Who plants a vegatable garden?

[Carriage]

We also have a supply of heirloom seed. I would like to increase the variety if possible this year.

We will sprout a few this year to make sure they are still viable. I think there is only one that we need to grow out for seed as its storage life appears to be only 11 years (I think it was cucumber).

We use a few heirloom every year but mostly use hybrid for increased production.

I think Susanne is correct in thoroughly composting manure before amending the soil. Not just for disease prevention but for "soil" health.

Whoever spoke of our uncertain future,.... Stay with that thought and you and yours will be best served I strongly suspect

Wouldn't mind knowing more about the bale garden either.

Now if I could just grow a money tree.......... Giving "seed" away would be ALOT more fun,

Bb

 

[Bess Kelly]

I'm adding my raised beds next week....weather better. Everything is here to do it, just have to put the boards together, start the tractor and load the dirt in there. One will be for my Asparagus

and another for some quickie things...baby lettuce, radishes, little carrots....things my grdtr likes to help with, grow fast, can be close to the house, etc. Some herbs in there but, many out in the rows with the crops for insect control

And a couple raised beds for some flowers...my daughter's thing. Can you say "huge yard, don't want to mow, gotta be a better use"? Well, there is.

And I'm going to make it happen.

I have grown potatoes nicely in a raised area with straw as a primary layer of the "soil". Layered the bottom soil, straw, some light top layer of soil and planted the potatoes. The majority of the potatoes were within the straw layer. I used a good amount of manure tea for watering to assist with nutrients but it worked nicely. Another thing I used to do with bales of wheat straw was to wet them very well in winter and as the sun heated them, the wheat sprouted all over it. I kept these in the chicken pen and they loved having "fresh greens" in the winter! Tightly baled worked best for this.

Read where another person actually took the bags of soil, layed in rows on the ground, then cut a slit into it to insert the plant. Some puntures into top and bottom of the bag let water in and excess out.

With a watchful eye, this is a super "no till" garden. You have some decent weed control too.

I just brought home a load of horse feed yesterday, so added those bags to the pile for use in the garden. That and newspaper make great mulch and weed control products, for free! Lay them out, wet them and they stick to the ground, allow moisture in, help hold it in, control weeds and decompose into the soil. Yeah!!!

Since we are talking about horse manure compost....if you are starting seed in a seed bed to transplant later, put a few inches of composting (not done but, working well), then 2-3" of nice topsoil over that. Put seeds into the topsoil and the heat from the composting will actually help warm the top layer to assist the seed sprouting. I do this in a cold frame and it sure helps. You can also do this in the raised beds and cover with glass, plastic, etc. to make a cold frame that can then convert to the actual planted area when you remove the cover.

Self sufficiency. I used to do a LOT more than now but, starting again. Have a 7 yr old grdtr to help with the crops

Well, she loves to harvest anyway! She's all excited about the seeds and planting, so I am hoping to share some knowledge from the entire effort. She and I are thinking about adding a chicken coup, too. I don't really like to eat the eggs but LOVE to collect them!

And I enjoy the birds....except IN my garden! But, I can control that. Now to find the box of old Mother Earth magazines

 

[Bess Kelly]

That straw bale system is fantastic for someone who has no, doesn't want any, tillage or equipment

For a tenant who can't plow up the yard, for spot plantings, etc.

If you have an area that's just not quite big enough this yr, you could use those bales and then plow them into the other site. As to the bugs -- he's right, most of the reason is that they are not in the soil and that is where many "things" are, bugs, bacteria, etc.

There will probably be some straw bales near my raised beds.

 

[Southern_Heart]

Already got my garden started with Tomatos and the Zukes and yellow squash are already up. I still need to plant a few more things yet.

Now if we could just get some rain that would be so much better for the plants than well water.

Joyce

 

[Just Us N Texas]

I have tried hard to grow strawberries here without much luck. I wonder if the straw bales would allow me to have better luck? I tried a tier garden for the berries, but the weeds and rabbits took them over. I tried them in the garden, and again the weeds took them. This year, I have put them in wooden boxes, hoping to be able to help keep the weeds at bay. I am allergic to fire ants, they abound here, and I won't always go to the garden and weed when those boogers are around. I was wondering if the straw bales would work? Guess I should read the whole article huh?

 

[gimp]

That straw bale system is fantastic for someone who has no, doesn't want any, tillage or equipment

For a tenant who can't plow up the yard, for spot plantings, etc.
If you have an area that's just not quite big enough this yr, you could use those bales and then plow them into the other site. As to the bugs -- he's right, most of the reason is that they are not in the soil and that is where many "things" are, bugs, bacteria, etc.

There will probably be some straw bales near my raised beds.

I am thinking that instead of rotating my raised beds that I will use the straw bales maybe every other year. At the end of the season the bales can be composted into the beds that sat fallow (and will be used the next season). I like the look, if nothing else.

 

[wantminimore]

We've had gardens for a ew years now, we have a his and hers. I plant just the tomatoes in mine and he plants everything else we decide on. Last year we got chickens (love the eggs) and didn't fence them in so my tomatoes did do so well, this yea will be different, they have a pen.

This year I want to use my garden for asparagus and have the tomatoes in a different spot. We did get another area ready for gardening so maybe I can use the old one plus mine. We plan on planting carrots, beans, pea pods, spinash, radishes, green peppers, not sure what else. In the past i've frozen the veggies but this year I want to try canning. For the ones out there that can, do ou use a pressure cooker or do the hot water bath?

We have a large area where the horse manure goes and we have 3 piles at different stages. The oldest one has been sitting covered, the second one gets turned every so often and the newest is the one I dump fresh manure in. Our family loves to come and get $*%t from us, lol.

 

[Sterling]

Last year I had success with grape tomatoes, scallions, and cillantro. I cannot get the zucchini or any type of pumpkin to grow well. I had sugarbaby watermelons and they grew to a certain point and got stunted.

Same with the musk melon. I had problems with weeds galore!! Then I had moles come up underneath and try to eat my carrots so had to pull out what I could get early. SOOOoooooo...this year I'm going to try gardening in containers. The scallions I did last year were successful in a long pot...they were so neat to watch grow and not have to pull up weeds. I'm going to try my grape tomatoes like that too and my herbs as well. Oh and we did the bush variety of green beans...those were very easy to grow and a huge success! I was very thrilled with them and omg were they yummy! I'm trying some sugar snap peas this year too. And since I got my garden window put in last August,

I've started some Ajicitos (spanish peppers) and already have them sprouting. Hopefully I can be more successful this year with containers. Too many varmants underground in this neck of the woods and the weeds ran rampant around my tomatoes. Seems like they grew 12 inches each night! Unbelievable....

 

[Laura]

What are the best onions to grow,long lasting? I want to try carrots,cucumber,onion,radishes,bell peppers and i'll probably do some other stuff to. Any suggestions for a newbie?

We are already WAY behind getting the garden area ready this year, but but by golly over the next two weeks it WILL be well in progress or Mama's (me) is having a hissy fit

I ordered seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds yesterday....gasp...let's just say it would keep me in horse grain for about a month!

Here's the list

-----------------Individual Item Breakdown-----------------

Item Ref. Price ea. Qty. Description

assorted

AML113 $2.00 1 - Banana

AML123 $3.00 1 - Kansas

AML141 $3.00 1 - Ginger's Pride

AR101 $2.00 1 - Green Globe

AR105 $2.50 1 - Purple of Romagna

AS102 $2.50 1 - Precoce d'Argenteuil

BN102 $1.75 1 - Contender (Buff Valentine)

BN114 $2.75 1 - Purple Podded Pole

BR104 $2.50 1 - Romanesco Italia

BT113 $2.00 1 - Flat of Egypt

BT114 $2.50 1 - Crapaudine

cauliflower

CA102 $2.25 1 - Violetta Italia

CA105 $2.25 1 - Green Macerata

corn

CN105 $3.00 1 - Country Gentleman Sweet Co rn

CN134 $3.50 1 - Chires Baby Corn

CN136 $3.50 1 - Dakota Black Popcorn

carrots

CR103 $1.50 1 - Little Finger

CR112 $3.00 1 - Cosmic Purple

CR115 $2.50 1 - Parisienne

cucumbers

CU112 $2.50 1 - Chinese Yellow

CU132 $2.75 1 - Suyo Long

CU147 $3.00 1 - Dragon's Egg

assorted

GD110 $1.50 1 - Small Warted Mix (gourds)

GR110 $2.00 1 - Red Wonder Wild Strawberry

GR121 1 - Purple Kiwi

HB125 1 - Cilantro

HB135 1 - Chives - Common

HB152 1 - Cumin

HPP103 1 - Anaheim

HPP104 1 - Tam Jalapeno

LT106 1 - Big Boston (Laitue Lorthoi

s)

LT127 1 - Lollo Rossa

ML106 1 - Boule d'Or (Golden Perfect

ion)

OK120 1 - Bowling Red

OK126 1 - Jing Orange

OK127 1 - Louisiana 16 Long Pod

ON108 1 - Tropeana Lunga

ON111 1 - He Shi Ko - Bunching

ON114 1 - Jaune Paille Des Vertus

PP113 1 - Corno di Toro Rosso

PP129 1 - Sweet Yellow Stuffing

PP133 1 - Charleston Belle

PP137 1 - Orange Bell

SB105 1 - Red Wing Lettuce Mix

SC103 1 - Oriole Orange Chard

SN104 1 - Golden Sweet

SN106 1 - Sugar Snap

spinach

SP101 1 - Bloomsdale Long Standing

squash

SQ106 1 - Black Futsu

SQ111 1 - Delicata

SQ127 1 - Chicago Warted Hubbard

SQ129 1 - Connecticut Field

SQ133 1 - Marina di Chioggia

SQ135 1 - Queensland Blue

SQ160 1 - Jack Be Little

SQ170 1 - Yugoslavian Finger Fruit

SQ179 1 - Atlantic Giant Pumpkin

SQ183 1 - Baby Blue Hubbard

SQ200 1 - Golden Hubbard

SQ221 1 - Boston Marrow

SQ228 1 - Red Warty Thing or Victor

SSQ102 1 - Lemon Squash

SSQ103 1 - Zucchino Rampicante (Zucca d'Albenga)

SSQ106 1 - Patissons Panache Blanc Et Vert Scallop

SSQ108 1 - Yellow Scallop

TL101 1 - Tomatillo - Purple

TL102 1 - Tomatillo - Verde

tomatoes

TM121 1 - Cuor di Bue

TM128 1 - German Red Strawberry

TM160 1 - Fox Cherry

TM178 1 - Roma Rio Grande

TN111 1 - Petrowski

TO106 1 - Amana Orange

TO116 1 - Illini Gold

TP102 1 - Black Krim

TP106 1 - Black Cherry

TP113 1 - Morado

TS106 1 - Striped Cavern

TS128 1 - Isis Candy Cherry

TY101 1 - Roman Candle

TY110 1 - Plum Lemon

TY114 1 - Egg Yolk

watermelon

WM127 1 - Orangeglo

WM161 1 - Wilson's Sweet

WM172 1 - Malali

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

Laura,looks like you will be busy

. My son and I was outside at 7:30 this morning cleaning flower beds,whopping 50 degrees outside,felt like a heat wave

.

 

[Shari]

And here I thought I had a lot of seeds this year.... Laura.. you have me beat!!!

Can't wait to see photos of everyones gardens this summer!

 

[Sterling]

Laura is going to be veg. farming like Little House On The Prairie days!!!

 

[Taylor Jo]

My husband added used shavings to the raised beds that his daughter brought over. Actually all they are is 8x4 beds put on the ground. BUT, do I put soil on top of the shavings then put the seeds in??????????????? I live here in Mo and I don't have a clue when to start a garden. Thanks, TJ

 

[Bess Kelly]

Woooweee, Laura, your list at Baker Creek is longer than mine but, I did make an impact....there and at 2 other places

Question for you. I ordered the Black Cherry tomatoes and considered the Black Krim. Have never grown either, so if you have, flavor opinion please share.

Shari, you listed Kabocha squash. I saw it and it looks like a cute little pumpkin, with just beautiful orange inside with a skin that looks like it would winter well. Have any past use experience?

I like to run some squash and melon along with the corn.....and some climbing beans in there. So this looks like it might be a good choice.

Plowing this weekend

Getting ready.

Next yr I won't need to buy so many as some will be held over and a few will be collected from plants.

Taylor Jo -- if the beds were already there and used, was the load of shavings/manure tilled in? This will make a difference....that and if not tilled in, how deep is it on top of the soil? Plants could be set into the soil below, dirt can be added on top if using seed. A lot is "depends" type issues, and what the seed, etc.

Give us some details and we will all give you some help. It's almost like feeding a mini --- many ways, some better than others.

 

[Laura]

This is our first year for all heirlooms, so those will be new to us too. I grew Cherokee Purples last year and we loved them. I hope these taste even better.

Our huge order this year was to carry us for a few years down the road. I don't plan to buy seeds next year, except maybe to add a few new varieties. This will be our big investment year....same for the new chicken and turkey and pig areas we're planning. Yikes

 

[Taylor Jo]

My husband just "dumped" the shavings in the beds on top the grass in the beds. I talked to him earlier and he said he was going to put some top soil on top after mixing it it up. I don't know how "right" that is..... Thanks for your help. TJ

 

[Cathy_H]

This weekend I planted strawberry plants, spinach, turnips & sweet onions. Got my yukon gold potatoes ready to plant. I will be planting my usual tomato, peppers & eggplant when it is warm enough.................................Recycle tip here for you gardeners.... Set your old 100 gallon water trough in a sunny spot and fill it with manure. Let it sit until next growing season and plant some veggies in it. If you have some composted manure ready to go now you can use it this season.................. I have two of these that I have used for years. I usually get two plantings of vegetables per growing season. I just planted my spinach in one & turnips in the other. Ater harvesting these I will plant something else. This fall we will dump more fresh manure in them and they will be ready to go by next year - no dirt necessay...... Old muck buckets would be good also.

 

[Magic]

Oh my, it's times like these that I regret living in such a cold climate! So many of you planting your gardens already, and we have a winter storm warning, with temps getting into the teens tonight and in the high 20's tomorrow, and at least half a foot of snow forecasted!

Our growing season is short, so we have to choose short-timed growing plants. We've successfully grown cantalope, watermelon, tomatoes, corn. Some or most of it I should start inside, so I guess I'd best get going now. Good luck to you all, and I'd like to see ongoing pics of your gardens!

 

[Sterling]

This weekend I planted strawberry plants, spinach, turnips & sweet onions. Got my yukon gold potatoes ready to plant. I will be planting my usual tomato, peppers & eggplant when it is warm enough.................................Recycle tip here for you gardeners.... Set your old 100 gallon water trough in a sunny spot and fill it with manure. Let it sit until next growing season and plant some veggies in it. If you have some composted manure ready to go now you can use it this season.................. I have two of these that I have used for years. I usually get two plantings of vegetables per growing season. I just planted my spinach in one & turnips in the other. Ater harvesting these I will plant something else. This fall we will dump more fresh manure in them and they will be ready to go by next year - no dirt necessay...... Old muck buckets would be good also.

OK!!! This is a great idea!!! I have a big troth not being used and was getting ready to sell it on Craig's list, but for some reason kept thinking, there's got to be something I can do with it!! Now I know....thank you for that idea Cathy! Now this evening when hubby gets home we'll have to decide what to plant in it.

 

[Shari]

Glad I did not plant any more seeds in the garden. Its snowing...and the wind is blowing it sideways.

Has been a weird winter.

The water trough as a planter is a great idea. Will have to keep my eye out for some free or very cheap ones. Gophers couldn't get the plants in there!