A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening A Newbie Here

Hi All,
I am trying to do something that my grandmother used to do every year a long time ago and quite frankly I should have tried it a long time ago. I have never had a garden before that has not been my grandmothers. I stumbled across this forum and have already found a lot of useful info. So thanks for asking all those questions and for all of those answers that I have been reading.
I am getting ready to d-grass about a 25 foot by 60 foot area.
After I do this I will be doing a soil test to determine the pH level of the soil. After that point I will add the needed materials and till the soil and them into it.
From that point I will wait a bit probably as I think that is required. I live in an area of near west central Ohio which the best zone that I have found that I am in is zone 5B.
I am looking as planting beans, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, onions, (corn sweet & popping corn), broccoli, cauliflower and watermelon, turnips, and strawberry's.
I am looking for people to more or less help me through the 2011 gardening season, as far as questions and or recommendations. As in what should I plant next to what to aid the growth, insects to watch out for or flat out help me to succeed with this garden. Any info I will greatly appreciate.
I have also decided to add blackberries, raspberries and blueberry bushes in my yard as I have decided to take up another hobby of sorts in homemade wine making.

Excellent, glad you found the site. I'm sure there aer people on here that can answer all your questions as they come. Sounds liek you got a good plan to start with. Best of Luck with your garden.

I used to garden in Cincinnati. I may be able to help a bit.

Given what's on your list, and that you are in 5b (further north than Cincy) I'd recommend getting the broccoli and cauliflower (& cabbage? peas?) into the ground in the next couple of weeks. Check to see what your last frost date is. Don't bother planting any bean or squash seeds until two weeks after that date. Sounds like you will be buying tomato and pepper seedlings. Plant them when you sow the bean seeds. Same for corn, watermelon. Have you considered rudabagas instead of turnips? Strawberry plants can go in now.

You are right to think about what to plant next to what. Have you thought about carrots? I find them difficult (here now in Mississippi, not Cincy where they were easy), but worth the effort. Try some in a row next to the broccoli.

Search this site and others for "companion gardening," and "successive gardening." The results will give you some idea of what plants help each other (by fending off pests, etc.) and how to time your plantings.