The Gardening Thread

[vesperholly]

I use Jiffy's seed pellets. Box of 36 is $3 at Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ferry-Morse-Jiffy-36-Pellet-Refill/20934703

They fit perfectly into the little plug-in greenhouse I have. It has a heating mat underneath, I leave it plugged in in front of a sunny window and water when it looks dry. I've had very good results.

Right now I've got tomato, cherry tomato, basil and green onion seedlings. The tomato seedlings look great, really sturdy stems. Everything else is direct sow, and I've got a few months to wait!

 

[maatTheViking]

I'm picking up a tray thing for indoor starters in Home Depot tomorrow. I'll take a pic.

I have a bunch of seeds from earlier years, I'll probably go with tomatoes, peas maybe some beans or squash for indoors, add some herbs. I'll try some jalapeños again, but this year keep them in pots. It doesn't get warm enough here for long enough. I have grow light in my kitchen where I have some advocado plants I grew from pits.

 

[Spun Silver]

I thought I would share this link with you guys. Topaz convinced me I should try growing Black from Tula and other cool heirloom tomatoes, and I found this nursery/online seller reasonably close to me that has both plants and seeds. Their tomato list is super impressive, but their list of peppers is staggering! If anyone has any suggestions of one or two fabulous chile peppers or tomatoes, let me know. I am excited about visiting when they open for the season next month. They must be an interesting couple.
https://www.chileplants.com/howtoorder.aspx

 

[topaz]

I would recommend black from tula and cherokee purple for tomatoes. The peppers I don't know he has alot of hot ones. I mostly group sweet peppers but I have tried a few hots ones. Aji Cristal

 

[Artistic Skaters]

I love the Cherokee purple tomatoes. It's one of the varieties I've grown for the last two years & we always get plenty of tasty tomatoes.

 

[Andrushka]

Any tips to keep dogs etc..from digging in my raised beds? My 1 year old dog thinks it's fun and the squirrels have stolen a cabbage plant and eaten the tops off all my broccoli.

 

[Lizziebeth]

Any tips to keep dogs etc..from digging in my raised beds? My 1 year old dog thinks it's fun and the squirrels have stolen a cabbage plant and eaten the tops off all my broccoli.

I have a fence that keeps out the rabbits. I have springers (see picture at left) who could jump over but don't because I trained them to "stay out of the garden!!" I have never heard of squirrels eating cabbage or broccoli. Have you seen them do it? Sounds like rabbits to me.

I just have an inexpensive fence. You would need to buy fence posts and you can get by with chicken wire fencing. I don't even have a gate - I just step over it. Be sure to use something to fasten the fence at the bottom to keep anything from burrowing under.

I could not stand growing vegetables without a fence.

 

[Spun Silver]

I actually built a high raised bed with a stone wall around it when I got a male dog! I was more concerned about his peeing on the veggies than digging. And I'm glad I did. Although I wish I had done it as a DIY project because the stonemason charged me an arm and a leg for it.

 

[topaz]

I agree with both LIzziebethand SpunSilver's suggestions. Here is a video that is good.

I use the following materials wire fencing #1, #2 fencing. I bought steel fence post to attach the fence too. Also, I used utility zip ties. It is something that can be taken down at the end of the season and used again season after season.

This video is actual the exact same row cover I have over my raised beds. Video , It is really really inexpensive too. I used rebar steel bars/post, schedule 40 1/2 pvc pipe, pvc clips and row cover. I bought my row cover online, but you can see if your big lot or garden center has row cover. Be careful that you buy the right row cover. They have row cover that add or increase the temp. under the row(good to use for cold/cool weather plants or to get a jump start on the season) Or I buy lightweight netting for summer crops.

The pvc I used was schedule 40. The size is 1/2 in. by 10ft. for about $1.10 each. You can ask Home Depot or Lowe's to cut the pvc to size (I would say 8 ft) if you raised bed, in-ground garden plants are not going to grow that tall.

 

[Spun Silver]

I use steel posts and plastic fencing. No ties needed, the fencing loops over the grooves in the posts. I guess the rabbits in our area can't hop that high. And sadly, they cannot even get to our veggies because our semi-feral cat gets them first. Small-animal body-parts season has already begun. We do have squirrels, but maybe they are afraid of the cat. They hardly ate any veggies last year, which was when he discovered the joy (and easy availability) of fresh meat.

Topaz, do you use the row cover all summer or just put it on when it gets cold?

 

[topaz]

@Spun Silver - I use the white row cover early spring and early fall. That "heats" up the soil to about 4 degrees higher than the outside temp. I've used two types of "summer" row cover. A lightweight one called agribon ag-15 and uv netting. It is expensive but I has worked extremely well. Very sturdy and it comes in 3 different sizes. I have had it for two years so far. The online show greenhouse megastore is very reliable online store.

Here is a more affordable version(it may be a little less quality)

 

[Artemis@BC]

After some soul-searching, I've decided to not renew my community garden plot this year. The organization has become somewhat bloated, and the fees climbing as a result. Plus I lost so much to pilfering last year, it was incredibly frustrating -- not to mention that I didn't grow nearly enough to be worth the fee.

So I'm back to growing just what I can manage on my balcony. Tomatoes for sure, they usually do well here, and probably kale. For the rest I'll have to see how the spirit moves me.

 

[Andrushka]

I have a fence that keeps out the rabbits. I have springers (see picture at left) who could jump over but don't because I trained them to "stay out of the garden!!" I have never heard of squirrels eating cabbage or broccoli. Have you seen them do it? Sounds like rabbits to me.

I just have an inexpensive fence. You would need to buy fence posts and you can get by with chicken wire fencing. I don't even have a gate - I just step over it. Be sure to use something to fasten the fence at the bottom to keep anything from burrowing under.

I could not stand growing vegetables without a fence.

I suspected a squirrel because they offered a trade lol Left an acorn in exchange lol I've seen lots of squirrels,haven't seen any rabbits as of yet.

My dog hasn't gotten into the main raised bed yet but I caught her digging in something else (she's a lab/bird dog mix). I'm on gardeners supply right now and amazon.

 

[topaz]

It is not to late to buy seeds and other gardening supplies. I've bought from this website in the past. I would recommend them.

 

[Jenny]

Our bulbs have started to sprout - about 3 inches up in some cases - and today we have an ice storm. Here's hoping the little plants are tough and make it through!

 

[topaz]

Here are some pics of my seedlings

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

 

[topaz]

How is everyone's seed starting going?

I am anxious to get into the planting season. However, Milwaukee received a white gift last night. Yuck!

I wanted to plant some carrots, beets and spinach this weekend in mom's garden, but I may have to wait until next week or so.

My seedlings are doing quite well. I started everything except herbs(basil, parsley, dill, mint).

 

[Lizziebeth]

The seedlings look good. Weather is terribly cold here, I think it was warmer in March. I have started all of my flowers and just have to start broccoli, cabbage and a few other things that like cool weather. It is way too cold at night to put anything outside, but that is pretty normal for central Minnesota in early April.

I am raising a lot of these plants for our Master Gardener plant sale and I am running out of pots. For the sale, I transplant tomatoes, peppers and some flowers into 3-1/2" pots. I may have to order some since I need so many. Very time consuming to scrounge them, especially since I live at least 35 minutes drive from any possible sources!

 

[Artistic Skaters]

We have so many sunflower seedlings this year we should get some really beautiful flowers later this summer. Still waiting for the vegetables to start sprouting. It has been freezing here & it's expected to be Sat & Sun as well.

 

[Artemis@BC]

I really crave fresh & green at this time of year, so I've been sprouting a lot. I had a yummy sprouted quinoa bowl last night, and kale sprouts in my salad roll for lunch today.

Sprouting is great for someone like me who a. lives in a condo with limited growing space and b. has no patience.

 

[Spun Silver]

I ordered my heirloom tomatoes and am going to pick them up at the nursery in two weeks: Black from Tula and Purple Cherokee as you guys recommended, and also Black Krim, Brandywine Sudduth's Strain, Coyote, Red Currant and Black Cherry. And a couple of peppers including a hot one named Jonah's Yellow Brains. It is really ugly! Now I have to get my raised bed ready. It's full of dandelions.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

I'm resurrecting this thread because I have some tomatoes this week! Other vegetables aren't so far along yet. Out front, I have pots with beautiful flowers & herbs including Mexican heather, lantana & geraniums as well as sage, two kinds of basil, a big pot of rosemary, & two different lavenders.

In the backyard beds, there is also chamomile, lavender, daisies, sunflowers, stargazer lilies & several daylilies, two butterfly gardens & lot of other stuff.

All in all, a great gardening season so far. We have lots of cardinals & monarchs stopping by everyday.

How does your garden grow?

 

[Spun Silver]

Where do you live? I'm in NJ and tomatoes are weeks if not a month away. I do have Black from Tula and other heirlooms coming along, but the only things that are edible at the moment are herbs. I made tabouleh from our parsley for dinner. Yum, yum. Also, this year a cilantro plant that I didnt realize was still alive exploded. I gave a lot of it away through Freecycle but I should have given more. I am buying tons of avocados to use it with, but other than that I have no idea what to do with it. I do love the aroma. Anyway, now it is going through its transformation where its leaves change -- I dont think they're edible any more.

Oh, forgot to mention that I picked our first almost ripe strawberry. I grow them on the slope of our front yard for neighborhood kids. And I have two little blueberry bushes with the beginnings of berries, but the birds usually get those before I do.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

I was very surprised about the tomatoes. We're in OH. There are two on the vine (heirloom Roma) even though it's only about 13" tall. I planted three others (all heirloom) - Brandywine Pink, San Marzano & my favorite Cherokee Purple (always so delicious, hardly ever at the grocery!) but they are nowhere near ready yet. We also have green beans, peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, & they are all still small plants.

Also there are small vines now of my favorite heavenly blue morning glories & moonflowers. They used to flower end of July on the east coast but here they won't until end of August. Worth the wait though.

 

[Karpenko]

This has been my new guilty pleasure

I love the purple Cherokee tomatoes, they taste better than any tomato I've ever had in my life. It seems so strange at first because of the color, but there isn't a better tomato for sandwiches or cooking IMO. Tomatoes from the grocery store are so gross to me now in comparison to growing your own, they don't even have a taste most of the time.

I also have Roma, yellow cherry tomatoes (a friend has black cherry tomatoes, also very good), spicy bell peppers, jalopeano, Anaheim chili peppers, a seedless red grapevine, blueberries, strawberries, cilantro, and green beans. it's very healthy and fun

 

[vesperholly]

Where do you live? I'm in NJ and tomatoes are weeks if not a month away.

Jealous! Here in NY zone 6a my tomatoes, started from seed the last week in February, don't even have flowers and won't until July. My mom bought a starter at the nursery last week that already had flowers - must be imported from another state or greenhouse grown. I'm jealous. I won't have veggies for ages.

Herbs doing great. I did basil from seed and it's been edible for weeks now, though still a bit small. Parsley and mint came from a nursery, wasn't planning on them but caught a great sale. I am doing zombie celery (super slow) and zombie green onions (SUPER FAST). The green onion from seed is still skinny but I'll have a ton when it finally matures.

We've been having alternating cold snaps and heat waves that is probably confusing the hell out of my plants. It went from 91 to 55 in 4 days, a few days of overnight lows in the 40s

 

[topaz]

I have 80%of tomatoes planted. My eggplant, celery, peppers are harding off. My herbs are doing great. I tried several varieties of basil from seed. I bought some catnip and nasturtium plants to see if they keep some pests away.

My cabbage from seed didn't do to we'll so I'm going to direct seed them next month. My mom has not been well. Arthritis suddenly causing her problems and she's my main help with the garden. So I'm behind on planting. Two weeks behind. Hopefully I will have everything planted by next Wednesday. A little late but I'm in zone 5b.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

My area is zone 5b too. Another positive for my backyard garden beds is that I finally got a lot more perennials planted last year, from spring & early summer blooming to all summer blooming to fall blooming. So now there is a steady stream of blossoming beauties. The downside is I didn't mark them all on the map in my gardening journal, so I'm pretty sure I've pulled a few baby plants already thinking they were weeds.

Does anyone have experience with bat houses? I have a terrible problem with mosquito bites & have to wear long sleeves to work in the yard or sit on the porch in the evenings. The man at our garden center said a bat house might be helpful.

 

[Spun Silver]

Love the concept of zombie veggies, @vesperholly. I am going to plant a zombie potato and you inspire me to try zombie green onions.

What do you guys do about weeds in the veggie garden? The guy at the hardware store says he covers his garden soil with a sheet of black plastic, then cuts holes for the plants. I guess he is not planting seeds. That is too unaesthetic for me. But my garden is full of crabgrass. Since it is elevated about 18" above the lawn, I guess I have the birds to thank for that.

It's always interesting to see what my apple trees will do. There are two, and I never know which will have better fruit. Sometimes neither has good apples, and they are always very "ugly," as in the ugly veggie movement, but last year the tree I completely neglected had the most delicious apples I ever tasted, truly wondrous. I dont know what they are, something green and sweetly tart, but nothing like a grocery store Golden Delicious or Granny Smith. The tree I assiduously watered had terrible apples. So I am leaving the apples to Mother Nature from now on. Although if anyone knows about growing apples, do tell.

 

[vesperholly]

Love the concept of zombie veggies, @vesperholly. I am going to plant a zombie potato and you inspire me to try zombie green onions.

The green onions are incredible! They grow super fast. Here's a picture of mine after a few weeks (hopefully you can see it).