What to plant this year...question for everyone - Page 2

insaneintenti0n · 03-04-10, 07:33 AM

Thanks

Couple of benefits.
1. The ground in my yard is... crap. Very rocky, lots of weeds, very packed down. (Yes, i could have tilled, filled with better dirt, etc) So i built the box, filled it with good dirt - probably TOO good dirt - and used that. Figured that would also be better for the roots.
2. Rabbits. Rabbits eat the hell out of my wife's flowers. This raised the garden off the ground a bit (plus i put a small fence around it.) this helped, I had no problems.
3. Raised was the basic concept for square foot gardening. I saw it somewhere online, and it seems like a good idea. And if I wanted more, I could just build another box. Though, I likely won't. From this point forward, I'll likely just keep things ground level, and use my own compost as it becomes available.

Higgy · 03-04-10, 08:43 AM

You could always do what I did to my garden. Although building it was a hell of a lot of work. You can check it out in my intro post, I think there's still pictures there. But if you don't want to go as far as I did, you could do what my inlaws did and just make a huge square out of 2x6's and fill it with dirt. I would till a bit of it up first though, but otherwise that would be easiest if you just wanted a nice raised garden. Put some 1x6 planks down in between rows so you can walk on the dirt...or put some flat rocks in between the rows. That's only if you want it raised though.

basjoos · 03-11-10, 01:53 PM

Currently being harvested:
lettuce, spinach, collards, broccoli, miner's lettuce, komatsuna, carrots, parsnips, leeks, green onions, beets, jeruselum artichoke

Immature crops currently growing in the cold frames:
lettuce, cabbage, collards, broccoli, tomato, potato, globe artichoke

Immature crops currently growing in the ground in outdoor beds:
peas, fava beans, cabbage, collards, kale, broccoli, multiplier onions, bulbing onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, asparagus, mints

Additional crops to be planted this season:
radish, pole and bush beans, runner beans,yard-long beans, asparagus (winged) beans, soybeans, cowpeas, sweet peppers, cucumbers, watermelon, muskmelon, wax melon, summer and winter squash, kohlrabi, sweet corn, eggplant, malabar spinach, Egyptian spinach, celtuce, okra, sweet potato

Blue Fox · 03-18-10, 05:27 PM

I won't order ever again from Henry Fields - they sucked me in with their free shipping deal and when I looked on my credit card statement - guess what? They billed me the shipping, and then after numerous emails to complain, which were never responded to, and multiple phone calls where the line was always busy, I gave up. I'll stick to old dependable Stokes, Veseys and new this year was William Dam, who has great customer service. I'll gladly pay a little more, and get great service.

Having said all that (phew!) I'm growing lots of onions from seed which would have done well for me last year if it wasn't for the grass clipping mulch which the robins loved scratching in for the worms - won't be doing that on onions, only on brassicas because they're bigger.
I have had variable results with potatoes, so I'm trying them in bags with some compost in the bottom (well rotted) and then I'll fill up with chopped leaves.
I always grow lots of peppers and tomatoes - they do the best on top of the compost pile, and my chicken house compost will have all the summer squash on top. I always grow lots of greens, lettuce, mesclun, chinese greens, kale, collards (top choice!).
Oh, and I've already planted two kinds of early peas, and will seed some tall telephone for later, and about four kinds of beans, mostly runner types.

For herbs you might want to try chopping them, filling ice cube trays then top with water and freeze. Once frozen you can take them out and put them in a ziploc bag, use one or more to flavor your spaghetti sauce, soup whatever. You can make up your own blends, or do them separate. I don't dry herbs any more as they lose their flavour very quickly.
Looking forward to spring!

Piwoslaw · 04-24-10, 03:37 PM

Today I helped the Wife plant her little garden. It's not much, but since this is her first, she's very happy about it

After we finished she said "Now you can go and brag to your friends about the garden you made." So I'm bragging, but she should get all the credit for it, I only made the name tabs out of recycled yoghurt containers. (Unfortunately, her English isn't as good as mine, so EcoRenovator probably won't have a user named mrs_magda in the nearest future.)

In the middle are small onions my Dad-in-law planted 2-3 weeks ago.

On the left are: parsley, melissa and lettuce. On the far left is the only evergreen shrub that survived the winter (we forgot that we put 6 of them in the basement and didn't water them). It sprouted from a seed that Magda brought home from our honeymoon hiking trip in the Spanish Sierra Nevada mountains in 2008.

Right of the onions are: dill, basil, oregano, thyme and "flowers" (lavender).

We wish that we could have a place in the garden where we could plant more, but our lot is very small and the dog won't allow anything that would make it even smaller. Oh, how we wish we could find that ideal property in the mountains, far from the city, just for us...

Daox · 04-26-10, 06:59 AM

Looks like a nice buncha stuff Piwoslaw. My wife is expanding her garden this year a fair amount. I'll have to get pictures when I till it up. She usually takes care of it all, but I have a feeling I'll be helping out this year.

07-03-10, 10:35 PM

It is a challenge finding vegetables that can survive the Florida heat and bugs. Right now, I am only harvesting summer squash and okra (and you can only eat so much okra). My spaghetti (winter) squash plants are still growing and flowering, but not producing any gourds. My cherry tomato plant are starting to wilt. My black eyed peas looked like they were dying, but have started flowering again. My swiss chard should survive the summer, but I'm having trouble bugs. My malabar spinach is just starting to grow.

basjoos · 07-23-10, 12:30 PM

Veggies that do well in the SC summer heat/humidity and bugs include yard long beans, Matt's wild cherry tomato (prolifically self seeds, I haven't planted any seed for years, has mutated into red, pink, and yellow fruited strains), Seminole squash/pumpkin, Italian edible gourd, malibar spinach, egyptian spinach, sweet potato, and asparagus bean.

tomboy mom · 01-11-11, 07:15 AM

this is the year i plan on getting this right, lol! last year i had fantastic results with several melons, squash, beans, cukes, and more. right now i have lettuce, brocolli, onions, garlic, and carrots.

the tomato thing is terribly difficult with hot summers. last year i shaded them and gave them a daily cool off spray around noon. it kept them alive but the fruits were TINY. i'm starting earlier this year. according to arizona master gardeners this is the time to start them from seed...so here we go again. my goal is to be sick of looking at tomatoes just like i was sick of looking at cukes and cantaloupe last year.

PaleMelanesian · 01-11-11, 08:08 AM

Yep - start the tomatoes early. Get a crop before the summer heat. Keep them alive through the heat and they'll give you a second crop in the fall. We really have two short seasons for tomatoes. I'm trying Stupice for an extra-early variety this year.

I'll be starting mine in a couple weeks, since I'm in North Texas.

03-11-10, 01:53 PM	#13
basjoos Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 75 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 7 Posts	Currently being harvested: lettuce, spinach, collards, broccoli, miner's lettuce, komatsuna, carrots, parsnips, leeks, green onions, beets, jeruselum artichoke Immature crops currently growing in the cold frames: lettuce, cabbage, collards, broccoli, tomato, potato, globe artichoke Immature crops currently growing in the ground in outdoor beds: peas, fava beans, cabbage, collards, kale, broccoli, multiplier onions, bulbing onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, asparagus, mints Additional crops to be planted this season: radish, pole and bush beans, runner beans,yard-long beans, asparagus (winged) beans, soybeans, cowpeas, sweet peppers, cucumbers, watermelon, muskmelon, wax melon, summer and winter squash, kohlrabi, sweet corn, eggplant, malabar spinach, Egyptian spinach, celtuce, okra, sweet potato __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

04-24-10, 03:37 PM	#15
Piwoslaw Super Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 961 Thanks: 188 Thanked 110 Times in 86 Posts	Today I helped the Wife plant her little garden. It's not much, but since this is her first, she's very happy about it After we finished she said "Now you can go and brag to your friends about the garden you made." So I'm bragging, but she should get all the credit for it, I only made the name tabs out of recycled yoghurt containers. (Unfortunately, her English isn't as good as mine, so EcoRenovator probably won't have a user named mrs_magda in the nearest future.) In the middle are small onions my Dad-in-law planted 2-3 weeks ago. On the left are: parsley, melissa and lettuce. On the far left is the only evergreen shrub that survived the winter (we forgot that we put 6 of them in the basement and didn't water them). It sprouted from a seed that Magda brought home from our honeymoon hiking trip in the Spanish Sierra Nevada mountains in 2008. Right of the onions are: dill, basil, oregano, thyme and "flowers" (lavender). We wish that we could have a place in the garden where we could plant more, but our lot is very small and the dog won't allow anything that would make it even smaller. Oh, how we wish we could find that ideal property in the mountains, far from the city, just for us... Attached Thumbnails

04-26-10, 06:59 AM	#16
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Looks like a nice buncha stuff Piwoslaw. My wife is expanding her garden this year a fair amount. I'll have to get pictures when I till it up. She usually takes care of it all, but I have a feeling I'll be helping out this year. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-23-10, 12:30 PM	#18
basjoos Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 75 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 7 Posts	Veggies that do well in the SC summer heat/humidity and bugs include yard long beans, Matt's wild cherry tomato (prolifically self seeds, I haven't planted any seed for years, has mutated into red, pink, and yellow fruited strains), Seminole squash/pumpkin, Italian edible gourd, malibar spinach, egyptian spinach, sweet potato, and asparagus bean. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

01-11-11, 07:15 AM	#19
tomboy mom Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: arizona Posts: 39 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	we're starting tomatos today! this is the year i plan on getting this right, lol! last year i had fantastic results with several melons, squash, beans, cukes, and more. right now i have lettuce, brocolli, onions, garlic, and carrots. the tomato thing is terribly difficult with hot summers. last year i shaded them and gave them a daily cool off spray around noon. it kept them alive but the fruits were TINY. i'm starting earlier this year. according to arizona master gardeners this is the time to start them from seed...so here we go again. my goal is to be sick of looking at tomatoes just like i was sick of looking at cukes and cantaloupe last year. Last edited by Piwoslaw; 01-11-11 at 07:31 AM.. Reason: Merged to this thread

03-04-10, 07:33 AM	#11
insaneintenti0n Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 183 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Thanks Couple of benefits. 1. The ground in my yard is... crap. Very rocky, lots of weeds, very packed down. (Yes, i could have tilled, filled with better dirt, etc) So i built the box, filled it with good dirt - probably TOO good dirt - and used that. Figured that would also be better for the roots. 2. Rabbits. Rabbits eat the hell out of my wife's flowers. This raised the garden off the ground a bit (plus i put a small fence around it.) this helped, I had no problems. 3. Raised was the basic concept for square foot gardening. I saw it somewhere online, and it seems like a good idea. And if I wanted more, I could just build another box. Though, I likely won't. From this point forward, I'll likely just keep things ground level, and use my own compost as it becomes available.

03-04-10, 08:43 AM	#12
Higgy The Gardener Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Manitoba - Canada Posts: 492 Thanks: 17 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	You could always do what I did to my garden. Although building it was a hell of a lot of work. You can check it out in my intro post, I think there's still pictures there. But if you don't want to go as far as I did, you could do what my inlaws did and just make a huge square out of 2x6's and fill it with dirt. I would till a bit of it up first though, but otherwise that would be easiest if you just wanted a nice raised garden. Put some 1x6 planks down in between rows so you can walk on the dirt...or put some flat rocks in between the rows. That's only if you want it raised though.

03-18-10, 05:27 PM	#14
Blue Fox Lurking Renovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I won't order ever again from Henry Fields - they sucked me in with their free shipping deal and when I looked on my credit card statement - guess what? They billed me the shipping, and then after numerous emails to complain, which were never responded to, and multiple phone calls where the line was always busy, I gave up. I'll stick to old dependable Stokes, Veseys and new this year was William Dam, who has great customer service. I'll gladly pay a little more, and get great service. Having said all that (phew!) I'm growing lots of onions from seed which would have done well for me last year if it wasn't for the grass clipping mulch which the robins loved scratching in for the worms - won't be doing that on onions, only on brassicas because they're bigger. I have had variable results with potatoes, so I'm trying them in bags with some compost in the bottom (well rotted) and then I'll fill up with chopped leaves. I always grow lots of peppers and tomatoes - they do the best on top of the compost pile, and my chicken house compost will have all the summer squash on top. I always grow lots of greens, lettuce, mesclun, chinese greens, kale, collards (top choice!). Oh, and I've already planted two kinds of early peas, and will seed some tall telephone for later, and about four kinds of beans, mostly runner types. For herbs you might want to try chopping them, filling ice cube trays then top with water and freeze. Once frozen you can take them out and put them in a ziploc bag, use one or more to flavor your spaghetti sauce, soup whatever. You can make up your own blends, or do them separate. I don't dry herbs any more as they lose their flavour very quickly. Looking forward to spring!

07-03-10, 10:35 PM	#17
Sid Guest Posts: n/a	It is a challenge finding vegetables that can survive the Florida heat and bugs. Right now, I am only harvesting summer squash and okra (and you can only eat so much okra). My spaghetti (winter) squash plants are still growing and flowering, but not producing any gourds. My cherry tomato plant are starting to wilt. My black eyed peas looked like they were dying, but have started flowering again. My swiss chard should survive the summer, but I'm having trouble bugs. My malabar spinach is just starting to grow.

01-11-11, 08:08 AM	#20
PaleMelanesian Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 118 Thanks: 4 Thanked 10 Times in 9 Posts	Yep - start the tomatoes early. Get a crop before the summer heat. Keep them alive through the heat and they'll give you a second crop in the fall. We really have two short seasons for tomatoes. I'm trying Stupice for an extra-early variety this year. I'll be starting mine in a couple weeks, since I'm in North Texas.