it's really easy: hit 'reply with quote'Quote:
Originally Posted by thathorse
you can delete what you don't want between the [ quote]........[ /quote] part.
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it's really easy: hit 'reply with quote'Quote:
Originally Posted by thathorse
you can delete what you don't want between the [ quote]........[ /quote] part.
Keep Dreaming, Missy! :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacardi1
I definitely feel like an over achiever now - 17 raised beds (they're 12 x 4).
One will be put into strawberries this year, I think. And one will go into blackberries next year.
I grow a lot of viney winter squash and pumpkin, and those take up a lot of space. Plus the potatoes and sweet potatoes take up a lot of space. This y
This year I joined the Seed of the Month Club for fun - https://www.facebook.com/SeedsOfTheM...ref=ts&fref=ts - they send your 8 seed packets the first month and 4 each month after. I have gotten some staples - like tomatoes, jalapenos, etc. (staples for me anyway!). But I've also gotten stuff I've never tried like parsnips, turnips, and araminth. I'll try them... it'll be fun.
This year for the garden, I have:
Acorn squash
Araminth
Arugula
Banana peppers
Basil
Bush beans
Beets
Bell peppers (two full sized varieties and one mini variety)
Broccoli
Buttercup squash
Butternut squash
Cabbage - red and green
Cantalope
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chives
Cilantro
Corn
Cress
Cucumbers (I want to try pickling)
Dill
Eggplant (3 kinds)
Endive
Fennel
Garlic (growing now)
Honeydew
Jalapeno
Kale
Leek
Lettuce - both head and leaf
Okra
Onions (red and white - plus bunching)
Oregano (I've never had luck growing this - but I am going to try one more time)
Parsnip
Parsley
Peanuts
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radish
Rutabega
Scallions
Spaghetti Squash
Spinach
Summer squash - yellow straight neck
Sweet potatoes
Tomatillas
Tomatoes (4 kinds - I think)
Turnip
Watermelow
Zuiccini
We spent about 3 1/2 hours working out in it today. Built the last 5 raised beds, cleared weeds out of one old bed, put cardboard and landscape fabric down between beds. Tuesday I will plant lettuce, kale, and a few other things.
I haz garden envy!Quote:
Originally Posted by cowgirljenn
No need for me to dream too long. Both do show up at our local farmers market occasionally, & "Whole Foods" carries black, red, & even white currants during the season.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alagirl
so you have to dream till summer....Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacardi1
ah shucks. I don't think they grow here....I LOVE red Currant jelly!
Do keep in mind that if you're not a "canner" (as I'm not), that salsa freezes very well. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by TrotTrotPumpkn
My problem with salsa is that the cilantro is ready first, then garlic, then the tomatoes, then the onions. How do people time it properly? I guess I can stagger the cilantro, but there is a problem with the tomatoes and onions being ready....sigh....it never works for me. Usually the cilantro bolts mid-May and the tomatoes aren't ready until late July... :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacardi1
This year we will only plant tomatoes near strong, sturdy fence.
We are concentrating on short season peppers, smaller too.
Spread out our winter squashes now that we know the rough maturation dates on some of them that weren't labeled in the catalogue.
While it's nice to be able to get all the ingredients from your garden, I just use my own tomatoes, hot peppers, & cilantro (which I make successive plantings of all season) from my garden, & use onions & garlic from the farmers market &/or supermarket.Quote:
Originally Posted by S1969
You can usually buy basic soil test kits at a good garden center. Some are more accurate than others. Easiest thing might be to submit a soil sample to your local extension service office (CES). Call them for directions on gathering the sample. Collect soil as instructed & put in a ziploc. Bring to CES. They will send it to the local university lab & get you printout of the basic soil nutrient levels and pH, for a small fee. You can often get mirconutrients for an additional fee, but I'd save the money unless you have noticed some definite problems.Quote:
Can anyone recommend a soil testing kit? I know we have acidic soil, since we're in NE, but I have no idea if there is anything else I should be adding. My SO is fertilizer happy, as well, and I feel like he puts way too much on.
If you ask, many will also make recommendations on what and how much fertilizer to use. Then you can "share" with DH and show him how you can save money buy not putting out so much fertilizer. :winkgrin: Excess fertilizer use is not only expensive but also bad for water quality when it leaches into the aquifer.
I like to use lots of aged compost for a variety of reasons. It helps stabilize the pH some, adds organic matter, and aids moisture retention. If you need to bring pH up a lot, dolomitic lime is the go-to material. Realize that lime breaks down very slowly and may take a year to show any effect. Again, the soil test results should tell you how much you might need to add. Most fertilizers tend to acidify the soil over time, so DH may be contributing to an acid pH problem. :eek:
Ah, timing is everything. Really it's not that hard for salsa. Remember garlic and onions both store quite well if kept cool/refrigerated. So they are easy to hold until the tomatoes are ready. As for the cilantro - I use a slow bolting variety; literally named that & available from Renee's Garden Seeds.Quote:
My problem with salsa is that the cilantro is ready first, then garlic, then the tomatoes, then the onions. How do people time it properly? I guess I can stagger the cilantro, but there is a problem with the tomatoes and onions being ready....
http://www.reneesgarden.com/
Do several sowings, one of which is timed for mid summer (late Julyish here in the far north.) The late one is the one that's usually ready at the same time as the tomatoes, but if it's a hot summer and the tomatoes are earlier, you're covered by one of the earlier sowings as well. Also pinching off developing flower stalks may hold the cilantro a little longer before it peters out.
would not bother me, since I really do not care for cilantro myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by S1969
but yeah, staggered sewing.
Plus, you can go really nuts on the one or two special tomato plants, pick an early variety and pamper it,surround it with wall of water and other frost protection and you can harvest your first tomatoes pretty early!
I am determined to try staggered cilantro this year but I am always foiled for some reason or another (laziness). :) And usually I have a ton of volunteers from last year's seeds and get early cilantro with nothing else ready. Then I forget about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alagirl
But I did buy an early type tomato so I am hoping it grows well - Stupice - with a 65 day season....we'll see!
mark down your sewing schedule on the calendar! like a new batch every two weeks!Quote:
Originally Posted by S1969
But be warned, the early early tomato harvest is time and labor intensive!
I blanch, skin, and peel tomatoes as they ripen and throw them in a bag in the freezer. When I've gotten my last tomatoes, I pull out all my freezer bags, thaw, and make salsa and spaghetti sauce. For the peppers, I clean them, cut them into slices and freeze them. For jalapenos and small peppers, I clean them and freeze them whole.Quote:
Originally Posted by S1969
I have to buy cilantro at the store as it isn't ready at the right time and I don't know if it'll freeze well. For onions, I've heard you can freeze them but I haven't tried yet. I do have bunching onions that work well in the spaghetti sauce, and they're ready at the right time.
Are things like chard, lettuces, and kale more cold weather? As I live in a townhouse, I typically plant a container garden on my back porch that consists of lots of herbs, tomatoes, sweet peppers and jalapenos. This year I would like to try out some leafy green stuff :)
How early can I plant them down here in NC? Does anyone have a guideline for temps/timing? I've always done plants from the farmers market. Should I do seeds for the green stuff instead?
Also, I do have room to build one small raised bed. Probably 6x3 or 4. Does anyone have a how to?
yes, lettuce is cool weather. kale for cold, like fall into winter. some kinds don't taste really good until they had some frost.Quote:
Originally Posted by MtyMax
You can go with the plants from the market, no doubt, but you can pick up a pack of seeds nearly anywhere, really no need to get too fancy, unless the one thing you want is not available.
letuce can go out pretty early, as soon as you don't expect any frost.
Pf course, with containers, you can cover them easily or move them inside. I am thinking about march, but it could be a bit later for you.
It apparently doesn't take much to make me happy. I went into my seed starting room (aka spare bedroom/guest room) to check on the seeds. And I have sprouts now! I just love it when they start peeking above the soil. :)
I have tons more to plant tonight, too. :)
yep, a momentous moment!Quote:
Originally Posted by cowgirljenn
I have 8 small trays on top of my fridge. Need to make room soon in a lighted area for them!
I learned to not even THINK about sowing any indoor seeds until mid-February. My earlier eagerness had me transplanting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, herbs, flowers, etc., etc., into larger & larger pots that quickly had me running out of room & fluorescent lights. It was a nightmare, since my traditional plant-out date since I was a little sprout myself has always been Mothers Day weekend.
So now I hold myself back as much as possible. I am planning to do a bit of "winter sowing" very soon for a few things - Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, "Bright Lights" Swiss Chard, some Kale varieties, hardy lettuce, flowers, etc., etc. For those not familiar with the technique, this is where you sow seed in a covered but vented plastic container outdoors. The seeds easily survive the freezing/thawing cycles, since that's what they'd normally do if self-sowing outside. It frees up a lot of room indoors, & requires very little if any care after the initial sowing.
Since I buy filtered water for my coffeemaker, the gallon plastic bottles make absolutely perfect winter-sowing containers. Nothing goes to waste around here. :)