Piston's 2011 Raised Bed Gardening Adventure!!!

[Piston]

I'll start out with freely admitting that I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to gardening!   

I decided I wanted to try growing some veggies, so I bought a book on gardening, read up online as much as I could, and decided on raised bed gardens.  My wife and I bought some seed starting supplies and I made an over enthusiastic order with burpee.com and cooksgarden.com. 
They say (whoever they is) that when you are first starting out to pick a few different seeds/veggies and go from there, so you don't get overwhelmed, this is probably good advice, however I'm the type of person to jump head first into a knee deep puddle, so I ended up with about $200 dollars worth of seeds for my first 'real' garden.  Maybe a dumb mistake but I'm having a lot of fun so far for the money.  In fact, I really wasn't even sure if any of the seeds would actually GROW!  I was wrong about that! 

Here are a few pics of what it looks like so far, most of these were taken yesterday.  I planted the seeds (not all of them) in 4 different starter tray's (if that's what they're called) and each tray has 72 individual 'homes' for my seeds.  I planted them last Sunday so this is after one full week.  Some are sprouting and some aren't yet.  I went by the directions on the seed packets as far as planting, although I went a little overboard on the number of seeds per 'home'



Here is my herb tray, consisting of sage, parsley, oregano, basil, lavender, marigold (free packet with purchase!) and a few random seeds that fell on the table and I'm not sure what they are....
 











Here is my lettuce tray (I think) with a few sunflower seeds thrown in for good measure.  I didn't know lettuce and broccoli grew as fast as they did!  I couldn't believe that only 3 days after planting the seeds the broccoli was already starting to sprout. 












I was shocked at how fast the sunflower seeds are growing.  I think I should have waited a while longer to plant some of these, oh well.  I also started some pumpkin's early which may or may not have been a mistake, however I'll definitely need to transplant a lot of these to larger pots before I can plant them, which should be around May 1st.
 

 







I also planted a tray of different types of tomatoes and another with different types of peppers.  These ones aren't sprouting yet but are in the furnace room to try and keep the soil temps up for germination (boy I really sound like a regular 'ole gardener with that last statement eh?   


Any tips on which ones will need to be repotted to larger pots?  Or do I just put the big plants in big pots?  Sounds like a good rule of thumb to me 


Also not planted, was corn (different varieties), cucumbers, many pumpkins, water melons, zukini, and squash.  I am going to plant all those in the ground and not in raised beds.  Hopefully I don't plant them for the deer! 

[gator gar]

Looks like they are off to a really great start. Looking real good.

[thecfarm]

By this time next year you will know what to do and not to do. I would suggest a note book for starters. Write everything you done down and keep it for next year.This also includes the whole summer too and harvesting. I myself only transplant tomatoes,peppers,broccoli,celery and certain herbs.I know there are more,but I don't plant them.All the other plants you mentioned I put the seeds into the ground.I think the only herb that will come back that you are growing is the sage and the lavender.I have a few herbs.I planted them over a rock and put timbers around them. Keeps them from spreading too. Some herbs can be a real pest if not careful.They will spread and take over something you want. We grew basil one year and made quite a chunk of change on it.We had no idea what we was doing.Planted more the next year and the bugs found it and ate it up on us.Than we found out need to grow it under a row cover until so big to keep the bugs from it.I have not even priced seeds this year,but with $200 you might want to set up a veggie stand. Too get ALOT of peppers in your area,I grow mine with black plastic. Wet down the ground,don't make it real muddy,but wet,lay down the black plastic,than cut a small "X" where ever you want a plant and put it in.You will want to weight down the plastic to keep it from blowing up over your plants.I use rocks,because I have alot of them.I put one by each plant to keep the plastic down.I plant mine about 2 towels length apart.I pick peppers just about like tomatoes. This keeps the ground warm. Mine plants get so big I have to put tomatoes cages around them or they fall over. And yes,I get ALOT of peppers too. I do run the hose under the plastic every so often too.This year I cut up some 10 inch white PVC pipe about 4 inches high.I want to put a pepper plant in each one and put the miracle grow into each one.This way it won't run off and really feed the pepper plants.Good idea about keeping the soil warm You can buy special heaters,for transplants,like a heating pad,for bottom heat.Plant love that,but kinda pricey.Cucumbers can be grown on a trellis by the way.Looks like you will have some fun.

[DanG]

Looking good there Piston!  Now you need to get those plants into some sunlight or they will remain skinny and not do well.

[Piston]

I'll move them onto the south facing window sill today!  They do look pretty skinny huh! 

Thecfarm: I will start a little 'garden journal' as suggested!  That sounds like a good idea, especially with my 'forgetful' mind!  What was that you suggested again? 
I also thought about the black plastic and since you mentioned it I'll look into it more.  I'm thinking I may setup some soaker hoses under the plastic for easy watering. 
Also I looked at those heating pads for the seeds    They wanted 70 dollars a piece and it was only big enough for one tray, so I would need 4.  I decided to pass. 
I know I have some more questions for you guys but can't think of them right now    There is that memory thing kicking in again 

[thecfarm]

I have experimented,only one year,with black plastic with tomatoes.did not notice a difference.But peppers made a world of difference.I never had much luck with peppers until someone told me about it.

[SwampDonkey]

As for the peppers I just cut the bottoms out of the pots they came in and I had peppers hanging everywhere there was a plant.



Mid July, a week after flowering.