About to start my first ever vegetable garden on a very small (75 sq ft) area. Soil in this area was full of bits of trash and who knows what else, so to play it safe I had 12" of soil dug up and hauled away, and 12" of new topsoil delivered. Sent sample of new soil to Penn State for testing; results are below. I am hoping to plant lettuce, peas, and other early crops in a couple of weeks. In the next few days, I plan to add the following to the soil: - approx. 1 lb elemental sulfur (guidelines on test results say to use 1.25 lb/100 sq ft to bring 7.5 pH soil to 6.5) - approx. 0.375 urea (test results suggest 0.5 lb per 100 sq ft, although I'm not really sure why, since the test doesn't include nitrogen) - couple inches of compost (I'll use what I can from my own bins, but I doubt there's much finished compost there, so most of it will come from the city compost site) - inch or so of peat moss - 0.75 lb. of kelp meal (from Gardens Alive -- I happen to have a bag of it) Does this plan seem reasonable? Also, what's with the hugely high calcium level? I assume this is related to the high pH? Is there anything I should do about this? Thanks in advance for the feedback. Image link:

It's not too late to start a couple of things like radishes and perhaps spinach. Get some agricultural fleece and some #9 wire to make hoop houses to cover your vegs when the temps start dropping. And start some lettuce! They do great under the fleece. Get the book by Eliot Coleman FOUR SEASON HARVEST, it'll open up so much to you. He goes into the ag fleece. Neat pictures and inspiring writing. It changed my garden life. I have coldframes, too. The greenhouse is next. I'm growing broc, kales, collards, spinach, lettuces, and struggle with radishes. I started the brassicas about 3 weeks ago and have them under a heavy duty seedstarter that I custom built, the Mega-Watt 9000. They leap out of the soil mix in the flats! I have solarized my plots somewhat and hope it will cut down on my weeds. I'm learning to SHELTER, PROVIDE, START what and when my plants need. Timing is important. Find out your frost dates and work back from them. I've ruined many a plant. But when you reach down and pick huge, succulent, drop-dead-green spinach leaves at the end of November and eat 'em, you'll be a devotee. Read, read, read. Get Johnny's Selected seed catalog and Territorial Seeds winter catalog, I've learned more from these than most books!!!!!!

Becky, It is hard to say what is "too late" for tomato plants as their blooming period/pollination must occur during specific temperatures and I am not certain when you have that range of temperatures in your part of the state. And, of course, some plants do set fruit at slightly warmer temperatures and some set fruit all summer long in spite of the temperatures. So, I'll try to explain it all a little below. "BEST" PLANTING FOR TOMATOES AS RECOMMENDED BY OSU'S SPRING GARDEN PLANTING GUIDE: April 10th thru April 30th "Best" Planting Dates For Average Large-Fruited (Slicer and Beefsteak Types) Tomatoes: April 10th - April 30th* "Best" Planting Dates for Paste Tomatoes (Roma types grown for sauces, salsas, and fresh eating: April 10 - June 1st* "Best" Planting Dates for Cherry/Grape/Currant tomatoes (all the smaller bite-sized ones): April 10th - June 15th* "Best" Planting Dates for Plants Bred to Flower/Set Fruit in the Worst Heat of the Summer: April 10th - July 1st* * The catch is that the later they are planted, the later they produce ripe fruit. Keep in mind that even the earliest tomatoes will still take about 8 weeks to produce ripe tomatoes after the plants are transplanted into the ground. The larger, later tomatoes can take 3 months. A few take even longer. So, if you did make that April 10th planting date (and I know you don't expect to), you could expect your first ripe tomatoes around June 10th, although my experience says that it is more realistic to expect them sometime in the last two weeks of June. If you get your plants in the ground by April 30th, you can expect ripe tomatoes no earlier than June 30th and, more realistically, sometime during the first two weeks of July. But, of course, there are some varieties that produce above average yields and earlier than expected and some produce below average yields and later than expected. TOMATO BLOOM AND POLLINATION: Tomatoes begin blooming once the plants are a certain size (and they really don't have to be very large) AND the temperatures fall within a certain favorable range. Basically, they need nighttime temperatures that are no warmer than 75 degrees and daytime temperatures that are no warmer than 92 degrees in order for maximum fruit set to occur. Notice that I said "maximum fruit set". As a market grower, of course you want to get maximum fruit set because you need the greatest "output" (tomatoes to sell) to cover your "input" (costs). However, it is likely you won't get maximum yield in your very first year because there is a learning curve. What happens once "hot" weather arrives that causes pollination to shut down? Well, basically the pollen gets "sticky" and that "stickiness" can keep the pollen from moving from the male part (the anther cone)of the tomato flower to the female part (the pistil) and more specificallly the stigma, which is the pollen-receptive tip of the pistil. (Tomatoes are self-fertile and self-pollinate.) And, even if pollination occurs, fertilization may not happen because heat causes some tomato pollen to become sterile. And, even if fertilization does occur, not every fertilized flower will set fruit. Some fertilized flowers merely fall off the plant once the plant feels like the weather is "too hot". This loss of flowers is called blossom drop and it cannot be prevented. SMALLER-FRUITED TOMATOES: Both the paste-type tomatoes and the bite-sized ones are not generally affected by temperatures, so pollination and fertilization will occur during hot weather. Most paste-type tomatoes, though, are determinates to they produce all their ripe tomatoes at the same time. Most bite-sized tomatoes produce continually throughout the summer. In general, date-to-maturity numbers can help you choose your tomato varieties. Most varieties that will give you the best production in the heat will have DTMs of 70 to 80 days. Some of them will even have DTMs of 55 to 70 days, but these tend to be those with smaller fruit. Some tomato plants ignore the rules and produce fruit even during the hottest weather, but those tend to be the exception rather than the rule. Finally, breeders are now breeding tomatoes that can pollinate and fertilize in daytime heat of up to 96 degrees. Unfortunately, these are not being bred for flavor, really, and some people don't like the flavor of these heat-setting tomatoes. You can recognize these by the use of certain key words in their variety names, mostly "Sun" "Solar" or "Heat". Some of these varieties are Heat Wave II, Sun Leaper, Sun Master, Solar Fire, etc. I hope all this info helps you understand how the date that you plant affects the tomato plants and their ability to produce tomatoes. The one key fact to remember is that tomato plants generally pollinate and fertilize when nighttime temperatures are in the 55 to 75 degree range. In future years, once all your beds are built and you have the whole routine figured out, you will be able to plant at the earliest time when your soil temps (55 to 60 degree minimum) and air temps are ideal to give you early production. Keep in mind that the earlier you have ripe fruit to sell, the more you can charge for them, especially if you are among the first grower at the market to have ripe tomatoes. Later in the season, as more tomatoes ripen and all the growers have plenty of them, you will have to charge less per pound to be competitive. That is a great lesson for the kids in the law of supply and demand. Now, about the tomato cages. Cages are used by home gardeners but usually are not used by market growers or commercial tomato farms. The cages are very labor intensive and expensive, taking a certain amount of time to make and then to set up in the rows and stake. They also slow you down when it is time to harvest. Many market gardeners use trellises and large commercial tomato farms use methods that are conducive to the use of commercial harvesting machines. How many plants are you intending to plant? Let me know and I'll describe the best support options for that size of an operation. Have a lovely day in the garden. Dawn

Image by: pixie_lou Wonderful basket of cherry tomatoes This is a thread that was posted in the New England Gardening Forum in September, 2013. A few minor edits have been made to correct typos, but otherwise the content is as posted. Claire ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by ontheteam 5a-6 (S.Eastern, MA) (My Page) on Sun, Sep 15, 13 at 21:51 Hi gang! A friend of mine wants to start growing her own veggies. She asked me what she would need to get started...and I drew a blank LOL It's been a long time since I was a newbie. SO I told her 1) A strong back 2) hand trowels 3) a pitch fork 4) a square headed shovel what would you say? I also told her to make her plot area now by laying manure down covered with several layers of news papers. 
What do you think is the best way to start a veggie plot from scratch? 
She may stop by because no new gardener advice would be complete with out a link to this forum lol..I know you all will be super kind and helpful to her! Follow-Up Postings: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by defrost49 5 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 7:59 I like to start beds using the lasagna method so wet newspapers go down first than top with alternating layers of green (fresh grass clippings, kitchen waste) and brown (chopped leaves). I top with composted manure in the spring. Bed should be about 24" high. It will settle, compost, etc over winter. Using the lasagna method, you don't need a tiller. I use a spading fork but also have a hay fork for grass clippings,etc. 
- hoe for making rows 
- a really good hand weeder. I originally had a Cape Cod weeder and use something similar. I think a Cobra headed weeder is also similar. I never find a good hand weeder in any store. I think she'll have to order this unless there's no witch grass within 10 miles. This is esp good to use if you have wild sorrel that sends out runners. Drag the L-shaped weeder thru the soil to get as much of the roots as possible. I usually find several little plants attached to each other. 
- garden gloves. I like the inexpensive cloth ones with fingers and palm dipped in rubber. Better to grip weeds with and keeps my hands from getting worse callouses. 
- 5 gallon buckets. Great if you can find them free from a dry wall cdntractor. 
- liquid fish or seaweed fertilizer. Great when you transplant to give plants a little boost. 
- a really good seed catalog. I love my local farm store but there is a far better selection from catalogs. I think Confection winter squash from Johnny's is the best. I also like poona keara cucumbers. But it's also good to find a really good source of tomato and pepper plants. My source sells individual plants @ 60 cents. My favorite marigold is lemon gem (lacy foliage, tiny flower, wonder lemon fragrance) is very hard to find since the local backyard grower stopped growing. I grew my own from seed this year. 
- good gardening guide. I still refer to Crockett's Victory garden which is a nice month-by-month guide for New England gardeners. Used copies are readily available. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by diggingthedirt CapeCod Zone7ish (My Page) on Sat, Sep 21, 13 at 13:05 Nice summary, defrost! The only things I can add is that she'll probably need: 1. a location with easy access to water and plenty of sunshine 2. fencing, unless she lives somewhere with very few bunnies, fewer deer, and NO woodchucks (my veggie bed is raised about a foot, and has rigid wire fencing about 18 inches above that) 3. a slew of non-gardening friends to take her extra zucchini next summer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by spedigrees z4VT (spedigre@sover.net) on Sun, Sep 22, 13 at 12:53 I would say: a shovel with a pointed end for turning over the ground a hoe a rake (or you could substitute a rototiller for the first two tools to save on manual labor) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by nhbabs z4b-5a NH (My Page) on Sun, Sep 22, 13 at 15:19 A stirrup AKA shuffle hoe that cuts weeds coming and going. Enough hose to reach from the hose faucet to the garden, and a good hose nozzle and sprinkler. I use a spading fork for digging in compost, digging potatoes, etc and a square-ended flat bladed spade for digging holes, edging, etc. Some type of plant supports for tomatoes, cukes, melon or squash or whatever she is growing) Lots of organic matter annually to use to mulch beds and improve soil 5 gallon buckets for hauling weeds, water, compost a garden cart for hauling weeds, compost, etc. large plastic baskets or those big rectangular containers to use to wash potatoes, garlic, onions a basket for bringing in produce from the garden lots of old yogurt cups or something similar to use for cutworm collars on the young plants I like light weight goatskin gloves - wash well, last forever, don't get stiff like many leathers I agree whole-heartedly with the suggestion of good seed catalogues (Johnny's and Wood Prairie Farm are my most frequent non-local vendors), a site with good sun, and Jim Crocket's Victory Garden book (though please ignore the advice on pesticides in it!!) There are also some good books from Rodale Press on organic pest control and gardens. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Tue, Sep 24, 13 at 12:52 7+ pair of Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves, so I have a clean pair every morning. They get thrown in the washer. Fit is very comfortable and can do any gardening chore with them on. Nice to have a pair for someone helping you too. :-) Stainless Steel Hand Trowels and hand tools because if you leave them out in the rain, they won’t rust and they last a long time A pitchfork Quality hand pruners and good pair of kitchen shears and something to sharpen them with 5 gallon buckets are used every day for one thing or another Liquid Fish Emulsion/Seaweed Fertilizer combination with a large watering can to mix it FEDCO seed catalog in addition to Johnny’s Eliot Coleman’s book, ‘The New Organic Grower’ Kneeling Pads and/or a rolling seat Large milk crates, for many uses, especially good for shading a newly planted transplant on a sunny day Comfortable Work Clothes with lots of pockets and a pair of LLBean Rubber Mocs A headlamp from LLBean if you want to go out to the garden at night ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by diggerdee z6 CT (My Page) on Wed, Sep 25, 13 at 18:22 Being an organic gardener, I've found my laminated Mac's Field Guide to Good & Bad Garden Bugs of the Northeast to be very helpful. It's only one page, bad bugs on one side, good on the other, with small color photos, size info, and what the bug eats, and being laminated it's so easy to bring it out to the garden with me. It's not as comprehensive as I'd like - I have admittedly seen some bugs that were on neither side and therefore needed more research inside at the computer - but this thing is pretty handy! Dee 
P.S. Hmm, strangely, I just realized I ONLY use this in my veggie garden. I've never consulted it in the perennial beds, but I'm a lot more lenient and less worried about bugs there than in the vegetable garden. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by pixie_lou 5 (My Page) on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 8:10 Dee makes a good point about being lenient in the perennial beds. Leniency does not make a successful veggie bed. I've been thinking about how I have a different attitude with my veggie garden. I'm more vigilant, diligent. If I have a perennial flower that doesn't bloom one year, I'm "Oh well. There's always next year." If I have a tomato plant that doesn't produce fruit, I'm pi****. I'm cursing. I take it really personally. Whereas the flowers are there for my enjoyment, I eat my veggies. Which is a more personal level of enjoyment. A more intimate level of interaction. With perennials, I feel like I can stick them in the ground and ignore them. It's survival of the fittest. Eventually you get rewarded with flowers. Not so with veggies - you need to spend the time. Weed. Eliminate bugs. Stake plants. Fertilize. Water. Harvest. Or else you are setting yourself up for huge disappointment. There is no "next year". Since veggies are annuals. But in the end, nothing tastes better! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by diggerdee z6 CT (My Page) on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 11:55 Agreed, pixie lou! If you have a perennial that doesn't do so well, you know there's always next year. Even annual flowers - if they don't thrive and bloom, well, your plan for your pretty bed is affected. But if your tomatoes don't grow, thrive, and produce fruit, you've got no tomatoes to eat and pretty much have wasted your time and money. I guess you may have wasted time and money on the annuals and perennials as well, but I think with veggies you expect a more immediate and concrete result - i.e. dinner, lol. And then after all your work you have to go to the farmers market and spend even more money... Dee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: What does a new veggie gardener need? Posted by spedigrees z4VT (spedigre@sover.net) on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 12:22 After growing tomatoes every summer over the past 40 years, I gave them up entirely after the late blight claimed my little crop a few years back. If it were a blight that struck early on, I'd try tomatoes again, but no way am I ever subjecting myself to the disappointment of caring for the plants throughout the season and watching the fruits start to ripen, only to have them rot just before harvesting. Never again!