Gardening

[Jericurl]

Who else here gardens? Has anyone else been filled with excitement and joy this week when they checked their mailbox and found gardening catalogs waiting?
I'm doing the happy dance and I can't wait.

I do raised bed gardening here. We are right smack dab in the middle of an urban ghetto. It may not look pretty but we have plently of tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and asparagus each year.

What are you going to plant this year?
I try to go with all heirlooms where I can get away with it.
Last year the paprika pepper, pasilla bajio pepper, and criolla de cocina pepper all did really well, so I'm definitely doing those again.
And if you like little grape tomatoes this one just would not quit. I think it grew to about 15 feet long and kept producing just ridiculous amounts of tomatoes. And they tasted like sunshine.

Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but now I'm off to order some seeds.

 

[JohnT]

Jeri,

I am from NJ (the garden state).

I used to have (in my last house) a huge garden. Since then, I have moved to an area teaming with "Jersey Deer". These are a special breed of deer that not only eat your garden down to nothing, They will also have you "whacked" if you complain about it.

I now do everything in Earthboxes on my deck. This is a very good system and have grown tomatoes, peppers, herbs, etc, with much success.

 

[jamesngalveston]

I have a medium sized garden at home...with the usuall.
tomatoes,cucumbers,yellow squash,okra,4 kinds of peppers,onions,chives,string beans,zuchunni,carrots,radishes and sugar snaps.
I had two acres of virgin dirt, I fenced it off last year with cyclone fencing,
went back two weeks later with my tractor...no fence even the fence post were taken...
It will be the above garden this year.
I do have about 50 acres of blackberrys,about 10 muscadine vines, and a whole bunch of mustang grape vines.
I have a lemon tree,grapefruit,tangerine and a mandarin orange tree, all produces well.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Jericurl,
Take a look at my avatar.
This year no giant pumpkins, all veggie garden this year.

 

[jamesngalveston]

jeri, not sure about where u live n texas, we had huge thunderstorms last night with about 2 inches of rain..today is suppose to be 70...
I start planting in the middle of Feb.

 

[BernardSmith]

We grow sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans, basil (the queen of herbs), chives, squash, melons, chard, kitchen herbs like mint, coriander, dill and we have some strawberries and raspberries and rhubarb, and a plum tree (an apple tree that has been too young to bear fruit ) and this year I am planning on planting some gooseberry bushes and some elderberry trees. No deer in our yard but we compete with ground hogs and rabbits. One ground hog lived under our deck but I think it moved to my neighbor's garden after I installed wire mesh around the vegetable plots..

 

[LoneStarLori]

Funny you should mention this. I have raised beds too and was outside yesterday cleaning them up and pulling the fall tomatoes and cabbage. It was so beautiful outside!
I noticed I have a Pocket Gopher problem and he seems to really like my sweet onions. He ate about 30 of them. . So instead of turning the beds over, I had to set gopher traps. After that I went to Lowe's to get starter trays and they are already filled and resting under the grow light in the pump/green house. Lowe's has a new line of seeds this year form Seeds of Change that are 100% organic and many are heirlooms.


Here's what in the trays so far. Some from Seeds of Change and some from Botanical Interests:

4 different tomatoes including San Marzano for sauces.
Mixed carrots
Blue Lake green beans
Jalepenos
Flat leaf parsley
Dill
Genovese basil
Spinach
Kale

I still need to get a few others but we need to add 2 more beds first. Squash, cantelopes and cucs will be in those.

What will you be growing? I need more peppers. Any suggestions? I want serranos for sure and will probably add some habeneros.

 

[Boatboy24]

The last few years, my garden has been terrorized by a groundhog. I've found an effective way to keep the deer away (liquid fence). It helps that my neighbor doesn't do anything to keep the wildlife out of his garden. So they usually go around mine to get to his. I can't seem to keep that darn groundhog away though and I'm inches away from buying a crossbow! You'll see me out there soon, late at night, looking like Bill Murray in Caddyshack.

I grow tomatoes (usually three varieties), cukes, zukes, bell peppers, chili peppers, those little sweet peppers that come in red, yellow, and orange. Last year, I actually had reasonable success at growing silver queen corn. Only about five stalks, but it was enough. The kids really love that because 1) they love corn on the cob and 2) they think it's really cool having such tall stuff in the garden. May have to throw a couple sunflowers in there this year.

I also grow basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, cilantro, thyme and sage in pots on the deck.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Lori thanks for the tip about lowes seeds...did not know that.
I made a deal with my neighbor> if i watered and fertilized her big fig tree if i could have the figs....yesterday i went to check on it..its getting buds.
gopher= pellet gun.

 

[Jericurl]

John, I would love to have a few Earthboxes. They are just so expensive I'd rather use my money for plants, seeds, and fertilizer.
One good thing about living in the ghetto, we don't get any deer around here, lol. My major pitas around here are the squirrels and dove. There are a lot of feral cats around as well, though I haven't seen them in my garden while it is growing. We do have a young tailless tortoiseshell female that has been hanging around the garden since it got cold. I'll let her hang around till she craps in my raised beds. Then I'll be trapping her and sending her on her way. Maybe. She is a tough little thing and manages to catch a dove or two every week and occasionally a squirrel. We have a large husky in the backyard but he is fenced out away from the garden. Apparently he and the little cat have already had a conversation or two because when she is in the yard he tends to give her a wide berth.

James, that is terrible. I would be livid. Do you have anywhere to put up any game cameras?
I'm in Abilene. We didn't get any rain, but the wind was absolutely terrible yesterday. I went outside to clean out my asparagus bed, but came back in shortly. High today is supposed to be around 65. I'll be attempting to clean out the beds today if I can get caught up on my indoor chores. I usually start planting mid February for greens and mid March to April for everything else.

Pumpkinman. Wow. I'd ask for your secrets but I'm pretty sure you'd have to kill me afterwards.

Lori,
We had a huge garden last year and it got a little overwhelming. We grew:
orange thyme, lemon thyme, rosemary, oregano, 3 different kinds of basil, lavender, chives, marjoram, walking onions, chocolate-sweet-spear-and grapefruit mints, catnip, borage, bee balm, and I'm sure I'm missing a couple of herbs. Oh and sage.

eta: The rosemary, sage, and thymes will come back. I just let the basil go to seed so I'm sure it will come back up. You can't kill mint. Oh, and we also have a small bed dedicated to horseradish, so that'll be coming up any day now if these temps stay warm.
Last year I had San Marzano, roma, a couple of middle eastern tomatoes, cherokee purple, the little yellow one I linked above, Mr Stipey, and Bison tomatoes.
I'm fairly certain this year I will go with Bison, Roma, and the chinese yellow one. The cherokee purple was hands down the best tasting, but I've found it to be a little fussy here. It is also not a fan of the summer temps so I spent 3 months keeping it alive for about 8 tomatoes that put on in September. Really not worth my time and effort.
For peppers, do you guys get Bonnie Plants down there at Home Depot and Lowe's? Get one of their cowhorn pepper plants. Awesome taste and moderate heat. They go like gangbusters all season long. By far our most prolific pepper plant. You can't go wrong with one of them. We will get another one this year and this will be our 4th year to have them. I'll also get more of the peppers I listed above, a habanero, cayenne, and a green chile pepper (likely a Big Jim), and I'm thinking of trying a black hungarian pepper. It's supposed to be similar to a jalapeno.
I'll also be growing lettuce and spinach until it gets too hot to produce.

Last year I tried okra, squash, and cucumbers. Again. I think it's time to face facts and realize I cannot grow them. I don't understand how the rest of my garden just goes nuts but these three plants are my kryptonite. I think I got two piddly little squash and maybe a dozen okra. The cucumber plants pretty much gave me the finger from the get go and did nothing at all.

 

[reefman]

Me too! Tomatoes, cucumbers (for making sour pickles), egg plant. string beans, yellow squash, zuccini.
Plus, I started 10 Niagara Grape vines, and 4 muscadine grape vines. Put up a fence to keep the deer our (helps that my neighbor feeds them). Ground hog has not found the garden yet, he's fixated with gaining access under my shed, but I have him foiled for now.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Part of my business was analyzing soil test reports and designing fertilizing programs for growers of all different levels.
Soil biology is a passion of mine. If anyone needs help I'd be happy to help.
I can guarantee that I can recommend a few organic products that will give you amazing results!

 

[Jericurl]

Pulls up a chair, pen and paper in hand, listening expectantly....

 

[grapeman]

jericurl if you are transplanting the cukes and squash (and maybe the okra too), try direct seeding them. They don't transplant all that well and will do a lot better direct from seed. For twenty some years I grew 60 acres of vegetables so know a couple things about veggies. I now get my gardening fix by visiting my brother who runs the farm now. That way I can have the pleasure of working with the veggies when I want without all the headaches and worry. Sort of like having Grandchildren instead of children - when you get tired of them you just leave and go home. LOL

 

[Jericurl]

I direct seeded last year instead of using transplants.

I just don't know why they hate me....lol

 

[the_rayway]

We just moved into our house about a year and a half ago (two summers), and it's a pretty small yard. Last summer I tried the Square Foot Gardening thing, and here's what I had on the go:

3-4 types of Tomatoes, 5 types of hot peppers, 3 types of onions (which like Jeri's cukes, give me the finger. Every year.), peas, carrots, potatoes, beans, 3 types of beets, kale, spinach, lettuce, basil, basil, basil, 3 types of mint, bergamot, dill, oregano, parsley, thyme, cilantro, sage, chamomile, strawberries, monster rhubarb.

Last year I also got a start on my 'wine making stuff': 2 apricots, 2 cherries (tart), 3 haskaps, 2 blueberries.

In the next couple of years I'm going to get going on: Marquette grapes, raspberries (3 kinds), elderberries, hops, and possibly some high bush cranberries.

I also am part of a group called Fruit Share, where homeowners with excess fruit call us and we send volunteers out to pick the fruit. 1/3 to the homeowner (if they want it), 1/3 to the volunteers, and 1/3 to a community organization. I generally end up with several hundred pounds of apples each year from my neighbour too.

I'm teaching my daughter to garden in a little 1'x1' box in our yard as well. She gets to pick out the seeds, and we check on them every day to see what they've done.

 

[LoneStarLori]

I think I got two piddly little squash and maybe a dozen okra. The cucumber plants pretty much gave me the finger from the get go and did nothing at all.

haha, my cucumbers did the same thing. Then stuck out their tongue.
For the first time in about 20 years I had a crazy amount of yellow and zucchini squash. It got to the point i dreaded walking out to the garden.

I'll be checking Lowe's regularly to see if they have those peppers. Sounds like my kind. Not too much heat. So far most of my hers have survived the winter except Basil and I still have loads of various lettuces. I guess Mr. ground hog doesn't like salad.

How could I shoot this guy? He's so innocent looking?

 

[reefman]

Maryland Groundhogs are really ugly, plus after I had to back filled no less than 20 holes burrowed under my shed, I will have no problem asking my neighbor to shoot him this year.
I was told that after you back fill the holes a few times, they give up and move somewhere else......NOT!!!!!

 

[Jericurl]

No mercy, Lori! No mercy!

Last year there was a squirrel on top of the fence post eyeing into my garden. I had just set out some new plants and my lettuce was starting to really get going. I made Manthing come out with a bb gun and shoot it. (I wanted him to use the shotgun as a warning to all others, but he refused)
POW! One shot and it caved it's little head in. I wanted to hang it on the fence, country style, but he wouldn't let me.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Lori...close eyes pull trigger...I hate them.

You know people are starting to eat ginny pigs....

I started using the miracle grow soil last year, and my tomatoes and cucumbers went just crazy...I also used miracle grow liquid every 2 weeks like clock work.
I probably got 200 cucs out of 12 hills, and maybe that many tomatoes out of like 10 plants , that got up to about 6 feet.
I planted 4 kinds of tomatoes....heirloom,big boy/bonnie,and the black one.
all were excellent.