Author Topic: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017  (Read 105618 times)

MrsDinero

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #300 on: May 23, 2017, 08:14:51 AM »
I finally got everything planted yesterday. Though not that late as May long weekend is generally considered around the safe date here re: frost. I was going to take pictures but haven't yet.

I put in a strawberry bed, am trying out some flower seeds.

And then I got bedding plants of:
cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, several peppers, and then for fun experimentation one eggplant, watermelon, and pumpkin. Not sure how those will work out, but with enough heat and sun there's a chance.

Glad there are a few other people on this thread in a colder zone like me! People's photos of tomatoes, etc. were making me depressed. I did herbs last weekend -- Genovese basil, lemon thyme, sage. I also planted carrot seedlings from winter sown seeds. My seeds are going in this weekend: more carrots (I'm testing whether winter sowing vs. direct sowing gives them any kind of head start), beets,  cabbage, lettuce, pole beans, chard, and kale.

For you cold zone folks, are you finding you can grow/overwinter plants meant for the next zone up? I'm in zone 4 but finding zone 5 plants and seedlings for the 2nd year in a row--cilantro and thyme, most notably.

Not in the category of growing our own, but I'll also spend some time dividing and spreading perennials. We're progressively getting rid of our lawn but spending $0 doing it!

I'm on Zone 5 so I'm with you on the jealousy of my Zone 3 and Zone 4 friends!  My tomato and pepper seedlings didn't survive my cat, so I went to the local green house and bought a couple of starter plants to replace those.   The guy told me to not even try to plant seeds until after Monday (yesterday).  I did sow some beets and carrots last week directly into the soil last week during a hot spell.  We will see!

SisterX

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #301 on: May 23, 2017, 09:20:00 AM »
I got to check out my new garden yesterday. (Walk-through of our new house.) It's wonderful! The sellers had already planted some annuals (beans--no idea what variety--lettuces, a few others) along with some herbs (most notably, mint!), and lots of strawberries. Hurray!

First task: figure out where to plant some blueberries (will probably require removing a monster shrub, but I hate that particular plant anyway) and at least one fruit tree.

Has anyone tried growing plants in a large rubbermaid bin that you've drilled drainage holes into?

I really could use one more huge pot (like the size a tomato would go in). These are $$$ at Home Depot and my garden center, and there are not currently any on Craigslist, where I bought my others. Realized today that I have a bunch of empty rubbermaid bins that are the right depth, just rectangular rather than round. I want to put either a tomato or a raspberry bush (compact variety that supposedly "stays put" and therefore is good for containers)  in it.

Yes! I did this quite successfully. My only concern has been the possible leaching of the plastic into the dirt, since it's not food safe. But I successfully grew tomatoes in Alaska using this method, since I could pull the totes into the garage when it was going to be too cold. The totes were nice and deep and the tomatoes seemed quite happy.

I also grew some tiny, round Parisienne carrots in a short square tote. That was actually one of my most successful crops ever.

Fishindude

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #302 on: May 23, 2017, 09:31:27 AM »
Finished up my planting yesterday.  We have (3) 4' x 16' and (1) 4' x 6' raised beds.  We are growing green beans, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers and a couple types of bell peppers.  Also tilled up a big strip with the tractor alongside field and planted a big pumpkin patch, (16) hills.

CutTheFat

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #303 on: May 23, 2017, 09:36:23 AM »
Zone 5 here!  Very envious!

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #304 on: May 23, 2017, 09:43:14 AM »
Oh, those carrots are so round and cute! I am growing "Short and Sweet" carrots this year, which is a new variety for me. We'll see how they do.

Are the plastic pots that you get in a garden center or big box store food-safe, necessarily? I've never seen them labeled as such.

I netted the blueberry and raspberry bushes that are in the community garden, so that this year hopefully  I get to eat berries before the birds do. The blueberry is a dwarf in a container, so that was relatively easy to net once I got the netting to stop catching on my clothing, rings, the scissors I was using to cut it, etc. The raspberry was a huge PITA. I have the net sort of clipped to various parts of the rabbit fence, and also to the ropes that mark off my square feet. Now the netting is partially covering up the thyme and lettuce that's next to the raspberry. So that's going to be a PITA to harvest. Damn birds.

Can you cut down a raspberry? I have a dwarf variety that supposedly isn't supposed to spread. HAHAHAHA. Wrong! I mean, I'm glad it's so healthy. I love raspberries. But it is really giant this year, after being relatively small for the last 2.

 I have absolutely no idea how to net the 2 dwarf blueberries in the raised bed at home. That raised bed is vinyl, and I can't nail anything into it. Maybe those metal staples that you use to hold down barrier cloth would work?

ooeei

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #305 on: May 25, 2017, 08:38:53 AM »
Has anyone tried growing plants in a large rubbermaid bin that you've drilled drainage holes into?

I really could use one more huge pot (like the size a tomato would go in). These are $$$ at Home Depot and my garden center, and there are not currently any on Craigslist, where I bought my others. Realized today that I have a bunch of empty rubbermaid bins that are the right depth, just rectangular rather than round. I want to put either a tomato or a raspberry bush (compact variety that supposedly "stays put" and therefore is good for containers)  in it.

My tomatoes are currently growing in 31 gallon Rubbermaid containers, granted I converted them into "earthtainers" but I don't see why they wouldn't work with simple holes drilled.  FWIW my plants are at least 8 feet tall in the containers, they seem to like it.  I posted pictures on page 4, they've gotten quite a bit bigger since then.

I also found large plastic pots at walmart for very reasonable prices compared to lowes and home depot.  Granted, that might just be local pricing for me, I'm not sure how consistent they are.

Cache_Stash

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #306 on: May 25, 2017, 02:04:53 PM »
I've seen this before on ripening tomatoes.  Is it a problem?


rockeTree

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Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #307 on: May 25, 2017, 06:07:43 PM »
It's where a bug sucked a little juice out I think- stink bugs make those marks in my zone. Won't kill the plant or make the fruit unsafe but a lot of it affects flavor a bit.


SisterX

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #308 on: May 25, 2017, 09:41:28 PM »
This picture is my potato "tower". Made of pallets. After doing some research online I discovered that building them up really tall doesn't actually seem to do much good. So I buried the potatoes really deep, will hill them once, and that's it. The rest of it is currently wasted space but the intent, and future use, will have beans trailing over the three tall sides. They're companions, since the potatoes are heavy feeders and the beans will give them nitrogen. (Might still be worth planting some beans? The plants would only be in there for about three months.) It doesn't take up much space (about 3 x 4?) and the total cost for the project was zero, since we already had access to a drill and some screws. I'll let everyone know how this experiment goes at the end of the summer when we dig them all up, whether it was worth it or not. I have an idea that planting the potatoes deep (these are about a foot deep without hilling) and then forcing them to grow a lot before they reach daylight might be key to getting lots of spuds in a small space, but I'm not sure.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #309 on: May 26, 2017, 04:04:18 AM »
I like the potato 'tower' Sister X.  I imagine you could also grow some cukes up the sides if you wanted.  Do you have to worry about the beans/climbers shading the potatoes inside?  Or does the open side face south?

No gardening here the past week or so . . . We have had bucketing rain nearly every day.  I've got grapes, raspberries, and blackberries that need to go into the ground.  Hoping we get a let up for the weekend so I can at least do that. 

SisterX

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #310 on: May 26, 2017, 09:09:45 AM »
I like the potato 'tower' Sister X.  I imagine you could also grow some cukes up the sides if you wanted.  Do you have to worry about the beans/climbers shading the potatoes inside?  Or does the open side face south?

It does face south. I took the picture in late afternoon/early evening and that's about as much shade as those 'taters get. I supposed if I planted a bunch of something vining then it might shade them out, but my original plan had been to just plant a few around each side, just enough to get a little nitrogen bump and utilize the upward growing space.

G-dog

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #311 on: May 26, 2017, 09:53:30 AM »
This picture is my potato "tower". Made of pallets. After doing some research online I discovered that building them up really tall doesn't actually seem to do much good. So I buried the potatoes really deep, will hill them once, and that's it. The rest of it is currently wasted space but the intent, and future use, will have beans trailing over the three tall sides. They're companions, since the potatoes are heavy feeders and the beans will give them nitrogen. (Might still be worth planting some beans? The plants would only be in there for about three months.) It doesn't take up much space (about 3 x 4?) and the total cost for the project was zero, since we already had access to a drill and some screws. I'll let everyone know how this experiment goes at the end of the summer when we dig them all up, whether it was worth it or not. I have an idea that planting the potatoes deep (these are about a foot deep without hilling) and then forcing them to grow a lot before they reach daylight might be key to getting lots of spuds in a small space, but I'm not sure.

One pack of seed potatoes instructed digging a trench 1 foot deep to plant the potatoes, then cover with 3-4 inches of soil. It then instructed to add soil 3-4 inches at a time (I expect mulch would work) as the potatoes grew to eventually have a bit of a hill.
This is not how my parents did it (if that matters), we just planted, then mulched/ hiked with grass clippings. Always got good yield (really nice loamy soil).

SisterX

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #312 on: May 26, 2017, 10:27:28 AM »
The soil can definitely make a huge difference. If it's rocky and poor then you're going to have a poor yield. If it's loose and rich you should have a great yield no matter how it's grown.

I'm still getting used to some non-Alaska gardening things. Like, my MIL never rotates where her potatoes go in the garden because there's no need. The potato diseases aren't going to survive the winter, it seems. Now I actually have to think about that stuff.

CutTheFat

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #313 on: May 26, 2017, 06:37:24 PM »
Something is already eating my basil!  Any ideas?  I picked up a beautiful rosemary shrub from Costco today.  Last week it was $14.99 and I wanted it, but held off because I was already spending enough.  Today they were marked $9.98 some of them looked a little misshapen I dug for the prettiest one and took it home with me :)   

Rural

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #314 on: May 26, 2017, 07:43:04 PM »
Something is already eating my basil!  Any ideas?  I picked up a beautiful rosemary shrub from Costco today.  Last week it was $14.99 and I wanted it, but held off because I was already spending enough.  Today they were marked $9.98 some of them looked a little misshapen I dug for the prettiest one and took it home with me :)


 Like last year, I have some kind of grasshopper thing eating my basil. I've found that a spray bottle full of mostly water with just a few drops of dish soap, sprayed on the leaves, takes care of the grasshopper problem. Also, occasional squishing doesn't hurt. I use Ivory dishwashing soap because it's mostly just soap.

CutTheFat

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #315 on: May 27, 2017, 06:33:29 AM »
I'll give that a try. Thank you!

G-dog

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #316 on: May 28, 2017, 06:04:16 PM »
The cool weather crops are finishing up -
A couple of spinach plants trying to bolt - I'm pinching off the tiny inflorescence, but it's probably a losing battle
Mustard greens - again, two trying to bolt, again, pinch, pinch
Lettuces - no bolting yet, but I am trying to start more seed, we may be able to get them growing if we keep them n a shadier spot.
Broccoli - a few more plants still going, likely all gone by next week, replaced by zucchini. Does anyone eat the leaves from the broccoli?
Radishes a all harvested.

Hopefully the warm weather plants will pick up the pace - tomatoes and peppers - have a few tomatoes on a couple of plants. Should have ripe tomatoes early in June. I think peppers will take longer.
I hope we have beans to pick in June.
Maybe some cucumbers too.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #317 on: May 29, 2017, 09:32:16 AM »
Good weekend in the garden.
All my seedlings are planted out and I have extras to share with my garden network.
Been harvesting rhubarb, greens, asparagus
Greenhouse is getting a little more empty with most of the tomatoes gone. I am going to try some tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse over the summer.  Peas are flowering really well and there are some pods.

Have had a very successful season with the seedlings overall.  The tomatoes and peppers got to be a very good size.  I got lots of herbs and flowers as well. Next year I would like to buy new seed trays.  The ones I have are starting to fall apart and the others are really hard to get the plants out of.  The hardest part of the weekend was easing this little plants out with loosing all the soil.

The early seeding in my allotment garden has been successful.  I planted out some herbs and peppers and did a second planting of greens and beets.  I also planted carrots, bush and pole beans and some more cilantro.  My cilantro seed is old so not getting a good germination.  I got three wheelbarrows of manure spread among the plants.  The garden is looking good but I haven't any photos.
My neighbour has allowed me to take over a small patch in around the greenhouse in addition to the entire inside of it.  I planted watermelon and cukes among some flowers.  I still want to cut down the willow stump but I have planted a bunch of flowers and herbs around it.   I grew sage from from very old seed and have about five times as many plants as I need so I stuck a bunch in there.  I will have to wait until the fall when I can trample them.  I moved the rhubarb into more sun and planted it farther apart in anticipation of better growth. The final step was forking on a good thick layer of manure.  It was still really wet from all the rain and being at the bottom of the pile.  It will break down in the sun and will work as a mulch for this first season.  Under the watermelons and cukes there is a little "pillow" of manure so they should be able to grow like gang busters.  Watermelon is a little dicey in our zone but hopefully this sheltered spot in front of the greenhouse is good. I still have to put down more newspaper and mulch over the weediest area at the front. I am waiting until they get their lawn mower working so that I can really cut the weeds down short first.  And it is not like I haven't been doing a bunch of other stuff. 

This is the first year I have planted a lot of flowers for cutting.   I love arranging flowers but have stopped spending money on cut flowers with my mustachian resolutions.  Hopefully everything I have planted grows well.

All the little fruit trees have set a good crop.  I rigged up a net tent over the haskaps and the black cherry.  The saskatoons are laden and the strawberries and raspberries are flowering heavily.  Even my pear trees that I planted in 2016 have fruit.  I am so excited. 

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #318 on: May 30, 2017, 08:09:57 AM »
Great weekend in the garden.  DS and I planted pole beans, weeded and mulched the cherry trees, the big fig tree, and the strawberry patch.  I got the grapes, blackberries, and raspberries planted finally.  They seem happy.  Cleaned out the chicken coop and the enclosed run.  We have a third (!) broody hen now, so we will probably get her a few chicks next weekend. 

One problem -- the cantaloupe starts I planted two weeks ago look like they are dying.  The leaves are turning yellow and curling up.  No bugs on them as far as I can see.  Maybe there is some disease that melons get?    This is a large in-ground bed, and the other plants in that bed look fine.  It's been years since I grew melons, but I can't recall any disease issues . . . 

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #319 on: May 30, 2017, 08:13:09 AM »
One problem -- the cantaloupe starts I planted two weeks ago look like they are dying.  The leaves are turning yellow and curling up.  No bugs on them as far as I can see.  Maybe there is some disease that melons get?    This is a large in-ground bed, and the other plants in that bed look fine.  It's been years since I grew melons, but I can't recall any disease issues . . . 

Too much water?  Planted too deeply?

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #320 on: May 30, 2017, 12:49:48 PM »
One problem -- the cantaloupe starts I planted two weeks ago look like they are dying.  The leaves are turning yellow and curling up.  No bugs on them as far as I can see.  Maybe there is some disease that melons get?    This is a large in-ground bed, and the other plants in that bed look fine.  It's been years since I grew melons, but I can't recall any disease issues . . . 

Too much water?  Planted too deeply?

Definitely not planted too deeply, but maybe too much water.  We have had a bunch of rain lately . . .

Linea_Norway

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #321 on: May 30, 2017, 02:08:52 PM »
Our strawberries outside have gotten flowers.

The Oregano and parsley are consumable now.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #322 on: May 30, 2017, 06:48:25 PM »
Great weekend in the garden.  DS and I planted pole beans, weeded and mulched the cherry trees, the big fig tree, and the strawberry patch.  I got the grapes, blackberries, and raspberries planted finally.  They seem happy.  Cleaned out the chicken coop and the enclosed run.  We have a third (!) broody hen now, so we will probably get her a few chicks next weekend. 

One problem -- the cantaloupe starts I planted two weeks ago look like they are dying.  The leaves are turning yellow and curling up.  No bugs on them as far as I can see.  Maybe there is some disease that melons get?    This is a large in-ground bed, and the other plants in that bed look fine.  It's been years since I grew melons, but I can't recall any disease issues . . .

Melons tend to sit around and sulk for a few weeks before getting over transplant shock, IME.  A bit of compost tea or diluted fish emulsion might give them a boost.  If you've had a lot of rain, it may have leached nitrogen from the top of the soil, and they tend to be fairly hungry.  Also if it's cool they won't be happy.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #323 on: May 31, 2017, 05:20:33 AM »
Great weekend in the garden.  DS and I planted pole beans, weeded and mulched the cherry trees, the big fig tree, and the strawberry patch.  I got the grapes, blackberries, and raspberries planted finally.  They seem happy.  Cleaned out the chicken coop and the enclosed run.  We have a third (!) broody hen now, so we will probably get her a few chicks next weekend. 

One problem -- the cantaloupe starts I planted two weeks ago look like they are dying.  The leaves are turning yellow and curling up.  No bugs on them as far as I can see.  Maybe there is some disease that melons get?    This is a large in-ground bed, and the other plants in that bed look fine.  It's been years since I grew melons, but I can't recall any disease issues . . .

Melons tend to sit around and sulk for a few weeks before getting over transplant shock, IME.  A bit of compost tea or diluted fish emulsion might give them a boost.  If you've had a lot of rain, it may have leached nitrogen from the top of the soil, and they tend to be fairly hungry.  Also if it's cool they won't be happy.

Thanks for the tip, HorsePoor.  We've been having highs in the low 80s, nights in the mid 50s.  Not sure if cantaloupes think that is "cool."  (I know tomatoes and peppers like those warm muggy nights in the upper 60s and 70s).  I fed them some compost this morning.  We'll see if that does the trick. 

CutTheFat

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #324 on: May 31, 2017, 06:22:32 AM »
All of my seeds (lettuces and bush beans) are sprouting! :)

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #325 on: May 31, 2017, 07:41:48 AM »
Bottom leaves on my cucumbers are turning yellow. Overwatering? I water them every 2-3 days.

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #326 on: May 31, 2017, 01:26:13 PM »
Coming in late to this thread, but I'm so excited to follow everyone's gardening endeavors!

In zone 5 (southwestern Ontario) and so far I have in my garden growing from seed:
-lots of spinach
-parsley
-peas
-kale
-lettuce
-garlic (well, not from seed but planted bulbs last fall and are ~almost~ ready to be picked)

And transplanted 10 days ago, but already growing well:
-kale
-basil
-tomatoes
-Aunt Molly's ground cherry

I planted some red runner bean seeds and sunflower seeds last weekend but they haven't sprouted up yet.  Keeping an eye out for those.  Once I pull the garlic and spinach, I will have more space in which I plant to plant zucc/squash/green&yellow beans/carrots.  Maybe more peas.  Gardening in my tiny backyard is my fave hobby ever!

Rural

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #327 on: May 31, 2017, 03:07:30 PM »
Round 2 of radishes is going like gangbusters.


Tomatoes are just beginning to bloom, though. I could get them faster if I started seeds indoors, but I get more than I can use by just letting the volunteers grow, so I do that.


Basil continues to struggle a bit with the grasshoppers. Dilute soap spray works, but only until it rains.

Beegee

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #328 on: June 01, 2017, 07:12:11 AM »
Snapped a few pics of my gardens last night to share with you guys, and found that a recent hail storm beat down four of my tomato plants, wahhhhh!  *shakes fist in air at Mother Nature*.  Everything else seems to have survived.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #329 on: June 02, 2017, 05:29:46 AM »
The new feds of garlic that we planted in a pot in the kitchen are growing high greens and can be eaten any moment. The herbs are finally recognizable and should be bit enough to be consumed in a couple of weeks.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #330 on: June 04, 2017, 05:08:15 AM »
The pole beans we planted last weekend are going gangbusters --100% germination, and they are nearly 4" tall.  These guys were seeds I had saved from two years ago.  I've had them in the freezer since then.  This is Northeaster variety, flat pod/Roma stye.  Wasn't sure it would like the south (we moved last year), but so far so good! 

Now I just have to figure out how to grow storage onions down here.   I'd like to find a good variety that's a long keeper.  My old go-to onion champ, Patterson, is not going to work -- it is too 'long-day'.   Any suggestions?   We are zone 7a, latitude 35 degrees N.  Technically that's 'intermediate' territory for onions from what I've read, but the local folks say to go with short-day.   

G-dog

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #331 on: June 04, 2017, 05:19:26 AM »
Spinach is done - I was pinching off bloom buds, but it was determined to bloom. Pinch off the apical bloom, then several laterals start.  I may try to start some seed for fall planting.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #332 on: June 04, 2017, 05:19:23 PM »
I ate my first ripe strawberry today! And one of the raspberry bushes - a new one, no less - has a berry that's almost ripe already!

Bucketfuls of greens are coming out of the garden. It is hot today, but supposed to plunge to the 60s tomorrow so hopefully nothing bolts. So far so good.

My cilantro that I had in the rasied bed didn't bolt but it turned bitter and disgusting, overnight apparently, so I had to pull it. The one in the pot is OK.

The tomatoes that I planted in huge containers in my yard are going gangbusters. No fruit yet - too early for that here, but they look very strong and healthy. Yay!

Any tips on keeping the neighborhood cat from pooping in my raised bed, without using chemicals or anything with blood in it? (Found repellent spray at the garden center but it contains blood and I am vegetarian so no thanks.) I have heard cayenne pepper sprinkled in the preferred poopin' area helps. T/F?

CutTheFat

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #333 on: June 04, 2017, 05:38:56 PM »
I finally planted my window boxes!  I'd like to plan earlier next year and try to grow flowers from seeds.  It cost $32 for 8 plants and my window boxes aren't nice and full, the way that I like them.  I usually buy more, but I couldn't see spending more when I know that in time they will fill in.  I if I plan it right, I could spend a couple dollars on seeds, to have flowers for spring.  I also took all the empty pots out of the shed and planted more green beans and lettuces.  I figure I still have seeds left and planting them at different times should give me more harvest potential.  I didn't buy any flowers for the patio, everything in pots are edibles.     

Cressida

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #334 on: June 04, 2017, 11:59:25 PM »
Any tips on keeping the neighborhood cat from pxxping in my raised bed, without using chemicals or anything with blood in it?

Also interested in responses to this, although I am squeamish and redacted a word.

G-dog

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #335 on: June 05, 2017, 06:24:07 AM »
Barriers? Wire or other panels you can use to block access.

Here's several options:
https://www.organiclesson.com/how-to-keep-cats-out-of-flower-beds/

Beegee

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #336 on: June 05, 2017, 08:05:34 AM »
We had another hail storm yesterday... twice in a week now, so crazy!  My plants did not enjoy it.  BUT!  I've pulled a row of spinach and some lettuce out, which has been great and made room to plant two rows of beans (green and yellow bush beans).  The garlic should be ready in a week or two, which will also free up a bunch of space.

Cressida

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #337 on: June 05, 2017, 08:14:45 PM »
Barriers? Wire or other panels you can use to block access.

Here's several options:
https://www.organiclesson.com/how-to-keep-cats-out-of-flower-beds/

hm, some good ideas there. Off to stick pointy things in my herb bed.

Poundwise

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #338 on: June 06, 2017, 05:49:05 AM »
The little cherry tree we planted last year had 5 cherries!  One of them was bit into while green by a squirrel (grrr) but there are still 4 left.  I probably have to make a cage for it if we want to hope for edible fruit.

G-dog

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #339 on: June 06, 2017, 06:01:07 AM »
Barriers? Wire or other panels you can use to block access.

Here's several options:
https://www.organiclesson.com/how-to-keep-cats-out-of-flower-beds/

hm, some good ideas there. Off to stick pointy things in my herb bed.

That was my favorite - cats are picky about surfaces.

totoro

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #340 on: June 06, 2017, 04:24:59 PM »
Any tips on keeping the neighborhood cat from pxxping in my raised bed, without using chemicals or anything with blood in it?

Also interested in responses to this, although I am squeamish and redacted a word.

We collected big pine cones and put them down around the plants in our large raised planters and that worked.

bender

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #341 on: June 07, 2017, 10:39:37 AM »
I new to gardening and could use some help with fertilizer.  So far I've researched the following:

Fish fertilizer - people seem to rave about this and use it on everything.
Epsom Salt - Generic - use on everything as well
Bone Meal - use specifically on certain high nitrogen feeders (corn?)

So what do people use and how do they use it (how often, etc)?  I'm trying to figure out a plan for my corn, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and peas.  Thanks!

jlcnuke

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #342 on: June 07, 2017, 11:44:44 AM »
I new to gardening and could use some help with fertilizer.  So far I've researched the following:

Fish fertilizer - people seem to rave about this and use it on everything.
Epsom Salt - Generic - use on everything as well
Bone Meal - use specifically on certain high nitrogen feeders (corn?)

So what do people use and how do they use it (how often, etc)?  I'm trying to figure out a plan for my corn, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and peas.  Thanks!

Too much of any type of fertilizer can be harmful to plants, which is why you want to start by testing your soil before blindly adding stuff to it. Do soil samples to figure out what you need (in the US, you're almost guaranteed to have a university agriculture department extension nearby that will do them for you for free/cheap, then fertilize with the appropriate fertilizer.  Epsom salt provides magnesium and sulfur. Bone meal is a bit of nitrogen and a bunch of phosphorus but no potassium. Fish fertilizer is more nitrogen a bit of phosphorus and a bit of potassium. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the "primary" fertilizer ingredients you'll see labeled on most plant fertilizer, in that order (NPK). This is generally shown with 3 numbers sequentially (for instance, fish fertilizer is often 5-1-1 indicating it has 5 parts nitrogen for every 1 part phosphorus and 1 part potassium).

A good soil sample test should also let you know if your soil needs additional amounts of magnesium, sulfur, calcium, etc.

Problems with plants can also give you an indication of deficiencies in some cases (such as bottom end rot which indicates a need for calcium and/or magnesium generally).


jlcnuke

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #343 on: June 08, 2017, 04:52:31 AM »
The raised bed garden that I put in this year has been growing much, much, much slower/worse than the rest of the garden, despite being planted around the same time. I decided to test the "organic gardening soil" I bought to fill it up with. Turns out, if your soil doesn't have any/much nitrogen then plants don't grow too well (test kit didn't even register a change in color, so tried the other kit and got the same "nada" result for nitrogen). Hopefully the urea I put down yesterday will start to fix that problem. That's what I get for expecting the stuff I paid for to be suitable for what its purpose is..

Oh, and blight in one of the other beds is causing havoc with the tomatoes this year but as long as I cut off the infected leaves regularly I hope that the plants that have grown to a decent height will continue to be okay overall.  Next year I'll have to avoid planting anything susceptible to blight there.

Cache_Stash

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #344 on: June 08, 2017, 05:13:26 AM »
Anyone use a shun shade in their garden for themselves?  Does it block too much sun for the plants?

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #345 on: June 08, 2017, 08:43:50 AM »
I second testing before adding a lot of fertilizers.  That said, top dressing with compost both to add micronutrients to the soil and help with moisture retention can be done without worry.  I am continually adding an inch of compost spring and fall and as the compost is ready throughout the summer. But just on the bare areas of soil -never against the stems of plants. 

My experience with garden /potting soils is that they have very little fertility over time. The fertilizers that come in them must be highly water soluble and ready just to get things started. I have liberally supplemented all the soil in the pots and beds with manure and compost. As soon as I stop picking asparagus - I add a few forkfuls of manure to each crown.  In the fall I put my garden to bed with lots of leaves, manure and the compost.  I try to have both compost bins nearly empty at the beginning of winter so that there is lots of capacity over the winter.  That often means that some of the compost is not entirely finished in September but I just dump it on top of the leaves to keep them from blowing away.  In the spring, I may have to push some of it out of the way to plant a row, but I keep it between the rows as mulch to prevent moisture loss.

The thing will mulches is this:  If they are not fully decomposed (as finished compost is), they actually draw nitrogen out of the soil surface for decomposition. Once rotted completely the nitrogen is released back into the soil.  So besides blocking light to the soil surface they are also reverse fertilizing for a period. 

I have always felt adding a specific fertilizer is a short term solution which may be necessary for this season's crops, but I recommend ramping up the long game with nourishing a very deep healthy rich soil. 

I will add epsom salts around the tomatoes if they don't seem to be ripening.  One year they had way to much green growth and very little fruit so I really cut back the manure the next year around them. 

I should probably run a soil sample to the ag lab this fall just to see if there is anything specifically deficient.  I am going to try and reuse the soil in the green house planting boxes as getting all new soil will be too costly and difficult so a test might be a good idea.  I am going to let it get really hot and dry out to kill molds and fungus first for a couple of weeks in the fall while it can still get really hot inside.  But then add compost and keep it moist to bring back the biota. 

Elderwood17

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #346 on: June 09, 2017, 08:39:05 PM »
Started picking raspberries this week.....got about a quart Monday, and two quarts Wednesday and today!  Should be picking about every other day for the next week.   This is our third year for them and they are starting to really come in.

FerrumB5

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #347 on: June 10, 2017, 01:30:49 PM »
Just ate my first cucumber of the year. Zone 5

pekklemafia

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #348 on: June 10, 2017, 02:15:54 PM »
Very envious of everyone already enjoying their produce!

So far, we've harvested a lot of rhubarb (it doesn't stop) and pea shoots. Everything else is coming up very well - tomatoes and tomatillos are flowering too. I'm also attempting a cut flower garden, just a couple of beds, with zinnias, dahlias, sunflowers etc.

I'm getting really tired of weeding the lawn... we're not at the point yet where we can just tear it all out (probably have close to 2000 sq ft of lawn on our property still.) Has anyone had any luck with a clover lawn or any other alternative?

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing Your Own - 2017
« Reply #349 on: June 10, 2017, 06:04:03 PM »
Any tips on keeping the neighborhood cat from pxxping in my raised bed, without using chemicals or anything with blood in it?

Also interested in responses to this, although I am squeamish and redacted a word.

We collected big pine cones and put them down around the plants in our large raised planters and that worked.

My neighbours have 4 cats and I have pine cones - thanks for the idea!