Now, I already have my garden spot worked up, and have used the same spot for going on 10 years, it is about ~5000 square foot, which seems really big, but after going to class I'm feeling like I need to till more space up!
And I already have potatoes coming up!
A few things that I want to remember:
1) Turnips and legumes are great for helping work up a new spot, they are good cover and smoother out the weeds and grass. Another way to work up a new spot is covering with black plastic during the winter time.
2)Organic matter is any thing that is living or was living, If you have a sandy area you can add organic matter and it will help hold moisture. If you have clay, organic matter helps break up the clay and make it more manageable. Lome soil is the ideal type of soil for growing most things. Legumes and turnips are good to chop up for "organic matter".
3)Green beans are a great source of nitrogen to the soil and are great to plant with corn or things that need a high amount of nitrogen to grow. Blood meal is also good for nitrogen.
4)Planting potatoes... Cut your seed potatoes with good eyes on each piece and coat them in sulpher. Dig an 8" trench and put the potatoes in eye side up and cover with about 2" of dirt. It is also a good idea to add sulpher, potatoes love acidic soil, to the dirt where the potatoes are going to be growing, they love it. When the potatoes start popping up through the first 2" of dirt add another 2", when they come through that add another 2" until you have the trench full of dirt. That will produce the most amount of potatoes. Potatoes also grow good in a box, do 4 post for sides and a piece of board on all 4 sides, about 4" deep. Put a little dirt in the bottom and then the potatoes, then about 2" of dirt, do this adding sides as tall as you want until ready to harvest.
This is the box that Chris at Providence Farms built for his potatoes
5)Weeds aren't always bad, the deep roots help draw trace minerals up to the top of the soil for the vegetables, but remember don't let them go to seed.
6)Potassium increases ph and makes juicier and sweeter fruit/vegies.
7)Potash decreases ph and makes the ground more acidic.
8)Raise ph by adding hydrated lime or peletized lime.
9)Carrots like warm soil for germinating and cool soil for growing and don't need buried very much if at all. To help with germination put a board on the seeds for warmth and remove after a couple days and they should be germinated.
10)leaks and onions grow good together. Onions need room under the soil, leaks on top....
Some of the things were over my head but there were a lot of little tidbits that I'm sure I picked up but can't remember right now what they are.
Oh and yesterday I started my first ever batch of eggs in the incubator! 36 of them! So, hopefully April 3rd we'll have some chicks!
