Trying this again because I forgot to flair the first time whoops
Hi! I’m brand new to gardening, just want to grow some edible things for me and my family. I’ve had a hard time getting started but am hopeful and excited. I’m located in NW WA Zone 8b
Can anyone give me some pointers on where to go from here? Anything I need to fix? Can I add more in the beds I already planted in? What are good companion/pest deterrent plants?
In my largest raised bed (silver 5.5ft L, 2ft W, 1 ft Deep) I planted green peas (sugar Ann snap peas), chives and cherry tomato (super sweet 109 indeterminate).
In the black grow bags (x4 15gal each) I planted seed potatoes – huckleberry gold, Yukon gold, French fingerling, and in the last one a variety that the Etsy shop I got them from threw in for free (purple majesty, Russian banana, Colorado rose, and Clearwater)
In the smaller grey raised bed (2.5ft L, 10in W, 1ft Deep) I planted romaine and red romaine – are they too close together? When I was planting them I noticed the tag said part sun and this area gets full sun so I put a towel over the back half to replicate this (will replace with a tarp when I get around to it).
I need to plant my strawberries still if they’re salvageable, it’s been awhile since I got them and they’re looking little rough? I just set them on top of the potatoes for now.
by intrepidepitome
2 Comments
My 1st question would be “What are your expectations for the netting/fencing?”
I can’t quite tell from the picture if it is fabric or wire. Either way, okay to repel birds, but will not repel small critters. If it’s metal, you need a tighter mesh. If it’s fabric, it will be chewed through.
Off to a nice start! The tomato alone will take up about a 2×2 ft section of its side of the bed. That leaves you about a 3.5 ft x 2 ft space left. Chives are perennials and will come back each year. You could fit about 2 of them PSF. I can’t tell how many snap peas you have, and it may be late to add more, but you could have fit more in the remaining space. I grow those 3-4 inches apart in a row on a trellis. They will die off in the heat, so plan on a warm season crop to grow come summer.
What do you hope to achieve with the netting? It seems like it would be most effective against birds, but most of your crops aren’t big bird magnets. What I would do is take the netting off and put 3′ high chicken wire fencing around the perimeter, dug in just a bit, to keep out bunnies. That leaves the top open for taller, stronger support for your tomatoes (which you will need).
Strawberries should have their own bed–preferably one that can be fully covered by hardware mesh to keep out critters. The bed your lettuce is in would be decent for this if it were a little bigger. Your lettuce is a bit close together if you want full size leaves, but should be fine if you plan on harvesting baby greens.
If you plan to be here awhile, blueberry bushes are a really good investment…especially if your soil is already acidic. Get two different varieties that flower at the same time. I only have 2 bushes and still manage to freeze a gallon or more blueberries each year. They are also lovely shrubs, with great autumn color.