Gardeners

[Gumby]

Planning ahead 3->5 yrs is an optimistic way to garden

If you've ever planted bulbs in the fall, you know that it is always an act of faith -- that the world will exist and they will bloom next Spring and that you will be here to see them. I like to be an optimist that way.

 

[Flieger]

I planted Early Girls a few weeks ago. Have 5 growing at this point.

 

[street]

Sounds like some great gardens! Mine doing great also. I have about a half dozen tomatoes that are golf ball size.

My last post I thought I might have been hit with frost. Well, I did get hit at the ranch and I went a couple days later and cut off all damaged leaves. To my surprise everything lived and is doing great. I have pumpkins, squash and cantaloupe planted in the old corral.

Now we need to see some more picture from your gardens or plants. I will get some garden picture up in the next week.

A picture of vine plants that got hit by frost.
https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=46167&stc=1&d=1685879845

 

[CincyDave]

Yes, the male plants spend their energy making spears, not making flowers and fruit, so they are better. If you are growing from 2 or 3 year old crowns that you have ordered, most growers will tell you that they are all male plants, but that may not be true. However, if you have one or two females in the group, they will still produce edible stalks, just not as many.

I am actually happy that we had one female plant, because it produced flowers and fruit (little red berries), and I learned through experimentation that you can, in fact, grow asparagus from seed.

You should know that if you plant 2 or 3 year old crowns this year, you should not cut any asparagus spears until the third Spring after planting. If you cut too early, it will stunt the plant. If you are starting from seed, it will be at least 5 years before you can harvest.

Thanks Gumby. I did read you had to wait 3 years. Should have started sooner!

 

[Graybeard]

I will also put the eggplants in the ground (I try to wait until June to help with the flea beetle attacks). They have also been in pots for a couple of weeks.

Since we are in the same relative area, I suggest growing your eggplant 1 plant per 5 gallon bucket. I did this on asphalt (for extra heat) and had great success year after year. Flea Beetles are so bad that I had to stop growing Asian greens, Mustard anything they liked. Eggplant are attacked by Flea Beetles so I located the buckets about 75' from the garden. Even though I used garden soil, I never had any problems with Flea Beetles by using buckets and keeping them on asphalt away from the garden. The only thing about containers is you need to fertilize more and water pretty evenly pretty much every day.

Some things do great in a 5 gallon bucket, surprisingly cukes do but tomatoes are not going to be as good as if you had them in the ground.

 

[Graybeard]

Planted out tomatoes on 5/31, bean plants and cuke plants on 6/1. I never direct seed beans or cukes I always start them inside under shop lights. I want a head start and getting an extra 3 week head start is better than direct seeding on 6/1.

 

[GhostofTomJoad]

 

[GhostofTomJoad]

okra and peppers here. marigolds, too. they looked better before the blow we had about a month ago. it's all on the porch in pots. we own no land.

 

[simple girl]

Some things do great in a 5 gallon bucket, surprisingly cukes do but tomatoes are not going to be as good as if you had them in the ground.

We grow exclusively in earthboxes which have a 3 gallon water reservoir and use a cover which helps retain moisture and limits the amount of fertilizer that gets washed away by rain. I have had huge success growing all kinds of things, tomatoes included. That water reservoir makes all the difference!

 

[Gumby]

I finally put my eggplants in the ground today, then immediately sprayed them with spinosad. I'll probably hit them with neem oil tomorrow. I came home and sprayed my apple trees with pyrethrin; they are producing some nice apples this year and I'm looking forward to eating some in a couple months. I also harvested the last of my broccoli main heads. They'll give me scattered florets for the rest of the growing season but only one big head each. I switched to the Eastern Magic variety this year, and I have been very happy with them.

 

[street]

Gumby sounds like you a great garden. I find it so rewarding to harvest what I planted from seed to fresh food to eat.

I got my gardening interests from my mother and have great memories of her and the garden.

 

[Gumby]

When I was growing up, we lived in trailers and apartments, and we moved around quite often, so taking care of a plot of land year after year was just something we never did or could do.

I personally got into gardening on a whim. My last office was in an old early 20th century building that had gigantic windows with deep sills. Mine faced south and looked out over a parking lot, so I had full sun (uncomfortably so on some summer days). One of the other people on my side of the building grew tomato seedlings on her windowsill. That seemed like an interesting thing to try, so I grew a whole bunch of tomatoes in my windowsill. I gave most of them away, but I kept a few and took them home to grow outside in bags in the one halfway sunny spot in my yard. They produced decent tomatoes and I was hooked. About the same time, I also added English peas in the same spot, because the grocery store never had fresh ones and I have always liked them in the spring. I did that for 6 or 7 years, then transitioned to a real garden (a plot at the community garden) right before I retired. The only things I grow at home now are herbs (in that one sunny spot), apples, blueberries, raspberries, figs and a little asparagus.

The vast majority of my efforts are directed to my 1200 sqft plot at the community garden. I am constantly trying to figure out new ways to squeeze more produce out of it by picking the right varieties and growing methods and by using space and time most effectively. Unfortunately, it is open only from April 1 to November 1 (and it doesn't always open on time), so I have no access in the late fall or early spring and can't use cold frames or other season extending methods. I also am not allowed to build raised beds or other structures in my plot, so there are limits on what I can achieve.

 

[Gumby]

The town recreation department took a picture of my garden plot this past week to illustrate the community garden program. I made the sign, but I did not install the man with the sheep.

 

[Winemaker]

My peppers and tomatoes are struggling, we're still getting temps in the upper 40's at night. Although I watered, we had no rain for 13 days. We did get some rain the last 3 days; the beets, carrots and cabbage are doing great. But man cannot live on beets, carrots and cabbage alone...

 

[street]

The town recreation department took a picture of my garden plot this past week to illustrate the community garden program. I made the sign, but I did not install the man with the sheep.

I like that a lot!! Lol

Garden is doing great here even with colder temps. I have many tomatoes the size of baseball and many in between. I will post a few pictures later from the garden at the ranch and at my home.

 

[Gumby]

I just found out last night that the town is giving me another community garden plot for the season after a newcomer abandoned it, so that's another 600 sqft to garden. I wish it had occurred earlier, but if I quickly plant the rest of my corn and some beans and winter squash there, I should get a harvest in before the garden closes at the end of October. I already grow more than the young wife and I can eat, so the extra stuff will go to the food pantry.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Here in MN the garden is looking good. Melons are taking their time but the sweet corn is over knee high.

I've had trouble getting onions to grow with any size, I was told our soil is too heavy.
This year I brought in sand to mix in the heavy black soil where I planted the onions, they seem to be doing well, we'll see how big they get.

If I want to feel like a good gardener I pland a few hills of pumpkins. They grow well here, every neighbor kid around comes and picks one for halloween. DW and I also put up about 30-40 pumpkin pies every year, just cook them up and blend all the ingredients together, put them in gallon size zip lock backs and stack them like cord wood in the freezer. Whenever you want a home made pumpkin pie just mix up a crust and dump in the contents and bake. Can't beat a home grown pumpkin pie.

 

[street]

Ranch garden in old corral has pumpkins, squash and MN midget cantaloupe.

Pictures of garden in town has tomatoes, sweet banana peppers, cucumbers, beets and MN midgets.

 

[jfn111]

Battling Critters

The hawks seem to be on strike and we have a plethora of baby bunnies, squirrels and a pesky chipmunk. We had to start doing some critter control.

 

[pacergal]

I have no idea what is up with our garden this year. One measly misformed tomato on the one I planted, onions have one or two spindly leaves, garlic died, one volunteer potato slowly growing along with a second tiny volunteer tomato.
We do have bunnies in our yard, since we no longer have a dog, so maybe they are getting to the plants first.
I planted flowers mostly this year, luckily they are doing well!

 

[JoeWras]

Garden was completely massacred by deer last night.

I'm about to give up. Countless hours down the drain.

Mom and Bambi have been around. Someone nearby is giving housing and quarter to the enemy and then they go out for twilight raids.

All joking aside, this is a first. Cucumbers down to the nubs. Even the tomatoes were hit. I've never seen the tomatoes munched on.

I'm going to have to re-evaluate whether I want to do this or whether I want to invest in more barriers.

 

[JoeWras]

Damage from last night's sneak attack

The deer usually don't like stepping on the bricks and coming right up to the building. Judging by the population density I'm seeing, they have no choice but to be bold. And with neighbors oohing and ahhing over the Bambis in the neighborhood, the war is lost.

Cucumber took heavy casualties in last nights battle damage:

 

[timbervest]

Here in So Cal the weather has been so foggy and cold that my tomatoes have yet to set although there are plenty of green ones. Peppers and beans are coming up and should be ready next month. I have tons of rocket, romaine, spinach, and herbs.

 

[SJhawkins]

We had a great spring for Rhubarb, the rest of season has been not so great, no rain for a good month.

Our local farmers got a decent first cut, second cut is not looking great and third cut may happen at this rate.

In our 30+ years here I don't recall it every being this dry. We have mowed the lawn one time this year!

 

[MC Rider]

Maybe we will grow a garden next year after we get more established here.
Deer may be an issue, they come right up 10 feet from the house and attack the bird feeder. I wish they would eat the tree of heaven.