Garden Prep!!!!

[CrazyDelicious]

I am so excited!!! I have never had the space for a full-on garden before - I always had to grow what I could in pots and troughs. It worked well, but this year I can triple (at least) the size of my garden!! And with the nice weather it has got me all garden-crazy!

I just got some heirloom black tomato seeds. Never had them - but the pic on the package looks good enough to eat! I am planning my garden as we speak!

Anyone else anticipating garden-season?
If so - what are you growing this year????

I am planting:

Black Tomatoes
Red Roma Tomatoes
Yellow Pear Cherry Tomatoes
Lacinato Kale
Rainbow Chard
Atomic Purple Carrot
Shelling Peas
Zucchini
Chili Peppers
Beets!
Tomatillos

:D

[CrazyDelicious]

I'm in the opposite situation - I have to start seeds indoors weeks before because it is too cold out. Chili Peppers do really well in the heat! Also tomatillos (though they do well here too) and I think tomatoes as long as they get lots and lots of water. Here kale and chard grow like a weed! Yum!

I would just list your favourite veggies and then look them up and see if they would do well! If you are in a hot area, can you grow fruits well? I am thinking of planting strawberries too.

Oh - I find zucchini really easy to grow! I hardly touch it and I get so much I need to give it away!

[DebB]

I'm planting my seeds inside today! This will be our second year with our raised beds - we're building more this year too.

several varieties of tomatoes
zucchini
cucumbers
lemon cucumbers
multi-colored carrots
red & orange bell peppers
thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, dill
watermelon
cantelope

That's all I can think of off the top of my head - all that is from seed... fingers crossed! *Ü*

[gin3]

I leased a plot at a new community garden by my house. I've planted seed for carrots, variety of lettuces, bush beans, and green beans. Tomorrow I plan to transplant some tomatoes, red and green peppers. Later on I plan to plant seed for cantaloupe and strawberries.

[CrazyDelicious]

DebB you must have lots of space! I have never grown zucchini, cucumber, watermelon or cantaloupe due to lack of space - hopefully I will be able to grow them soon! Sounds so good though - I can't imagine how good it would be to pull a cantaloupe out of the garden and eat it - so sweet and juicy! Yum!

I am also growing from seed - wish me luck! :)

[christinajade]

Wish I could start one but it would be pointless since we are moving to San Diego. Maybe when I get situated.:)

[CrazyDelicious]

gin3 - Sounds so good! Strawberries are my very favourite! I tried growing them last year, but never got to try any. Some animal (a squirrel maybe?) kept stealing the fruit before I got a chance to eat any! :rolleyes:

christinajade - I think all garden options are open to you in San Diego!! You can grow anything there! Maybe you can start some late-harvest stuff! :)

[Mary Kay]

CrazyDelicious,

You're not supposed to eat strawberries the first year anyway. Actually, as soon as you see them flowering the first year, you're supposed to pinch them off. This way the plant puts more into itself and its roots, rather than the fruit. A stronger plant will give you better fruit in the future.

HTH,

Mary Kay

[christinajade]

Crazy, I'm really excited about it!!

[CrazyDelicious]

CrazyDelicious,

You're not supposed to eat strawberries the first year anyway. Actually, as soon as you see them flowering the first year, you're supposed to pinch them off. This way the plant puts more into itself and its roots, rather than the fruit. A stronger plant will give you better fruit in the future.

HTH,

Mary Kay

Wow - I had no idea! Is that just a thing with strawberries? My entire garden this year will be brand new. Maybe I will invest in some future strawberries :D

[streetsurfer]

Oh yes, I'm Jones'n to get picking cucumbers and 'maters. Last week the weather turned nice here and I got the lawn and beds all raked and cleaned up, tall grass cut down/burned off, and the garden shed de-moused and re-organized. The compost pile grew considerably with all the clean up debris. I even found I have some spinach that overwintered. I'll probably throw some compost at it today to give it a kick in the pants. Garlic planted last fall is poking through.

I placed some kale plants into a couple hanging baskets after the clean up. Red Russian Kale will go in too, between the dwarf blue curly kale. The kale went from indoors to out and got snowed on within 12 hours.....it seemed to love it and is doing great. I've had my hands in the dirt all winter with indoor growing. I have lot's of starts from clones to place outside...stevia, sage, rosemary; since the kale did alright going directly outdoors to the baskets(no hardening off needed), I'll probably be placing some of that indoor kale in the ground or a planter later today.

[T-Bird]

Excellent photo of the Kale SS!

I have some kale and parsley coming up from fall plantings. Kept a glass bowl over the kale and it made it, yay!

Yesterday - DD was sick so I stayed home. After intense smoothie therapy and some ibuprofen, she was content to read to herself, so I headed out to the garden.

Planted onion, radish, chard, beets, spinach, carrots, lettuce, dill, peas, kohlrabi.

The good and the bad of it:

So excited to see them start coming up, I'm salivating.

Bad part - I've used up all my planting areas! where oh where will the tomatoes, peppers, cukes, bean, melons, etc all go???

and the cabbages, broccoli, basil, cilantro, where or where?

Where will the cabbages go?

[Revvell]

gin3 - Sounds so good! Strawberries are my very favourite! I tried growing them last year, but never got to try any. Some animal (a squirrel maybe?) kept stealing the fruit before I got a chance to eat any! :rolleyes:


Yes, we eat strawberries. :p

[lovenlife]

I am co-gardening with some friends...will be fun. Lots of things we are planting.

[CrazyDelicious]

Oh I finally found my post LOL!!! I forgot about this gardening section - oops! :rolleyes:

streetsurfer - Thats a great pic of the kale. I usually have lots of stuff wintering in my house too, but we moved over the winter and I had a baby so wasn't on the ball at all. Just started noticing everyone tilling their gardens in the beautiful weather and suddenly realized what was missing! So I need to get my stuff started right away! :D

T-Bird - I am the same! I was looking though my seeds and adding more stuff to my garden. Like some peas and beans - mmm I have so much more space than I ever had, and suddenly I have used it all up! I just need to stay away from the veg that like to take over!

[CrazyDelicious]

Yes, we eat strawberries. :p

I thought so!!
I would go out and check the strawberries and the fruit would just be gone! :D

[CrazyDelicious]

I am co-gardening with some friends...will be fun. Lots of things we are planting.

I love co-gardening! I am growing extra tomatoes and tomatillos for my apartment friends!!! So we can have backyard gardening parties!! :)

[levamssg]

Love hearing what everyone is doing! I'm starting my seeds indoors this weekend ... tomatoes, cukes, zucchini, peppers I think. Hopefully will get some kale planted outside as well. We will be building a raised bed this year so that will be exciting to plant. I now have a composting system, so am busy filling that up for future use. I love springtime!!!

[DebB]

I've been working in the garden and inside this week too. Outside I planted Walla Walla sweet onions, some kale and lettuce. Inside I started bell peppers, beets, rosemary, basil, fennel, heirloom carrots, Amish paste tomatoes, thyme, oregano, curly kale, garlic chives, yellow pear tomatoes, brandywine & beefsteak tomatoes.

All of the above are either organic or heirloom except for the curly kale and garlic chives.

Soon I'll start seeds for watermelon, cantelope, cucumbers, zucchini, crookneck squash and maybe pumpkin..*Ü*

[kaybee]

hey for those of you with limited space, you know you can get your cukes, peas and beans (pole beans) to climb stuff, making use of the vertical space? get your cukes climbing up a trellis or whatever and they wont take up ground space. nasturtiams will climb as well and give you pretty edible flowers

plant edible flowers: especially borage. very pretty. also nasturtiams and calendula

jerusalem artichokes grow in a similar fashion to potatoes but can be used raw.

chervil is an awesome herb, grows abundantly and can be used freely in salads. (licorice flavor)

i hate turnips but will use the leaves in a pinch when there are no other greens around...the leaves grow really fast.

and dont forget the edible weeds: CHICKWEED especially

comfrey leaves are a great fertilizer and according to some people are edible as are the flowers apparently. great external medicinal herb and also compost accelerator. put a chunk of root in the ground (or start from seed), and if you chop it up a bit in the fall it will spread.

[DebB]

So cute - these are my first seedling sprouts - beets! How pretty are they..? :)

Hmmm question - I've never grown beets. Does 1 seedling equal 1 beet? *Ü*

[streetsurfer]

Hmmm question - I've never grown beets. Does 1 seedling equal 1 beet? *Ü*


looking good..........yes to a beet per seed, and then a handful of greens (well, red greens-not to be confused with Red Green from the Possum Lodge).

[DebB]

Ha - Thanks streetsurfer!

My Amish paste tomatoes are sprouting too. Those are so good for dehydrating. *Ü*

[CrazyDelicious]

Oh those seedlings look good!
I can't wait to get mine started - hopefully my seeds will arrive this week!
:)

[T-Bird]

Just saw I have 1 beet and a couple of radish sprouts in the garden. Yay!

so hungry for the fresh goodness!


My mint patch should be yielding it's first harvest very soon, will be working out a mint julep recipe for this summer.

Yesterday - planted some more of my bareroot strawberry plants, some borage, lovage, and sorrel.

Haven't decided on a spot yet for those chickweed seeds.

Kaybee - about how tall do the get? How much sun is needed?

[T-Bird]

lots more sprouting - spinach, carrot, kohlrabi are showing their little faces.


Most of the toms are up in pots indoors....waiting on the peppers.

What are you all seeing????

[DebB]

Two days ago I planted 18 rainbow chard plants that were $3.25 for 9. I planted 9 butter crunch lettuce plants..

With my indoor seedlings - the tomatoes have grown their second set of leaves, so they're looking tomato-y. I planted brandywine, beefsteak, yellow pear and Amish paste.

I'm also seeing orange bell peppers, oregano, thyme, beets, fennel, carrots, curly kale, basil, cukes, lemon cukes, straight neck squash, garlic chives, trombetta squash and a dozen broccoli.

I've got 25 peat pots of marigolds planted and they're all coming up, 2-3 per pot.

Melons: canary and Tuscan melons, cantelope, Hermiston watermon and moon & stars watermelon. 25 planted total.
They're just breaking the surface.

No shows so far are the green (I let them go to red) peppers and rosemary. Hmm - might have to replant those.

Just last night I planted green beans, sugar snap peas, mesclun mix and 2 cherry tomatoes.

This weekend I'm going to make the newspaper pots to transplant into. We're also building more raised beds this weekend - if this wind dies down that is. *Ü*

Back to add some pictures. Wanted to show the spinach container - that's making a really nice green house, it's also so nice and tall!

[rawhyde]

I have very limited space so my plants will be shade loving mostly.

[DebB]

I have very limited space so my plants will be shade loving mostly.

Hi rawhyde ~ Can you share what plants you'll be planting in the shade? I've got shade that I could plant in... thanks! *Ü*

[Shine]

So exciting to see how everyone's gardens are starting! My seeds arrived yesterday and I will pick up some local heirloom tomorrow so I can begin the indoor plantings! Everyone has such grand variety!! I am sticking to my staples:

cucumber
tomato(s) - three varieties
greenbeans
summer squash
zucchni
cabbage
green pepper
butternut squash
corn
peas

I usually grow my greens in container gardens but have stuck to lettuces and spinich. Does anyone have experience with kale and chard and other greens? I have enough space to create another garden so thought it would be nice to have one just of herbs and edible greens. Any previous knowledge would be welcomed :)

[lovenlife]

These are some of my garden pictures...all in prep stages.
These foods wintered over and I have been eating already!
Notice the residents macot started early! I think he ate lots all winter and slept alot too!

[T-Bird]

Looking good, lovenlife!

Hope mr. piggie is a pet:D

[big foot marty]

hate pinching strawberries or roses or other first year berries but i am happier later.....

The 12 year old boy in me has to be controlled so the plants do better.

[Mary Kay]

DebB,

What are those containers made of? Remay? If remay, then that doesn't decompose. Do you peel if off? I was thinking when you said you planted beets of how root crops should not be transplanted - unless they're in a decomposable "container." those look so earthy! LOL

And why not plant snow peas and spinach directly outdoors?

Thanks for sharing those photos BTW!

Mary Kay

[somelikeitraw]

Been out in the weed patch! Does anyone know of a way to completely get rid of crabgrass? I have been digging it up and digging it up and digging it up but it just seems to keep coming back. I know it's important to get every little piece you can find out of the soil and that's what I thought I did, but it just keeps coming back. Wonder if crabgrass would make a decent green smoothie, LOL!

DebB - what a great idea to use those big spinach/lettuce rectangles as green houses!

I have some strawberry plants that are going into a strawberry pot. Didn't know it was best to pick off first year blossoms and have already eaten 4 berries. Will start picking all blossoms off now and hope that helps the future harvest. There's one Brandywine tomato plant/start still in the little pot it was purchased in which really needs to get into the ground, hence my digging about in the fondly referred to "weed patch". There's also French thyme waiting to be transplanted. I think I will keep the variegated sorrel in it's pot, it has lived in it for over a year and seems very happy.

I have boatloads of seeds and behind the best time to start them so I better get myself busy!

Last year we planted trees. Meyer lemon, Valencia orange, Red grapefruit, White nectarine, Mission fig, 1 of each. Have had two Meyer lemons so far and many more blossoms and there are lots of blossoms on the orange and grapefruit as well. The fig is putting out lots of new leaves, no fruits yet. There is a dwarf apricot and a Rainier cherry from years ago and this year they are finally covered in blossoms.

[streetsurfer]

Been out in the weed patch! Does anyone know of a way to completely get rid of crabgrass? I have been digging it up and digging it up and digging it up but it just seems to keep coming back. I know it's important to get every little piece you can find out of the soil and that's what I thought I did, but it just keeps coming back. Wonder if crabgrass would make a decent green smoothie, LOL!

I assume you want a natural way to do it, in case you want to make that smoothie later on. Read up on corn gluten meal as a preventive measure for the crabgrass. That is a natural safe choice that keeps seeds from germinating. The principal is you will be forming a barrier near the surface to prevent the seeds in that zone from germinating. These products are called pre emergents. Preen is one brand of a chemical version of pre emergent. Crabgrass germinates early in the season so you should check with you local extension service to see when they recommend putting down a pre-emergent. Getting it down at the right time is important. Somewhere between snow melt and forsythias/lilacs blooming is the time frame for crabgrass-that time right before soil temps are suitable for grabgrass to germinate. Pulling it is fine but it doesn't deal with old dropped seeds. Certainly try to cultivate out what you can before it goes to seed later in the year. If you have it in the lawn try to mow often when in seed, and use a catcher to lessen the distribution of seeds. Seeds can remain viable in the soil for years and then sprout when disturbed, or conditions are just right, so just pulling the crabgrass may be moving old seeds into a new position where they will more easily sprout. That zone near the surface where you would try to establish the barrier of CGM. When weeding, get as many roots as you can too. Keep in mind too, that weeding would also disturb any existing weed preventing barrier and more product would need to be applied (always stay within the product labels recommendation). You probably know stuff pulls up much easier a day or two after a good rain.

You won't want to use it in areas that you will later be broadcasting your veggie and greens seeds, or turf seed for that matter. It will prevent their germination also. You will either have to apply it after the area is established (and maybe miss your crabgrass window) or start your plants indoors and transplant them into the garden once they've established good roots.
I've used CGM on my yard. IIRC it was one fall and then the following spring. It was very effective for most weeds, and it's benefits appeared to last well beyond a year.

[somelikeitraw]

Thanks StreetSurfer! For now I will just keep digging the stuff out since I am planting food in that area.

[How?]

Hi loveninlife, tell us more about your pig. I just adore them and plan on getting one or two at some stage.Do they do much rooting, do you have a special fenced of place or can you let them wander. How much care do they need, vaccinations,hoof care etc..Whats the most annoying thing about him/her?Whats the best thing about him/her? Is it a him/her!? What is him/her's name?How intelligent are they? Do they eat most waste, juicer pulp extract etc?

[dlt123]

These are some of my garden pictures...all in prep stages.
These foods wintered over and I have been eating already!
Notice the residents macot started early! I think he ate lots all winter and slept alot too!

Hey, I saw your Brussels sprouts and I love those little things... Your picture made me think, can you eat the stalk that the sprouts are attached to?

Just curious,
Dennis

[T-Bird]

Hey, I saw your Brussels sprouts and I love those little things... Your picture made me think, can you eat the stalk that the sprouts are attached to?

Yep - and you can eat a broom handle too!

[dlt123]

Yep - and you can eat a broom handle too!

Best of luck with that Broom handle. :rolleyes:

Dennis

[T-Bird]

today, picking up after mr. puppy, there were huge chunks of wood!

That dog likes his sticks, lol. I think he's getting enough fiber.....

In more appropriate garden updates I have the following to report...

Todays lunch salad includes baby greens from the yard including:

chard
spinach
3 types of lettuce - maybe more - who know what I planted, lol!
dill
parsley
wild lambsquarters
mizuna greens
tat soi
arugula

and they are so cute - 1/2 the size of the baby green in retail.

sweet spicy yummy goodness......pairing with shavings of carrot and beet, some tomatoe and avocado all of which are not from the garden.....unfortunately...

[dlt123]

This weekend I'm going to make the newspaper pots to transplant into. We're also building more raised beds this weekend - if this wind dies down that is. *Ü*
!

DebB, what are these newspaper pots you are referring to here? Are these planting pots you make yourself and if so how do you make them? These sound intriguing...

Thanks,
Dennis

[streetsurfer]

If found I double sowed two rows in my garden. :D

I* have mizuna with buttercrunch, and spinach with another lettuce.

Oh well, I'll thin one row favoring the spinach since I didn't plant it elsewhere, and the other-the buttercrunch because I have mizuna in a couple containers.

T-Bird, is your spinach bolting yet. Mine that overwintered is stretching out and starting too already.

[T-Bird]

My spinach was spring planted so still young - not bolting, but unfortunately - losing about 1/2 of it to flea beetles (I think).

I've ordered some floating row cover for my greens from johnnys.

My red russian kale I overwintered started bolting. I snapped those off and used them like rapini. Next bolt stalk (hope there is another) I will let them go to seed.

[ChangingChild]

This year my family in some raised bed gardens! Finally! We'd been holding off because of all the rabbits and deer and javelinas in the area, but we finally decided to make the fenced-in dog run a garden. Everything is already so beautiful! We have:

Zucchini
Lettuce
5 kinds of tomatoes
Bird-house gourds
Cauliflower
Nasturtiums
Dill
Mustard
Kale
Sunflowers (I insisted on those. :D )

[big foot marty]

Need toplan mygarden better next year but a fallen tree gave a a double size plot ( much more sun)

so I am building new garden spaces with coffee grounds, leaves, grass and newspaper( layers of each and keep it wet.

The othr 3 plots are growing great but some cabbages and squashes are expanding to fill the spces and covring some others....

Plan better next year- still going to get some great stuff this year

[MysticTree]

it's the sign of a true gardener that it will always "be better next year" :)