Gardening: (2016– )

[kayb]

I worried about that. It rests on the ground, and is held down by landscape staples in between the fenceposts. We don't have groundhogs, just bunnies; I'm hoping the fence, with landscape timbers, will be enough.

 

[Rebel Rose]

Would any gardeners here be interested in a thread where we can pledge a portion of our garden bounty to the nonprofit hunger mission of our choice?

 

Like this:

 

 

The idea is to inspire and challenge other gardeners to do the same. (And also, it's kind of an accountability thing, like joining a weight loss group. )

And, absolutely I think photo bragging rights and applause should be included.

 

[kayb]

Let me see if mine produces anything, first! I set out 38 tomato plants (six different varieties) today. Tomorrow I'll transplant the lettuce, cabbage, pea, carrot, radish seedlings, and hopefully get all the herbs in the herb bed. Then it will be on to planting seeds next week!

[suzilightning]

On ‎4‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 9:32 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I got my grapevines in tonight.  I say "vines" because there were two in the package.  The roots are about two feet long.  The planter is about fourteen inches deep.

 

Sort of explains why I could not dig up the old one.

 

Didn't they tell you......

don't plant anything until Mother's Day here in

NJ?????????

[kayb]

Got the herb bed in today, save for some things I need to pick up. Always hard to find tarragon, for some reason.

 

 

And watered the tomatoes. They all look pretty good after their first 24 hours in the ground.

 

This was yesterday afternoon.

 

Seedling translant tomorrow for lettuce, peas, cucumbers, cabbages, carrots, radishes, and sowing the remaining seed for same so maybe I'll have those things for a longer period. Everything else goes in Friday except for pole beans, which like the ground a little warmer. I'll give them until early May.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, suzilightning said:

Didn't they tell you......

don't plant anything until Mother's Day here in

NJ?????????

 

To give a serious answer, Burpee claims they ship plants at proper planting time.  Northsky is said to be the most cold hardy of blueberries, good to -40 deg F (-40 deg C, making the conversion all that much easier).

 

[dcarch]

Using a cold frame, I can schedule some of my asparagus to come up earlier. 

 

 

Using good lighting, my tomato seedling are very happy. Many already have blossoms. There will be garden tomatoes for Mother's Day.  :-)

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by dcarch (log)

[haresfur]

Got a fig tree into the ground. I bought it in spring and as it was getting rung up they said that I should wait a couple of months before planting it. Apparently it had be bare-root and then they had put it into a pot when it didn't sell soon enough. I was a bit ticked. Then it did nothing for about 3 months or so. I was about to take it back when leaves started to appear. So I nursed it through summer and now it's cool enough to plant. Hope it survives better than the lemon I tried to plant in the same spot. We also have another smaller fig that I need to find a place for.

 

Speaking of figs, they are ripe now so we picked up some fresh ones at the farmers market. I was buying bresaola and my beef guy instructed me to go get figs. Put a slice of bresaola on a piece of bread, then a slice of fig. A little blue cheese on top, flash it under the broiler. Then sit, take a bite, and think how wonderful life is. I'm not sure if he meant fresh or caramelized fig but it turns out great each way.

[kayb]

@dcarch, the photo of the tomato blossom is a beautiful thing.

 

@JoNorvelleWalker -- I'm seriously contemplating trying blueberry bushes next year. How much sun do they want? How many berries (roughly) does a bush yield? 

 

Also contemplating a fig tree. It's getting to be a pain to go back to Hot Springs every year and pick figs.

[HungryChris]

Here are some ramps that I bought last year at the Union Sq Green Market and planted.

Here are some that I planted some ten years ago.

HC

[Shelby]

Oh everyone's gardens look so good!

 

 I feel like I am behind.  Maybe I am.  Sigh.

 

The collards are up.  

 

I just planted a zillion onions.  Red, white and yellow.  We will see if they do ok.

 

Ronnie put some beets in the ground--first time for that.  I think it's already too hot, but maybe they will grow........

 

Going to go through my seeds and see if I have anything else to get into the ground.  If not then I will be waiting until the ground warms up more for further veggies.

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, kayb said:

 

@JoNorvelleWalker -- I'm seriously contemplating trying blueberry bushes next year. How much sun do they want? How many berries (roughly) does a bush yield? 

 

 

Yield for me or for the birds?

 

The two varieties I grow like sun.  These are dwarf blueberries in small pots.  I'm thinking you would need warm weather blueberries if it does not get cold enough in Arkansas.

 

[kayb]

46 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Yield for me or for the birds?

 

The two varieties I grow like sun.  These are dwarf blueberries in small pots.  I'm thinking you would need warm weather blueberries if it does not get cold enough in Arkansas.

 

Are a couple of bushes enough to yield blueberries for one person to eat pretty much daily during their season? And how big are your containers they're planted in?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, kayb said:

Are a couple of bushes enough to yield blueberries for one person to eat pretty much daily during their season? And how big are your containers they're planted in?

 

The first question is the harder one to answer.  They are 14 inch pots:

 

 

 

Often I find a berry or three when I go out to water in the evenings and am thankful for what our avian friends have left me.  Though I would not count on enough to make a pie.  Actually two dozen cat birds in puff pastry sounds pretty tempting.

 

The parents of a coworker have six plants and I understand they get a large yield of berries.  I assume theirs are full size varieties, planted in the ground.  Which reminds me, blueberries require acid soil.

 

[kayb]

4 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

The first question is the harder one to answer.  They are 14 inch pots:

 

 

 

Often I find a berry or three when I go out to water in the evenings and am thankful for what our avian friends have left me.  Though I would not count on enough to make a pie.  Actually two dozen cat birds in puff pastry sounds pretty tempting.

 

The parents of a coworker have six plants and I understand they get a large yield of berries.  I assume theirs are full size varieties, planted in the ground.  Which reminds me, blueberries require acid soil.

 

 

Thanks. These are on my "maybe" list for next year.

 

[Shelby]

Alright.

 

Planted a ton more beets.  Found a seed tape of them that I had bought.  Also, 6 very long rows of green beans and 4 rows of lettuce.

 

And Ronnie transplanted a bunch of cilantro that was growing in the yard for me.  And he also transplanted the Silver Queen corn he's been growing in his green house.  I know, I know.  I will fall over and die if they actually make corn.  

 

edited to add a couple boring pictures.  Well, one boring picture and a picture of Ronnie's corn that is going to probably die lol.

 

Boring picture of just the garden area:

 

 

Ronnie's beloved corn:

 

 

I also got some okra seeds and some delicata (sp?) squash seeds in the ground.  Never had that kind of squash but have read such good things about it here that I had to try.

 

I'm pooped for today...will probably try to plant some more tomorrow.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2017 by Shelby (log)

[Shelby]

Picked the first asparagus today

 

Blurry picture.  The cats were wanting to eat the lilacs 

 

[ElainaA]

This time of year I am so jealous of you that live in warmer growing zones. The snow is finally all gone here (for now - the local weather person reminded us today that the average snowfall here in April is 4-6 inches ) I did pull the mulch off the garlic bed and the sprouts are about 4" high. I have tomato and basil seedlings growing inside under lights. We put the cover on the hoop house last weekend. I would love to get the main garden tilled soon. Due to some drama in my daughter's life I may be away for awhile - the worst time for my garden but of course she comes first.

[Toliver]

20 hours ago, Shelby said:

Picked the first asparagus today

 

Blurry picture.  The cats were wanting to eat the lilacs 

 

@Shelby I was concerned about your garden...I heard parts of Kansas got some serious rain/flooding and hail yesterday. 

I hope all is well where you are!

[Shelby]

2 hours ago, Toliver said:

@Shelby I was concerned about your garden...I heard parts of Kansas got some serious rain/flooding and hail yesterday. 

I hope all is well where you are!

All good here!  Thank you!  Storms are on there way though from now until like Monday....BUT we don't have much that has emerged from the dirt so.....

[Paul Bacino]

Tarragon is UP!!!

 

 

 

[kayb]

Garden Phase 1 is completed. Bush limas, Sugar Baby watermelon, canteloupe, yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant planted today. Straw spread throughout garden to keep weeds down.

 

Phase 2 will happen in a month or so, when the lettuce, radishes, carrots, etc. are finished and I'l go behind them with pole beans and okra.

 

Going to pick up a larger freezer on Sunday afternoon. 

Edited April 20, 2017 by kayb
to fix typo. (log)

[sartoric]

A small haul of radishes, which will be a part of dinner tonight. More seeds are being sown as I type.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, sartoric said:

A small haul of radishes, which will be a part of dinner tonight. More seeds are being sown as I type.

 

 

Wait, aren't you going into winter?

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

12 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Wait, aren't you going into winter?

 

 

Sure, but radishes are a cool weather crop. They grew very well in Vermont in spring and fall. Probably could have grown peas up there too, but sadly never did. I've tried to grow peas in the South several times, but by the time the soil is warm enough, they don't have time to mature. There is definitely something to be said for cool weather crops.