Planting/Growing Your Own...The Garden Thread

[Gerard]

Brett, I agree that rosemary in a pot is near impossible. It just gets too big too fast and it's never happy.

I've never had fun with potted Rosemary. It wants a hottish dry summer and a cool winter with high air humidity (but dry feet), and unless you keep it outside and have that kind of climate, you're kinda screwed.

I keep wishing my mint would get invasive. I could easily go through a few cupfuls of it in a week (tea, tabbouleh, spanakopita...).

[amyable]

I keep wishing my mint would get invasive. I could easily go through a few cupfuls of it in a week (tea, tabbouleh, spanakopita...).

Me too--I think the extreme summer heat keeps mine in check--maybe I should try it in full shade?

[kudy]

Started harvesting my first tomatoes last week... nothing like the taste of a homegrown tomato!

This evening I harvested my first rhubarb that is now baking in a pie in the oven.

[R62]

Today's pick:

[englyn]

^^ Nice!! Well done!

[Gerard]

I keep wishing my mint would get invasive.

Me too--I think the extreme summer heat keeps mine in check--maybe I should try it in full shade?

Worth a try. We have cool summers here, and I've had to move mine into more sunlight, which it's loving. But also a more moisture-retaining rich soil (lots of compost).

[Catbert]

For cheap seeds try the 99 cent stores in the spring.  I've found common seeds (zucchini, radish, lettuce, etc) packages 6 for 99 cents or so.  Or this time of year (late summer) on-line stores often have a seed sale for this year's labeled seeds.  (For example, Renee's Garden has 2012 seeds for 40% off.)  I'm not sure with your size of garden whether you currently buy your seeds in much larger quantities that the individual packets that work for me.

I've had the same (bad) experience with carrots that you have.

For canning and freezing think about what you'll really eat and whether you really like the tasteof it  canned or frozen.  I canned last year for the first time and realized later than I don't really eat a lot of jam and pickles.  So much of it became Christmas/hostess gifts.  The rest I had to make a concerted effort to use up.  This year I'll can more tomatoes and less jam.  I also figured out that I like fresh green beans but not frozen or canned.  But hot dilly beans are delish in a Bloody Mary.    I just saying don't go overboard with preserving without considering what you'll really want to eat.

Try getting a dehydrator from Craig's List.  You can get new for $60 or so and much less used.  Another way to preserve tomatoes and maybe some of those herbs.

I second the thought of getting a grow light and heat mat to start your own seeds.

Since I'm in southern california I don't have any more specific gardening advice since out environments are so different.

Think about how much of things you use weekly (or monthly) and then do the math to determine how much you should can/freeze/dry.  For examplek if you use 2 15 oz cans of tomatoes a week then you'll need 104 pt jars to supply a years supply.   Or if you use a jar a month of pickles then you only need 12 jars.

[twinge]

*Just wanted to plug the idea of using the front yard for a vegetable garden to those who might be hesitant--it's been great for us.

My 11 year old son is really into gardening but our backyard/side gardens hadn't done too well because of there's a lot of mature trees and little sun.  So we made an attractive bed in the front and surrounded with pavers to give it a sort of organic, shaped style--suppressed the lawn (just put wet cardboard down over the lawn and piled leaves on it in the early spring--and it was ready to plant by May).  My son started seeds in the early spring inside under a low florescent (full spectrum) light and planted in May.  Our harvest from this fairly small space --all grown organically with no fertilizer other than our own compost--has been phenomenal. My son (aspiring engineer) has kept detailed track:

Over 2500 tomatoes
Over 100 cucumbers
A half dozen bell and banana peppers (with many more coming now)
3 pumpkins  (with 5 or so more coming on the vine)--though it's not the wisest use of garden space, my son really loves them
8 eggplants
Dozens of green beans now coming in each day (we planted those later)
ready supply of lettuce, basil, dill etc as we needed it
Lots of sunflowers

We cut down some bamboo that was invading land nearby and he built some nice teepee like structures so some of the vines grow up to use the space better and to give it a little aesthetic structure.   In our upper middle class suburb, many people have walked by and commented how nice it looks, what a great idea etc.  A lot of little kids check up on the pumpkins progress. And our neighbors have all benefited from our surplus of tomatoes and cucumbers.  We haven't felt any negative vibes from anyone so if there's anyone displeased they aren't letting us know.  We planted so that some new things will be growing as others die out just as you would to keep any bed attractive.  We also thought about aesthetics as we shaped the beds, built the structures etc.  Small touches like interspersing a couple of eggplants and sunflowers around add a more flowery feel to the garden. While we chose this space because of the sun, I actually love the idea of having a garden be a point of connection with casual passerbys and neighbors--and I like that it encourages us to become more attentive to the aesthetics because then it's even better to be in. Plus nothing like a good surplus of organic, fresh picked veggies!

[mustachecat]

I started gardening verrrrry late this year; I'm in a small apartment building, and technically, only the first-floor tenant has backyard access, but he's let us in, and we're allowed to use all his gardening tools and supplies. Yay for neighborliness!

I planted two tomato plants in late June, and fruit is only appearing now. I also planted bush beans last month, and they're just also starting to put out beans. I have some romaine lettuce and arugula that I should start eating. Neither my beets nor my turnips survived: the beets might have been dug up by raccoons, and the turnips didn't have enough depth (I have a small raised bed). We've also killed two rosemary plants. Someone before me planted chocolate mint and lemon balm in two containers; the lemon balm has been especially good for tea.

Echoing mary w's recommendation for dollar-store seeds. Mine doesn't have anything too fancy, but at three for 99 cents, I don't mind not having heirloom whatevers. ;)

I'm going to plant kale, turnip greens, and collards this weekend for a fall harvest, and make up an actual gardening plan for 2013. I'd like to build 1-2 additional raised beds and try the square-foot gardening approach. Also, we need to trim some branches off the giant tree in the yard... they're blocking a good amount of sunlight, and dang it, we need that energy.

[carolinakaren]

I am also just starting to get beans from the bush plants that I started late!  We still get an occasional grape tomato.  The second round of radishes should be ready and maybe a couple of beets.  I still have tons of basil....I intend to use that for pesto, so we'll have something yummy later this winter.  Each year I finish up not having planted nearly as much as I intended, but it's still a fun and tasty hobby. 

[Lex]

We've recently moved from Europe to the Caribbean, and have been setting up a system for veggies and fruits because the cost of living is so high here.

On the picture is the back part of our garden, with a small banana tree (on the left) that was transplanted from the jungle. It should start supplying bananas in 10 to 12 months. There's a very small mango tree behind it, and in the background are full-grown papaya trees.

We've made a veggie patch on the other side of the house with peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini. My son has been planting flowers and they grow like crazy because of the climate. We also have several almond and orange trees in the garden. The oranges are green and not fit for outright eating, we use them for ice tea and seasoning of meat. The smaller veggie plants have to be placed behind very sturdy wire to keep the iguanas out. Quite a change from the rabbits that loved to nibble on my veggies back home!

(edited a typo and corrected pic size)

[happy]

I've been growing herbs: mint, thyme, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, parsley, rocket for some time very successfully. I can't get anywhere with my favourite basil... but will keep trying.

Recently I cleared a plot in my front yard and for the first time I'm growing silverbeet, ruby chard, lettuce and bokchoy.  So far so good about 4 weeks in. I stuck in 2 sprouting organic potatoes from the kitchen cupboard, and one has reached the surface, still waiting for the other. Maybe in a few months I will have potatoes!

I thought this was a really big plot - about 2m x1.5, but it filled up really quickly....so I 'm planning to work up another area in the next few months. Last time I did tomatoes in this house (moved 3 years ago) it was a failure, so thats my next target. Cherry tomatoes are usually pretty easy, so I'll try again.

[carolinakaren]

This is my best year for green peppers ever.  I am still getting very big  organically grown bell peppers!! I only had one plant, but more peppers than we usually get from 2 or 3 plants.

[happy]

Yum!

[clarkai]

Now is the time to get started on next year's garden. I've already got garlic, shallots, perennial onions, and perennial leeks planted and sprouting. The rains just started in again here, so I've sown broccoli, peas, kale, collards, chard, arugula, and spinach. The idea isn't necessarily to harvest before spring, but rather to get the plant's roots systems strong and deep so they can get a head start when the weather warms up. Now, I am in zone 7, so I'm not sure if fall sowing works in colder areas.

Any body else working in the garden today?

[Erica/NWEdible]

Hey this is great! It's my people! I'm a big gardener. Love it. Planted 4# of garlic seed today from last Julys harvest. Pulling up the last of the green tomatoes and seeding the overwintering greens. I have way to much to say about gardening - I talk about gardening in the Pac NW and related urban homesteady things on my blog 3 or 4 times a week. Feel free to pop over and say hi if you want. I'm at www.nwedible.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/nwedible

[happy]

Hey Erica, I checked your blog and love it. Your preserves are amazing. I recently made a little strawberry jam for the first time:  it was a hit, pretty easy in the breadmaker, sure to be repeated.
 
I've been lurking around quite a few Aussie simple living blogs for a few years now. I've been growing herbs for a few years, but have finally realised a dream to grow veges...so far silverbeet, ruby chard, and a heap of different leaf lettuces are going great.  Something that was supposed to be bok choy turned into an unrecognisable leggy thing. My two test potatoes have sprouted, been mounded and are about to flower.. the leaves at least look healthy. I'm very pleased: its all going much better than expected -beginner's luck? or maybe I did absorb some good tips from all those blogs.

Last weekend newspaper and mulched a big strip of lawn: have a few more layers togo , but its the first step to a new bed.  Planted some cherry tomatoes too. And some nastursiums as companion plant and also my daughter likes the leaves on peanut butter sandwiches.

[carolinakaren]

John accidentally pulled up one of my nasturtiums today while working in the beds.  It had been an experiment to mix veggies and flowers in with some of the shrubbery....not in my regular garden plot.  The nasturtiums did well, but the carrots and swiss chard did not.  I haven't used any of the flower parts in a sandwich yet, but thanks for the idea.  I have used some flowers in salads.

[Erica/NWEdible]

Hey Erica, I checked your blog and love it. Your preserves are amazing. I recently made a little strawberry jam for the first time....
Something that was supposed to be bok choy turned into an unrecognisable leggy thing.

Thanks Happy. :) The Aussie homesteading movement is HUGE, you have a lot to pick from locally. Do you follow Milkwood Permaculture?
Bok choy: very sensitive to day light. The trick is to plant it 4-6 weeks or so after the solstice (I'd guess this might be mid to late January in the S. Hemi? Maybe?) after the day are noticeably shortening. If you plant it when daylight is increasing it runs to seed so quickly. If you time it to mature in early fall it will stand longer, but even then prompt harvesting is usually necessary.

[happy]

@Erica,
Yes I check out Milkwood  from time to time. The bok choy, seeing as I planted it in early September ( maybe late August): well the days were getting longer: this would explain it... It never looked like bok choy it just shot straight into flowering/seed. Thanks!

[clarkai]

I'm super excited, because I read somewhere online that someone put some broccoli leaves in water as a decoration, and they sprouted roots. Well, I tried it, and now mine have sprouted roots too!

I know this seems pretty nerdy to be excited about, but it seems to me if I can sprout roots from leaves that might get me to a mature plant faster, with potentially less bother than staring from seeds. It also means I can save leaves from the gigantic broccoli plant in my garden, grow it's clones and continue to benefit from it's unique genetics. Seriously, I might just name this broccoli plant- it's huge, and it just keeps producing. 

Has anybody grown any brassicas from leaf cuttings?

[Miss Stachio]

To answer the original question regarding reducing the cost of seeds, I prefer to buy heirloom seeds online. They are more expensive initially, but you can save the seeds from your crops and replant. The seeds you buy at Home Depot are (most likely) hybrids, which means that if you try to plant seeds from the crop you harvest, your next crop will not thrive. Paying $3 for one pack of heirloom seeds and then taking seeds from the best of the crop will make a better seed for you each year, which will translate to savings and better produce.

Completely agree with Nancy.  I bought heirloom seeds from Sand Hill Preservation and saved the seeds from the best plants last summer.  I now have 10x more bean, pea, tomato and okra seeds than what I paid for originally.  I could have easily saved much more if there was more room in my seed box.  I'm still trying to figure out the best ways to collect lettuce/herb seeds and corn kernals before the weather and critters get them.  Any tips?

[CatM13]

I'm super excited, because I read somewhere online that someone put some broccoli leaves in water as a decoration, and they sprouted roots. Well, I tried it, and now mine have sprouted roots too!

I know this seems pretty nerdy to be excited about, but it seems to me if I can sprout roots from leaves that might get me to a mature plant faster, with potentially less bother than staring from seeds. It also means I can save leaves from the gigantic broccoli plant in my garden, grow it's clones and continue to benefit from it's unique genetics. Seriously, I might just name this broccoli plant- it's huge, and it just keeps producing. 

Has anybody grown any brassicas from leaf cuttings?

Oh wow that is awesome. Guess I know what I'll be do real soon. ;)

Never tried to grow brassicas but I am currently trying to grow celery from the cut of end. So far I have some leaves that have sprouted. Hopefully I'll have more stalks soon.

[clarkai]

Behold, the mighty broccoli! May it grow strong, and yield many heads.



The above was sown with many brethren on Oct. 14th of last year, survived the great fall thinning of November, through the cold dark before the solstice, and with the growing warmth and light of the new year will spring up and deliver many heads to my kitchen.


I love fall sowing over wintering crops. Perhaps a bit too much.

[startingover]

I love gardening!  You can save seeds from veggies, such as melons, cuc's, squash, and use them the next year.  I've done that.  Tomatoes will grow the next year if they fall on the ground and the seeds are not picked up.  Those are called "volunteer".  I did that one year by accident:)  Other veggies do that too. 
Plant potatoes on March 17.  I plant onions with green beans or peas.  The onions take so long that the others are done when it's time to get the onions. 
Canning is fun and easy.  Hot work, but I really enjoyed it.  I used the "Ball" book for recipes.  I had enough tomatoes canned to last two years once!!  As long as they are sealed up good, they will last.  Be sure to blanch your beans, and peas properly or they will be nasty!  Hard lesson there.
My man and I will have a small garden this year.  We have a flat roof and he is wondering about a roof top garden.
I also plant seeds in March in the house and plant out in April or May.  Read the packets and that will help.  I buy seeds from the dollar stores or other such stores.  They are inexpensive and do grow.
Good luck to all the gardeners out there!  I'm looking forward to hearing more.

[Miamoo]

clarkai - update on the brocolli please!  I want to try it.

Re:  Rosemary in pots . . . (Zone 5).  I get about 3 years of productivity from one plant.  It's put into a stone container (equivalent of a 2 gallon scrub bucket in size) That goes outside in late spring/summer and THRIVES yielding plenty to dry and freeze for our use and other family members, then comes in for the winter and is set in a South facing window for fresh clippings. 

Now I wonder if I could get a few more years out of a plant if I changed the soil every year????? 

Anyone tried Lasagna Gardening?  Lots on youTube about it and we're going to start one this year on the shady side of the house for lettuce etc.

Yes, spend a lttle extra and buy heirloom non-GMO seeds that can be saved.  A little money up front saves a lot in the long run healthwise as well.

[clarkai]

Sorry it took me a while to reply Miamoo- my garden has been on a bit of a back burner, which explains the weeds you see in this update photo:


I'm quite happy with the development.

[Kamikaze Emu]

We bought our seeds this year from here: http://www.seeds-organic.com/

She is a Canadian based supplier but I would assume she will ship to the US. 

In terms of knowledge I would strongly recommend this: http://www.amazon.ca/The-New-Organic-Grower-Techniques/dp/093003175X

For our home garden we use the square foot method, and there is some good info out there on how to do this effectively. 

Here is the family as of a week or so ago...

[daverobev]

Try Johnny's or High Mowing for organic stuff in the States. No point shipping from Canada when you might get customs fees.. And there are some things that can't be sent cross border anyway.

I'm helping to run a CSA this year so we have aubergines, tomatoes and so on coming up. Bit late with some things as I messed some ordering up, oops. And some peppers don't seem to want to come up... guess I'll need some seed heater trays next year!

[Dr.Vibrissae]

Brett, I agree that rosemary in a pot is near impossible. It just gets too big too fast and it's never happy.

I've never had fun with potted Rosemary. It wants a hottish dry summer and a cool winter with high air humidity (but dry feet), and unless you keep it outside and have that kind of climate, you're kinda screwed.

Hmm, my potted rosemary is the only thing that I was able to save from the huge drought that we suffered through the first year in my house, and the first herb I grew successfully, haha.  It was mostly dead when I dug it up and transplanted it into a large pot so I could gravel in about a third of the back yard (a dust pit at the time).  It is thriving now despite my lackadaisical gardening skills.  Probably because it lives outside and we have a climate similar to that you describe.

This year is our first attempt at gardening in TX, and we started with a single raised bed (baby steps, I think I'm more likely to succeed if I don't overdo it all at once, and then am unable to keep up).  So far the tomatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers, and cucumbers are looking good.  The dogs accidentally crushed one cucumber, but I have replaced it with a volunteer that looks like it's going to be in the squash/melon family (I'm a lackadaisical composter as well, and frequently grow 'volunteers' in one of the piles, we got some good tomatilloes that way one year).

[Miamoo]

Thanks Clarkai.  I tried it her but it sure didn't work!  (At least the first attempt)

Found something else to try tho for overwintering next fall . . .

hsnap Jun 10 2011 at 8:40 PM

Something I just learned. I had a basil plant that I wintered over in my house. I read in Mother Earth Mag that you can root basil cuttings. Well it's true. I cut off a piece, cut off the leaves so I could have about 2 inches of stem, added a little soil to a jar of water and put it in. In about 2 weeks the cuttings had beautiful roots. I planted it yesterday in a pot of soil.

[kudy]

Just finished turning in my new compost - love that step! Tomorrow I'll move my tomatoes to bigger containers - woohoo!

[happy]

We are coming into autumn/winter, as you guys are warming up. Luckily where I am there is no frost...record cold overnight is 5C, so there's lots I can grow.

I've been working hard in the last few weeks preparing and planting up some very early seedlings I bought. I've expanded a lot this season with a large netted area (about 3x2m) now planted with celery, silverbeet, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, and some garlic. My smaller netted area is under preparation and today we put edging around another bed which is not netted.

Just learnt from Erica's blog I did the root veges all wrong, but they  seem to have survived so far:http://www.nwedible.com/2013/04/how-to-spot-and-avoid-a-crappy-seedling.html.

I made a fundamental boo-boo: I waited until all my summer crop was finished to get going on the winter one, so now the only edible I have left is some rocket. And it looks like it will be maybe  a couple of  months before I have anything to eat.

I have potatoes growing nicely that I planted in Feb, so they should be ready in a couple of months too.
 

[reginna]

There is a guy on youtube named John Kohler that has a great channel called Growingyougreens. Tons of informative videos and very entertaining as well.

[RetiredAt63]

It was fun to read all the notes on last year's gardens.  Where are all the gardeners this year?

Here in Southeastern Ontario the seasons are changing almost daily - we were in the high 20s with thunderstorms this weekend, and tomorrow will be a high of 19 (Celcius). 

This year I started over 90 pepper plants and 20 tomatoes for our local plant sale - 5000 and 6500K T8 bulbs (one of each in each fixture) did a great job.  As others have mentioned, the trick is to have the bulbs only an inch from the tops of the plants.  One tip I haven't seen mentioned - don't worry if your tomatoes are leggy, gently take off the leaves that are far apart, and then bury them almost to the leaves that are left, and they will grow roots all along the buried stem.  The new stems will be stronger since they are growing outside with the breezes. If your soil is still cool lower down, you can lay them horizontally, they won't mind. Most of my tomatoes are indeterminate, which means they will reach 6-7 feet if I let them - I usually take out the growing point in late August, so that they mature the tomatoes they already have instead of making new ones and losing them to frost.

I saw Heritage tomatoes in lots of outlets this year - I am growing Brandywine and Money Maker (so I can save their seeds if I like them) plus Sweet 100, which is a hybrid cherry tomato but I love its flavour, and a plum tomato and some new ones.  Tomato seed keeps for at least 5 years, so I try something new every year or two.  That's one of the benefits of growing your own, you don't have to take what the garden centers have.

My Sugar Snap peas are about 6 inches, time to trellis.  Tomatoes and peppers are still in pots, next weekend will be time enough to put them out.  Beans will go in the week after that.  Plus I have about 35-40 baby asparagus plants (started from seed last year) to put out at the back of the perennial border - asparagus is very ornamental, so I don't use garden space for it. 
My rhubarb died back early in last summer's drought, I thought it was gone - but it is up, can start pulling stems soon.

And I have a bunch of baby peonies to plant out - they only take 5 years from start to bloom, no big deal.  I have a bunch that bloomed for the first time last summer, very pretty, and satisfying to have grown them from seed.

Can you tell I love gardening?  I have been gardening, ornamentals and veggies, for as long as I can remember, my parents gardened.  I am hoping to get my Master Gardener certification this year.

[KulshanGirl]

Despite the fact that I've been terrible at weeding, the garden is rockin' so far this year. 

The good:  We're eating kale, lots of lettuce, onion thinnings/green onions, and in the last couple of days, the snap peas are at that snacking stage.  :)  Tomatos actually have some blossoms already, and the potatos and brussels sprouts are HUGE and look amazing so far.  We are going to have a TON of strawberries and raspberries. 

The bad:  The slugs took out half of my green beans, the buggers!  Beets are finally coming up, I'm trying a new kind called MacGregor's favorite.  We shall see! 

The ugly:  I can't seem to keep carrot seed damp enough to even grow.  That, or I got some bad seed.  I'll go and get another packet and give it another go.  RIP carrots, twice!  Also, the side bed project is NOT done yet.  That's where the zukes, little squashes and cucumbers were going to go.  Ah well.  I might still get to that, and I can cram some cukes into the other beds.

[Dr.Vibrissae]

This is our first year easing into gardening (despite my mother and grandmother being excellent gardeners, I have a bit of a black thumb/short attention span; same issue I have with cooking)

We put in one raised bed with 2 tomatoes, 2 habeneros, 3 bell peppers, a white eggplant, a cucumber and a volunteer zucchini.  We've already eaten the first cucumbers, and would have had more, but we went out of town for a week and it was nearly smothered by the zucchini, whicis a beast that nearly spans the yard and is attempting to surround my shed.  We have two tomatoes that are so close to being ripe, we would have had some earlier, but the dog ate the first fruits just as they got ripe.  The peppers and eggplant also have some beautiful fruit starting, I'm excited at the little successes so far.

We also have been goring herbs for a few years, rosemary and basil do awesome as always, and this year we added lemon verbena (ginger and lemon verbena tea is awesome), along with sage, and I'm planning to try my hand with cilantro.

[TansyPants]

We live in a tiny inner city apartment with no yard, but i was determined to find a way to grow some vege and herbs. I don't know if any of you are familiar with aquaonics, but i highly reccomend giving it a try.

 http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/

The idea behind it is to keep fish (preferably edible ones) and create a mini eco system where the fish waste fertalizes the lants and tthe plants filter the water for the fish.
The end result is a small but highly productive garden roviding both plants and protein.

Being in a tiny apartment we're using a very small system with a 40gallon aquarium. We're still cycling the tank but the basil we put in is doing very well and thhe peppers and tomatoes are just beginning to pop up.
for those with dreams of self sufficiency or very small gardens i think aquaponics is a truely wonderful idea.

My boyfriend financed the aquarium as he's keen to use this system on his spacecraft one day. Yes, he and i have different views on what constitutes FI, but we're agreed that boosting earnings (currently 150k between us and set to rocket when i qualify later this year) and minimizing spending is clearly the way to go. He'll have to get over his fish allergies first though.

[KulshanGirl]

This just in!  First strawberry is nearly ripe!  I repeat, first strawberry is ALMOST RIPE OMG!  I just want to sit there and stare at it.  :)

So, I have a week vacation coming up and hereby pledge to build that squash bed.  I will post a photo of it here when it's done. 

[kudy]

My new additions this year: a raspberry bush, kale, and hopefully a pumpkin plant. Otherwise, I am following last years formula exactly: too many tomatoes, and some other stuff :)

[KulshanGirl]

Squash bed is built!  Also, I broke my weedeater and fixed it with hot pink duct tape.  :) 

[netskyblue]

This is the time of year that I PINE for a house of my own, so I could grow a massive garden.  We're in a 2nd story apartment, with a big tree in front of our balcony, so limited light.  We have lettuce growing (that's nice for semi shade), one tomato, one pepper, and some basil.  I also sowed some seeds I saved from an heirloom tomato last season to see if they would grow, and I've got 7 nice healthy seedlings coming along.  I'll have to give some away, as only one tiny corner of the balcony has enough light to grow tomatoes.  I can maybe grow one more in that corner.

[Anje]

Brett, I agree that rosemary in a pot is near impossible. It just gets too big too fast and it's never happy.

I've never had fun with potted Rosemary. It wants a hottish dry summer and a cool winter with high air humidity (but dry feet), and unless you keep it outside and have that kind of climate, you're kinda screwed.

Hmm, my potted rosemary is the only thing that I was able to save from the huge drought that we suffered through the first year in my house, and the first herb I grew successfully, haha.  It was mostly dead when I dug it up and transplanted it into a large pot so I could gravel in about a third of the back yard (a dust pit at the time).  It is thriving now despite my lackadaisical gardening skills.  Probably because it lives outside and we have a climate similar to that you describe.

Odd. I've got cool summers and freezing winters, but my Rosemary loves it. Only thing it didn't like was the full south (sunny) and dry balcony of my last apartment. Now it's big and thriving on a (very) windy spot. I demands wet feet, too - drinks water like crazy. Can't keep up. It has a tiny pot, though. Poor thing.

Have anyone tried rejuvenating them? I've taken off some stalks and rooted them to give relatives who wanted some Rosemary for their own (roots really well in a glass in the window), but only this spring, so I don't know how fast they'll grow into a bush big enough for harvest.

Other things I'm growing is tomatoes, a squash, lettuce and some radishes. All seem to do fairly well, but won't mature for some weeks.

[onehappypanda]

Possible connection to the rosemary issues: I was told the other day that rosemary doesn't do well in pots because its roots need to go DEEP. Sure enough, the rosemary plants I've killed have all had roots growing out of the bottom of the pot, even though the pot itself was fairly deep compared to my others. Maybe that's why it only seems to do well in the ground?

I posted on this thread ages ago, and since then I've moved into an apartment with a small backyard garden space. Right now we've got kale, spinach, and a few straggly lettuces that are getting eaten by something. But that's okay because they're about to go to make more room for the "mystery squash" that we planted (mystery because it was donated by our neighbor, who forgot what kind it was). We've also got a few tomato plants, peas climbing, a couple basil plants, and some green beans in there somewhere. Not the the most organized garden, but it works.

I'm still doing containers, which so far have mint, oregano (regular and spicy), and eventually peppers that I'm growing from seeds if I don't kill them. Good for salads, pastas, and mojitos ;)

What a difference a change in location makes! Last time I posted, I was in an area with zero garden space and was trying to grow a few things out of pots. We moved a couple miles north, to a neighborhood that is a little more hippie-dippie, though still in the city. All of our neighboring apartments have people who like to garden. One of our neighbors started a collective compost pile that's gotten quite large, so there are endless amounts of compost to be had. We've gotten a ton of free plants from neighbors that had too many, and lots of advice from the more advanced gardeners.

Our only issue is that our soil majorly sucks, it's a ton of clay. Despite our best attempts to make it better by adding things to it, our plants aren't thriving as well as our neighbors who wisely put in raised beds. But oh well, we'll file that one away for next year. We're still enjoying a few hardy greens and have our fingers crossed for the other plants.

[Spork]

Wifey roots rosemary while it is still on the bush.  In other words, put a pot with potting soil next to the big plant and bury a newish soft limb.  Bury it in the middle where it has the fresh part sticking up on one side and the umbilical back to momma on the other.

Wait.

Clip umbilical.

It grows like a weed around here (Texas.)  There are multiple varieties, so you might try another one as well.  (I know we have a sprawling rosemary that is native to this area and an upright rosemary that isn't).

[happy]

Winter here and a week of rain. Haven't seen my vege patch for a week due to the short days plus cloud cover. Desperate to get my fingers in the soil this weekend. :)

[Anje]

Summer here, and our 3rd (4th?) week of rain. Temps of around 50 for a week now.

Thankfully neither my chili plant or tomatoes mind too much as long as I remember to pour off water 1-2 times daily. My strawberry plant thinks it's winter, though. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother growing things - they rarely ripen before winter sets in again..

The Rosemarry plant absolutely loves it, though.

[AJDZee]

I'm so glad I found this thread, I'm very much into veggie gardening. Unfortunately I live in a condo but my parents have given me some garden space at their house, about 7'x40'.

I've read nearly this whole thread and I'm surprised more people aren't growing broccoli. It's such a good addition to the garden because it yields early in the season and keeps giving broccoli for months!

For those who have trouble with growing carrots I've heard that carrots don't grow we'll in soils that have been fertilized with manure. I've had failed years before but this year I did my carrots in a part of the garden I've never fertilized with manure before and I'm on track to have some nice carrots this year. :)

[AJDZee]

Sounds good. Will the cured garlic be good to plant for the fall as well?
That's what I am worrying about most, having the plants survive long enough to replant!
I bought some heirloom garlic (so delicious) and I am hoping to basically make it last for the rest of my life.

Yes if it's cured and and stored properly it will grow in the fall.
Also, garlic does best when it is subjected to cold temperatures for a few days before it sprouts

[AJDZee]

I'm very jealous of those that have 1+ acres to grow veggies! That's my dream, I'll get there one day.

I'm growing a lot of the staples you find in most veggie gardens, and some new things I'm trying this year are...

1. San marzano tomatoes
2. Asparagus (can't wait for 2014.. :(  )
3. Corn
4. Arugula - highly recommend!
5. Sweet potato
6. Garlic
7. Ginger
8. Quinoa!

The cold/wet spring here in Canada set my garden back about a month behind, like most people's this year I'm sure?

Took forever to get cucumbers going, but now we're swimming in them. The spinach, butter crunch lettuce and arugula loved the cool damp spring, as well as the quinoa. I can't believe how massive my 3 quinoa plants have grown!! I could post pictures if you'd like, but they started out as tiny seeds in march, and now they are huge bushes that are almost 7' tall. Not yet sure how I'm going to harvest it  haha

Garlic did very well this year. So easy, long time to harvest here in Canada, but very little effort. Don't bother paying 10x the price to buy garlic from a nursery, the stuff from my local grocery store turned out no different from the 'heirloom' ones I bought from a garden centre. Just plant the biggest bulbs you have that aren't damaged. I originally decided I wasn't going to do garlic next year because its so cheap in the store, but after trying some garlic I grew a few weeks ago I think I will do it next year but scale it back to ~20 plants and put them closer together.