Gardening question. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

MS Fowler · #1 11-02-2010, 02:57 AM

I appreciate that we have an eclectic group here with expertise in many disciplines. I hope to take advantage of that.

I am planning a garden for next year. I have trees on the east and west sides of the proposed area, but clear to the south. It would be helpful if there was a program ( free ware, of course). that would permit me to draw my proposed garden on a map of the area, along with the existing trees and their heights, and then see how much sun I get in the garden throughout the growing season.

Does anyone know of such a program?

SwampYankee · #2 11-02-2010, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

I appreciate that we have an eclectic group here with expertise in many disciplines. I hope to take advantage of that.

I am planning a garden for next year. I have trees on the east and west sides of the proposed area, but clear to the south. It would be helpful if there was a program ( free ware, of course). that would permit me to draw my proposed garden on a map of the area, along with the existing trees and their heights, and then see how much sun I get in the garden throughout the growing season.

Does anyone know of such a program?

Hmmmm...I can't think of one off the top of my head but I will ask one of my salesfolks if she is aware of any.

I'm assuming you're talking vegetable garden? Bear in mind that most vegetables really need (nearly) full sun from morning until evening. So an ideal garden location will be in full sun for the vast majority of the day. If an area is getting shade for a portion of the day, your luck will vary. A general rule is that anything that produces a flower to start the process of fruit (squash, cukes, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, etc.) production needs full sun.

Leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, chards, arugala, endive, radicchio, etc.) and the Brassicas (broccoli, kale, kohl rabi, turnips, mustard, cabbage, etc.) will tolerate less than full sun and even partial shade conditions. Beans can as well.

A great starting point for novice gardeners is the Home Garden Seed Assocation website (shameless plug

). And your local Agricultural Extension office will have area-specific growing information such as frost-free dates, degree days, variety recommendations, etc.

MS Fowler · #3 11-02-2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Hmmmm...I can't think of one off the top of my head but I will ask one of my salesfolks if she is aware of any.

I'm assuming you're talking vegetable garden? Bear in mind that most vegetables really need (nearly) full sun from morning until evening. So an ideal garden location will be in full sun for the vast majority of the day. If an area is getting shade for a portion of the day, your luck will vary. A general rule is that anything that produces a flower to start the process of fruit (squash, cukes, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, etc.) production needs full sun.

Leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, chards, arugala, endive, radicchio, etc.) and the Brassicas (broccoli, kale, kohl rabi, turnips, mustard, cabbage, etc.) will tolerate less than full sun and even partial shade conditions. Beans can as well.

A great starting point for novice gardeners is the Home Garden Seed Assocation website (shameless plug

). And your local Agricultural Extension office will have area-specific growing information such as frost-free dates, degree days, variety recommendations, etc.

Thanks for the web sites. The advantage of starting the planning now is that I have all winter to read. The several books I have already read have convinced me that there is a lot more to gardening that I supposed. Different crops want/ need different sun and water as well as different soil tilth--a word I didn't even know a few weeks ago. Its rather more difficult to accommodate all those differences in a small garden.
As of now, my plan is for a raised garden. I plan to till up the plot in the next week or two and spread my chopped up leaves over it, and then cover that with 6" or so of well-aged manure. In the early spring, I'll till up all that mixture, and then send out a sample for analysis and see what to do from there.

Billybob · #4 11-02-2010, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

I appreciate that we have an eclectic group here with expertise in many disciplines. I hope to take advantage of that.

I am planning a garden for next year. I have trees on the east and west sides of the proposed area, but clear to the south. It would be helpful if there was a program ( free ware, of course). that would permit me to draw my proposed garden on a map of the area, along with the existing trees and their heights, and then see how much sun I get in the garden throughout the growing season.

Does anyone know of such a program?

You might want to investigate passive solar heating forums or blogs, as the folks interested in that endeavour will share some of the same questions when it comes to siting a passive solar installation. Good luck!

#5 11-03-2010, 07:27 AM

I wouldn't try to get too detailed with all the different plants and such. You will be surprised how well a garden with only mid day Sun will do.

As a beginner, I would recommend that you just plant some things that should grow in your area, keep them watered, hoe the weeds out until the plants get tall enough to shade out the weeds and it will work.

You need to till the soil now so that it will turn up whatever roots might be there so that they're killed by the frost. You also till in the Fall so that the ground is loose and can soak up the Winter rain.

Good luck,

Stretch · #6 11-03-2010, 09:03 AM

If you are into gardening have a look at the BBC website:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/garden_design

I think this is a bloody good place to start.

If you want some sort of drawing package then I'd recommend QCAD - freeware (open source) for LINUX operating systems - and a limited trial for Windows...

http://www.qcad.org/qcad.html

raymr · #7 11-03-2010, 09:18 AM

Don't overlook ready access to water, and protection from deer and rabbits.

TX76513 · #8 11-03-2010, 09:28 AM

I dont know if its still out there or a freeware but 3DLandscape Designs was very cool and offered garden design features. The basic free program was more than what I needed however they offered add on modules for $$. The creater was Mark Simon if that helps your search.

SwampYankee · #9 11-03-2010, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Thanks for the web sites. The advantage of starting the planning now is that I have all winter to read. The several books I have already read have convinced me that there is a lot more to gardening that I supposed. Different crops want/ need different sun and water as well as different soil tilth--a word I didn't even know a few weeks ago. Its rather more difficult to accommodate all those differences in a small garden.
As of now, my plan is for a raised garden. I plan to till up the plot in the next week or two and spread my chopped up leaves over it, and then cover that with 6" or so of well-aged manure. In the early spring, I'll till up all that mixture, and then send out a sample for analysis and see what to do from there.

Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. Start off simple. It will give you an idea of how much you'll actually reap and the effort it will take to get there. For your average home gardener, those little packets will have 2-3 times the amount of seed they would actually need so keep that in mind when you're picking through the rack or browsing a website! If you're planning on giving your excess to friends, neighbors and family then by all means buy away!

Raised bed are great. An added benefit is that the soil will warm up sooner than the ground soil, thus extending your growing period (earlier in the spring and later into the fall). If you're interested in solar gardening, which allows year-round gardening even in cold climates, there's a great book by Leandre Poisson and Gretchen Vogel Poisson that gives you everything you'd ever need to know about extending your growing season.

When you get a chance, Google "Square Foot Gardening." You can get an impressive amount of produce from a small area so even if you don't have a a spot big enough for one or two large raised beds. Split them up into some smaller ones to take advantage of the sunny spots you do have. My father actually has several "Square Foot Gardens" spread out over his yard to do just that.

Just be careful with immature compost/chopped up leaves, especially during the growing season as it uses up a lot of Nitrogen in the decomposition process which takes it away from the plants. Often that is why people get poor growth despite regularly using a 5-10-5 or similar fertilizer. Even a big-name, colorfully packaged brand sold in the big stores (rhymes with lyrical snow) was just full of immature compost, sticks, plastic, nails. I can only imagine how many hundreds of thousands of bags of that went out to novice or semi-novice gardeners who blamed their lack of success on that seed that was no good from that seed co.

#10 11-03-2010, 10:04 AM

Yes, raised beds are GREAT for those with access to lots of compost. You don't see very many horse people that don't have raised bed gardens. Mucking out those stalls of bedding and muck make for PLENTY of good, quality compost.

mpolli · #11 11-03-2010, 02:25 PM

I think Google Sketchup can do that.

http://sketchup.google.com/

MS Fowler · #12 11-03-2010, 04:43 PM

Wow, all this response for a non-political thread! Thanks again.

I will peruse all your proffered websites.

The compost I have access to is aged SIX years!

panZZer · #13 11-03-2010, 05:22 PM

Hey why not try sprowtin some of Humbolts finest, what you do is start some seeds in a wet towl under a lamp, then......

SwampYankee · #14 11-03-2010, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panZZer

Hey why not try sprowtin some of Humbolts finest, what you do is start some seeds in a wet towl under a lamp, then......

Well I NEVER...

buffa98 · #15 11-05-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Thanks for the web sites. The advantage of starting the planning now is that I have all winter to read. The several books I have already read have convinced me that there is a lot more to gardening that I supposed. Different crops want/ need different sun and water as well as different soil tilth--a word I didn't even know a few weeks ago. Its rather more difficult to accommodate all those differences in a small garden.
As of now, my plan is for a raised garden. I plan to till up the plot in the next week or two and spread my chopped up leaves over it, and then cover that with 6" or so of well-aged manure. In the early spring, I'll till up all that mixture, and then send out a sample for analysis and see what to do from there.

With you being down in bel air I would skip the manure and leaves. Just get mushroom soil and pour 6-8 inches thick and till that in.

The high nitrogen will kick start you plants in the spring.

My yard is layed out close to yours, I only have 6 hours of direct sunlight. The only issues I had were tomatoes ripening.

Good Luck.