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Talk to me about gardening like I'm five
I have a mixed bag of garden in my backyard, some containers, some in this half ass raised bed sort of thing. Most of it came from existing plants I purchased, a small amount is from seed. I've gardened before but I've never gotten past the established plants part. Last year I had horrid morning sickness and my kids suck at watering. So I'm trying again but I'm not sure if I'm doing everything I need to.
Right now, I have one bed in the backyard. It's bricked off and contains the gardening soil I put in last year. I planted bibb lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, peas, green beans, spinach, broccoli, and carrots. I water it once a day, usually early in the morning, soaking the ground pretty damned well. I get the feeling I'm supposed to do something to the tomato, peas, and maybe the green beans but I have no fuuking clue.
In a large container, I have cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. I water this when the dirt feels dry. I've also stuck in a tomato cage type thing in the hopes that it will climb that but I'm completely stupid as to how to do that.
On the porch, I have a container of three strawberry plants but something is eating holes in the strawberries despite the worry free or whatever shiit I sprinkled on there. So I suspect it's the slugs who are fuuking up my basil.
Speaking of my basil, I bring it inside every night and take it out every morning because I am once again losing the effin battle with those fuukers.
Oh and I feed all my plants every week or every other week with miracle grow liqui-feed.
So tell me what to do next. Mulch or something? Just keep doing what I'm doing, what? Will the cucumbers and shiit climb the stakes on its own? what exactly do I do with the peas and green beans? How and why does one stake tomatoes? for support?
I promise I know how to google but I get overwhelmed plus some of the opinions are conflicting, some involve expensive shiit that I'm not paying for, etc.
Help!
Click me, click me!
Re: Talk to me about gardening like I'm five
There are special tomato cages for the tomatoes. They are conical. You just drive them into the ground and drape the lower leaves over the tops of the lowest rung. The tomatoes will know what to do next. Later in the summer, if they do really well, you can ask me about pantyhose rigging.
I would have done some more soil prep in advance, but you asked about what to do next, not what to do with your gardening time machine, so my ideas are....
The peas and green beans should be staked or trellised, or else they'll never go anywhere in life. Otherwise your watering and feeding seems reasonable, though it's far more diligent than I do. I'd also go easy on feeding the lettuce and spinach lest they bolt right quick on ya.