EMS83 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I JUST built a cold frame this week, and the high here tomorrow is supposed to be 79. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. :D We're going to go ahead and plant our little seeds tomorrow, and see how they do. I was hoping to get some lettuce, but I don't know if I started early enough. This year is my most ambitious year by a long shot. I'm going to try to grow all our own fruits and veggies. To that end, I've ordered a bajillion seeds and plan to succession plant across two or three plots in my yard. A slower burn will be berry bushes and fruit trees. And I'm trying to sprout kiwi seeds. I also have a dog who loves to eat plants and peppers, so this should be interesting. ;) Anyone else have big or small plans for gardening this year that may or may not succeed?? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Ds took over the garden 2 years ago. He has started making plans (what to plant, garden layout etc. ) and looking at new things (trellis etc.). I love hearing his ideas and he asks my option on things. This year he is wanting to expand and try some different veggies (like potatoes). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I have preemtive garden fatigue. The garlic I planted as soon as we bought this place did not come up and garlic is the easiest thing to grow (honestly it grows despite me) so I am wondering if the soil over there needs some amending... I also have a few pounds of wildflowers. I have half an idea to just toss it out and see what happens (happy birds,probably), but tilling like a mad person (like I did this fall) to plant flowers that may or may not come up seems silly. I did order some potatoe seeds. I have to say each year I feel like we get about 10% more potatoes than we put in the ground, soI'm probably doing this wrong, too;) I AM, however, looking forward to a fabulous farmer's market, so there's that ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Way too soon to plan here. DH did sign up for his community garden plot though. They offer them to previous gardeners first. He has decided so far to cut back. He used to get 2-3 plots there, but now only got one. For 2 years they have had a problem with a ground hog eating everything. Except for carrots, pretty much nothing survived. And the community garden people have done nothing about it. Well, nothing that is known to actually work. So he is feeling pretty discouraged. I keep trying to talk him into gardening in our yard. Our yard is small, but we really don't use it for anything so he could plant a few things in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Yesterday I put on 15 parsley plants. They'd volunteered from last years seed. I love free plants. Hoping today to put in lettuces and peas and start some tomatoes from seed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 We are container gardeners... I ordered seeds yesterday and will do my starts in a couple weeks or a month. I am excited about trying cucamelons this year. And corn in the earthbox. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Lots of snow here still, but it's seed ordering time. I don't need much new this year. Last year our new dog ate all my tomatoes and peppers, so I am only using the front yard this year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 It's going to be in the upper 70's here today as well. I'm waiting to start my vegetable seedlings, but I have impatiens and baby's breath already growing in little pots and we've spent a little time each day this week cleaning up in the garden. Can't wait! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I just cleaned my garden yesterday. Unfortunately, my cat likes my garden. It is three separate raised beds so I need to think what will deter him. I might do two of flowers since the chipmunks and squirrels seem to enjoy everything else, of course now that we have a cat, that could change... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 (edited) Yes, I looked at the main enclosure yesterday. I probably just need to pull a few weeds and turn the soil for it to be ready. Normally we start seeds around now, but I'm going to just buy them this round. I do herbs and tomatoes myself, and we already bought a 1/2 CSA share which gives us the greens and other veggies. We tried a new CSA in 2016 and were VERY happy with their produce. It's 15 minutes away to pick it up, and to me it's worth it, although we decided to do only a half this round. We ended up with too much most weeks, and there are good farmer's markets in my area that we can use to fill-in if we want local produce. They are not certified organic but are working towards that and follow organic practices. Edited February 24, 2017 by G5052 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Yes, I looked at the main enclosure yesterday. I probably just need to pull a few weeds and turn the soil for it to be ready. Normally we start seeds around now, but I'm going to just buy them this round. I do herbs and tomatoes myself, and we already bought a 1/2 CSA share which gives us the greens and other veggies. We tried a new CSA in 2016 and were VERY happy with their produce. It's 15 minutes away to pick it up, and to me it's worth it, although we decided to do only a half this round. We ended up with too much most weeks, and there are good farmer's markets in my area that we can use to fill-in if we want local produce. They are not certified organic but are working towards that and follow organic practices. I've decided to buy more things started this year. In the end with many things, it's just as cost efficient because I won't use nearly all of the seeds, and it is tricky to get enough light in my house so my starts don't always fare as well. I also find there are a lot more choices now at the farmer's market. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I gleefully stirred compost today and started a second bin. My usual plan is to pile the shredded leaves and wait two years for nature to take it's course, but I want to expand my gardening efforts. The warm weather has me itching to be outside, so I'm actually doing proper layering in a chicken wire frame, watering, adding nitrogen, and stirring. I figure it can continue to cook when the weather turns cold again. My food waste, except the coffee grounds, goes to the indoor worm compost. I've got all sorts of plants started inside under grow lights. I've got a bit too much shade, so I'm experimenting with different tomatoes to see which ones don't mind it so much. I do get some tomatoes, but I want more :-) My herbs do really well and I use them almost daily. This is only the 4th year I've gardened, so I'm still experimenting with locations. It's more about having an activity/science project than it is about feeding my family. In February I do enjoy the planning process. It's so hopeful and fun. The vision never quite pans out by September, but it keeps me outta trouble. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I'm a container gardener but it's still months before I can plant anything outside. The recent warm spell had me planning, though! Would love to hear what veggies you container gardeners grow. I started with expensive things like herbs, red bell peppers and tomatoes - you know, to make it worth my effort. But I'm ready to expand into other things and need some direction. What do you guys grow? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Just getting seeds ordered right now. I have a ton of space this year, but it's all covered in bermuda grass, so I'm going to have to have soil trucked in for everything. Between DS and I, it's reallllly hard to bear that in mind while looking at those beautiful seed catalogues! I think I am going to guerilla garden this joint up a bit because I'm thinking no one will mind a bunch of bean plants around the edges of the established flower beds. And if they do mind I can't imagine what they'd do about it :coolgleamA: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie96 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Weather has been so mild here that we got a jump start on the veggie bed this year. Cleaned up and amended the soil in the 6x6 raised bed two weeks ago. Planted 4 varieties of tomatoes and a couple of peppers. In our neck of the woods, tomatoes can germinate in temps 45-75ish. Our highs are in the low 80s with lows in the mid-high 40s and warmer. We are aiming for an early crop this year. I'm going to try to get some egg plant in the ground today. Will add more peppers and summer squash later. Herbs just don't do as well outside here so I'll be using the Aerogarden inside for that. We aim for a salsa garden every year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecropia Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I just cleaned up one of our beds outside where some daffodils are blooming, and 2/3 of them didn't come up. I felt around in there and couldn't find any bulbs at all -- they disappeared! I didn't see major signs of digging so this is a mystery. Daffodils are one of the very few flowers around here that the deer leave alone. :banghead: I would love to have a veggie garden (and roses) here but the HOA won't allow the kind of fencing I would need to keep the deer out. They are so numerous and tenacious that I think a barrier is the only thing that would stop them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie96 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 (edited) I've always had good luck growing strawberries in a container/clay pot. Or rather I've kept the birds well fed. Grrrr. :) My favorite herb container was a DIY umbrella pot. I filled a large plastic pot (the ones that look ceramic) with quick-dry cement about 2/3 full while holding in the center a 2-2.5" diameter PVC pipe that was about as tall as the pot. After it dried, I filled with gardening soil and planted lots of aromatic herbs. Then inserted my umbrella in the PVC pipe. Voila! That was my most favorite place to park a chair in the summer heat. It smelled so good and functioned so well for the herbs (controlled light/shade) and umbrella. ETA: Must drill small holes around circumference of pot at top of cement to allow proper drainage. Edited February 24, 2017 by aggie96 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 (edited) I've got impatiens, chrysanthemums, parsley, basil, red peppers and green peppers under the light. So far only flowers and some basil are up. I'm impatiently waiting for my tomato seeds to arrive so I can fill the remainder of my tray with those (and some greens.) My back sun porch is probably warm enough now for seed starting (it's uninsulated). It's been so hard not to jump the gun because of this weather. We still have at least a month of potential cold weather. It sure isn't acting like it! This is my first year with a garden in about 8 years. I'm so excited. :) Edited February 24, 2017 by SamanthaCarter 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I JUST built a cold frame this week, and the high here tomorrow is supposed to be 79. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. :D We're going to go ahead and plant our little seeds tomorrow, and see how they do. I was hoping to get some lettuce, but I don't know if I started early enough. This year is my most ambitious year by a long shot. I'm going to try to grow all our own fruits and veggies. To that end, I've ordered a bajillion seeds and plan to succession plant across two or three plots in my yard. A slower burn will be berry bushes and fruit trees. And I'm trying to sprout kiwi seeds. I also have a dog who loves to eat plants and peppers, so this should be interesting. ;) Anyone else have big or small plans for gardening this year that may or may not succeed?? ACK! It was sixties last week and we are getting snow today. (Not a lot, but a little further up north they are getting more.) Dropping to twenties tonight... Blech. I can't whine, it is February, but it put a kabosh on my garden daydreams. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 We planted green beans last weekend. Once those have produced and died out from the heat we will add our more hearty summer veggies: purple hull peas, okra, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, watermelon, and cantaloupe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 I have a small lean-to greenhouse that I cleaned out yesterday. It's too early to plant here, although it was an unseasonably warm 60 degrees today and the rest of the snow melted off my garden. I think I could get by with starting greens in the greenhouse and I need to get my tomato and pepper plants started. I'm going to spend some time tomorrow gathering supplies and figuring out a plan. I don't want to get too excited though; we still have the potential for cold and snow. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 I have already started because I never stopped. :). Dh built me a low tunnel, and we've eaten salads and cooked greens from it and the cold frames all winter. I harvested the last of the tatsoi the other day, and we put that into a stir fry. The garlic and shallots are all up and should be fine even if we get another cold snap. Dh is getting manure by the loaderful from the horse farm across the road, and bed prep is in full swing. I have cool weather starts hardening off in the cold frame. Some should be ready to go out in a day or two. I hope this crazy early spring holds! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 Hooray for all! Farmer's markets count! You're supporting someone's garden, even if it's not your own! I will have to look up purple hull peas, because if I can get peas to grow in a Georgia summer, that would be beauteously magical. I may experiment with shade cloth this summer. I wondered if there was a way to cool a spot down the same way we use greenhouses and cold frames to warm a spot up. So...we'll see. The goal is year-round gardening here, too...eventually. Baby steps, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Yes! My parsley has been going strong all winter and cilantro shoots are up. Thinking of doing most of our garden in flowers this year. Maybe one box all strawberries. Herbs are a given and don't beed much work. Need to find a way to keep the dog out of the garden. He loves to dig. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 I have a question for you gardeners. I'm in zone 5 and my fall-planted garlic never shot up before the snow (as it does). The green shoots are now maybe couple inches long. This is all around, not just one or two. Is my garlic done for and should I pull it out so I use the bed for something else? (After amending the soil, apparently. This garlic got some decent homemade compost but alas). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 (edited) I'm trying welded wire in a month, to keep my dog out. I'll try to remember to review the success/failure. Edited February 26, 2017 by CES2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 I have a question for you gardeners. I'm in zone 5 and my fall-planted garlic never shot up before the snow (as it does). The green shoots are now maybe couple inches long. This is all around, not just one or two. Is my garlic done for and should I pull it out so I use the bed for something else? (After amending the soil, apparently. This garlic got some decent homemade compost but alas). I hope someone here can help you! I've never tried garlic; in fact I think you already know more about it than me. It's on my "eventually" list. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 I have a question for you gardeners. I'm in zone 5 and my fall-planted garlic never shot up before the snow (as it does). The green shoots are now maybe couple inches long. This is all around, not just one or two. Is my garlic done for and should I pull it out so I use the bed for something else? (After amending the soil, apparently. This garlic got some decent homemade compost but alas). Green shoots in late winter or early spring mean it is fine. Sometimes garlic does not come up before winter sets in. It develops roots first, then sends up shoots. Different garlic types sprout at different rates, and their growth can be a product of where they were grown the year before. It likes rich soil, and I make sure to amend it with lots of good organic fertilizer and manure, and usually I mulch lightly with hay or leaves. I am in zone 6B (-5 to 0 F min) in VA, but we've experienced a zone 7A winter (lowest was around +5 F so far), and only about half of my garlic came up in the fall. The other half came up just last week when we had a warm spell. What you don't want is for the garlic to come up and really grow, then get set back by hard freezes. OTOH, I remember the first time I grew garlic about 10 years ago. I bought planting stock that had been grown in California, and it did not do well at all in my Virginia garden. CA winters are very very different from VA winters! I think only about half of it came up. The next year I got stock from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in VA, and it did beautifully. I have saved and grown from my own stock ever since. Pam Dawling of Twin Oaks Farm has a nice slideshow on garlic. She lives in Louisa County, VA, zone 7A, so YMMV. https://www.slideshare.net/SustainableMarketFarming/growing-great-garlic-2016-pam-dawling-59830640 She also has a great blog that is searchable for her posts on garlic. http://www.sustainablemarketfarming.com/news/ HTH! Garden Mom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Green shoots in late winter or early spring mean it is fine. Sometimes garlic does not come up before winter sets in. It develops roots first, then sends up shoots. Different garlic types sprout at different rates, and their growth can be a product of where they were grown the year before. It likes rich soil, and I make sure to amend it with lots of good organic fertilizer and manure, and usually I mulch lightly with hay or leaves. I am in zone 6B (-5 to 0 F min) in VA, but we've experienced a zone 7A winter (lowest was around +5 F so far), and only about half of my garlic came up in the fall. The other half came up just last week when we had a warm spell. What you don't want is for the garlic to come up and really grow, then get set back by hard freezes. OTOH, I remember the first time I grew garlic about 10 years ago. I bought planting stock that had been grown in California, and it did not do well at all in my Virginia garden. CA winters are very very different from VA winters! I think only about half of it came up. The next year I got stock from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in VA, and it did beautifully. I have saved and grown from my own stock ever since. Pam Dawling of Twin Oaks Farm has a nice slideshow on garlic. She lives in Louisa County, VA, zone 7A, so YMMV. https://www.slideshare.net/SustainableMarketFarming/growing-great-garlic-2016-pam-dawling-59830640 She also has a great blog that is searchable for her posts on garlic. http://www.sustainablemarketfarming.com/news/ HTH! Garden Mom Thank you, garden mom! I ordered from the same place three years in a row, and the same kind. At old house, it shot up quite a bit before deep winter. At this new house, same timing and garlic, puny little green things that are barely there. Happy to know not all is lost, thank you again! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 I have no idea what I'm doing but I really want to try! The problem is that we now have to use ONLY raised beds, probably something on legs because our yard (our landlord's yard) is FULL of moles or other rodents. :( So even though he's fine with us having a small garden, I am too worried that everything will be eaten up. *sigh* Not sure I can afford raised beds, though. Anyone seen or made something with recycled/repurposed supplies?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 (edited) I have a question for you gardeners. I'm in zone 5 and my fall-planted garlic never shot up before the snow (as it does). The green shoots are now maybe couple inches long. This is all around, not just one or two. Is my garlic done for and should I pull it out so I use the bed for something else? (After amending the soil, apparently. This garlic got some decent homemade compost but alas). I've only remembered to plant it in the fall once. Then we got a week of fake spring in the winter so real winter returned and killed it. :-/. This year I forgot again but it's for the best since we just had a week of spring-like days. Today it's 40, so I stuck a cloves-worth in the ground. I'll plant some in April too and compare my "crops" if I get anything. I have no idea what I'm doing but I really want to try! The problem is that we now have to use ONLY raised beds, probably something on legs because our yard (our landlord's yard) is FULL of moles or other rodents. :( So even though he's fine with us having a small garden, I am too worried that everything will be eaten up. *sigh* Not sure I can afford raised beds, though. Anyone seen or made something with recycled/repurposed supplies?? I just graduated from compost-heap-on-the-ground to chicken-wire circles. I like how they blend into my woodsy yard. My first square foot garden was cinderblock. Cheap for a small bed, and sturdy, but not cute. I'm planning to add a bed that's a chicken wire oval that's maybe a foot high, a yard deep and a couple yards long. My plan is to rim it with a few inches of straw and fill with Mel's mix. If stuff grows well in that spot I might put a more permanent frame around it next year, or I may just move it. Either way, this year is cheap and won't involve power tools. Edited to change "circle" to "oval" Edited February 26, 2017 by KungFuPanda 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 This was my first year ordering seeds online because there were a few specific varieties of seeds that I wanted (nothing fancy, but not on display at my local feed store or wal-mart). Anyway, I was shopping around and decided to look at Burpee just because I knew the name, but HOLY MOLY...why are their seed packets so expensive online? $7 for a packet of 50 corn seeds? $5 for carrots? This does not make any sense to me. What am I missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 My kitchen island is occupied with teeny baby broccoli sprouts right now. I haven't had much success in past years, but I have high hopes for this year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 We put in a decent sized, raised bed garden 5 years ago. It has fencing all around except an opening at the very top to keep the deer out. It worked really well the first couple of years but our neighbors have a row of pine trees along the fence line and each year it seems the roots are encroaching farther into our raised beds so nothing is growing as well. This year we decided to go with containers, that we will sit on the raised beds so they are still protected from deer. We have three 30 foot by 4 foot rows of raised beds so quite a bit of space. Dh just ordered containers and seeds, so I'll need to clean off my dining room table so we can start seeds (it's the only place in our house that we can put them). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 This was my first year ordering seeds online because there were a few specific varieties of seeds that I wanted (nothing fancy, but not on display at my local feed store or wal-mart). Anyway, I was shopping around and decided to look at Burpee just because I knew the name, but HOLY MOLY...why are their seed packets so expensive online? $7 for a packet of 50 corn seeds? $5 for carrots? This does not make any sense to me. What am I missing?Burpee is a ripoff. Try Baker Creek, Pinetree, Southern Exposure, Johnnys, Fedco, or Park Seed. Also, look around next year in January for a local seed swap. Ours is the last Saturday in January and is very well attended. I got some really interesting stuff there and at the one at the Heritage Harvest Festival. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 This was my first year ordering seeds online because there were a few specific varieties of seeds that I wanted (nothing fancy, but not on display at my local feed store or wal-mart). Anyway, I was shopping around and decided to look at Burpee just because I knew the name, but HOLY MOLY...why are their seed packets so expensive online? $7 for a packet of 50 corn seeds? $5 for carrots? This does not make any sense to me. What am I missing? http://www.timeless-tomatoes.com This site just has tomatoes and peppers, but I paid $6.25, including shipping, for five seed packets. There are deals to be had and $7 for corn is nuts if it's not some super special or rare and endangered corn. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 Yeah, I didn't buy anything from them, but the mystery was more...why would anyone by anything from them at those prices? Thanks for the recommendations! I wish e had more space to plant all the things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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