Finally a garden! Where to start ?

[MadameOurs]

Bonjour à tous

You do not know me yet, but I read the forum for several weeks, I have the impression that you are familiar to me!
As the title says, I finally have a garden, after years in the city, to grow various plants on my balconies with more or less success.
While trying to clarify this concept of permaculture which is everywhere and which I could not understand, I ended up landing on "the vegetable garden of the sloth", I devoured the first 400 pages of the thread, a real story to twists and turns, it's exciting!
I learned how a soil works, aggradation, worms, auxiliaries, anthropization, permanent cover ... I gave up thanks to you to ask the city the lousy composter of bottom of garden since I intend to feed my garden with our peelings.
I have progressed quite a bit in theory, with the big limit that my favorite area of ​​expertise is not really science! Now I'm good to practice, but where do I start?

I begin with the description of the places: house of new construction in the hérault, on a clay ground, slush that sticks to the feet with which one could shape statues! And from above but not in regular layer, earth embankment with a lot of pebbles. Depending on the terrain, there is between 30 cm and 1 meter.

For now the field is not yet completely backfilled, it will be done next week. There is bindweed, creeping plants and other velcro everywhere. I imagine that the machine that will backfill will spread all this mess in the field. I wondered if it would be useful to sow clover or meadow everywhere to occupy the land before the ugly ones grow back?

Then I wonder about the location of the future vegetable garden. I read everywhere that it takes a maximum of sun. Even in the south? with summers 45 in the shade, while there is no shade?

I still have many questions, I hope you do not sigh already before my level of incompetence

[Moindreffor]

Hello
very happy for you that you can finally garden in "real"
the important point is obviously the location of the garden
full sun recess, to make shade is always possible, but not the opposite
then think about the water point, especially in the south, so where are you going to put your rainwater collectors? and so the garden will have to be close, cross the whole property with watering cans or have to install a watering system from the beginning it is not always Top

then once your land is well established, you can sow, a plant cover, a turf is not bad, it's a little prettier than clover, because this cover will stay a moment, the temporary lasts always more long time than expected and it's a good source of nitrogen

and put you in search of hay, or what you will be able to put as a cover on your future kitchen garden

so you already see some work
good luck

[phil53]

On the land that I just had to garden, I load in hay. In weeds that my neighbors throw away. In mowing recovered, all this is more than 20cm. I have already planted through leeks, cabbages. In October I will plant garlic and strawberries.
My lazy advice bring organic matter to the top without asking any questions.

[MadameOurs]

Thank you for your answers.

Indeed I had forgotten the question of water! We must install a water recovery quickly to be able to easily water on the sunniest side.
I did not think either that I will be able to shade if necessary

I thought that turf necessarily required care and watering consequent?

I spotted a neighbor with a beautiful meadow, I'll try to find out what he's doing with his mowing. @phil53 you drop all that first on a layer of hay?

[phil53]

Regarding turf, do not put thick and dry at least partially so that it does not form crust and it does not ferment. I put it over a layer of weeds that I left faded before and over it I put hay.
When you put very little thick it can put it on the hay avoiding that it touches the vegetable already in place because it can damage them.
If you have the opportunity to recover wood grind especially small branches, it's great also for strawberries and small fruit bushes.
Read Didier's book, this is really worth it because it is much better explained.

[Adrien (ex-nico239)]

Gadoue and pebbles I know ...

Starting from 0 like that I would say to be lazy and just to send winter vetch to the garden part, vesce that you sleep in the spring at the time of sowing or planting more that "send" of the nitrogen in your soil.

For water except the garden hose connected to the faucet there is the agricultural tank 1000l which is very practical and cheap (50 €) in all cases much cheaper and much larger than commercial collectors.
And ATTENTION to foresee the pump to have pressure (a hundred of €)
And of course direct a gutter to this tank, they fill up much faster than you think (and empties too) ... if you have the place you put two connected each to 2 gutters.
They are a little ugly but it is very easy to make them a wooden formwork on which you can hang (or put on) planters and flush flowers

After the ideal is the drip but it's a job, you can see that in a second time.

And nothing prevents you from sowing winter spinach: must start well?

[MadameOurs]

Thank you for all these details, and this advice that saves me time on my thinking.

I did not think I could start sowing for the winter ... I can not wait and at the same time a little pressure!

[to be chafoin]

Hi and welcome,

yes it's normal, I too at first I did not know anything and I asked myself a thousand questions before trying anything, and a thousand others after doing it!

But you are lucky to be at home and able to do what you want. It is by deceiving that we advance too. So, as others have said, I think you can start pretty quickly. For example if you like beans, you can try to get seeds. There are grain libraries in which you could find seeds cheaply. I am in Gironde and I sow the beans in October, they germinate and grow a little before winter and then give excellent beans in early spring (we can then easily follow another crop such as tomato for example). In addition they can easily cross a blanket (such as hay for example!) Because they are large seeds. And to finish the bean as a legume would bring nitrogen to your soil that may be needed if you saw the earth embankment you mentioned. But there is also garlic, peas ... that you can try to launch this fall. For these winter crops you can put I think immediately hay, directly on your soil, by 1 month, if it rains, the mineralization will be going to feed your crops at the time of sowing that you can do at the plant through the hay.

Regarding the location, I would prefer to privilege the ease of access from the house (in addition to the sun and access to water already mentioned). It's nice to be able to easily have an eye on what's going on! Compared to the sun, if you have different sunshine it can be not bad, even if you have to learn to juggle rotations. Observe your field at different times of day: what are the places that take the most sun (morning, evening ...), are there places in the shade? ... These observations will be useful to you. For example, if you grow tomatoes without a greenhouse, it may be wise to place them in the sunniest place at dawn so that moisture from condensation evaporates quickly to prevent mildew. And Solanaceae generally (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes ...) really need sun, especially since these crops can be relatively long to reach maturity. On the other hand, slightly shaded areas could shelter crops that like water (strawberries, Swiss chard, beets, etc.).

Good start!

[MadameOurs]

Thank you for the welcome and all the advice, it's a great first for me to get started without really mastering my subject ...
The beans is a good idea. I am under observation of the field, I note the shadows during the day. Knowing that a house is built next door and that its fence may change the situation.
I wonder how to have several pieces of garden in the garden will be manageable!

I followed the advice of Moindreffor and ordered low grass seedlings, to green a little all that. I look on the corner hay ads, I wonder if it's worth it because I do not need enough to be delivered and in my car I certainly will not load enough?

[to be chafoin]

Regarding the hay, in my experience it takes quite a lot to have the expected effect: a thick layer of 20cm quickly melts in spring (and in the autumn in an identical way I imagine) especially when you do not have enough to supplement (grass clipped, leaves ...).

For the location, if you go in this type of crop without tillage, the advantage is still that you can move easily from one year to another your plots if the location is not suitable. Of course you will lose a bit of the effect of repeated aggression in the same place but you place your cover on the right or left, it does not change, you can implement your crops as easily and almost at the moment you want!