Specifically, I am wondering about if you have to start them off early or something...I am totally unschooled when it comes to gardening, so any imput would be greatly appreciated!

They look like a great starter system to get to know what you are doing . What do you want to grow and what do you want to know?

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I live just outside Chicago, so it can get brutally cold this time of year. I understand that I would need to start it out early, so I am wondering if I should start planning. Let's see...I definitely want a lot of tomatoes, maybe bell peppers and hot sweet ones, maybe green beans, some type of interesting lettuce...The one thing I really want are tomatoes! But herbs, too, like basil, dill, mint...

sounds like a good plan , the average last frost last frost date in your area usually looks like april3-may3

so look at your seeds and find the ones that take the longest growing time. start those first (keep a calander marked is handy)

soak the seeds overnight to activate them (like from dinner till breakfast)

i use egg cartons to start the seedlings .. put 1 or 2 seeds in each little egg spot and (rip off the carton lid) cover the whole thing with saran wrap or stuff it into a large enough ziplock .. this will give you humidity and warmth. keep them in a warm spot till you start seeing seedlings

once they are about an inch and you have more then two begginnning leaves

take a teaspoon and either transplant them into small cheap pots (i use teacups and mugs cuz i find them cheap and free) untill you can put them out into your system outside

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2010 12:26AM by Jgunn.

Thanks,Jodi! Sounds like a bit of work but I just need to roll up my sleeves, I guess!

hehe its soounds like more work then it is .. really once you have all your supplies and set up a table its easy peasy lickity split

fresh produce is so worth it once you taste your own home grown stuff you will become a total snob to the stuff in the store s specially tomatoes ..nothing beats a home grown outdoor tomato yum!

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2010 03:36AM by Jgunn.

Green beans are generally started outdoors after the last frost. They don't transplant well. There are dozens of varieties that will mature quickly in your climate, never fear. Lettuce can be started indoors but it grows so fast that there is no benefit. Just sprinkle the seeds in the soil outdoors and bob's yer uncle.

babana who, thanks for asking that question, I am from NortWest Indiana, so you helped me too.

@Rab: Howdy, Hoosier!

We are still not out of the woods yet. The last couple of nights have been downright chilly after unseasonable warmth last week. I went on Amazon to read some testimonials about the Earthbox and I am wondering if I could just do as well with a container garden but I have zero experience growing stuff. I am glad that I have a bit of time to start!

*Edit: Well, check out the official site. Apparently they give reasons why the Earthbox is better than other container gardening.[forum.earthbox.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2010 02:52AM by banana who.

I don't like plastic. I have been trying to work out similar systems using natural materials, like glazed lined clay pots with holes in the bottom, and trays, with water, and worm castings for fertilizer, and mulch (straw, sawdust, leaf mold) for the top layer. My plants are growing. This is the first year for this for me.

I have three tomato plants growing, and a mulberry tree (I promised myself, wherever I go, I will plant a mulberry tree).
My trouble is that I am using soil from the local sources and I get a lot of weeds growing, sometimes I am not sure what is what. I have destroyed a few tomato plants thinking they were weed. Same with some mulberry seeds I planted. Now I am much more careful, but still it is so tricky.