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So when someone wants to start a nice size garden...(for church) is it best to do seeds, plants or both?
I say both! With many hands the work gets done quicker and might get them to be interested in putting out their own garden too. I think that is why 1st time gardeners quit after the first year. They put out so much then don't realize how much weeding and tending to the garden needs so they get overwhelmed.
one of my dad's ''tricks''.
Plant a few radish seeeds in the came row as the carrots. Carrots take a longer time to germinate, so by the time the radishes are mature, the carrots are usually emerging.
So when someone wants to start a nice size garden...(for church) is it best to do seeds, plants or both?
Depends on what vegetable/fruits you are planting and location. Some vegetables/fruits are easier as plants for beginning gardeners. Location - the climate may dictate what you plant and when.
Plants are more expensive, but take less time to mature. The length of time it takes a seed to produce fruit varies from type to type; radishes take 35 days, while pumpkins take over 100! Depending on your growing season, you may want to start plants of the longer growing varieties and seeds of the shorter ones. Short-timed seeds you can sow and reap, sow and reap, several times in a growing season.
Aslo cool weather vegie seed can be started as soon as the ground can be worked; these are lettuces, collards, peas, kale, etc. Summer veges like squash, tomatoes, and cukes need warmer soil and temps; these you can start in pots or flats inside in a warm sunny window, then transplant later - or start as seeds when things warm up. Look online at seed places - Jung's, Johnny's, Guerney's, etc - and study the different types of weather required before you buy. These places will also give you a good idea of what zone you are in; this will tell you whether or not you have time to grow each seed (most seed packets and seed displays tell you how many days each species takes to produce fruit) and you can pretty much determine if you should start from seed or plants. EX. Onions I could start in Jan-Feb in Zone 9 from seed, but in Zone 4 where I live now, I will use plants to start in April. Onions (except for the perennial 'walking onions) don't like snow or frost much!
Don't be daunted, sunshineann! Planting a garden is like having babies - sure, nature will take its course in most cases, but the more you plan and prepare, the stronger, healthier, and more long-lived your 'babies' will be. I've been gardening since I was 8 - Mom had a brown thumb but wanted a garden - so much of what I have earned has been through years of trial and error and research.
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