Author Topic: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019  (Read 93679 times)

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #50 on: January 10, 2019, 04:20:40 AM »
I have tomorrow off (woo!) so I'm going to use the three day weekend to start prepping for my vegetable garden project.  (We're installing an 8' deer fence and laying out permanent beds and paths).  It's chilly here but we have no snow on the ground, so should be fine for a good round of outdoor prep work. 

We had two huge old maple trees (who were at the very end of their lives) taken down this week, and the tree crew chipped up all the smaller branches.  I have a pile of nice wood chips 10 feet high.  I'm thinking to use them for the garden paths and mulching around bushes and trees.   


WonderfulLife43

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #51 on: January 10, 2019, 06:13:49 AM »
PTF, and for encouragment.  I have 5 4x4 raised beds, and looking to increase number of herbs this year: Parsley, Basil, Chamomile, ...

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #52 on: January 10, 2019, 07:21:57 AM »
I am pouring through the seed catalogues and dreaming about possibilities.
I have a whole bunch of collected seed and a huge box of old bought seed so before I order anything new - I am going to sit down and make a plan for what I have space for and what I already have.
For my birthday in February I am getting myself some new LED grow lights so I can increase my seed starting capacity.
I want to challenge myself to grow some harder things that I haven't had success with before such as parsnips. 
My cold cellar is now operational so I want to grow more storage crops such as onions and potatoes.  I dislike buying shallots, sweet onions and leeks and potatoes that I know I could now keep in my cold cellar.
I grew leeks from seed last year and was pretty successful storing them until they were all gone just recently.  I could double the harvest size.  And apparently keeping them in the cold cellar in sand works well.
I have to get a plan together to enrich the soil - some nutrients are not there given the problems growing some crops such as beets.
I have a plan for growing tomatoes, potatoes and cucumbers in a different soil so I can work on getting the garden soil healthy from fungus but that plan needs to be updated.
Making garden plans is difficult this year because a lot of them involved my dad.  But I really love growing things and it makes me happy for the most part. 

Vasilisa

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #53 on: January 10, 2019, 08:43:53 AM »
@Trifele ooh, jealous of your home grown wood chips for pathways! Post some pictures of your project this weekend.

@WonderfulLife43 I love growing herbs too. Chamomile is so lovely to grow and one feels like you should be wearing a sundress or summer outfit while harvesting. La la la. Picking flowers in the sunshine.

We planted a bare root plum ('Emerald Beaut') tree yesterday and my husband pruned our apple ('Pink Pearl') tree. Waiting a few more weeks to prune the weeping plum we have. Last year I gathered the branches and they were beautiful in vases.

jengod

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #54 on: January 10, 2019, 01:47:26 PM »
first time poster!

* started cucumber seeds in my Orta seed pots, using my own worm-castings/compost as the seed starting medium
* need to plant out more of the saffron crocus bulbs and transplant some comfrey root
* working on spreading our truckload of free ChipDrop wood chips by doing at least two wheelbarrow loads a day
* still harvesting tangerines
* need to work on harvesting and juicing/preserving our ripening lemon crop

CalBal

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #55 on: January 10, 2019, 01:57:35 PM »
first time poster!

* started cucumber seeds in my Orta seed pots, using my own worm-castings/compost as the seed starting medium
* need to plant out more of the saffron crocus bulbs and transplant some comfrey root
* working on spreading our truckload of free ChipDrop wood chips by doing at least two wheelbarrow loads a day
* still harvesting tangerines
* need to work on harvesting and juicing/preserving our ripening lemon crop

Don't you love ChipDrop?

I still have 1/2 a load sitting ON THE STREET in front of my house. I was trying to move 5 wheelbarrows a day but then I got hurt and couldn't. Luckily no one has called the city on me yet...
« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 03:19:41 PM by CalBal »

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #56 on: January 10, 2019, 02:52:27 PM »
I had not heard about ChipDrop -- Thanks guys!  I don't need any right now (and maybe not for a year!)  But very good to know. 

CalBal

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #57 on: January 10, 2019, 03:21:30 PM »
I had not heard about ChipDrop -- Thanks guys!  I don't need any right now (and maybe not for a year!)  But very good to know.

Chip Drop is the ultimate in mustachianism, if you can stand to store it, and move it. (It is a lot, though you can always share on Buy Nothing or your neighborhood Facebook group.) It's valuable, and FREEEEEEE!

krmit

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #58 on: January 10, 2019, 03:38:59 PM »
ChipDrop is the best!

So our realtor gave us a gift card to a local nursery as a 'happy closing on your first house' gift,  which I spent 75% of today. Got some tools I need and a few packets of seeds (no, really, only 3 packets of seeds!). Trying to decide if it's too early to start some seeds. 

*sigh*

Probably should wait a few weeks.

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #59 on: January 11, 2019, 03:12:42 AM »
I had not heard about ChipDrop -- Thanks guys!  I don't need any right now (and maybe not for a year!)  But very good to know.

Chip Drop is the ultimate in mustachianism, if you can stand to store it, and move it. (It is a lot, though you can always share on Buy Nothing or your neighborhood Facebook group.) It's valuable, and FREEEEEEE!

Question about ChipDrop -- can you specify at all what kind of wood you want?  I'm not fussy, only there are loads of walnut trees around here and I would not want to get walnut mulch. 

LOVE the idea.  Great use of resources. 

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #60 on: January 11, 2019, 07:26:16 AM »
ChipDrop is the best!

So our realtor gave us a gift card to a local nursery as a 'happy closing on your first house' gift,  which I spent 75% of today. Got some tools I need and a few packets of seeds (no, really, only 3 packets of seeds!). Trying to decide if it's too early to start some seeds. 

*sigh*

Probably should wait a few weeks.

Some seeds can be started much sooner than others.  Work backwards from your frost free date from the instructions on the seed packet.  Hot peppers can only get nice and hot here if they are started around now and our frost free date is the fourth week of May.

CalBal

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #61 on: January 11, 2019, 09:40:48 AM »
I had not heard about ChipDrop -- Thanks guys!  I don't need any right now (and maybe not for a year!)  But very good to know.

Chip Drop is the ultimate in mustachianism, if you can stand to store it, and move it. (It is a lot, though you can always share on Buy Nothing or your neighborhood Facebook group.) It's valuable, and FREEEEEEE!

Question about ChipDrop -- can you specify at all what kind of wood you want?  I'm not fussy, only there are loads of walnut trees around here and I would not want to get walnut mulch. 

LOVE the idea.  Great use of resources.

You can specify if you don't want certain species. It might limit the response you get, especially if there are a lot of walnut trees in your area (and maybe loads are mixed a lot? I don't know.) I decided to risk it and not be specific, but there aren't a ton of walnut trees here.

You can can also choose to accept logs, but unless you have a giant chipper or want to split wood forever you want NO LOGS. They can be truly giant (I have seen pictures). When you sign up the website walks you through it (it's a pretty basic site). I think you have to "renew" your interest every 90 days if you don't get a drop in that time, and one you get a drop you are taken off the list (but can put yourself back on) - I guess the reason is that so people don't get chips unexpectedly or are overloaded.

Anyway, it's a good deal!

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #62 on: January 12, 2019, 07:36:46 AM »
ChipDrop is the best!

So our realtor gave us a gift card to a local nursery as a 'happy closing on your first house' gift,  which I spent 75% of today. Got some tools I need and a few packets of seeds (no, really, only 3 packets of seeds!). Trying to decide if it's too early to start some seeds. 

*sigh*

Probably should wait a few weeks.

Some seeds can be started much sooner than others.  Work backwards from your frost free date from the instructions on the seed packet.  Hot peppers can only get nice and hot here if they are started around now and our frost free date is the fourth week of May.

I will be starting my peppers in mid-February, for mid-June planting - we are a couple of weeks behind you, my house is on the cool side, and the seedlings grow slowly.  Tomatoes I always want to start too soon - those I start about 7 weeks before planting out, and save milk boxes (1 or 2 L) and transplant to them so I can bury the stems and get a bigger root system.  It is always a guess, last year we had a long cold wet spring and the heat-lovers went into the garden late, and were still unhappy about the cold.

krmit

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #63 on: January 12, 2019, 02:07:49 PM »
ChipDrop is the best!

So our realtor gave us a gift card to a local nursery as a 'happy closing on your first house' gift,  which I spent 75% of today. Got some tools I need and a few packets of seeds (no, really, only 3 packets of seeds!). Trying to decide if it's too early to start some seeds. 

*sigh*

Probably should wait a few weeks.

Some seeds can be started much sooner than others.  Work backwards from your frost free date from the instructions on the seed packet.  Hot peppers can only get nice and hot here if they are started around now and our frost free date is the fourth week of May.

I will be starting my peppers in mid-February, for mid-June planting - we are a couple of weeks behind you, my house is on the cool side, and the seedlings grow slowly.  Tomatoes I always want to start too soon - those I start about 7 weeks before planting out, and save milk boxes (1 or 2 L) and transplant to them so I can bury the stems and get a bigger root system.  It is always a guess, last year we had a long cold wet spring and the heat-lovers went into the garden late, and were still unhappy about the cold.

Yeah, last year I started my tomatoes in early February and it was just a hair too early - they got pretty rootbound before I could transfer them into the ground and just didn't do spectacularly. I usually just buy my pepper starts - I only do one or two plants a season.

I have a bunch of lavender seeds, which take forever to get going...maybe I'll get some more of those started just to get my hands in some dirt.

jengod

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #64 on: January 12, 2019, 09:08:21 PM »
* Husband moved 15 or 20 loads of the wood chips today. Whoo!
* As usual, composted the stomach contents of the robot vacuum, caught food scraps out of the sink with our stainless steel strainers for future compost, and added the coffee grounds to our planting beds.

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #65 on: January 13, 2019, 05:41:15 AM »
For the chicken owners -- Upthread there was mention of blood spots in chicken eggs.  That is a weird coincidence because we've had chickens for 7 years now, and I've only seen one blood spot in that whole time -- until this week, when I had TWO.  And they weren't spots either -- they were like blood vessels, long.   I googled that and read that sometimes vessels can come away during egg formation and be encased in the egg.   

I can tell from the egg shell color that these were laid by one of our two year old hens, so not young and not old either.  They did just start laying again, though, after their brief 'winter break' . . .  Maybe that has something to do with it.  I'll keep an eye on them, but we've got 7 two-year-olds so it will be hard to figure out which bird it is.  Whoever she is, I hope she's ok.   

Indio

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #66 on: January 13, 2019, 11:21:49 AM »
I've been shopping for tilapia to stock my mini-aquaponics set up.  Need fast growers because they are only going to be harvested in the Fall/Oct so thinking they need to be in the stock tank by early March. Might need to keep it heated somehow since it's still chilly here in zone 6B then. Thinking that I might enclosed the tank with a frame and UV resistant plastic, sort of a mini-greenhouse, to keep it warm during the day. The plants won't go into until late April to fully get the aquaponics part going.

Any suggestions on how to heat it? I wasn't thinking of heating the water but I'm open to ideas.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #67 on: January 13, 2019, 12:14:17 PM »
This morning I went through all my seed packets and grouped them by starting date, separating out the root vegetables, which will be direct-sown.

My first group will be started Feb 1, with March 1 being the biggest seeding event. 

jengod

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #68 on: January 13, 2019, 05:12:07 PM »
* Got all the saffron crocus bulbs planted out before the rain begins tomorrow.

* Scattered some cover-crop seed and some California poppy seed

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #69 on: January 13, 2019, 06:42:31 PM »
I've been shopping for tilapia to stock my mini-aquaponics set up.  Need fast growers because they are only going to be harvested in the Fall/Oct so thinking they need to be in the stock tank by early March. Might need to keep it heated somehow since it's still chilly here in zone 6B then. Thinking that I might enclosed the tank with a frame and UV resistant plastic, sort of a mini-greenhouse, to keep it warm during the day. The plants won't go into until late April to fully get the aquaponics part going.

Any suggestions on how to heat it? I wasn't thinking of heating the water but I'm open to ideas.

Ooh @Indio, that's a cool project.  I don't have any knowledge to share, but am very interested in aquaponics, so I'll be interested to hear about your final set up. This is a naive question, but could you just use a stock tank water heater?

Poundwise

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #70 on: January 14, 2019, 07:25:05 AM »
Though I currently have no garden beds to plant them in (contaminated soil in my yard was scraped away, long story), I could start thinking about starting some seeds. Last summerr I bought a grow light on sale, and it has been sitting in my garage since.

The amount of work it will take to rebuild our yard has been depressing me, but maybe it will help to break the mammoth task down into steps:
1. keep eye out for broad flat plastic clamshell packaging that I could use as seed trays
2. keep eye out for shelving to use as my seed starting center
3. spend 15 minutes planning the hardscape for the area that will eventually be my vegetable beds (it's currently a curved slope of solid rock)

Indio

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #71 on: January 14, 2019, 12:05:07 PM »


Ooh @Indio, that's a cool project.  I don't have any knowledge to share, but am very interested in aquaponics, so I'll be interested to hear about your final set up. This is a naive question, but could you just use a stock tank water heater?
[/quote]

@Trifele that's a good idea to use a stock tank water heater. Checked out Tractor Supply to see all the different models but can't find anything on temps. Will likely have to call and find someone knowledgeable to get questions answered. I don't want the water to get to warm too quickly or have will have to install a timer for night when it gets cold.

BTW, I started following #anarchyapiaries on Instagram. He winters in Miami area with his hives and was just at a bee conference in SC. Big debate started on one of his posts about how hobbyist beekeepers don't help the bees... I stayed out of it, but it's an interesting thread.


Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #72 on: January 15, 2019, 08:33:11 AM »
Spent the evening with my latest seed catalogue because we all had to be super quiet and not use any bandwidth while son recorded high resolution videos for his university application.  Tonight, while he applies to choice number 2 I will bring my seeds upstairs and delete those that I have a good supply of and write a list of those that I need to research the length of viability for.

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #73 on: January 17, 2019, 12:49:16 PM »
Found some sprouted garlic in the pantry so planted out the bulbs in our walkway “herb gardens.” It’s late to start then but at the very least we’ll get some shoots we can use for stir fries etc.

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #74 on: January 17, 2019, 03:40:15 PM »
Joining to follow in here. I live in CA and have been promising myself for ages that I'll fully break the plot out back and make it a garden -- well, hoping to actually *do* that this time around. I've got seeds and I've got the bit of space; I just need to keep weeding out the grass and get some more soil improvements going.

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #75 on: January 18, 2019, 09:03:07 AM »
Joining to follow in here. I live in CA and have been promising myself for ages that I'll fully break the plot out back and make it a garden -- well, hoping to actually *do* that this time around. I've got seeds and I've got the bit of space; I just need to keep weeding out the grass and get some more soil improvements going.

Yeah!! I'm glad you're joining in! Let me know if you want to get together and do a garden work party or something. I know it really helped to have many hands when DH and I were starting a community garden plot.

@jengod good idea! Now I'm looking forward to some garlic shoots to cook with. I love heading out into the veggie garden and harvesting a bit of this and that. Lately I've been pinching back some of the pea shoots in the mixed cover crop we're growing- they're great in salads.

Poundwise

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #76 on: February 01, 2019, 06:05:47 AM »
I planted some sprouted ginger in a pot and it seems to be doing well!  Growing leaves and everything.

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #77 on: February 01, 2019, 06:28:08 AM »
That's cool about the ginger @Poundwise.   

I have a three foot tall pomegranate tree in a big pot that I brought indoors in the fall.  It dropped its leaves and went to sleep, but now is waking up big time.  Leaves budding out everywhere.  It's more than two months before I'll be able to put it back outside . . . I hope I can keep him happy enough until then.  I really should have put the tree in the garage or somewhere cooler to try to keep it dormant longer.  Live and learn. 

On the pomegranate note, I had thought we couldn't put one in the ground here (Zone 7a) but i just heard from a friend that she has had one in the ground for years. So it's doable with winter protection.  I'm going to put this guy in the ground in a sunny spot this spring and leave him there.  I'll just bundle him up in the winters like I do my fig trees and hope for the best. 


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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #78 on: February 01, 2019, 07:02:00 AM »
@Trifele Wow, a pomegranate tree! Never would I have thought about growing one here! (Zone 6b)

I actually harvested some ginger the other day, though it doesn't count because I doubt the ginger has had the time to grow much underground.  But I was out of ginger, needed it, and it was there...

coffeefueled

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #79 on: February 01, 2019, 10:13:29 AM »
I'm in. We moved to a house with a large yard last year and built four 4x8 boxes, but the deer ate everything. This year we'll be building quite the large deer fence first thing. We bought pear trees this week, but they won't arrive until sometime in April after the last frost date. It'll be our first time growing fruit.

@Trifele I'd suggest putting your mint in a pot. It spreads pretty easily through it's root system and can choke out anything growing near it. We had a 3 foot patch growing near our doorstep when we moved in. It smells wonderful, but it's been crazy trying to reduce the size.

@FerrumB5 I'm not sure where you're located, but some areas in the US have problems with Nemotodes in the soil which will kill your peppers. (sounds fake but its a real thing) You can get resistant bellpepper varieties from some seed sellers. I know Southern Exposure sells them.

Can't wait for the snow to stop so we can get planting! :)


Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #80 on: February 01, 2019, 10:51:27 AM »
This year we'll be building quite the large deer fence first thing. We bought pear trees this week, but they won't arrive until sometime in April after the last frost date. It'll be our first time growing fruit.

@Trifele I'd suggest putting your mint in a pot. It spreads pretty easily through it's root system and can choke out anything growing near it. We had a 3 foot patch growing near our doorstep when we moved in. It smells wonderful, but it's been crazy trying to reduce the size.


Hi @coffeefueled -- yes we are building a deer fence as well.  We have a swarm here and they eat everything -- even things deer are not supposed to like.  I guess they didn't get the memos.  What varieties of pear did you get? 

Thanks for the tip on mint.  I'll have a large empty pot after I put the pomegranate tree in the ground, so I'll use that for the mint haha. 

Indio

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #81 on: February 01, 2019, 05:49:52 PM »
Watched this permaculture video today by Geoff Lawton from Zaytuna farm somewhere on the east coast of Australia. Great tips about creating swales to route water, composting, food forests, etc. It's always inspiring to see what others are doing to grow their own food and teach others who are interested in learning more about caring for the earth.

https://www.discoverpermaculture.com/p/video-1-pdc-2019

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #82 on: February 01, 2019, 09:30:59 PM »
Watched this permaculture video today by Geoff Lawton from Zaytuna farm somewhere on the east coast of Australia. Great tips about creating swales to route water, composting, food forests, etc. It's always inspiring to see what others are doing to grow their own food and teach others who are interested in learning more about caring for the earth.

https://www.discoverpermaculture.com/p/video-1-pdc-2019

I took a PDC with Geoff last summer in Jordan, he’s the best! These videos are new to me, thanks for the link!

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #83 on: February 02, 2019, 01:34:41 PM »
I whined about my saffron not coming up in the last thread.  Well, during a warm day I took a poke around the garden, saw these grassy patches coming through, researched it, and I have saffron!  I'm tickled.

Once again the garden teaches me the need for patience.

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #84 on: February 02, 2019, 03:47:20 PM »
Just wanted to share -- the weather was gorgeous today, 62 degrees and sunny.  I was down in the garden this afternoon and something about the sunshine made me really sleepy, so I lay down on the grass and took a delicious one hour nap.  In hindsight I should probably be grateful a neighbor didn't see me lying there and call 911 . . .

But wow was that good.  :)

happyuk

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #85 on: February 04, 2019, 01:07:10 PM »
I have made a start by planting elephant garlic, ordinary garlic (soft and hard neck), and onions (red and white) in late Autumn 2018.

I have even taken the liberty of starting a gardening blog. 

https://plot-30.blogspot.com/

I think it will be of much value in remembering just what the hell I planted and where and when, given that labels and so on often go missing, or the ink on them wears off.

Hopefully will survive the frosts and make into the upcoming Spring of 2019:

Elephant garlic

The images show them when planting right at the front of my plot, next to some existing parsnip plants, followed by an update a few months later, 27 January 2019:
« Last Edit: February 05, 2019, 12:18:06 PM by happyuk »

jengod

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #86 on: February 04, 2019, 05:07:24 PM »
Started sunflower seeds.

Indio

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #87 on: February 04, 2019, 07:20:15 PM »
@Trifele
A nap in the garden sounds like a perfect way to enjoy the garden. After enduring the polar vortex, I'm really really looking forward to Spring. How's the garden planning coming along?

@jengod
Geoff dropped two more videos since I linked the first one. I watched part 2 about a Canadian permaculture family. Part 3 came out today, but haven't watched it yet.
I've toyed with visiting Zaytuna but haven't had the time... yet. How was the Jordan program? I'd love to hear what you learned. I've followed the progress for about 4-5 years and it's fascinating to see the changes to such an arid climate.

I subscribe to the Cornell Small Farms newsletter, even though I only have a small garden, and they sent it out today. There was a little nugget in it about biofertilizer's so I went down a rabbit hole learning about it. I make a compost tea/foliar spray using worm castings that brew with molasses and an fish tank aerator, but this was a totally different scale for me. If anyone is interested in learning about the biofertilizer, here's the link https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2019/01/30/recipe-for-success-brew-your-own-biofertilizer/

Linea_Norway

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #88 on: February 05, 2019, 03:04:14 AM »
Our garden received a large pile of snow over the weekend. I also shoveled a lot of extra snow on the garden patch, to clear a path to the front door. So my guess is that planting anything at all will have to wait until late in the spring, when it all has melted away.

My plan is to plant some herbs in the kitchen window. It is convenient to have some growing there. When they grow out in the garden, I often find it too much work to go out and pick some while cooking. But I think I'll wait a bit until the days get longer and we have stronger sunlight before I plant them.

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #89 on: February 05, 2019, 04:22:54 AM »
Thanks for the links to the Geoff Lawton and Cornell info about biofertilizer @Indio -- I will check those out today.  Sounds super interesting! 

Garden planning coming along.  We've staked out the future deer fence perimeter and I'm researching how to make a functional deer fence look good, if that's possible.  :/   I'm reading about angled fencing, where you tip the fence out at a 45 degree angle, which apparently deer don't like to jump over.  They say you can do this with a shorter fence (4-6 feet), and it works.  To me it looks like it would be a real headache to mow around the exterior.  I'm leaning (har har) toward an old school vertical 8 foot fence.  We also have to bury the skirting because of woodchucks.   We have one huge one the size of a Corgi that loves to mow down my kale.

Gotta get a move on here!  The daffodils are 5 inches out of the ground already and the birds are starting to nest.  Spring is not waiting for me!

One minor thing hindering me right now in the garden work is that our garden shed has temporarily been turned into a chicken shelter for a half starved Brahma cockerel and pullet we found by the side of the road.  Some a$$hole in this area likes to dump his or her unwanted chickens.  This is the second time we've found birds dumped like this at the same spot on the road, and I just can't figure it out.  You would think most people would just eat unwanted chickens (?)  Anyway the guest chickens are in quarantine in our shed, until they (maybe) can eventually be mixed into our flock.  (We did successfully mix in the previous side-of-the-road chickens we found.)  The Brahmas are doing great, gaining weight and looking good.  They are maybe 4 months old -- and are BIG.  The pullet is a doll -- very friendly.  The cockerel is scared of his own shadow, but very pretty.   

Turkey Leg

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #90 on: February 05, 2019, 10:07:47 AM »
The treated lumber rails of our raised beds are rotting and need replaced. Is anyone out there using composite decking type material (e.g., Trex) for raised beds? Seems like it would last longer than treated wood.

coffeefueled

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #91 on: February 05, 2019, 11:04:29 AM »
I signed up for chip drop! I plan to mulch between my raised beds to keep the grass/weeds down. Hopefully I'll have that done before I build the deer fence.

I really want to start planting during the few days of unseasonably warm weather, but I know it's too early (zone 7). I'm guessing we're going to get another freeze before the end of the month.

I also created a planting map and tentative crop rotation plan for the four beds. One is going to be overrun by pumpkins and other winter squash and I plan to fill another with strawberries so that doesn't leave much space for everything else. This year will be a real learning process about how much I can fit in the remaining space.

Indio

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #92 on: February 05, 2019, 07:20:34 PM »
@Trifele 
So jealous that you have daffodils already peeking up. I'm still in the forcing bulb stage so I can have a bit of spring indoors. I've been staggering the hyacinth bulbs every other week to keep the blooming going till the bulbs outside start to pop up.

Getting the fencing right the first time is one of the biggest challenges, along with the soil. My struggle has always been to stop attracting new critters to the garden who keep finding new ways to get into it. One of my neighbors was catching woodchucks and rehoming them miles away, but they ended up catching only the slow, old, not-so-bright ones year after year. That left the smart ones to breed genetically superior woodchucks. This evolution led to woodchucks that are very efficient climbers that have an insatiable appetite. Two years ago, I looked out the window to find 20 lbs of fur climbing up the 10 ft fence hoping to jump into the garden.

That's fortunate that someone dropped off chickens nearby and you found them before they met their demise. Have white brahmas, with feathered feet, that are beautiful, with a lovely disposition similar to buff orpingtons. I'm placing my Spring chick order tomorrow.  Want to add 5 new hens and was thinking of adding cream legbars since I haven't had them before.

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #93 on: February 06, 2019, 03:27:02 AM »

Oh no @Indio -- you had woodchucks climbing a 10 foot fence?  Not good.  Not good at all.  My kale may be permanently doomed if the "Corgi" decides to climb.   

That's cool that you have Brahmas.  I've heard really good things about them. And neat that you're adding more chickens.  We have three crested cream legbars, so I'll share our experience FWIW.  The good -- pretty little hen, pretty blue eggs, big friendly personality, very smart.  The maybe-not-so-good -- all three of ours are very broody, even though the breed is supposedly non broody.  And they're so smart it's a bit unnerving.  When the three of them watch you collecting eggs from the coop, you can see their wheels turning.  Maybe that's why all three of them hide their eggs and don't lay in the nest boxes.  Last summer we found one of their contraband nests in a tree(!) and another one in the field grass.  They keep us on our toes, lol.   

     

Trifle

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #94 on: February 06, 2019, 03:59:28 AM »
The treated lumber rails of our raised beds are rotting and need replaced. Is anyone out there using composite decking type material (e.g., Trex) for raised beds? Seems like it would last longer than treated wood.

I've never used Trex @weirdlair, but I would think that would be a good material to withstand damp and rot, though expensive I think. 

Last year on the gardening thread @horsepoor did a major garden makeover and constructed new raised beds using galvanized metal roofing panels for the sides.   https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/planting-growing-your-own-2018/msg2209297/#msg2209297   I'd never thought about using metal, so that was interesting.  And those are fairly cheap too.

In our garden there were two existing raised beds made from old railroad ties (the big ones, like 12" by 12").   I'd like to make two new raised beds to mirror those two, but I'd rather not use treated lumber so I'm in the same boat as you -- trying to figure out materials.     

CalBal

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #95 on: February 06, 2019, 08:59:04 AM »
I'm in a Master Gardener course this year and some of us are doing starts for their annual plant sale. They passed out pepper and eggplant (and a few other things) this week, so I guess I will be starting my own pepper and eggplant as well this week!

Vasilisa

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #96 on: February 06, 2019, 09:11:52 AM »
So exciting to hear about everyone building new beds and starting seeds!

Sunday I weeded and planted one of our community garden beds. I planted seeds of 'Babette' carrots, beets, scallions, radishes, lettuce and parsley. Transplanted some little kale and chard seedlings that had self-seeded in the pathways into our bed. The garlic and shallots are doing well. We have chilies that are still producing and ground cherries. Also harvested kale, miner's lettuce (claytonia), thyme, marjoram and pea shoots for salads. Felt like a glorious, bountiful time at the garden.

Turkey Leg

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #97 on: February 06, 2019, 10:38:03 AM »
The treated lumber rails of our raised beds are rotting and need replaced. Is anyone out there using composite decking type material (e.g., Trex) for raised beds? Seems like it would last longer than treated wood.

I've never used Trex @weirdlair, but I would think that would be a good material to withstand damp and rot, though expensive I think. 

Last year on the gardening thread @horsepoor did a major garden makeover and constructed new raised beds using galvanized metal roofing panels for the sides.   https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/planting-growing-your-own-2018/msg2209297/#msg2209297   I'd never thought about using metal, so that was interesting.  And those are fairly cheap too.

In our garden there were two existing raised beds made from old railroad ties (the big ones, like 12" by 12").   I'd like to make two new raised beds to mirror those two, but I'd rather not use treated lumber so I'm in the same boat as you -- trying to figure out materials.     

What a great idea, @Trifele! We will definitely look into galvanized metal roofing panels. We could sink those down into the ground and foil the moles and voles.

jengod

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #98 on: February 06, 2019, 01:25:27 PM »

@jengod How was the Jordan program? I'd love to hear what you learned. I've followed the progress for about 4-5 years and it's fascinating to see the changes to such an arid climate.

Jordan was wonderful but TBH a lot of the detail was stuff I'd gathered from reading and watching his videos for years. They have done wonders tho--the surrounding area is as desolate as the moon. It's rocks, gravel, dust, and piles of goat manure that attracts salt flies. (The goats eat any vegetation that was brave enough to grow there.) It was an extremely cool two-week experience; definitely made me appreciate our climate! The best part was the other people--ecologically minded folks from around the world.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting/Growing Your Own 2019
« Reply #99 on: February 06, 2019, 02:56:09 PM »
The treated lumber rails of our raised beds are rotting and need replaced. Is anyone out there using composite decking type material (e.g., Trex) for raised beds? Seems like it would last longer than treated wood.

I've never used Trex @weirdlair, but I would think that would be a good material to withstand damp and rot, though expensive I think. 

Last year on the gardening thread @horsepoor did a major garden makeover and constructed new raised beds using galvanized metal roofing panels for the sides.   https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/planting-growing-your-own-2018/msg2209297/#msg2209297   I'd never thought about using metal, so that was interesting.  And those are fairly cheap too.

In our garden there were two existing raised beds made from old railroad ties (the big ones, like 12" by 12").   I'd like to make two new raised beds to mirror those two, but I'd rather not use treated lumber so I'm in the same boat as you -- trying to figure out materials.     

What a great idea, @Trifele! We will definitely look into galvanized metal roofing panels. We could sink those down into the ground and foil the moles and voles.
Some of the older trex installation I have seen are not standing up well in the heat.
I found this in my exploration/dreaming a couple of days ago: http://www.conqueststeel.com/products-2/garden-beds/low-rise-garden-beds/

I am dreaming of gardens as the ice pellets and freezing rain falls.