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sarahjoy94

Newbie to Gardening

sarahjoy94
14 years ago

This is my first year with a garden and I have so many questions, (sorry in advance)but I just don't want to waste money.

My list of plants; Basil, Cumin, Cilantro, Chives, Green beans and Lima beans, Onion, Cucumber, Corn, Bell Peppers, Jalapenos, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Lettuce, Carrots, Cantaloupe, and Pumpkins.

I'm a huge over-thinker of everything I do. I approach everything very logically and straightforward which is a blessing and a curse. I literally have every inch of my garden charted out on graph paper, down to where every seed is placed.

I want to start most of my seeds indoors (except for green beans, lima beans, carrot and onions due to the mass amount that I'm planting) and I need some advice. I want to start them in organic starters seen here http://www.amazon.com/100-Organic-Biodegradable-Seed-Starting/dp/B002K4TW3A but I'm thinking they will be too small for some of the plants like pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers and watermelon. Will they work?

If not what can I use?

Also what soil do I use to start and can I use the same soil throughout until planting. I've heard of germinating soil first and then switching it.

Also I have some compost but it's not nearly finished. Can I still use it or anything?

Thanks and sorry for all the questions.

Comment (1)

  • sleepy33
    14 years ago

    Hi Sarah, welcome to the forum. Please see the FAQ's posted on the main page; I've linked them here at the bottom for your convenience. Most of your questions are answered there. I would recommend you do some research into the benefits of starting most of your veggies indoors versus outdoors. Some veggies do not like to be transplanted, particularly root crops like carrots- which I know you mentioned you planned not to start indoors due to number, but the real reason you wouldn't want to do it is that they'd be darn difficult to transplant; the root itself is the vegetable. You're lucky, you live in a nice warm zone that should have a long growing season, so your veggies should take of quickly outside. You can find pretty much all the info you need online, including which should be started indoors vs. outdoors, best time to sow, growing conditions, etc. I'd recommend either buying or checking out from a library, a good book on vegetable gardening. I have a battered old one that I've used over and over again, and it's well worth it to have at hand.

    As far as your pots, I think you'll find most here recommend plastic containers; again, see the FAQ. Size wise, you don't want to start too big. Containers the size of the ones you linked to are a good size to start with, and then transplant up to a larger size; or, if you start with something slightly larger, say in the 4 inch range, put several seeds in the container to germinate. Anyway, hope some of that helps, best of luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ