My Vegetable Garden

Each year I enjoy working in my vegetable garden. It is just large enough to give me the variety that we like. I've tried to design it in a manner that enables me to not only rework it each year, but to maintain it throughout the growing season. The photos are from two different years. I prepare the ground by cultivating it with a tiller. I then add miracle grow dirt and mix it in, and I use Miracle Grow Liquid Fertilizer. I do this each year. The landscape logs are two high so I can keep adding dirt. I'm also working with Georgia clay. The mulch allows me easy access to the plants and helps keep the weeds under control. I have the water connected to my sprinkler system. I also use a portable sprinkler at times.

69 Comments Displaying 25 of 69 comments | See Previous

Jim McGovern Statham, GA

Pattie, that sounds like a great idea. We do have horses in my area, I think I know someone that actually has horses. Can you tell me how much would be needed for a garden of my size.

on Feb 22, 2013 · Like 0
Linda B Oak Ridge, NC

Just a warning about horse manure. Some farmers treat their pastures with herbicides containing aminopyralids. These chemicals kill the weeds and don't harm the horses, but they pass through the horses' digestive tracts unchanged and come out the other end as -- you guessed it -- herbicides. That's right. Your horse manure (depending on the source of the hay) could contain an herbicide (plant killer) that will last up to 5 years in the soil. Here's research-based info on the topic: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/nc... ...»

I'm not saying NOT to use horse manure, but to be SURE you know who grew the hay the horse ate. As little as three parts per BILLION of aminopyralid in your soil can damage or kill tomato plants.

on Feb 22, 2013 · Like 1
Maggievanfossan Portland, OR

Miracle Grow also carries some natural products. A little more expensive, but doable.

on Feb 22, 2013 · Like 0
Jim McGovern Statham, GA

Thank you for your comment. I was reviewing commercial organic/natural products also.

on Feb 22, 2013 · Like 0
Virginia Gainesville, GA

I like it. Also, you guys don't use that cheap black top soil (like I did). That stuff won't grow nothing! Looks good, but no go!

on Feb 22, 2013 · Like 0
Sarah Gulfport, MS

Jim, thank you for your post...I am inspired to start growing veggies next to my house like you do. I might try my tomatoes there as i have problems with them dieing midseason every year. They get big, green beautiful and i get so excited and then, boom the plant starts to wilt....i am in Mississippi which is clay soil too. I will try the liquid fertilizer too. Your garden is beautiful.

on Feb 22, 2013 · Like 1
VictoriaLynn B

I am so inspired by this column, and have a question. Which side of the house is best for growing vegetables?

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Kathleen Brady

Tomatos need sun from sun up till sun down , do not overwater . I like to take used coffie grounds and leave them sit out for a week ,then mix into soil around plant. I also use tums and grind them up and mix in around root area . This gives the plants calcium . Beware of stink bugs they will eat tomatos, Also do not plant tomatos near butterfly bushes , because catipillers will eat tomatos as well. Slugs also cause alot of dammage use beer for slugs and carpenter bees. When using for bees ...»
take a milk jug and cut out front top then hang near were the bees are drilling , Pore some cheep beer into jug . Bees will fly into beer and drown. Make sure you water tomatos from the bottom of plant. Happy Gardening :)

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Kathleen Brady

VictoriaLynn B , Use the side that gets full sun that would be evning sun ,the more sun the better . For beets and cabages and early veg. collier weather is better.

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Fred Souza

a couple of points--tomatoes like acidity in the soil but clay often takes away acidity-you may want to check into what your PH is (local college extension) and come up with a plan. It also sounds like some of you have a lot of nitrogen which will grow beautiful plants, but decrease or kill the flowering and fruiting you need for tomatoes, so you may need a more balanced fertilizer. Second, regarding the manure fertilizer-it needs to be well-rotted/composted if you are using it in a ...»
vegetable garden or ecoli can easily spread-particularly to veggies that you might use in salad and therefore not cook-much better practice to put it on the surface in fall and let it rot over the winter before digging it in. At the very least give it a month to incorporate, but still be careful on plants you will eat.

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Gary B Apopka, FL

Very nice !

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Pattie Patterson

Saw the comment about herbicides, but to be honest, I don't know a single horse person who would feed that to their horses! That is, unless you're dealing with people who have horses just as lawn ornaments, not actually riding/showing, etc, as vets discourage it's usage! Being a horse person myself, I speak from experience. The one thing I would suggest is to get the "older compost", not the fresh, as the older is already broken down and looks like dark, rich soil, which it pretty much ...»
is! As for how much you need for your garden, Jim, I would say a wheelbarrel full to 1 1/2 would do the trick. That's judging by one area I plant, that looks to be about the same size. Hope this helps! I also keep a little extra and mix it in some regular dirt for my flower pots!

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Linda B Oak Ridge, NC

Pattie Patterson, what you're saying may well be true from a horse-owner's viewpoint, but we saw three community gardens last summer whose entire crops were wiped out by this contaminated manure. And the aminopyralid persists up to 5 years in the manure, so letting it age until it's "older" won't help unless it's 5 years "older."

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Sherry Fisher Grove City, OH

beautiful...I want this lol....I compost and it is the only thing I use for my garden ;)

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Jim McGovern Statham, GA

I think after reading all the comments from experts (pros and cons) I'll be looking for a commercially made product that will be safe to use.

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 0
Pattie Patterson

The aging wasn't in reference to the herbicide, it was a general reference as to what manure compose is best to use. As for horses not being effected by herbicides, I spoke with a vet friend of mine who said this is absolutely false. (Which was what I had been told in the past, but wanted to verify!) Horses have a very sensitive digestive system, unlike other grazing animals, such as cows and goats, and one problem with using herbicide laden hay and grass is laminitis, which NO horse ...»
person wants for their horse, as it is very painful and expensive to treat and more often than not is a death sentence for the horse. They become lame. This is why I say any "true" horse person would not feed their horse herbicide laiden hay. Now cows and goat, that's another matter entirely! They can eat almost anything with no problems, even hay that is moldy. ;-) But if in doubt, ask the owner of the horses.

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 1
Terri Mayfield Watertown, SD

We have such a short growing season, but I do get in a small garden for our family.

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 1
Jesse M Salem, OR

Thank you for the tip that tomatoes doing better when grown closer to the house. I've grown tomatoes in direct sunlight and they don't seem to do well.

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 2
Jim McGovern Statham, GA

Jesse, so many people believe that direct sunlight from am to pm is the way to go, but in Georgia it gets so hot that they just burn up. My plants still get a lot of sunlight, but the roof overhang gives them some relief.

on Feb 23, 2013 · Like 2
Fred Souza

Espoma has wonderful fertilizers and amendments and are fully organic-they are also usually less expensive than Miracle Grow. Beer for slugs is a waste of good beer--try Bordeaux Mixture which is a copper product that usually only requires one application a season. Calcitic lime will add calcium if your PH test says you need it and is much cheaper than Tums, but it does raise the PH which is the opposite of what tomatoes like as they prefer a more acidic soil.

on Feb 24, 2013 · Like 0
Trisha Saint John, KS

Jim - great post, excellent photos - they're quite inspiring. Look forward to dimensions when you're able to provide them. Seems I ususally work an area too small for what I've planted or too big so I'm constantly redoing. Thanks for sharing!

on Feb 24, 2013 · Like 1
Jim McGovern Statham, GA

Trisha and Joyce, you might find this size just about right for you. The pathway takes up a good bit of space so it is very easy to plant, weed and fetilize. The size is 21 feet deep and 12 feet wide. I mentioned earlier that I place the logs before attaching them together and filling with dirt. The area next to the house is also 21 feet long and just under two feet deep.

on Feb 24, 2013 · Like 2
Kathleen Brady

If you have a circus in town ask them for the elephant scat it makes for the best compost

on Feb 24, 2013 · Like 0
Kate N La Porte City, IA

Horse manure that is well rotted over winter is great fertilizer, and actually has little if any smell.

on Feb 25, 2013 · Like 1
Trisha Saint John, KS

Thank you, Jim - this is perfect and again - just really love what you did - and appreciate you sharing!

on Feb 25, 2013 · Like 1