Nature and Gardening

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All things green, outdoors, and nature-y. Whether it's animals in their natural habitat, hiking trails and mountains, or planting a little garden for yourself (and everything in between), you can talk about it here.

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Seeking advice for vegetable gardening (beehaw.org)

submitted 4 months ago by remington@beehaw.org to c/greenspace@beehaw.org

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So far I've planted fruit-bearing trees and other perennials over the past 12 years living in rural Maine. I have zero experience with annual vegetable gardening. My, initial, plan is to start with one vegetable next spring/summer. I've chosen cucumbers since it is the most popular amongst my immediate family members (wife and two boys).

The motivation behind this is NOT for sustenance. It is to add an enjoyable hobby for my self. In the off chance that it is NOT enjoyable, then I haven't invested too much time, effort and money. If I end up enjoying it (which I believe I will), then starting small would be less overwhelming and conducive to a gradual learning experience. Henceforth, since this is not for personal sustenance, we have a local food bank that I could contribute to.

My initial idea is to start growing the cucumbers in a large plastic pot located in my back yard.

And that is how far I've gotten in the planning process.

Any and all advice is very welcome.

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[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

if you can handle fruit trees and perennials, then annuals won’t pose too much of a challenge – same rules apply, pick plants that like your climate – USDA hardiness, humid continental climate
most plants and seed packets will come with relatively basic instructions (how often to water, how much sun, etc.) to give you a starting point
cucumbers (pretty much the whole squash family) can be pretty prolific growers (there’s running jokes about planting too much zucchini and ending up having to leave bags of extra zucchini on neighbors’ doorsteps)
if you go a large pot (or a raised bed), take a look at companion planting (plants that traditionally grow well together)
- the classic is “four sisters” (“three sisters” + pollinator) – tall corn in the center, something out of the bean family that will climb up the support of the corn, something out of the squash family that will act as ground cover, and something flowering (like sunflower) that will attract the pollinators (bees and birds)
if you’re dealing with early winters
- something out of the cabbage family (cabbages, kale, broccoli, cauliflower) and a tuber (carrots, radishes, daikon) – one grows up, one grows down
- potatoes will do pretty well on their own

[–] remington@beehaw.org 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Wow! Thanks so much for the knowledge and insights.

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

didn’t even think of this earlier – you can also look into the next step beyond growing and eating: preserving – pickling for the cucumbers (tsukemono or quick pickles, dill pickles, bread-and-butter pickles) – fermentation for the cabbage (sauerkraut, kimchi)

[–] remington@beehaw.org 4 points 4 months ago

Yes. I do plan on pickling!

[–] LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org 2 points 4 months ago

Holy wow, another Köppen enthusiast in the wild! The rest of this comment is great too