HELP! I want a veggie garden but have no idea where to start...

[MrsAlias]

I want a garden this year...

I know that we are in zone 6.. thats all I know!!

Right now, its still snowing, so I think I have a little bit of time before I need to start planting.

Where to buy seeds? I have the starter trays with the puck of dirt you water and it grows, and you start the seed in them.. and plant them outside when ready..

When to plant.. what to grow.. how to plan it.. HELP?!?!!!!!

I want to grow:
Potatoes
Carrots
Tomatoes
Lettues
Cuccumbers
Zuccini
Peas
Starwberrys
Green Beans
Corn (maybe)

I have a dog, but we can move the electric pet fence so he cant get to the garden.. I have bunnies and dear and squarls and kids...

HELP!

[wannabefree]

There are a lot of helpful websites. We are going to do the square foot garden....very simple....he has a website and books available. The guy's name is Mel Bartholomew.

Also, I understand that if you can get your dh to tinkle around the perimeter of your plants, the deer and probably other animals will stay away. Mine wasn't so excited about the idea but there are other ways to make that happen.....:)

[buddysmom]

This is my favorite gardening site. The GardenWeb Forums - GardenWeb
~Wannabefree, I cracked up at your DH method to keep the critters away. But what the heck! if it keeps the darn rabbits outta my stuff its worth a try!

[MrsAlias]

I am sure my hubby would tinkle if the yard if I asked him to... we only have one bathroom in our house, and 3 girls.. if it ment he could go when he had to go.. he would be all for that!!

I will check those 2 websites and see what I can find.. thanks ladies!

[junebug30523]

Another good place to start is with your local County Extension office. They will have all kinds of information about plants, etc. for your zone. Good luck and enjoy! Gardening is my "relaxation therapy"!!

[Merczilla]

Zone 6? You lucky dog. I'm Zone 2-3. Ugh.

Potatoes: direct seed as soon as the chance of frost has passed. For me, that's usually Memorial Day weekend, you are probably earlier than that.

Carrots: Direct seed (same as above) cool weather crop, best harvested after first frost....they're sweeter.

Tomatoes: I sometimes start from seed in the greenhouse, sometimes wait and buy starts. I have to keep mine in a greenhouse due to climate conditions. I have never grown them outside, so don't know how y'all handle it down there.


Lettuces: direct seed in ground. Grows fast. Will bolt in hotter climates. Cool weather crop. May need to protect from hot sun if you're in a really warm place.

Cuccumbers: I just grow the pickling type and also have to keep these in a greenhouse. Can be started early in a greenhouse with seed or you can buy starts later.

Zuccini: I don;t always grow these as my kids hate them. lol Can be direct seed or can be started early in a greenhouse. Grow fast and are easy starting.

Peas: direct seed. I get early types (50-65 days) due to my short growing season.

Strawberries: I've gotten starts from greenhouses or locals. Most seem to prefer direct sun. I haven't found the "perfect" spot for mine yet, so have been having difficulty getting a good bed going.

Green Beans: direct seed. I get the bush type so I don't have to deal with poles/staking them up which can be a hassle, especially if it's windy.

Corn (maybe): I don;t do corn here. Not a long enough season. Tried it one year just for grins. Had about 10 plants. got about that many tiny ears that were barely edible. lol

I also do broccoli, cauliflower (from starts or early seed in greenhouse), radishes (direct seed), green onions (bags of 80ct sets), brussel sprouts and whatever else may strike my fancy for the year. Our growing season last year was horrible (cold and rainy all summer) so no one had any good harvests. I had nothing to freeze/can for the winter. It sucked. lol

[MrsAlias]

Ok.. wait.. maybe I am not zone 6.. its super cold here!

I live in Buffalo New York ... my zip is 14226 .. I used a zip code zone finder...

[frugalstafar]

Put your hair clippings and hair cleaned from your brushes around the garden-the human smell helps keep animals away to a point. you can also grate ivory soap and sprinkle around for the deer.

[Merczilla]

Ok.. wait.. maybe I am not zone 6.. its super cold here!

I live in Buffalo New York ... my zip is 14226 .. I used a zip code zone finder...

Somewhere between 4 and 6. Not sure where Buffalo is in the state. Look here:
NEW YORK USDA Hardiness Zone Map

[Mistylilac]

I too heard that hair clippings help to keep away pesty critters.
Another one that I personally have found works, is basic Black Pepper. I stock up on the large cans and sprinkle it in a circle around my veggie plants and flowers. I found that it has even helped to mist the leaves of the plants with water and ten sprinke the peppr on the leaves. It sticks and stays put for some time. Just make sure in any application that you re-apply after a rain. This has even proven to work by keeping our goats from eating my flower plants. The black pepper tickles the noses of the critters and thus they have no desire to stand there and munch on the plants.