First Timer: went shopping today and have some questions

First off this is my first time posting and I have never gardened before. I live in Charlotte, NC, zone 7. I am planning on a garden about 200 square feet that gets between 6 hours ( a little shadier than I'd like). I know nothing, I mean absolutely nothing.

I am planning on planting seeds using these lights: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/48/

But I have no idea what to do for starting seedlings, is there a really simple guide somewhere on here?

I also need to figure out something for warming the seedlings because I heard they need to be at 75 degrees, any cheap suggestions?



Here is what I bought, let me know your opinions of them (I can return them if i went astray), also let me know what else I need:

Jiffy tray with peat moss discs/pellets

Kennebec seed potatoes - Dutch Valley Growers
White onions - Dutch Valley Growers

Ferry Morris:
-Rosemary
-Yellow Summer Squash
-Plain Parsley
-Genovese Basil
-Sweet basil
-Lettuce leaf basil
-Roma Tomatoes
-super boy hybrid 785 tomatoes
-Teton Hybrid Spinach
-California wonder peppers

are these good choices for a newbie? for Zone 7? in general?

Do I need fertilizer? what kind? what else am I missing to start these?

Thanks!, Ryan



This message was edited Feb 27, 2009 6:54 PM

Lots of folks make seed started more difficult than it is. A sunny window will work for many folks. Never used growlights or heat pads yet. They are nice but it is preety easy without them.

Many of the plants on your list fare better direct seeded. The Kennebec potatoes, the white onions ( IF you bought sets or plants), Summer Squash, basil, Teton spinach.

fertilizer: In ground composted cow manure or 10-10-10. Seedlings usually don't need fertilization if you use a good quality growing mix. If not a diluted watering with fish emulsion or Miracle grow once should be enough.

Above all relax. Plants do their own thing pretty well without much interference. We tend to smother them with care until we learn better.

Oh wow Ryan112ryan, I love your enthusiasm! I think you are off to a fabulous start. I grew up in Charlotte, actually -- you have a nice climate to work with there, and lots of local resources too. 6 hours of sunlight is quite good actually...... And reading around in these forums will educate you about the possibilities faster than you would believe.

I would suggest that you take the trouble to get yourself a compost started. That's another thing that can easily be made much more complicated than it needs to be. Though you won't have finished compost from your own pile soon enough for your first crops you'll be surprised how quickly you can get a finished soil amendment from your own garden waste and a few other things.

Have fun!

Ryan, a hearty WELCOME TO DG! You've just become someone with a home away from home online.

Yes, definitely sow direct the items F-dill mentioned. If you haven't already ordered your seed potatoes and onions you'll be better off buying both of those items locally. It'll save you big bucks on shipping and Kennebecs are very popular in NC (as are Red Pontiac). Onion plants should start showing up very soon if not already at your local nursery/garden center.

I'd also recommend just buying a plant or two of rosemary and parsley, those two take forever to germinate and gain in size; plants of each are very inexpensive and will get you off to a good head start. I recommend "Arp" rosemary for your area and you might want to pick up a plant (or 6-pk) each of flat-leaf parsley and also curled parsley.

Kyla gave good advice on getting started on composting. You'll find there are lots of things from your garden you can toss in there through the season to keep it going.

Have fun! See you around the site!

Shoe

Gotta add buy the plants for rosemary and parsley. Lowes usually has good herb plants. But get them early as they are not well taken care of. Forget Walmarts unless you get them the same day they come in. I usually buy a basil plant or two also. You might want to ask around locally for a good local nursery for an emergency plant or two. Have fun and remember gardening is very addictive. LOL

Rosemary is a shrub that, if well-cared for and protected from cold could conceivably become a beautiful, wonderful-smelling hedge.

If you're going to start basil, then I would buy some seed starting mix or Pro-Mix or MetroMix or some other STERILE seed starting mix and put it in small containers or trays. I found the secret to Basil is it needs a humid environment to germinate. So I get the soil VERY moist, drop the seeds on top, barely cover them, and then cover my pots with Saran Wrap (plastic wrap) and let them sit on a windowsill for a few days and the sprout straightaway. Expect about 50% germination on basil seeds by the way.

Hopefully between now and when you get your garden going, you stumble across a few heirloom tomato varieties in your travels at local nurseries. I know some folks are perfectly happy with the standard tomato varieties like Roma, etc. but hey, what is a garden if not an opportunity to experiment?

and just FYI there is a tomato festival where you get to taste up to 100 varieties of tomatoes. www.tomatopalooza.org

This message was edited Mar 2, 2009 3:47 PM