautiful garden! Mr. Meadowlark is probably the most experienced gardener here and his advice has served me well. Where did you get your windmill?


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## WilliamH (May 21, 2004)

Looks nice. 

I'm not a big fan of using a sprinkler to water. I prefer to water around the the base of the plants.


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## Texasgirl44 (May 18, 2012)

I'm new to gardening too and I've been stalking the guys and gals on this forum for awhile and they all have good advice and suggestions. Good luck and enjoy!


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## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

Y'all have scared me into rethinking... I will definitely try the fencing for the vines and stay on top of them to keep them laced in the wire good. I have no doubt about Meadowlark's gardening skills, I have noticed some really nice pics posted.
The windmill was inherited with my yard. It sat in the back corner of the place laid over and rusting. Couldn't salvage the stand, but managed to blast and repaint the mildly rusted fan and tailshaft. I was actually surprised at how well it spins as bad as the bearings were before I soaked and repacked them.


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## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

WilliamH said:


> Looks nice.
> 
> I'm not a big fan of using a sprinkler to water. I prefer to water around the the base of the plants.


I was just told that same thing earlier this week... not going to use it anymore...thank you ! :cheers:


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## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

Texasgirl44 said:


> I'm new to gardening too and I've been stalking the guys and gals on this forum for awhile and they all have good advice and suggestions. Good luck and enjoy!


Thanks! I am learning bunches daily and may have to sacrifice a few plants to get it right, I eventually I will!!


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

fishfeeder said:


> I was just told that same thing earlier this week... not going to use it anymore...thank you ! :cheers:


I've aways wondered about those who say sprinklers shouldn't be used.

I've seen a lot of weather, in my days, but I have yet to see rain that didn't fall from above. I like doing things the way plants expect them, i.e. rain comes from above.

Do you loose some moisture to evaporation using sprinklers....yes, but if you water very early before the sun heats up the air, its a minimal loss.

Plants, for thousands and thousands of years, have become accoustomed to water falling from above...and I just have a hard time thinking I am smarter than Nature that provides it in that manner.


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Meadowlark said:


> I've aways wondered about those who say sprinklers shouldn't be used.
> 
> I've seen a lot of weather, in my days, but I have yet to see rain that didn't fall from above. I like doing things the way plants expect them, i.e. rain comes from above.
> 
> ...


I agree. i often read where watering tomatoes on the leaves is a no-no, that it can cause fungus to grow on leaves at night time. Then I think about where rain comes from.

I try to split the difference, watering with a tripod a little early in the evening so most of the water will dry off the plants before dark.


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## WilliamH (May 21, 2004)

Rain doesn't contain the chemicals you get from a city water supply.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I use drip irrigation. What ever works for you use it. The only thing I know is I plant seeds & water from the well day in day out. Keep looking for them to pop up & then all the sudden it rains & holy cow everything pops up. Its the miracle grow in rain. I also think thunder & lightening helps the plants grow. The lord works in mysterious ways. I know I'm crazy.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

No, you are not crazy....LOL. 
Rain water is best, it has no chemical treatment in it. In addition every time it rains the weather also changes for the better. City water simulates the wet part but not the air quality and ambient temperature as natural rain fall does.


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## JonnyL (Jun 4, 2013)

nice garden. I think that living and working there gives a lot of satisfaction for an owner.


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

I don't spray water on anything that is blooming if i can help it. Water has to screw up some of the blooms in their different stages of pollination? Right?

I've always noticed after a downpour my beans would take a couple of days before production would be at the same level as before the rainfall. I attribute that to blossum destruction?

I may be in left field??


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## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

I have been fertilizing with a pour can and noticed a jump in all of my plants after the rain we got Sunday.....thinking I may sprinkler them once a week or so.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

when lighning discharges, atmoshpheric nitogen is added to the rain...
rain water contains just enough extra nitrogen to give plants a boost.
snow does too, which is why Midwest corn crops tend to yield heavier than those in Tx.
gardening is a learning process, you'll find what you enjoy growing the best thru trial and error.


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

kweber said:


> when lighning discharges, atmoshpheric nitogen is added to the rain...
> rain water contains just enough extra nitrogen to give plants a boost.
> snow does too, which is why Midwest corn crops tend to yield heavier than those in Tx.
> gardening is a learning process, you'll find what you enjoy growing the best thru trial and error.


I've read aout this, but it is hard for me to comprehend that a lightning strike can do this. Does one strike add N2 to 100sq miles or just where it struck? I think I'll keep putting down my chicken poo for my N2 needs.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

cloud to cloud flash... 
thunderstorm rain has elevated levels of N.


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## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

Meadowlark you were right, I didn't remember melons and cantaloupes running that far but they are already out. Left out of the coutry for a week and came home to this...Guess I will let them go and plan a little better next year. Got lots of small loupes on them already!


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Fishfeeder, we all had to start somewhere. And the learning curve never stops. I am probably one of the senior citizens on here, and always picking up a pointer or several. Keep the ??'s coming.


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## fishfeeder (Jan 29, 2009)

Misters installed. Hopefully save a little H2O.















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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

That is the same little sprinkler head I use in my "pot farm"--(which is a couple of strings of the black plastic tubs molasses lick feed comes in). Working great for maters and peppers, did good with broccoli. Made cages to slip down inside tubs, tied off to adjacent fence. So far the ***** haven't been there this year.


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