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My daughter bought me a 2'x4' planter. Looking like we'll have squash and sweet potatoes. Exciting stuff.

Total rookie. Started very late. Filled the planter with miracle grow soil (on sale because June in Az) and overplanted the hell out of it with any seed that looked like it might make it. Whole packets of .. - jalapenos - none - peppers - none - beets - looking like none - carrots - don't think so - butternut squash is thriving and I'm pruning overlapping leaves between plants - one sprouty end of a sweet potato is giving the squash hell on the East side of the planter

Don't judge. I'll read the instructions next time. Probably going to need squash recipes soon.

No squash bugs in the desert so far.

My daughter bought me a 2'x4' planter. Looking like we'll have squash and sweet potatoes. Exciting stuff. Total rookie. Started very late. Filled the planter with miracle grow soil (on sale because June in Az) and overplanted the hell out of it with any seed that looked like it might make it. Whole packets of .. - jalapenos - none - peppers - none - beets - looking like none - carrots - don't think so - butternut squash is thriving and I'm pruning overlapping leaves between plants - one sprouty end of a sweet potato is giving the squash hell on the East side of the planter Don't judge. I'll read the instructions next time. Probably going to need squash recipes soon. No squash bugs in the desert so far.

(post is archived)

[–] • 3 pts (edited )

Could be a number of things that lead to no sprouts of thr other stuff - for peppers, it could most likely be sowing too deep (1/8" is what you want). Great news on the squash bugs - seems to be more a midwest > southeast problem. One thing to be cognizant of when it comes to sweet potato, is not too much nitrogen. Too much will make for big bushy tops but not much else below the surface.

Should've popped this in earlier - butternut squash is excellent for making a bisque or simply roasted with parsnips, carrot, onion , and turnip to have with a right piece of fish.

Sweet potato: peel, cube and boil until fork-tender. Drain, add butter, roasted garlic, rosemary and sage maybe a little sour cream. Salt. Mash. Serve with chicken, turkey, pork

[–] • 1 pt

I'm excited for the sweet potato and I hope the miracle grow soil isn't too much. I didn't read the instructions, I don't know if I should have blended that with soil, but I used it straight.

Sweet potato foliage will work down the nitrogen, I imagine. I'll keep at that if no tubors.

[–] • 0 pt

Awesome, enjoy! You have to start somewhere.

If you like jalapenos/peppers look into starting them indoors with a seed mat and containers before planting them in a bed (depending on your weather). A seed mat will keep the soil warmer and help with root development.

If you have any questions just post here. Plenty of gardeners are around and if you like hot stuff /s/capsaicinconnection/ people will probably be happy to share tips too.

Drip systems on a timer are a good thing to have too, especially where you are. It's not a huge bed so you could do either a suspended or a buried drip system to save on water.

[–] • 0 pt

Congrats on getting started! The best way to learn is to do. What part of Arizona? How much sun vs shade for the growing area? Depending on your growing zone and amount of sun exposure, there will be different advice.

[–] • 2 pts

I've figured out that some plants get dry. I'm watering most days is it does not rain and the wilty squash is standing up tall again. I think the heat really cycles water from the soil and through the plant. That one is near the hot metal side of the planter. It's doing fine now, and the others are happy.

I set up the planter to get full sun in the morning. Around noon it gets filtered sun because it is under a tree limb. Then late afternoon it is back in sun. Seems to be great!

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

Sounds like a solid set up! Plants can take a lot more heat than expected as long as their roots have plenty of cool, moist soil.

Miracle grow soil is meant to be used as is, so you're right on the money. Next season you can top off with more Miracle Grow, compost, or a general soil mix with a little fertilizer mixed in. My favorite fertilizer is Trifecta Plus from MIGardener.

Peppers can take up to 40 days just to sprout, and are slow growers (plant to fruit can be over 100 days easy). But you have a climate where you can likely grow them much longer than most folks.

If you have no beets sprouting yet, they're probably duds. MIGardener's seeds have always had high germination rates for me. Baker Creek has been good, too, but I find they're expensive for the amount of seed you get.

Take some photos!

[–] • 0 pt

squashes need a lot of room. you might get away with two squash plants in a planter of that size, and they will spill out of the planter. peppers need at least 1x1’ per plant. beets, 2-3 per ft2, carrots maybe 4-5 per ft2. planters also take a ton of soil if you fill it adequately and that can get expensive if you are buying bags.

do you have space or land to add more planters, or to plant in-ground? do you compost your kitchen scraps? do you have access to cow manure?

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

Hahaha no.

overplanted the hell out of it with any seed that looked like it might make it

I'm making mistakes as fast as I can. Maybe I will scale up if I like my squash. Or maybe I will have dwarf squash because they are fighting to the death for sun.

Two squash next season. Or I dedicate it to sweet potatoes.