Garden Thread #2

Dredger

@chrisc133, how do you like your Earthboxes? That's all we use now.

This year, we'll do tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Maybe a few more things, but that's the main items on our agenda. We have the automatic watering system that we'll install this year to make it even easier.

JohnnyTarheel

johnmitchell said:

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

Looks great John. Nice meeting you at Butt Blast!!

JohnnyTarheel

@Chubbs I got it all planted today... I did top the peppers like you suggested.... 

Chubbs

Looks solid @JohnnyTarheel! Think you will like the pepper topping. It sure has helped mine in past few years

chrisc133

Dredger said:

@chrisc133, how do you like your Earthboxes? That's all we use now.

This year, we'll do tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Maybe a few more things, but that's the main items on our agenda. We have the automatic watering system that we'll install this year to make it even easier.

I like my earthboxes a lot. It's crazy to see how much faster they grow then plants in the ground. I'll be harvesting my first round of squash and zucchini this weekend. 

Dredger

I hear ya about how fast they grow @chrisc133. That monster on the right was supposed to get around six feet high. It's a Principe Borghese, which is a plum tomato. If you haven't checked the Earthbox Forum out yet, it's a very helpful place. Check out Gardendoc's posts in the Tips and Tricks section, very helpful.
http://forum.earthbox.com/index.php  

northGAcock

Dredger said:

I hear ya about how fast they grow @chrisc133. That monster on the right was supposed to get around six feet high. It's a Principe Borghese, which is a plum tomato. If you haven't checked the Earthbox Forum out yet, it's a very helpful place. Check out Gardendoc's posts in the Tips and Tricks section, very helpful.
http://forum.earthbox.com/index.php  

$hit Dredger.....there goes another dip in my wallet. 

Dredger

@northGAcock, they really aren't expensive. The planting medium can be re-used for years before changing it out, so in the overall scheme of things, they're pretty cheap and produce a ton of veggies for such a small footprint. We use their staking system, but there are lots of others you could use and the automatic watering system is also optional, but very nice to have. I have a black thumb and needed a system that wouldn't let me kill the plants and this works for us, lol.

chrisc133

northGAcock said:

Dredger said:

I hear ya about how fast they grow @chrisc133. That monster on the right was supposed to get around six feet high. It's a Principe Borghese, which is a plum tomato. If you haven't checked the Earthbox Forum out yet, it's a very helpful place. Check out Gardendoc's posts in the Tips and Tricks section, very helpful.
http://forum.earthbox.com/index.php  

$hit Dredger.....there goes another dip in my wallet. 

I use them because I have very limited area to plant...and they really do produce a lot.  My 4 squash plants have about 10 squash to pull off this weekend..no bad for the end of April.

Satch_Q

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. 

Thanks for the reminder and the pic. I'm going to try this on about a 1/4 of my chiles this year. Just getting the crop circle prepped and the few tomatoes put in. The remaining space will be filled in with 120 or so Big Jim chiles come late May. If your technique leads to increased production I will be able to grant some land back to the wife.

Chubbs

Cool setup @Satch_Q

Dredger

I use them because I have very limited area to plant...and they really do produce a lot.

Kinda the same here @chrisc133. We have a lot of room, but the entire property has an in-ground sprinkler system. Not so good for digging or raised beds. You are also right about the yield from these things. Once summer is in full force, we are absolutely covered up with veggies. I also like the low maintenance. The fertilizer is added at the beginning of the season so you just have to keep the critters and bugs at bay, keep them watered, and pick stuff.

chrisc133

Squash and zucchini are in. Hoping to get a few before the squash grubs kill the plants in June. 

Dredger

@chrisc133, this is a video from Gardendoc on the Earthbox Forum about pest control in your garden that may help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx5u8OrvP3Q&feature=youtu.be I've used his recommendations and it never fails. He is, after all, the head horticulturist at MSU and knows his stuff.

NitsujNella

Ill be planting my plants this weekend and am wondering if i should top my pepper plants before planting.  Here's a pic of one container of them.  Appears they have buds forming already.

Randall_Lee

Be sure to mark your calendars May 7 is World Garden Naked Day, just to keep you up to date.

Chubbs

NitsujNella said:

Ill be planting my plants this weekend and am wondering if i should top my pepper plants before planting.  Here's a pic of one container of them.  Appears they have buds forming already.

I would. You don't want them to thrown fruit so young. I would top them and let them focus on root development and making a sturdier stockier plant. You will be rewarded when more fruit comes off the plant. Try half if skeptical

NitsujNella

Chubbs said:

NitsujNella said:

Ill be planting my plants this weekend and am wondering if i should top my pepper plants before planting.  Here's a pic of one container of them.  Appears they have buds forming already.

I would. You don't want them to thrown fruit so young. I would top them and let them focus on root development and making a sturdier stockier plant. You will be rewarded when more fruit comes off the plant. Try half if skeptical

Thanks @Chubbs!  They're short (only about 6" tall or so) so I wasn't sure as i've read different things.  I'll top them off when I plant them and hope for the best!

Chubbs

NitsujNella said:

Chubbs said:

NitsujNella said:

Ill be planting my plants this weekend and am wondering if i should top my pepper plants before planting.  Here's a pic of one container of them.  Appears they have buds forming already.

I would. You don't want them to thrown fruit so young. I would top them and let them focus on root development and making a sturdier stockier plant. You will be rewarded when more fruit comes off the plant. Try half if skeptical

Thanks @Chubbs!  They're short (only about 6" tall or so) so I wasn't sure as i've read different things.  I'll top them off when I plant them and hope for the best!

If you are skeptical this year only do half and form your own opinion. In my experience the plants have a way of putting out fruit they can handle/support. Y'all thin lanky plants will put out very little fruit. Short stocky plants put out a lot as they can support it. 

Coul

Just got my first Earthbox, an Earthbox Junior, on sale at True Value for 17 bucks. kinda bummed they only reccomend one eggplant to be planted in it but will see what happens. 

Chubbs

Coul said:

Just got my first Earthbox, an Earthbox Junior, on sale at True Value for 17 bucks. kinda bummed they only reccomend one eggplant to be planted in it but will see what happens. 

What are dimensions?  Just plant something other than eggplant in it. Can't go wrong with herbs if you cook a lt. 

Dredger

@Coul, even though they recommend only one per Earthbox Junior, the yield will be much more than you expect if you follow directions. Trust me on this. In the regular sized Earthbox, we plant four cucumber seeds and it produces enough to last us into December with plenty to spare. Don't know why, but it just is. Brother comes to visit, looks at our plants, and says, "Oh that's right, you're just down the road from the Oconee Nuclear Station."

saluki2007

Haven't had a chance to start a garden yet, but did accomplish this over the weekend.  Not too shabby for doing landscaping for the first time.

fishlessman

with this cold rainy weather up here, my apples are turning red

Coul

UPDATE: glad i went with one eggplant in the earthbox since these plants do get HUGE. Since i already had two seedlings, i decided to try and make my own from a 5 gallon bucket. So far, it does seem to be working. 

chrisc133

I need to stake my eggplant this weekend...it's huge too.

fishlessman

i feel like im last to the party we plant memorial day weekend

still room in the middle for cukes





 3 overpacked raised beds, seems to work well in this location


extending my cranberry bog this year so while the vine grows, more tomatoes, these are mostly for sauce. cranberries creeping in from the right



herbs i the old weber plus tomatoes, habs, thai basil, and a cabbage head

HoustonEgger

Not the best pictures due to the morning humidity (taken 2 weeks ago) - but everything is progressing nicely! The sugar snap peas are the only item to not do so well this year. And I lost 2 squash plants - one to the dog and one to the weather (wind blew it over). But tomatoes and peppers are holding strong. The tomatoes are now taller then the fence.

fishlessman

blueberry plants are really thick this year

pinballLooking

The 10 foot tall tomato plants are getting crazy. Off to trim them up.