Garden Prep!!!!

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

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!

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*

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.

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! :)

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

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! :)

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

Crazy, I'm really excited about it!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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

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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

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.

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?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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:

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Yes, we eat strawberries. :p

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

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!