Welcome to the growing number of gardeners who find gardening in wooden boxes very rewarding. I'm not sure if the Search engine is working, but there are numerous previous posts on this subject. If not, then just ask away.

You probably will be getting many, many suggestions for the best way to treat your particular soil/gardening problems, and the nice folks in these forums can be very helpful. (just ask me how I know).

Anyway, my solution was to have 9 cedar boxes to grow veggies in - (I wish they were all the same size now) - but the best dimensions seem to be 3 ft across by 6 to 9 ft. long. This is so one can reach across to pull weeds, plant, etc., and also have room to maneuver wheelbarrows or mowers around.

They are without bottoms - but I nailed a piece of galvanized hardware cloth on the bottom to prevent burrowing voles, etc. One nice thing, they can be placed directly over existing grasses - so no need to dig below, any grass will be killed off from lack of sunlight.

Soil - whether you grow in boxes or directly in the ground, a good porous soil is necessary. I recommended the box method above, if your soil is clay, hardpan, cement, sand, etc. Plants like compost, manure, peat moss, vermiculite, etc. to keep them happy.

Many folks make their own soil - visit the Soil Forum for good ideas there. While not always easy to find material in the beginning, it can save a bundle if you make your own (leaves/grass/shredding). Otherwise, top soil can be had - check your landfills - they sometimes have free mulch, etc.

If you intend to work your own soil - then adding compost or composted manure would also be beneficial, also deep digging if possible - to break up the existing hard soil clay/cement/hardpan/etc. Many older gardeners prefer the alternative box gardening to avoid this. You mention keeping watering to a minimum - this would also be ideal for that as well. Tomatoes and peppers love heat to ripen - so their biggest need in summer is to keep them watered.

This is only a starter for ideas. But feel free to tune in again, whenever you have specific questions. The folks in these forums are only too happy to pass along their helpful ideas.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

bejay did a real nice summary for you. I would definately use raised beds with the combination of clay and a high water table. Get a general reference book to start (i like gearge smith's the vegetable gardener's bible. As a beginner buy transplants at a local nursery for peppers and tomatoes, instead of mustard or kale, try a mesclun mix. Makes a nicer salad. I had a local farmer deliver a load of well aged cow poop when I first got started, well worth it. Most of us play around with our types of seeds, go to the websites and the co. will send you catalogues for free with a wealth of information. I particularly like pinetree seeds for the info the catalogue provides. Other than that enjoy your self and happy eating.

Welcome to gardening!! Here are links to a couple of previous discussions and some of the many FAQ's here at GW that you'll enjoy reading. They are full of tips and "don't do this" ideas for beginners.

My own bit of personal advice would be to start small - don't jump in the deep end until you learn to swim a bit first. ;) Consider some large containers as bejay suggested. Meanwhile you can use this year to prepare your permanent garden bed, amend the soil there, give it the time and work needed for it to become a garden first and it will reward you in the end, and plan for next year's plantings. That approach will guarantee you some early success and hopefully eliminate most of the "first year discouragement" new gardeners often experience.

Good luck with your garden.

Dave

My Stupidest Gardening Mistake - Or We Were Once All Newbies FAQ

Common Mistakes to Avoid for New Gardeners FAQ

Tips for New Gardeners

New to Gardening Forum

gardenia

Clay soil gets a deservedly bad rap for the difficulty one has trying to mix it with compost, etc., but most clay soils are very rich in nutrients. The easiest way to garden if you have clay soil is not to till but to set up raised beds. With open bottoms so deeper-rooted plants can dig down into the clay and get the goodies. Then fill with about 6 inches of good planting soil, and go with it.

Since it's spring, you'll probably have to skim off the weeds where you put the frames to prevent the most stubborn ones from emerging. Fill the frame with good growing soil and compost, and you'll be off to a great start.

Just to keep in mind there's no-till gardening without even clearing off the weeds if you get started soon enough. In the Fall, you can put down the frames over weeds, arrange corrugated cardboard on the bottom atop the weeds and then fill with planting soil. Keep it moist or let nature do it for you if you have enough rain/snow. By Spring, the cardboard has deteriorated and been chomped up by hundreds of earthworms who magically find it and love it.

This usually works for clay soils quite well as long as it's rich in nutrients. I think all clay is, since natural nutrients from years past tend to move through it very slowly because of clay's density. But maybe your County Extension office will be able to tell you for sure about the clay in your area.

The link below has some information about clay soil and suggestions about how to treat it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clay Busters

search the compost and organic gardening forums for "lasagna gardening." You'll be happy you did...

jardinia

Sorry, I misspelled your handle! (Smudged glasses.)

Accept that not everything will grow well or survive. It happens to most everyone, hopefully less as the years go by. Don't obsess over the failures. Applaud the successes. And quite reading if you get overwhelmed. Not all you read agrees and there are many "correct" ways to grow veggies.

Most of all, have fun and eat your tasty results!

Based on my experience, I'm going to tell you to amend the Clay with Compost and plant.

Raised beds and neat and look nice, but I fear you'll have to water much more then planting at ground level. Plus, as someone already stated, Clay has lots of nutrients. Its just a matter of getting enough compost mixed in it to help with water retention and root penetration.

Here's a picture of my garden from last year. And I can tell you that a friend of mine that did raised beds had to water twice as much or more and he's plants didn't grow nearly as large or produce as much.

{{gwi:8300}}

In my opinion you've been given great advice on how to get started. Definitely take a look at the lasagna method. If your soil isn't sopping wet, frozen solid or covered in snow, you can get started as soon as you are able.

I also totally agree with the reminder to enjoy your successes but don't take your failures too hard. Learn from them but don't let them break you.

You can get your seeds locally. Most places here already have their seed displays out. Walmart, Lowes, Target, local nurseries even Walgreens and dollar stores sometimes carry seeds. But please know that what you see at your local store is usually only a fraction of what is really available.

Two of my favorite internet seed sources are Swallowtailgardenseeds.com and heirloomseeds.com. Both have a pretty good selection, a fair amount of seed in a pack for a fair price. These two companies are just the tip of the iceburg though.

For seed growing advice, may I suggest checking out the winter sowing and seed growing forums. Both forums will give you great ideas for getting started with your seeds. Personally I am addicted to winter sowing. Plus with winter sowing there is a lot less stuff to buy in order to get startd. Milk jugs, a pair of sissors, good potting soil, some seeds, duct tape, permanent marker, a sunny spot outside and you are good to go!

Good luck and enjoy...

Michelle

About that wild grass... I've got some, and I can tell you that it certainly is good for its nuisance value! Two important things that I learned in dealing with it:

1. At least pull or chop off the top about soil level even if you are building raised beds. This at least makes them work harder to cause you trouble. I put 8" of soil inside the bed frames and STILL the grass came up in it. But part of that was because I didn't...

2. Heavily mulch OUTSIDE the beds (the paths) with something, wood chips, sawdust, preferably the more dense, the better. Grass allowed to grow OUTSIDE the beds soon is growing INSIDE the beds. And once the veggies are growing, the grass is hard to control.

And like the others above have mentioned, be prepared for failures. Gardening, like life, is a learning experience. But the healthier your plants are, the less stress they have to tolerate, all make for fewer problems with bugs and diseases.

One thing I would strongly suggest you do is get a soil test. Call your local Cooperative Extension Service and ask if they do them, or who does. Ask them to tell you the right way to collect the soil. The soil test will come to you in writing, and it will tell what is good, and what needs improvement, and they make suggestions as to how much of something you need to add.

I would also suggest you try to go organic right from the beginning. It takes more understanding than just pouring on chemicals, but it will improve the soil. Nothing in our world is separate from the rest, it's all interconnected.

Sure, there's a lot to learn, but isn't there always?

Welcome to the Dirty Hands and Knees Club!

Sue