Chief Dick Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) It's almost that time. My garden sucked whomper balls last year. Of course, last year was the first year I've gardened at the new house, and the soil was pretty much all clay. So I've spent the last 6 months amending the soil with leaves, grass clippings, vegetable scraps, etc. To paint a picture for you, when I turned the soil last year, there was not one earthworm to be found. I planted some seeds indoors for tomatos and peppers just to see if I can get them big enough to plant by the end of April. They are growing, but not at the rate I would have expected. The plan this year is to also plant some asparagus in the back waste area of my yard. It's an easement between me and my back neighbor, but they don't take care of it. My plan is to plant it and let it overtake the whole area. I figure, if they don't care and won't maintain it, it will just look like another Josh Gordon to them. For me, asparagus heaven. The main garden this year will just have the basics: tomatos, green peppers, cukes, and green beens. Maybe some sugar snap peas for the kids, but they never make it to the house as they eat them right off the vine. Edited March 8, 2012 by Chief Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 won't be long. I have onions out there right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenzal rhomb Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Cant wait for homegrown eggplant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) It pains me to say I might bag it this year even though I love it so much. The groundhog just broke my spirits last year. All that work and money and effort went right down that fat little bastards gullet. I am not home all day and cant protect it. I bought a trap that the chipmunks ate the bait out of every day and I dont really want to kill it with the poison that people I know used to get rid of theirs so I might just bag it Edited March 8, 2012 by whomper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 It pains me to say I might bag it this year even though I love it so much. The groundhog just broke my spirits last year. All that work and money and effort went right down that fat little bastards gullet. I am not home all day and cant protect it. I bought a trap that the chipmunks ate the bait out of every day and I dont really want to kill it with the poison that people I know used to get rid of theirs so I might just bag it You make me weep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Just got in from the garden. Its been real warm here in VA. Today it was in the 80's. I sowed some lettuce, musclin, swiss chard, carrots, okra and beans. I'm going to hit the garden center tomorrow and see if tomato plants are out. I NEVER got started this early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowboutthemCowboys Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 The main garden this year will just have the basics: tomatos, green peppers, cukes, and green beens. Maybe some sugar snap peas for the kids, but they never make it to the house as they eat them right off the vine. I've found it alot easier to keep it to the basics myself. I've grown damn near everything at one time or another and by the time you blanch and freeze some things like peas, green beans, brussells sprouts...it's easier to just buy them frozen and tastes damn near as good. Not to mention once peas and beans start coming you've gotta pick them every day. My kid's done with little league now and I have time to get a garden in for the 1st time in 4 years. It pains me to say I might bag it this year even though I love it so much. The groundhog just broke my spirits last year. All that work and money and effort went right down that fat little bastards gullet. I am not home all day and cant protect it. I bought a trap that the chipmunks ate the bait out of every day and I dont really want to kill it with the poison that people I know used to get rid of theirs so I might just bag it wuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Starting very small this year with just some basics and keeping expectations low. We have every varmint you could imagine around here. I saw something crossing the street today that looked like a cross between a beaver and a basset hound. Anyway I've got two of those cedar 4x4 raised beds, so far I've got a tomato plant, two peppers, cucumbers, and a bunch of herbs. Gonna plant tomorrow and see how much room I have left. And I'll use traps, poisons, firearms, explosives, whatever it takes to eradicate the vermin. On a separate note if you guys ever visit Epcot, do the greenhouse tour. They do all hydroponics and it's mind-blowing. They get 500 lbs of tomatoes from one plant. They had pepper plants hanging from a conveyor with the roots hanging free and jets spraying them with nutrients as they passed by. I want to try a hydroponic system at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Are you supplementing with~13 hours of grow lights? Nah. They are catching up now. Been putting them outside since it's been 80 here for 2 weeks. I won't put them in the ground for another few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dug Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Been wanting to start a garden- but have never done it before. Any suggestions on how to start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 It pains me to say I might bag it this year even though I love it so much. The groundhog just broke my spirits last year. All that work and money and effort went right down that fat little bastards gullet. I am not home all day and cant protect it. I bought a trap that the chipmunks ate the bait out of every day and I dont really want to kill it with the poison that people I know used to get rid of theirs so I might just bag it We use raised beds that I nailed wire mesh to the bottom of and filled with a few inches of perma-til at the bottom before we put in the topsoil and amendments. That's pretty bomb proof way to keep the tunnelling varmints out. Our biggest garden pests are our chickens that will house any uncovered bed in an afternoon. So we solved that by covering the beds with chicken wire. That, of course, will keep out many other pests. A bit of work, but you only have to do it once. As far as our garden is concerned, we've got garlic and onions that over wintered and the last of our over-wintered carrots, arugula, and lettuce. Just went in with some more lettuce and cauliflower and are about to kick it into high gear. We're putting more peppers in the front yard this year even though swammi thinks that's not cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingfootball Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Last year I bought one of these peppers... http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1353/ As much as I love hot food, it just doesnt agree with me as much anymore. These peppers are great, I'm going to plant about 8 or 10 of these and freeze what I dont use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingfootball Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Been wanting to start a garden- but have never done it before. Any suggestions on how to start? Call dig-rite. But seriously if you got questions I'll help with what I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Last year I bought one of these peppers... http://davesgarden.c...cles/view/1353/ As much as I love hot food, it just doesnt agree with me as much anymore. These peppers are great, I'm going to plant about 8 or 10 of these and freeze what I dont use. You have any asparagus this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingfootball Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Picked about a pound of it today. Going to grill it tomorrow night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Picked about a pound of it today. Going to grill it tomorrow night. Well...you know....uh....if you have some extra.....uh.......you know, just to get rid of and stuff....let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingfootball Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Sure, we can meet up and grab a brew some weekend and I will bring some up. I usually make it to the city about once a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 The Famine is over. After two years of hardly getting a tomato this year has to be the best ever. I am talking large, juicy and excellent taste. I have so many, so many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Mine are still green. :kicks rock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slambo Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Mine are still green. :kicks rock: Same here, but I've got a lot of them, soon though. I am harvesting quite a few bell and jalapeno peppers on a regular basis. A nice patch of basil is producing. I'll have onions at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 Mine is definitely better this year, just now getting red. Not getting a bunch though. Considering where they soil was last year, I'm pleased. Going to have to cut some trees this winter to get more sun there though. Peppers are slow to come and the beans never really took. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 An unseasonally hot late June has sort of messed with tihngs. It caused the zukes and cukes to basically shoot their wads early and are now done. We've also found that our tomatoes don't turn red unless the nights are cool(ish) and the days are hot. Something that certainly was not the case of late as the overnight lows were still in the 80s. It's starting to drop into the high 60s at night now, so that should change. But our romas are bushy as hell with tons of fruit setting, our sungolds are also loaded. Our beefsteaks are doing OK but not like the others. Mind you, the chickens got into that bed and caused a little damage. If the pimentos start to set some fruit, I may have the best sweet pepper crop I've ever had because the plants are getting pretty big. In the past, it's been all I could do to prevent fruit set even when the plants were tiny. Something that resulted in larger, sweet peppers getting neither large nor particularly sweet. So, fingers crossed. As usual, the stars of the garden are the hard squash that just germinate themselves because of poorly composted seeds. Last year my wife bought some of those tiny little pumpkins for decoration and, well, she's not going to have to this year. Also, plenty of butternut squash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Threw in a 4-pack of cucumbers, had no idea how many I'd get. Every day there are 4 or 5 huge ones ready to pick, more than we can use. All the herbs are doing great, as well as the Better Boy and grape tomatoes. Peppers not so much, but they're trying. I want to plant a bunch of stuff for fall/winter harvest. Suggestions for what to plant and when? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Threw in a 4-pack of cucumbers, had no idea how many I'd get. Every day there are 4 or 5 huge ones ready to pick, more than we can use. All the herbs are doing great, as well as the Better Boy and grape tomatoes. Peppers not so much, but they're trying. I want to plant a bunch of stuff for fall/winter harvest. Suggestions for what to plant and when? We generally plant our fall stuff in August. My suggestion is that you google "plenting guide <your general area>". Chances are, there's an ag school nearby who publishes one with date ranges for each veggie. Here's one published by NC State that we use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Zucchini and squash were abundant for 2 months, dead now. Tomatoes were looking GLORIOUS and setting a lot of fruit, about three weeks ago, even with watering, they have shriveled up and died. Of the 26 tomaotes I planted only 5 are still viable. Peppers, all sorts, are going absolutely nuts and have so much fruit on them that I am losing some smaller limbs. I have had to cull some of the mid-size and small peppers to keep the plants in tact. Corn is about to be ready, but has taken 5 weeks from tassel to really develop the kernel, seems like a long time as the tassels on the outside have been black for about 3 weeks. Cantaloupe are putting out a lot of vines but a moderate amount of fruit, I have picked 5 this week, the first was bland the other two I have cut have been delicious. The watermelon are doing the same dance as the cantaloupe. THough, with the torrential rains this week, two have split prematurely. Okra is being attacked by something big that is eating the leaves off. Beans, pinto and green, have done nothing but turn yellow and die. Radishes were planted too late and never did well. The cucumbers, well, only two seeds germinated, produced nothing. I have been an utter failure this year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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