What's in your Garden?

It's almost time :mrgreen:

What are you going to plant in your garden, flowerbeds, or hanging pots?

Tomatoes are a must for me, but this time instead of Romas, I'll be growing about 90% Beef Masters. They're just so yummy and make much better salsa than the Roma.

Instead of the tomato cages, I'll have them growing up through horizontal twine tied between some iron stakes.

Then I'll have my Sunflowers again. Last year didn't turn out so good, I thinned them out too late, and they didn't take too well to the relocating.

Then my wife's always gotta have squash and cucumbers... :roll:

Down here in Southern Utah the growing season has been underway for over a month!:haha:

-Peas
-Beets
-Onions
-Strawberries
-Blackberries
-Raspberries (doubt they will do great but it was worth a shot)
-Corn (went in last week)
-Tomatoes, Peppers, etc (Doing great in the greenhouse, hope to move them out soon)
-Also in the greenhouse (I work at Pine View Middle who shares a greenhouse with the City of Washington) Lettuce, Chard, and Spinach

This year I hope to stop relying so much on commercial farming with their genetically altered, pesticide plants!!!

Oooo , I love my garden! although, I'm more of a hopeful gardener rather than a good one - we just dont get quite enough sun, but hey, we've yielded some crops. Tomatoes were terrible last year - tomato plight. I also do squashes and cucumbers - love them both! Peppers - green and red, although they grow in minature due to the lack of intense sun. Also do lettuce and spinach with I LOVE having fresh!! Basil and all the herbs. Eggplant, chives, onion. I've had terrible luck with peas.

Peas, green beans, Beef Master Tomatoes, some other Tomatoes, Squash, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Onions, maybe some sunflowers, Tons of Herbs, and some peppers for my salsa needs :)

My peas are in and up already. I will plant green beans, corn, beets, cucumbers, tomatos, peppers, three kinds of squash...no make that four. I have to try butternut squash since I fell in love with butternut soup. I will plant basil and other herbs although my oregano is already producing. I hope to prepare beds for grapes and more berries this year. I already have a bunch of thornless blackberries that are soooo good. I also have 9 fruit trees so I probably won't plant any more this year -- sorta out of space now. I will continue to shred and compost all my garden waste and grass clippings. I have one of those giant green barrel composters. Gardening and yard work is good therapy for me.

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Originally Posted by TreeHugger

Tomatoes were terrible last year - tomato plight.

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We had this same thing last year, the bottoms of the tomato were rotting, right? Luckily we got right on it and bought some spray, I believe it was caused by a calcium deficiency. They turned around in about a week and a half.

Decided to blog our new green thumb skillz. The Swanson Garden Experience. Only a couple of small beds for now - I am going to put in two more of the same size, but not sure if that will be this year or next...

Attachment 33509

http://richardbarron.net/giantmuh/20...28/plantation/

Kev, can I hotlink to your new garden blog from my blog? Can I use the word blog a few more times? Blog?

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What's in your Garden?

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Lots of cold ground. We usually have frost until mid June and sometimes later. Things like raspberries and things that grow under ground (potatoes or carrots) work here as does winter wheat, but you can't grow things like tomatoes.

Peas and beans went in a couple of weeks ago. Peas just peeked through the soil. Strawberries have already turned from blossoms to little berries. Blueberries have bloomed and the blackberries are greened out nicely. Tomatoes in pots and some squash and carrots in some new mini planter boxes I just put together.

Still nothing planted. I hear there's another snowstorm coming. Those Mother's Day tomatoes might have to wait a bit. But I did till it up this weekend.

i dont think the storms are going to end! BLAHH!

Currently I am growing weeds. My ground is still to wet to till and prepare the soil. My peas are up however. I planted them quite a long time ago and they are about 2" tall. I need about 2-3 days of sun and warmth to be able to till then it will all go in.

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Originally Posted by live2ride

i dont think the storms are going to end! BLAHH!

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I hope not. :mrgreen:

We're planting roma's for bruschetta, beef masters for everything else, carrots for the dogs, and I already have raspberries, strawberries, pears, plumbs and a ton of herbs growing. Sage, onion, thyme, oregano, basil, and cinnamon basil. We've actually roto-tilled a spot in the back for a new garden and haven't decided entirely on what to plant.

We like to eat Italian meals with fresh, homegrown herbs and vegetables.

What I really want is olive oil on tap. Yum.

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Originally Posted by Richard Barron

http://richardbarron.net/giantmuh/20...28/plantation/

Kev, can I hotlink to your new garden blog from my blog? Can I use the word blog a few more times? Blog?

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Sure Richard, that's fine. :ahh:

One thing about living where I do is that, despite not having a lot of heat during the growing season, we have a relatively long season. We haven't had frost since January, and probably won't until mid-November. The rain helps, plus we live in one of the sunniest areas of Vancouver - twice the average sun of the North Shore. The mix of water and sun = good growth.

The day the garden started:
Attachment 33555

Compost only, no fertilizer, 17 days after transplanting/sowing:
Attachment 33556

We're very happy, so far!

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Originally Posted by Sombeech

We had this same thing last year, the bottoms of the tomato were rotting, right? Luckily we got right on it and bought some spray, I believe it was caused by a calcium deficiency. They turned around in about a week and a half.

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IT IS caused by a calcium deficiency, but the deficiency is caused by irregular waterings. In other words, if you don't water for a few days during really hot weather and the soil dries up, the plant can't access the calcium in the soil because the soil has dried up to the point where the roots can't absorb the calcium in the soil. Calcium is only available when it is soluble, and if the soil is dried up it's no longer soluble. Some things that might help this are to plant tomatoes in soil with a higher content of clay (clay holds moisture longer than sandy soil). Another thing you can try is to cover the soil around the base of your tomatoes with something like straw - this prevents the soil around the tomatoes from drying up so quickly.

Good luck. :2thumbs:

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Originally Posted by rockgremlin

Another thing you can try is to cover the soil around the base of your tomatoes with something like straw - this prevents the soil around the tomatoes from drying up so quickly.

Good luck. :2thumbs:

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I use grass clippings. I do keep the clippings a couple of inches from the plants though. I tried straw in my garden once and that stuff was full of seeds of all kinds of weeds.

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Originally Posted by Spooky

and a ton of herbs growing.

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Very nice. :bandit2: :lol8:

I still haven't planted a thing. Like others...too wet. :cold:

I have a full garden at my moms with all the standards in garden food. pumpkins as well. about 60 feet of 6 foot high chain link fence all covered in grapes for the last 10 years or so.
That one anyone that wants anything out of it gets to tend weeds and help me put it in each year.
My own personal smaller one at home I keep tomatoes, getting ready to put in some raspberry bushes next to the fence, more for thorns than for berries. Starting on some asparagus this year, but since it takes 2 years to start producing, its gonna be a while before we find out how well that does. If I had a place to put some potato plants Id be happy. Taters and maters are what I like to keep on hand for easy reach at home, anything else I drive to my moms and get it, its only a 5 minute drive. That leaves most of my yard for flowers and bushes and herbs that I like walking past and smelling, but do nto think I have ever used any for actually eating.
Fresh rosemary and lemon thyme how ever are great to have near the windows that get opened at night.

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Originally Posted by accadacca

Very nice. :bandit2: :lol8:

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Hey now, those herbs grow in the back closet. With the special lights. Y'know.