Hello! Beginner here :)

[neochiq]

Hi all. I am looking to start a garden in my backyard. I'd like to keep it as organic as possible as I am going to be planting fruits and veggies. I was going to try for a container garden on my porch but came into some raised garden beds (2 of them) and need a little help.

First, I live in Florida. I do know about zones and timing, etc. So that's not my area of need. I do struggle with what soil to purchase and how to make sure the soil is healthy. I did plant tomatoes one year in a special 'tomato planter' and they grew very tall but never flowered. Then they ended up with this white fuzzy stuff that choked and eventually killed the plants. I haven't tried again since then.

So, I'd love some advice, the best soil advice, how to fertilize the soil, etc. Just a beginner's guide would be extremely helpful. Maybe some veggie and fruit varieties that could withstand my black thumb and help it turn green?

Thanks all!

 

[Logan]

Hi and welcome to GF good luck with your new garden.
With the tomatoes you probably fed them too much and they made more growth than flowers, start feeding them after the first truss of fruit set, then feed them with a high potash fertilizer.
I buy a multi purpose compost for everything. Don't know what types of fruit you can buy over there but fruit is easier than veg with my experience with my garden and my soil.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

Bonjour! @neochiq. How long have you been interested in organic gardening?

 

[Tess]

Welcome to the forum! You are so lucky to be somewhere warm where plants want to grow right now!

 

[neochiq]

Bonjour! @neochiq. How long have you been interested in organic gardening?

A few years! But haven’t dived in yet

 

[Tess]

A few years! But haven’t dived in yet

I've always done organic gardening. I figure if I'm going to go to all the trouble of growing my own food it might as well be as healthy as possible! I have my natural methods of keeping pests away, like putting out beer traps for slugs....

 

[D@ve]

Soil – compost, peat moss / coco coir with a little perlite. I feel like all soils (garden, top, etc.) are just different mixes of those. Also, do not forget to mulch!

also - YouTube check out Gary Pilarchik (The Rusted Garden) I like his style and he has a lot of videos explaining fertilizer, NPK, etc.

You can also check out - the ripe tomato farms on YouTube. I like them both a lot.

p.s. Welcome