Top products from r/gardening

We found 173 product mentions on r/gardening. We ranked the 1,406 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top comments that mention products on r/gardening:

u/Jackson3125 路 6 pointsr/gardening

Ooh! Ooh! This sounds fun. I put some time into this when I should have been working, so I hope it helps.

1) Pruners - $20.49

This will be your most used tool. Eventually, you can upgrade into Felcos or Bahcos, but right now just get these Coronas. They're honestly a better size for hobby gardeners (fit right in your pocket), and the're very high quality for the price.

2) Your First Gardening Book - $17.06

Gardening Without Work by Ruth Stout. It's simple and gives you a general plan that really does work very well. It's a must for beginning gardeners, imho. You can find just about any other information you need on the internet (for now). Very little maintenance required, including fertilizing, weeding, applying pesticides, etc. (In a nutshell, the main step involves putting down an 8" layer of mulch...).

If you want to go with a more traditional raised bed setup, you should buy Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening. It's a fantastic back yard gardening book, as well, but the methods are kind of pricey and less sustainable. Still, it's a great system for growing a lot of food in limited space and it was the first book I used.

3) Indestructible Garden Trowel - $15.99

This will be your second most used tool. This particular model is about as indestructible as it gets short of this bad boy. You'll use it for digging holes for transplanting, mostly. Don't buy a cheap one or it will bend or break or both.

4) Fertilizer - $7.83 + $11.06 = $24.26

I chose cottonseed meal because that's what Ruth Stout recommends using (the rest of the nutrients in her system come from the giant mounds of mulch). Apply as she indicates.

I also added some Fish Emulsion Liquid Fertilizer because I love the stuff. It's a great way to add some extra nitrogen (and just a little P & K) mid season to your veggies or even to your compost pile when it gets carbon heavy. The stuff I have right now stinks, but the plants love it and it's easy to apply if you have a watering can.

Make sure you tailor your fertilizer to whatever system you're using, though. Don't fertilize like Ruth if you're not using her mulch based system. If you're using Square Foot Gardening, you won't be fertilizing at all, but you will be using lots of peat, vermiculite, and (different kinds of) compost. Etc, etc, etc.

5) Work Gloves - $10.97

These are specifically for women, but there's a button to switch to men's if that's you. You won't wear them all the time, but you'll be happy you have them when you need them. Notice that this comes with 6 pairs of gloves. I misplace gloves all the time, so having several is handy (hehe).

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Total: $88.77


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Notes:


  • Save the rest for now. You're inevitably going to become enamored with something like earthworm casings, azomite, or a nozzle for your gardening hose down the line. Your future self will thank you for having some extra cash to buy it with, and this is plenty to get you started on your way to being a badass backyard gardener.

  • The two above methods claim to be mostly pest free. In my experience, nothing is pest free, and you just need to grow enough quantity to weather the storm when it does randomly come. I would just concentrate on growing healthy plants first and foremost and then let the chips fall where they may. You might turn to pesticides later, and that's fine, but hold off on buying any until you know what is nibbling on your plants. Most pesticides are specific to the pest.

  • Notice that I don't include any seeds. Your first year of gardening, I'd honestly recommend just buying live plants from your local nursery (and sticking to plants bred to survive in your region). Growing from seed can be hard, and your entire crop of seedlings dying is a humbling experience, I can assure you.

    The other reason there are no seeds on my list is because I don't recommend buying them on Amazon. I've had bad experiences every time I've tried it. If you need seeds, go with a good seed dealer, like Johnny's Selected Seeds, Burpee, etc, or find a good nursery in your area.

  • If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

    _____

    TL;DR: Pruners, a book to get you started, a durable trowel, fertilizer that is specific to your growing plan, and some gloves. Enjoy!
u/scififan444 路 1 pointr/gardening

These are some of my favorites:

  • Crockett's Victory Garden - There are also versions for flowers and lawns as well as the main garden one. It's organized by month and has lots of special chapters on different skills or tools or general information.

  • Square Foot Gardening - It's written as a persuasive piece, but it's got good information on all different kinds of vegetables and explains the square foot method. Even if you don't use the method itself, the ideas in general can be useful.

  • Backyard Herb Garden - This is an older book, but it's got a lot of helpful specific information on different herbs and ideas for growing them.

  • Kitchen Garden for Beginners - It's not a perfect book, but I think it did a great job giving an overview of different gardening methods, plants and issues you might face.

  • Vertical Gardening - This one is more specific, but all the trellis designs were fun and very helpful.

  • Storey Country Wisdom Bulletins - These are nice little pamphlets ($4 on Amazon) on different plants (ie. tomatoes, peppers, strawberries) or topics (ie. fixing your soil or building a fence) that are pretty useful for gardening. Also they had some ideas that were new to me.

  • Garden Primer - This one is also a good overview. And seems to be popular it covers general garden topics and has information about specific vegetables.

  • The New Self Sufficient Gardener - It's got a lot of good general information, awesome illustrations, background explanation and information on specific vegetables.

    In terms of location specific information, as someone who recently moved half way across the country, your best off looking up the Extension website for where your living to find information on suggested varieties, new pests you might encounter, soil types and things like that.
u/moonpurr 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Saving seeds is a serious endeavor. There is so much detail to it so I will just cover a few basics and then recommend an amazing book. You must use open pollinated seeds to save seeds that will grow true to the parent plant. I use heirloom and open pollinated seeds to grow and then save the seeds. If you are growing hybrid plants, the seeds you save may revert back to one of the parent plants bred to create your plant that you are currently growing. Many plants can cross pollinate. So the pollen taken from one plant in a neighbors yard by bees can mix with yours and then you have a Mystery plant with the saved seeds. Spacing and pollination control are key. Also letting all the plants set vegetables and grow to maximum maturity. An example is tomatoes. It is best to let a tomato sit on the vine until almost overripe and select that one to use for seed saving. Beans will have better germination rate if you let the pods dry on the vine. Different species of plants require different techniques in saving the seeds. Their is a wet method and a dry method. Sorry this is all so much and probably a bit confusing. There are thousands of more details and. I do not mean to discourage you from trying to save seeds. Here is a link that is helpful. And probably better at explaining than me rambling on. Lol!


http://howtosaveseeds.com/isolate.php


The best book I have found and am learning from daily and seasonally is titled Seed to Seed


http://www.amazon.com/Seed-Growing-Techniques-Vegetable-Gardeners/dp/1882424581


This book will go through many details and instructions that are easy to understand. The best advice I have is to learn and give it a try. Each season you will learn more and more. Best of luck.

u/invertedjenny 路 1 pointr/gardening

Second what u/GrandmaGos says. Companion planting is mostly folklore. I do a little of it myself but I always plant my rosemary with carrots, lavender next to onions, and basil with tomatoes. But it also attracts pollinators which is important.

My mom had a community garden for a large group of kids in a local summer day camp program. Our favorites were strawberries and carrots. Most kids hated veggies and growing their own and seeing how sweet home-grown carrots were made a huge impression on a lot of kids.

For reading, I recommend Raised Bed Revolution, I got some really great plans from that book that look very nice. I also like Square Foot Gardening if you haven't read that already.

Since its a library you're at, is there anyway for the summer you could have little garden craft classes for the kids? That could be fun and keep them interested / invested. Have crafts like painting stones with the names of all the plants for plant markers. Learn about local wildflowers to attract pollinators?

u/SomeGnosis 路 1 pointr/gardening

Honestly you've already found a great source of good information and discussion:) I use the search bar in this sub more than any other, but I still refer regularly to my Grandma's favorite: Western Garden. It's a time-tested and comprehensive run-down of theory and method, as well as an encyclopedia of plants that are easily cultivated/common in the western hemisphere, but is mostly geared to the continental US.

The wonderful thing about plants is that they want to grow, and if you can just create the right conditions they will reward you in many ways. Some are waaay more forgiving than others, so don't just jump into orchid cultivars and other exotic specimens. Start composting, plant the veggies you like to eat (and maybe some luffa gourds for your shower time) and be proud of your harvest, you will never taste better food :)

u/[deleted] 路 3 pointsr/gardening

Your soil looks nice but I think you're going to have a hell of a time getting to the veggies and whatnot that are in the middle of the bed once everything starts growing.

Also, if you read any book about gardening read Gaia's Garden which is a home scale permaculture gardening book. It's all about working with natural systems instead of working against it. How to intercrop plants to get higher production in the same amount of space by creating layers and interactions in plants. For example here in Texas it gets super hot in the summer and it'll pretty much kill my tomatoes. This year I'm experimenting with growing pole beans up the outside of my tomato cages. The beans shouldn't compete with the tomatoes for nitrogen since they can provide much of their own. Also once they beans get tall enough to start shading the tomatoes they'll actually serve to protect them from the blast furnace that is the sun here in late July through August.

Another great thing about intercropping is that it helps with deterring insects that want to eat your garden. Plenty of insects are plant specific so if you have all your cabbage planted in a row then a cabbage looper moth is going to go cabbage to cabbage to cabbage laying her eggs. When they hatch the caterpillars can easily get to all sorts of cabbage. Now if you scatter your cabbages around, have them surrounded by things like arugula, lettuce or other things that cabbage loopers don't care for as much then you slow their spread and it gives natural predators a chance to keep the pest populations in check.


Wasps are one of a gardeners best friend.

Look into no till gardening. Not only is it less work but it treats the soil like the complex system that it is instead of destroying it by mixing it up over and over.

Mulching is your best defense against weeds and water evaporation from the soil. Don't be scared of mulching to deep.

u/iamqueeflatinah 路 2 pointsr/gardening

My suggestion would be to start very small and learn all the core gardening principles -- soil, maintenance, harvesting, weed/pest control, etc. -- and then expand what you grow in your second year. The more manageable it is, the more likely you are to stick with it. Perhaps you could start with an herb garden with basil, thyme, rosemary, dill, cilantro, a few of those, then a tomato or two and maybe some bush beans or peppers. Maybe even less than that. You will get a ton of value and a lot of different flavors from just growing that little bit.

Your zone just tells you how hot/cold your area is. You are in a medium US climate so mostly this means you have a decently long season for growing, meaning you can grow the plants that need hot temps for a longer period of time - some plants need it to be 80deg for several months, while others can only be grown at the beginning and end of the season when it's coldest. Right now, you might be able to plant cold weather stuff like spinach and kale. When it warms up a bit more, you can start doing hot weather stuff like tomatoes. Look up the last frost dates for your area and it will help you know when to plant what. The zone can also inform what varieties of plants to grow - some are better for colder areas and other hot, etc. - but if I were you, as a new gardener, I'd just stick to growing the larger plants (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) that have already been started from a local nursery. They'll have stuff suitable for your zone and growing from seeds is often the hardest part for plants like tomatoes, so getting a baby tomato plant rather than the seeds can give you a better chance of success overall. it's just one less thing as Forrest Gump would say.

Check out gardenweb.com. They have a ton of good info. My new gardening book this year is The Vegetable Gardener's Bible and it's a really great book for new gardeners.

Local extension office and the farmer's almanac are also great resources. Also, check out Pinterest. There are a ton of ideas on there.

u/Booby_Hatch 路 3 pointsr/gardening

I have to also recommend the Square Foot Gardening book, mostly for all it has to offer someone who is kind of starting with the basics. Once I read that I then branched off to various web sites, including reddit. MIGardener, while in Michigan and not at all your climate or mine, has tons of videos on youtube that are great for the beginner. If you follow him on Facebook you'll get a notification when he puts up a new video on youtube (though he has enough now you could lose a whole weekend watching them). He also just started selling seeds for $0.99, so if you're looking for an online seller, there you go.
My first garden, a 4' x 4' raised bed, was done strictly according to the Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method. I learned so much that first season about timing, soil, watering, etc., and even had some very successful veggies! My second season didn't go so well but that had nothing to do with what I had or hadn't learned. This is my third season and I've started several plants inside, ready to put them into my garden in a month or so. I will still be using all that I learned from my SFG book though I have a better idea of what plants I can crowd more than he recommends. Regardless, the book is still vital reference material for me. I even consulted it Saturday night for some seedling information.
For the existing plants, you might want to google them specifically (ie, 'pruning rosemary' or 'caring for my rosemary bush'). I got a ruled notebook and made one page per veggie/fruit that I was interested in and noted the information I found that was specifically important to me. The other stuff just kind of lays dormant in your brain until you get more involved in gardening and then it just pops out when needed! Good luck and enjoy! (I too plant tomatoes though I don't care for them much, unless in pico de gallo. I started 8 different types this season because it's so fun to watch them grow!!)

https://smile.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486443200&sr=8-1&keywords=square+foot+gardening

u/AndyWarwheels 路 4 pointsr/gardening

People commonly grow potatoes in bag, so I think that potatoes are totally do able, but it can be messy work getting at the potatoes.

If you have access to water you can set something up like this...

https://www.amazon.com/Raindrip-R560DP-Automatic-Container-Hanging/dp/B00J2NRUBI/ref=pd_sim_86_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZV4XXQPJRV7H00JZCTZE

It is hard to tell you what to grow without knowing what zone you are in.

But growing your own food is for sure something that is rewarding and fun plus it can cost very little.

The first thing you really need to consider is, what do you like to eat?

It is pointless growing turnips if you never eat turnips.

For a small space I would recommend growing plants that go together. Like maybe you want to make a ratatouille garden or a minestrone garden.

So if you want to grow minestrone you should be able to plant and grow almost everything that you need for the soup and everything that is commonly in minestrone is pretty easy to grow.

u/WestinHemlock 路 2 pointsr/gardening

In Seattle you can direct sow lettuce and greens starting around March 15th, we are after last frost date so beans should be ok, though they would perfer warmer soil. Tomatoes could go out under cover pretty soon, I dont usually actully plant them till May. You will have better growth if you plant your pepper and tomatoes (and squash) in black containers, the black pot will help provide the soil heat that the tropical plants need to thrive.

Your plot looks ok, I would bury the grass clods upside down, also you will probably need to lime the soil. Raising the height of the bed above the surrounding area will increase soil temp and make for better drainage. Soil west of the Cascades are universally acidic and low in phosphorus. A quick soil test will tell you the PH, Dolomite lime and Agricultural lime are what you will need to raise your PH. Further details are in Steve Solomons Growing Vegatables West of the Cascades.
http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Vegetables-West-Cascades-Edition/dp/1570615349

PS,
Plant Peas to improve your soil, Cascadia and Oregon Sugar Pod II are great varieties for our region, you can direct sow around 1 inch apart any time after valentines.

Good luck and happy gardening.
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/38531/em9057.pdf

u/Eight43 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Your first year I suggest growing vegetables like paste tomatoes and some nice roasting peppers. Paprika is a particular variety of sweet or hot peppers that have been dried and ground to a powder. Usually the grocery stores sell 2 varieties: Hot or sweet. Another redditor recommended the Alma peppers for a nice paprika.

Before you plant a large, fussy but interesting, tree get some experience under your belt. Gardening can be expensive and some of the more exotic and interesting plants and trees come with a big price tag. You can quickly kill many dollars. I did that when I first started my garden (but with perennial flowers) so, I'm trying to stop you from making (what can be) a costly mistake.

The best place to start is to get to know your garden site's sun and soil. Does it drain well? Does it need amendments? Is it full sun, partial sun or full shade?

A really good way to go is to first read Gaia's garden and plant smart with permaculture.

A cool and interesting 1-season plant that likes full sun and a trellis is loofah gourds.

u/lablizard 路 2 pointsr/gardening

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH1MQV8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

This will make the room violently pink, but casts a lovely width of lighted area and is super bright.

So far, my indoor tree is loving it and bounced back from acclimating to the new pot and location since it was from a nursery. He was a seriously un happy tree, I thought I would lose it. This light is awesome.

u/OrwellStonecipher 路 4 pointsr/gardening

For those just getting started, Square Foot Gardening is great, it's a good starting point for getting in the habit of maintaining a garden, for making good use of small spaces, and for learning about gardening.

How to Grow More Vegetables is a fantastic book. It is a great reference book on sustainable gardening, and self-sufficiency gardening. It is used by several programs as a textbook to teach sustinence gardening in third-world countries.

Carrots Love Tomatoes is a great book for learning about companion planting.

I just ordered Gardening When it Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times. I haven't read it yet, so I can't give a review, but it is reviewed very favorably. My understanding is that it presents a more old-fashioned, traditional method of gardening that requires less water, less fertilization, etc.

Good luck, and let us know what you think of any books you try!

u/tripleione 路 1 pointr/gardening

If you're looking for a vegetable gardening book, my favorite one is Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. It's got everything you need to know about successfully starting and growing a basic vegetable garden from scratch.

I think the best part about this book is that the methods explained in it are pretty much a fool-proof way of growing great plants the very first time. As you gain more first-hand experience, you can start to add, remove or tweak things that make will improve your garden even more.

u/bonsie 路 2 pointsr/gardening

i can personally attest to the benefits of building your garden this way. i think i pulled 2 weeds all season and my tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers and lettuce did great! i have already started next year's garden and can't wait to try a few new things! some added bonuses (other than not having to till) are that with this technique you don't have to disrupt the ecosystem under the soil and the cardboard actually draws the worms up into your garden, adding even more fertilizer. i will never build garden any other way! an excellent book that talks about this and other ways to create and work with a natural ecosystem is gaia's garden. it teaches you how to have a beautiful, useful yard/space with minimal work.

u/celestiaequestria 路 1 pointr/gardening

A 10-watt LED won't do anything for your plant, the 36-watt bulb is slightly better, but ideally you want something like a 300-watt HPS replacement. LED grow lights are a nice starting point for smaller citrus.

In practice, the more light, the better, citrus are subtropical plants and generally thrive in warmth and strong daylight.

u/sunpoprain 路 1 pointr/gardening

This is an amazing book for learning what can fit where. Remember that it is more for advanced gardeners so start small. Use it as a guide on long term plans.

This is a great guide to low-cost or free soil creation/amendment It also has a great guide to growing almost every veggie/herb. It works amazingly as a substitution for the very expensive recommended soil in This great guide to planting closer together to avoid weeds

Some ideas for reducing water usage:

Sub-Irrigation (there are a great many ways to do this, this is just one)

Hugelkultur Looks like shit but creates an amazing wood "sponge" under your gardens. After 2 years you pretty much don't need to water again (if done correctly). You also get a constant stream of nutrients from the wood breaking down. It is possible to "contain" hugelkultur beds to create more of a "I mean to do this!" order so people don't think you are just piling shit up everywhere.

u/Farty_McFartFart 路 3 pointsr/gardening

Apples are this way because the fruit takes the traits of both parents and most orchards use crabapples as the second parent. Other fruits and veggies act the same (squash is one that comes to mind). For these types of plants, in order to get a "pure" seed that isn't cross contaminated, you need to hand pollinate and then tie up the flower to avoid cross contamination. Or you have to separate varieties by as much as 400 feet.

Beans, on the other hand can cross pollinate but it doesn't happen often because pollination happens before the flower opens (since bean flowers are consider perfect, self-pollinators).

There are several books on seed saving and web resources that can tell you what seeds are the easiest to save and harvest and what seeds require more manual intervention. The most popular book on seed saving is Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners, 2nd Edition.

u/Dr_Zeuss 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Depending on the PH of your water, you might only need a little bit of PH Down Solution (an acid) and some sort of nutrient solution. The nutrient solution that worked best for me when I was doing lettuce was the DynaGro Grow. One step, no mixing A B and C.

Amazon Link

I bought a gallon of PH Down from my local hydro shop, with their logo and everything, it was like 10 bucks for a gallon. I still have 3/4 left after almost 2 years. You could just use this one in case you really need to. I found out that DynaGro lowers the PH at an Ideal level.

You should have a PH probe and a TDS probe. They make some cheap ones like these two. You might need to calibrate them often, so you need this and this

I use This to measure my nutrients. You can get the same one at walmart for 10 bucks. But you have to go to walmart, and that to me is not worth the savings.

Try to find the "Recipe" you need for your reservoir. I calculate my towers have about 20 gallons of water up to the hole where the wire from the pump comes out of. Once you have everything measured write it down somewhere and take notes. I do a full reservoir change at the end of every crop. Lettuce wont grow again once you harvest it. Make sure you clean your tower really well to avoid salt buildup.

I get my seeds from http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

I've had great success with [this one] (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/lettuce/romaine-lettuce-cos/sparx-lettuce-seed-3156.html) and This one

You can also use your own Rockwool and make sure you get one of These.

I have something very similar to this but I can't find the exact one. You start your seedlings with that.

Let me know if you wanna go deeper down the rabbit hole. Sorry for the wall of text. And also, sorry about your wallet.

Good luck!

u/gumbystruck 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Baker Creek Herloom seeds has a very useful website. Under all of their plants they have reviews. Also if you go to their Facebook page they have a guy named Matt that teaches a lot about gardening on their live feeds. Also a good starter book that I enjoyed just staring out was [square foot gardening ](All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591865484/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xoHRybVDJT2Y6)
And The [Vegetable Gardener's Bible ](The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions: Wide Rows, Organic Methods, Raised Beds, Deep Soil https://www.amazon.com/dp/160342475X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fpHRybBXSA45A) if you have any gardening questions you can PM if you would like and I would love to help.
Also I'll compile a list of my favorite resources for gardening.

u/tikibyn 路 1 pointr/gardening

It's not a field guide, but the Sunset Western Garden Book is pretty good for the west. I think there are versions of Sunset for the different regions, like East Coast Living and Southern Living. I'm sure they have a similar book that corresponds to wherever you live. And in case you happen to be in the Pacific Northwest, Pojar is pretty much the plant id bible, but it's not for gardens.

u/berticus 路 9 pointsr/gardening

Actually, you should put the seeds in water for few days to ferment them. This removes a coating that inhibits germination, supposedly. Then continue as above.

Pole beans you should just be able to save. Make sure you're not planting hybrids of either plant, or your saved seed will give you unpredictable results.

This book is often recommended. I read it and it was helpful, and will be a really good reference for when I can actually start doing it. There are other factors to consider, such as cross pollination and such, and they're all covered here for each and every plant you could possibly want to grow.

Also... I read Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties and was fascinated. She touches on seed saving, and of course gets into cross pollination (on purpose this time!) and genetics and such. It was really exciting to read, in a total geek sort of way.

u/holyshiznoly 路 3 pointsr/gardening

You pretty much have to read this book. It explains the basics of why our NW soil is unique (basically rain leaches our soil of many essential nutrients while leaving behind a heavy clay soil) and what to do (and not to do) about it. He's a little dogmatic but just breeze through it. It's on sale right now for less than $15 and a quick read. It also has a planting calendar. Portland Nursery also has a (PDF) planting calendar based on the book but if you compare the two you will notice differences.

I think you can seed tomatoes now indoors. Bottom line is that we get a lot of crappy weather and some years are "cabbage years", meaning tropical plants such as tomatoes won't thrive in our short-season climate. Start them indoors early, stagger your plantings\, and make sure to get local varieties selected for our region (the book covers all this).

Also consider indoor systems including hydroponics, especially for herbs and salad/leafy greens. With the amount of slugs and rain around here it's nice to have these available year round and they can be grown with cheap lights that use marginal electricity (as opposed to say growing tomatoes indoors which would use expensive lights).

If you grew tomatoes and corn successfully you're doing just fine. Good luck.

u/DukesDecorLI 路 2 pointsr/gardening

I planted 2 bushes in the spring here in NY. They get LOTS of sun (8+ day) and I water them deep with a soaker daily for about 20-30 min. I planted mine in deeply dug loamy soil which I mixed with fresh compost. They are growing like weeds and bearing fruit all summer so far. Dark green leaves.

So...I dunno what is going on with yours but maybe you can compare to what I鈥檓 doing and see if you鈥檙e doing anything different to troubleshoot? I got my tips from The Garden primer which I picked up years ago. Pretty good reference book, I鈥檝e had success with her tips.

u/jowla 路 1 pointr/gardening

Short answer: Yes, Use compost tea.
Long Answer: This book

This article by Dr. Elaine Ingrahm is a pretty good intro to the process. She's one of the leading experts on the soil food web, and was essentially the inspiration for the above mentioned book.

Good luck!

u/lobsterandi 路 1 pointr/gardening

Yep. The reason you will find so much conflicting data is because plants grow different in different places. Like, drastically differently, in some cases.

Your local extension will most likely have things most relevant to your area. Otherwise, I have really enjoyed this book because it gives good data, including soil temp and several different methods of plant spacing, trellising, etc. It may not be as detailed as you'd like because it often doesn't give root depth, but it will tell you the best soils, pH, and other helpful information in a well-organized format.

u/IchBinEinBerliner 路 3 pointsr/gardening

Gaia's Garden, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle are two great ones. Gaia's Garden regards permaculture and making your garden more in touch with what occurs in nature. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, while it is not a "Gardening" book, is a great read and was what inspired me to start a garden as soon as I moved out of my apartment to the country.

u/JThoms 路 1 pointr/gardening

I've seen on Amazon, as I did some light searching, these LED grow bulb setups. 45W grid of LEDS that are used for growing, at least from seed, indoors. I know you've recommended the flourescent tubes but what's your opinion on these? If it's similar to what you are saying where they keep growing all winter I could see it being a fair replacement to the tubes.

I only used the basement as an example as I do not have a garage and the only south face window which would get enough light exposure is right above a heating element which I have read could interfere with the plants. It also happens to be my dog's watch post, therefore I think the basement would be the best compromise. I will look into setting up the shop lights or perhaps if you are able to recommend, that LED setup.

u/EcstasyAeternus 路 1 pointr/gardening

Thank you :) Yup, I got the seeds from Baker Creek and these ones in particular are Cherokee Purple

They germinated super fast @ 100% success. Started them in the expanding peat pots that you find in the starter kits with a heating mat under the tray. Now they're moved into a 5x5 Grow Tent with a small space heater, fan to circulate air, and two LED lights one two set on timers. They grew so fast once I repotted them and put them in the grow tent that I didnt look for a day and the plant on the left had burned itself on the light (you can see the couple of crispy leaves on the top left lol).

u/jerkle_circ 路 1 pointr/gardening

Yeah, they like a lot of light. If you have somewhere, you could put them outside (and it's warm enough) you could do that, otherwise it wouldn't hurt to get a grow light. They have them available on Amazon: 2ft or 4ft.

Hope it helps =)

u/preprandial_joint 路 1 pointr/gardening

Upvote for the Ozarks! My gf and I just got back from a camping trip on the Jacks Fork River in the Missouri Ozarks. We go down there multiple times every year for floats and fishing. Simply breathtaking.

I used smart pots last year. I learned it's hard (read: impossible) to over-water them if your soil drains well. It's great when we get too much rain but a chore when you have to remember daily supplemental watering during dry spells. I'm currently still using smart pot's big bag bed. It's pretty nifty if you want a raised bed that is removable.

u/tiny_chicago 路 1 pointr/gardening

Mel's book is great. However, I think he's very optimistic about spacing. It may be theoretically possible to plant things at those intervals, but a new garden plot needs a few years to develop the biodiversity it needs to achieve peak productivity.

I didn't use much other than Mel's book my first year. I think Teaming With Microbes is essential reading. If you understand soil, you'll understand your plants. Building Soils Naturally is also a good one and it's a little less dry.

I'll also say that Mel's "soil mix" did not work well for me at all. I don't have abundant sources of organic matter available, so I took his suggestion to mix 5 types of store-bought compost. I don't think commercial compost is a sufficient replacement for the homemade stuff. Perhaps if you mix it together with a small amount of homemade compost and let it decay for awhile, it would be better.

That said, plenty of people have success following Mel's book to a T, so your mileage may vary.

u/zynx1234 路 2 pointsr/gardening

I read it in the "Carrots love tomatoes book"

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580170277/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MvgRzbNPNNGEA

u/WickedPrince 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Hey there! I am in the same zone as you up in Maryland. :)

  1. Start hordes of seedlings. Much more than you need. Choose the most healthy ones and pot some extras in case things go bad.

  2. Use a free tool like this to plan your garden out. Spacing is very important.

  3. Consider inviting some garden bros to your garden. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00533KOIC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687782&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004LTFMAY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1KRAMJR0WPKHVC6HX105 and http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Mantis-Egg-Cases-100/dp/B000MR7B26/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1426810151&sr=1-4&keywords=praying+mantises will do nicely.

  4. Do seedlings now. Make sure you harden them off over 10 days before transplant or the shock kills them.

  5. Use bagged soil and begin composting on the side. :) Great gardeners don't grow good plants - they grow good soil and that does the work for them.

  6. Does your area not drain?

    Final tip: You will learn more from your mistakes than successes. I know it hurts to see root rot kill some seedlings. It just happens. Learn from it.
u/annoyedsine 路 1 pointr/gardening

I have two sugar pumpkin seedlings, about 5 inches apart, in a six-inch-deep mound. They're doing well and I'd like to keep them both, but do they need more space to make it work? They're in a Big Bag Bed filled with Black Gold organic potting mix. I have two cowpea plants and a zucchini plant in the same bed, all of which are doing well also. It seems like there's room to maneuver.

All of the above were grown from seed. I'm really, really new at this, so any tips/advice/snark will be appreciated.

u/treesandtallgrass 路 1 pointr/gardening

There are a lot of great online references if you are willing to sit down, do some research, and map things out. As far as books go this one is pretty thorough and this book (I have heard) gives a more basic introduction. I've actually found the wikipedia chart on companion planting to be a really useful quick reference as well.

u/soccermomjane 路 1 pointr/gardening

a good way to get into vegetable gardening is to try square foot gardening. you do not have to use a fancy raised bed, it can be made with cinderblocks but the methods are great for a beginner since it is all outlined in this book. Mel Bartholomew has a proven method that is easy to follow and does not require much in the way of supplies other than soil and seeds.

u/DrArcticFox 路 2 pointsr/gardening

As a fellow newbie gardener, I can strongly recommend Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch as a useful reference book. It's been hugely informative for me. It has general sections on amending soil, fertilising, correct watering, etc, and then specific sections for Veges, Fruits, Flowers, Shrubs, etc. Just a stack of good, easy-to-read information.

After following some of the advice from Damrosch (and, of course, /r/gardening) my tomatoes are already twice the height of last year's, and it's only early spring in Australia :)

u/GSG1901 路 1 pointr/gardening

I'm installing a drip irrigation system this year, and so far the brand most recommended is Raindrip (I believe it is a similar price, but I was told it holds up better, so that is what I am planning on using. I haven't done it yet though, so I can't vouch for it.) I use large planters instead of beds, but here is the link to the amazon product for planters. I think home depot/lowes sells it as well, and there are other configurations/kits the same brand sells for beds/large areas. You do run a regular hose to the system, but I like the idea of a timer if I am out of town. And you can buy extra drips for added water or an extension hose to the same bed.

https://www.amazon.com/Raindrip-R560DP-Automatic-Container-Hanging/dp/B00J2NRUBI

u/mdgates00 路 2 pointsr/gardening

What you really want to ask is how many Watts per square meter (or square foot). If your garden bed is large, you'll need more light. And light that doesn't hit the garden doesn't count.

Something like this covers about 4'x4' with pretty good brightness. With all the LEDs pointing at the plants, this will be far more effective than a LED grow bulb in a typical household lighting fixture.

u/theefaulted 路 2 pointsr/gardening

It all depends on what you're trying to achieve.

You're concern is on par. If you only keep seeds that are from late in the season it's possible you might end up with pepper plants that put off late fruit. I generally try to save seeds from the best looking and tasting fruit all season.

One big question: Are you growing more than one variety of pepper or tomato? If so, and you did not take precautions to make sure they did not cross-pollinate, you will likely end up with a variety other than what you planted. Doesn't mean you can't save the seed, but don't expect those plants to be your main crop producers next year.

Check out the book Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. It is the best resource on seed saving I've ever read.
http://www.amazon.com/Seed-Growing-Techniques-Vegetable-Gardeners/dp/1882424581

u/terahz 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Here is a good starter book http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591865484
You can use this method for small containers that you put on your balcony.

And a good reference book http://www.amazon.com/dp/1603424768

Good luck!

u/dalegrizzle1 路 1 pointr/gardening

I looked at these the first thing when I wanted an indoor garden myself, and honestly, he's right, and he's trying to help. They are v low wattage, like 20-30 each, if that. Simplest setup i would say, if you can spend 70$ and replace those heads and put up a nice blurple 300w like viparspectra, your money would go a longer ways. I did this and had some mylar survival blankets wrapping the whole thing, strung up with tape, for a long time. The mylar blankets are 7$ and they have more than enough to make a makeshift "grow tent" of sorts.

links

edited grammar

https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Reflector-Spectrum-Indoor-Plants/dp/B01B4GQ6MO

https://www.amazon.com/NAVAdeal-Reflective-Greenhouse-Effectively-Environmentally/dp/B00B8PAAJW/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1536205654&sr=1-4&keywords=mylar+blanket

u/infsmwetrust 路 1 pointr/gardening

If you're really interested in soil science, there's a fantastic book called Teeming with Microbes: http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Revised/dp/1604691131

If you want just practical info, Cornell has some excellent resources. PDF links:

http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/compostingathome.pdf

http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/compostbrochure.pdf

http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/nuisance.pdf

u/uliarliarpantsonfire 路 5 pointsr/gardening

Ah I see. Well here are some things on my list, I think it's different from gardener to gardener.

seed starter with heat

Kevlar sleeves for prickly plants and tomatoes that make me itch

seed stamp for planting

square foot gardening book

knee pads

garden clogs

gloves I go through gloves like crazy!

plant markers

gardening set just some basic tools

bucket organizer

of course there are lots of other things that you might want like seeds, tomato cages, kits for building your own raised beds they are all available from amazon, so it really depends on what you like and want to grow. I don't know if this helps you any? Maybe plan out your garden and what you want to grow then you'll know what you need?

u/BrainBurrito 路 4 pointsr/gardening

Sorry to be a jerk but my lawn tip would be to not get one. A common water-wise plan I've seen in your area is groupings of agaves, aloes or other succulents set against a sharp stone mulch (not the 70s lava rock). It looks really nice, it's low to no maintenance and a responsible use of water. Many people have palms which look fancy/exotic and are appropriate for the area. You could also go with native plants (great on water) to get a nice habitat going and attract birds and pollinators.

I'd recommend getting The Sunset Western Garden Book. It has a really easy way of identifying which plants are suitable to which areas. Even if you decide on a lawn, you might want a decorative border for ascetics or to reduce the lawn size.

EDIT: My bad, I didn't know that thing would pop up. It's a bit unsightly.

u/glarblarbsulsul 路 1 pointr/gardening

thanks for your help !!!! I'm almost convinced to get Fluorescent... It looks like T8 fixtures are cheaper than t5. There is one for $18.48 but then then the bulbs only come in a two pack.. if I buy a set of warm white and a set of cool white then that would be about $20, at $10 per double pack. So if I have just one 2 bulb fixture and 4 lights, i may as well get another fixture so I don't have any leftover lights. So - 2 fixtures and 2 packs of lights it comes to about $57.

Now these LED ones I found are not as strong as the 300W ones, and seems that people use them for house plants. They are about $30 for one But there was another seller offering 2 for $55.

My only concern is judging from the grammar errors on the amazon listing, these LED seem to be from foreign manufacturers and they don't say anywhere on the page if they are UL listed like the Florescent lamps are - so I have to assume these lamps are not and reviews say they get hot so I really don't want one of these to burn my house down.

So, knowing they're both the same cost what would you do??? Florescent or LED? Or can I just get 1 pack of full spectrum bulbs and one florescent light?

u/carlynorama 路 2 pointsr/gardening

You might consider what kind of gardener you want to be more philosophically, too.

Do you want to grow a food ecosystem? Permaculture is your thing - Gaia's Garden would be a good book for you

https://www.amazon.com/Gaias-Garden-Guide-Home-Scale-Permaculture/dp/1603580298/

Do you need compact lazy-persons garden? Square Foot Gardening

"Square Foot Gardening" (Beginners Guide) as a start.

Like the idea of a themed garden like u/SedatedApe61 recommended? Groundbreaking Food Gardens has loads of ideas along those lines

https://www.amazon.com/Groundbreaking-Food-Gardens-Change-Garden/dp/161212061X/

There are as many ways to garden as gardeners. Finding the plants that suit both your location and your style of gardening goes a long way.

u/byikes 路 1 pointr/gardening

I'm sorry, I saw your title in /r/gardening and thought what a great topic!! I couldn't wait to share how important I thought it was for a book to be targeted at a reader's local climate/soil conditions were, and I wanted to share what I had found for the Portland area in "Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades" . Then I saw the "perennial flowers" and I'm a bit confused. Find a local nursery they and will sell what will grow in your area and since you aren't going to eat it, feed it with miracle grow or what ever you want to.

If she want's to grow organic perennial's for some reason. The vegtable books should work too.

u/mmcremebrulee 路 1 pointr/gardening

I test the soil in my gardening bed. I'm too scared to test the rest of my yard's soil, hah. This is the tester I use-- it's pretty fun!

The first year I found out my soil was low in Nitrogen so I amended with blood meal. This year I only amended with composted manure and things seem pretty happy.

u/mumrah 路 1 pointr/gardening

Highly recommend reading Teaming with Microbes [1] for those interested in how plants actually take up nutrients and fixate nutrients in the soil. Bacteria and fungi are actually your best "companions" in the garden.


  1. http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Revised/dp/1604691131
u/rez9 路 4 pointsr/gardening

I would suggest a general "How to garden" type book like The Garden Primer and a reference for different plants/methods like Rodale's Organic Gardening Encyclopedia. I got both of these used for like $10 from Alibris.com.

Really there's too much info to do gardening justice in a few blurbs. If you're serious you'll spend a few bucks on a lot of knowledge.

u/ashleywithani 路 2 pointsr/gardening

I've used lady bugs with success in my garden beds and herb containers. Last year I used them for aphids my tomatoes and peppers and this year I used them on my chives for aphids and whiteflies on my rosemary. Worked well for both aphids and whiteflies. I suggest watering before releasing them, I have noticed they stick around longer this way. I've seen some people make little water feeders for them out of a bowl with pebbles, I'm going to try that next time. My only concern for you getting them in FL is how they will hold up to transportation in the heat. Also be sure to check your mail box constantly you don't want them roasting in there. Last summer I had them delivered in 80 degree weather and they were fine. I get them on Amazon, about $10 with shipping there are different sizes from multiple sellers. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_ixvKXplSmVp5v

u/BlueLinchpin 路 1 pointr/gardening

You should check out Gaia's Garden or a similar permaculture book. As others have said, there's ways to protect your plants without relying on herbicides or weed pulling! :)

Namely, what I've read is that you should plant cover crops that will fight your weeds for you.

Good luck and grats on the baby!

u/VentedWideMouth 路 2 pointsr/gardening

love all of the above....also I've always wanted to try these to keep my cats away from certain areas

"Train your cat to stay away from restricted areas, such as the fishbowl or the kitchen counter. The SSSCAT Cat Training Aid uses a patented motion detector that senses when your cat is approaching an area she鈥檚 supposed to stay away from and releases a brisk spray. The scentless, stainless, harmless, painless spray startles the cat, training her to avoid that area from now on. You can adjust the angles of detection and spray direction. Good for indoor and outdoor use. Repels cats from up to 3 feet. Requires no training. Leaves no residue. Completely safe for all cats, humans, and the environment. Includes adjustable SSSCAT motion detector, can of harmless HFC134a gas, and user guide. Uses 4 AAA batteries (sold separately)."

u/PunttheBadger 路 2 pointsr/gardening

I've found Barbara Damrosch's book "The Garden Primer" to be very helpful as a new gardener. Very comprehensive - all sorts of plants, tools, layout, seed catalog listings, just great.

https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Primer-Second-Barbara-Damrosch/dp/0761122753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475111654&sr=8-1&keywords=garden+primer+barbara+damrosch

u/Im_a_peach 路 1 pointr/gardening

No! Get some good bugs that eat other bugs. [Preying Mantis.](http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Mantis-Case-Hatching-Habitat/product-reviews/B004LTFMAY

Ladybugs! They'll eat your bugs and birds will eat them.

I had chiggers, fleas and ticks. I put out 25 million beneficial nematodes. They cost $50 and ate the chiggers and everything. Cheaper than pesticide and I can plant whatever I want.

I don't recognize your little black pests, but something benign eats them.

Try putting rosemary, mint, or sage next to your basil. Companion plants can protect others.

u/mbonaccors 路 1 pointr/gardening

Haha - here is some additional information.

  1. It's a 45 W LED Light - https://www.amazon.com/UNIFUN-Growing-Hydroponic-Aquatic-Indoor/dp/B01F53LP46/
  2. Window faces south gets half days worth of direct sunlight
  3. It's a bush tomato plant (Bush Boy)
  4. It's standard miracle grow potting soil
  5. Using miracle grow plant food - mixed into water once a week
  6. Watering every other day, when top of soil is dry-ish
  7. Yes, there is a hole at the bottom of the container but it has never drained.
u/jayomiko 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Well I can say with some confidence that you're overwatering it. It's allowed to get a little dry on the soil surface. Tomatoes like it moist, not wet, so a good rule of thumb is always to water when you feel it dry about an inch into the soil (like stick your finger in). Tomatoes do need water, yes, but they also need oxygen and drowning won't allow them to "breathe". You also risk washing out nutrients needed by watering so much. Think of a sponge. You want the roots to be as moist as a wrung out sponge - still moist but not dripping from holding all that water in it.

Without looking too much into it (there are many number of things that can affect a plant and sometimes similar symptoms will have completely different causes), I would take a guess that it's a nutrient deficiency. If you've got other plants, it might be fun/worth it to get one of these kits to test it.

In lieu of that, since you're probably using standard potting soil from Home Depot which is usually fine I'd say re-pot it and stick to a slower watering schedule. Also don't forget to fertilize regularly and watch out for various insects throughout its growth.

u/oyster_jam 路 2 pointsr/gardening

I used some of these for an indoor setup with good success. Like u/LilPineapple69 said, maybe you could use a few in your greenhouse.

u/endeavour3d 路 1 pointr/gardening

I had this on my muskmelon, couldn't get rid of it and killed it within a few weeks, luckily it was harvest time anyway. I've heard various solutions, using Neem oil in a solution of natural or dish soap with a little baking soda, or using wettable sulphur in solution with water. Both remedies shouldn't harm other plants and non-toxic. The sulphur shouldn't be just sprayed everywhere though because it kills pretty much any fungus, which includes good fungus in soils, so if you apply it, just apply it to the plant and try not to get too much in the soil.

http://www.amazon.com/Dyna-Gro-Pure-Neem-Oil-Ounces/dp/B0012BGXVQ

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg0519351517396.html

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=202817770&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=202817770&ci_src=14110944&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D28X-_-202817770&locStoreNum=3021

u/weird_maus 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades has been an extremely valuable resource for me. This year is my first doing serious gardening (in Portland) and having region-specific advice is great.
https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Vegetables-West-Cascades-6th/dp/1570615349

u/Tired0wl 路 1 pointr/gardening

I bought this package on amazon for $7.31. If you need ladybugs, I definitely recommend it. Every bug arrived alive!

u/hazeldazeI 路 2 pointsr/gardening

I got the drip line that's a drip every 6 inches. In my raised bed that's 2 x 12 ft, I had three lines of the drip line going down the bed. The automatic timer had the drips going 15 minutes twice a day. The automatic drip line + mulch on top made the garden totally easy and worked great for me since I don't get a chance to do any gardening during the work week due to long hours and a long commute.

Automatic Watering System ($35): https://smile.amazon.com/Raindrip-R560DP-Automatic-Container-Hanging/dp/B00J2NRUBI

Drip Line 6-inch spacing ($17): https://smile.amazon.com/100-Feet-Irrigation-Hydroponics-Dripline-Emitter/dp/B0746837DL

Straw Mulch ($21): https://smile.amazon.com/EZ-Straw-Seeding-Mulch-Tack/dp/B00GRSV936

u/somesillynerd 路 3 pointsr/gardening

motion sensor stuff.

i know some folks do a motion sensor sprinkler.

if you're not in a particularly rainy area or keep good tabs on the weather, you could try Ssscat or something similar.

I haven't used it outside but I've used it indoors with great effect on the kitties.

u/jadentearz 路 3 pointsr/gardening

I think you're going for this?
https://www.amazon.com/64-Tomato-Fortune-Endured-Existential/dp/1565125576

If you're not.. read it. It's an awesome, funny book.

u/PostingInPublic 路 1 pointr/gardening

Does she work organic? I found the book Teaming with microbes very enlightening and intriguing. This is a book that's rather short and may take your organic gardening "to the next level". I don't know if everything in it is true and I'm also suspicious because it has this ever so slight new-wavy ideologic ("movement") feel to it, but I still think there's a lot to be learned from it.

Otherwise, going to the next level, whether organic or not, requires reading the basics in any standard 1k-page gardening book and then looking up the requirements of each plant. Literally: Any standard gardening book will have some chapters devoted to the basics of soil and plant nutrition (pH being one factor). For the individual plants, there are several invaluable internet databases that cover more than you ever wanted to know, although knowing the latin name helps tremendously.

So what I meant to say ... there's already a tremendous amount of information readily available for next to no cost at various levels of organisation. Will she make the effort to find and absorb it?

u/danielisamazing 路 1 pointr/gardening

hmmmm ok thanks. And I'm in Zone 10b.

So I should get two T8's? And I'll need to get a new fixture for those as well, correct?

The T5 bulb I have came with this stand and fixture.

u/TheMadFlyentist 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Are you concerned with aesthetics? If not, you can easily get away with some florescent shop lights such as these. You would want to get some full-spectrum bulbs, or some that are in the sunlight spectrum at least. Depending on the plants, you may be able to get away with some standard 6500K blue/white bulbs.

If you really want to be super efficient/cool looking and you don't care about price then you could go with an LED setup like this, but you'd likely need several to keep many plants going and the cost adds up quick.

You could also get one large metal halide fixture such as this but they generate a lot of heat and look very industrial.

Please note that I'm not recommending any of these brands in particular, I'm just using these as examples. Were it me, I'd probably just pick up two fluorescent fixtures from your local box store and designate a corner of a room to overwinter the plants. They may or may not grow a lot under the lights, but they will survive and you won't break the bank.

u/SultanPepper 路 1 pointr/gardening

You might be interested in the book The $64 Tomato

In my experience, it's not any cheaper that shopping at a produce store, but the quality of the produce that you can get is much higher from your garden. I have kids, and I think it's very useful for them to understand where their food comes from.

You can do gardening on the cheap, but it takes a lot of time and effort. Ie going on Craigslist and Freecycle for cheap containers and pallets. Maybe even manure if you're in a more rural location.

u/njbeerguy 路 5 pointsr/gardening

My understanding is that 1) it takes a while for the plant to start taking up the calcium, and 2) the conditions that cause blossom end rot actually set in weeks prior to fruit set.

So with this trick, you really want to do it early (assuming their is even a calcium deficiency in the first place.) I know folks who put a tablet in each planting hole when they transplant! But perhaps a treatment mid-season could alleviate the issue a few weeks later?

Before doing stuff like this, I recommend that people get a soil testing kit. They're cheap and easy to use, and will tell you if your soil really is deficient in certain nutrients or if it's another problem. Blossom end rot is more often not about a lack of calcium, it's that the tomato can't take up what calcium is there due to other factors.

u/greenhousekits 路 2 pointsr/gardening

My Bible is [The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch)(https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Primer-Second-Barbara-Damrosch/dp/0761122753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483907078&sr=8-1&keywords=the+garden+primer+second+edition) What I like about her book is she describes the soil needs for each plant and detailed growing instructions. My copy is covered in dirt from trying to find out how to grow items from Tomatoes to Zinnias. Check it out. It's just the best to have around.

u/nope_nic_tesla 路 1 pointr/gardening

Use neem oil. You can get it for pretty cheap like this. You put just a small amount in a water bottle, mix it all up and spray it all over everything.

u/excited_by_typos 路 5 pointsr/gardening

I bought this book recently because I wanted to learn this exact thing. I recommend it it鈥檚 really good

u/beepbeep_meow 路 1 pointr/gardening

I agree, it's either that they're over-watered, malnourished, or both. If they're over-watered, the roots aren't getting any oxygen. They need to drink, but they need to breathe, too. If they sit in water, they rot.

This soil test is a good investment if they don't perk up from less frequent watering. It'll tell you what kind of fertilizer you need.

u/-KARMAGEDDON- 路 1 pointr/gardening

I was in a similar predicament last month and after reviewing DIY options decided I couldn't do it more cost effectively (or consistently) as a kit. I found this kit below and use it to water twenty containers, mostly herbs and a few vegetables.

Raindrip R560DP Automatic Container and Hanging Baskets Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2NRUBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wLjgzbS1PD6EQ

Edit: 8A here as well!

u/danieldoesnt 路 3 pointsr/gardening

Here's one thorough option

I also recommend checking out your local library, they usually have a good selection.

u/timbillyosu 路 1 pointr/gardening

I bought a cheap test kit in Amazon to test pH, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DI845/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_XkaL8boa6FELc

For fertilizer, I like the Ecoscraps brand and it seems to work well.

u/Holycrapwtfatheism 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Neem oil should be in just about every veg gardener's arsenal. Make sure to get pure oil such as this. If you're in need of a sprayer to apply this one is by far and away my favorite, sometimes you can find the "open box" 2 liter one for the same price as the 1 liter.

u/JohnnyJaymes 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Hmm... Well the one I have is this one, but that's a bit out of your range.

I do know they have a smaller version, but I think that's still like $200 or so.

FWIW the one I linked to started to "sunburn" some of my tomatoes a year or two ago when I let them grow to close to the light without raising it. 馃槗

Looks like there's a knockoff (if you will) for about $100 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PH1MQV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XOAHxbYB5TWFX

Can't attest to quality so you might need to read reviews before deciding.

Edit: merged my posts together - stupid mobile app!

u/coffeeanddimples 路 2 pointsr/gardening

When I first became interested in gardening, my mom recommended the Sunset Western Garden Book. She said everything she knows about plants she learned from that book.

u/CodenameWalrus 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Well, four that I can think of off the top of my head would have to be:

u/jfish26101 路 3 pointsr/gardening

My wife bought square foot gardening and has been getting decent results playing around the last couple years. We鈥檝e had tomatoes, kale, spinach, cucumbers, squash, eggplant...bunch of herbs, micro greens, etc. built 2 3X9 beds from materials purchased at Home Depot and pretty much followed that guys advice.

Edit: She says we are like 7A/6B so should be similar. The only thing that failed was corn because we didn鈥檛 have enough space to plant enough to make it work.

u/xecosine 路 2 pointsr/gardening

If you want a book Seed to Seed is a good one to go with. There are even sections for specific plants.

u/SW_MarsColonist 路 4 pointsr/gardening

> Gaia's Garden

First search result is some woo-woo New-Agey crap site. I think this is what you meant? Looks like a very good book. May have to pick it up.

u/AbuZubair 路 1 pointr/gardening

I have a bunch of these:

Smart Pots Big Bag Bed Fabric Raised Bed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007BVKDZI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BsDPybRZ43WFQ

I also have many 25 gallon containers.

I might do raised beds next year, however for now I want to stick to large containers.

u/ta1901 路 1 pointr/gardening
  1. Does your raised bed have a wood bottom? It should not. Roots need to go down deeper.
  2. Please look into the book Square Foot Gardening. It really helps with layout, and other issues, for beginners.
  3. You MUST water your veggies every day temps reach 80F. If the leaves are wilted, they are under a lot of stress and are begging for water.

u/hodlorfeed69 路 1 pointr/gardening

I've used this light for Cannabis and it works great. Since it's LED, It only uses 128W but is comparable to a 300W non-LED.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B4GQ6MO/

u/Strel0k 路 1 pointr/gardening

Supplemental lighting. Something like this - don鈥檛 buy any light less than $70.

u/katerader 路 2 pointsr/gardening

These are the bugs I got. This company also sells praying mantis larvae so I think I鈥檒l try those a little later in the summer. It took about a week for them to get here and I鈥檇 say maybe 100-200 were dead but I noticed them mating immediately when I released them so here鈥檚 hoping they鈥檒l just continue to increase!

u/shillyshally 路 4 pointsr/gardening

Square Foot Gardening.

Whoa! One or the other. One of the biggest reasons people drop out of gardening as a hobby is that they start with too much - too big a plot, too ambitious a plan. Start small.

u/heartlessgamer 路 2 pointsr/gardening

These are the types I have used for my lawn (small pill that you dump into water you've mixed with the soil and left sit over night, then match the colors). They worked very well. However, I am a big fan of getting your local university extension office to test your soil. Most of them do it fairly cheaply (or for free).

u/RenegadeJane 路 1 pointr/gardening

It's a T5 high output light. This one specifically: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006856EQ/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've kept it at about 3" above the seedlings when they were young. Now that they are in bigger pots and more spread out it's higher to try and spread over everything.

Yes these are the only plants underneath it.

60F but with a heating mat underneath.

No fertilizer.

I've been sticking to under watering since I over watered once when they were in their original burpee seed trays and I think that's what left the soil too damp.

u/unzercharlie 路 1 pointr/gardening

Try ordering ladybugs, they're cheap. I dunno if it will work, bur for ten bucks, it's probably worth a shot.

u/pneradactyll 路 1 pointr/gardening

Square foot gardening is a game changer. Your local library will have a copy, and it's a quick read. A very small square foot garden plot (which you have space for) fed 2 of us all season.

u/spudseyes 路 8 pointsr/gardening

That's him. And I've been informed it's 10 years since I set this garden up using his book.

www.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536030570&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=all+new+square+foot+gardening+2nd+edition&dpPl=1&dpID=61WJIemI

u/zurkog 路 3 pointsr/gardening

One of two books I keep on my shelf at all times. The other is this.

u/gardenerd 路 1 pointr/gardening

Have a go at Gaia's garden, home scale permaculture design.

It's the textbook in this permaculture class.

u/hop_addict 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DI845/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZL3vDb8Z2TNZ2

u/dushadow 路 1 pointr/gardening

I have a few of these for my plants while they stay inside for the winter. My key limes and custard apple all have new leaves and started to bloom.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F53LP46/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/ranoutofbacon 路 1 pointr/gardening

ditch that strip and go with these

u/throughtheforest 路 3 pointsr/gardening

Or you could buy a simple soil test kit for like, $15 at you're local gardening store. Or even just look up nutrient deficiency symptoms. For instance- I can tell you with 100% certainty that this is NOT a nitrogen deficiency, because those deficiencies show only in older leaves, and the young leaves here are affected as well. However, it could be a magnesium deficiency.

Adding amendments just to see if they help is not only wasteful, but can be very detrimental to the environment. There are plenty of ways to make more informed choices. If it is, in fact, salt burn- then OP could actually make matters worse by fertilizing.

u/sdiemer 路 2 pointsr/gardening

There's a company called Innotek that make a compressed air can with a motion sensor. I have used them in the past and they work really well. Here's a link to one on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Ssscat-PDT00-13914-SSSCAT-Cat-Training/dp/B000RIA95G/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1372708632&sr=1-1&keywords=innotek+motion+air

There's also a product out called Boundary that you can try. It's a repellent spray and it sort of works but no where near as well as the motion sensored compressed air.

Another idea would be to cut poultry wire or a screen and put it around the plant that way they couldn't dig their hole. This method is untested as I just thought of it.

u/pgoetz 路 2 pointsr/gardening

Yep. And in order to comply with Rule#2, I use a pitchfork to fold mulch/compost into the clay. We had no earthworms (that I ever saw) when we started gardening. Fork up the soil the following year after mixing wood mulch into the clay and every forkload of soil has a juicy fat earthworm in it. Using a pitchfork is not only a much easier way of turning the soil (as opposed to using a shovel), but it also prevents the earthworms from being accidently lopped in half.

Edit: interesting anecdote gleaned from Teaming with Microbes: earthworms hate forests because of the high acidity soil microculture there.

u/jearbear 路 6 pointsr/gardening

Neem oil! Everytime those guys show up I use this stuff http://www.amazon.com/Dyna-Gro-Neem-Oil-8-Ounce/dp/B0012BGXVQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331311539&sr=8-2

They usually disappear in a week or two (mine did at least). A little neem oil in a spray bottle with very mild dishwashing soap (do not use antibacterial). Spray every couple days all over the leaves.

p.s. that stuff smells like rancid peanuts. Just an fyi.

u/vtslim 路 1 pointr/gardening

You may run into trouble if you're growing F1 hybrids, as their seeds won't come true to type. However, you WILL NOT have the species you listed cross-pollinate each other. They are separate and distinct species. If you were to grow several varieties of the same species you would risk cross-pollination. It is incredibly rare that different species will cross, and often do not form viable seeds anyway.

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties By Carol Deppe and Seed To Seed by Suzanne Ashworth should be your bibles if you want to start saving your own seed, and understanding what is happening.

u/Randomsteve95370 路 2 pointsr/gardening

I install drip professionally fairly often and this seems pretty chincy to me. It all depends on what you plan to do with it but I wouldn't plan on watering anything more than a few small plants with that. The other thing to note with cheap no name kits is the tubing and connector quality will most likely be total junk and a giant pain to work with.

You'd be better off going to your local big box store and getting one of those rainbird kits that come with a time for not much more.

Like so
https://www.amazon.com/Raindrip-R560DP-Automatic-Container-Hanging/dp/B00J2NRUBI/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?crid=TEILRURRI2SO&keywords=drip+irrigation+kit&qid=1555132578&s=gateway&sprefix=Drip+&sr=8-6