This year was my first time to raise my own garden, too.

Among the things I learned:
Little critters can get inside the wire fence that has a rectangular shape. I had to add a two-foot-tall chicken wire fence around the regular fence to keep out the baby bunnies.

Pumpkins and canteloupe REALLY spread out and take over the ground. They spread way farther than I thought they would.

Tomatoes grow much taller than they can support themselves. I thought I was doing well with the wire cone cages around my tomatoes, but they all overtopped those by about two feet, then sagged and worked hard to kill themselves as the tomatoes ripened. Next year I'll stake them well and keep track of them as they grow.

I made mounds for my zucchini and yellow squash, then planted rows of carrots in between them...just close enough for the carrots to be totally overhung and shaded by the squash as their leaves spread out.

All my squash eventually got covered with a whitish, mildew-like substance. After it really got out of control, I found Web sites describing the problem and recommending that you spray the leaves with one part milk to 10 parts water out of a common spray bottle. Next year, I'll be able to catch it as it begins and hopefully stop it.


Now, a question for the more experience gardeners. I'm going to work on a compost box setup and raising a bed within the garden for some of the vegetables. Using common (salvaged) lumber, can/should I coat either/both structures with something like a deck stain to prevent rotting of the wood, or would leaching be a problem for these purposes?

Thanks all

Dave