Here are pics of my first garden. I saw a baby frog in there today when I went out to water. He was so cute and precious!
COOL ! MJ heres hoping you get all your vegetables to grow . I remember from reading your xanga site that you have HEAPS!! I would recommend that you put heaps of snail bait (stuff that kills snails from eating your vegetables) around each plant. So the snails don't get to them. Otherwise all your energy and effort goes to waste . Your pictures give me an idea of the area you live in. Which I find interesting. Warlock
Forgot to mention. You probably saw a baby frog there because of all the water you have there. It looks like its about to become a pond. lol Warlock
I'm gonna go out a limb and say overwatered and undermulched. Can't tell much from a couple pictures, of course. Very nice, though.
Lovely, Moonjava. But, David is right. You need to MULCH, or you will get weeds galore, and as it looks like you live out west (and even the midwest is in the middle of a drought this year) your plants will dry out too fast. Get some straw (ask for bales with few seeds) or, if you live near one of the coasts, try to get some Salt Hay. It is great, as it cannot grow without sea water, and it won't sprout in your garden. I live in the midwest and we can't get Salt Hay, but I have heard it is the best. I use regular Oat Straw, but I have some seed difficulties, I get the stuff growing. We didn't use it on our paths this year (we garden in raised beds, and have paths) and the weeds on the paths are awful. Straw or Hay is pretty cheap, put it at least a foot thick and placing a few layers of newspapers underneath it will help keep in the moisture and block weeds. (Just cover newspapers, because they aren't very pretty.)
A foot thick! Wow. Now that's one hell of a mulch. I usually put mulch down about an inch thick. The more the merrier, though. But you'll want to wait for your plants to get a bit bigger before you put a foot of mulch on them. Other mulch sources... dead leavs (will blow around, beware), wood chips. grass clippings, dead weeds, composted manure (watch out, manure that itsn't completely composted can "burn" plants).
The straw I use is pretty airy. A foot isn't very heavy. And straw is not expensive. I don't put in ON my plants, though, I mostly use it on the paths! I use wood chips on my bulb garden (I put a new layer after they have bloomed) and I don't use a foot. Wood chips are heavier than straw. I use mushroom compost as both a mulch and a soil amendment IN my raised beds.
Moonjava, you can get "toad huts" for your baby frog (or a toad.) It is a terra cotta bowl, with a little opening for the toad to hide in. You can keep it moist and dark and damp and cool. We have had toads take up residence in our "Toad Hut" sometimes. They are really good because they consume bad bugs. I LOVE toads. Here is one kind. You could also just break a hole into a plain flower pot, and put it in the garden upside down.
Yeah, my mom gave me one of those toad houses! It says "HOP INN." It has a shiny green ball on top, too. Too cute! I've never really thought about putting mulch on my garden. Only around trees and such. It may be a little late this year, but give me some tips for next year! Do I plant all of my seeds and then put mulch over where I have planted? This seems like it would hinder my plants from coming up, though. But perhaps I am wrong. If I put down straw like you, Maggie, it would blow away, as I live in a very windy area!! You guys said my garden was overwatered? My mom who has a very green thumb told me to water it A LOT at first. And my plants came up quite nicely. They're getting so big now! And I don't water it so much. I do have a problem with weeds, though. And I am getting holes in some of my leaves. Is there a way to avoid this? luv mj
Straw which comes in bales kinda sticks together, so it shouldn't blow away. you can also weight it down with bricks and rocks. Water is a rough thing. Too much and it's bad, too little and it's bad. You have to decide how much is best for your plants. And some plants need more than others. We're having a drought where I live, so we have been watering a lot, but is still isn't enough.
