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I posted this in the gardening megathread, but maybe you all have some other advice: Hey guys! I need some advice on my new garden  I have a pretty large yard for a rented place. I plan on living there for several years, so I figured I'll just plant stuff right in the soil. The yard was horribly overgrown with weeds, so I spend all yesterday tearing them out (and I am insanely sore today). This morning I started tilling. I found some worms and grubs in the dirt which I think it a good sign it's fairly fertile. I was afraid living in Tucson Arizona (Zone 8?) that it would be all clay or sand. The guy who lived here before me had been trying to make a lawn and apparently fertilized the heck out of it, so maybe that helped (his lawn failed because he didn't bury his grass seed and birds ate it, not because the soil sucks). I did buy a big bag of organic compost to stir in for good measure. Here is my yard as it stands:  Click here for the full 750x669 image. and here is my plan for the garden setup:  Click here for the full 750x669 image. The back of the house (where the sliding glass door and cement slab are) has a little overhang and I thought I could hang tomato plants from one side and put a little green house for starting seeds under the other side. I was hoping that would keep it from getting too much direct sun. It get's really hot here and I don't want the sun to bake them! Any advice/critique of my layout would be highly appreciated. Along with AZ growing advice in general and what plants are more likely to thrive or need extra help to grow. Thanks!
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Mar 25, 2009 19:47
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 13:57 |
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kid sinister posted:Uhh, this is the gardening megathread... It's like 6-7' I think (not at home to measure) and wooden. The wood slats are butted up together so little light comes through. How many bags do you think I should buy? Do you think my current ground is that unacceptable? I'm also starting a worm bin for my own compost, but obviously I won't have anything usable for a while. Anubis, My hanging tomatoes will get afternoon sun. I figured that would be better. Full sun is like standing at the gates of hell. In the words of a friend (who was mostly joking but still...) "You are gardening in Arizona, so you need to make adjustments. If it says it likes sun, you are going to have to put it in the shade. If it says it likes shade, grow it in complete darkness." If they look unhealthy hanging from the eave, I can move them to full sun, but I would need to find something to hang them from. Yeah, I already bought my corn before reading all the horror stories. At least now I can condition myself to accept failure and be thrilled if I get even one ear. I got a good amount of my seeds from these people: http://www.nativeseeds.org/ so hopefully they will grow well, this being their homeland.
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Mar 25, 2009 23:19
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I just made a worm bin. Should I have just done a regular compost bin? Does it breakdown faster with worms or what are the advantages of one over the other? I think I just really wanted pet worms :3
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Mar 29, 2009 18:35
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kid sinister posted:Another condition is that depending on what you add, compost bins can stink, bad. You may want to locate it away from yours and your neighbors' houses. I was thinking of storing my worm bin in the carport. Do you think it will still get too hot and kill my worms? There's also the laundry room, but it's probably warmer in there at least when the dryer is running. It gets 100+ degrees F out here in the summer. But I can't think of a better place to keep them :/
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Mar 29, 2009 20:52
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kid sinister posted:...if they can leave.
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Mar 30, 2009 06:38
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A couple newbie questions. I have a small bell pepper on one of my plants. It's been about 3 inches long for weeks. Is it done growing? The plant itself is still pretty small. Should I just pull it off? It's a green bell so color isn't much indication of ripeness. I also have an eggplant growing on my tiny eggplant plant and the tip of it is already rubbing on the ground. Is it okay if it grows sitting on the ground? Should I pick it off early or elevate it somehow?
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May 12, 2009 16:05
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 13:57 |
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Harvested my first eggplant!  I made it into a delicious eggplant marinara and ate it over spaghetti squash. 
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May 25, 2009 16:21
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