A) You're not too, too late for some veggies but I'm guessing soil prep is probably your biggest obstacle. Might get more ideas if you post your question on the vegetable garden thread.

B) Check out lasagna gardening to prep the soil for optimal results. It's not at all complicated or too labor-intensive from what I've read. Fortunately when I moved here the soil was already amazing so soil amendment wasn't necessary prior to planting.

Wishing you yummy success.

No, you are not too late. I still have some tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, and cucumber starts waiting to be planted out. (geez, didn't realize that I had QUITE so much to plant till I typed that out, lol.)

In general, I swear by the lasagna method. I don't start beds any other way. However, it I were planting in those beds, I think I would remove the grass and weeds first, and then amend the soil with compost before planting. I'm a big believer in not disturbing the soil too much, but if I were planting vegetables this late I'd want that grass gone. Lasagna method usually (but not always) assumes there is more time for decompostion. Besides, it looks like you don't have much room to add layers on top of that grass. So I would remove the grass, *lightly* mix in some compost, plant, and mulch wth something organic (shredded leaves are great.)

Don't forget to go vertical - a way to grow more inthe small beds. Still time for beans, and you can grow cukes up a trellis as well. Just watch your sun orientation and put the trellis on the appropriate side so it doesn't block the sun.

Have fun! Good luck!
Dee

I would probably take a spading fork and loosen the soil and then handweed, getting as many weeds as possible. Add some compost and mix with the spading fork. If the soil isn't great, you may want to add some (not a lot) soluble fertilizer with higher potasium (the P in NPK) and relatively low nitrogen (N). The N would give you leaves at the expense of the tomato fruit.

Plant your tomatoes, water them in well, and then around them mulch with cardboard or newspaper or brown craft paper and then cover with mulch of some kind. That will save you having to weed much and help keep the soil evenly moist. Leave bare soil where you want to sow seeds.

Enjoy! Tomatoes were my first effort at gardening.

Well it sounds like I've got some weeding to do, then!

Thanks for your replies.

Excited to give this a shot.

I'd agree with all that. Like Dee, I am also a big believer in disturbing the soil as little as possible. I try not to turn it over with a pitchfork, I just insert the pitchfork to the depth of it and lift the soil to loosen it. And you can add good organic compost to the top and just work it in to the top 3 - 6 inches of soil before planting. I like Coast of Maine organic compost in the bags if I don't have my own

With a spade, just loosen the soil around the weeds and they should all pull out very easily.

For an easy way to grow pole string beans, I buy four 8 or 10ft tall bamboo poles and make a teepee with them and tie them at the top with string and you can directly sow pole string beans, it's not too late. I like purple podded string beans called 'Trionfo Violetto Pole Bean' if you can find the seed. Why? Because the bugs seem to be less interested in them, they are prettier, they cook up green, and they are not too stringy. You don't have to do much to grow string beans, they are easy and fast.

If you are planting tomatoes, I actually grow them in raised 4ft square beds and they get large and no more than two plants will fit in each bed. Plant them diagonally from each other so they won't shade each other. I use grass clippings from the lawn to mulch with, but that is because I don't use any chemicals or fertilizer on our lawn. I also put flowers in the corners of the bed or Basil plants along the edge. Nasturtiums or Marigolds are easy and pretty. And you will need some kind of support for the tomato plants. Regular tomato cages are pretty much inadequate for the size the plants will get. But if you stake them and tie the tomato to the stake as it grows and put the largest tomato cage you can buy over it, it should be pretty good. I use 8ft stakes, because they will grow 6ft tall and you need to hammer the stake about a foot into the soil.

Good luck and hope you have fun!

Another lasagna gardening fan here. We just started some new winter squash beds. It worked pretty well last year but I didn't like the bed location. If you want to start any additional beds, I would use that method. I've been able to find free composted horse manure on Craigslist.

I like the suggestion of nasturtiums and marigolds. I have pot marigolds that now self sow (Calendula). You still have time to start some basil and summer squash (if you aren't already the recipient of friends' gardening). I also start bush beans late in the season, I'm thinking early August/late July but here in NH I have to protect them from a mid-Sept frost. You can also start lettuce and broccoli from seed. I think some greens do better planted later in the summer if you keep them watered. Although it seems late for planting zucchini, my plants tend to poop out late in the season so I wish I had some started later.
I think you can find a sowing calculator on Johnny's Seeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnny's Selected Seeds Succession Planting