Newbie Gardner – Looking for tips, tricks, and hacks that work – Lots of ?’s

After a 2 year wait we finally got a Garden plot at the Sartell community gardens. I think we really lucked out with getting a corner Plot. This plot has a chain link fence on 2 sides that we can us for climbing things like beans and pea’s. The plot’s are 20X20 so decent size. Looking for any suggestions for a new gardener. So far my thoughts are:
Trellis the cucumber’s. My current plan is to build a 8X6 frame out of 2×2’s and staple heavy duty plastic chicken fence materials to it and angle it against the outside chainlink fence and trellis the vines up that to save some space and keep the vines under control.
Going to try and grow the Zucchini and yellow squash Vertically on a plant stake to save space and once again control the spreading.
Anyone hear tried either of these?
For Tomatoes, is the old cages still the best method to support them? I have 2 cherry style, 2 Roma’s, a early Girl, a Jet star, and a Big Boy. Think I may have went a little crazy on tomatoes but I love them.
Other things I plan to grow are Bean’s, Pea’s, Peppers, Leaf Lettece, a few Cabbage, Carrots, and Green onions. anything else will depend on space left over.
All you experts – Please help the Newbie out to help me avoid to many mistakes.

Check out the book Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. It will really help you make the most out of your small space, how many plants of a certain type you can grow in 1 square foot, what plants work better adjacent to one-another in small spaces, etc.

It’s not something that you necessarily have to read cover-to-cover, there’s helpful illustrations on how to set-up your space, planting, etc. I had two 4×8 boxes and that book really helped me get a LOT out of that small amount of dirt.

ThunderLund78 wrote:

Check out the book Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.

I will have to check that book out

If you build a frame and angle it to the outside fence for cucumbers is your plan to crawl under it to pick them? Zucchini dont vine. Not sure how to grow them vertically.

I like beefsteak or heirloom tomatos for sandwiches/BLT’s, and 6/7 tomatoes is not a crazy amount I do more than that in a couple raised beds and pots. I buy started plants as well, one less thing to worry about, and if you are going from seed now you are behind schedule. Any of the crawling plants (cukes, beans, squash, zukes) will take up a ton of space if left unchecked, so make sure you have a place for them to go and keep them from going elsewhere. And don’t forget to plant in a way that allows you to walk around the garden all season.

Double dig!
Thank me later.

If you Trellis heavy fruit like tomoto, cukes and squash Cattle panels are by far the best. They can be Cut to fit, and bendable. You will like this better than anything you can make yourself. Our garden is surrounded by 8 foot fence and I set the panel diagonally against the top of Fence. The squash will grow and hang. You can walk under them. Come August, it gets pretty cool looking. You can get creative with the Panels for sure.

For tomato plants, Plant them deep and Trim them more than you think. They need airflow.

Don’t Crowd any of your plants!

Find a good gardening book. You tube is your friend.

Buy a lot of cheap clear tomato clips. they work great for any climbing plant.
If you plant Peas, Plant more than you think. I use T-posts and Twine to trellis. They can grow to 6 feet or more. I like the No. 9 peas

For plants that vine, Squash tomato’s etc .use low nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen really promotes Vegetative growth and less fruit. Even with potato’s.

DTW