Author Topic: Anybody get their garden started yet?  (Read 15651 times)

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Offline AmericanPatriot

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #40 on: July 09, 2012, 01:37:00 PM »
Slow coming.
But my daughter and I found our first teeny-weeny little Sugar Baby watermelon while weeding today.

I think it will start producing goodies in about 2 weeks.
Can't wait for tomatoes to start the annual AP tomato diet

Offline John Florida

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #41 on: July 09, 2012, 07:58:22 PM »

That garden sounds delicious.


 That garde sounds like there will be a hell of a lot of freezing and canning going on.
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Offline AmericanPatriot

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #42 on: July 09, 2012, 09:38:22 PM »
Quote
t garde sounds like there will be a hell of a lot of freezing and canning going on.

I hope so.

My wife is sometimes a weak link in this.

We have a spare refrigerator in the basement.
I tell her that's where we put stuff to rot.

Not this year.
She may not love me after this.
Hell, there's probably times now that she wonders if she loves me.
 ::)

Offline Libertas

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #43 on: July 21, 2012, 11:56:04 AM »
I have to see what horror awaits me at the lake, with all the health stuff and car stuff going on the gardens have been largely unattended for almost two weeks.

 ::facepalm::

Looks like the weather is breaking to the north, time to ready the bike and scoot on out of here!

 ::whoohoo::
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #44 on: July 21, 2012, 01:31:15 PM »
This is the first year that I have raised lettuce (previous attempts were feasts for the bugs). I harvested some earlier this seek.....tastes like crap. Off to the compost pile with it!

 >:(

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #45 on: July 21, 2012, 01:43:04 PM »
Slow coming.
But my daughter and I found our first teeny-weeny little Sugar Baby watermelon while weeding today.

I think it will start producing goodies in about 2 weeks.
Can't wait for tomatoes to start the annual AP tomato diet

I started another raised bed this season and inaugurated it with squash, zucchini, watermelon, and roma tomatoes. The plants look healthy enough and with plenty of blooms, but they start to bear little fruit and then each one dies. It has me scratching my head.

The cucumbers in the greenhouse are doing great, as are the peppers (after a rocky start).

The asparagus is a real mystery to me. I studied cultivation on the 'net until I was reasonably sure I wouldn't kill 'en outright. I planted them according to best practices. I built up the bed for them exactly as described. And waited. and watched. And waited some more.

Finally one meager sickly little stalk crept up out of the ground. I watched for days but there was only the one. It grew about 8-10" tall and then seemed to stop. Several weeks went by without any discernible activity.

Then one afternoon after work I went out to water and there were six more stalks poking up out of the dirt (I had planted 8). In very short order they grew to around 30" tall and fanned out with spindly stalks. They now look like they are thriving and may even grow stout enough to survive the winter.

I sure wish I knew WTH I was doing.

 ;)

Online Pandora

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #46 on: July 21, 2012, 02:03:00 PM »
Slow coming.
But my daughter and I found our first teeny-weeny little Sugar Baby watermelon while weeding today.

I think it will start producing goodies in about 2 weeks.
Can't wait for tomatoes to start the annual AP tomato diet

I started another raised bed this season and inaugurated it with squash, zucchini, watermelon, and roma tomatoes. The plants look healthy enough and with plenty of blooms, but they start to bear little fruit and then each one dies. It has me scratching my head.

Has it been hot there?  If not, the soil needs something, maybe calcium (at least for the maters).

Quote
The cucumbers in the greenhouse are doing great, as are the peppers (after a rocky start).

Yay!!!

Quote
The asparagus is a real mystery to me. I studied cultivation on the 'net until I was reasonably sure I wouldn't kill 'en outright. I planted them according to best practices. I built up the bed for them exactly as described. And waited. and watched. And waited some more.

Finally one meager sickly little stalk crept up out of the ground. I watched for days but there was only the one. It grew about 8-10" tall and then seemed to stop. Several weeks went by without any discernible activity.

Then one afternoon after work I went out to water and there were six more stalks poking up out of the dirt (I had planted 8). In very short order they grew to around 30" tall and fanned out with spindly stalks. They now look like they are thriving and may even grow stout enough to survive the winter.

Woohoo!

Quote
I sure wish I knew WTH I was doing.
 ;)

Yah.  Join the crowd.

I'm always on the 'net looking for best practices and solutions and when I go to the store, I pick brains.  Some of the 'maters got blossom-end-rot again this year -- not enough calcium -- and the older gentleman at Ace Hardware pointed out a spray-on that the plant takes up faster than when watering the base.  So, we got the lime AND the spray and staggered the application, with the spray first.  It worked.

We have learned that too much nitrogen in fertilizer will grow nice, lush leaves and no fruit.  Each plant requires something in addition to, in greater ratios.  I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know, though.

Oh, and one other thing; it does make a difference where you get your plants.  Every previous year, we got ours at Lowes/Home Depot and nothing did very well (it could have been our learning curve, too); this year we went to a well-known and reputable gardening center for our plants and they have done immensely better (again, maybe it's the learning curve because every year we say, "okay, next year we have to remember to do THIS first ...).

Now, it's the damn tree rats.  They like the "perfect" tomato, so we have to pick 'em before they're fully ripe or the squirrels will sample them.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #47 on: July 21, 2012, 02:17:56 PM »
Thanks - all good points.

I try to be careful about where I buy plants/seeds and keep a journal on everything (can't trust my memory).

We haven't broken 85 yet and most days are in the low 60's with either clouds, mist or showers. Another "Summer that never was" in the making around here.

The greenhouse was one of my better investments.

edit: speling for dummies  :D

Offline John Florida

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #48 on: July 22, 2012, 03:02:58 PM »
Slow coming.
But my daughter and I found our first teeny-weeny little Sugar Baby watermelon while weeding today.

I think it will start producing goodies in about 2 weeks.
Can't wait for tomatoes to start the annual AP tomato diet

I started another raised bed this season and inaugurated it with squash, zucchini, watermelon, and roma tomatoes. The plants look healthy enough and with plenty of blooms, but they start to bear little fruit and then each one dies. It has me scratching my head.

The cucumbers in the greenhouse are doing great, as are the peppers (after a rocky start).

The asparagus is a real mystery to me. I studied cultivation on the 'net until I was reasonably sure I wouldn't kill 'en outright. I planted them according to best practices. I built up the bed for them exactly as described. And waited. and watched. And waited some more.

Finally one meager sickly little stalk crept up out of the ground. I watched for days but there was only the one. It grew about 8-10" tall and then seemed to stop. Several weeks went by without any discernible activity.

Then one afternoon after work I went out to water and there were six more stalks poking up out of the dirt (I had planted 8). In very short order they grew to around 30" tall and fanned out with spindly stalks. They now look like they are thriving and may even grow stout enough to survive the winter.

I sure wish I knew WTH I was doing.

 ;)

 you're fine just leave them alone and if you can load them up with compost or composted manure and let them go till winter kills the tops off,at that point cut them flush to the ground and if toy can hit them again with composted manure and let them bee. It's the first year in and they are just settling in next year it you can help it don't pick any and let the roots get stronger but the third year pick and eat but leave some on there to give the roots what they need to make them stronger again and then after that pick all you want and they'll take care of themselves for the most part but remember to let them grow tops so they and keep on building strong roots.
All men are created equal"
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Offline John Florida

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #49 on: July 22, 2012, 03:06:13 PM »
Slow coming.
But my daughter and I found our first teeny-weeny little Sugar Baby watermelon while weeding today.

I think it will start producing goodies in about 2 weeks.
Can't wait for tomatoes to start the annual AP tomato diet

I started another raised bed this season and inaugurated it with squash, zucchini, watermelon, and roma tomatoes. The plants look healthy enough and with plenty of blooms, but they start to bear little fruit and then each one dies. It has me scratching my head.

Has it been hot there?  If not, the soil needs something, maybe calcium (at least for the maters).

Quote
The cucumbers in the greenhouse are doing great, as are the peppers (after a rocky start).

Yay!!!

Quote
The asparagus is a real mystery to me. I studied cultivation on the 'net until I was reasonably sure I wouldn't kill 'en outright. I planted them according to best practices. I built up the bed for them exactly as described. And waited. and watched. And waited some more.

Finally one meager sickly little stalk crept up out of the ground. I watched for days but there was only the one. It grew about 8-10" tall and then seemed to stop. Several weeks went by without any discernible activity.

Then one afternoon after work I went out to water and there were six more stalks poking up out of the dirt (I had planted 8). In very short order they grew to around 30" tall and fanned out with spindly stalks. They now look like they are thriving and may even grow stout enough to survive the winter.

Woohoo!

Quote
I sure wish I knew WTH I was doing.
 ;)

Yah.  Join the crowd.

I'm always on the 'net looking for best practices and solutions and when I go to the store, I pick brains.  Some of the 'maters got blossom-end-rot again this year -- not enough calcium -- and the older gentleman at Ace Hardware pointed out a spray-on that the plant takes up faster than when watering the base.  So, we got the lime AND the spray and staggered the application, with the spray first.  It worked.

We have learned that too much nitrogen in fertilizer will grow nice, lush leaves and no fruit.  Each plant requires something in addition to, in greater ratios.  I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know, though.

Oh, and one other thing; it does make a difference where you get your plants.  Every previous year, we got ours at Lowes/Home Depot and nothing did very well (it could have been our learning curve, too); this year we went to a well-known and reputable gardening center for our plants and they have done immensely better (again, maybe it's the learning curve because every year we say, "okay, next year we have to remember to do THIS first ...).

Now, it's the damn tree rats.  They like the "perfect" tomato, so we have to pick 'em before they're fully ripe or the squirrels will sample them.


 Air rifle cure that.Wipe the rodents out.
All men are created equal"
 Filippo Mazzie

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #50 on: July 22, 2012, 03:53:48 PM »
Quote
Now, it's the damn tree rats.  They like the "perfect" tomato, so we have to pick 'em before they're fully ripe or the squirrels will sample them.

I have a Plum tree near the garden and put out old CD's tied with fish lure to the branches to discourage the birds. Seems to make the tree rats nervous too.

Winner!  ::thumbsup::

Online Pandora

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #51 on: July 22, 2012, 04:19:43 PM »
Quote
Now, it's the damn tree rats.  They like the "perfect" tomato, so we have to pick 'em before they're fully ripe or the squirrels will sample them.

I have a Plum tree near the garden and put out old CD's tied with fish lure to the branches to discourage the birds. Seems to make the tree rats nervous too.

Winner!  ::thumbsup::

Oh, I am so going to try that.

And the air rifle.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

charlesoakwood

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #52 on: July 22, 2012, 05:41:41 PM »

Chicken fried squirrel, mmm!

Offline AmericanPatriot

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #53 on: July 22, 2012, 06:12:07 PM »
Here's an update on mine.
Just had a couple days rain. (Just in time,too)

Peas didn't come out too good. Only got a few.
Green and yellow beans are ripe. (I didn't plant near enough) I do have a second batch coming on in a week or so.
Lots of blossoms on canteloupes but none yet.
Sugar baby watermelons-quite a few baseball sized.
Pumpkins have lots of blossoms

Plants are full of Roma tomatoes. Eater tomatoes are just beginning to color
Zucchini is in blossom.
Cauliflower and broccoli are so-so
A few cabbages starting to form heads.

Peppers are a disappointment so far but starting to come on. Somehow, I missed getting bell peppers. Have a few sweet yellow, hungarian wax, cayennes and my son's jalapenos
The rain brought tassel to my small patch of heirloom corn. My bigger patch of silver queen was planted late and still pretty small.
Tops of the first batch of potatoes are starting to die off. I'll dig up a hill or two and see what I have.

Weeds are having a bumper season and the rain really helped them.

Wish I didn't work so much. I think the garden would do a little better.
Each year is different and a new learning experience.

I tried some different things this year and results are fairly positive

At least now, I'm just starting to eat out of the garden

Offline Libertas

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #54 on: July 22, 2012, 06:50:26 PM »
It has been a hot and wet summer for us, 95 today, and when we get rain it comes in buckets.  All I gotta say is between the water and the chicken poop the tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, green beans and spuds are going wild...unfortunately so are the weeds!  

Don't know much about asparugus, my brother does, and what JF said seems to have jarred a memory in my head because waht he said sounds right to me.  Corn bombed, not sure how I blew planting seeds, thier fricken seeds fer crying out loud!  I did what the instructions said to the letter, soil was well prepped...

 ::gaah::

Good thing other folks in my clan are not so inept!
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline AmericanPatriot

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #55 on: July 22, 2012, 07:01:56 PM »
Even though I grew up as the son of corn growing farmer, I could never grow corn.
Then I learned the secret!

I never planted my seeds deep enough. Now, I plant them at least 2" deep and the real secret (if you're not hung up on organics).
Triple 19 fertilizer.  ::beertoast::
Around here there's a saying about corn. "Knee high by the 4th of July"
My first corn was waist high  ::danceban::

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #56 on: July 22, 2012, 07:07:50 PM »
Even though I grew up as the son of corn growing farmer, I could never grow corn.
Then I learned the secret!

I never planted my seeds deep enough. Now, I plant them at least 2" deep and the real secret (if you're not hung up on organics).
Triple 19 fertilizer.  ::beertoast::
Around here there's a saying about corn. "Knee high by the 4th of July"
My first corn was waist high  ::danceban::

Lol.  Yah, I was, a little bit, until we started actually trying to grow things.  Soon as anything is put in the ground, Mother Nature and her cronies conspire to get at it all; pests, disease, birds, rodents and whatever the soil is lacking, which could be almost anything the plant may get the vapors over not having.

So, to hell with "organic"; I'm going to use whatever is available -- that doesn't do dire damage to the bees and the water supply -- to win!

Thanks for the tip about the corn.  We planted our first two short rows ever this year, so .... we'll see.
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Offline AmericanPatriot

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #57 on: July 22, 2012, 07:20:44 PM »
Oh, and don't have the fertilizer in direct contact with the seed.
You can put the fertilizer down and cover with a little dirt then the seed.

I put mine on top of the row after I covered it.

Offline Libertas

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #58 on: July 22, 2012, 07:29:50 PM »
Thanks AP, I'll have to try that next year.
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Online Pandora

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Re: Anybody get their garden started yet?
« Reply #59 on: September 02, 2012, 02:55:29 PM »
The red Bell peppers and the eggplants have gotten their second wind.   ::danceban::

We've 18 eggplant approaching harvest; the Bells haven taken a lot longer -- next year we'll plant them earlier -- but we're going to have to give 'em away or come up with a way of putting them up.

They and the tomatoes have outgrown the largest "cages" available; we've taken to staking them (outside the cages) which is what we meant to avoid by using the cages in the first place.  We're going to have to come up with something better next year, because anything not staked is at risk of breakage from rain.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"