I had to pick my 'maters off before they were ripe. They all had splits in the skin, I think because of all the rain from the storms. Going to try one tonight.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Started by
Lazy Lightning
, May 19 2010 11:44 AM
250 replies to this topic
#206
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- VibeGuide
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- 27 posts
VibeGuide
Posted 28 April 2012 - 01:49 PM
yes...you can use a mulch to help keep roots warmer. use a physical cover (not mulch...think plastic) for those plants actually exposed to the elements.OMG freeze warnings 20 to mid 30 across the island. Can i use leaves or something to blanket the little guys only in the ground a few weeks??
this year, with winter and spring swapping calendar positions, i'm glad i don't have anything in the ground yet.
#208
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- VibeTribe
- 14,053 posts
Posted 28 April 2012 - 08:27 PM
We've been having to cover what we've got in the few containers that are too big to bring indoors these past three nights. So happy we didn't get anything in the ground yet! The containers that have been wrapped up at night have fared just fine.
The okra is starting to sprout, but the basil hasn't done a thing yet. I think I am going to wait to sow the swiss chard directly into the ground - I'm trying to remain patient for some warm weather, but wouldn't mind if it hurried the hell up and got here soon!!!
The okra is starting to sprout, but the basil hasn't done a thing yet. I think I am going to wait to sow the swiss chard directly into the ground - I'm trying to remain patient for some warm weather, but wouldn't mind if it hurried the hell up and got here soon!!!
#209
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- VibeTribe
- 14,053 posts
Posted 29 April 2012 - 08:17 PM
Tonight's Sunday Night Supper is inspired by what I could harvest from our herb garden - it's only been planted for two weeks, so I am happy that it already had vigorous enough growth that we could do some cuttings today!
We put the herbs in a container on the front porch so that they would be close to the kitchen and therefore be easy to harvest and enjoy. This container has spicy oregano, golden sage, rosemary, and lemon thyme:
I also have a container of lemon grass, some celery, and lavender on the go up on the deck, but they aren't ready for showtime yet. We'll be planting veggies in the garden around the side of the house - the okra seedlings are already popping their heads up, and we'll get some tomatoes swiss chard, cucumbers, and both hot and sweet peppers on the go over there as well.
Since we are just renting, we aren't investing *too* much into the property - that said, today we had a fun little project in the wee garden by the stairway to our front porch. I'd do way more plantings in here if it were our place, but we figured this would be a fun way to dress up the space and get some rocks out of the garden at the same time:
It came out pretty cool, I think!
Can't wait till we have a place of our own to do more stuff like this on a more permanent and grander scale!!!
We put the herbs in a container on the front porch so that they would be close to the kitchen and therefore be easy to harvest and enjoy. This container has spicy oregano, golden sage, rosemary, and lemon thyme:
I also have a container of lemon grass, some celery, and lavender on the go up on the deck, but they aren't ready for showtime yet. We'll be planting veggies in the garden around the side of the house - the okra seedlings are already popping their heads up, and we'll get some tomatoes swiss chard, cucumbers, and both hot and sweet peppers on the go over there as well.
Since we are just renting, we aren't investing *too* much into the property - that said, today we had a fun little project in the wee garden by the stairway to our front porch. I'd do way more plantings in here if it were our place, but we figured this would be a fun way to dress up the space and get some rocks out of the garden at the same time:
It came out pretty cool, I think!
Can't wait till we have a place of our own to do more stuff like this on a more permanent and grander scale!!!
#210
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- VibeTribe
- 5,999 posts
Posted 03 May 2012 - 01:07 PM
planted potatoes last night. So far have peas, onions, lettuce & potatoes in the ground.
started a bunch of seeds but got a little rammy with hardening them. put them outside one day during the week and it turned colder with rain. killed everythig but the broccoli and brussel sprouts.
started a bunch of seeds but got a little rammy with hardening them. put them outside one day during the week and it turned colder with rain. killed everythig but the broccoli and brussel sprouts.
#211
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- VibeTribe
- 1,825 posts
Posted 03 May 2012 - 03:09 PM
Location for my (mostly) self-watering container veggie garden... I'm trying to step up a bit from last year (and previous years) failures and shortcomings. For the larger containter (the only self-watering so far) has a resevoir and a wickin system (cloth wicks). I'm thinking of trying soil wicks for the 5gal buckets I'm putting in soon... but it seems like more work...
Planted so far
Small containers = strawberries, that for a few years now just won't die, no matter how i mistreat them.
Green pot - carrotts
Big container = (pole) green beans and sugar snap peas
I've already began sprouting
Yellow squash, roma tomatoes, baby bok choi & the zuchini (won't freakin' sprout!
)Oh- and I picked up a pretty baby pomagranate tree
#212
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- VibeTribe
- 14,053 posts
Posted 03 May 2012 - 08:05 PM
Got the rainbow swiss chard planted this afternoon, the okra seedlings are coming along nicely (will have to be hardened off and transplanted) and the basil is finally starting to poke it's way up thru the earth - next up, tomatoes, peppers of various sorts, and some cucumbers!
#213
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- VibeTribe
- 2,208 posts
Posted 05 May 2012 - 01:07 AM
lets see...
we've got snap peas, yellow onions, red onions, beets, carrots, 5 types of lettuce, green beans, yellow beans, eggplant, green peppers and tomatoes.
plus our strawberrie patch, and on the deck in containers we have basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley, green onions
i've started a bunch of perennial flowers too. i've got two types of hollyhock, painted daisies, gaillardia goblin, flax, poppies... last year we planted coreopsis and foxglove and they're finally about to flower for the first time! I am so excited!
#215
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- VibeTribe
- 2,298 posts
- LocationArlington, VA
Posted 14 May 2012 - 01:22 PM
The beginnings of my Indoor Garden. I decided on growing from seed this year. I had a problem with fruit fly's last year from buying my plants at a local nursery, I figure it's worth a shot.
This year I am growing Tomato Sweet 'n' Neat Scarlet, Lenten Rose Royal, Pumpkin-On-A-Stick, and Soybean Edible Early Hakucho
This year I am growing Tomato Sweet 'n' Neat Scarlet, Lenten Rose Royal, Pumpkin-On-A-Stick, and Soybean Edible Early Hakucho
#219
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- VibeTribe
- 2,940 posts
Posted 25 May 2012 - 06:27 PM
Raised beds are the way to go. I line my walkways with burlap bags to minimize weeds. So far I have planted many cold weather crops: brussel sprouts, peas, beets, spinach, some lettuce, pak choy, swiss chard. I have a huge garden plan and seed list to go purchase this afternoon. This is my big weekend to get most things in the ground. We downed a 15 foot spruce tree to make our garden that much bigger. We are going big this year!! I can't wait.
It said on my packet of swiss chard that nothing will come up the first year- is that true?
Check out Motherearthnews.com for a veggie garden planner. It's a pretty good guide to maximizing your space. I think it will be good for me to have a plan all drawn out to help plant this year.
It said on my packet of swiss chard that nothing will come up the first year- is that true?
Check out Motherearthnews.com for a veggie garden planner. It's a pretty good guide to maximizing your space. I think it will be good for me to have a plan all drawn out to help plant this year.
#220
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- VibeTribe
- 5,999 posts
Posted 13 June 2012 - 03:50 PM
left > right is potato, onion, brussel sprouts, broccoli, tomato, cucumber*, zuchini*, beans* and peas in the front, spaghetti squash* in the back, few green peppers behind peas
* just coming up
chicken coop above
lettuce on left small rows of carrots, beets & radishes above lettuce
* just coming up
chicken coop above
lettuce on left small rows of carrots, beets & radishes above lettuce
#221
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- VibeTribe
- 1,016 posts
Posted 21 June 2012 - 08:44 PM
I got an early start this year turning beds in mid-March in Central NY.
The Nieces' pumpkins. The chipmunks ate all the sunflowers that were supposed to be behind them.
Thyme, tarragon, zucchini and onions.
I've had good luck with the 7' deer fence.
Jalapenos, Anaheim, an few odd Heirloom tomatoes and the remainder of last years spinach.
Glorious garlic...I'll be using some scapes this evening.
Blueberry to hops.
The Nieces' pumpkins. The chipmunks ate all the sunflowers that were supposed to be behind them.
Thyme, tarragon, zucchini and onions.
I've had good luck with the 7' deer fence.
Jalapenos, Anaheim, an few odd Heirloom tomatoes and the remainder of last years spinach.
Glorious garlic...I'll be using some scapes this evening.
Blueberry to hops.
#222
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- VibeTribe
- 14,053 posts
Posted 22 June 2012 - 12:35 PM
Our garden sucks this year... 
We're renting, so I don't want to invest too much into this place. And it's pretty shady. Everything seems to be growing extra-slow as compared to what i used to get on my sunny deck in Toronto.
So far, swiss chard, basil, and okra seedlings. Poppies and lavender with no flowers. Hoping to add tomatoes and peppers this weekend, and that stuff will start to DO something. Rain tonight, so that should be good.
FireRocket, the chard should come up the first year - mine's already up after having been sown directly in the ground.
We're renting, so I don't want to invest too much into this place. And it's pretty shady. Everything seems to be growing extra-slow as compared to what i used to get on my sunny deck in Toronto.
So far, swiss chard, basil, and okra seedlings. Poppies and lavender with no flowers. Hoping to add tomatoes and peppers this weekend, and that stuff will start to DO something. Rain tonight, so that should be good.
FireRocket, the chard should come up the first year - mine's already up after having been sown directly in the ground.
#227
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- VibeTribe
- 1,869 posts
- LocationFoxboro MA
Posted 08 July 2012 - 03:38 PM
25 plants growing in 2-5 gallon containers, 8 plants in an outdoor hydroponic setup, 100+ late harvest seedlings almost ready to transplant. Nothing beats picking my own salad when I get hungry.
If anyone here has any green/red pepper seeds and or dill seeds that do really well please let me know. I have yet to grow peppers from seeds or started plants bought at home centers that produce to my standards.
If anyone here has any green/red pepper seeds and or dill seeds that do really well please let me know. I have yet to grow peppers from seeds or started plants bought at home centers that produce to my standards.
#231
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- VibeTribe
- 2,836 posts
Posted 09 July 2012 - 02:35 PM
we've got cukes the size of gherkins, yellow squash with blossoms ready to eat and the san marzano tomatoes? sooooo healthy! pumpkins setting on, peppers of all sorts getting bigger every day. i swear if you watch long enough you can see the corn growing! potatoes are flowering, been yankin onions all the live long day...
#232
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- VibeTribe
- 5 posts
Junior Member
- LocationConnecticut
Posted 09 July 2012 - 09:35 PM
I know that many of us enjoy gardening... I hope you all will feel free to add pictures of your gardens as they progress thru the season!
These photos are from early on in the season - since they were taken, the tulips have all blossomed in firey reds, oranges and yellows and the smoke tree has filled out in beautiful burgundy leaves!
Early in the season, everything is just starting to grow...
Cute little pansy faces!
These pansies have a tie-dye look to them!
Daffodil - I love the peach and white colours of this one!
The rock garden featuring stonecrop, creeping thyme, hens and chicks and a
smoke tree as well as two gifts from friends - a ceramic egg and a flying cow.
A close-up of the flying cow nestled among the stonecrop.
These flower buds will become the "smoke" on the smoke tree.
Where I spend my sunny mornings...
A clear view of the cedar planter box I built with room for more plantings yet to come!
I love these gardening photos. They are so inspiring! Great job! You clearly have a green thumb
#233
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- VibeTribe
- 5,999 posts
Posted 11 July 2012 - 01:32 PM
Why aren't these chicks wearing the requisite helmets?!
Sweet setup. Quite envious!
Thanks man. They're getting pretty big and I'd expect to see some eggs in the coming month. I've been letting them out when I'm home but I need to cut a hole in the front of the building and make a little fenced in area so they can get out while I'm not home. Too many face eating critters around to do the free range thing. Pretty sure they would tear the garden up too being so close.
Garden is booming, need to update some pics.
#236
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- VibeTribe
- 2,940 posts
Posted 19 July 2012 - 07:56 PM
Just pulled up my garlic today- I have 20 bulbs and a few are HUGE! Those will be saved to be replanted in the fall.
My garden is just in overdrive now. Tons of herbs, the zucchini's coming on strong, and I picked 6 heads of broccoli the other night. We ate about 2 and froze the rest. That was the best broccoli I have ever had!!
I've had a ton of cucumber beetles that have done a number on my squashes and cukes, but they seem to be thriving anyway. The tomatoes are kicking ass and I'm just praying the blight steers clear of us. They're in a different garden so that should help.
My beets are awesome and I have tons of swiss chard (glad I didn't follow the package directions). It is so awesome to go outside and pick your dinner... ahh....
My garden is just in overdrive now. Tons of herbs, the zucchini's coming on strong, and I picked 6 heads of broccoli the other night. We ate about 2 and froze the rest. That was the best broccoli I have ever had!!
I've had a ton of cucumber beetles that have done a number on my squashes and cukes, but they seem to be thriving anyway. The tomatoes are kicking ass and I'm just praying the blight steers clear of us. They're in a different garden so that should help.
My beets are awesome and I have tons of swiss chard (glad I didn't follow the package directions). It is so awesome to go outside and pick your dinner... ahh....
#240
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- VibeTribe
- 1,869 posts
- LocationFoxboro MA
Posted 14 August 2012 - 01:33 AM
Too lazy to upload pictures tonight. Harvested a big bag of basil last night, mint and spearmint. Sooooo many tomatoes that I give them away to neighbors cause they bitch about them falling to the ground......pick all you need but pull some weeds and water when I travel is working out really well. Lost my entire cucumber grow thingy, fuc-ing rain washed away my nutes and the containers were way to wet to add nutes without the risk of root rot.....oh well can buy cucumbers for 10 cents each up the street at a farm stand. Also lost my cilantro because I fuc-ed up and let it seed=really quick death. Let my entire lettuce harvest go to seeds so I can use those seeds for an indoor grow this winter. Oh and carrots, screwed those up with the rain.....picky little things...those rain storms killed two attempts at growing them.....will try indoors soon come. Overall a great year!
#242
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- VibeTribe
- 1,016 posts
Posted 16 August 2012 - 09:18 PM
Here's the mid-August view...
My tomatoes are out of hand tall.
Beets, once shaded by edamame are bouncing back.
I planted three different heirloom toms, Orange Woodle, Thessaloniki, and Tigerella. I have no idea which is which quite yet...but I have a lot of them, and some are huge...
.and oddly shaped...
...and velvety....
Kale, fennel, lots of Indian mustard greens...all going well.
My tomatoes are out of hand tall.
Beets, once shaded by edamame are bouncing back.
I planted three different heirloom toms, Orange Woodle, Thessaloniki, and Tigerella. I have no idea which is which quite yet...but I have a lot of them, and some are huge...
.and oddly shaped...
...and velvety....
Kale, fennel, lots of Indian mustard greens...all going well.
#245
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- VibeTribe
- 2,529 posts
Posted 20 August 2012 - 01:55 PM
we have had a lot of success with the staggered planting this year..we've had lettuce and peas all summer. We've also had fresh tomatoes every day for the last week, and we've given some of all 3 to the nice neighbors on one side. We've had 2 harvests of radishes but they're way too hot for me so I've been taking them into work.
#246
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- VibeTribe
- 12,815 posts
Posted 26 August 2012 - 04:00 PM
Great year for tomatoes. Melons were pretty good, too. Starting to get eggs on a regular basis. And my grain experiment yielded a cup of wheatberries, which will become a cup and a half of flour...maybe enough to bake and split a roll with my sweet heart. lol. But enough that I'll expand the patch next year...
#247
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- VibeTribe
- 656 posts
Posted 26 August 2012 - 08:29 PM
I have had a great crop of yellow summer squash this year. My garden doesn't usually do summer squash too good.
Alot of lettuce earlier in the season and I let some go to flower, hoping to garden with my own seeds next year.
6 huge harvests so far of swiss chard and may get 1 harvest more if the weather stays like it is.
I have had a few tomatoes and will have some more ripe next week!
Lots of hot portuguese peppers, a few jalapenos, and will have a few sweet peppers too.
Basil didn't grow too big this year but have had plenty and still plenty more to go.
6 ears of corn! My husband told me that the varmints would eat my corn before I could harvest it but I still ended up with 6.
I have about 50 butternut squash ripening out there now. Lord knows what I will do with so much, but will bring some to the residents at work!
We harvested the bee hive last week and got a 5 gallon bucket of yummy unfiltered raw honey that tastes like flowers smell! The bees can keep the end of summer / fall honey to last them the winter! I like the spring run honey the best!
Alot of lettuce earlier in the season and I let some go to flower, hoping to garden with my own seeds next year.
6 huge harvests so far of swiss chard and may get 1 harvest more if the weather stays like it is.
I have had a few tomatoes and will have some more ripe next week!
Lots of hot portuguese peppers, a few jalapenos, and will have a few sweet peppers too.
Basil didn't grow too big this year but have had plenty and still plenty more to go.
6 ears of corn! My husband told me that the varmints would eat my corn before I could harvest it but I still ended up with 6.
I have about 50 butternut squash ripening out there now. Lord knows what I will do with so much, but will bring some to the residents at work!
We harvested the bee hive last week and got a 5 gallon bucket of yummy unfiltered raw honey that tastes like flowers smell! The bees can keep the end of summer / fall honey to last them the winter! I like the spring run honey the best!
#248
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- VibeTribe
- 12,815 posts
Posted 27 August 2012 - 11:29 AM
Spring honey doesn't smell like sweaty socks!
Looking forward to a honey harvest again next year. One of the colonies I restarted with this year (Eff you, Yogi) is booming, but I'm still gonna leave them everything they made this year.
Looking forward to a honey harvest again next year. One of the colonies I restarted with this year (Eff you, Yogi) is booming, but I'm still gonna leave them everything they made this year.
#249
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- VibeTribe
- 14,053 posts
Posted 25 April 2013 - 04:55 PM
No photos yet, but I treated myself to planting some lemon balm, chocolate mint, greek oregano, and lemon thyme during yesterday afternoon's perfect springtime weather. I also transplanted the chives I started from seed form the "seedling nursery" into a terra-cotta pot. It felt like an auspicious way to celebrate my birthday!
Swiss chard, green onions, basil, and lettuce are all still in the seedling nursery. I'll be starting beets and pumpkins the first week of May as well. The garlic is going great!
After last year's horrible garden endeavour, I stuck to plants that can tolerate shade. I also decided to put all the plants that did not do well in the containers into the ground, and vice-versa for the plants that didn't do well in the ground. This year, the herbs are all in the ground, and the chard will be in containers. Basil, green onions, and lettuce will fill window and hanging baskets, beets and pumpkins will go in the ground.
Hopefully this year's garden will be much more successful than last years.
YAY for gardening season!
