Veggie gardens

[Hudson_Hawk]

I'm planning on building a few raised beds this year and I'll do the usual- basil, rosemary, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, peas, maybe green beans, and I want to do a bunch of cauliflower, broccoli and brussels. Maybe some lettuce as well. I planted two blueberries last year, so we'll see how they come through the winter (we still have ~6-8" of snow on the ground) and I want to do a few strawberry plants. I'd also love to try white and sweet potatoes in containers. I plan to nominate my mom to help me build and plant all of this. And this year I plan to just go with seedlings from the nursery vs planting from seed. With two cats and an active 3.5 year old I'm not sure my trays would survive long enough to sprout!

 

[TooPatient]

I'm planning on building a few raised beds this year and I'll do the usual- basil, rosemary, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, peas, maybe green beans, and I want to do a bunch of cauliflower, broccoli and brussels. Maybe some lettuce as well. I planted two blueberries last year, so we'll see how they come through the winter (we still have ~6-8" of snow on the ground) and I want to do a few strawberry plants. I'd also love to try white and sweet potatoes in containers. I plan to nominate my mom to help me build and plant all of this. And this year I plan to just go with seedlings from the nursery vs planting from seed. With two cats and an active 3.5 year old I'm not sure my trays would survive long enough to sprout!

Sounds fun!

Blueberries -- Many varieties of blueberry won't produce fruit unless you have two different varieties (or more). My mom had a bunch of bushes but never got fruit since they were all the same. I think some will do okay as an only variety?

 

[TooPatient]

Monarch -- Those are huge blackberries! They look delicious!

 

[Ninna]

Beautiful berries

Neat! I love that it is just water so it startles them away without hurting them!

Do they work with the rabbits too? The dogs are less of a problem (out front) but we do have rabbits and some deer too...

Oh yes, the vegetable unit is on ’low’ setting for rabbits. After years of planting marigolds, verbenas and asters around the vegetable plot to repel rabbits, these sprinklers do the job. Scarecrow for rabbits: sensitivity #5, Havahart: #6. Deer: Scarecrow #6, Havahart #7.
Both are easy to set up with an existing house. If you regularly use that hose for watering, you may want a two-way connector. We used http://www.amazon.com/Gilmour-13-Br...FJYSHW/ref=pd_bxgy_lg_text_y?tag=durpville-20
Teflon tape is a must when threading fittings to avoid leakage.
Units are all plastic; we hammered a section of 1/2 inch PVC pipe deep into the ground first then forced the short plastic stake into the PVC pipe for added stability.
I would highly recommend a pressure reducer at the hose bib if your water pressure is greater than 80 pounds per square inch.
Store the unit indoors when there is risk of freezing to avoid valve damage.

 

[luv2sparkle]

We usually plant a few tomatoes plants, but this year I am going to do the same as Kenny and plant a lot more and make my own sauce to either freeze or can. We don't have much of a backyard so I am going to get a couple metal feeding troughs and plant in them in my front yard in addition of my flower bed. When our subdivision was built they left so much junk under the soil and then covered it up that it is so hard to plant anything. I love love love fresh tomatoes and basil with a little bit of feta in the summer! I can hardly wait for that!

 

[monarch64]

Love the feeding trough container gardening idea!

Kenny and I were just discussing the possible effects of lead paint from an older home leaching into garden soil on another thread: [https://www.pricescope.com/forum/h...test.uconn.edu/factsheets/LeadGardenSoils.pdf

You can get your soil tested by sending it to a lab in your state for a small fee. The soil testing kits you can buy cheap at the garden center aren't great and don't test for all the bad stuff.

 

[TooPatient]

Beautiful berries

Neat! I love that it is just water so it startles them away without hurting them!

Do they work with the rabbits too? The dogs are less of a problem (out front) but we do have rabbits and some deer too...

Oh yes, the vegetable unit is on ’low’ setting for rabbits. After years of planting marigolds, verbenas and asters around the vegetable plot to repel rabbits, these sprinklers do the job. Scarecrow for rabbits: sensitivity #5, Havahart: #6. Deer: Scarecrow #6, Havahart #7.
Both are easy to set up with an existing house. If you regularly use that hose for watering, you may want a two-way connector. We used http://www.amazon.com/Gilmour-13-Br...FJYSHW/ref=pd_bxgy_lg_text_y?tag=durpville-20
Teflon tape is a must when threading fittings to avoid leakage.
Units are all plastic; we hammered a section of 1/2 inch PVC pipe deep into the ground first then forced the short plastic stake into the PVC pipe for added stability.
I would highly recommend a pressure reducer at the hose bib if your water pressure is greater than 80 pounds per square inch.
Store the unit indoors when there is risk of freezing to avoid valve damage.

Great to know!!

I've got to talk to DH and see what we are doing in the rest of the yard this summer. We've got a few other projects going so it might be a good time to add a couple of those too!

 

[Nyc2chigal]

I didn't read thru, but decided to reply once I saw the topic!

How do you folks feel about hydroponics?
Reason I ask is because we can't have much of a garden in our backyear (we live in a townhome and share the backyard).

I haven't looked into hydroponics for home use, but have read a bit about it and it sounds really cool!

How much space do you have? If you've got a bit of yard space, you might look into vertical gardening like Monarch is trying. It seems like a great way to get a lot of veggies from very little space.

You might also look at things that do well in pots -- certain tomatoes (some even love hanging pots!), Brussels sprouts, some peppers, etc. Maximize your pot space by planting some herbs or lettuce around other plants.


If you do try the hydroponics, you'll have to share how it goes!!

I so will!

 

[Efe]

I've used the Earthbox growing system for years now and love them. They are perfect for small spaces and you can raise them off the ground to help with critter control. I've grown tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, green peppers, all kinds of herbs and even corn. Plenty of info and tips at earthbox.com.

 

[TooPatient]

All of my seeds have sprouted!

I built my little mini-greenhouse Friday and put the trays out there during the day. They come back in and sit in the shower during the night. I'm working them up to all night in the mini-greenhouse.

Will have to separate them out into pots soon and then I'll start my next batch of seeds (for later planting veggies).

I've got a hanging basket ready to go for some of my tomatoes and pots ready for other veggies. Gardens should be ready for planting by the time the rest are big enough to go in the ground!

Oh -- And the only rabbit I'd seen this year seems to be gone! No other plants have been munched. Our back yard seems completely clear (our little dog would have let us know if it wasn't ) and the front really doesn't have any good hiding places anymore.

 

[monarch64]

All of my seeds have sprouted!

I built my little mini-greenhouse Friday and put the trays out there during the day. They come back in and sit in the shower during the night. I'm working them up to all night in the mini-greenhouse.

Will have to separate them out into pots soon and then I'll start my next batch of seeds (for later planting veggies).

I've got a hanging basket ready to go for some of my tomatoes and pots ready for other veggies. Gardens should be ready for planting by the time the rest are big enough to go in the ground!

Oh -- And the only rabbit I'd seen this year seems to be gone! No other plants have been munched. Our back yard seems completely clear (our little dog would have let us know if it wasn't ) and the front really doesn't have any good hiding places anymore.

TP, an interesting bit of knowledge I picked up in class recently was about growing seedlings. We learned it's a good idea to set up a fan in the room where the seedlings are kept so there is air movement which helps the seedlings grow stronger stems and not become very leggy. So when you leave yours in the bathroom overnight you might set up a small fan in there, leave on low so your seedlings will get that simulated breeze effect. I've never done that before with mine, and they usually do get really leggy but still turn out to be good, productive plants so it's not a necessity but it might add to the success factor.

 

[TooPatient]

All of my seeds have sprouted!

I built my little mini-greenhouse Friday and put the trays out there during the day. They come back in and sit in the shower during the night. I'm working them up to all night in the mini-greenhouse.

Will have to separate them out into pots soon and then I'll start my next batch of seeds (for later planting veggies).

I've got a hanging basket ready to go for some of my tomatoes and pots ready for other veggies. Gardens should be ready for planting by the time the rest are big enough to go in the ground!

Oh -- And the only rabbit I'd seen this year seems to be gone! No other plants have been munched. Our back yard seems completely clear (our little dog would have let us know if it wasn't ) and the front really doesn't have any good hiding places anymore.

TP, an interesting bit of knowledge I picked up in class recently was about growing seedlings. We learned it's a good idea to set up a fan in the room where the seedlings are kept so there is air movement which helps the seedlings grow stronger stems and not become very leggy. So when you leave yours in the bathroom overnight you might set up a small fan in there, leave on low so your seedlings will get that simulated breeze effect. I've never done that before with mine, and they usually do get really leggy but still turn out to be good, productive plants so it's not a necessity but it might add to the success factor.

Cool! Thanks for sharing!

I'd never heard that before. We had fans in the greenhouses when I took a couple of years of HS horticulture, but I just figured that was for temperature and humidity control.

One thing I have heard is that for fruit trees you want to not over-pamper with water and supportive stakes. Doing so leads to a tree with shallow roots and a weak trunk that won't stand up to storms.

I guess the veggies must have a similar thing!

 

[TooPatient]

Okay...

Important lesson learned this last week -- Don't leave the very healthy sprouts in the mini-greenhouse in the direct sun


It was only a bit over 60 outside so I figured they'd enjoy being in the greenhouse getting some nice sun. The greenhouse is this little mini $39 thing that is FAR from being air tight or anything. Left them for just a few hours (mostly in indirect sun but probably an hour in direct sun) and they all steamed


Watermelon sprouts are fine. Cucumbers are mostly okay (but recovering from cat munchies...) but my tomatoes and peppers are not doing so well.


Off to plant new seeds!

 

[monarch64]

TP, search "ding dong, my seeds are dead" for commiseration.

 

[monarch64]

Wanted to reply more earlier but was on my phone.
Too Patient, I'm pretty sure I have the same greenhouse contraption as you, at least it sounds similar. If you search what I mentioned above there are pictures. I ended up just removing the cover completely and housing my seed trays on the shelves for an hour or two while it was still light out in the evenings to harden them off. That way they didn't get direct sun and they didn't fry, or even steam.

Last week I got sugar snap peas and spinach sown, and this week I got a row of beets in. I need to start getting my lettuces in and start some flower seeds. I started one batch of cockscomb (Celosia cristata) this evening from seeds I saved from dried blooms a friend gave me last year. Those things give off soooo many seeds and they're tiny, like poppy seeds or lavender. Speaking of lavender, I keep killing it and I can't get seeds to germinate for anything. Same with rosemary. I'm getting frustrated, but I do like a challenge so will keep trying.

 

[TooPatient]

That is exactly the one!

I figured it would be a lot better than letting them sit in the shower during the day and then fighting the cats off of them in the kitchen for light...

I'll try that with the cover! The last few days has been better weather and I've been careful to tie the flap open if there is direct sun. They don't get much direct sun and it is usually early morning when it is still cold.

Got a bunch more tomato seeds today and will get them going soon. I'm determined to make them grow!
Also several varieties of corn that I'll stick directly in the ground in a couple of weeks.


Love that you're doing spinach. I enjoy a good spinach but the stuff in the store is not fresh enough to really enjoy.

Our lavender is growing lots. Stuck a couple of pots in summer before last and this stuff just won't quit growing. I've neglected it and then just chopped it way back. The sad thing is that we never use it for anything. It is always so covered in bees that I don't go near it when it is actually wanting trimmed & used

Rosemary -- We have Tuscan (mostly) and it had a rocky start but is now so well established we give heaps away to the neighbors. I think we lost two or three to the heat the first summer and another couple over the first winter. The stuff that lives does really well!
Don't give up on it!