Let's see those '09 gardens
 

C'mon Richard (tzaddi), I know you have one to share!

Here's mine so far this year. 12 hills of Poinsett 76 cukes (w/trellis), 120 yellow and white onions, 6 peppers (2 jalapeno, 2 mild jalapeno, 1 california and 1 chocolate bell), 5 hills of crook neck squash, 4 hills of straight neck squash, 2 pink brandywine tomatoes, 1 sweet 100 tomato, and 1 celebrity tomato. I'll rotate in some new squash plants in about 1.5 months, then another round at the end of August. Also have an herb garden with leeks, garlic chives, cilantro, red and green basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, and mints (chocolate, curly leaf, grapefruit, spearmint, Kentucky Colonel, and mountain peppermint). Thanks to Stewart (tech-ninja), my mojito appetite is demanding, so it pays to grow your own mint. The herb garden is in a 2' x 6' raised bed and the main garden is in a 15' x 15' raised bed (with rabbit-proofing). The plants are all mulched with grass clippings and compost, which works great BTW. I also toss in mulched leaf waste in the walking rows. All of this should help with the upcoming Coastal SC heat wave over the next few months.

It's a labor of love and my kids sure love those fresh veggies.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...rden051009.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...den051009a.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...den051009b.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...herb051009.jpg

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

That looks great. Thanks for the pics.


:tu


Chris.......

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Well done! Nice mix of veggies you have there. :tu Someday I'll get off the couch and get a garden going. :)

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Very nice garden.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Nice job Jamie! Very nice :tu

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Look at Jamie go. Nice bro. Wish I had the space to do it.

:tu

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Thanks for the kind words, but we need some other gardens! Snap those pics!!!

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I tried to get a gardening thread going a while ago:
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12838

I have updates for it. We just had our (hopefully) last frost a week ago. It looks like you are ahead of me.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I am working on getting some resent photos together for a post. Since the move I am all about container gardening :) Be back soon :)

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I am bummed... no garden for me this spring as we will be moving. I will have a fall garden though.

Yours looks very nice. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Chit, sorry Lance. Never saw your thread about gardens.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I can't believe your tomatoes are so big already. Did you start them indoors?

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Let's ask one of the mods if they will "cornsolodate" the 2 threads and have the best of both threads.

So with the number of containers growing almost daily I am well into the second batch of "Actively Aerated Compost Tea". The basic recipe for this tasty treat is 4.25 cups of quality worm castings per every 5 gallons of de-chlorinated water (let the water sit over night). For every 5 gallons of water I feed my little microbe friends 1/4 cup of unsulphured molasses (feeds the bacateria) and another 1/4 cup of liquid kelp (for the fungi).

We are talking aerobic here, hence the active aeration title, provided by a Super Luft Pump model SL-38 @ 18 watts with a flow rate of 1.34 cubic feet per minute connected to 4 air stones. Where not brewing some stinky anaerobic fermentation here.

This year I have kicked it up a notch or two by adding a wee bit of "archaic bacteria" in the form of mineral dust and some mycorrhizae plus humic acid, yum!

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790810001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790530001


Can you believe this tobacco planting is going into it's 3rd season. That's right, it has survived 3 freezing winters and like a phoenix sprouts from the roots each spring.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790220001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790910001

Strawberries and some garlic, what a combo.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790730001

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

The fig tree is getting bigger and bigger!

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790600001

Another tobacco holdover from last winter, already going to seed as it shares the ceramic pot with a fern. Other various plantings including artemisia, sage, oregano, astragalus, sweet grass, aloe vera.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790390001

The amaryllis are doing their thing and the olive tree cuttings I took last summer are starting to have new growth. I see a jade plant and hyssop. That there to the right is the grillin', chillin' & herfin station.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12421790470001

That's about all I got today. :)

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I'll get some pics later, meanwhile here's what I've got:

3 tomatoes (sun gold, sweet million, cherokee purple)
3 cocozelle zucchini
6 rattlesnake pole bean

thyme (huge mess, had to cut back 2/3 to make room)
oregano (planted last year, really taking off nicely now)
rosemary (two large bushes, ~3' tall)
chives (3 bundles)
spearmint (died in the pot, dumped it over the side of the deck and now it's thriving)

I've got cubanelle peppers started from seed, but for some reason they took about 3 weeks longer to sprout than the other plants. I hope to plant two eventually. I've also got some basil (seeds came from Richard last year), but the first round all died in an early heat wave, need to get more started. Also forgot to get some italian parsley, need to grab some of that too.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Sounds like you have a nice selection

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Great pictures everyone! :tu

Got my stuff in the ground about a week ago. I noticed today that one asparagus crown has poked through! :dance:

What I have planted in my garden-
-red bell peppers
-green bell peppers
-yellow bell peppers
-cucumbers
-a few rows of sweet corn
-tomatoes
-Jersey Knights asparagus 3 yr crowns
-Mary Washington asparagus 2 year crowns
-Purple Passion asparagus 3 year crowns
-Basil

Going to be fun playing war with the deer and rabbits. :bx

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Planted them at 8" tall on 4/12. We had a few days of cool weather, but once it warmed up, they shot up. I plant them deep with only the top few inches sticking out.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Picked up and planted a few more plants today.

-2X Pablano Peppers
-2X Purple Peppers
-2X Melanzane
-4X Roma


I now have two aparagus spears poking through! :dance:

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

The amaryllis have started to open.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12424069840001


http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12424074480001


Not sure if this 3 gallon container can meet the needs of this growing garlic but we shall see.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12424069950001

The strawberries seem to be happy.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12424069890001


Taking this cilantro to seed.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100570/...12424069710001

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Great pictures Richard! :tu

I planted a few more things in the garden today which caused me to run out of space. I am now out of room unless I till more ground up which I don't plan to do.

Todays addition includes-

-6X Habanero Peppers
-2X Banana Peppers
-2X Burpless Cucumbers
-6X Butternut Squash

Hope to make some kickass salsa when the time comes! I will save the Habanero salsa for a little work suprise. :r

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I'm just growing herbs this year. BTW nice gardens guys!

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Had an unexpected frost last night up here..... still waiting to see what the damage is. :(

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Sorry to hear that, hope all is OK and if not hope you have time to re-seed. We had triple digit temps over the weekend.

I am still figuring out the best location for my small worm farm since moving into this place and as a consequence I will need to start over in that arena. The high temps made the little farm a kill zone. Living and learning the gardeners life. :)

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Garden updates-

The frost only ended up killing one butternut squash plant. :tu

Today I added a "big bomb" pepper plant? I've never heard of these before.
It was 1 1/2 feet tall and the lady gave it to me for .90 cents. It grows 2 inch diameter round peppers? Tag says gourmet peppers.... We shall see.

Sweet corn is up to about 4 inches tall now.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

The pictures in this thread are GREAT!

Keep 'em coming bro's!

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Well all righty then…

Starting off, the red Amaryllis have bloomed.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065590001

The carnations smell like cinnamon.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065420001

Coriander AKA cilantro seed is coming along.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065550001

The Holy Basil AKA Tulsi, an adaptogenic medicinal/culinary basil is coming along nicely.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065100001

My mojito spearmint is ready for action.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065290001

Dang this 5 photos per post limit means onto the next post.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Figs are filling in.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065230001

Strawberries

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065780001

The olive trees I started from cutting almost a year ago are heading towards treedom. That little fellow in the foreground is a little volunteer tobacco plant I caught growing in another planter so now it has it's own little pot.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065490001

Speaking of tobacco, my three year old plant is making another good showing.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065390001

Rounding out this post are a few good looking leaves from that tobacco plant.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065720001

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

In all of it's glory.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065180001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065350001

Another volunteer tobacco plant. Once you have grown tobacco they start showing up on there own after a while.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065680001

That's Leonotis leonurus growing center frame, to the left of the fig tree.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12439065850001

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I have been busy building a new Actively Aerated Compost Tea Brewer.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100576/...12436238620001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100576/...12436238680001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100576/...12436238130001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100576/...12436623090001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100576/...12438940030001


I am still tweaking the air lift pumps trying to get the most out of the 38 watt pump and air diffusers. Nothing like combining, Microbiology, plumbing, gardening and general fun.

If you want to see the progressive construction & testing photo gallery for this project go to this link.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi#100576&view=mosaic&sel=0

Here is a link to a little movie I had fun making the other day, showing the brewer in action… before I added the nutrients and compost.

http://homepage.mac.com/tzaddi/iMovieTheater137.html

I think you will need a QT plug-in for your browser to view it.

That's it for the garden today!

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Love the wonderful vibrant colors in your photos. The bright color of the amaryllis makes me think of a sexy broad with that color lipstick and heels on. Man I'm a sicko. :D:r

Figs! Nothing like fresh figs. :tu

+ I fed all of my plants the other weekend. What a difference that makes. Everything is starting to take off with the warm weather and constant watering. I will take some pictures this weekend.

Asparagus has grown up and out into a little trees. Maybe next year I will be able to eat some.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I hear you loud and clear and that is what nature has in mind 2B sure. You would have been hypnotized by the perfume that the Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia) gave off in the atrium in the evening last October. If you ever get a chance to take in it's fragrance on a fall evening I highly recommend it.
http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100343/...12439114380001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100343/...12439114430001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100343/...12439114470001

Good to hear that your plants are eating well. :)

Looking forward to seeing that update when you get around to it.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Three gophers trapped in one evening! I'm up to 18 this growing season. Well on my way to beat lat year's record of 23.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

STILL an awesome thread :tu

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Some photos of my plants that are starting to do something-

Some of my asparagus that I am letting go to seed this year. The little guys just keeping popping up everyday now.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture255.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture257.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture258.jpg

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

One of my many stalks of sweet corn growing
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture260.jpg

One of my poblano peppers
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture261.jpg

One of two of my first sweet banana peppers
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture272.jpg

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture273.jpg

My first "big bomb" gourmet pepper
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture274.jpg

With all the rain we got today and more coming tonight I'm sure everything will start producing now
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...Picture275.jpg

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

My garden was doing great - until the sheriff ripped it up.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

My soon-to-be roommate and I want to start up a garden, but this whole AACT and other stuff is way over my head! The soil out here is heavy clay so we'll be going with either a raised bed setup (for the time being) or maybe a container system. Haven't quite decided yet. It will be one of those "trial by error" adventures.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I think the raised garden is the way to go. That's my plan for next year once my inlaws get the loader and dump truck running. As long as you don't do the raised garden near any trees you should be fine. Trees have a tendency to grow their roots right up into raises gardens for some reason?
Good luck with your project and hope to see some photos of your progress. :tu

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Copied from my other thread:

What I started out with on 3-30-09

http://130.94.224.229/share/garden09a.jpg
I tilled it that day but we were still getting freezes so it all grew back.

Then on 4-20-09 I had dislocated my shoulder so my wife tilled it again.
http://130.94.224.229/share/gardentill09.jpg
Still getting hard frosts at that time.

5-12-09 tilled again, built rows and I made a new irrigation system which works very well.
http://130.94.224.229/share/garden09b.jpg

Wife and granddaughter planting. I forgot all what is in there.
http://130.94.224.229/share/garden09c.jpg

That was 4 weeks ago. The weeds were taking over so we got out the mini-tiller and tilled between the rows. I will take a new picture to show what a huge difference there is already.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

:hf

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

:tu:tu:tu:tu I love the sight of this!

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

:tu:tu:tu:tu I love the sight of this!

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

http://130.94.224.229/share/garden09d.jpg

L -> R, T -> B:
Peppers & eggplant, bok-choy, string beans, carrots and lettuce.
Tomatoes, onions, squash, radish.
Cucumbers, corn with pumpkin at the ends, potatoes.

The grapes are going strong this year. We have had a very mild spring so far. Usually summer weather starts a month ago.

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

As with so many other things, just jump in where you can. Success can only be measured by your own enjoyment and edification. A garden can be as small a container or acre upon acre. My experience using AACT has only a been a few years, it was a leap of faith to start, seemed so complex. I understand more now than then and with the help of friends. My passion is fueled by curiosity and the need to know more about the soil. If anyone would like to know more about making compost tea PM me and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Lance, the new watering system looks good and I like the garden location, seems to lend itself to gravity watering from rain water collection

First Strawberry.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622940001

How long can these eggplants hold out in these 3 gallon containers?

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622320001

Mojito ahoy!

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622510001

Basil

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622810001

Figs & Blue Agave

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622860001

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

The 3 year old tobacco plant continues to amaze.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622260001

As do the voluneers.

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622580001

Some good looking soil fungi

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622670001

http://gallery.me.com/tzaddi/100591/...12446622900001

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

Picked up a few more Asparagus plants yesterday while down in Indiana. Got three 3+ year Mary Washington crowns that already have 2 1/2 foot ferns on each.

Also, I noticed that all of my asparagus seeds are coming up! I will take some new pictures this weekend if the weather is decent. :tu

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

I'm up to 22 gophers trapped or shot this year. Two more to break last year's record. :D

Re: Let's see those '09 gardens
 

What's your poison? 22-250, 17, 223?