2022 Garden Plans

[Sneezyone]

Can I ask about composting? I'd like to add in-ground composters to my raised beds and I'm willing to give up a square foot of planting space in each to do it, something like this...https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07366QJ9N/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A1AMZQ57U4NMFK&psc=1#customerReviews. I'm not paying for plastic buckets tho. We can drill holes in a plastic bucket without the markup TYVM.

[Miss Tick]

On 2/8/2022 at 11:48 PM, kbutton said:

It takes several years.

True, and my 5b experience was that even with special winter care ours didn't survive long enough to fruit.

On 2/8/2022 at 5:52 PM, Lucy the Valiant said:

Did you ever have any fig variety actually bear fruit? (Anyone? In colder zones w/ successful figs?)   [Edit: In a large container? That we move indoors?

Our tree was more than 6 feet when it expired. That would be difficult to "contain". I wonder if they tolerate pruning? Maybe @kbutton  knows.

[Faith-manor]

28 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

Can I ask about composting? I'd like to add in-ground composters to my raised beds and I'm willing to give up a square foot of planting space in each to do it, something like this...https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07366QJ9N/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A1AMZQ57U4NMFK&psc=1#customerReviews. I'm not paying for plastic buckets tho. We can drill holes in a plastic bucket without the markup TYVM.

I am all ears on this. I am not well versed in anything related to composting.

[Rosie_0801]

1 hour ago, Sneezyone said:

Can I ask about composting? I'd like to add in-ground composters to my raised beds and I'm willing to give up a square foot of planting space in each to do it, something like this...https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07366QJ9N/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A1AMZQ57U4NMFK&psc=1#customerReviews. I'm not paying for plastic buckets tho. We can drill holes in a plastic bucket without the markup TYVM.

Did you want to take it back out and put it somewhere else?

[Pam in CT]

re inground composting

52 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

Can I ask about composting? I'd like to add in-ground composters to my raised beds and I'm willing to give up a square foot of planting space in each to do it, something like this...https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07366QJ9N/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A1AMZQ57U4NMFK&psc=1#customerReviews. I'm not paying for plastic buckets tho. We can drill holes in a plastic bucket without the markup TYVM.

Huh, interesting.

I was an intermittent slacker composter for many years, managing to kill off two batches of official vermi-worms before I gave up on the official ones and settled on a system whereby every spring I go out to a prior year's decomposed leaf pile, dig out a wheelbarrow full of half-decomposed leaves crawling with ordinary Yankee worms, and dumped those into my bins.  The worms would do fine throughout my (intermittent slacker) garden season and then, I dunno, hibernate or lay baby worm larvae or die or whatever they do over the winter.

Anyway.  COVID inspired me to VASTLY step up both my vegetable-growing game and my compost game, and I am now an indefatigable composter, including all the boxes from all our deliveries; and we barely generate one garbage can a week now even though we've had up to 6 people living in the house.

Many of my vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers etc) have been in containers sitting on top of my stone terrace.  And I have noticed that  (regular Yankee; I've given up on the official vermi-worms because it's too distressing to actively bring living creatures to my home only to kill them off) worms find their way into the pots, even when I don't put the worms in there myself.  Like, after a good rain there are always worms on the terrace; and I guess when it dries / heats up the worms take shelter in whatever drainage holes they find.

So I guess what I'm saying is, I buy the *principle* of burying compost pots straight into the beds.  Based on my vast empirical, uh, observation of the world of worms -- they FOR SURE prefer & flourish in my slacker decomposing leaf piles, and also wander freely in and out of pots with far fewer holes -- I would expect the worms to wander in, eat up your decomposing stuff, then wander out and poop among your vegetables.

[Sneezyone]

7 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Did you want to take it back out and put it somewhere else?

Nope, just leave it there and feed it from time to time.

[Sneezyone]

10 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

re inground composting

Huh, interesting.

I was an intermittent slacker composter for many years, managing to kill off two batches of official vermi-worms before I gave up on the official ones and settled on a system whereby every spring I go out to a prior year's decomposed leaf pile, dig out a wheelbarrow full of half-decomposed leaves crawling with ordinary Yankee worms, and dumped those into my bins.  The worms would do fine throughout my (intermittent slacker) garden season and then, I dunno, hibernate or lay baby worm larvae or die or whatever they do over the winter.

Anyway.  COVID inspired me to VASTLY step up both my vegetable-growing game and my compost game, and I am now an indefatigable composter, including all the boxes from all our deliveries; and we barely generate one garbage can a week now even though we've had up to 6 people living in the house.

Many of my vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers etc) have been in containers sitting on top of my stone terrace.  And I have noticed that  (regular Yankee; I've given up on the official vermi-worms because it's too distressing to actively bring living creatures to my home only to kill them off) worms find their way into the pots, even when I don't put the worms in there myself.  Like, after a good rain there are always worms on the terrace; and I guess when it dries / heats up the worms take shelter in whatever drainage holes they find.

So I guess what I'm saying is, I buy the *principle* of burying compost pots straight into the beds.  Based on my vast empirical, uh, observation of the world of worms -- they FOR SURE prefer & flourish in my slacker decomposing leaf piles, and also wander freely in and out of pots with far fewer holes -- I would expect the worms to wander in, eat up your decomposing stuff, then wander out and poop among your vegetables.

I've found plenty of worms in my beds so far (and skinks) UGH! I do not like things that wiggle and slide like snakes but with the raised beds I think they'd have a hard time finding their way in. Because they'll be encased in mesh (DD is building squirrel-proof beds as part of her class), I'm wondering if I could just get something like a hydroponic basket and throw some worms in there with compost and food scraps and see what happens, or if I could do a plain ol' rubbermaid food container (about $10) and poke holes in it to achieve the same effect. 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Rosie_0801]

7 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

Nope, just leave it there and feed it from time to time.

Don't bother with the bucket then. Dig a hole, put in whatever you've got, cover it up and forget about it. 

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, SusanC said:

Our tree was more than 6 feet when it expired. That would be difficult to "contain". I wonder if they tolerate pruning? Maybe @kbutton  knows.

The one we've had the longest hasn't been big enough to prune yet. It has started fruiting. The other two were new this year, so they are tiny.

We had ours in a rubbermaid stock tank for a while when we moved house. It was still small, and it did fine. 

We fertilize it with fruit tree sticks and compost.

[Pam in CT]

re regular container with punched holes

5 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

... I'm wondering if I could just get something like a hydroponic basket and throw some worms in there with compost and food scraps and see what happens, or if I could do a plain ol' rubbermaid food container (about $10) and poke holes in it to achieve the same effect. 

I don't know why that wouldn't do the job.

 

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Don't bother with the bucket then. Dig a hole, put in whatever you've got, cover it up and forget about it. 

That could work too. 🤣 are worms trained to come back and eat?

Edited February 19, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Pawz4me]

53 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

 (and skinks)

Tangent alert—

There was a skink—alive—in our bedroom yesterday. I’m no girly girl but I don’t mind admitting that I screamed. They are not supposed to be (1) inside and (2) definitely not in February. How does that even happen? I managed to corral it with a broom, a clear trash can and a dust pan. I put the little skinkster outside. He can go freeze or do whatever normal skinks are supppsed to do in February. 

[Rosie_0801]

28 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

That could work too. 🤣 are worms trained to come back and eat?

If there is no plastic bucket in the way, they seem to show up. I bury leftovers from stock and a week or two later there's no evidence of it other than bones if there were some, and that's with me having dreadful soil and never seeing worms in the vicinity. I suppose uncooked scraps would take longer, but I haven't tried to see.

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Don't bother with the bucket then. Dig a hole, put in whatever you've got, cover it up and forget about it. 

My grandparents did that. They would save a couple days worth of scraps, dig a hole near the garden or between rows, and bury it. There was never any significant composting effort. 

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, Faith-manor said:

My grandparents did that. They would save a couple days worth of scraps, dig a hole near the garden or between rows, and bury it. There was never any significant composting effort. 

My dad does this too. He just sticks random stuff in the ground and it grows. ETA, as I was pondering this question, DH reminded me that I have two 1.5 gal reusable popcorn buckets with lids from a local spot that could be used for this purpose w/out expense. The advantage of having a designated and CLEARLY identified place to put the scraps is that my kids won't be digging around to bury them (and harm the plants) when I ask them to dump scraps. That's really the only advantage. 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Brittany1116]

On 2/7/2022 at 10:30 AM, Faith-manor said:

Your plum trees might need pruning and then some fruit tree fertilizer stakes. Depends on their age though. Some trees just get old and stop producing.

They do. They are 10-12 years old and only put out plums the size of golfballs 2-3 times. They do need more pruning. Two of the three are in the chicken yard so they are getting a little more... fertilizer lol. But you are correct, they need proper fertilizer, done safely because of the birds. Any tips for the blueberries?

[Faith-manor]

15 minutes ago, Brittany1116 said:

They do. They are 10-12 years old and only put out plums the size of golfballs 2-3 times. They do need more pruning. Two of the three are in the chicken yard so they are getting a little more... fertilizer lol. But you are correct, they need proper fertilizer, done safely because of the birds. Any tips for the blueberries?

Blueberries. Hm 🤔. I am not super knowledgeable. I do know that Michigan blueberries grow in low spots that are quite wet, and are more prolific when surrounded not by direct shade, but some sun break around them. Our Bama blueberries, put in by the previous owners, are in a shady part of the yard along with grapes, and they had a soaker hose system which we maintained. They need a fair amount of regular water so this spring if there is a dry spell, dd will run that soaker house a LOT. Thankfully it is hooked up to the old well. The house is on city water though it is very rural and no town within six miles.

Also, do you know what variety of plums? Michigan has a variety around this area that only produce a practically miniature size plum, like a Clementine orange size but shaped like a plum. They make a wonderful freezer jam from what I understand, but when the neighbors offer us some of theirs, my guys gobble them up so I never make any.

[Brittany1116]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

Blueberries. Hm 🤔. I am not super knowledgeable. I do know that Michigan blueberries grow in low spots that are quite wet, and are more prolific when surrounded not by direct shade, but some sun break around them. Our Bama blueberries, put in by the previous owners, are in a shady part of the yard along with grapes, and they had a soaker hose system which we maintained. They need a fair amount of regular water so this spring if there is a dry spell, dd will run that soaker house a LOT. Thankfully it is hooked up to the old well. The house is on city water though it is very rural and no town within six miles.

Also, do you know what variety of plums? Michigan has a variety around this area that only produce a practically miniature size plum, like a Clementine orange size but shaped like a plum. They make a wonderful freezer jam from what I understand, but when the neighbors offer us some of theirs, my guys gobble them up so I never make any.

No idea but we are in FL and he got them at the Uni plant sale so they'd be specific to my region. The blueberries were a panic purchase from Sams in spring '20. 😉

[Lucy the Valiant]

4 minutes ago, Brittany1116 said:

No idea but we are in FL and he got them at the Uni plant sale so they'd be specific to my region. The blueberries were a panic purchase from Sams in spring '20. 😉

I'm way north of FL, but our blueberries respond very well to pruning. Look up your state university cooperative extension for tips / instructions. Best to do it before the leaves come out (so now / until March or so).

ETA: And also a slightly acidic soil, if you happen to have a pH measuring ability through a chemistry set, maybe? 🙂

Edited February 20, 2022 by Lucy the Valiant

[Faith-manor]

Blueberries do take a while to mature and produce. Those things are not instant like strawberry plants. Years if memory serves not just one growing season and then producing the next.

You local extension office for Florida State should have a horticulturalist, ag specialist, and master gardener available by appointment or email. Email should solve this. Call, find out the email addresses, take cell phone photo close ups of your plums and blueberry plants, ask for help, and attach the photos. Someone should get back to you in a reasonable time frame with advice. I am going to have to do that in Bama because the varieties there ate so different from my Michigan ones. I am a newbie anyway,  AND I am a botanical assassin which means I need a lot of help.

The good news is that the Huntsville Botanical Gardens does not know who I am and lets me go there and frolic with my grandsons. Apparently the FBI does not maintain a database of garden killers yet! 😁

Edited February 20, 2022 by Faith-manor

[Brittany1116]

13 minutes ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

I'm way north of FL, but our blueberries respond very well to pruning. Look up your state university cooperative extension for tips / instructions. Best to do it before the leaves come out (so now / until March or so).

ETA: And also a slightly acidic soil, if you happen to have a pH measuring ability through a chemistry set, maybe? 🙂

 

11 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Blueberries do take a while to mature and produce. Those things are not instant like strawberry plants. Years if memory serves not just one growing season and then producing the next.

You local extension office for Florida State should have a horticulturalist, at specialist, and master gardener available by appointment or email. Email should solve this. Call, find out the email addresses, take cell phone photo close ups of your plums and blueberry plants, ask for help, and attach the photos. Someone should get back to you in a reasonable time frame with advice. I am going to have to do that in Bama because the varieties there ate so different from my Michigan ones. I am a newbie anyway,  AND I am a botanical assassin which means I need a lot of help.

The good news is that the Huntsville Botanical Gardens does not know who I am and lets me go there and frolic with my grandsons. Apparently the FBI does not maintain a database of garden killers yet! 😁

Thanks. I did get soil acidifier last year. The berry bushes are literally sticks in pots. A bit of growth last year, but now without leaves. I am on the subscription list to the extension office so I can get in contact easily. I forget it's someone's job to help with this stuff.

[Melissa in Australia]

You can also mulch blueberries with pine needles to help bring up the ph

[Faith-manor]

8 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

You can also mulch blueberries with pine needles to help bring up the ph

Great tip, thanks!!!

[KungFuPanda]

I try to do a couple “investment” plants each year. I know when I plant them I’ll be waiting ages to see results. My fig took three years to produce fruit.  My blueberries put out their first decent crop after 5 years. I’ve done choral bells and foxgloves knowing I’ll wait for the payoff. I probably wait longer than some because of my part shade yard. This year I’m putting in hazelnuts and beach plums. Finding food crops that produce in part shade has been a bit challenging and I’ve killed a few plants. The red raspberries died but the golden raspberries have thrived. I just don’t know enough to pick guaranteed winners every time. 

[Pam in CT]

growing in partial shade

15 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

...Finding food crops that produce in part shade has been a bit challenging and I’ve killed a few plants. The red raspberries died but the golden raspberries have thrived. I just don’t know enough to pick guaranteed winners every time. 

I've killed more than a few "investments" (well, even with my somewhat haphazard approach to the whole garden undertaking, and intermittent watering habits in particular, I don't take FULL blame for the carnage; the deer and my freeze-melt-heave-freeze-repeat winter weather cycle take their toll as well). 

But, please tell me about your golden raspberries.  I ADORE raspberries and have tried and failed multiple times. Do you remember the cultivar?  One crop or everbearing?  Is your partial shade dappled all day, or a hunk of morning or a hunk of afternoon?

[Faith-manor]

7 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

growing in partial shade

I've killed more than a few "investments" (well, even with my somewhat haphazard approach to the whole garden undertaking, and intermittent watering habits in particular, I don't take FULL blame for the carnage; the deer and my freeze-melt-heave-freeze-repeat winter weather cycle take their toll as well). 

But, please tell me about your golden raspberries.  I ADORE raspberries and have tried and failed multiple times. Do you remember the cultivar?  One crop or everbearing?  Is your partial shade dappled all day, or a hunk of morning or a hunk of afternoon?

Absolutely no one has killed as many investment plant babies as me! No one! My record cannot be beaten except by companies leveling rainforest! 😁

I am glad my husband did not allow me to yank out the fledgling grape vine after the first year. It went so hopelessly dead looking in the fall after it was planted that when spring came and it just looked like a plant mummy, I wanted to pull it up and have a funeral pyre. He insisted I wait. Who knew mummies come back to life? Brendan Frasier movies were accurate! 😂 This past summer we got several pounds of grapes off it.

Thank the universe we never lived in a time in which my children would have been dependent upon me growing their food. That just would not have gone well.

There are three very evil animal entities that will try the last nerve of every gardener and fruit grower. Deer, rabbits, and gophers. Gophers are the worst. But deer can be problematic, and rabbits are a pain in the rear. Gophers though? They make people homicidal angry. And yes, those buggers have from time to time ended up on the wrong end of the pellet rifle. There are a lot of things I can handle in life but for some reason the utter decimation of broccoli crops is not one of them!!

[DreamerGirl]

Very small plans, more on a dream level.

I am a classic COVID panic gardener and have been steadily becoming a brown thumb from a black one.

My plans are continue growing herbs, salads and micro greens. So far I have managed to grow them the "old fashioned way" aka in a pot vs initial aerogarden

I plan to add tomatoes. The most important part of the plan is try not kill the plants as always. 

[Faith-manor]

3 minutes ago, DreamerGirl said:

Very small plans, more on a dream level.

I am a classic COVID panic gardener and have been steadily becoming a brown thumb from a black one.

My plans are continue growing herbs, salads and micro greens. So far I have managed to grow them the "old fashioned way" aka in a pot vs initial aerogarden

I plan to add tomatoes. The most important part of the plan is try not kill the plants as always. 

I 100% understand and support you! Been there!!!

[KungFuPanda]

8 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

growing in partial shade

I've killed more than a few "investments" (well, even with my somewhat haphazard approach to the whole garden undertaking, and intermittent watering habits in particular, I don't take FULL blame for the carnage; the deer and my freeze-melt-heave-freeze-repeat winter weather cycle take their toll as well). 

But, please tell me about your golden raspberries.  I ADORE raspberries and have tried and failed multiple times. Do you remember the cultivar?  One crop or everbearing?  Is your partial shade dappled all day, or a hunk of morning or a hunk of afternoon?

My back yard only gets about 5 hours of sun in the sunniest spot.  My "shade fruits" are a bit on the perimeter of that and get about 2-3 hours of sun and about 2-3 hours of dappled shade.  This is all over by about 2 p.m. and its full shade after that.  Here is the complete list of fruit I ordered from Gurney's for that garden.  The golden raspberries are the only real success story.  The gooseberries were loaded last year, but something ate them all before they ripened.  The currants are a bit stingy.

 

Qty Ordered	Item Number	Item Description	Ship Date Estimate
1	86093	CONSORT BLACK CURRANT	02/28/19
1	64993	RASPBERRY FALL GOLD 1 YR	02/28/19
1	13163	GOOSEBERRY PIXWELL	02/28/19
1	65627	RASPBERRY NOVA	02/25/19
1	08517	CURRANT RED LAKE	02/28/19

[Pam in CT]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

My back yard only gets about 5 hours of sun in the sunniest spot.  My "shade fruits" are a bit on the perimeter of that and get about 2-3 hours of sun and about 2-3 hours of dappled shade.  This is all over by about 2 p.m. and its full shade after that.  Here is the complete list of fruit I ordered from Gurney's for that garden.  The golden raspberries are the only real success story.  The gooseberries were loaded last year, but something ate them all before they ripened.  The currants are a bit stingy.

 

Qty Ordered	Item Number	Item Description	Ship Date Estimate
1	86093	CONSORT BLACK CURRANT	02/28/19
1	64993	RASPBERRY FALL GOLD 1 YR	02/28/19
1	13163	GOOSEBERRY PIXWELL	02/28/19
1	65627	RASPBERRY NOVA	02/25/19
1	08517	CURRANT RED LAKE	02/28/19

That is fascinating - the Nova is *billed* as more vigorous and hardy than the Gold, but your Gold was the one that managed to survive.  You planted them in roughly the same area, where they got roughly the same sun and water?

You must be substantially south / warmer than me, because it's showing up as a ship-out date of 4/15 to my zip while it went out 2/28 for you.  So you get *more* days of longer sun.  But I think my target area may have more hours of at least dappled sun that yours does, so maybe it'll work. I'll give it a go.  I'd be *thrilled* to have raspberries of any color at all.

[Sneezyone]

This is my very first year starting plants from seed and I am afraid I'm gonna waste a ton on it (but I'm doing it anyway). I started three 4x3 cell packs three days ago and the basil and edamame have sprouted already. I'm gonna do a another set of three next week and the week after until I've got enough for my outdoor plan. I'm kinda stunned because I, too, am a known plant killer (although that's almost exclusively the indoor variety). I got a lot of advice this time around tho and watched YouTube like a fiend for weeks before giving it a try. We have a completely shaded back yard too. The best I can do in that area is shade loving herbs like thyme and oregano, hellebores, marsh gold, and liriope. They all love it back there. We have a bunch of pine trees around us so the soil is naturally sandy/clay and acidic.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Rosie_0801]

2 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

This is my very first year starting plants from seed and I am afraid I'm gonna waste a ton on it (but I'm doing it anyway). I started three 4x3 cell packs three days ago and the basil and edamame have sprouted already. 

Kang Kong aka water spinach grows easily and quickly.

[Sneezyone]

1 minute ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Kang Kong aka water spinach grows easily and quickly.

Huh, in the shade or from seed or both? I have to stop pinching myself when I see the little sprouts rising. ☺️

[fairfarmhand]

19 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

You can also mulch blueberries with pine needles to help bring up the ph

Yes, we;ve done this and it works!

[Faith-manor]

4 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Yes, we;ve done this and it works!

I am going to haul a couple of tubs of pine needles to dd for the blueberries. Heaven knows my blue spruce and scotch pine produce enough!

[Miss Tick]

I think wintergreen is supposed to do well in shady areas. I killed it, but one of you might have better luck. The berries taste just like the gum which you either love or hate.

[Faith-manor]

2 minutes ago, SusanC said:

I think wintergreen is supposed to do well in shady areas. I killed it, but one of you might have better luck. The berries taste just like the gum which you either love or hate.

If you stuff the berries and the leaves into a pint jar and cover with whiskey, the infused whiskey makes nice flavoring for Christmas cookies.

Don't be impressed that I know this. It comes from the Celtic side of my mother's family. 

We pick winter green berries on state land in the spring along with fiddle head ferns which if picked young cook up tender and are reminiscent of asparagus.

[Miss Tick]

2 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

If you stuff the berries and the leaves into a pint jar and cover with whiskey, the infused whiskey makes nice flavoring for Christmas cookies.

Don't be impressed that I know this. It comes from the Celtic side of my mother's family. 

We pick winter green berries on state land in the spring along with fiddle head ferns which if picked young cook up tender and are reminiscent of asparagus.

 

I'll have to give them another try!

[Rosie_0801]

50 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

Huh, in the shade or from seed or both? I have to stop pinching myself when I see the little sprouts rising. ☺️

It's really easy to grow from seed and it seems happy in the part shade I have mine in.
"Really easy" suits my skill level. 😂 About the only thing I have here easier to grow is the purslane, because it grows itself.

[Faith-manor]

My dad was a real forager. He used to get morel mushrooms, wild scallions, wild strawberries, wild carrots, fiddle head ferns, and the winter green berries in the spring and early summer, then blueberries in July, and blackberries in August. I am the biggest fan of morel mushrooms with just about anything. If you cook them with a little butter and a splash of cognac you just can't go wrong! Now that said, don't go shrooming without taking an extension office seminar first and downloading the shroom guide so can avoid a psychedelic death experience. 

It is far too dry on our property to ever get Morels to grow. 😢

[Sneezyone]

51 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

It's really easy to grow from seed and it seems happy in the part shade I have mine in.
"Really easy" suits my skill level. 😂 About the only thing I have here easier to grow is the purslane, because it grows itself.

Awesome, thanks, I'll try it! Hopefully the bunnies don't like it.

[Pam in CT]

re growing from seed

2 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

This is my very first year starting plants from seed and I am afraid I'm gonna waste a ton on it (but I'm doing it anyway). I started three 4x3 cell packs three days ago and the basil and edamame have sprouted already. I'm gonna do a another set of three next week and the week after until I've got enough for my outdoor plan. I'm kinda stunned because I, too, am a known plant killer (although that's almost exclusively the indoor variety). I got a lot of advice this time around tho and watched YouTube like a fiend for weeks before giving it a try. We have a completely shaded back yard too. The best I can do in that area is shade loving herbs like thyme and oregano, hellebores, marsh gold, and liriope. They all love it back there. We have a bunch of pine trees around us so the soil is naturally sandy/clay and acidic.

My seed successes that might work for you:

• Any kind of bean (big @ss seeds, which helps) (they grow better in full sun, but do OK in partial)
• beets (I put three in the hole, then thin when the greens are big enough to eat.  All three seeds take root and grow in just about every hole) (they do fine in partial sun)   (I reeeeaaaaaly love beets)
• malabar spinach (not really spinach; it's a vine with edible leaves.  It should be perennial for you. I think it's actually supposed to be partial or even full shade, but likes to be hot.   (Only 3/9 of my seeds germinated but that was enough; the vines are ~6 feet long with lots of branches.  I don't expect them to survive the winter here, but will start anew with seeds. They're cool looking and tasty raw or cooked.)

I've also managed zucchini (*tremendously* easy from seed, like caricature easy), squash, carrots and lettuce from seed... but they all need more sun than it sounds like you have.

Also, find someone to give you a clump of divided rhubarb (perennial).  You really can't kill it, it grows in deep shade, it's a vaguely funky / interesting (huge) leaf that isn't hairy and unsightly like the squashes... and I'd love to hear your thoughts on what to do with it once harvested, LOL. 

[Sneezyone]

33 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

re growing from seed

My seed successes that might work for you:

• Any kind of bean (big @ss seeds, which helps) (they grow better in full sun, but do OK in partial)
• beets (I put three in the hole, then thin when the greens are big enough to eat.  All three seeds take root and grow in just about every hole) (they do fine in partial sun)   (I reeeeaaaaaly love beets)
• malabar spinach (not really spinach; it's a vine with edible leaves.  It should be perennial for you. I think it's actually supposed to be partial or even full shade, but likes to be hot.   (Only 3/9 of my seeds germinated but that was enough; the vines are ~6 feet long with lots of branches.  I don't expect them to survive the winter here, but will start anew with seeds. They're cool looking and tasty raw or cooked.)

I've also managed zucchini (*tremendously* easy from seed, like caricature easy), squash, carrots and lettuce from seed... but they all need more sun than it sounds like you have.

Also, find someone to give you a clump of divided rhubarb (perennial).  You really can't kill it, it grows in deep shade, it's a vaguely funky / interesting (huge) leaf that isn't hairy and unsightly like the squashes... and I'd love to hear your thoughts on what to do with it once harvested, LOL. 

Thanks! I'm able to get more sunlight now b/c we took out that maple tree next to our house and the garden is going in on that side. I seriously underestimated the size of that thing. DS and I discovered in the process that there is/was mistletoe growing either on the pine tree that was next to the maple or on the maple itself (likely). Not good in either case. In its place, I planted a serviceberry that will max out at half the size, grow slowly, and doesn't have invasive roots. Can you tell the horticulturist we hired was very thorough, lol. I've learned *A TON* 

I have some zucchini planned (although I went with a bush type b/c it's not being planted next to the trellis). I didn't plan on spinach because I don't love how it wilts/disintegrates when heated but I do have some Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage, and a new varietal (Chijimisai) planned. I hope they do well! The side yard gets dappled shade during mid-day so I think it will be a good spot for pretty much everything. It's also protected from wind b/c it's between the two houses. Fingers crossed that the whole plan comes together!

This is also bringing joy to my heart because it's going to block the view of my neighbor's landscape and home. Lovely family, they just do not prioritize exterior maintenance...at all. No one talks about it but I can feel the neighbors' judgment, lol.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Faith-manor]

Public service announcement. If you plant zucchini, be realistic. You don't need five plants. Five plants is enough to overrun a county and make all the not fans of zucchini run for their lives. Just say no! The spectacle every summer of bedraggled, forlorn, desperate zucchini growers peddling the offspring of wildly too many plants On street corners across the land is a blight upon the community. And also, if your zucchini is over 24" long and weighs ten lbs, it isn't food. It is past its prime like old spinster Aunt Cruella. Use it for firewood, don't offer that to the food pantry!

Two zucchini plants per 20 square miles is sufficient to provide for the needs of all of the zucchini people. 😁😁😁

[Pam in CT]

re hairy plant of horrors

2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Public service announcement. If you plant zucchini, be realistic. You don't need five plants. Five plants is enough to overrun a county and make all the not fans of zucchini run for their lives. Just say no! The spectacle every summer of bedraggled, forlorn, desperate zucchini growers peddling the offspring of wildly too many plants On street corners across the land is a blight upon the community. And also, if your zucchini is over 24" long and weighs ten lbs, it isn't food. It is past its prime like old spinster Aunt Cruella. Use it for firewood, don't offer that to the food pantry!

Two zucchini plants per 20 square miles is sufficient to provide for the needs of all of the zucchini people. 😁😁😁

Truth.

(It's not *just* that two plants yield sufficient output per county.  In addition, the plants are enormous, sprawling, hairy and ugly.)

 

Since my only sun is the same space as my only outdoor entertainment, I privilege how plants *look* over many other criteria.

Most container-sized herbs are either truly-lovely (rosemary, smaill-leaf and purple basils, chives, golden oregano, cascading thymes, chamomille, curly parsley) or perfectly-fine (cilantro, genovese basil, flat parsley, mint).  I quite like the tall structural-yet-lacy effect of dill and fennel, and the exuberant tropical effect of lemon grass, so long as they're back of row.

Since COVID, I've grown lettuce in rectangular containers set atop my terrace walls.  I start them indoors / in the cold frame then move them to the containers when they're big enough to be visible.  I vary the red & purple ones amidst the see of green, and plonk a dianthus or salvia in the center and call the whole thing "decorative," swapping out for new lettuce as they start bolting.

I have some scarlet-blossom. purple pod pole beans which are quite pretty in bloom.  This year I've given up on bush beans entirely, ordered some new cultivars and various trellises and lattice parts, and plan to interplant beans with clambering nasurtiums.

Vegetables with actually attractive foliage: beets, carrots, kales, mustards, rocket, walking onion (perennial).  I've never tried potato before, but inspired by @itsheresomewhere 's counsel re training sweet potatoes into topiaries and @HS Mom in NC 's recommended fabric bags I'm going to give it a go.  I've laid out organic chunks of purple Incan potatoes to see if they sprout and have also earmarked my catalogue with a cultivar whose foliage is purple and looks *in the picture at least* like it's attractive.

On 2/7/2022 at 8:06 PM, HS Mom in NC said:

We're using a Ruth Stout no dig straw or hay version for potatoes so we can just pull it back and have a look and easily put it back of necessary.

Here's link to the bags with flaps: https://www.amazon.com/Potato-Planter-Handles-Harvest-Vegetables/dp/B086QVJDTX/ref=sr_1_2?crid=26DPQFDBIW1WH&keywords=potato+bags+for+growing+potatoes&qid=1644282107&sprefix=potato+bags%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-2

Vegetables with good-enough, contained-enough, acceptable foliage, definitely worth doing even if amidst your entertaining space: peppers, eggplant, tomato, rhubarb (perennial).

 

Vegetables with sprawling or hairy or otherwise unattractive foliage, best left to large spaces set well apart from your living space: any kind of summer or winter squash, any kind of melon, regular bush beans.  Given my circumstances, I'm now out of all of these (v sad about the spaghetti squash, which I adore and which was my greatest production triumph of 2020, but now that we plan to have people over again, it's got to go.)

[itsheresomewhere]

1 hour ago, Pam in CT said:

re hairy plant of horrors

Truth.

(It's not *just* that two plants yield sufficient output per county.  In addition, the plants are enormous, sprawling, hairy and ugly.)

 

Since my only sun is the same space as my only outdoor entertainment, I privilege how plants *look* over many other criteria.

Most container-sized herbs are either truly-lovely (rosemary, smaill-leaf and purple basils, chives, golden oregano, cascading thymes, chamomille, curly parsley) or perfectly-fine (cilantro, genovese basil, flat parsley, mint).  I quite like the tall structural-yet-lacy effect of dill and fennel, and the exuberant tropical effect of lemon grass, so long as they're back of row.

Since COVID, I've grown lettuce in rectangular containers set atop my terrace walls.  I start them indoors / in the cold frame then move them to the containers when they're big enough to be visible.  I vary the red & purple ones amidst the see of green, and plonk a dianthus or salvia in the center and call the whole thing "decorative," swapping out for new lettuce as they start bolting.

I have some scarlet-blossom. purple pod pole beans which are quite pretty in bloom.  This year I've given up on bush beans entirely, ordered some new cultivars and various trellises and lattice parts, and plan to interplant beans with clambering nasurtiums.

Vegetables with actually attractive foliage: beets, carrots, kales, mustards, rocket, walking onion (perennial).  I've never tried potato before, but inspired by @itsheresomewhere 's counsel re training sweet potatoes into topiaries and @HS Mom in NC 's recommended fabric bags I'm going to give it a go.  I've laid out organic chunks of purple Incan potatoes to see if they sprout and have also earmarked my catalogue with a cultivar whose foliage is purple and looks *in the picture at least* like it's attractive.

Vegetables with good-enough, contained-enough, acceptable foliage, definitely worth doing even if amidst your entertaining space: peppers, eggplant, tomato, rhubarb (perennial).

 

Vegetables with sprawling or hairy or otherwise unattractive foliage, best left to large spaces set well apart from your living space: any kind of summer or winter squash, any kind of melon, regular bush beans.  Given my circumstances, I'm now out of all of these (v sad about the spaghetti squash, which I adore and which was my greatest production triumph of 2020, but now that we plan to have people over again, it's got to go.)

If you can grab a Japanese sweet potato ( or that is what it was labeled it was a substitute in my grocery delivery) from the grocery store, it grows great and has the most beautiful purple white flowers.  They are a deep purple on the edge and fades to white in the center.   The sweet potatoes were good but those flowers were stunning.  

[Sneezyone]

5 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Public service announcement. If you plant zucchini, be realistic. You don't need five plants. Five plants is enough to overrun a county and make all the not fans of zucchini run for their lives. Just say no! The spectacle every summer of bedraggled, forlorn, desperate zucchini growers peddling the offspring of wildly too many plants On street corners across the land is a blight upon the community. And also, if your zucchini is over 24" long and weighs ten lbs, it isn't food. It is past its prime like old spinster Aunt Cruella. Use it for firewood, don't offer that to the food pantry!

Two zucchini plants per 20 square miles is sufficient to provide for the needs of all of the zucchini people. 😁😁😁

LOL, and this is why I went with one, ONE bush-style, dwarf zucchini varietal. Look a the little cute, round, SMALL zucchinis! Perfect for grilling. 🤣 https://www.edenbrothers.com/store/ronde-de-nice-squash-seeds.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAjc2QBhDgARIsAMc3SqRJNFxEsLRQBw4clFxSbW9pLhVpCGJazsplqQGkOBoSio1sHCjUwF0aAhMLEALw_wcB

[Faith-manor]

28 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

LOL, and this is why I went with one, ONE bush-style, dwarf zucchini varietal. Look a the little cute, round, SMALL zucchinis! Perfect for grilling. 🤣 https://www.edenbrothers.com/store/ronde-de-nice-squash-seeds.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAjc2QBhDgARIsAMc3SqRJNFxEsLRQBw4clFxSbW9pLhVpCGJazsplqQGkOBoSio1sHCjUwF0aAhMLEALw_wcB

See, grilling is the only way I use them. Shishkabob is my thing. Stick a couple small wedges on the skewer with a portabella mushroom or two, a pearl onion, and bell pepper wedge, and a couple baby red potatoes, sprinkle with salt, garlic, and black pepper, squeeze a lemon wedge around, and pop those babies on a bed of coals. Yummy! This is the acceptable use of zucchini. 😁

The steroid addicted, body-building, goliath fruit of the standard zucchini plant does not good grilling make! 😂 😉

Y'all, we are supposed to get freezing rain tonight and tomorrow. My yard just began to thaw. 😭😭😭  

[HS Mom in NC]

8 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

Vegetables with sprawling or hairy or otherwise unattractive foliage, best left to large spaces set well apart from your living space: any kind of summer or winter squash, any kind of melon, regular bush beans.  Given my circumstances, I'm now out of all of these (v sad about the spaghetti squash, which I adore and which was my greatest production triumph of 2020, but now that we plan to have people over again, it's got to go.)

We're doing vertical gardening with our sprawlers this year.

[Sneezyone]

So...another question...

Growing mushrooms on logs. Maybe I've been watching too much YouTube. I'm almost sure I've been watching too much YouTube. Still, this seems easy enough. I have these leftover logs that I plan to use to help fill up my raised beds. What's the harm in using one or two to try to grow mushrooms? I saw one installation that almost made the logs look like garden sculptures with different heights. Anyone tried this?