What gardening mistakes did you make that I can avoid?

[Bubblingbrooks]

Buy and plant seeds for your region ONLY!

 

[lorihadams]

Here's a tip for you guys....I was able to do this last year.

If you are looking for BIG containers to grow stuff in contact a landscaping company and ask if they have any tree pots they are getting rid of. We got 4 HUGE pots that we are going to use for carrots and herbs for free. They already have drainage holes so all you have to do to them is clean them well and add the soil.

 

[Mattemma]

I wish I had planted more trees and shrubs the first year. I wish I had really planned the locations of long term stuff. I have moved my currants,nanking cherries,and strawberries a few times.

I plant tomatos in a few locations in case disease takes over one spot.

Read up on companion planting and what plants do well together.

Prep for animals.Rabbits,squirrels,birds,groundhogs.They all get a radar towards your yard.

One year I lined my driveway with sunflowers,and in one afternoon the squirrels tore down ten of my 5 foot plants. I was so sad. I planted ornamental grass the next year.

The squirrels travel in packs by me!
Rabbits love my lettuce beds.Groundhogs chewed through my chainlink fence to get into my yard!

Get seeds from a few sources in case germination is bad.

If you can't start some things indoors in the spring buy the plants.The longer you wait the more will go on sale. I always look for pots with 2 or 3 plants in each instead of one.

If the soil is poor add some rabbit or worm poo. You can also dig some holes and drop in some food scraps to increase worm activity.

 

[savingdogs]

We have lots of worms!

But we also have slugs...and here in Washington, we have banana slugs...they are huge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any advice about them? They are one of the things that ate my produce last year and even ate my tulips.

I can't put out beer because of the dogs who share some of the slug areas and also will never use slug bait because of seeing poisoning reactions of cats and dogs from working in veterinary clinics (I'm opposed to them). So I need to come up with some physical restraints.

Oyster shell maybe? Anything that is cheaper? We buy oyster shell for the chickens but a small bag is a few dollars, it would add up quickly.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Drat!!

Well, I know a lot of other toxins I can grow here. LOL.

Leafy spurge LOVES Colorado. It's actually an invasive, we're all supposed to be killing them as we see them

Well, tomatoes I know I can do. That's on the grow list. My basil isn't dead yet. *checks* Yep. Still alive.

If I'd remember to water them, the sage and thyme would have done well.

Do they make plants that come remind you when you forget about them? That's what I need.

You need Celopatra from the Adams Family fame

 

[Wifezilla]

GET DUCKS!!! The main reason I got ducks was because of slugs

Now ducks can't be trusted around growing tender plants, but if you let them in your garden after harvest and in spring before you plant, they will dig up the hidden slugs and slug eggs and munch em all up.

It wont necessarily eliminate all the slugs, but they seriously reduced my population and sightings and damage are now rare.

 

[savingdogs]

How about the one from the Little Shop of Horrors that would say "Feed me......I want some food."

I saw the original of that movie as a kid and it scared me to death. My sister and brother teased me mercilessly about it. When they made the remake I never had the heart to see it. I did watch the original once and laughed my head off. Weird what scares kids.

But I need a reminder plant too.

 

[dragonlaurel]

DE might help about the slugs. If you have poultry- some of them eat slugs happily too.

 

[savingdogs]

I'm thinking first I'll let the goats in the area to make sure there are no weeds.

Then I'll let the ducks in to eat all slugs and start killing off the grass with their poo.

And finally the chickens can scratch it all up for me.

And I'll use the rabbit waste mixed with soil as the basis for the mounds. I may use Mackay's lasagna method because we kind of have things in piles, but I'll have to cover the whole top with soil since I have just a mound and not a bed with sides.

 

[Wifezilla]

DE has very limited effect on the slugs. I tried it before I got ducks. I found myself reapplying constantly. Actually crushed oyster shell is better AND it's usually cheaper. I make little circles of it around tender plants. I was able to save my beans using oyster shells....well, until the quail pulled the plants through to their side of the fence and had a party...LOL


Great plan SD! GO CRITTERS!