Monday, April 8, 2013

Help needed starting a vegetable garden


Now that we have our own home with a yard....I'd like to start a vegetable garden. I don't know what I'm doing, but I've gotten some tips from family members. I've previously grown a few things here and there, mostly in containers, due to living in apartments without much outdoor space.

I have to start from scratch....as in, digging up the whole thing! There's only grass outside, so it's going to be a lot of work. It's 70 degrees today, but technically the last frost won't be until at least May 15th, I think.

Here's what I'd like to plant:

Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Lettuce
Arugula
Chard
Carrots
Kale
Broccoli
...maybe Zucchini.

Is this too much for a beginner? I gave up the idea of raised beds, because it's expensive and I'd also need to have soil/dirt delivered. I read that a 10' x 16' garden is good for a beginner. Seems a bit large to me. I was outside measuring today and it looked like maybe a 9' x 9' or 9' x 12' might be good. I was calculating a single row at 1 1/2', then a path at 1 1/2', a double row (3'), then another path (1 1/2') and finally a single row (1 1/2'). I'd like to put chicken wire around the whole thing.

Flood me with your suggestions PLEASE!! I'm such a beginner.

Oh, and here are the tools I have so far:

Large shovel
Small shovel
Pitchfork
Pruning Shears

So I think I need a hand tiller and a hoe perhaps? How do I start? Dig up the grass with a pitchfork? HELP!

PS-we have clay soil.

Eat smart,
T.