Comments on: I’m A Noob At Gardening, Where Should I Start?

By: matt b

matt b — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:16:11 +0000

you should get garden fertilizer tomato blossom spray cages buy baby plants in potting soil good luck!

By: MorningG

MorningG — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:13:16 +0000

This site is a good site;http://www.geocities.com/mastergardener2…
clay soilhttp://www.bachmans.com/tipsheets/Soils/…
If clay soil is a problem you migh go with Container Gardeninghttp://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipst…http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipst…

By: Kathy

Kathy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:29:13 +0000

There are several resources. You can try a home gardening club. Try this link. http://www.gardeningclub.com/Main/defaul…
Also the Gardener Guy from HGTV. His link is below. Paul James show is on HGTV called Gardening by the Yard. He explains tips in a easy to understand way. The show has been canceled but it is in re-runs on HGTV.
Home Depot has a gardening club that offers tips for each region.
I’ve used all these resources when I first got started with home gardening.
Good luck!

By: noah h

noah h — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:04:33 +0000

Although this gardening season is coming to an end you can always plant cool season vegetables like lettuce, spinach, carrots, etc… in August.
My favorite source for garden seeds and gardening information is a company called Urban Farmer Seeds at http://www.ufseeds.com
They package all of their seeds in recycled magazine pages so they are eco friendly and they have great quality seeds.

By: Virginia

Virginia — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:10:03 +0000

Since you live in a hot climate and have clay soil, you’ll probably want to first think about amending the soil–meaning add in some things to break up the clay and allow water to drain. The good thing about clay soil is it’s got great water-holding capacity and is a very solid support system for plants.
The bad news is it can be like concrete for your plants to grow in, so there needs to be some other stuff in the soil to loosen the clay up and allow the water to drain. That way when you water or it rains, the roots don’t sit in the collected water–then you’ll get root rot, fungi diseases and all sorts of bad things will happen!
A good idea is to get your soil tested–take it (for a very low fee) to your extension service and they’ll tell you just what you need to add to make a balanced soil. Alternatively, any local nursery is likely used to dealing with this soil and they can also advise you.
Since you also said you live in a hot climate but have clay soil, I’m thinking you’re not in a region like Arizona or Florida which generally aren’t associated with heavy clay soils. If so, you might have a hard time with fruit and palm trees since they need soils and temperatures not generally associated with regions with soil such as you’ve described (but you might try them in large garden planters).
So I assume you likely have a good long growing season where it gets hot, but perhaps it gets cold enough in the winter to plant some bulbs and have perennials that need the cold season for their dormant cycle.
Bulbs are fun to plant in fall, since you anticipate them coming up in spring and they’re pretty easy for a beginner–try online ordering sources such as John Scheepers. The good thing about bulbs is when they’re shipped, there are very clear and specific directions included for planting.
Container gardening is also a really good choice–try http://www.container-gardening-made-easy…
Have a great time with your garden!
Virginia