BT garden thread 2010

You might want to look into square foot gardening.   Using a 3x3 or 4x4 foot raised bed is so much more productive than the old style of row farming is.  It's based on the French intensive method.  Save a lot on effort and cost, too.

Edited by MadMathemagician 2010-03-25 10:26 AM

Due to my move and such, I'll probably just have some flower pot gardens...it's too cold here to do anything yet, and I'm moving right around the time it's normally safe to plant stuff here (Memorial Day.)

I typically plant marigolds and violas, and whatever else I find that I think is pretty.  Next year I'll be able to start from seeds again...it just not worth the hassle this year.

I've been wanting to start a garden, but never made time to build it.

WOW !!!  

I'm not that patient,, i would have picked that tomatoe and eaten it sooner 

this year will be  a bush type cucumber so I don't have vines all over, tomatoes, peppers, green beans ( also bush type) onions, garlic, some potatoes, lettuce.  I might try a watermelon if I have room

thats usually enough for me, and some extras to take over to my sister

 I just have raised boxes in my back yard.   took some 2x14s and cut them in half so it's a 7x7 raised garden.  I do peppers in long flower pots and at least one tomatoe and pepper in a bucket that I hang upside down

Edited by Gaarryy 2010-03-25 10:36 AM

DP 

Edited by Gaarryy 2010-03-25 10:34 AM

I have one small raised bed that's planted with various greens right now.  Since there's so little space, the only way to make room for the hot-weather stuff (principally peppers) will be to eat some of those greens young.     I also have one row of "impulse-buy" broccoli seedlings in that bed.  One croaked early in the game, a few didn't make it through Saturday's snowstorm, two appear to be actually growing.  I've never grown broccoli, we'll see what happens.

I'm also planting peas & beans by the back fence.  Anybody have any purple hull bean seeds?  Last year I ate some of those from the farmer's market and thought, "I HAVE to grow this!"  They are a pinkish black-eyed pea with a purple hull that are apparently common in warmer climes.  I move around a lot and have to re-learn what grows and what doesn't everywhere I go.  The big-box store doesn't carry them, but I'm going to give the more local garden center a shot when I can get out there.

Do cucumbers take over the world?  How do they do with withering scorching heat?  Do they turn bitter?

Mine where all over the place last year so my father sent me some seeds that he uses, it's a bush type cuc, so it doesn' t grow all over.    Mine were ok in the heat last year... for some reason I had many blooms but not a lot of cuc's  for every 4 blooms I'd get one..  no bitterness at all.   I'm in the dallas area so it's pretty sun intense, heat like here

I'm starting my garden this weekend! I'm going to do a small container garden to start. A lot of folks use stock tanks, but I didn't want to spend the money on one. We are remodeling our house, and I happen to have a bathtub in the backyard. Perfect! So I'm going to build a structure to support the tub and use that. I think I'll get some paint and decorate the outside of the tub too. I'll have to post pics when it's done.

Growing up I always had to help my parents with plants around the house.  But I now live downtown so I am forced to use pots on my balcony. 
But last year I scrubbed and stained the deck so we planted some extra flowers and even some green and chili peppers. 
Our condo is currently on the market so I am holding off for a bit to see if we can sell it...then I get a house with actual flowerbeds!  But if not then I guess my planting will probably start in mid-April. Unfortunately I can really only do annuals as we don't have a lot of room indoors for pots full of plants all winter. But I still enjoy my lil' outdoor getaway in downtown Chicago.







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Gardening is still 2 months away here in MN     We don't have sun space, so vegetables are out, but we do have some great shade/part sun flower beds and I have a nice koi pond with water lillies and other water plants.  It is about 4,000 gallons and I have 12 large koi plus about 5 babies from last year, my first koi babies!  They overwinter in a 125 gallon tub in our garage.

I still have to wait another month to start my garden. Last year I had hot cherry peppers, Habanero's, chili peppers, basil, and plum tomatoes. I think I will do the same this year with the addition of egg plant !!!

I've got a little 7x7 raised bed I made last year.  It was my first time trying to grow anything and all I got out of it last year was green beans and basil but I'm hoping to do better this year.  Just put in some broccoli seeds although it may be a touch early.

Also, in OKC, interested to see how your broccoli experience goes.  I have consistently had pest problems with broccoli and cauliflower.  (I don't use pesticides, though.)

I have a small patch on the side of the house.  My 2-year-old son is now my helper.  He's good at digging holes and better at filling them.  He's very excited to garden.

This year it's potatoes (already in the ground), yams, bell peppers, tomatoes, peas, cantaloupe, and garlic.

I started my seeds last week. I am starting with Tomato, bell peppers, relleno, and a mixed pepper.
Since being in Colorado we have to wait until early may to actually get the plants in the ground so just seeds now.

Once it warms up enough, I'll also do zucchini, eggplant, pumpkins, and cucumbers. I'm going to try a few new items this year as well. Trying corn, broccoli, peas, and watermelon.

I trippled the size of my garden last year. I overdid it on the zucchinis, had a total of 6 plants between the green, and yellow squash. Probably going to cut that in half this year. Also moving the pumpkins into their own area. I'll try to get some progress pictures through the summer to help contribute to the thread.

This is my first year with a garden.   I have a 16x16 patch immediately off the back patio that i have tilled but have not planted yet.  (I had some dry weather so decided to get it started)

I've got 3 seed trays started int the basement with:

Jalapeno, Sweet Banana, Green and Yellow Bell - Peppers.
JetStar and Cherry Tomatoes.

I've got seeds for: 
Progress #9 peas.
Spinach
Radish (Red Scarlet Globe)
Trinity Sweet corn (going in a different patch of ground where it won't shade my other plants)
Carrots.
Cucumbers.

And I just picked up 8 Sequoia strawberry plants at Lowe's on Saturday...which will also go in their own patch.

My neighbor has 4.5 apple trees and 2 cherry trees they don't do anything with that I'm thinking about adopting this year.  Still need to get permission to hit them with some BioNeem to keep the bugs off. (and get some netting for the cherry trees.  the birds picked'em  clean in a few hours last year.)

Hoping to do some canning this year too.  (first year for that as well)


Yeah, I'm a "jump right in the deep end" kinda guy.....

This user's post has been ignored.

i'm planning on doing a 3x4 raised bed alongside my porch - 1 tomato plant, 1 pepper plant, cucumbers, and zucchini.  might do a little raspberry plant in there, just to see if i can get anything out of it.  i have a tiny tiny little townhouse on a tiny tiny little yard, but the side of my house is very sunny most of the time.  i have a little pot of herbs started on the porch too. 

i've been reading lots of books on the evil of industrial food and the american diet lately, and i'm completely brainwashed.  if only the homeowner's association would approve a chicken coop...

OH and in the fall, i'm going to put a pear tree in the front yard!  maybe...

Edited by meherczeg 2010-03-25 12:34 PM

Marilyn -

You can join the darkside like I did and join the condo/homeowners board and then you can approve anything you want for the association

I have a townhouse as well. I did Zucchinni two years ago and it took over my whole little yard .

My parents have a pear tree in their back yard - it gets 100s and 100s of pears every year (assuming it doesn't freeze after the blossoms bloom). Nummy! They also used to have two peach trees but they died when I was little.

I want so badly to have my own garden, but I have no green thumb whatsoever. I tried to grow tomatoes and peppers last year and failed miserably. I need to edjamacate myself. The only luck I've had is with an Italian parsley plant - woohoo.
 

awesome, i LOVE some grilled zucchinis!!!