our 1st vegt garden in Readstown, WI

Well, we did pretty good getting things started so we are optimistic that we will get to enjoy some of the fruits of our labor sometime this summer. I am keeping a garden journal so I know what I did this year and can correct my mistakes for next year. Now if only the frost would stay away, we might have success. Time will tell.

Growing Seedlings before planting

I've found the last few years that planting seeds into starter plots to build a good root base is ideal for us. We start the seeds around mid March when it starts to get warm during the day. At night(or even on cold days) we bring them inside and put them on a portable wire rack in the front window. That way they can get the sun they need and we don't have to worry about frost getting to the plants. A closed in porch would be ideal for starting seeds.

The starter pots I use are not sold in stores. At least not that I've come across yet. I save them year to year and replenish my supply when I buy annuals for the season for the flower garden. The flimsy plastic pots are the ones you see set in trays at the garden store. I have also acquired some trays so moving them in and out of doors is easier.

At this point, you don't really have to worry about what kind of "dirt" you use. Any type of plant soil or topsoil is fine.

When the seedlings break through the dirt they almost always have two leaves. You may plant them in your full size garden any time after the second set of leaves appears. I usually wait longer to give them time to build a good root base before transplanting them to the garden. Usually when they are at least 6-8 inches tall. Even longer for tomatoes and green peppers.

Space out your holes in your garden according to the plants particular needs. Directions are usually found on the back of the packet of seeds. Some plants need to be planted in mounds and some will need extra support for a while until they get bigger.

I make time to water my little plants twice a day. It is recommended that you water early in the morning and at dusk. That way the sun isn't beating down on just watered plants and dry out the leaves. I also use one of those hoses with holes in it so the watering is more gentle. This year we buried some of the hose just beneath the dirt and wound it around the areas to be watered. This way we won't drown the new plants or wash them away.















I don't usually use fertilizer in the garden. Our compost seems to fertilize the plants enough. We have tried to fertilize before, but just ended up with burnt plants. This was before we started making our own compost. The compost adds natural nutrients to the ground that would not normally be there.

Composting made easy

Having a huge space set aside for composting your raw materials really isn't necessary. We live in one of the middle sections of a building of townhouses/row homes. We have a watertight metal garbage can and a ceramic counter-top holder with holes in the top. We put egg shells, strawberry tops, banana peels, coffee grounds, carrot peels, fruit rinds, tomato ends, anything that can decompose into the ceramic jar every night until its full.

The composting jar lets in air through a filter while keeping smells in. Waste decomposes all by itself. When the jar is full, Tim empties it into the metal garbage can and puts the lid on tight. He puts all his grass clippings, plant trimmings, extra dirt, etc. in there too.

This is the stuff we use to turn over the garden twice a year. First, before planting mixed with some fresh topsoil to cut down on the smell. (its pretty rancid for a few days, but my neighbors don't mind--they love the vegetables we get) Then after the growing season is over, Tim breaks down all the dead vegetation, mixes it with new compost and lets it sit over the winter. In the spring, the process starts all over again.

A few things I just thought of: If you have trees and rake your own leaves, instead of having to find a place to get rid of them at or someone to come and pick them up, you can add your leaves to the compost to get a more even spreading mix. We don't have trees here, but I did plant those new perennials in the front garden and will probably add those dead leaves in the fall to the compost.

Depending on the size of your garden would depend on the amount of compost you keep. Our garden is small compared to most people who have their own organic gardens. I just measured it and got 66 square feet.(11x6) Plus, we only can grow outside only a limited amount of time per year. For those of you in warmer climates, the growing season may be longer.