Gardeners in the Asylum

[BC-Axeman]

We've been starting a new one every year but I figure to just let it roll...


Watcha growin'?

[Chainsaw13]

I've got garlic sprouting already. Hopefully I get the full 36 heads I planted. Not sure what I"m going to do in the rest of the planters. I need to figure out how to automate a pump for my rain barrel first.

[Mattso3000]

I'll let you know when the ground thaws.:D

[BC-Axeman]

I have artichokes getting tall and raspberries coming up far and wide. Nothing new though. I have a big pile of compost to add first.

[shilala]

I'm gonna clean up the bed beside the house in the next couple days. Just need to pull the spent broccoli plants.
I've got big ideas for the garden out back and I just thought up another flower bed for out front, so I'm in full idea mode.
We had sprinklers installed in the Fall, so it's going to be a joy not having to fertilize and water anymore. All I gotta do is fill up a jug and hook it to an injector and it'll fertilize while it waters. There's a rain guage tipper on the house that keeps from overwatering, too.
I'm really going to be in heaven. :D

[shilala]

If you guys would like to do some seed trading, that'd be cool. I'll dig my seed bucket out soon and let you guys know what I've got. If anyone wants to try their hand at tobacco, I have some open-pollinated seed that's from Perique, San Andres MX and Havanah 2000.
I think I'll plant Perique beside the house this year and just gather seed from it. I'll probably do San Andres next year. After that I can go back to selecting my own strain.
I want to work on my purple sunflowers, too. :tu

[tengel78]

I will be starting my first garden this year. Lots of veggies are planned. I haven't decided exactly what I am going to plant yet.

[SvilleKid]

I'll be flipping the garden soil over in the next couple of days with the tractor. I'm looking very strongly at converting part of the area into an Asparagus bed, and a small area into a fresh herb garden. I had a herb garden in the past, but the oregano ended up taking everything over. This time I'll be careful about dividing the areas of the individual herbs.

I'll be checking the local co-op this weekend for seeds, plants and potatoes. With the weather being much warmer this winter, I am seriously thinking about jumping the Good Friday plant guideline by at least two weeks. Maybe three.

[mkarnold1]

I'll let you know when the ground thaws.:D

Man, if you want to have a garden in MN you got to start early. I got a dozen tomatoes started and ready to sprout. Looking at getting my bells, jalapenos, habaneros and chilis started soon. When I get the ground stirred up I put carrots, beans, onions, potatoes, and zuchini in. I also use planters to grow chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil.

[Jefft72]

We have some tomatoes, peppers (jalapeno, habanero, bells), beans, and cilantro started from seeds and ready to move to a bigger home. We just put about 30 strawberry plants into dirt this evening.

We have had success in small backyard gardens in the past mostly growing tomatoes, peppers and squashes. This year we want to try our hand at some hydroponic growing. Specifically some vertical solutions to pack more into the given space. I am only needing to find a solution to the problem of getting power to a submersible pump that will continuously pump nutrient rich water into the vertical growing system 24/7. There is one outdoor outlet in the backyard, but it would seem silly to run an extension cord across the yard, not to mention unsafe. I thought about burying conduit to run the extension cord through, which would seem like a decent compromise. The best solution of course would be to take a run from the box and have a gfci on the end sticking out of the ground and protected however necessary.

[mariogolbee]

I just got around to starting my seeds last night. The weather has varied from warm to cold, so I think I'll be okay. I do wish I would have started my seeds two weeks ago.

[Chainsaw13]

I have artichokes getting tall and raspberries coming up far and wide. Nothing new though. I have a big pile of compost to add first.

How long did it take you to establish the artichokes? I've read it takes a couple years for them to produce, is that right?

[BC-Axeman]

How long did it take you to establish the artichokes? I've read it takes a couple years for them to produce, is that right?
Not here. First year you get small ones, after that they get multiple stalks from each plant. You can divide them and really get a lot of 'chokes. Gophers and deer will wipe them right out. Mine are planted in boxes with a screen bottom. Every big 'choke you cut off gives you three or four smaller 'chokes further down.

[Chainsaw13]

Looks like I need to plant some this year. Love fresh grilled chokes with a squeeze of lemon.

[Ahbroody]

I just got around to starting my seeds last night. The weather has varied from warm to cold, so I think I'll be okay. I do wish I would have started my seeds two weeks ago.

Hoping this weekend. My wifes been on me.

[shilala]

I figure if I start the 1st of April, I'm good. I'd like to get flowers started sooner.
The boy is off school 3 weeks for spring break starting Saturday, so we should be able to get the plant stand set up along with the other umpteen million things that need done. :tu

[Mr B]

I would love to start early since we have been having such great weather (60's-70's) however, every time I have have tried to start early, some bad cold weather comes thru and either freezes or stunts the growth on my starters.
However this weather sure has me wanting to plant the veg.

[smitty81]

We have some tomatoes, peppers (jalapeno, habanero, bells), beans, and cilantro started from seeds and ready to move to a bigger home. We just put about 30 strawberry plants into dirt this evening.
We have had success in small backyard gardens in the past mostly growing tomatoes, peppers and squashes. This year we want to try our hand at some hydroponic growing. Specifically some vertical solutions to pack more into the given space. I am only needing to find a solution to the problem of getting power to a submersible pump that will continuously pump nutrient rich water into the vertical growing system 24/7. There is one outdoor outlet in the backyard, but it would seem silly to run an extension cord across the yard, not to mention unsafe. I thought about burying conduit to run the extension cord through, which would seem like a decent compromise. The best solution of course would be to take a run from the box and have a gfci on the end sticking out of the ground and protected however necessary.

We had strawberry plants for 3 years. It all started with 4 small plants. They grew in the snow and frost, Couldn't kill the damn things off. If you let them, they will grow everywhere and spread like a weed. It wouldnt have been so bad but we could never get any decent sized berries off them and they never produced much.

I hope you have better luck than we did.

I think I'm gonna grow some more tomatoes this year, always had good luck with them.

[SvilleKid]

Just a quick afternoon, but I got 17 tomato plants (5 varieties), 3 Bell pepper plants (no hot peppers this year, still have plenty in freezer from 2011), half a dozen broccoli plants. Potatoes and seed crops going in tomorrow.

[SvilleKid]

Woke up early this morning, couldn't go back to sleep. Nice outside, and rain was expected later in the day, so I went ahead and did some more gardening. I've now added new (red) potatoes, pink-eye purple-hull peas, butterpeas, rattlesnake green beans (just enough for fresh - I have plenty canned from 2011), cucumbers (for pickling), Squash, Zucchini, sweet corn (again, just enough for fresh - plenty still in freezer) and okra. I have some sweet potatoes to plant in next several days, but still have about 1/3 of space available. I need some ideas! NOT going to plant cabbage or lettuce (just not cost effective, and no good way to preserve). We don't care for turnip greens, mustard or Kale, and it's really too late to plant spinach. If I can find seeds, I might consider a mound of spaghetti squash. I'd love to plant multiplying (or bunching) onions, but I haven't found them locally anywhere in last 5 years. Bulb onions also not cost efficient (can buy cheaper than I can grow). If nothing else, I guess I can plant watermelon and cantaloupe. Those take up lots of room. Only problem, when they get ready, they get ready at same time, and no good way to preserve them. Will entertain suggestions.

[BC-Axeman]

Will entertain suggestions.
Stagger plant some corn every two weeks? That way you can have fresh off the stalk for a long time. I do this because every year we wait too long and miss the best picking time.

[smitty81]

If you like sweet potatoes what about some squash bro? good stuff

How about some eggplant too, awesome breaded and fryed

[SvilleKid]

If you like sweet potatoes what about some squash bro? good stuff

How about some eggplant too, awesome breaded and fryed

Got squash already planted. I enjoy eggplant, but I'm the only one, so it doesn't pay to grow something that I'm the only one eating! Although, I think I'll look for the japanese variety and plant a plant or two (my elderly mom really likes egg plant, and I found out this morning that she's not going to try gardening this year.

[smitty81]

Got squash already planted. I enjoy eggplant, but I'm the only one, so it doesn't pay to grow something that I'm the only one eating! Although, I think I'll look for the japanese variety and plant a plant or two (my elderly mom really likes egg plant, and I found out this morning that she's not going to try gardening this year.
good on you for thinking of your mom like that

[SvilleKid]

good on you for thinking of your mom like that

She really likes to use eggplant in lasagna. She will fry it occasionally, but uses it more in dishes as replacement for pasta. I bet if I bring her the eggplant, she will drop some of it back on me in the form of completed dishes!!!

[smitty81]

She really likes to use eggplant in lasagna. She will fry it occasionally, but uses it more in dishes as replacement for pasta. I bet if I bring her the eggplant, she will drop some of it back on me in the form of completed dishes!!!

More than likely.
Better drop off some stuff for a pie while your at it and see how that pans out...lol

[SvilleKid]

We don't seem to be getting much action in this thread, despite the fact that planting time is upon us! Should we go back to a "yearly" title thread??

In the mean time, I picked up some Rutgers tomato plants today, plus two types of watermelon seeds and some cantaloupe seeds. We've had rain for the last 20 hours or so, and the garden is too soft to walk into. However, I should be able to get the rest of the purchases planted tomorrow. That will also give me time to look further for eggplant plants. After that, who knows. Depends on the garden space I have left.

[BC-Axeman]

I can't wait to get back and start getting my garden together. The compost will be well done and ready to top off the boxes. My wife sprained her back so she has not been gardening. We never need half the stuff we grow, anyway.

[mkarnold1]

I picked up some asparagus seeds, never planted it before. Any tips?

[shilala]

I'm going to put the plant stand together tonight so we can get our seeds started.
If I don't, I risk falling way behind.

Cliff, staggering starting times is best for holding your plants back. Your growing season is longer, but if it gets too hot and dry, you might need some shadecloth or something to keep the melons from scorching.
The only thing I don't stagger is tomatoes and corn. I use different varieties that bear at different times. It seems to work a lot better because we have such a short season. If the corn kernels don't start well, it's all over. No second chances.

I'm with you on the "yearly thread thing", too. I tried talking Lance into it when he was making this thread but I was a second too late. :D

[Chainsaw13]

Cleaned up the planting beds, got all the weeds out. Now to get some more top spoil and manure and I'll be all set to plant next month. We've had such warm temps here it's tempting to plant now, but we're due for a spring frost at some point. Don't need to kill off the plants.

Redid my rain barrell, moving it to the other end of the garage, closer to the beds. I plan to fashion some type of automated watering system. Just need to start planning it out.

[mariogolbee]

Well, I planted seeds indoor for celery, oregano, basil, three types of tomatoes, jalepenos, habaneros, bellpeppers, tomatillos, and tobacco. After three weeks I have one celery, three tomato, one basil, two oregano, one tomatillo, and three tobacco (one of them is named Shilala). I see no signs of life from any of the chili based plants. I am both overjoyed and concerned over these results simultaneously. Perhaps it's the freak weather?

I'm looking to mends the earth in the backyard, somehow, before planting. After I do that, I will sew some other plants directly into the ground.

[Blak Smyth]

I greww mint and lavendar last year. Going to try my hand at a little tobacco this year.
Working on planting some Forsythia today.

[SvilleKid]

I picked up some asparagus seeds, never planted it before. Any tips?

I'd be interested in hearing how these do (seed form). I've only dealt with "crowns" when I've planted in the past. I'd assume the seeds would have a two year harvest restriction. With one year old crowns, you don't harvest the first year crop, and harvest only about half the second year spears. You can buy 2nd year crowns that are supposed to be harvest ready the first year. But I've heard, over a long time, 2nd year crowns yield less than planting first year crowns.

For seeds, I'd think you'd have a two,
probably three year wait for a good harvest.

[mariogolbee]

I greww mint and lavendar last year. Going to try my hand at a little tobacco this year.
Working on planting some Forsythia today.
Then you will have mint again this year. Mint sends shoots off everywhere and comes back like the living dead. It's a fitting plant for ZOTL's...

[SvilleKid]

Scott, I'm going to try a two week stagger on the melons. My main concern isn't the heat, it stem boring wasps that attack the squash and zucchini later in summer. I'm not sure how the melon vines will hold up. And with the lack of an extended hard freeze this past winter, we already are swamped with gnats, skeeters and other flying pests. I'm afraid I'm I'm for a much heavier workload this garden, just keeping the pests at bay!

Regardless, I planted the Rutgers tomatoes, squash, sweet taters, cantaloupes and watermelon this morning. I left room to plans 3-4 mounds of watermelons in two weeks. I'm still planning on eggplant if I find a flat of starter plants.

[SvilleKid]

Then you will have mint again this year. Mint sends shoots off everywhere and comes back like the living dead. It's a fitting plant for ZOTL's...

You got that right!!!!!! Not as bad as ivy or kudzu, but it will survive even a shot to the head :)

[Chainsaw13]

Oh god don't remind me about mint. Made that mistake. I think I finally got the last bit killed last summer.

[jjirons69]

Just got to grow mint the correct way - in it's own raised bed.

We've had such a mild winter here in the South, I figured to go ahead and start my garden. I usually wait until my birthday, which is 4/9. That and the fact Lowe's had all veggie plants 50% this weekend (ready to go for $16). That was a deal hard to pass up. It was overcast all day and even drizzled on me for a hour or more during my prep and planting. I got 4 Celebrity tomatoes, 4 Big Boy tomatoes, 4 cups of bush cucumber (which I've never grown - not messing with the trellis this year), 45 sets of lettuce, 4 bells, 4 jalapenos, and a pack of radishes for the kids. Still using the shredded leaf mulch from this winter as a ground cover. It works well. I also still have 50-70 large green onions from this winter. We've been eating them pretty steadily and they should be gone soon. Plus, my mojito mint garden is back in full production, They're choking out the chives.

5 rows of 9 plants of red sails, butter bibb, and romaine lettuce.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050183.jpg

Cukes and tomatoes near onions.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050184.jpg

Peppers planted in second onion patch. Radishes are planted in the square in the middle of the garden

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050185.jpg

Mint and chives bed

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050186.jpg

[thebayratt]

I got two types of Cucmbers up. A bush type for pickling and a vine type for the gf to eat in salads and such.
Then some bush style green beens. I find them easier to grow, needing no poles or lines to set for them to grow up.
Also I have some yellow onions comming up along with some Yukon Gold Potatoes.
I have a few feet of carrots comming up as well. I don't care for them much, but the 1yr old loves them for some reason!
Then I have a line of asparagus. I haven't quite figured out how or when to harvest them. So right now they are nothing but an ornamental plant.

And last but not least, I have three different strains of Tobacco in seedling form. I may have over watered them some, because a few are dying off. I have replanted a few to see if I can recoop my losses on them.

All of the plants, I have staggered the planting of the seeds. Then, I don't have one big run of harvesting to do. So I have a run of one row of plants producing, then after I pick them, the next row will be producing a few weeks afterwards.

[shilala]

Scott, I'm going to try a two week stagger on the melons. My main concern isn't the heat, it stem boring wasps that attack the squash and zucchini later in summer. I'm not sure how the melon vines will hold up. And with the lack of an extended hard freeze this past winter, we already are swamped with gnats, skeeters and other flying pests. I'm afraid I'm I'm for a much heavier workload this garden, just keeping the pests at bay!

Regardless, I planted the Rutgers tomatoes, squash, sweet taters, cantaloupes and watermelon this morning. I left room to plans 3-4 mounds of watermelons in two weeks. I'm still planning on eggplant if I find a flat of starter plants.
Cliff, I have a mosquito zapper machine that kills all sorts of flying critters that invade the garden. It works incredibly well. I'll try to find a link...
Here it is. (http://www.megacatch.com/premier-xc.html)
It's a Mega-Catch. It helps to stop the cycle by whacking parents before they lay eggs.
Aside from that, Liquid Sevin works charms. I mix it 1/4 strength and use the backpack sprayer. I do it every other week or as needed, as minimally as possible. It's as decent a pest control system as I've ever used and it's very safe.
You absolutely MUST be proactive to control bugs. Once they have a foothold, you're out of luck. Same goes with fungus. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You already called it, too. This year is going to be sheer hell. Without a proactive plan in place, it'll all be over before I get started.

[shilala]

I don't know if I offered yet, but if anyone wants to try their hand at planting some tobacco, drop me a pm with your address.
I have an open-pollinated strain that should do really well most anywhere. It's a gorgeous plant that yields tons of beautiful flowers. It's worth taking a shot just for the experience. I don't cure the tobacco, I have no desire. It'd be good stuff if someone wanted to go that way, though.

[BC-Axeman]

Heck, we're still getting frost warnings. Very little full sun. It just stopped after a month of raining, still more to go. I'm in China. Not much gardening getting done at my house.

[Chainsaw13]

We got enough rain Friday to fill my rain barrel. That's off one half of a tiny garage. I'm beginning to wonder if i'll be able to plant anything this summer. Supposed to be on the road most of April and May.

[SvilleKid]

Cliff, I have a mosquito zapper machine that kills all sorts of flying critters that invade the garden. It works incredibly well. I'll try to find a link...
Here it is. (http://www.megacatch.com/premier-xc.html)
It's a Mega-Catch. It helps to stop the cycle by whacking parents before they lay eggs.
Aside from that, Liquid Sevin works charms. I mix it 1/4 strength and use the backpack sprayer. I do it every other week or as needed, as minimally as possible. It's as decent a pest control system as I've ever used and it's very safe.
You absolutely MUST be proactive to control bugs. Once they have a foothold, you're out of luck. Same goes with fungus. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You already called it, too. This year is going to be sheer hell. Without a proactive plan in place, it'll all be over before I get started.

Thanks for the link, Scott. Sevin has been one of my "go-to" sprays in the past. I used to use the powder, but never could get good coverage. Tomatoes, last year, had aphid issues, and I had trouble finding just plain old "soap" insecticide, so I made my own with soapy, greasy dishwater. That seemed to do better than other store-brought items. I have to admit that squash and zucchini vines are my Achilles heel. I just cannot seem to keep them sprayed enough to avoid the stupid wasps and their off-spring worms. I had less issue last year with wasps stings on my peas, but that is also an issue. And I don't know if Sevin will even effect these wasps, since they basically contact the vines/pods with their stinger areas.

The zapper may be worth a look, but at the prices quoted, i can buy lots of Sevin! Probably going to live through it and adjust my insecticides as needed.

[BC-Axeman]

I was able to go last year with just Azitrol, a natural arthropod growth inhibitor. It also keeps eggs from hatching. The problem with wasps is that they get by any surface treatment. Maybe there's a repellent.

[shilala]

I put our stand together for starting plants. Weeze and I went to Target and found the right bowls for starting seeds, they fit perfect in flats.
I'm going to get those ready in a bit and plant all our seeds tonight. :tu

[jjirons69]

No matter what I've tried, the squash vine borers will not allow me to have squash much past late May. My mom and dad grow squash until the plants kill themselves with growth. Not fair at all. I'm lucky to get 2 or 3 pickings before wilt and death take over. Then the cuke worms come in the middle of summer. They will bore 10 holes or more in my cukes and make them inedible. Sure you could eat the fruit, worms and all, as they will taste like cukes, but it's a hard thing to do. I have to spray the small fruit and plants every few days if I'm able to have cukes. That's why I'm trying a bush variety this year. The trellis may make the opportunity more enticing for the little bastiges, so I'm going out-of-sight-out-of-mind this year. The skeeters and gnats are already out in force, so I can only imagine the onslaught this summer.

[Chainsaw13]

The only bug I've had issues with are flys. They eat my tomatoes if I leave them on the vine too long.

[OLS]

I would love to start early since we have been having such great weather (60's-70's) however, every time I have have tried to start early, some bad cold weather comes thru and either freezes or stunts the growth on my starters.
However this weather sure has me wanting to plant the veg.

The county agent does a show here on public TV and he got a letter about
doing some 'what the hell' plantings since it is clear winter is not coming back
in in 2012. But the group of em laughed and said, "I wouldn't". But I think the
planters get the last laugh this year. It is 88 today in the midsouth, and I will
eat my HAT if it freezes again.

[OLS]

The skeeters and gnats are already out in force, so I can only imagine the onslaught this summer.
This is gonna be Bugmageddon this year, you can bet. I can tell you what the wine grape guys do, they get
jackson's chameleons and turn em loose in the vineyards. But they can't be everywhere, and once a wasp
gets that ovipositor in your vine, that's pretty much that, I guess. haven't gardened in decades, but I know
you guys are not fighting SHADOWS. Lizards and geckos and such is what you need, my boy. Get some
coon-a$$ friend or Florida pal to send you some Anoles.

[shilala]

I don't know my southern wasps because I've never lived down there, but up here we have the curicallo wasp. It lays it's eggs on the stamen of a fruit tree flower petal.
To kill those bastages, I always sprayed dormant oil at petal fall. It was a very short window that had to be hit, or no fruit. (Unless you like work-riddled fruit.)
There's not a bug in the world that a proactive plan won't take care of, or at least mitigate. Being it's gonna be Bugmageddon, I already started the mega-catch. It whacks all kinds of stuff besides mosquitos, and I can put whatever I want in the water dish to draw more bugs. Anything it takes to make a dent, ya know?
If it takes dusting all the vines with Diatomaceous Earth, I'd do that, too. If I have to spray vines with dormant oil, I'd do that.
Sometimes we can't just attack one part of the bug's life cycle, we might have to attack it at adult, larvae, and egg. I do whatever it takes.
I have a whole new biosphere of bugs here in Ohio, including tomato hornworms. Last year was "learn what you're dealing with" year. This year I already have a proactive plan in place to make sure I don't get destroyed, especially being as the bugs are going to be off the map crazy.
I'm going to plant a real garden and a lot more different plants, as well. Fortunately I took time to check out the critters in everyone else's gardens last year. :)

[shilala]

Here's the grow-out stand. It has 6 fixtures, four different spectrums of bulbs on each level, and can handle 12 flats. It's all ready for Weeze to plant seed this evening, I even filled the starter trays.
I'm going to grow some tobacco and get back to work on my purple sunflowers. I found some 2004 seed for my purple sunflowers, so I'll only lose a few year's work. I'm super excited about seeing them again this year. :)

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/e99a71dd.jpg

[Blak Smyth]

Then you will have mint again this year. Mint sends shoots off everywhere and comes back like the living dead. It's a fitting plant for ZOTL's...

Yah I have had it for two years now, I have almost all of it gone finally.
I laid down fabric, luckily it was in a planter bed surrounded by concrete.

[wayner123]

Well my garden (SFG) is doing well so far. I went ahead and started the bell peppers in cups and hope to have some ready for transplant in a couple weeks.

You guys have me concerned with all the bug talk. Here in FL we have a ton of bugs. And most of them I have never seen till I started gardening. On top of the bugs, we also have the killer heat. I am already getting some leaf curl from it.

I have used the product 'Garden Safe' for a while now and it has killed everything I hit with it. Reapplication is around 2 weeks. I hope it still works this growing season.

[SvilleKid]

Well my garden (SFG) is doing well so far. I went ahead and started the bell peppers in cups and hope to have some ready for transplant in a couple weeks.

You guys have me concerned with all the bug talk. Here in FL we have a ton of bugs. And most of them I have never seen till I started gardening. On top of the bugs, we also have the killer heat. I am already getting some leaf curl from it.

I have used the product 'Garden Safe' for a while now and it has killed everything I hit with it. Reapplication is around 2 weeks. I hope it still works this growing season.

I'll keep an eye out for this "Garden Safe" of which thou speak!!!

[shilala]

I had the sprinkler guy here tonight, we moved my fertizer injector out of the basement to a vault outside. I also picked up about three months worth of liquid fertilizer that'll take care of the lawn, garden, and flower beds. I can dump sevin and fungicide in the tank and do the whole property. It's sure gonna take the work out of this stuff. :)

[wayner123]

I'll keep an eye out for this "Garden Safe" of which thou speak!!!

They sell it at Lowes in a small spray bottle, but you can get a similar product which has the active ingredient Pyrethrin at most pest control places or online. I didn't think such a weak organic chemical could kill some of the pests I sprayed it on, but it did. It's also harvest day safe.

http://www.gardensafe.com/Products-and-Solutions/Insecticide/Multi-Purpose-Garden-Insect-Killer.aspx

[shilala]

Did you guys know Pyrethrin comes from Chrysanthemums? They still derive it from the seed cases. You'd think they'd be able to synthesize it by now, but they can't.

[BC-Axeman]

Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid. It doesn't break down as rapidly. I use it in mixture with sevin or diazinon to control scale and mealy bugs in the greenhouse. I take houseplants outside, spray them down soaking and leave them out for a day to get rid of pests on them.

[shilala]

Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid. It doesn't break down as rapidly. I use it in mixture with sevin or diazinon to control scale and mealy bugs in the greenhouse. I take houseplants outside, spray them down soaking and leave them out for a day to get rid of pests on them.
I've had damn near zero luck with it, I used to use it and then I'd go right to malathion (neither of which I've used for years now). The only thing I can do with scale is to suffocate it with oil or soap. Can you expand on brand, how much you use per gallon, etc., Lance?
It'd sure make my life easier if I can get it to work for me. :tu

[Jasonw560]

My FIL has enough veggies growing for all of us. We'll be tilling our garden and probably just do some perennials. The wife wants some jasmine on our columns. If I had my druthers, I'd put in a trellis and try my hand at some berries. May do the herbs again.

[shilala]

Blackberries or Rasberries, Jason?

[BC-Axeman]

I've had damn near zero luck with it, I used to use it and then I'd go right to malathion (neither of which I've used for years now). The only thing I can do with scale is to suffocate it with oil or soap. Can you expand on brand, how much you use per gallon, etc., Lance?
It'd sure make my life easier if I can get it to work for me. :tu
I just look for it in the ingredients of whatever. I use two different types of insecticide so if any buggers survive the one mechanism the other takes them out. Scale require a complete saturation of the plant and soil. Some plants seem to be more prone to attack. Those plants are invited to try to survive outside. ;)
I usually double what the instructions say for ornamentals. I only use Neem and soap on the veggies. Last year I got some weird beetles on the beets that I dusted with Sevin to make them go away. But that was a one time spot occurrence.
There are a lot of frogs and lizards and such in and around the greenhouse, so I take everything out, spray it all outside, clean the greenhouse out really well and put it all back. This is a two day job but seems to work.

[shilala]

I never had a scale problem in PA, but it was because I always sprayed all the fruit trees with dormant oil. I had a couple citrus trees that I grew inside, and when I took them outside they got covered. I fought with them until they ultimately succumbed.
I'll keep your instructions in mind just in case it becomes a problem here.
Thanks, brother!!! :tu

[shilala]

Weeze and I got the seeds planted last night, finally. We're on our way for real!!! :tu

[Jasonw560]

Blackberries or Rasberries, Jason?

Not sure yet. Have to see which grow best in warm weather. Probably raspberries.

[jjirons69]

Trying to clear out all those onions. I've been giving them away at work. About 50 more left. I can't believe how fast those radishes grow. I've got 3 more packs to stagger over the next few weeks. I've got a pound of ammonium nitrate and I'm betting it will go a long way into growing some awesome lettuce. So far so good on the garden.

[BC-Axeman]

I may start next weekend. We still have another round of winter storms coming this week.

[SvilleKid]

I'll have to hold my breath a little next week. General cooling trend, with a possibility of frost one night. Predicted temps keep rising slightly, and frost risk lessened, but still there. And everything will be up and advanced if it happens. I'll just keep an eye on the forecast, and decide how to deal with it, if a frost seems probable.

As it is, everything is up and growing....... Except the cucumbers and squash. Zucchini hill has two plants up, but others are cubes and squash are still MIA. If nothing breaks ground by time possible frost is past, I'll go with some plant sets for these.

[wayner123]

Well... I thought I would be alright from pests this year, but I forgot one of the bigger ones. It seems my soybeans have been taken out by a rabbit. Oh well, it only puts me 2 weeks behind schedule. But it does mean I need to put some fencing up now.

[shilala]

The broccoli I started is hitting the lid in the starting tray already. I guess I need to transplant. Yay. :)

[Jasonw560]

The broccoli I started is hitting the lid in the starting tray already. I guess I need to transplant. Yay. :)

:tu

[BC-Axeman]

I still haven't planted anything but I got out there today and worked. I pulled the latest weed crop and added compost to three of the nine boxes. The raspberries are taking over the box they are in so I will move the strawberries and let them have that box to themselves. I'm sure glad they are in a box. Potatoes are coming up in the potato box, of course. We will add more. The artichokes are starting to flower their first crop of the year. Everything in all the different areas around my house is starting to demand attention. The work is ramping up. Ow, my back.

[jjirons69]

Here's some pictures from this morning. My daughter and I picked a giant bowl of lettuce for supper. It was awesome! The radishes will be ready in another 1.5 weeks. I just planted another plot between the peppers this weekend. Everything is coming along well. The lettuce is really kicking right now. You could probably hear it growing.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050187.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050188.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050191.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050193.jpg

[BC-Axeman]

Hi Jamie! Looks delicious. Is the rebar stuff new this year? I may adapt something like that.

[jjirons69]

Rebar is in my blood! My dad managed many construction sites in his career and he has stockpiles of #3 to #11 rebar all shapes and lengths. I use it in my garden and anywhere else I can. It's handy stuff and works great in the garden. It's #3 and 4 and straight, L and U-shaped. Great for securing tomato cages and trellises, too. Plus the rust gives the plants the iron they love. Other plus, it'll last a lifetime. Check around construction sites - they usually have lots of excess and scraps.

[jjirons69]

25 days in and the lettuce comes up tomorrow, all but the Romaine. I'll keep a few heads to eat (I've already ate a truckload of leaf pickings) and I'll take the rest to work for several of my employees that I usually dump extra veggies on. I'm really impressed all 45 plants lived and matured. The radishes are maturing and the second crop is coming in. The peppers, cukes, and tomatoes are also doing fine. Trying to think about what I'll plant in place of the lettuce. Probably cherry tomatoes as my wife and kids eat them like candy. Here's a 4/1 picture and here's a few from this evening.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050185.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050233.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050231.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050232.jpg

[BC-Axeman]

I'm so late. Now I'm going camping in the Sierras this weekend. I should be planting by May. Not that we've been getting any good growing weather. I'm wondering if I should even bother with tomatoes and squash.

Nice lettuce, Jamie. Do you have a Farmer's Market there? Those tomatoes look like monsters.

[jjirons69]

Nice lettuce, Jamie. Do you have a Farmer's Market there? Those tomatoes look like monsters.

We do have Farmer's Markets. I've hardly been to any. With my mom/dad's garden and my humble plot, we hardly ever want for fresh veggies. All my over-growth (and my dad's) go to friends, family, and co-workers. It's funny how a bag of lettuce or green beans puts a special smile on someone's face.

[hammondc]

Any of you guys grow any herbs? I want to grow some basil and maybe some rosemary. Looking for some tips

[jjirons69]

Full sun 6-8 hours, good drainage, just plant and enjoy.

Rosemary is a perennial. Plant it somewhere it can grow big, as it will with care.

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/herbs/ne208hrb.htm

http://www.savvygardener.com/Features/herbs.html

[shilala]

Jamie is right on the ball, Chip. I've grown my herbs where nothing else will grow because the drainage was so poor. They didn't care.
Take that with a grain of salt, though. Some herbaceous material can tolerate just about anything, others need good husbandry. I can think of a lot that can grow in a mud puddle, though. :)

[shilala]

I got Lisa's flower bed planted full of wildflowers a couple weeks ago and they're all coming up great. It should be quite a display once I work in the osteospermum and impatiens and cosmos and tobacco and whatever else we started downstairs. It'll look like a unicorn threw up a rainbow. I usually don't like that kind of thing, but I'm looking forward to it :)
Our plants in the plant starting stand are in dire need of transplanting. I have the flats full of dirt and ready for transplanting, I just need to drag the woman down there and get it done.

[jjirons69]

I have the flats full of dirt and ready for transplanting, I just need to drag the woman down there and get it done.

Good luck with that.

http://assets2.wordansassets.com/wordansfiles/images/2012/2/13/125070/125070_340.jpg?1329191550

[SvilleKid]

I had to break out sprinklers today for first time. All that early rain I had last year is MIA this year (so far).

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/eba485ae.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/cb6f22cf.jpg

[mmblz]

Third night in a row it's down to 22 here, and everything has started growing already. Christmas tree lights and trash bags over the Peonies, some of which already have buds. Hopefully everything else will be hardy enough. A few daffodils might not be too lucky.

[Jasonw560]

Any of you guys grow any herbs? I want to grow some basil and maybe some rosemary. Looking for some tips

We bought one of those half whiskey barrels and planted them in there. Partial sun. Did well.

DO NOT plant cilantro with them. It will take over quick.

[BC-Axeman]

We used to have cilantro come up yearly but it has been MIA since I went to boxes. Fresh parsley is garden candy.
I have to get a picture of my raspberries. It was one little plant last year and now it's a whole 4x6 box.

[jjirons69]

http://blog.locustfork.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/poison_ivy3.jpg

Nope, I didn't plant it. And nope, I can't be around it. The bane of us highly sensitive gardeners. Poison Ivy. This sh$t has pestered me since I can remember being on this planet. I'm weed eating Saturday under a large palmetto with leaves drooped to the ground, just slinging weed debris everywhere. Then I see it...two feet high growing next to the trunk, so I backed out. Didn't want any part of it. I figured I'd spray it on the next lap around the property with Round Up. By yesterday afternoon, I have several patches coming to life, with a big patch under my bicep on my right arm. That means I have about another week of "guess where the next patch comes out." I truly despise this plant, above all others, in the flora kingdom. To boot, it's under my watch band.

[Blak Smyth]

http://blog.locustfork.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/poison_ivy3.jpg

Nope, I didn't plant it. And nope, I can't be around it. The bane of us highly sensitive gardeners. Poison Ivy. This sh$t has pestered me since I can remember being on this planet. I'm weed eating Saturday under a large palmetto with leaves drooped to the ground, just slinging weed debris everywhere. Then I see it...two feet high growing next to the trunk, so I backed out. Didn't want any part of it. I figured I'd spray it on the next lap around the property with Round Up. By yesterday afternoon, I have several patches coming to life, with a big patch under my bicep on my right arm. That means I have about another week of "guess where the next patch comes out." I truly despise this plant, above all others, in the flora kingdom. To boot, it's under my watch band.

Before I moved to PA, I had never really seen any poison. I was weed wacking once with shorts on and I must have really done a number on some poison, my legs prolly got sprayed with the juice as I chopped them. Felt like I was gonna loose my legs. It was soo gross after a day or two.

[Salvelinus]

http://blog.locustfork.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/poison_ivy3.jpg

Nope, I didn't plant it. And nope, I can't be around it. The bane of us highly sensitive gardeners. Poison Ivy. This sh$t has pestered me since I can remember being on this planet. I'm weed eating Saturday under a large palmetto with leaves drooped to the ground, just slinging weed debris everywhere. Then I see it...two feet high growing next to the trunk, so I backed out. Didn't want any part of it. I figured I'd spray it on the next lap around the property with Round Up. By yesterday afternoon, I have several patches coming to life, with a big patch under my bicep on my right arm. That means I have about another week of "guess where the next patch comes out." I truly despise this plant, above all others, in the flora kingdom. To boot, it's under my watch band.

I've not worn shorts yet this summer and yet I have a large patch on the back of my thigh already. The stuff is the bane of my summer existence. I have to think April is the earliest I've gotten it though...

[SvilleKid]

http://blog.locustfork.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/poison_ivy3.jpg

Nope, I didn't plant it. And nope, I can't be around it. The bane of us highly sensitive gardeners. Poison Ivy. This sh$t has pestered me since I can remember being on this planet. I'm weed eating Saturday under a large palmetto with leaves drooped to the ground, just slinging weed debris everywhere. Then I see it...two feet high growing next to the trunk, so I backed out. Didn't want any part of it. I figured I'd spray it on the next lap around the property with Round Up. By yesterday afternoon, I have several patches coming to life, with a big patch under my bicep on my right arm. That means I have about another week of "guess where the next patch comes out." I truly despise this plant, above all others, in the flora kingdom. To boot, it's under my watch band.

Definitely sounds like you need a good day of Round-up spraying! I read somewhere that they now have a vaccine for Poison Oak/Ivy. Have you tried that?

[jjirons69]

Cliff, I was reading about that. It still seems pretty new. Most write ups were from early April of this year. If it's real, I say give the inventor his billion and early retirement. I'll line up for the crazy kool aid. I was reading were people self-vaccinate by eating young leaves. Are the f'in crazy?? It would surely kill me. Also read where Round Up is only moderately effective. Thinking about painting the 36% concentrate on the leaves with a brush. I found several patches of it this afternoon when I got home.
I've swabbed down with vinegar twice since supper. It works a little better than nothing. There's also a new spot on my knee and on my ankle. I have some prescription triamcinolone from a few years ago and it slows down the itch. Hopefully I can stay on top of it and keep it manageable.
Eat it, my azz!!

[SvilleKid]

Cliff, I was reading about that. It still seems pretty new. Most write ups were from early April of this year. If it's real, I say give the inventor his billion and early retirement. I'll line up for the crazy kool aid. I was reading were people self-vaccinate by eating young leaves. Are the f'in crazy?? It would surely kill me. Also read where Round Up is only moderately effective. Thinking about painting the 36% concentrate on the leaves with a brush. I found several patches of it this afternoon when I got home.
I've swabbed down with vinegar twice since supper. It works a little better than nothing. There's also a new spot on my knee and on my ankle. I have some prescription triamcinolone from a few years ago and it slows down the itch. Hopefully I can stay on top of it and keep it manageable.
Eat it, my azz!!

I know personally that you can get immunity from it! My immunity (98%) comes from rolling around in a patch while fighting when I was in the 6th grade. I had it so bad I was outta school for a week and half, and had to take baths in medicine every night! After that episode, I (apparently) developed immunity. For 30 years, I could rub it all over me, and never get a bump. Now, I get into it, I get one or two bumps in one or two places. Maybe every 5 years, I get twice that much. Since immunity is apparently possible naturally, I have to assume it works on the vaccine. Everything I've seen indicates it works for most people! Maybe it would work for you. However, if I was you, and had your level of allergy to it, I'd be leery of any vaccine without strong research!!! Hope you get over your current bout quickly!

[BC-Axeman]

I know personally that you can get immunity from it! My immunity (98%) comes from rolling around in a patch while fighting when I was in the 6th grade. I had it so bad I was outta school for a week and half, and had to take baths in medicine every night! After that episode, I (apparently) developed immunity. For 30 years, I could rub it all over me, and never get a bump. Now, I get into it, I get one or two bumps in one or two places. Maybe every 5 years, I get twice that much. Since immunity is apparently possible naturally, I have to assume it works on the vaccine. Everything I've seen indicates it works for most people! Maybe it would work for you. However, if I was you, and had your level of allergy to it, I'd be leery of any vaccine without strong research!!! Hope you get over your current bout quickly!
Some people get MORE sensitive with each exposure.
I'm like you, I pick it by hand. As long as I wash up well after and I'm careful where I touch.
Bleach was what I used on the rash when I got it. Benadryl internally and cortisone topically works great. I think there is a cream ointment of those two drugs. Cortadryl or Bensidrone or something.

[Pseudosacred]

Fortunately, I'm completely immune to it. 2 years ago when we were camping, I figured I would test it. I rubbed the leaves all over my arms, even mushing it up and getting the juice on me. Nothing.

I'm pretty fortunate, I guess. Some people get crazy breakouts

[SvilleKid]

Fortunately, I'm completely immune to it. 2 years ago when we were camping, I figured I would test it. I rubbed the leaves all over my arms, even mushing it up and getting the juice on me. Nothing.

I'm pretty fortunate, I guess. Some people get crazy breakouts

No doubt about that. My dad could get 20 feet away and get the rash! Most of my brothers and sisters are somewhere between him and me.

[hammondc]

ok, so how well do herbs tolerate the heat? It gets hot here will be 90+ for the next 3 or 4 months. Not really a way to get full sunlight inside.

[BC-Axeman]

Rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and a bunch others are from hot climates.
Basil will bolt, bloom and die back, but you can keep it pinched.
Most love the heat.

[jjirons69]

Herbs do well with moderate heat. High heat and humidity stifles any plant, as respiration increases. Keep the soil well-mulched and keep the soil moist. There may be some wilting in the heat of the day, but they will spring back. Morning sun, afternoon shade will probably be more beneficial.

[SvilleKid]

Herbs do well with moderate heat. High heat and humidity stifles any plant, as respiration increases. Keep the soil well-mulched and keep the soil moist. There may be some wilting in the heat of the day, but they will spring back. Morning sun, afternoon shade will probably be more beneficial.

About all I would add to this is try to do your watering in the mornings so the moisture will dry off the leaves before nightfall (also good advise for tomatoes and peppers).

[shilala]

You guys live in heatland. How you plant there is beyond me. Last year was so dry when I went through VA that I was afraid one spark would take the whole state in a flash fire. I've never seen anything like it in my life, and we've had years of drought on end.
It's that "coupled with intense heat" thing that really makes things tough.
Growing herbs here is like growing weeds, literally. Plant them once and you never have to do it again. I always put them in thinking I'll use them in my sauce, but I never do. Weeze cooks with them, so it's nice to have them around nowadays.

[BC-Axeman]

We used to have long hot dry summers here. It's been three years since that happened. Most herbs are from the Mediterranean area, which is the same type of climate I'm supposed to have here. I use rosemary as a landscape shrub, thyme, sage, oregano and marjoram as border plantings. Deer and gophers don't eat them and they require almost no care. Mint grows wild. Dill, cilantro, parsley, basil, chives, other annuals go in the garden. Dill reseeds everywhere, cilantro used to. Fresh herbs are the best.

[hammondc]

Sweet. I shall plant herbs this weekend.

[jjirons69]

That wicked vine has me itching from fingertips to armpits. Arggg!!

[SvilleKid]

Rained day and a half ago. Garden went crazy! Corn doubled in height, all vine plants putting out runners like crazy. Weeds having a field day! I spent almost three hours tilling areas between watermelons, cantaloupe and sweet potatoes to turn weeds under. Rain expected again in two to four hours. So, some of grass will re-root, but I'll still be way ahead of them!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/813c10c3.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/94ff8340.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/6ab5a6e3.jpg

[jjirons69]

Looking good, Cliff! When you get enough, send some of the liquid sunshine our way. I can't remember the last rain.

On a side note, I stayed on top of that poison ivy with my creams. It's all but gone. I sprayed every leaf I could find this weekend with some double-strength Round Up.

[Jasonw560]

Sweet. I shall plant herbs this weekend.

And they shall do good. Very good soil up there. Our plants always did good, once we got the limestone taken care of.

[SvilleKid]

Looking good, Cliff! When you get enough, send some of the liquid sunshine our way. I can't remember the last rain.

On a side note, I stayed on top of that poison ivy with my creams. It's all but gone. I sprayed every leaf I could find this weekend with some double-strength Round Up.

LOL. I'll see if I can bottle some of the rain! Congrats on kicking the Ivy's arse!! BTW, Ace Hardware has a weed killer that has the same active ingredient as Round-up, at half the cost (on the concentrate). I have some left, but it's out in the workshop, and rain just started falling. If you have an Ace nearby, I'd recommend it. It is a stronger mixture, and works faster and better than Round-up, IMO. As soon as I know I have a good 48 hours of sunshine coming, I will go thru about 6 gallons (mixed) of the killer around the house, barn, fence and yard areas. That should take care of the need to weed-eat for several months!!

[jjirons69]

I got the big bottle of super concentrate from Costco a couple of years ago. Still have 1/2 left. I believe the recipe calls for 2 oz per gallon. "Calls for" is the key word, especially when ivy is involved. I don't use it much on other stuff. Weed-eating is my favorite outdoor chore.

Is that a horse or cow in the background of your last picture?

[SvilleKid]

I got the big bottle of super concentrate from Costco a couple of years ago. Still have 1/2 left. I believe the recipe calls for 2 oz per gallon. "Calls for" is the key word, especially when ivy is involved. I don't use it much on other stuff. Weed-eating is my favorite outdoor chore.

Is that a horse or cow in the background of your last picture?

Horse(s). They belong to my neighbor. I used to have a couple of Quarter Horses, but they have both passed on (each was around 28 years old when they died).

[SvilleKid]

Some photos of veggies and fruits developing. I'm thinking I'll have fresh squash this weekend!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/ec77f84f.jpg

Corn is already tasseling, and approaching 6 feet tall:
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/41f0c8f8.jpg

Lots of tomatoes set, including the Better Boys and the Grape Romas:
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/9f172004.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/c9c87441.jpg

And Broccoli heads finally starting to materialize:
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/b9065dde.jpg

[SvilleKid]

Then, there's the fruits - Blueberries, Blackberries, Figs. Mulberry trees have a decent crop, but it was too dark beneath covers to get a decent photo:

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/68d45b85.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/cdd05de0.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/0d372fdf.jpg

[jjirons69]

Sweet!

We got an inch of rain this afternoon. We were dry, dry, dry! Grass is growing as I type.

[SvilleKid]

Arrrrrggggg!!! How many rocks can my garden grow???? No mater how many I throw out of garden, there's always more waiting. And I'm not even gardening in a rocky soil!!

[jjirons69]

My dad has at least an acre planted, all times of the year. Always has. It used to work me pretty good growing up. He gives away more than we eat. My mom is a chronic canner/jarrer, too. Now that I have kids, it's great getting them out there picking garden peas, picking up plowed potatoes, and all the other "fun" stuff gardens present. I've been trying to get him to plant peanuts for many years, as we all love boiled peanuts and I remember us growing them when I was a kid. Problem was, we never had good crop of nuts for various reasons. Finally he buys into it this year, only to find there's a shortage of Valencia peanuts due to the drought issues last year. Luckily I searched around and found him a 50 lb bag on line, $150 delivered. He now has enough to share with three of my uncles, who also were having problems finding nuts. He has sandy, well-draining soil, so I'm making sure we have an initial dose of potassium-rich fertilizer and a good dose of gypsum when they set flowers. We're going to crush them this year. It's gonna be a great 'I told you so' situation, plus it's good for the kids to see where those tasty boiled peanuts come from.

[shilala]

I'm finally putting my real garden in. It's a wonderful day. :D
Now I can learn all about killing Ohio bugs and how to grow plants in clay.

[BC-Axeman]

Just about finished planting. Next is water and support. I'm still watering by hand.

[Trace63]

I got started really late this year, but so far I have about 10 rhizomes of hops down, various mints, brocolli, and lettuce. Planning to add in some tomatoes, various hot peppers, chives, rosemary, and perhaps Ill try my hand at red beans

[Mr B]

Just about finished planting. Next is water and support. I'm still watering by hand.



I'm in the same boat Lance. I got everyting in, I just need to re-do my drip system.
Pics to follow.

[SvilleKid]

I've been holed-up in house last couple of days with a wicked head cold. I went out this afternoon after the sun was behind trees. Good thing! The broccoli has gone from 3 inches wide to that shown below in about three days! The corn has gone from tassels shrouded with stalk to full-blown, and ears are popping out and silking all over the patch! That's a 9 inch plate the broccoli is on. There are another half dozen heads that will be this size by Monday.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/af640c83.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/29b7cda5.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/ee278aa1.jpg

[BC-Axeman]

Mmmmmmm:dr
Nice broccoli!

[Jasonw560]

That broccoli looks fantastic! The corn's coming along nicely, as well.

[Mr B]

These are from a few weeks back, so things are about twice this size now.. We had a cold wet spring so things got in the ground late this year. A few more things were added after these pics.
In the raised bed is:
(1) Super Fantastic Tomato
(2) Lemon Boy Toms
(1) Marglobe Tom
(2) Early Girl Toms
(1) Sweet 100 Tom
(3) Jalapenos
(3) Mucho Nacho Jalapenos
(3) Mamoth Jalapenos
(3) Yellow Bells
(8) Green Bells
(2) Poblano/Ancho Peppers
(1) Serano Pepper (not picutred)
(1) Habanero Pepper
(2) Boston Pickeling Cucs

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef070687bb30100000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/


http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef070b84bb35900000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/


http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef0703dec721400000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[Mr B]

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef071a99e526000000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/


http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef0712b2cd3a300000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[Mr B]

Yellow Cherry Tom and more Early Girls
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef0704c21b34900000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

Fresno Peppers and another Habanero
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef0716ab4938300000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

Babcock White Peach
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef0713f44d3c100000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

Elephant Heart Red Plum
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef0702b22f3e100000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[Mr B]

Rose - Peace

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef0712431932100000030O11AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D1/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

Rose - Chicago Peace

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef071fe76930b00000030O11AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D1/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

Rose - All American Beauty

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2db39b3127ccef070a001b31f00000030O01AaM2TVm1ZsQ e3nwo/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[shilala]

You guy's gardens look fabulous. I actually shouldn't plant till after the 4th of June (full moon), but we have sprinklers, so if we get a frost I can knock it off the plants by running it manually.
Lisa and I ran out and got a half dozen bags of composted cow poop and all our plants, the garden will be going in this evening. It's entirely too hot back there right now, so I'm just going to prep the holes in the plastic and stuff like that.

[SvilleKid]

I planted several items this year for the first time (for my garden), namely watermelon, cantaloupe, spaghetti squash and broccoli. So far, I'm getting much better results than I ever thought I would. The broccoli had me worried for a while that I was going to eat leaves, but the heads finally came out, and went from about 3 inched to 7 to 8 to 9 inches in about a week. Eight out of nine of the plants have, or are producing really nice heads, one plant has never taken off, and is still kindly sickly looking. The squash has to have at least 25 setting fruits between the two mounds. I was informed today by my mom (81 years strong) that they are perfectly edible when young, just like summer squash, as long as they are not too big and the rind has hardened. I sent one home with her, which she cooked last night like fried green tomato. She said only thing was, it was kinda bland, and probably could have used a dash of lemon juice (or maybe some greek seasoning). That actually helps me out, because I was wondering what the heck I was going to do with all of them when they all matured in the same week or two!! I can eat some as they grow, and leave some for harvest at full maturity.

I was stoked yesterday afternoon to discover my first watermelon! True, it's only a little larger than a nickel, but it's the first one I've grown, and I wasn't really sure how the soil would do for them. Now, all I have to do is worry that they will make it to maturity! I've got problems with the neighbor's dogs coming across the street to (apparently) tromp thru the garden, stepping on everything they can. And, i had to dispatch a young rabbit from the garden a couple of days ago. In all the years I've had the garden, this is the first rabbit I've encountered in it. I'm also more than a little worried about squirrels, possums, raccoons, armadillo and possibly skunks. I've never had a problem with any of these in the past, but I've never had "sweet" ground crops like melons before. Right now, the garden's not fenced, and I have a dog that is kept in the yard by an invisible fence. She is fairly aggressive with animals like armadillos, but didn't pay a bit of attention to the rabbit, and could care less about squirrels. She apparently found a skunk within the 5 acres I have her confined to a couple of weeks ago. I never found it, but the odor from the dog was significant for several days. This is the first evidence of skunk we've had in the 25 years we've lived here. I'll just have to wait and see if any of these animals become a problem. If so, I guess I'll have no choice but to fence the garden in some type of strong fence.

Here's a pic of my first melon:

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/a473f2a6.jpg

[shilala]

Almost done with the garden, all I need to do now is fill holes with compost and SAP in the corn garden, and put the seed in. That'll take about an hour, but we ran out of daylight tonight.
We put in:
3 types of corn. (77)
Roma tomatoes (17)
Cherry tomatoes (3)
3 different types of table tomatoes (9)
Green peppers (18)
Sweet banana peppers (18)
Honeydew melons (2)
Watermelon (1)
Pumpkin (1)
Zucchini (2)
Bush cucumber (8)
Jalapeño peppers (6)
I think that's it. Then there's the wildflower garden and I'm going to put some zinnia and osteospermum in there. Some dahlias in the bed out front, and Weeze started an herb pot on the back porch.
Ange has a container garden back there with a couple tomato plants and a couple pepper plants. I got five more shepherd's hooks for the deck, so there'll be 7 or 8 hanging baskets out there with the rest of the jungle plants.
It's looking really good, I'm glad we're just about done!!! :tu

[Mr B]

The melons are fun Cliff. I have not had ver good luck in the past with there here though. I do have 3 cantalope and 5 watermelons going this year too. Cross my fingers. My dog liked to trample the melons too.

Wow Scott. I wish I had a nice sized lot to go big like that. Sounds good.

[SvilleKid]

This morning's harvest. The potatoes were dug because they are to be consumed tonight, not because the potatoes (as a whole) are mature and stopped growing. This one vine was starting to turn a little yellow, so it got chosen for the sacrifice!! The broccoli isn't silver on top, that's just the camera flash off the dew drops still on the plants.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/a21cec2f.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/5b1a83b6.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/579eaec1.jpg

[BC-Axeman]

Good stuff, Cliff.
Here's what I have so far:
http://fracstar.com/pics/20120525.jpg

[SvilleKid]

It's getting there, Lance. Soil looks a little dry, though. Are you using a soaker hose with that set-up? Or a sprayer head or a drip system? I'm too lazy, and the garden is too big for a drip system, but I do use soaker hoses where the crop is close enough to justify. My mound crops like the watermelons, cantaloupe and sweet potatoes, I water (the mounds) by hand sprayer and by water bucket. Otherwise, I'd be watering a bunch of empty ground just to satisfy the "weeds-to-be"!!!

[shilala]

I'm impatiently waiting for seeds to push through the dirt. I caught Weeze checking to see if the corn was up the morning after we put seed in. :)
We're both super excited, what ya gonna do?
She came home with 7 more hanging baskets for the back porch last night, I had put hangers up for her a few days ago. At this point, I don't think we'll be dragging in another piece of plant material. Everything is in and it's all doing real well.
Now, off to see if the punkins and melons are growing yet. :D

[Mr B]

Hopefully putting in the drip system this weekend.

[BC-Axeman]

Some plants like the tomatoes and squash have individual drippers. The potatoes have a long soaker hose and so do the strawberries and raspberries. The 'chokes have a small loop of soaker hose in each planter. The corn has the line with a drip emitters every foot and the plants are at the emitters. It was a windy night and dried the surface. I'm sure the roots are in moisture. We moved the tomatoes over one box so I still have to move the hangers. There is broccoli in the box where the tomatoes were. Tomato seedlings are my biggest weed this year. Thousands of them from the compost and leftovers.

[Melissa]

wow-amazing pics of gardens!
I have only planted peppers this year, in pots.
I love lemon cukes and I'll hope that it's not too late to grow some at this time of year.

I just bought a house and the first thing I did was was to make sure I had room to garden. Priorities ya know.

[SvilleKid]

Lunch today:

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/a991bf81.jpg

Many more out there ready or will be ready in next 2 to 7 days!

Grape Roma's..... Orange-red, still need a couple days to full ripe. None of the full size tomatoes are turning yet. But when they do turn, I'll have bushels ready at once! (which works well for plans to can at least 50 pints this year, maybe even make some more tomato sauce to can).

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/0a2f4cbc.jpg

Three pickings of green beans already done, with the last two pickings almost filling up plastic grocery sacks. And from only two short 10 foot rows. (already processed, so no photos).

[BC-Axeman]

Three pickings of green beans already done, with the last two pickings almost filling up plastic grocery sacks. And from only two short 10 foot rows. (already processed, so no photos).
"Two short 10 foot rows" of green beans. Yeah, right. We still have left overs from last year on one "short 10 foot row". And we've been eating them regularly. And we replanted that row.

Corn looks :dr.

[SvilleKid]

Kinda "gardening"......

From a buddy's family homestead. Up in the hills, really accessible only with 4WD. The only way to pick blackberries! From the driver's seat of my old Pathfinder. With the A/C on. With the radio punching out classic R & R! I picked 3 quarts in about 2 hours without leaving the seat of the Pathfinder. Hard to beat!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/53f92a44.jpg

About half the berries were thumbnail size. Love wild black berries!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/e67be6e4.jpg

[Melissa]

those look derish!
Out of all of the peppers that I planted the Cayenne Long Slim are starting to produce already. I can't wait to make a bunch of sauces and salsas, using habenero is my favorite though.

[BC-Axeman]

We get blackberries in August. And yeah, the best ones are picked that same way.
Blackberry cobbler!

[shilala]

I have some garden pics for you guys. I just finished pounding tomato stakes and tying them up, so I took some pics while I was out there.

New little red flower that showed up in the wildflower garden this morning...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/2158ec9f.jpg

View from the swamp...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/220f1a17.jpg

Tomatoes. One garden is Romas, the other are a variety...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/05f0a2f7.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/20353456.jpg

[shilala]

Here's the other stuff.
Banana Peppers and Green Peppers...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/38ba5f4c.jpg

There's punkins, two honeydews, and watermelons...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/52b6e58f.jpg

Bush Cucumbers, Zuchini and Jalapenos...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/8efde4ce.jpg

And THE CORN!!! :D

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/de634f98.jpg

[BC-Axeman]

You crack me up, Scott! Who needs a lawn anyway? Critters aren't a problem?

[shilala]

The pictures lie, Lance. There's tons of lawn. There's great big walkways between the gardens, too. They honestly look small back there.
We don't have any critters at all, just Ravens and they stay busy eating dead stuff and garbage. It's a new development, so there's not even a bunny rabbit to be seen.
The deer used to come off the gold course (we live right on the 14th green) and pass right next to the house, but since they built the one next door, they go through the empty lot a couple doors down.

[lilcgrsmkr]

yum:) my husband grows all types of peppers. we are going to try figs.. we'll see how that goes.. we have blueberries, started this year..still small and alittle tart still...
Kinda "gardening"......

From a buddy's family homestead. Up in the hills, really accessible only with 4WD. The only way to pick blackberries! From the driver's seat of my old Pathfinder. With the A/C on. With the radio punching out classic R & R! I picked 3 quarts in about 2 hours without leaving the seat of the Pathfinder. Hard to beat!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/53f92a44.jpg

About half the berries were thumbnail size. Love wild black berries!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/e67be6e4.jpg

[Mr B]

Very cool Scott. How do you water? Is there drip system below the matting or do you sprinkler from above?

[lilcgrsmkr]

nice! where do you live? i live in south bay ca ( near torrance) we have a small area compared to you:). we have tomatoes, blueberries, beets, all different kinds of peppers, had cabbage, green onions, horseradish, squash.

I have some garden pics for you guys. I just finished pounding tomato stakes and tying them up, so I took some pics while I was out there.

New little red flower that showed up in the wildflower garden this morning...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/2158ec9f.jpg

View from the swamp...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/220f1a17.jpg

Tomatoes. One garden is Romas, the other are a variety...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/05f0a2f7.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/20353456.jpg

[lilcgrsmkr]

they are huge

[SvilleKid]

Corn is now in! First come, first serve. NOT putting any of it up this year (still have a bunch in freezer from last year). 58 ears from this last picking. Probably have picked 20-25 ears over last 7-10 days as they were ready. Big rain 2 days ago pretty much kicked the rest into high gear, so had to pick today.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/69259701.jpg

I'm picking this many green beans every 2-3 days from 2 short seven-foot single rows (I finally measured them). I had not planned to put any beans up this year, but went ahead and canned 15 pints this past weekend.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/b1553cc6.jpg

Picked a few tomatoes today. Almost all are Roma grape variety. Full-size Romas and others varieties will start coming in next week, so I'll be canning tomatoes and sauce in a week or so.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/5c331009.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/2af02884.jpg

Finally, Picked 2 quarts of blackberries from the fence line beside the garden:

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/67e2e9cb.jpg

I also picked enough cucumbers this past weekend to put up 20 half-pints of pickles (No pix)

[shilala]

Very cool Scott. How do you water? Is there drip system below the matting or do you sprinkler from above?
We have sprinklers. There's a fertilizer injector in a vault outside and it shoots a constant supply of Miracle Grow.
I just started working on the back lawn, filling in spots and hyper fertilizing it. The front is super thick and lush and green, the back, not so much. The beginning of last summer it was like a strip mine, so it's come a long, long way.
Tonight I just picked up another bag of fertilizer and 4 more bags of lawn soil/compost to finish patching, so things will look great come Fall.

[shilala]

nice! where do you live? i live in south bay ca ( near torrance) we have a small area compared to you:). we have tomatoes, blueberries, beets, all different kinds of peppers, had cabbage, green onions, horseradish, squash.
We live just south of Cleveland. I just had a little garden last year, it's nice to have a half decent one this year!!! :)

[lilcgrsmkr]

We live just south of Cleveland. I just had a little garden last year, it's nice to have a half decent one this year!!! :)

oh.. very nice:) it's great to walk outside and get fresh produce and know where they come from...:)

[AUguy]

If any of you live in the north jersey area and have some holes to fill in your garden you should seriously hit me up.

[BC-Axeman]

If any of you live in the north jersey area and have some holes to fill in your garden you should seriously hit me up.
Hmmm...:hm
:sw
:lv

[AUguy]

Hmmm...:hm
:sw
:lv

I sell veggie plants. My season is winding down and I have an abundance of inventory that is either going to the dump or to a botl's garden. :)

[BC-Axeman]

I sell veggie plants. My season is winding down and I have an abundance of inventory that is either going to the dump or to a botl's garden. :)
Oooohhhh, that's a relief. :D
Yep, the season is getting late now.

[jjirons69]

Cliff, you're my kind of gardener!

I'll take a picture of my jungle this weekend. Remember post #75 where you'll see 4 hills of several bush cukes. Those babies have FAR exceeded my expectations. The past 4 weeks have averaged around 40-50 cukes. We eat 5 to 7 every meal and I'm still handing some out at work. Just picked a big bowl of jalapenos this evening and the plants are full. Had my first serrano tonight. I eat the entire pepper with supper, but she was a doozy. Can't wait to pass these babies out at work. I've been a very happy gardener so far this year.

[shilala]

I made some signs for the garden today, it was good practice and Weeze thinks they're cute. I wrote the programming for a bunch more to cover most everything in the garden, I'll get to them later.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/5f8da77b.jpg

[Mr B]

Scott, those are totally cool!!! Are you going to stain/seal them too? Very nice work.

[lilcgrsmkr]

kool signs, scott:)

[shilala]

Scott, those are totally cool!!! Are you going to stain/seal them too? Very nice work.
No clue. They're made out of treated lumber, so I can do whatever.
I stained the tomato stakes the color of the deck, I'll probably do the signes, too. Whatever Weeze wants. :tu
I have a ton more to make, but I already did the part files. Now I just have to screw the wood down on the machine and make them.

[BC-Axeman]

1st 100 degree day this year ought to change my garden's attitude a little.

[jjirons69]

From this:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050185.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050188.jpg

To this, in no-time flat. The pickle worms have started on my cukes, little hungry bastiges. Pepper crop is going to be off the chain this year (tomatoes, too).

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050350.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050351.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/P1050352.jpg

[Mr B]

WOW Jamie, that looks great!! We got a late start out here with the late rains this season, so we arent that far along.
Good job.

[Ahbroody]

Awesome pics.

My green bean plants have gone nuts damn near need a machete.
Lettuces are great also. Nice to pull off some leaves every few days. Squash last year was crazy. This year its slow growing

[Melissa]

great pic!
My peppers are doing great but my lawn, she is dying of sun+high temps.

[lilcgrsmkr]

nice garden jamie:)

[SvilleKid]

great pic!
My peppers are doing great but my lawn, she is dying of sun+high temps.

Same problem is starting to brown parts of my garden. Corn was picked last week, Potato plants have withered, awaiting time for me to dig the tubes up, Squash and Zucs are starting to pass on. Harvested the remaining broccoli last week, pulled plants out yesterday. Corn stalks will be pulled today, and they will go into compost pile with broccoli plants. Green beans starting to show effects of heat, so they may be gone soon. But, Peas and Butterpeas are strong. I picked peas yesterday, and shelled them last night. Have a sack full of cucumbers I picked yesterday, will make pickles tomorrow.

Tomatoes will be numbering in the hundreds in 3-4 days, so canned tomatoes and maybe tomato sauce action by the weekend.

JJ- Your's looks amazing! I see you are still making good use of the re-bar!!!!!

[Blak Smyth]

I made some signs for the garden today, it was good practice and Weeze thinks they're cute. I wrote the programming for a bunch more to cover most everything in the garden, I'll get to them later.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/5f8da77b.jpg

That is awesome!!! :tu

[BC-Axeman]

We still have late spring weather here but the garden is growing.
http://fracstar.com/pics/20120624.jpg

[SvilleKid]

Looks great, Lance!!! Get ready to enjoy some fresh veggies!

[jjirons69]

Looks awesome, Lance!!

And yes, I am the Rebar King! ;)

[BC-Axeman]

On the list is a nice fence with arbor openings at each end. Not near the top of the list yet, though. At the top right is the raspberry box that was one small plant last year. The broccoli at the bottom right is doing great with the cool weather. The different types of squash are going into production now and soon we will be overwhelmed.

[SvilleKid]

That's a five foot table in foreground. Back table is an 8 foot. In addition to the two totes visible to the left, there's two more slid under the tables that are also covered up with maters! I'll be canning many of them this afternoon. Many of the ones in rear that look like they were picked too soon are actually yellow tomatoes. I'm toying with the idea of canning several jars of yellow tomatoes and/or sauce. Would make an interesting marinara sauce!!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/Work%20Photos/388f0548.jpg

A strange shaped tomato, for sure!

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/Work%20Photos/947371b6.jpg

[Chainsaw13]

Nice looking maters there. Amazed you have that many this early in the year.

I finished harvesting 37 heads of garlic last night. In this heat, they only took a couple of days to cure hanging up in my garage. Cut them down, trimmed the roots, cleaned off the dirt and cut away most of the stem.

[363]

I finished harvesting 37 heads of garlic last night. In this heat, they only took a couple of days to cure hanging up in my garage. Cut them down, trimmed the roots, cleaned off the dirt and cut away most of the stem.

:drGarlic:dr

[BC-Axeman]

We planted garlic and it hasn't come up yet. I am tempted to dig it up to see WTF.

[jjirons69]

We planted garlic and it hasn't come up yet. I am tempted to dig it up to see WTF.

Give it time. From my dealings I think the fall-planted garlic does better. The cold weather gives bigger cloves. I usually harvest around this time of the year when about 1/3 or 1/2 the leaves die back.

[Chainsaw13]

Same here on the garlic. I planted them in November last year I believe. We had such a warm winter, then a cooler than normal spring it really didn't affect their growth much. Now it's been really hot and the leaves were dying off, so time to pull from the ground.

I"m planning to use some of it as seed stock for next years crop again. Anyone know if using the cloves from the larger bulbs will give me larger full heads next year?

[SvilleKid]

Same here on the garlic. I planted them in November last year I believe. We had such a warm winter, then a cooler than normal spring it really didn't affect their growth much. Now it's been really hot and the leaves were dying off, so time to pull from the ground.

I"m planning to use some of it as seed stock for next years crop again. Anyone know if using the cloves from the larger bulbs will give me larger full heads next year?

That's a question I was wondering also. I plan on using planter areas for a permanent herb garden next year, and will be including garlic. I was wondering if I can just take a whole bulb from the store, break it apart and plant the individual cloves with any hope of success. From the last several posts, it's looking like I should plan on starting earlier than I envisioned, and planting the garlic in the late fall of this year???

I've had an herb bed in the past, but never garlic. And eventually had to kill the bed, because the oregano took over, and smothered out everything else (took about 5 years). This time, I plan on planting in containers, and keeping the oregano well in check!!

[Chainsaw13]

I think you can use stuff from the local store. I'm sure you've kept around a head long enough to have it start sprouting. So it should work. I'm using some stuff my sister gave me, not sure of the varietal. It's not the typical stuff you find at the supermarket.

Google growing your own garlic. I know in my area (MI), we should plant in the fall to have it ready come end of June, early July. I think if I waited till the spring, it wouldn't mature fast enough and die off in the summer heat.

Now that I think about it, I did use some of my larger heads from last year for this years crop. I have a range of small, medium and a few large heads. So I guess it's all a crap shoot on how the plant grows.

[AUguy]

I have been out of state selling plants for 4 months and now that I am back home I finally got to plant my garden. It is not nearly as nice as all of the gardens I have seen in this thread but it serves its purpose.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=925&pictureid=7159

I have Patio, Better Bush, Early Girl, Roma, Husky Cherry, and Black cherry tomatoes. Some bush burples cucumbers planted from transplants. What you can't see are the squash, zucchini, basil, cilantro, and early hybrid cucumbers that I just seeded. I still have quite a bit of work to do. I have to get my cages and trellises set up. And next week I am going to plant a ton of carrots in containers.

With any luck we will not have a freeze until december like last year and I will actually be able to get a decent yield out of this little patch of dirt.

[jjirons69]

Never too late to dance, William. Looks good!

[SvilleKid]

Got home from a week in Wyoming about 3 am this morning. Spent 2 hours in garden this afternoon. Picked 20 pounds of tomatoes, maybe half that much left in green tomatoes. I have three watermelon that weren't picked by folks watching over house (picked with permission), and have sweet potatoes still in ground. Maybe a half picking of peas left. I'll check sweet potatoes tomorrow, and plan of plowing garden under in next two weeks. Not sure if I'm going to plant a winter crop.

[BC-Axeman]

We got back from a weekend away and had some zukezillas. You really do have to pick every day.

[SvilleKid]

We got back from a weekend away and had some zukezillas. You really do have to pick every day.


Love that term!!!! I guess Squashzilla and Cukzillia would also apply after a couple days unpicked!!!

[jjirons69]

Found this looking around the net. What a piece of work. (It's not mine nor me)

http://www.oddities123.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/giant-cucumber-02.jpg

[jjirons69]

I've got more jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, banana, New Mexico, and bell peppers than I know what to do with. It's crazy! For the past 3-4 years I have been blessed with strong, productive, disease-free plants. Tomatoes slowed but are still giving a few every other day. I picked 70 in one day a couple of weeks ago. It was maddening for about a 2-week stretch. My wife has jarred several batches so far this year. I love stewed tomatoes on rice and grits. Tried some on quinoa last week and it was good, too.

[BC-Axeman]

Our cold summer has kept the tomatoes and peppers back but the corn is starting to ripen and we got good broccoli. Cukes are coming in right now.

[mmblz]

blueberries :)

[Mr B]

Right there with ya Lance. Everything is looking a litte weak. got lots of Jalapenos but the plants are looking stunted. Tom's just starting to ripen but all of them except the Cherries are looking stunted too. Bells doing pretty good, same with the few cuc plants. Tomatillos pumpin out pretty good. My cantalope looks like it has not grown in a month.

[SvilleKid]

My cantalope looks like it has not grown in a month.

Don't know that I'd let that sway you..... Mine stayed the same for many weeks, then went from small to big to ready in about 10 days.

Good luck with the rest!

[SvilleKid]

Picked peas today.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/Work%20Photos/5a810c59.jpg

Then Mowed them down:

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/Work%20Photos/92cc6748.jpg

Sweet Potatoes and Butterpeas about all that 's left.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/Work%20Photos/78d7cc26.jpg

Only reason I've left the butterpeas is they have put on hundreds of blooms with the rain we've had in last two weeks. I figure I'll have a large picking available in about two weeks. Tomatoes, Peppers (only planted three bell pepper plants this year) and green beans will all be mowed down this weekend. That will leave only sweet taters and butterpeas standing, and I don't see those making it more than three or four more weeks. Then will turn the whole garden under to await next year.

[Chainsaw13]

Anyone have suggestions for fall/early winter plants? It's still hot here in Michigan, but soon it'll start to cool down. Maybe I can actually plant something this year. Definitely lettuce, not sure what else.

[SvilleKid]

Spinach and broccoli both are good cold weather crops. Cabbage also. Never tried brussel sprouts, but I'd imagine they would also be good cool weather crop. Oninos probably would also work.

[Chainsaw13]

Hmm, I like broccoli and spinach, check. Might have to try onions. I'll definitely be planting more garlic. Had a bumper crop of it this year.

[SvilleKid]

Hmm, I like broccoli and spinach, check. Might have to try onions. I'll definitely be planting more garlic. Had a bumper crop of it this year.

Go for it, Bob!!!! Keep us posted!!

[jjirons69]

Anyone have suggestions for fall/early winter plants? It's still hot here in Michigan, but soon it'll start to cool down. Maybe I can actually plant something this year. Definitely lettuce, not sure what else.

Here's my fall favorites: lettuce, collards, mustard greens, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, rutabagas, turnips, and radishes. Check the planting guide for your area and check to see when to plant seed versus transplants. Fall gardening is great.

[SvilleKid]

All that's left.... Butterpeas on the left, sweet potatoes in the background. Turned over rest of garden to get chopped plants into ground. Plan on adding a good bit of mulch into the garden this fall and winter to lightening up soil a little, help it's water retention abilities.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc403/svillekid/dddfbc30.jpg

[BC-Axeman]

Cliff, how do you turn? A big tiller?
I got two watermelons and a bushel of squash. Some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Strawberries sometimes. Picked some corn for dinner this weekend. :dr
But it's still been a slow year. Better than last year. I'm already looking forward to next year.

[Jasonw560]

Cliff, can you grow potatoes? I tried, but too warm.

I tried the trashcan method. If I can get more eyes, I may try this fall when it's cooler.

[SvilleKid]

Cliff, how do you turn? A big tiller?
I got two watermelons and a bushel of squash. Some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Strawberries sometimes. Picked some corn for dinner this weekend. :dr
But it's still been a slow year. Better than last year. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Lance.. Turn with a tractor and a 5 foot disk. So kinda like a big tiller:D I have a small Mantis-type tiller (made by Echo) that I use when ready to plant or weed the row areas.

[SvilleKid]

Cliff, can you grow potatoes? I tried, but too warm.

I tried the trashcan method. If I can get more eyes, I may try this fall when it's cooler.

Jason.... Not too hot here. This is third year I've planted them. I use a mound method, and use wire cones (like used for tomatoes) mainly to get the vines off the ground and out of the way to make it easier to weed around plants and to keep the base area more visible. First year I planted them (three years ago), I let them spread, which made it necessary to weed by hand (verses a small Mantis-type tiller). Plus, being in the suburbs and lots of land around me, letting the grass grow up too much gives hiding places for field mice/rats, which burrowed down and ate half my sweet taters the first year. Haven't had same problem since using the cones.

First two years, I planted "slips" I purchased. This crop, I planted pieces of leftover yams from last year's crop. They seem to be producing fine, but it took them three times longer to start growing as the "slips" did. My MIL's husband said they always sat old yams out in wet sawdust before the season, and picked the sprouts (slips) off and planted them when the time came. Might try that next year. My mother remembers Yams being grown in south Mississippi where she grew up in the 30's and 40's in large quantities. I also know that yams are a big crop in Louisiana. so it's probably NOT heat as much as water that could be your pitfall!

They have turned out to be much easier to grow than I imagined they would be. Give them a try. Garbage can method probably holds moisture better anyway!

[BC-Axeman]

I've got an Echo tiller, don't use it much. Ever since I went to raised boxes I don't till much any more. I use the big walk behind to knock down the weeds along the roads and I haven't even used the tractor tiller I have.

[SvilleKid]

I've got an Echo tiller, don't use it much. Ever since I went to raised boxes I don't till much any more. I use the big walk behind to knock down the weeds along the roads and I haven't even used the tractor tiller I have.

The Echo was a salvage purchase. Was a new unit local Ace Hardware rented out, first user put straight gas in it, and screwed with carb adjustments to point it wouldn't run, and returned it. I purchased it from Ace for $50, put a $25 replacement carburetor on it, and have used the heck out of it!! It sure beats hoeing weeds!!! But it will wrap a tomato cone up in a skinny minute if you get too close!!!

I'd love to have a tiller attachment for the tractor!!! That would sure make a nice bed!

[Jasonw560]

Speaking of which, I need to get my FIL's tiller and get my beds ready for fall plantings.

Cliff, if I go the taters tis year, I'll let you know how it goes.

[SvilleKid]

Speaking of which, I need to get my FIL's tiller and get my beds ready for fall plantings.

Cliff, if I go the taters tis year, I'll let you know how it goes.

I say Go For It!!!!! And Good luck. BTW, my mom tells me I need to let them stay for probably another month. Apparently they have a long growing season. She also says when I dig them up, I need to leave them in sun and turn them for a couple of days to harden the skin and increase storage life. Also NOT to wash. Brush dirt off, but do not wash them until ready to use. At 83, she still knows her plants (BS degree from Mississippi State in Horticulture).

[AUguy]

I don't know what area you are in so I'm not sure what kind of fall weather you will be facing. Why not try some leeks or carrots. They should be cost effective if you plant from seed. That spaghetti squash sounds like a winner too.

I just planted my carrots last week in containers. I didn't seed them until September last year so this is really an experiment to see how they handle being planted so early.

[AUguy]

Cliff, can you grow potatoes? I tried, but too warm.

I tried the trashcan method. If I can get more eyes, I may try this fall when it's cooler.

Sweet potatoes should handle the heat with no problem. They are big business in south Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. They are usually planted around late spring/ early summer.

[AUguy]

So my wife has been sick for a while and we have spent the last few nights in the hospital. She is on track for a full recovery and she should be able to go home on Sunday. I got to come home for the first time today and there was a lot going on in the garden. It has been rainy off and on for about a week now so everything has doubled in size in no time. My cucs have flowers in full bloom and tomatoes are full of greens and flowers. My carrots that I planted last week in containers have come up, I will have to thin them out next week. But some other things started growing too. In the tomatoes I noticed some leaf spots on a few plants and some big fat Caterpillars feasting on every leaf and green tomato they could get their mouth on. I went ahead and sprayed fungicide and seven on everything. I checked the garden about an hour later and I found 6 more caterpillars all on the ground. If I would have waited another couple of days I would have had a big big loss on the tomatoes.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=925&pictureid=7221

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=925&pictureid=7220

[SvilleKid]

Nice looking garden, William. Glad your wife is on recovery tract. Also glad you caught worms before they striped your plants clean!!!!

What are small green leafy plants near bottom of photo? Basil?

[AUguy]

Thanks. Yeah that's basil. Had some free seeds so I scattered them around.

[hotreds]

beans!

http://images5a.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp63594%3Enu%3D3292%3E%3B78%3E732%3EWS NRCG%3D37%3B4%3A3836732%3Bnu0mrj

http://images5a.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp6354%3A%3Enu%3D3292%3E%3B78%3E732%3E WSNRCG%3D37%3B4%3A4%3C36832%3Bnu0mrj

[BC-Axeman]

Soy? Looks very nice.

[Fordman4ever]

I was deployed this year while I should have been getting the garden ready and keeping up with it. when I got home, it was full of really tall weeds and they were starting to spread into my yard.
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/Earl_McCoy/20120811_091813.jpg?t=1344694742
I'm in the process of pulling out everything from where the garden is and trying to get rid of the weeds that spread into the yard. I think I'm going to build a raised garden over the top so I can just fill it with good top soil next year and plant a good garden.

[hotreds]

Soy? Looks very nice.

yup!

[Jasonw560]

Sweet potatoes should handle the heat with no problem. They are big business in south Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. They are usually planted around late spring/ early summer.
I'm talking either red or russetts. They need cooler weather.

[BC-Axeman]

We just harvested some purple potatoes for dinner tonight. And corn. And squash, of course. And string beans, mmmmm. Tomatoes should ripen, now that we've had some hot days and warm nights. Stuff is just constantly delivering about now.

[BC-Axeman]

Just some snapshots.
http://fracstar.com/pics/20120813a.jpg
http://fracstar.com/pics/20120813b.jpg
http://fracstar.com/pics/20120813c.jpg

[BC-Axeman]

http://fracstar.com/pics/20120813d.jpg
http://fracstar.com/pics/20120813e.jpg
http://fracstar.com/pics/20120813f.jpg

[SvilleKid]

Lance.... Are you using the green plastic fencing as runner strips? If so, what are you growing on them. I've considered that as a replacement to my bamboo poles for green beans, but am concerned the cleanup at season's end would be a nightmare. Any experience with that?

[BC-Axeman]

Cliff- The greenbeans grow up an inch mesh screen made for that and it is hard to clean. They are going to grow on the corn next. I think the plastic fence would work great but has limited lifetime. It gets brittle and deteriorates from the sun.
The fencing material is for the cukes and squash. The cukes had other plans (first picture in second set). There is no gopher block out that direction.

I just planted some beet and carrot seed this afternoon. A lot of carrots. Mmmmmmm!

[SvilleKid]

I made a couple of trellises for my cucumbers this year. places them at about a 50-60 degree angle (supported with red-top posts at top). Worked fairly well, but still needed to train them to grow up the trellis. Still had "leakers" that wanted to grow on ground no matter what. But kept more off ground this year and was easier to see and pick. But still had half a dozen in weeds in the ground that I missed (until they got football size!). Hadn't considered that the plastic fencing would get brittle! Not worth the time if it's not good for at least 5 seasons. Still looking for alternatives to bamboo poles. They usually are good for 2-3 seasons, which is still shorter than I'd like. Tried twine last year. Didn't do a lot for me. Would have to have end posts 8 feet out of ground to give the beans running room. The 6 feet I used ended up with them growing up, over, and back to ground. Was a mess to pick.

[Fordman4ever]

Making a little more progress in the clearing of my garden area.
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/Earl_McCoy/20120817_154730.jpg?t=1345236499

[SvilleKid]

Very good. I can see dirt there! Hand pulling weeds and stuff? Or mowed and tilled? Going for a cool weather crop?

[Fordman4ever]

Pulling weeds by hand and shovel. I only have 1 yard waste trash can, so I can only do a little bit at a time. I finally finished pulling all the weeds today. I'm probably gonna till it all up this weekend. http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/Earl_McCoy/20120823_172849.jpg

Anybody know of anything I can plant now? this is my first time having a garden this big, so I'm kind of new to growing anything other than tomatoes.

[SvilleKid]

Earl, it's getting real late in season. You'd better focus on quick maturing and/or cool weather hardy selections. That included most leafy greens, broccoli may still have time. Root veggies Probably don't have enough time remaining. I'd think spinach, turnip greens, maybe leaf lettuce, cabbage. More expensive, but I'd go with starter plants on lettuce and cabbage, shave a couple weeks off growing time. Only problem might be finding plants and seeds this late. Many herbs are cold hardy. You may consider setting part of the area aside for herbs.

Good luck with what you end up planting. Hopefully you'll be in-country at the start of spring next year, and able to go full tilt on planting!!!

[Fordman4ever]

Thanks for the advice. I'm trying to get some stuff grown this year because I'm gonna be gone for 4 months of the growing season next year.

[jjirons69]

Picked a chitload of peppers yesterday! Those serranos are brutal. Brought the majority of them to work as my gut is about tired of them. :)

Picked up a dozen Blue Max collards this weekend. Fall/winter garden getting ready to go in the ground this weekend.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jjirons69/photo-2.jpg

[shilala]

We've been eating Honeydews that are heavenly. I'm going to cut a bunch up and freeze them for smoothies.
We've been making sketti sauce, too.
The new critters here turned out to be deer, ravens, and vine borers. They whooped my corn, punkins, and zucchini. Next year I'll figure out how to fight them all Pre-emptively. Shame about our corn, it was really nice.

[BC-Axeman]

I have these peppers that on the label says "twice as hot as regular habaneros". I soon will find out what that means.
Never ending baskets of squash, 2 or 3 pounds of green beans at a time, tomatoes, tomatoes and more tomatoes, strawberries and raspberries are harvesting now.

[Shawn hines]

Little late on this one and don't have a garden going right now due to a deployment, but I have 100 Acres 170 pecan trees and 10 acres of peach trees(more coming this winter)
-(P

[Shawn hines]

We've been eating Honeydews that are heavenly. I'm going to cut a bunch up and freeze them for smoothies.
We've been making sketti sauce, too.
The new critters here turned out to be deer, ravens, and vine borers. They whooped my corn, punkins, and zucchini. Next year I'll figure out how to fight them all Pre-emptively. Shame about our corn, it was really nice.

I know the way... 30-06 works ever time even from the back porch

[shilala]

That's a crazy mess of trees to take care of. I don't think I could prune all those trees in a year. :D

[Shawn hines]

That's a crazy mess of trees to take care of. I don't think I could prune all those trees in a year. :D

How could I put this... A PAIN IN THE ASS, right now they look like bushes cause I am over here

[shilala]

I know the way... 30-06 works ever time even from the back porch
I live in a concrete suburban development since I got married a couple years ago. I've lived on a farm or in the country pretty much all my life. Imagine not being able to grab the .35 every time something's eating the garden. It's hell, my man. Sheer hell.

[Shawn hines]

I live in a concrete suburban development since I got married a couple years ago. I've lived on a farm or in the country pretty much all my life. Imagine not being able to grab the .35 every time something's eating the garden. It's hell, my man. Sheer hell.

LOL, I know brother. I have been stationed all over and and it is hell taking the country out of a boy sometimes...-(P

[OLS]

IMG]http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/Earl_McCoy/20120823_172849.jpg[/IMG]

That plot looks self-watering F.M.F., lol...provided it rains. Seems the slope runs right into your
proposed garden.

[OLS]

That plot looks self-watering Earl, lol...provided it rains. Seems the slope runs right into your
proposed garden.

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/Earl_McCoy/20120823_172849.jpg

[jjirons69]

The new critters here turned out to be deer, ravens, and vine borers. They whooped my corn, punkins, and zucchini. Next year I'll figure out how to fight them all Pre-emptively.

Good luck with this one. I've tried every remedy I could find on the Internet. No avail in several years. Plant early, early or late, late. If I can get a squash plant to make it to June, I've somewhat won.

[hotreds]

time to harvest.....

http://images5a.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp635%3B2%3Enu%3D3292%3E%3B78%3E732%3E WSNRCG%3D37%3C%3A45%3A4%3C232%3Bnu0mrj

[BC-Axeman]

time to harvest.....

http://images5a.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp635%3B2%3Enu%3D3292%3E%3B78%3E732%3E WSNRCG%3D37%3C%3A45%3A4%3C232%3Bnu0mrj
Git t' work!
I'm picturing that field all plowed and some pheasants out there and a good retriever.
A rocking chair, Dobro guitar and a cigar come to mind, too.

[Shawn hines]

Can't really tell but is that Soybeans? How many acres is that?

[OLS]

Nothing but the finest mexican weed.....

[Shawn hines]

This is old pictures from this past summer, but I thought I would post it anyway. This is what I was raised on growing and working on as a kid... Some habits just don't die I guess?
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/the-hines/Shawn/Tobacco/IMG_5327.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/the-hines/Shawn/Tobacco/IMG_5326.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/the-hines/Shawn/Tobacco/IMG_5324.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/the-hines/Shawn/Tobacco/IMG_5306.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/the-hines/Shawn/Tobacco/IMG_5305.jpg

[SvilleKid]

No pix (only fresh turned dirt), but planted a patch of purple top turnip greens (at request of my elderly mom), and added several rows of snow peas for myself. Going to hunt down some spinach seed tomorrow, and add a patch or that for myself (place where I grabbed turnip and snow pea seeds was out of spinach seed.)