Morning everyone, apologise now if my post is a bit long. I could really use some help getting started. I am fairly new to gardening. In the past our family has attempted several gardens which have struggled to stay alive. I do not have much of a green thumb but am trying to learn. We live on 22 acres and are determined to be as self sufficient as possible. Anyway, I guess first thing is first we are in South Louisiana (zone 9). It gets very hot in the summer and pests have been a major problem.

I have done well with my outdoor herbs but other attempts have struggled. Last year I attempted planting tomatos using upside down method. They failed horribly. Grape tomatoes have done well for me as well as jalapenos. That is about it everything else container or grown did not stand a chance.

So, this year I have decided to try the square foot method using an old twin mattress frame as the start of my box. I figure it would be a good way to reuse this mattress, it is made of wood and the fabric and cardboard bottom would be a good barrier for pests and weeds. My math is horrid so please bear with me. The dimensions are 38" x 75" which I think comes out to 20 square feet of space. Correct me if I am wrong.

I got a late start on my composting but do have a mix of leaves, grass clippings and kitchen scraps. I am not sure what kind of mix I should use for my box or how much or what additional items I needs to purchase to layer (peet, dirt, etc). I NEED to keep the cost as minimal as possible.

Also, I am looking for ideas or something online that can assist me with laying out veggies. I am interested in companion planting to try and use buddy plants that will help each other fight off pests. We have a really bad problem with stink bugs devouring everything in site as well as aphids. I am doing a lot of reading and getting a bit overwhelmed so if I can find a photo or guide of some sort that can help me figure out what to plant where and how much of each in the space I have.

Also, we are thinking about including one of those water bladder systems. With that it needs to we filled just once a week and it slowly drips keeping the soil moist. The summer heat gets so intense some years that the soil dries out really quickly.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give.