Gardening 2024

[Kdf101]

Going to build a new mulch bin this year. Last year we built a fence around the garden to keep the stupid dogs from laying in the raised beds.

 

[XDdreams]

I'm really looking forward to the new growing season. Fresh tomatoes are my candy. Many years, I have a large tomato as my birthday cake and we plop a candle in it for good measure.

Speaking of tomatoes, what methods do you all use to hold them up? Cages, Florida weave, etc? Do you prune or not?

 

[miguel]

problems and solutions

I love watching little dogs tear the place up.

 

[snapping turtle]

I love watching little dogs tear the place up.

 

[miguel]

Again, I say this is fantastic!

Everyone loves to see a video of a Malnois jumping through a car window or German Shepherd tackling some guy in the open field, but this is like watching two 120lb pro boxers going at it in the ring!

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I'm really looking forward to the new growing season. Fresh tomatoes are my candy. Many years, I have a large tomato as my birthday cake and we plop a candle in it for good measure.

Speaking of tomatoes, what methods do you all use to hold them up? Cages, Florida weave, etc? Do you prune or not?

Several years I got a couple of rolls of concrete reinforcing mesh to make cages that were four feet tall and about 20 inches in diameter. The first ones I made are one-piece cages, but my second ones I made in two halves, like clam shells that I tie together when I put them up and when taken apart, they take up much less space in the barn over the winter. I garden on 4' X 20' raised beds and I space nine cages down the center of each bed, with a thick straw mulch. I usually plant beets and carrots in the space at the edges of the tomato beds. I always start out pruning my tomato plants to a set number of vines per plant, but that's something I never keep up with, and by the end of the season, it gets away from me.

 

[Cozy439]

Several years I got a couple of rolls of concrete reinforcing mesh to make cages that were four feet tall and about 20 inches in diameter. The first ones I made are one-piece cages, but my second ones I made in two halves, like clam shells that I tie together when I put them up and when taken apart, they take up much less space in the barn over the winter. I garden on 4' X 20' raised beds and I space nine cages down the center of each bed, with a thick straw mulch. I usually plant beets and carrots in the space at the edges of the tomato beds. I always start out pruning my tomato plants to a set number of vines per plant, but that's something I never keep up with, and by the end of the season, it gets away from me.

Pictures?!?!

 

[snapping turtle]

The onion seeds are up. Cabbage is up also. Some herbs up and some look like they needed a soak before planting. Once the cabbages get established enough they will get planted outside. They survive fine In Cold and snow.

feb 27 or closer always start pepper plants as they grow slow so they will come next, maybe some early tomatoes and we have paste tomatoes that we are going to do this year for sauces and such.

someone asked about tomatoes and what we do we them: determinate types get cages. This year there will be many of them as the paste type are determinate.I often grow onions beets and other items around the tomatoe cages. Radish seem to love the shade when it gets hot but no use in planting them after June ends until august ends because the heat makes them nasty to eat.

My cherries and indeterminate types grow on a 10 foot poles attached to fence posts in the ground and we prune them into a single vine. You can watch how to trim the on you tube. Often the cherries and a couple of good regular indeterminate large tomatoes exceed the 10 foot poles and then drop back down but I have yet to have one go 20 feet because of the growing season here. Just not quite enough time.

as the concrete wire cages go well picture this roll the wire into a 28 inch diameter circle and cut it. Then count the half of the squares (I know maths be tough but you can do it) and cut it. Leave the wires cut side loose ends and that is how they attach. Use a fence hammer tool or even channel locks to bend the metal around the wire square and you have a 20 inch circle with 4 inch ties. I then use a piece of rebar and some wire ties to stake the whole thing to the ground as high winds can even with this setup tip over.

 

[PistolBob]

Plating this year:

Green Beans, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Onions, Summer Squash, Serrano Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Watermelons, and Pumpkins. Putting Acorn and Butternut Squash in the back garden. We planted about 150 garlic plants last fall and they are all doing very well.

We can or pickle most of this stuff. Dill relish, sweet relish, diced tomatoes, french style green beans, Squash and pumpkin hunks for making fall soups, and we do a bunch of dried beans and ham in Quarts.

 

[R3p1lc3]

She needs to face her fears. Just ask any therapist?

Win, win, win is her getting over the fear.

Thrown her on some Jordan Peterson and have her face her dragon!

i'm hoping to get some tomatoes going this year.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Pictures?!?!

Like I had said, my cages are made of concrete re-mesh, in two halves that I tie together for use, and cut apart for easier storage. Below you can see where two tomato cage halves are tied together. You can see that after I cut the wires from the roll, I left enough on each cut end to wrap around the edge wire. I figured that would be stronger than just the welds as they get banged around over the years. Also, each half is 6 squares wide. The squares are 6" X 6", making the finished cage about 24" diameter when two halves are tied together.



Below you can see my cages still set up from last year, since I left them up all winter (ha, don't judge). Instead of staking each cage, I slide lengths of conduit through the cages, tie them up with baler twine, and then use two T-posts to hold all of them up. I put a thick straw mulch on the bottom. My beds are 4' X 20' and I put the cages in the center, and then I plant carrots and/or beets at the edges of the beds. I get the big spools of baler twine from TSC and I also get big spools of the lighter jute twine on Amazon.

 

[Cozy439]

Like I had said, my cages are made of concrete re-mesh, in two halves that I tie together for use, and cut apart for easier storage. Below you can see where two tomato cage halves are tied together. You can see that after I cut the wires from the roll, I left enough on each cut end to wrap around the edge wire. I figured that would be stronger than just the welds as they get banged around over the years. Also, each half is 6 squares wide. The squares are 6" X 6", making the finished cage about 24" diameter when two halves are tied together.
View attachment 335985


Below you can see my cages still set up from last year, since I left them up all winter (ha, don't judge). Instead of staking each cage, I slide lengths of conduit through the cages, tie them up with baler twine, and then use two T-posts to hold all of them up. I put a thick straw mulch on the bottom. My beds are 4' X 20' and I put the cages in the center, and then I plant carrots and/or beets at the edges of the beds. I get the big spools of baler twine from TSC and I also get big spools of the lighter jute twine on Amazon.

View attachment 335987

I have used the re-mesh as cages but I like the idea of tying w/ twine. I just bend free ends over the opposite end to close it off. would make storing easier each fall. Wife is asking for raised beds and this might be a "this spring" project. Thanks

 

[stocknup]

Starts are doing pretty well . Will have to re-pot very soon .............
Cucumbers, Cherry Tomato, Kale, Mountain Fresh Tomato, Peppers , Lettuce varieties, Broccoli, Herbs and Flowers Worked up some of the raised beds for the coming strawberries and onion sets ( in about 3 weeks ) And did catch my first mole of the year ( he was near the garden )

 

[Expat]

I tilled over the whole garden since the soil was dry enough.
figured I might as well plant something, so I made one row of spinach, mixed lettuce and broccoli raab. If I get anything, figured it will be a bonus.

 

[snapping turtle]

I tilled over the whole garden since the soil was dry enough.
figured I might as well plant something, so I made one row of spinach, mixed lettuce and broccoli raab. If I get anything, figured it will be a bonus.

Spinach and lettuce and raab will be fine. Radish and cabbage can be put out now also.
I am trying not to till like I used to but the row crops still get tilled often. We must have got more rain with the storm the other night as it was wet still.
I planted some marigolds and a single early tomato yesterday. The peppers and paste tomatoes will get seeded In The grow tent soon I would say by the 15 or so of March. Onions seeds popped Up and I seeeded another set of them this week. I have always just purchased the onions (wala wala ) but this year I wanted more of a storage style so most of these are sweet Spanish.

wife wants herbs and flowers so the marigolds went in and she did some herbs. It believe cilantro and a French basil. Cilantro needs to go in early.

looking like maybe an early planting dates as I normally don’t do much till may. The potatoes will be in at the store for me around March 11 and the strawberries should be In . Then also.

 

[Expat]

Spinach and lettuce and raab will be fine. Radish and cabbage can be put out now also.
I am trying not to till like I used to but the row crops still get tilled often. We must have got more rain with the storm the other night as it was wet still.
I planted some marigolds and a single early tomato yesterday. The peppers and paste tomatoes will get seeded In The grow tent soon I would say by the 15 or so of March. Onions seeds popped Up and I seeeded another set of them this week. I have always just purchased the onions (wala wala ) but this year I wanted more of a storage style so most of these are sweet Spanish.

wife wants herbs and flowers so the marigolds went in and she did some herbs. It believe cilantro and a French basil. Cilantro needs to go in early.

looking like maybe an early planting dates as I normally don’t do much till may. The potatoes will be in at the store for me around March 11 and the strawberries should be In . Then also.

Oh I know the theories. But I have also noticed If they don’t get enough heat to germinate, they can rot in the ground.

 

[snapping turtle]

I have had some lettuce rot never spinach as I think soil temps just need to be 50 degrees for spinach to germinate.

Lettuce grow so easy but I do think soil temp needs to be 62 to pop well. Maybe a quick cover with clear visqueen cover could raise the top soil temps enough and you have a very good chance with Monday and Tuesday being near 70 degrees. Always best to get it in early cause if we get a very warm may they can bolt quickly.

lettuce 1000 seeds so cheap I don’t worry much about if the first ones do not pop, radish seem very happy to wait till the soil heats up and I like the idea of eating something from the garden early. Radish beet carrots should go in real soon. Once again i have a bunch of type of these so if the early fails i just throw out another round. I think radish I have German giants cherry bells and French breakfast so a small row of each.

I wish I had one of those fancy planters that laid out seeds in the correct spacing cause if the come in good I have to pull the extras and my carrots are always feast or famine with sprouts.

I want peas wife think they are a pain for what we harvest. Sounds like I will be shelling peas.

 

[Expat]

I grow the sugar snap peas since I don’t want to shell them.

 

[snapping turtle]

Looking at my notes from the last few gardens I got out early the wind in April has done more damage than frost. April can get very windy and bug netting seems to help

 

[Leadeye]

The gardener tried a new experiment this year by planting the center section of lettuce she bought in the store. I grows quite well, providing us with fresh greens for salad through the winter.