Hey Jay;
Welcome to Missouri.We've been here going on our 3rd year and like you weren't use to the conditions unique to MO.I've found that the basic practices used by gardeners everywhere will serve you well here.Try and find your local garden club,either thruogh the county extension agent or like us at the library. These folks will SAVE YOU MUCH GRIEF and are only too glad to help. ALSO, one of the smartest things I did was to go to the local farmers market(eventhough we have a huge and highly productive garden of our own) and buy some produce.It's an easy way of seeing what does well in your vicinity and If your like me you'll find some varieties you'll want to grow next year. As far as rocks go.... get em out of there.even wallnut sized stones will play hell with your root crops. I've found that trenching where I'm planting cut down the enormous task of doing the whole garden. Lastly, COMPOST as much as you can. We have a tree/landscaping outfit that is more than happy to give us all their grindings. GOOD LUCK.

Welcom Jeerry,
I am Ann. I am relatively new to this forum, and I like it alot. I get great advice and the people are wonderful. They have made me feel right at home. My problem is clay instead of rocks. I have to ask people for rocks or buy them to put around my flower gardens. My passion is flowers. P.S. I use to be a biology teacher.
Ann

why not try something like this?!

william

You can grow those things here. I only remove the big rocks from the planting hole. I have hauled in mushroom compost, Joplin city compost, topsoil, fall leaves, manure, rotted hay, wood chips from the electric utility, grass clippings etc. It is an ongoing process and I enjoy it. Start small and prepare your soil a small area at a time. There is some soil between the rocks and things will grow here, but it is hard to till a vegetable garden with a tiller.

Welcome Jerry!
I leave rocks where they are for my flower beds and just garden over them but I think it would be pretty hard to dig potatoes in rocky ground. When we were kids, it was our job to follow behind the tiller every summer and pick up rocks. It was a never ending job. We always planted potatoes and my dad still does. I have to confess though, I buy mine in bags at the grocery store.

Welcome Jerry.
the place you are going to garden, has it been a garden before?
The rocks and the weather are the two constant battles in this area.
good luck.
Bonnie

Welcome Jerry.

Yes, gardening here will be different. William's idea of raised beds is excellent. Finding the old garden spot, if there was one, is the best. Another would be research and try the lasagna technique where you layer papers, hay, straw, soil, kitchen green waste, etc. for a season or two and then plant in it.

I have always managed to till up a new garden. We have lived on 4 different places over our 47 years. The last farm we moved to in 1991, had a garden spot. It doesn't have many rocks, but was gardened with chemicals for 40 years so the organic content in the soil was extremely low. I use mulch (old hay) each year and it is looking much better, but still isn't where I want it to be.

The extremes of weather are a constant battle too.

That being said, you will love it..........eventually.