How do you manage a large garden?

TrippleDip

TrippleDip

Well-Known Member
Looking for tips on managing gardens as they grow in size.. Flower / vegetable garden is now up to about 1500sq ft if you include trellises and walkways. I will be starting around 700 plants indoors which is about 3x what I did last year - how do you manage the starting, growth, and transportation of the plants?

I figure I will use 4 x 72 2" plug trays and around 400 3" peat pots. Are there better options? 400 peat pots costs around $60 per year and I was experimenting with paper pots ($0) which worked well, except they can't be packed as close due to mold issues. What options do you use for 2" and 3" starter pots?

Transportation.. Last year it took me 4 trips to get all the seedlings out because you can't stack the trays. Apart from renting a van, how do you transport large numbers of seedlings?

Management - I plan to use a single 4x8 table and hand water. Do you use misting systems or other to make your life easier? Is there a better way to manage this than what I outlined above?
 
Last edited:
thumper60

thumper60

Well-Known Member
TrippleDip said:
Looking for tips on managing gardens as they grow in size.. Flower / vegetable garden is now up to about 1500sq ft if you include trellises and walkways. I will be starting around 700 plants indoors which is about 3x what I did last year - how do you manage the starting, growth, and transportation of the plants?

I figure I will use 4 x 72 2" plug trays and around 400 3" peat pots. Are there better options? 400 peat pots costs around $60 per year and I was experimenting with paper pots ($0) which worked well, except they can't be packed as close due to mold issues. What options do you use for 2" and 3" starter pots?

Transportation.. Last year it took me 4 trips to get all the seedlings out because you can't stack the trays. Apart from renting a van, how do you transport large numbers of seedlings?

Management - I plan to use a single 4x8 table and hand water. Do you use misting systems or other to make your life easier? Is there a better way to manage this than what I outlined above?
Click to expand...
Why are you transporting your veggi starters?4x8 table for what? do you have indoor lights? What the hell are you really trying to do :D
 
TrippleDip

TrippleDip

Well-Known Member
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
Will follow along as my garden is only half that size and I reduced the amount I try to grow because I couldn’t keep up with that. 1500 sq ft is no joke garden work.

You could maybe build racks for your trays that’d fit into a box truck and allow you to stack. They’d have to be really strapped down though for turns on the road.

There electricity at the site? An insulated shack to start seeds on site maybe? Then you’d even have a roof for rain water collection too. I dunno just brainstorming as you must be committed with this garden size.

You might try asking a place like Bordines for tips though I don’t know how willing they’ll share. Their high tunnel setups always leave me in awe like how many people would this shit take.
 
TrippleDip

TrippleDip

Well-Known Member
bam0813 said:
Do you have a pick up? You could fashion something out of wood and ply to make “ shelving” in the bed. Full size should fit many layers for flats
Click to expand...
That's a really good idea! Thanks. The only thing I could think of was boxing them. I don't have a truck but could probably get help for a trip, not several though.

M.O. said:
There electricity at the site?
Click to expand...
No, there's no access while there's snow on the ground.

xtsho said:
I'm a big fan of using the thick plastic nursery trays with plastic nursery pots. They can be reused year after year. Plus you can really pack them in. It's like a modular system.


Click to expand...
Is that 2", 3", 4"? I bought cheap trays last year and nothing fit properly, that's why I was considering the 72 well trays this year. I don't like the plastic waste though because the plug inserts always break.

I like the ease of not having to take the plant out of the pot when planting with peat pots but they are expensive compared to reusable nursery pots.

I also like reusing things and am probably going to use about 60 yogurt containers as 4.5" pots for peppers when they get up potted.
 
TrippleDip

TrippleDip

Well-Known Member
mudballs said:
Im a huge fan of soaker hoses...i dont like misters or drip emmiters for large grows. You dont want to deal with hundreds of stupid tiny tips clogging, popping off, non-uniform dispersal, etc...soaker hoses baby.
Click to expand...
Second this. They aren't that bad but I had to go through it once a week last year (drip system) to make the watering uniform.
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
TrippleDip said:
That's a really good idea! Thanks. The only thing I could think of was boxing them. I don't have a truck but could probably get help for a trip, not several though.


No, there's no access while there's snow on the ground.


Is that 2", 3", 4"? I bought cheap trays last year and nothing fit properly, that's why I was considering the 72 well trays this year. I don't like the plastic waste though because the plug inserts always break.

I like the ease of not having to take the plant out of the pot when planting with peat pots but they are expensive compared to reusable nursery pots.

I also like reusing things and am probably going to use about 60 yogurt containers as 4.5" pots for peppers when they get up potted.
Click to expand...
I updated that photo with the dimensions of the pots. I measured from the top but the pots taper towards the bottom. They're the same sizes used by nurseries and all of my 2.5" pots came from small flower starts I've purchased over the years. I just keep reusing them. The 4.25" pots I got at a grow store and don't fit evenly. The other sizes do.
 
Herb & Suds

Herb & Suds

Well-Known Member
TrippleDip said:
Looking for tips on managing gardens as they grow in size.. Flower / vegetable garden is now up to about 1500sq ft if you include trellises and walkways. I will be starting around 700 plants indoors which is about 3x what I did last year - how do you manage the starting, growth, and transportation of the plants?

I figure I will use 4 x 72 2" plug trays and around 400 3" peat pots. Are there better options? 400 peat pots costs around $60 per year and I was experimenting with paper pots ($0) which worked well, except they can't be packed as close due to mold issues. What options do you use for 2" and 3" starter pots?

Transportation.. Last year it took me 4 trips to get all the seedlings out because you can't stack the trays. Apart from renting a van, how do you transport large numbers of seedlings?

Management - I plan to use a single 4x8 table and hand water. Do you use misting systems or other to make your life easier? Is there a better way to manage this than what I outlined above?
Click to expand...
www.target.com

Dixie Everyday Assorted Designs Cold Cups - 54ct/9oz

Read reviews and buy Dixie Everyday Assorted Designs Cold Cups - 54ct/9oz at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more.
www.target.com www.target.com
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
Samwell Seed Well said:
space planning, and LEAN management skills.. got to keep cost down and value to the customer up
Click to expand...
I reuse the plastic plant tags as well. I use pencil and just erase it and write something else on them. I save every penny I can. The little stuff adds up. Plus I don't throw away anything that I can reuse in the garden. I even save straight branches from trimming trees to use as plant stakes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top