# Anyone Gardening Yet?



## AngC (Feb 19, 2016)

There was a thread last season about gardening. I can't find it, so... What are you all doing???

In prior years, I always got started too late. So I tried to do better this year. I've planted cool season flowers (like pansies, snapdragons) and cool season veggies (lettuce, onions, brassicas.) Some of them are sprouting.

One bonus for me is that, we got a replacement greenhouse heater!!!

(The same lightning bolt that took out Nicky's eyeball also trashed much of our electrical, plus took out the circuit board on the heater for the greenhouse.)

It's a little late in the season, plus it's been rather warm, but it sure is nice to have that up and running again.


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## secuono (Feb 19, 2016)

I always start way too soon, so this year, I waited until yesterday.

I'll be doing bucket gardening this year, since weeds always suddenly swamp everything. So these will be transplanted to 5 gallon buckets when the last threat of frost passes.

Sweet Pepper, Cali Wonder Pepper, Waltham 29 Broccoli & Brunswick Cabbage in the first picture.

Tom Thumb Lettuce, Red Romaine Lettuce, Straight 8 Cucumber, Iceberg Lettuce, Marketmore 76 Cucumber, Snowball Cauliflower, Crimson Sweet Watermelon potted in the second picture. 

Garden Mix Carrot, Sweet Corn & Indian Gem Corn I'll be planting later on.


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## chandab (Feb 19, 2016)

Um, no. We still have at least two more months of winter and can have cold crappy weather into May. Rule of thumb around here is to wait until Mother's Day to plant anything outside.


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## lucky seven (Feb 19, 2016)

All I 'm doing is browsing catalogs and magazines and dreaming.


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## chandab (Feb 19, 2016)

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I have a black thumb, so don't have a veggie garden. I have a few day lilies, lots of violas, and a few potted plants; otherwise just so-so lawn around here and some lilac bushes.


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## Miniv (Feb 20, 2016)

I WISH we had a green house!!! Living in Central Oregon we're like Chanda and don't dare plant anything outside until the first of June....

except bulbs.....bulbs are safe.


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## AngC (Feb 21, 2016)

Miniv said:


> I WISH we had a green house!!! Living in Central Oregon we're like Chanda and don't dare plant anything outside until the first of June....
> 
> except bulbs.....bulbs are safe.


A greenhouse is a mixed blessing. We got one when we bought our property. It sucked up a fair amount of money to get it set up right and then it sucked up even more money after the lightning strike.

I disagree with planting out in June. I've been slowly learning by experimentation; there's a fair amount of things you can plant out earlier. Lettuce, for example, can take darn near freezing (and tastes better when it's had some cold nipping at it.) Onions can take really cool weather. I've found that our copious amounts of rain are more damaging than the cooler temperatures.


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## Ryan Johnson (Feb 21, 2016)

Ive been gardening all summer and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have had alot more success with my veggie gardens this year compared to the last few. I planted everything far too late but the surprising thing was that i started to get Veggies after only 5 weeks. I opted for cow manure this year compared to blood and bone fertilizer and it has seemed to help.

I have had a ridiculously larege amount of zucchini, cucumbers and not to mention thousands of cherry tomatoes. We didnt or havent yet had a continuously hot summer like we usually do so Im thinking slightly cooler weather had attributed to my rather large harvest this year





I planted 90 trees along the boundary and throughout the farm and accomplished 3.5km of irrigation.

The gardens are looking wonderful here , just wish I could say the same for the inside of the house


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## lucky seven (Feb 22, 2016)

I love roses and have tried several varieties nothing works so have given up. Annuals work better here. I have clay soil so it's hard to plant anything without adding lots of good dirt and horse poop.


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## Miniv (Feb 23, 2016)

Hybrid roses aren't as hardy......Have you tried the old fashioned bush variety? We haven't had good luck with the hybrids either,

but our old fashioned ones are amazing!


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## susanne (Feb 24, 2016)

I was going to say what Maryann said -- hybrid teas and most modern roses lack vigor. Give me the heirloom roses and shrub roses...old varieties that have stood the test of time. And while I love many annuals, I stick to the self-seeding kind so that I don't end up planting them over and over each year.

Now that our house is (finally) built, it's time to get all my plants out of pots and into the ground -- many are plants I dug up and brought along when we bought this property. Our old place in town was heaven on earth for a gardener -- 1/2 an acre with garden soil that had been amended and enriched for over 50 years -- my plants looked at it and started growing. Our new property had good soil, but excavation for the building pad exposed the clay subsoil and bulldozers ran roughshod over that. We had our excavator save some of the top soil, but so much was lost, so instead of rich beds, each plant will get a hole with compost and topsoil, with generous layers of mulch to slowly build the clay. I'll tell them to just be happy they're no longer in pots!

First up, I'm planting a variety of hydrangeas (oakleaf, preziosa, annabelle and others), along with clematis and ornamental vitus around the front porch. Oregon natives (vine maple, mahonia, ocean spray, wild ginger, heuchera, deer fern, sword fern, rhododendrons, etc.) will be planted along our long, shady driveway under the firs. Then we have the hillside behind our house that will have, amongst other shrubs and perennials, Baggessen's Gold Honeysuckle (an evergreen...or evergold) placed strategically to block the one house visible from ours.

While I'm primarily an ornamental gardener, I'm putting in raised beds on the south side of the house to replace our old vegetable garden. Rather than using wood frames that eventually rot or split, I'm using 8x8x16 inch cement blocks. Half of one done, 3-1/2 still to go -- those suckers are heavy! Then comes filling them... We have an antique metal fence to keep dogs, ponies and other creatures from trampling everything.

This should keep me busy and out of trouble for a long time to come. Just in case that's not enough, we also plan to put up a metal carport run-in and create a pseudo-paddock paradise track to give the ponies access to our hillside and woods.


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## sundancer (Feb 24, 2016)

I have slowly picking up new seeds. I am so chomping at the bit to get going. Here in Maine we don't get to start til the end of May. BUT I cant wait that long!!! LOL I start mine inside the first of April and work with it til they can go out safely.

My Jack Russell, Tucker, loves to garden with me. He loves to dig the holes for me and chase the chippies!!! LOL

I am a little jealous some of you get to start so early!!!

Julie

Victory Pass Stable

Maine


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## Marsha Cassada (Feb 24, 2016)

I plan to get my onions tomorrow. Hoping to work in the garden in the afternoon. Need to cut down the asparagus, bring in compost, and prune my espaliered fruit trees.


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## Marsha Cassada (Feb 24, 2016)

secuono said:


> I always start way too soon, so this year, I waited until yesterday.
> 
> I'll be doing bucket gardening this year, since weeds always suddenly swamp everything. So these will be transplanted to 5 gallon buckets when the last threat of frost passes.
> 
> ...


tom thumb is my favorite!


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## secuono (Feb 27, 2016)

Got the greenhouse frame up!


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## Marsha Cassada (Feb 28, 2016)

Ryan Johnson said:


> Ive been gardening all summer and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have had alot more success with my veggie gardens this year compared to the last few. I planted everything far too late but the surprising thing was that i started to get Veggies after only 5 weeks. I opted for cow manure this year compared to blood and bone fertilizer and it has seemed to help.
> 
> I have had a ridiculously larege amount of zucchini, cucumbers and not to mention thousands of cherry tomatoes. We didnt or havent yet had a continuously hot summer like we usually do so Im thinking slightly cooler weather had attributed to my rather large harvest this year
> 
> ...


Your hard work and planning are paying off!


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## MiniNHF (Feb 29, 2016)

I started to late last year so I am going to start this week in transfer pots at least to get them going and when it starts to get warmer/a little nicer up here I will be transferring them into my garden area.


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## lucky seven (Feb 29, 2016)

I'll look in to the shrub roses and see what happens. I always end up with black leaves and no flowers. I intend to have more planted this besides tomato plants.


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## Ryan Johnson (Feb 29, 2016)

A lady that I used to work with told me to tell my mum to plant garlic cloves throughout her rose gardens. She said it would stop all the bugs and unwanted critters from destroying them.

I know nothing about roses what so ever , but apparently , this year has been the best for mums roses yet.


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## susanne (Mar 2, 2016)

Some varieties of roses, old and new, are magnets for black spot and rust. Ask at your nursery and read about your particular rose. David Austin roses are usually good, as are new versions of some of the old garden roses.Pluck any leaves showing black spot immediately and put them in the garbage -- be careful not to drop them on the ground or in the compost.


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## Marsha Cassada (Mar 12, 2016)

Lettuce and kale are popping up. Asparagus coming out. Strawberries beginning to bloom. Peach blossoms on the espalier opening. When the mesquite trees begin to bud we officially consider winter over here. They are not budding yet.


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## Bess Kelly (Mar 26, 2016)

I just REALLY want to be. Got up to rain yesterday, maybe an 1" over a couple hrs. Totally ruined my plans for the day. But, I went to lower shed and brought the pull tiller up top, thinking I could rough up some strips in the currently unused pasture areas and plant some of the "food plot" seeds I have in several bags (bought on clearance a few months ago) on Sat AM. These seeds are great growing for the goats and chickens. Minis eat some, not all....works nicely as I rotate everyone through fields.

Can't till garden until I move the pigs from the veg garden area -- who have been doing all my pre-plow and deep grass root removal for a while now -- and couldn't even begin to till with the rain. But, hopefully will get them out of there this weekend. Since I was dreaming about where, how, when I'd put all the plantings the night before, I got out in afternoon and installed some short fence where there was only board fence on the horse pasture adjacent to the chickens. Now I am able to release them into that field without having them all in my yard! Nice. Plus, they are making short work of the piles the two little stallions have made in there -- lotsa goodies to eat




and will cut down on feed needed in coop. With that fence done, I can reduce the size of the area by the coop (portable electric net) and use the back portion to grow, eventurally adding cover crops there for winter chicken food. Yep, gonna grow more feed this year! Pumpkins for everyone, root crops for the pigs & chickens....my chickens loved the turnips! I sliced those huge, overwintered in ground ones with my machete. Fast and readily eaten, looked forward to getting. Been really looking for those things that can be easily grown, harvested by hand, produce well, for animal feed. Mangel beet seeds here and going into ground for winter feed, plus milo, browsing peas, flax, crucifers, sunflowers, etc, also.

Raising own heirloom veggies, with extras thrown to animals, usual corn, bean, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, +. Extra goat milk now since kidding and need to train those first fresheners to milking. Chickens, pigs, dogs, cats all love it. Use for goat milk soap, cheese, yogurt....emptied excess frozen last year for feeding chickens/pigs. Extra calcium & other vit/min. Off coming Wed thru Sun -- will be riding the tractor & mower a lot!! Planting will happen. Oh, I have almost 300# of yr old composted chicken manure to use up, too.



Things should grow. It's busy here and I'm loving it.


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 8, 2016)

Some potaties are quite large now and some haven't even broken through. Dont know if I didnt get the eyes cut correctly or if the soil is cooler there. We are eating lettuce and kale. Need to plant another round of those.


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## Ryan Johnson (Apr 11, 2016)

just harvested my corn, which is the last of the summer veggies for the year. Cauliflower, broccoli have just been planted...


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 12, 2016)

Ryan Johnson said:


> just harvested my corn, which is the last of the summer veggies for the year. Cauliflower, broccoli have just been planted...


I do enjoy fall gardening. One winter I was able to pick brussels sprouts, kale and chard nearly all winter.


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## Ryan Johnson (Apr 12, 2016)

Marsha how are your Espaliered trees coming along ? I have a couple of pieces of trellis that were given to me and Im thinking of giving it a go. Any tips would be a great help


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 12, 2016)

Ryan Johnson said:


> Marsha how are your Espaliered trees coming along ? I have a couple of pieces of trellis that were given to me and Im thinking of giving it a go. Any tips would be a great help


They are great. They are pretty high maintenance but I enjoy them. Quite a lot of fruit set. You should try it.


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## Riverrose28 (Apr 14, 2016)

We have carrots and peas planted and potatoes are going in the ground this weekend. The nights are still cold here and have had a frost several nights this week. Rule of thumb around here is to plant after Mothers Day. We do have tomato and broccoli plants growing in pots in the house.


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 16, 2016)

Riverrose28 said:


> We have carrots and peas planted and potatoes are going in the ground this weekend. The nights are still cold here and have had a frost several nights this week. Rule of thumb around here is to plant after Mothers Day. We do have tomato and broccoli plants growing in pots in the house.


I didn't realize Maryland stayed cold so long. I thought it was more the latitude of our OK location. Do you have ramps in your area?

I am waiting till this present chill cycle passes to plant beans. Will set out the peppers later in the month.


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## Debby - LB (Jun 14, 2016)

It was so unseasonably cold and wet here that our gardens are way behind last years. The potatoes didn't make very well, we didn't get many of those. The watermelon and cantaloupe are about half the size they should be, and we seem to be having a problem with rot. Corn looks good and peas are doing alright, we have some eggplant, bell pepper, and zucchini... Tomatoes are yet to bloom and the dad gum rabbits ate the darn broccoli and cauliflower. Strawberries did pretty good but we have a problem with the chickens getting those before we do. So far this year the only bumper crop we've had was Peaches! gosh off one small tree we got the best tasting peaches and so many I gave some away and made some freezer jam, this was the early Alberta variety the others are not ready yet.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jun 14, 2016)

Peaches already?! Yummy! Ours won't be ready till August.

I'm thinking of pulling up most of the onions to make room to plant some okra. I do well with onions, so planted a lot this year. But they are taking up a lot of space in my tires. Spider mites are playing havoc for me on the beans, kale and lettuce.

Our spring has been rather wet and cool so I'm having to spray fungicide on the flowers I planted for pollinator-attractors. The good news is it is bad weather for grasshoppers.


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## Debby - LB (Jun 14, 2016)

Yup best peaches we've had I think. I forgot to mention Okra we have that too and it's not growing like it should either. It'll all work out though..just be harvesting a little later than usual. What flowers do you use?


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## Marsha Cassada (Jun 29, 2016)

We had a 79 mph wind yesterday. Luckily only 3 apples fell, the ones on the tree closest to the wind attack. Most of the peaches and apples are in stockings. Two peaches I missed covering and that were close to the fencing were half eaten by birds yesterday. This is the Gala espaliered apple tree.

Dug up almost all the potatoes today and planted squash there. Yard long beans are nearly ready to pick. Pulled up most of the onions also and some were larger than softballs. I usually have good success with onions. We plant the Texas Sweet variety.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jul 12, 2016)

Having trouble with peaches. If they were tomatoes you'd call it "blossom end rot". What could it be with peaches? There is no worm inside. Just starts as a rotten place on the bottom and goes up through the middle. The seed is even rotten. They are a mess. chickens are enjoying them, though...


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## Ryan Johnson (Jul 12, 2016)

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/peach/common-peach-diseases.htm

Marsha have a look at the section "Brown Rot" . Mine seem to be prone to curly leaf and is the only fruit tree I have that is yet to fruit.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jul 12, 2016)

That was an interesting site. I did some more researching and have about decided that the tree is getting too much water. We've had a lot of rain the last two years; both years the peaches are terrible. Thought that having them in raised beds would solve our location problem, but I guess too much water is still running underground off the mountain. The years we had the drought and were devoured by grasshoppers made the best peaches. I don't think it's the variety, I think it's the water.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jul 18, 2016)

Too bad their flavor isn't better; the good peaches are large and beautiful.


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## secuono (Jul 28, 2016)

Well, my bucket gardening kinda sorta failed.

Forgot the tomatoes, cukes and watermelons are small but growing.

The wild pumpkin mix seeds are doing excellent. I'll get pics tomorrow.


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 2, 2016)

Canned green beans yesterday. The yardlongs really produce. The okra and squash I planted in the space of the onions and potatoes are doing well. While checking out the apples today to see how close they may be to picking I spied a large paper wasp nest. Zoom and zing. Yow! I used to allow wasps in the garden, but the last couple of years I have destroyed their nests. They are too aggressive and also I think they prey on good bugs, eat new blooms, and also the fruit. Any good pollinating they may do is not worth their presence. Not sure how I missed the construction of this large nest.

We had a mild spring and nice early summer, but now the heat has set in. Some things love it and some things (like me) begin to wilt.


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## Ryan Johnson (Aug 4, 2016)

Didn't really plant anything over winter here , though my SIL gave me some left over cauliflower seedlings, so i planted them and they are just starting to produce





Looking forward to getting out in the garden once the weather gets a little warmer here.


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 8, 2016)

Picked the Gala apples today. I was pleased with the way the stockings protected them. Not a single worm, though there were some ants on a few and the birds did manage to get to a few. The stockings wouldn't be feasible for an orchard or even a large tree, but it works for the espaliered tree. Now to make a pie...


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 22, 2016)

If anyone is interested, this is my brown cotton plant. Cotton is in the hibiscus family, so the flowers resemble them. I've been having trouble luring pollinators the last few years, but I notice the cotton flowers generally have some insects rummaging around in them. Cotton flowers are the source of a very sweet honey. The flower makes the boll, which bursts open showing the white, or in this case brown, cotton fiber. Plants are about 5 feet tall so far. Bolls won't be opening till October.


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## Debby - LB (Aug 24, 2016)

The flowers are beautiful!


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 24, 2016)

Debby - LB said:


> The flowers are beautiful!


I couldn't seem to be in the garden when the flowers were open fully. Some are pink, some are yellow. Not sure what gives with that. It's a pretty plant.


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## Debby - LB (Aug 27, 2016)

I always love it when the cotton blooms around here ! I never knew it was in the hibiscus family so learn something new everyday. The flowers are really pretty... when the bolls open is the show though as it looks like snow everywhere, it is so beautiful to look across snow covered fields.


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## Ryan Johnson (Aug 29, 2016)

Spent some time over the weekend in the veggie plots , which has been my first chance in ages , due to the wonderful weather we have had.

Just need to get some chicken and cow manure to mix in to the soil before I plant them out.

Most seedlings will go in early October , cucumbers a little later , due to the spring frost here


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## Marsha Cassada (Sep 17, 2016)

Made some pickled peppers today. I dried a lot of them, but decided to try pickling.


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## Ryan Johnson (Sep 19, 2016)

Put in a variety of different Strawberries yesterday. Not sure how they will do in regards to growing and taste. Bubblegum Strawberry, Razzberry Strawberry & Pineapple strawberry. They sound good but will they deliver ?


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## Marsha Cassada (Sep 20, 2016)

Ryan Johnson said:


> Put in a variety of different Strawberries yesterday. Not sure how they will do in regards to growing and taste. Bubblegum Strawberry, Razzberry Strawberry & Pineapple strawberry. They sound good but will they deliver ?


Will they bear the first year?

For me, a strawberry bed is rather high maintenance for its return. But the plants/flowers/fruit are attractive so go for it. I have not heard of those varieties, but they sound delicious!


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## Ryan Johnson (Sep 20, 2016)

I agree with You Marsha, I tried them in the bed last year and found it to be too high maintenance. This year i have gone with planting them into a half wine barrel





Im hoping the bear fruit this year , fingers crossed !!


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## Debby - LB (Sep 22, 2016)

got to be quick around here to get a strawberry away from the chickens. I can say we have some beautiful plants though lol


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