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| The land my vegetable garden is on was used to grow vegetables years ago. So it's not in too bad of shape. However, I have supplemented it with leaf matter, straw, compost, and every year I till in composted manure. It seems to be working well.
This year I am wanting to put in a small plot for flowers in a different location (grass is currently there). Nothing fancy, just want to try it out. Do flowers need different kinds of soil ammendments? Any at all? They're all so different, and it seems a bit daunting. Kim |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| If you are talking about perennial flowers, of course it would be best to do any major soil amending before planting flowers. Annual flower soil likely could be upgraded some any year. Flowers, like veggies, vary in their needs quite a bit...perhaps even more than veggies....especially perennials. |
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- Posted by jonhughes So.Oregon (jonehughes@hotmail.com) on Sat, Jan 29, 11 at 17:15
| Kim, You are so funny,you know as much as anybody else on this site. As long as it's not a container (a whole different set of standards for optimal thriving), flowers grow everywhere that veggies grow. You have been here long enough...you are family... you don't get to ask questions anymore...you get to answer them now... you are the bomb ;-) Of course ,..if you have real questions like.... "what is the DNA factor of a Hibiscus plant" .. then ask away ;-) Of course ...I have no clue to that answer ;-) BTW.. Post a couple pics of your garden, it isn't easy for my brain to remember what it looks like ...
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| Depending on the plant species the soil pH might be a factor since some flowering plants have adapted to growing in different soil conditions and the pH can factor in about which nutrients are available to the plant. Otherwise most all flowering plants need about the same type of soil, well amended with organic matter that is evenly moist but well drained, as the vegetables you grow. |
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- Posted by heirloomjunkie (My Page) on Sun, Jan 30, 11 at 12:00
| Hahaha. Thanks for the encouragement, johnhughes! And I love the shirt. The only thing that worried me was my poor history with houseplants. :) I got a little overexcited at the garden show this past week and I find myself with a TON of flower seeds. In addition to flowers, I'm doing corn, beans, peas, peppers, head lettuce, okra, shallots and onions. Oh, and this really cool peach tomato. Peach and fuzzy. Super excited. |
Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden 2010
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| Hi jon, told my wife I want a set-up like your for Christmas. She gave me the LOOK. heirloomjunkie, if you are planting corn beans/peas & like heirloom garden. You should look in to the "three sisters( corn beans & squash planted together).I think you can put another vegetable in place of squash. Like lettuce,any cool weather greens. Or you could just do the corn & beans. Love to see photos of the peach tomatoes when they come in. |
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- Posted by heirloomjunkie 5a (My Page) on Sun, Jan 30, 11 at 14:08
| Ooo. Tell me more about this three sister thing! Does it mean that they are growing in the same area together? I had planned on growing the bush beans and corn next to eachother because I had heard it was a good idea . But I guess the beans aren't going to vine. So I'm not sure of the benefit. |
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| I keep Miracle-Gro, for acid loving plants, around, to use on our blueberry shrubs. Now & then I mix some up with water, and apply some solution to our prairie plants, including several varieties of milkweed, silphium, liatris, coneflower, and goldenrod. The plants respond with vigorous growth, and lots of flowers, which keeps the local bees happy. Our native soil has pH = 7.6, so the Miracle-Gro would have little or no effect on soil pH. |
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| The "Three Sisters" Corn, Pole Beans, Squash, are grown together in the same plot and the corn stalks provide something for the pole beans to climb on while the squash provides shade to the soil. The beans, a legume, will also replace soil Nitrogen if there is an innoculant either on the seeds or in the soil to later feed the corn and squash. There is also some indication that growing these together may help confuse insect pests enough that they leave the plants alone. |
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- Posted by heirloomjunkie 5a (My Page) on Tue, Feb 1, 11 at 8:03
| Nice. Thanks, kimmsr. This would save me on space as well (I have a pretty small plot). Now my beans are bush beans. Will this still work with the corn? I assume they will still vine somewhat. I'd be happy to switch to pole beans as well, if need be. Kim |
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- Posted by heirloomjunkie 5a (My Page) on Tue, Feb 1, 11 at 14:57
| Oh, and jon, proof that I can grow something! :) |
Here is a link that might be useful: heirloom tomato 2009
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| Kim we all knew you were growing a good garden, nice matoe. Curt |
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- Posted by jonhughes So.Oregon (jonehughes@hotmail.com) on Tue, Feb 1, 11 at 17:03
| That is a killer tomato ;-) |
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| jon, was that tomato in the "killer tomato movie"? http://www.threesistersplanting.info/ This is the site for 3 sisters/corn,beans & squash. A friend plants Nasturtiums around the edge of the bed, to farther confuse the nasty bugs & the whole plant is eatable. Some people pickle the green seed pods as Capers. |
Here is a link that might be useful: 3sisters/corn,beans/squash.
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- Posted by heirloomjunkie 5a (My Page) on Wed, Feb 2, 11 at 11:35
| jolj, thanks for the site. and I love the naturtium idea. I never realized how pretty they were. And I'm sure if I look through my mountain of seeds, I can locate some. Kim |
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