If I double post I apologize I thought my first one didn't go through . Hi everyone! Name is Ryan. My mom asked me to start a fruits and vegetable garden with her but the only experience in gardening I have is with cannabis, since I get it prescribed for anxiety and more. I mention this because cannabis has some comparisons but alot of differences as well. We are going to be doing raised beds .Our crops of choice are going to be tomato's, beans, cucumbers, strawberries and asaparagus.

Question #1 : does the dirt underneath the raised bed matter, such as compaction? Or disease, is there any precaution I should take there?

Question #2 How does one simply feed different types of fruits and veggies , since my mom will be doing the tending I want to keep it super simple as possible

Question #3 : is there any precaution to take to keep bugs / animals off of them?

We are in upstate Ny but live more in a residential area.

Thank you everyone ahead of time and I appreciate it truly. You'll be making a momma boy and a food lover really happy.

Welcome Ryan. You'll get plenty of advice here

Can you possibly add pictures of where it will be, of what you might have started so far?

You dont have to feed specific plants in specific ways, same general conditions work pretty well for most of them.

RyGuy said:

Question #1 : does the dirt underneath the raised bed matter, such as compaction? Or disease, is there any precaution I should take there?

That would depend on how deep the beds are. If your mother is of advanced years, or suffering from arthritis, you would probably want to raise the beds quite high - like 3' off ground level. If the garden soil goes down that far, you don't need to worry about what's underneath. That's a lot of work to construct, but ideal for seniors and invalids to tend. https://www.agespace.org/real-...
If, OTOH, it's only 12", I would want to loosen the soil underneath as deeply as possible before putting in the pre-mixed garden soil I assume you'll be using.

Question #2 How does one simply feed different types of fruits and veggies , since my mom will be doing the tending I want to keep it super simple as possible

The simplest way is to buy an all-purpose fertilizer such as 10-20-10. (Associates at the garden center are usually happy to give advice if you're not sure which one.) You mix up a batch according the directions, decant the solution into smaller containers (If anyone in your family uses liquid laundry detergent, those empty jugs are ideal, and don't even need rinsing. Big juice jugs are fine, too.) that your mother can lift, so she can apply it every three or four weeks during the growing season.

Question #3 : is there any precaution to take to keep bugs / animals off of them?

Again, so much depends on the environment.
Squirrels tend to dig up bulbs, and cats are always looking for a litter box. You can try stretching a plastic net over the bed - stretched very taut, a couple o inches above soil level - before the seedlings come up. Against cutworm, you can also put collars around the stems of young plants. Against slugs, you can sprinkle diatomaceous earth, or pulverized eggshells. Of course, there are all kinds of sprays. Ultimately, though, you can't defend against everything all the time. Some damage will happen.

A couple of notes:
Asparagus is a whole different kind of crop. It normally grows in a trench, which has to be replenished and mulched, doesn't give anything back for at least the first two years, and then only for a few weeks every spring. Might not be worth your while. But then again.... people do unusual things, and maybe you can, too. https://www.myfrugalhome.com/h...

The strawberries need a dedicated bed, so they can propagate and renew themselves from one season to the next. Hoops with netting to protect them would be a good idea. Get hardy varieties of root, keep the bed surface well mulched and cover them really well over the winter.

The beans and cucumber can share space. Pole beans would be a good choice, since the cucumbers also like to climb. Some ideas: https://slickgarden.com/trelli...

Keep the tomatoes and cucumbers apart, because they can catch mildew from each other. But in among the tomato, you can put some herbs and lettuces.

I think this is a great project and will bring you and your mother a great deal of joy.

I would love to hear how it's getting on. Drop in at the vegetable threads for updates.

(accidental double post)

Thank you's so much for the responses I will share pictures of the space maybe I'll opt to not do asparagus I had no idea it was that labor intensive and low yielding . I was watching a YouTube video yesterday that said tomato's and strawberries shouldn't be planted near each other like the cucumbers, how far apart are we thinking? It's not that big of a back yard 😔 and the juice jugs serpent are we thinking a liquid fertilizer then?

RyGuy said: maybe I'll opt to not do asparagus I had no idea it was that labor intensive and low yielding

I liked having a trench in the previous garden, but I find, with the gravel here, it's just too much work for the reward. When you get older, you have to do more careful cost/benefit calculations.

I was watching a YouTube video yesterday that said tomato's and strawberries shouldn't be planted near each other like the cucumbers, how far apart are we thinking?

As long as they in separate beds, with a space between that's wide enough to walk down and tend both sides, they should be all right. The tomatoes will also need staking, even if they're labelled 'determinate'. The ones called 'patio' are probably okay to stand up on their own.
The only reason I worry about them being near squashes and cucumbers now is that i had a bad powdery mildew plague last year. But they were inside and crowded - my bad! - outdoors, if you don't get greedy and cram too many plants into a container, you should be okay.
I'm just guessing: the weather hasn't been good enough to start building the beds. You'll need to figure out what to make the beds out of, what skills and tools you have, and how much money. There is a wide choice of materials and styles, as as ready-made. (The simplest solution is to put large containers - bins, barrels, buckets, vats, crates - on the ground, in rows, or on a low platform. Depends on a lot of different factors, and will need more thought. As you've already discovered, You Tube is a mine of information and example; people are eager to share knowledge.

It's not that big of a back yard

You can probably do with three beds or rows, one at either fence and one down the middle, the length of your yard. Placement also depends on the orientation of the land, where the sunlight falls; you might do better with islands. In general, greens grow well in shade and fruits in full sun, but cucumber and zucchini don't mind partial shade. Climbers, obviously, are more convenient to plant next to tall fence; no trellis-construction.

and the juice jugs serpent are we thinking a liquid fertilizer then?

They mostly come in concentrated liquid form, that you have to dilute according to the ratios given. Or you can get it in powder form, that you dissolve in water. (The powder is better value, but fussier, and you have to store it in a water-tight container, not the paper box, which will turn into a big blue rock.)

So, you have a lot of math problems to solve!

If Mom has been composting... Use that...

You need to give us some idea of... how old Mom is, how old you are.

Re the soil under the bed... Might be important... Was the neighborhood built on top of a superfund site? What about lead paint in the soil?

Phytoremediation is possible if the soil is contaminated...

Usually the biggest concern with vegetables... How many hours of direct sun the site receives.

In upstate NY... Yall got those monster slugs...
You could set out a bowl of beer for them... or... Feed them to the chickens.

Might need to verify whether city chickens are permitted... They're getting popular.
Chickens go with a garden very well... Pull plants and blemished fruit for chickens... They eat what they can and make compost from the rest.

Alrighty so maybe do the tomato's up against the house/shaded part and the strawberries/ cucumbers on the other side. I looked on the sun calculator direction site and I'm going to be getting 6-8 hours of sun I think. Mom is 60 and I'm 27 , my brother is good with his hands he'll help us build the beds and what not. I would compost. I've had some concerns about that though what if your breathe it in doesn't it have mold or what not ? And I'm still a bit confused about nutrients 😐 also . If I had to guess I would say the yard is maybe 200 square feet could be less . Has anyone grown tomato's and strawberries at the same time personally , serpent? We really want the strawberries and if the tomato's are risky we don't want to do them 🍅

RyGuy, we have a huge Strawberry patch just south of the veggie garden area. We usually put the tomatoes closer to the house for the heat and that leaves the one garden bed between them and have had no problems. You can do it!! Do you know
what kind of soil you have? Put the compost down and then till it in.

karmahappytoes said: RyGuy, we have a huge Strawberry patch just south of the veggie garden area. We usually put the tomatoes closer to the house for the heat and that leaves the one garden bed between them and have had no problems. You can do it!! Do you know
what kind of soil you have? Put the compost down and then till it in.

Really that's interesting, and I don't have any compost but what do u mean by till it in

RyGuy
Jumping into starting a vegetable garden without any gardening knowledge or experience whatsoever is a challenge. I recommend that you invest in at least a couple of books (real paper books) on gardening fundamentals so that you have a basic understanding about the tasks ahead. If you google "vegetable gardening books for beginners" you'll get a ton of hits. Steer clear of books that promote gimmicky techniques or unrealistic promises ("a year's worth of food in ten square feet for pennies a day"). I wish I could recommend one, but I've gardened for so many decades I wouldn't know where to start. Go to a local nursery and see what books they carry or recommend, especially specific to your region. Look for gardening basics, something like this, maybe
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646115376/

(I'm not specifically recommending that books, just picked one that looked promising)
Watch some YouTube videos and read online articles — look for sites ending in .edu and .org. Here is one of my guides for evaluating gardening advice sites: if there are more ads per square inch on the screen (especially flashing or moving ads) than information, find another site. There is a lot of nonsense online, so use common sense and check several sources. You'll get a fair amount of conflicting information, but over time you'll learn to balance it out and adapt it to your needs, and again, run from the gimmicks and wild promises of instant success. Learn basic terminology, soil types, plant vocabulary and types of tools. Understand the difference between cool and warm weather crops. Read about compost — no shortage of information about that on the web. If instructions seem too complicated or technical, find some easier ones. Gardening isn't necessarily complicated but you do need a basic understanding about how it all works. It's easier to ask specific questions and to understand the answers when you have some knowledge about the subject. Start small.

Finally, use the NGA learning library. Lots of info!

PS: I had a bunch of links for you, but my clipboard has gone wonky and keeps pasting the wrong ones. So sorry! I'm sure you can find some good sites.

RyGuy said: I looked on the sun calculator direction site and I'm going to be getting 6-8 hours of sun I think.

That will change over the summer and fall. Hopefully, you'll get more hours when it really matters - like when the the tomatoes are setting fruit in July.

Mom is 60 and I'm 27 , my brother is good with his hands he'll help us build the beds and what not.

All young and limber - that's great!

I would compost. I've had some concerns about that though what if your breathe it in doesn't it have mold or what not ?

If you can get one of the compost containers sometimes available through municipal recycling programs (ask these people: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemica...) that would be the best solution for a small urban space. Your basic kitchen and garden waste shouldn't have any harmful molds, but if you're not sure, just wear the same mask you wear to the grocery store.

And I'm still a bit confused about nutrients.

You won't need any until after you have plants. Once again - and I'm afraid you're going to keep getting this answer - it depends. On what your original planting mix is, how much of it there is for each plant, what you're growing and how often you fertilize.
The compost you haven't started yet won't be any use this season - that's for the long term. The soil mix I favour is 3 black earth/2 peat moss/1 commercial compost. My bins are about 18" deep. I fertilize about once a month with a generous watering of liquid commercial fertilizer. Buy them at any garden supply or hardware store and read the instructions on the container.

If I had to guess I would say the yard is maybe 200 square feet could be less

Don't guess! Get out there with a measuring tape, write down the numbers, then come in and draw a diagram. I mean it! You cannot plan a garden without a diagram. The beds need to be a certain width and length and height and distance apart. You need to know exactly how much space you have for each area and how much material to buy. And you're running out of time - it's the middle of March fss; I heard the wild geese fly over today.

Has anyone grown tomato's and strawberries at the same time personally , serpent?

Sure, every year. Separate beds, different schedules. Strawberries don't need a lot of attention: give them decent soil, enough water, cover the earth around their feet with straw, dry grass, leaves - even shredded newspaper, in a pinch (but the robins might steal it for nesting material) and they're happy. If you start with hardy everbearing stock, you should be all right.

We really want the strawberries and if the tomato's are risky we don't want to do them 🍅

Tomatoes are the best produce in the world! They're tough, forgiving, prolific and beautiful. You can eat them in salad and sandwiches, on pizza, in chili and soup. You can make sauce, salsa and relish out of them for winter. Don't give up on tomatoes till you're tried them!
Give up on cabbage or broccoli - not tomatoes!

I am guessing Rochester can start planting cucumbers, tomatos, beans early to mid May, so you have time to make plans.

With all due respect to what is posted so for- oh boy, so much information posted. I hope you aren't overwhelmed.

I say composting is entirely optional this summer. Let's make sure you are happy with gardening first.

Let's get back to the starting point. I think it's easier to say what are YOU thinking, and then steer you, than tell you to do all this research and reading, which if you were up for that, you could do without coming here.

You said you want to do raised beds, (because we hear that in media all the time) which your brother will build, what do you picture there? It might be boards making a box about 8 feet by 4 feet (even 6 by 3 feet) by 6 to 12 inches high, placed on the ground and then you buy more soil and bagged compost to fill it up.

But it is entirely possible to dig up the soil you have without building a box. And mix in some bagged manure or compost from a store. The basic thing you want is an area cleared of existing plants, and most gardens are better if you add some manure or compost.

Tomatoes are very strong growers and good for beginners. How do you like to use tomatoes? Do you like cherry tomatos, (one plant will be all you need) or do you like slicing a bigger tomato to put in sandwiches? Would you like to have a lot of tomatoes at once to cook them for sauce? Or is that a chore that you or Momma do not want to do?

sallyg said:
it is entirely possible to dig up the soil you have without building a box. And mix in some bagged manure or compost from a store. The basic thing you want is an area cleared of existing plants, and most [all] gardens are better if you add some manure or compost.

Ditto...
And... for that matter you don't even need a plan.
When I start a veggie garden in a new location... I turn the soil with a shovel.
After being out in the new garden patch for long enough to turn all the soil... I have some idea of the slope of the soil, and where East and west are. From those two... I can work out north and south.
Slope is an important consideration... I always do my rows on the contour.

If slope isn't a thing... then... I run my rows from east to west.
Later we'll discuss heights of plants... but I think that the most important thing is to plant anything, and observe. Most important gardening tool any of us have is the power of observation.

Most people's initial raised beds are less than perfect, but we don't know this until we've tried gardening in them for a while... which is another reason to not worry about a permanent raised bed for the first year or two.

Incidentally, I disbelieve that 60 should be a problem for Mom gardening...
But having kids in the flush of youth to turn the soil and get her started... Icing on the cake!

And... Y'all should definitely be composting...

You don't have to turn it... but those nutrients should NOT be leaving the property.
As I said, my chickens turn mine... but... When I didn't have chickens... Still composted... Just piled it up and ignored it. It may be slower that way, but it ain't a race.

I'm sorry if my answers are short compared to everyone's responses, It's hard to scroll up and back down to respond to things on an iPhone . Let's see if I can respond to some things though.

My sun calculations if someone wants to look and see if I have enough light I'd appreciate it! I looked on suncalc.org my address is [admin removed address] rochester New York 14616 I can't tell if it's enough sun to do a garden honestly since it's a backyard . Just don't steal our tomato's now that you know the address 🤣
I would love to start a compost bin and how does compost actually work there's no actual mold in it? Is it all myco?
I'm going to measure out the garden size after I get a measuring tape today.
Do you personally think resistant strains of tomato's or strawberries are actually resistant ?
Maybe we don't need a raised bed I just figured it might be better for her to not have to bend much and then just get her knee pads does anyone have any good recommendations there?
As for nutrients we are going to keep it simple and manure/ or compost for sure , Serpent your mix seems simple enough for us I might steal it lol!
Ty all so so much !

At 60, I could still use a kneeler - a little cushioned stool, actually, more often sitting. But 61 follows very soon and getting up again is harder every year. Of course, everyone's health deteriorates on a different schedule; some are lucky and stay mobile longer.
You should be okay for sunlight, unless there is a tall building or tree looming over your yard.
yes, the resistant varieties are pretty good - not perfect, but pretty good - and you can spray with simple non-toxic pesticides https://www.treehugger.com/nat...
No need to steal the soil mix; it's fairly standard.
If you're not sure of the layout or light, you might be better off to start with containers, which you can move if you're not happy with the results. Less digging and bending is a bonus.

I wouldn't be posting my address on a public forum...

As I posted... You need to be OUT THERE... While out digging out that useless turf... And turning the soil... you will be noticing where the sun rises, where the sun sets... and how many hours the sun is shining down on you... No substitute for your own observation!

As far as your mom bending? My knees were wrecked when I was 30... I was walking with a cane... but... Eating better... living healthier... means that I can kneel without difficulties... Of course... yesterday when I was pulling chickweed for the yardbirds... I had on some ripped jeans, and was kneeling on some stinging nettle... That woke me up...

Really don't understand your reluctance over composting...
As I said... throw it all in a pile... let God's microorganisms do all the heavy lifting... When the stuff looks like topsoil... then use, Nothing to it.

I wouldn't worry too much about Mom squatting or kneeling. . Plant the garden, mulch it, she may get down to pick strawberries, but the tomatoes and cucumbers will be growing up to her, not much bending.
Many use tomato cages to hold up the tomatoes. My dad grew his cucumbers on a tomato cage too.
By the way, Celebrity is a popular and reliable tomato hybrid that you'll probably see in the market when time to buy plants. It doesn't grow too huge but always makes (for me) nice round red tomatoes.

Alright i'm going to do some yardwork for her and measure out the dimensions and check the sunlight this week. As for compost i've never done it so I've got questions so sorry. I've been reading it can give you legionnaires disease and that you can also get it from potting soil? So how far should the compost pile be from the garden and the house. I worry about diseases i'm one of those people. My mom is a smoker with asthma so I'd like to be very careful.

I stopped by and got some pictures for you all . Hoping it will give you a better clue to help us out more. I have no knowledge of nature , what are those sticks growing out , weeds? Also these a wet area towards the back next to the garage I'm assuming it's runoff from winter snow , should we start a compost pile there?