Hey guys- brand new gardener here from Weatherford

[Phillip V]

I literally started gardening this year.  I started off thinking I would just go to the store, buy some seeds, plant them and water them and all would be good.  Fortunately for you, I've learned a lot in the past 2 months and spent more than just a little time nursing plants indoors and out.  I started my indoor plants (tomatoes, eggplant, jalapeno/habanero/pablano/bell/cayenne peppers, rosemary and cilantro) the last week of April- late I know.  Rosemary and cilantro didn't make it and cayenne has since kicked the bucket as well.  I want to transplant the rest now but I feel like they're still a little immature as their stems are still pretty thin.  I've been hardening them off since Sunday, but now thinking I may just move them into a bigger pot for another couple of weeks and keep them outside- right now they're in the small biodegradable pots and their roots are coming through the sides/bottom.  They still seem to be doing well, but I know I need to do something soon.  Any advice on this is more than welcome.  By no means do I think I have this figured out and as you can tell, I have a lot to learn.

Anyway, I have some sweet corn growing as well that I direct sowed into amended soil (garden soil and humus compost mixed w/ natural soil) along w/ some sweet potatoes, onions, squash (yielding like crazy) and then pumpkins and sunflowers that I just planted last week.  Corn is 3-5' tall and doing relatively well, but already getting eaten by worms (grub-looking) and something else.  I think a deer ate my sweet potato leaves, but one plant survived and is now thriving.  Something devoured almost every sunflower sprout I had- just bit the tops off all of them except 2.  So, now I'm in defense mode and back to researching solutions to these problems.  I know most are common sense, but I look for the 'little known secrets' that only people like you know.

I referenced this forum a lot before and during planting and then kind of got in cruise control mode and did my own thing.  I finally decided to join b/c I'm actually enjoying gardening and feel like I can learn a lot from everyone here.  So, bear w/ me- I try to do my research, but I'm sure to ask some rookie questions from time to time. 

Thanks if you're still reading this.  I look forward to hearing from anyone and everyone.

Phillip

(I'll post some photos on that forum)

[Brian Gallimore]

Welcome to the community Phillip, and I look forward to hearing more about what you are doing in your garden, and seeing your pictures.

I'd be a little hesitant to try to transplant anything right now.  This is the time only the tough stuff will survive.  (okra, cowpeas...)   I wonder if you can keep your plants happy until mid-August, and transplant them at that time?

 

[Phillip V]

Brian-

Thanks for the reply. 

I think I may just fill some larger containers w/ garden soil and plant them in their containers so at least the roots growing through the containers have some soil to grow into.  I like your idea better than losing all these plants in one day after 8 weeks of nurturing.  I just lost 4 green bean plants after moving from one shady location to my garden that gets full sun, so it wouldn't make sense that anything less sensitive would survive. 

I'll try to post some photos this weekend although I had trouble getting them to post the other night. 

Thanks again and have a good weekend.

Phillip