2012 Garden Thread

I have 18 peppers planted so far, 3 jalapenos, 3 anaheims, 3 cayennes, 3 each red, yellow and green bells. I purchased what I thought were poblanos and when I got ready to plant them, they had 2 tags, a poblano tag and a hungarian hot wax tag. I don't want to take the chance planting them to find out I ended up with hungarian hot wax peppers. I like those, but I'm not into pickling anymore and would have very limited use for them now. I don't want to use up the room on them. So I have to exchange them, which is no problem, cuz I'm going back to the nursery tomorrow anyways.

I also got 3 zucchinis planted. 3 will make the zucchini bed a bit crowded, but I didn't want to throw one of them out. Came in a 3 pack.

I didn't plant the tomatoes yet. I've picked out 12 so far. I'm trying a new heirloom this year, Black Russian. These are supposed to mature at about 50 days 8-12 ounces each. They'll be red with a dark black ring in them. If you let them stay on the vine until past 82 days, they're supposed to get up to 32 ounces each and are solid red. That's a big fawking tomato. I'll let you know how these work out. Also got some beef masters, romas and Mr. Stripey. I'll go looking for a few odd heirloom oddities as well. Oh, did get a Golden Boy as well. I also picked up some leeks.

Herb garden is looking good. All perennials look fabulous. Even have some rosemary returning. It isn't perennial where I live, but winter was so mild that it came back. I need to find a spot to plant some garlic. Maybe that one corner will work.

I'm excited to see how my raised beds work this year. I got them built last year, but too late to really get any kind of a harvest.

Every year I faithfully start tomato plants from seed.. Then I ended up buying big plants anyway...This year I bought three varieties and then promptly forgot which seeds were in what pot.. so I have surprise tomatoes.

This year I am growing potatoes in a condo... a box with sides.  The idea is that as the plants grow you cover them with hay..They yield is supposed to increase as the plants actually send roots,  and then then develop potatoes in the hay..I read that some people just plant potatoes in hay.. that seems unnatural, and unfair to the potato.

My corn seeds have started sprouting, but they are not consistent.  My pumpkin seeds presented yesterday.. but the damn beans are not out.. and I built a lovely frame for them to climb on. 

We have tons of deer.. but surprisingly few rabbits.. I think coyotes are to blame..So far there have been few casualties..

Dang!  My sister's dog must have jumped in and out of the lettuce-seeded wine barrel.  I smoothed the soil and am hoping the seeds see fit to sprout despite the disturbance.  I think I might run out and get some of that vinyl-covered wire fencing to stick in there; that should keep Stryker out.

I absolutely hate raised beds b/c they are never far enough apart to put the zero turn through... I do lawn mowing and landscaping and I always have to go back through those areas with the push mower or weed eater.  

*sorry... ranting ;)

Anyway your garden sounds great!  Mine is small, as we live in town and don't have that much space.  I've got about 12 tomato plants of various color and size, assorted peppers both hot and sweet, 2 zucchini, a few green bean, onions, and that is all I've got planted thus far.  Two tomato plants are blooming now.  I am trying to go organic this year, so I am not using any miracle-grow.  My husband said I was poisoning him with tainted veggies!  SO I've heard that coffee grounds with egg shells provide good nutrients to the plants and aid in their growth while also keeping slugs away.  Has anyone else heard of this?

Original Post by purespark:

Dang!  My sister's dog must have jumped in and out of the lettuce-seeded wine barrel.  I smoothed the soil and am hoping the seeds see fit to sprout despite the disturbance.  I think I might run out and get some of that vinyl-covered wire fencing to stick in there; that should keep Stryker out.

let's pretend i didn't giggle a little at this.

Original Post by starlitocean:

Original Post by purespark:

Dang!  My sister's dog must have jumped in and out of the lettuce-seeded wine barrel.  I smoothed the soil and am hoping the seeds see fit to sprout despite the disturbance.  I think I might run out and get some of that vinyl-covered wire fencing to stick in there; that should keep Stryker out.

let's pretend i didn't giggle a little at this.

*also pretends*

The weather network is forecasting it to be very cool yet this week, thus I'm still holding back really getting in to the raised beds.

Original Post by emilycarlisle:

I absolutely hate raised beds b/c they are never far enough apart to put the zero turn through... I do lawn mowing and landscaping and I always have to go back through those areas with the push mower or weed eater.  

*sorry... ranting ;)

You won't need a mower between my raised beds. I laid down several inches of pea gravel and then built my beds on top of that.

Wow, wish people around here did that!  We have one place where it takes half an hour to push mow between her 40 raised beds because they are just inches too close... also hers are all unequally spaced... which i guess just seems odd.  Maybe raised gardens aren't so bad after all--my opinions are just tainted by one really bad experience!

Original Post by catwalker:

Original Post by emilycarlisle:

I absolutely hate raised beds b/c they are never far enough apart to put the zero turn through... I do lawn mowing and landscaping and I always have to go back through those areas with the push mower or weed eater.  

*sorry... ranting ;)

You won't need a mower between my raised beds. I laid down several inches of pea gravel and then built my beds on top of that.

DH put red gravel between my bed.. It came by mistake and was free...22 tons of the wrong gravel...

Original Post by amwick:

Original Post by catwalker:

Original Post by emilycarlisle:

I absolutely hate raised beds b/c they are never far enough apart to put the zero turn through... I do lawn mowing and landscaping and I always have to go back through those areas with the push mower or weed eater.  

*sorry... ranting ;)

You won't need a mower between my raised beds. I laid down several inches of pea gravel and then built my beds on top of that.

DH put red gravel between my bed.. It came by mistake and was free...22 tons of the wrong gravel...

WIN!!!

Garden with red gravel walkways. I like that.

Yes, that would be very pretty.

*pokes head in..*

Yesterday was a big day...

I live in the city so big beautiful gardens aren't an option (I was devastated to read hydrangea aren't fans of pots, not even big ones....).  But yesterday I bought a window box to hang off my porch and got: oregano, rosemary, parsley, and cilantro!  I'm trying to grow basil from seeds, and I also planted 2 tomatoes and 2 pepper plants (jalapeno and chile)! 

:D  I hope they survive. I put the tomatoes together in a BIG pot, and plan to do the same with the peppers.  They're on my porch which gets sun the entire afternoon. 

yay! Here's to hoping I get more than the ONE tomato I got last year hahaha.

Original Post by catwalker:

Yes, that would be very pretty.

It(the gravel) is much nicer than the mud that was there..  I wish I had it totally around the raised beds.. I may work on that later..bit by bit, or bucket by bucket.

Today I covered my potato plants with straw..  I also planted zucchini, but only two having learned my lesson from two years back..and I am totally relieved that the green breans are sprouting,  sinceI  built a really cool frame for them to climb around...and..lucky me.. I found a pumpkin sprout growing next to my house.. where I had dried some seeds last year..Garden is shaping up.

Yay, garden thread.

I got off to a bit of a late start with the veggies, but I've now got all but half of one of the concrete raised beds planted, as of last night. 

The cukes - two kinds - a burpless which what the heck is the hate on burping, and lemon cukes - those are going now.  The basil started to sprout as of last night - went with a standard Italian style this year instead of the Thai I tried last year.  The thai basil was delicious but had small leaves, it was a pain to chop.

Put in three tomatoes yesterday after supper - a brandywine, a cherry of some sort and I've forgotten the third.  It better be a good tomato year this time, last year was on the mediocre side.

Peas and beans of course are growing happily.

I still need to put in some winter squash, I'm passing on summer squash this year.

I planted seeds for my lettuce in pots on Sunday. I went out to water them tonight and there were sprouts in every pot but one. Some of the seed was from last year, so I was happy to see so many sprouted.  I was kind of surprised to see them sprout so quickly. Only 5 days.

We already have more greens than we can handle.

Mustards, anyone?

Original Post by lysistrata:

We already have more greens than we can handle.

Mustards, anyone?

Too bad I'm so far away. Otherwise I would love to get a whole bunch from you.

My mums the gardener, but for some reason I have to water everything and move it in and out of the greenhouse every day! So far we got-

Three apple and one plum sapling that each drink a ton every day.

Lots of new gooseberry bushes and hybrids that also seem to drink a lot.

6 big veg beds full of various herbs, runner beans, lettuces, cucumbers, squashes, sweet-peas, rhubarb and, other baby plants.

4 veg beds worth of baby corn, 6 kinds of baby chillis, leeks and more tiny plants I have to move in and out of the greenhouse til they are strong enough to live outside.

Then theres a zillion billion kind of flowering plants! My mum really likes plants you guys. 

Original Post by lysistrata:

We already have more greens than we can handle.

Mustards, anyone?

Would it be possible to donate them at the local soup kitchen? Seems like it should be possible...

My garden is just starting to sprout. So far: cucumber, green and yellow bush beans, radishes, carrots. Perennial strawberries are flowering. So my question: I have 'Eona' variety grapes (just one plant). I know they take a while to establish. I've never had grapes from them. Do I need another one... Or do you think it's just to cold here (zone 3a/b)?

ETA: corrected spelling of variety.  I should also mention I planted it in spring 2010.