Garden Thread #2

Botch

After 9 years or so of trying, I got my best tomato crop last summer:
Nine of them, cherry tomatoes.  After watering daily all spring/summer long.
I'm done with tomatoes.  F*&#^%! them!  There's a couple cuties who sell them cheep at the local farmer's market, that's where I'll get them from now on. 
I've been much luckier with herbs, will plant a full variety again this weekend.  
And no more "mosquito plants".  It grew fabulously, and I picked the leaves and scrubbed them into my skin, it seemed to plant a "target" for the damn things.  

NC_Egghead

Chubbs said:

NC_Egghead said:

@HoustonEgger, nice set up. 

I've been fighting the deer and rabbits for the past few seasons. Rabbits are jumping over the low chicken wire "fence" I rigged around my beans. I have to put up 7' tall netting to keep the deer out. I enjoy my vegetable garden but those varmints are getting the best of me. Oh yeah, the birds too! I was eyeballing this jug of deer and rabbit repellent at Costco the other day. Looks like it's a crystal-like product you sprinkle on the ground, sorta like fire ant killer. I could put it outside the perimeter of the garden so there's no worries about what I'm eating. According to the instructions, the animals don't like the smell so they move away from it. Just wondering how effective it could be and if it's a better mousetrap than what I've got going on now. I'm trying to not have to put up both a 3' chicken wire fence AND the 7' nylon netting. It's a real pita! Anyone have any experience with this product or something similar? 

My ultimate solution would be to have a pet mountain lion but I haven't seen any on Amazon lately!

Try Milorganite. You can get a bag for $12 from big box store. Natural fertilizer but deer hate smell of it. 

Thanks @Chubbs, I just checked out the website and it looks promising. I remember my Dad using milorganite 45-50 years ago in the yard. Also looks like a cheaper alternative to the stuff I saw in Costco. 

I still want a mountain lion.

theyolksonyou

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jjjOgp2aFpA

@NC_Egghead

NC_Egghead

@theyolksonyou, that's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I've seen that commercial before; hilarious! Dadgum deer don't have any natural predators. 

Chubbs

Fred19Flintstone said:

We built some benches last year for some lightweight gardening.  I think we'll build another for herbs.  We learned a lot and will apply that to improve this year's garden.  This is from last year.

Nice work Fred! Biggest thing is your soil. Build a good soil and you will have luck. Keep it up!

fishlessman

Botch said:

After 9 years or so of trying, I got my best tomato crop last summer:
Nine of them, cherry tomatoes.  After watering daily all spring/summer long.
I'm done with tomatoes.  F*&#^%! them!  There's a couple cuties who sell them cheep at the local farmer's market, that's where I'll get them from now on. 
I've been much luckier with herbs, will plant a full variety again this weekend.  
And no more "mosquito plants".  It grew fabulously, and I picked the leaves and scrubbed them into my skin, it seemed to plant a "target" for the damn things.  

never seen a mosquito plant til last year, put one inside before the fall frost and its gotta be 10 foot tall now they make a nice place for mosquitoes to hide right before the attack

warwoman

HoustonEgger said:

Just moved in last year - so this is the first year in these beds. Built them myself and used the old patio pavers for the walkway. Vertical garden was made from old trellis from the previous owners and $.99 cent containers from Ikea - just finished that this weekend and already lost 2 plants to the squirrels 


Bed #1:

Left to right:

Back row: 

Green beans on trellis

Cherry tomatoes

Beefsteak tomatoes 3x

Matts pride tomatoes

Lemon boy tomatoes

San Marzano tomatoes 2x

Eggplant

Middle row:

Marigolds and lilies

Sun gold tomatoes

Early girl tomatoes 2x

Jumbo red tomatoes 2x

Sweet 100 tomatoes

Yellow bell pepper

Front row:

Thai and Genoese basil

Bush beans

Swiss chard

Draws blue kale

Multi color carrots

Radish

Green onion

Sage

Large Bed #2

Left to right: 

Back row -

Eggplant

Sugar snap peas

Large cayenne pepper

Red savina pepper

Eds carolina reaper pepper

Orange habanero 2x

Hot rod hybrid pepper

Eggplant

Middle row: 

Green bell pepper

Red bell pepper 2x

Biker billy jalapeño 2x

Big Jim new Mexico pepper

Poblano pepper 

Marigolds and lilies 

Front row:

Curly basil

Radish

Mesclun 

Purple kale

Bush beans

Chives

Swiss chard 

Yellow zucchini

Middle Bed has a variety of zucchini & herbs. Potato box is all Yukon golds - looks like I'll need to build a taller box soon!

I'm definitely impressed! You DO know what your doing!!! I've been in charge of our community garden for the last six years, and I still have gardeners who wouldn't think of going the "raised bed" route....only way to go!

HoustonEgger

@NC_Egghead - I installed PVC pipes inside the beds with caps before I filled it with dirt - that way, when the tomatoes start to come in, I can easily add supports for netting to at least keep the squirrels out (I hope). If not, a mountain lion may be on my list too

Chubbs

Agree @warwoman. Raised beds is only way I would do a home garden. Key word is garden. Some on here have farms! 

fishlessman

Chubbs said:

Agree @warwoman. Raised beds is only way I would do a home garden. Key word is garden. Some on here have farms! 

its amazing what you can get out of a raised bed, ive been stuffing about 60 plants in 3 fortytwo inch circles and they produce well with very little work, almost no weeds and im watering just on weekends

NDG

nice to see this thread back!  It now feels like SPRING .  . I gotta get my raised bed & planters started ASAP.

bgebrent

Our in-town set up.  Raised beds with tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash and romaine and butter lettuce.  Bed 2 rosemary, oregano, sage, parsley, thyme, jalapeños, chives, basil and more lettuce.


This is our lake set-up.  Tomatoes, basil and bay on the deck.  In the raised bed, cilantro, cucumber, parsley, jalapeño, lettuce and tomatoes.  We put herbs out in the ground as they survive our Georgia winters-lemon thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano.  Also have mint growing in the ground.
My wife is the brains, she cultivates all this.  I dig holes when instructed to do so and build simple cedar raised beds.  We love eating out of the garden.  Happy spring!

Chubbs

Another benefit of raised beds--- picking my first weeds in the 3 years of having my beds. Never had more weeds than I have in my yard right now. Not good considering I have been focusing on my yard this year. Better not quit my day job <span></span>

northGAcock

Spent a couple of hours at the SC State Farmers Market this morning. Ready to lay in my fresh herbs for the summer season. 

Chubbs

northGAcock said:

Spent a couple of hours at the SC State Farmers Market this morning. Ready to lay in my fresh herbs for the summer season. 

Nice buddy. Working in the garden today when I get back from sons soccer game.  Planting my herb bed 

Chubbs

For those who were interested last year here is how I top my pepper seedlings. You can see the baby leaves at bottom and 4 true leaves then a chopped main stem. Wait until you have several true leaves. Leave at least 4 true leaves then cut the main stem removing the top of plant. This puts its energy into bulking up the existing plants and forcing new growth in a more compact manner so you have a stronger bushier plant. It also increases yields. I topped half of mine last year. The topped peppers far exceeding the ones I let do their thing. 

chrisc133

Here's my small garden...the squash, zucchini and peppers are taking off. The eggplant and tomatoes have only been planted for a few days. 

johnmitchell

Just finished planting an assortment of herbs to surround my egg.. The rosemary that I got at Costco smells awesome.. Now to cut the grass..

johnmitchell

Added some hanging baskets and commissioned the humming bird feeder.. Just doing some final tweaks...

northGAcock

Planted some fresh herbs while working my beds today. Quite modist compared to what many of you agriculturest have displayed here. Beautiful weather today / tonight.

theyolksonyou

@northGAcock you need to put Luke to work at you house instead of the ball field. He's quite the groundskeeper. 

northGAcock

He is in the dog house with his lady cause he went to the game on Sunday with me. I bought a few Lavender plants for him to give her as they are her favorites. He stopped by to pick them up but could not get $hit for work out of him. Its always fun to see him groval though. I am certain he planted them her her.......but think he likly didn't get far.

E-ville Egg

Her is last years garden in July. I'm still at least a month out from putting plants in the ground.

E-ville Egg

NitsujNella

Chubbs said:

For those who were interested last year here is how I top my pepper seedlings. You can see the baby leaves at bottom and 4 true leaves then a chopped main stem. Wait until you have several true leaves. Leave at least 4 true leaves then cut the main stem removing the top of plant. This puts its energy into bulking up the existing plants and forcing new growth in a more compact manner so you have a stronger bushier plant. It also increases yields. I topped half of mine last year. The topped peppers far exceeding the ones I let do their thing. 

Hey Chubbs...see you're in Columbia...i live up the road in Florence.  I may have to stop in and take a look at this garden the next time i'm in Columbia.  Try to go there at least once a month to hit up Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  Thanks for the tip on topping the pepper plants.  Will defintely do that this year.  We're planting our garden this weekend.  Do you recommend topping tomato plants as well?  Ours always seem to grow real tall and non bushy with a very small yield.  

Chubbs

NitsujNella said:

Chubbs said:

For those who were interested last year here is how I top my pepper seedlings. You can see the baby leaves at bottom and 4 true leaves then a chopped main stem. Wait until you have several true leaves. Leave at least 4 true leaves then cut the main stem removing the top of plant. This puts its energy into bulking up the existing plants and forcing new growth in a more compact manner so you have a stronger bushier plant. It also increases yields. I topped half of mine last year. The topped peppers far exceeding the ones I let do their thing. 

Hey Chubbs...see you're in Columbia...i live up the road in Florence.  I may have to stop in and take a look at this garden the next time i'm in Columbia.  Try to go there at least once a month to hit up Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  Thanks for the tip on topping the pepper plants.  Will defintely do that this year.  We're planting our garden this weekend.  Do you recommend topping tomato plants as well?  Ours always seem to grow real tall and non bushy with a very small yield.  

If you can find my other thread "Any Gardeners Out there" I discuss single stemming tomatoes. 

Depends on what type of tomato you plant. If determinate or indeterminate. I do indeterminate so they produce all season. They create "suckers". If you leave them on the plant focuses it's energy on producing and growing foliage versus the actual fruit. So start with removing the suckers. Then if they are creating flowers but not setting fruit, try spraying the flower buds with apple juice. It should help them set. Here is a picture of a sucker. They grow in the "armpit" of the main stem and a branch. Remove them. 

NitsujNella

Chubbs said:

NitsujNella said:

Chubbs said:

For those who were interested last year here is how I top my pepper seedlings. You can see the baby leaves at bottom and 4 true leaves then a chopped main stem. Wait until you have several true leaves. Leave at least 4 true leaves then cut the main stem removing the top of plant. This puts its energy into bulking up the existing plants and forcing new growth in a more compact manner so you have a stronger bushier plant. It also increases yields. I topped half of mine last year. The topped peppers far exceeding the ones I let do their thing. 

Hey Chubbs...see you're in Columbia...i live up the road in Florence.  I may have to stop in and take a look at this garden the next time i'm in Columbia.  Try to go there at least once a month to hit up Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  Thanks for the tip on topping the pepper plants.  Will defintely do that this year.  We're planting our garden this weekend.  Do you recommend topping tomato plants as well?  Ours always seem to grow real tall and non bushy with a very small yield.  

If you can find my other thread "Any Gardeners Out there" I discuss single stemming tomatoes. 

Depends on what type of tomato you plant. If determinate or indeterminate. I do indeterminate so they produce all season. They create "suckers". If you leave them on the plant focuses it's energy on producing and growing foliage versus the actual fruit. So start with removing the suckers. Then if they are creating flowers but not setting fruit, try spraying the flower buds with apple juice. It should help them set. Here is a picture of a sucker. They grow in the "armpit" of the main stem and a branch. Remove them. 

Sweet!  Thanks for the tips.  Off to hunt for the other topic and read up!  What do you recommend fertilizing the soil with.  Our current bed is probably about 5ft wide by about 15ft-20ft long.  We used manure last year but looking to possibly use something else.

poster

Lol, I sure hope the last of the snow is melted off the deck by this weekend, the house looks like a forest with all the wifes plants, and I still have at least a month to wait before I am out of frost danger.

YukonRon

I have fed my plants for years using 10-10-10, a general purpose fertilizer. It makes the roots vigorous and the vegetables hearty and delicious. I use about a tea spoon per plant every 4-6 weeks. Makes flowers absolutely stunning, in size and quantity.

NitsujNella

FYI...here's your old thread Chubbs.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1176894/ot-any-gardeners-out-there/p1