Thanks Annie! We have an active extension service out here through Rutgers University so maybe that's a place for me to start. I think they even do soil testing. The only thing I know about our soil is that we have lots of rock - we're basically at the top of a mountain.

I don't have cows for fertilizer, but do you think the small dairy farm around the corner would let me have some of their extra LOL!!

We don't have a tiller but have a small tractor hefty enough to drag a tiller attachment. I'm CERTAIN DH would be happy to have a new toy ;)

Having grown up in New Jersey in a long line of gardeners...I say "shame"...
You say "western Jersey"...Never heard that term...We got North Jersey and South Jersey...but that little skinny state isn't wide enough to have an east or west! LOL!
Rocky? On top of a mountain? That leads me to North Jersey, perhaps even up around Sparta.
No matter....all the soil is loose and sandy, so you will need to add all the organic matter you can find...
I agree with what Annie said about what to plant....and to start small, and I might add mulch like crazy between the rows....you will be adding organic matter when you till again and keeping the weeds down too.
Unlike a lot of soils, New Jersey is good for carrots, but tomatoes is what it's all about!....and some greens, romaine lettuce and spinach is a good place to start.
I wouldn't go to the trouble of asking Rutgers....just ask a neighbor....and not only will you find out things about gardening, but you will also make a friend.
Enjoy, those Jersey tomatoes are something to savor
Linda C

Hi Sue,

When I started a garden here in SA, not knowing anything about the weather, etc (and not a whole lot about gardening either..lol), I bought a Farmer's Almanac planting guide and it gives you zone by zone timing to plant and what not to plant together and what works good to plant together and this is a small paperback version I found at WM. My SIL fences her gardens to keep the deer out with a pretty light weight fencing that is pretty tall.

I know the dairies in Dalhart export most of their waste commercially as I have done alot of manure and waste water agreements there. If you can find "tomato tune" alot of people like that fertilizer.

I lurk alot in the Texas gardening forum here. You will find several listed by state and some by region and there is alot of great information there and then there is a specific tomato and pest forum here also.

Good luck and enjoy gardening, it is a great stress release for me. Sadly, my garden is wilting in this 103 deg heat. Yesterday at a Girl Scout camp Aleksi was attending they checked and it was 107 and that didn't include the heat index. I am withdrawing her from the one in July...if its 107 now, what the heck is it going to be in July/August? Back to my guitar cake...

Brenda

Why wait until next year. You can grow basil in pots right now. Any type of herb really. I grow dill and basil, both easy to use in the summer. I plant cilantro in succession since it bolts so easily. You can still also get tomatoes and grow them in pots. I do pots of tomatoes with marigolds for color and fun. That will be enough to have fun this summer and get you hooked. You can also grow lettuce in a half barrel this summer. Also jalapenos.

And definitely go check out the forums on soil/composting, vegetables, square foot gardening, container gardening, organic gardening, etc.!!

Now is a good time to go lurk and read since many people are posting about their gardens in full swing! It'll give you things to consider all winter! LOL

And....if you need to amend your soil, start now! Depending on what you do, it needs some time to break down.

Start saving all your kitchen scraps for compost (no meat/fats). Homemade compost is the best!!

Gather leaves this fall for mulch and/or compost.

And I agree...........you can still plant some things now. I didn't check your zone, but even some quick fall crops in pots would be fun! Cool weather things like lettuce, radishes can be grown in 30-50 days. If you get a cold snap, pull them inside temporarily!

Most of all........enjoy it!
Deanna

I agree with lpinkmountain that you could start this year. The advice to start small is the best you can get. I am very much a novice gardener. I have often tilled up a large area and then petered out. two years ago a neighbor offered us 4 tomato plants when we were redoing the flowers in front of my house. I get enough tomatoes off that patch to take us mostly through the year and so now I am hooked.

As a fellow foodie novice I suggest starting with plants. I am lucky enough that I can buy high quality locally grown plants at my farmer's market, my food co-op and gardener's supply. You will have way more success with seedlings and the success will make you come back.

nowadays there are also services that will help you plan and plant your garden.

-Robin

Ok, so here's my question: In suburban America, how can you determine if your soil is safe to grow food in?

I had a bunch of top soil brought in a couple years ago, and when I asked my landscaper (after the fact) about a vegetable garden he said, "Well this soil is from excavation all over, it's good garden soil but I wouldn't necessarily trust it for growing vegetables for the family."

At least he was honest. So, moving into a new house, what's to say what the prior owner brought in? Or the developer, in a newer area? Or what the prior owner, or neighbors, have been spraying or dumping on the lawn? Is there a place you can send soil samples and get a comprehensive safety test?

Foodonastump, depends on what you want to grow. I am going to guess the thng he was concerned with is lead. Lead is not a problem with most crops, it is when you want to eat the greens that lead in the soil is a problem. If you are worried about lead you can plant crop of sunflowers as they remove lead from soil. Obviously do not then compost the plants.

You can send soil samples to be tested by your local extension service. I don't know what your landscaper was referring to.

-Robin

Lots of good advice has been given. Starting small is good advice so long as it is understood to mean small in the amount of vegetables planted as well as size of the garden plot. Don't try to cram a lot into a too small space. Make it fun, not burdensome.

Choose a few things to grow which will be special homegrown treats. There are a surprising number of things which can be direct seeded as late as the 4th of July; beans and summer squash (including zucchini) for example. Tomato transplants can still be planted.

For fall harvesting, wait until August and plant greens such as lettuce, escarole and bok choy, as well as radishes and turnips.

Jim

It takes longer to get much of a crop, but I would suggest also planting some fruit trees and berry bushes. The fruit that ripens on the vine or tree tastes so much better. Usually they are planted bare root so you might ask at your garden center when that is in your area.

Tomatoes are very satisfying for the same reason - nothing beats a tomato picked ripe from the vine. I'm so impatient for our bigger ones to be ready. We are starting to get a trickle of the little pear tomatoes. I've had the best luck with the smaller tomato varieties so perhaps they are easier - cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, ping pongs (which are about the size of a ping pong ball). This year we may have finally done well with larger ones.

Hi goldgirl - I'm also from NJ (Essex County). If you are out west we probably have similar soil. Red clay - lots of rocks. Figure out the best place to put your garden - as others have said better to start small.
When I started I squared off a small section of my yard. Tilled (actually used a pitch fork) the soil - picked out the larger rocks - and folded in some composted manure and peat moss. I put down landscapers fabric to control the weeds and started of with a few - tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, basil and cucumbers (I don't like zucchini - but it grows really well - pick when small because they can get really big & tough). This year in addition to the plants above I planted garlic, red basil & Italian parsley.
You will probably have to fence in your garden to keep out the deer and rabbits (I used metal stakes and chicken wire).
Cucumbers need something to climb on and tomatoes need to be staked or caged.
This year has not been too good for my plants - it's been cloudy almost everyday. My plants are still small.

In terms of picking a spot, basically, the sunniest one you can find, hopefully also mostly flat. Then pull the grass/weeds (the day after it rains works well, because you can get them out by the roots, and a hula hoe may help). Then add well-aged compost (I usually find it on craigslist-- look for stuff like aged a year, not smelly, cooked, finished, or well composted) Most likely you'll need to till (loosen up the ground), because the ground will be packed down which makes it hard for roots to grow. Then dig a hole and stick a plant in it :-)

http://www.rodale.com/garden-tools-and-equipment
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/grd/1249937851.html
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/grd/1221420043.html
http://cnj.craigslist.org/rts/1231919587.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoe

Google Lasagna Gardening..then you don't have to so much worry about the current soil..just find a spot with lots of sun and start layering.

I advise a variety of plants. Seems like every year what did well last year fails and some new thing grows like a weed. Tomatoes in particular seems to be unpredictable for me... sun sweet yellow one year, early girls the next, romas another. I don't even know what survived this year other then I have a dozen tomato plants doing well. I planted beefsteak, romas, early girl, and a variety mix called heirloom. Whatever I get will be far better tasting then store bought.

I plant 99% from seed. About the first week of March give or take some I start planting indoors. Pepper plants need the most time and tomatoes use up some weeks. Most seeds are good for more then one year so keep extras in a cool dry place for next year. Seems most people I know buy plants from a greenhouse so perhaps I doing it wrong... but then I don't spend a small fortune just to plant my garden.

Peas go directly in the ground as soon as the snow is gone and the frost is out of the ground. It does not matter if they get some snow on them... won't hurt a thing. Plant a row every other week. I let the weeds grow up around them and they climb the weed stalks for support. Seems to deter the deer as they can't go down the row munching everything level with the ground. Onions don't seem to mind the cold either and I have 3 nice rows that were planted in early May.

I have a hole in my garden where I dump all my organic scraps. Anything that goes bad in the fridge along with clumps of cat hair, coffee grounds (paper filter included), egg shells, vegtable ends, peels, hairbrush debris, grease from the frying pan... anything organic. I keep a bucket in the house and dump it every couple days. Have to cover the dump with a shovel full of dirt or the wild animals will come in to feed... they love egg shells. Nature wastes nothing! A side benefit is that I get volunteer plants. Last year I plucked out three onion sprouts to replant and this year I have a huge potato plant that sprung up from a hole I filled and moved on from. Free plants is free plants and they obviously like the soil they are in. Another benefit is almost nothing in my garbage bag can rot so my garbage stays stink free.

If you can get someone to plow up your garden spot even once it helps. Once the sod is broken working the ground is much easyier. Lots of local people spray the top with a herbicide called roundup that kills all the grass and weeds. It breaks down in a few days and your vegtables won't be affected. I don't use it because I'm organic as possible about everything. It does really help with keeping weeding to a minimal level. For my garden I have a cultivator attachment for my heavy duty garden tractor. Most garden attachments require a 3pt hitch on the tractor. Tillers are an expensive attachment... the one made for my tractor is over $2k!... and I have to install a pto kit that cost $800 to make it work. Chump change to people like me that make $14/hr. ; ) The cultivator was not bad... the dealer screwed up when I bought a tractor and after several weeks he finally dropped it off at my home free of charge (book value is about $350). A single bottom plow is about $400 as was my 5' back blade.

After the inital ground preperation I do most of my work with a hoe, rake, and shovel. After cultivating the ground I give is a good rake job to gather up all the grass and weeds that were uprooted. No point in pulling a weed unless you remove it from the garden... grass in particular can simply reroot stronger then ever. I rake them into a pile which seems to kill them pretty good. A good workout and I see why some people use herbicide for that chore. For tomato plants I dig a hole a foot deep and refill it with a mixture of compost and regular soil. This leaves a depression around the plant which makes watering easy.

Squash has been a huge winner and almost work free for me. Last year a butternut squash plant just appeared in my garden... almost took it out with my hoe. It was huge and I had more squash then I could eat. One squash laid on the ground all winter long and this spring I ran it over with the tractor and let the cultivator bury the pieces. That created a whole row of squash plants for me. Summer squash I plant on filled in garbage holes which makes them grow to a huge size... they must like coffee grounds and cat hair.

Probably obvious that I am not a master gardener. I just plant stuff and go with what comes up and does well. Finally got some asparagus to take root. As another poster mentioned some things like fruit trees only need one successful planting for years of produce. Rhubarb and raspberries are fairly easy to plant and produce year after year. I have enough land that I take advantage of natural "gardens"... black raspberries, wild stawberries, mushrooms that just spring up. I pile brush to create a home for wild rabbits then hunt them when in season. No garden grown or store bought stawberry will ever have the concentrated tangy sweetness of those tiny little wild ones.... and they is free for the pickin.

Gardening for me is not just vegtables but an exercise machine, a place to get a suntan, an eco-friendly garbage disposal, and a puzzle to figure out.

Hope you have as much fun as I do! A fair warning that the flavor of fresh tomatoes and other vegtables is highly addictive and life will never be the same without them. A happy discovery from these gw forums is that pepper plants live forever. I potted my cayenne pepper plants last year and was looking at the bright red peppers just this morning. My stupid cats will eat the pepper plants and bite the fruit so I keep them in an old rabbit cage in front of double glass doors for protection. Pretty much a constant supply of fresh hot peppers... soon as I pluck the fruit new flowers appear.... must self pollinate as most turn into peppers. One of my non-organic exceptions is that I stick a miracle grow spike into my house plants every three months.

: )
lyra

Lyra, to your list of things that a garden is, add peace and quiet. Somehow when I'm out in the garden with a hoe, no one wants to join me! (grin)

Annie

Thank you for all this info to absorb! I'm in the midst of my final school project so will respond in more detail after next week. In the meantime, I'm printing everything off!

If you belong to the Cooking Forum, and want to have a garden, you MUST include lots of herbs!!

There are only about 20000 to choose from, but you can eliminate many of those if you haven't heard of them! Also by visiting a plant nursery and browsing through what they have there. Use the crush and smell technique to decide on the ones you like and are likely to use.

I suggest you browse through the posts at the Herb Forum to find out how to grow them and how to use them.

Go for the popular 'stapes' to begin with, then branch out. Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, chives, basil, garlic, something lemon-y like lemon balm or lemon verbena, bay. An English lavender not only looks good and smells fabulous, you can also eat the flowers (delish!). A Winter Tarragon (Mexican Marigold Mint) has lovely bright yellow flowers for much of the year, and it's an excellent substitute for French Tarragon.

If you have a lot of room, consider growing an elder tree, and other fruit trees, especially citrus.

IMO, all fruit and veges are herbs! Just grow what appeals to you, what you know you'll use. Zucchini are dead easy and very prolific - one plant can feed an army!

I have a herb-only garden. It's only small, and I no longer grow veges (because I can't cook for myself any more) and aside from its usefuless, it's pretty, too! There's always something in flower at any time of the year (at least, here in the subtropics), and it smells glorious!

A lot of supposed 'ornamental' plants are actually herbs. Nasturtium, roses, daylilies, calendula spring to mind. Train your nasturtium up a trellis or over a fence for a colourful focal point.

If your climate is a warm one, you can also try Asian herbs like lemongrass, ginger, cardamom, turmeric.

Strawberries make a terrific ground-cover!

Here is a link that might be useful: Herbs Forum

Raised beds are a great way to go. I've used them for several years now and I can't say enough good things about them. Think about incorporating herbs into the garden and using companion planting. Often those herbs that cook well with certain foods grow well with those vegetables in the garden like basil and tomatoes.

I wrote a post a while back about the benefits of raised bed gardening you might be interested in reading. The lasagna method like others have mentioned works great in raised bed gardens. I lay down newspaper when starting to kill off the grass then build up from there with leaves, compost and newspapers. If you have a bagging lawnmower save your grass clippings and leaves this fall and put them in your raised beds as mulch or layers. Great stuff!

Check for information from you local extension service to see what advice they can give.

Here is a link that might be useful: Benefits of Raised Beds

Oh, and I completely agree about the herbs. I've planted basil, dill, cilantro right into the garden in rows along with the vegetables and they've all done amazingly well, they like the room. The only downside is that if you plant dill into your garden, you're going to have "volunteers" for several years.

Or maybe that isn't a downside, LOL. I do have a raised herb bed here in town that's about 3x5 and I have peas planted along the back, and in the box are chives, basil, tarragon, cilantro, dill, sage and thyme. All are thriving and very happy in that small space, but the sage is beginning to take over so I'll have to use some of that up pretty soon.

Annie