The Garden Thread

[Cards1968]

Fresh fried cajun eggplant for lunch. So good.

We've had blooms all summer and still no fruit. After some asking around others have had the same issue. Plants are healthy otherwise.

Canned 13 pints of tomatoes, 6 pints of salsa, and 6 pints of green tomatoes this weekend. Still picking green beans and okra, and have carrots and cantaloupe that look really good yet to go.

 

[Nape]

The deluge of peppers continues. My habanero’s are massive and super tasty.
Regular habanero:

A habanero that’s genesis was 2009. Saved the seeds and I’ve grown this generation now for 5 years. Check it:

The cayennes are still going crazy:

In addition to the habaneros the lemon drops are coming on strong:

 

[TopHook]

Using the areogarden the kids got me for some early tomato propagation. View attachment 10464

Those thing work like a champ.

 

[Cards1968]

Just pulled all but two of our tomato plants. Going with another round of collared greens and turnips. What else would work in a ~ 80 growing days left season?

 

[Old Glory]

Just pulled all but two of our tomato plants. Going with another round of collared greens and turnips. What else would work in a ~ 80 growing days left season?

Beans, carrots, lettuce, zucchini, radishes.

 

[Nape]

@TheNJNole

Been making San Marzano sauce all day. Had about 15 pounds of SM and reduced that to 2 quarts of concentrated sauce. Glorious!

 

[TheNJNole]

@TheNJNole

Been making San Marzano sauce all day. Had about 15 pounds of SM and reduced that to 2 quarts of concentrated sauce. Glorious!
View attachment 41527View attachment 41528

Mamma mia.... molto bene

How is the family doing since your FIL passed?

 

[Nape]

Mamma mia.... molto bene

How is the family doing since your FIL passed?

Thanks pal.

It’s still tough on m-I-l. She’s lost without him. She’s getting better and understanding that life goes on.

 

[TheNJNole]

Thanks pal.

It’s still tough on m-I-l. She’s lost without him. She’s getting better and understanding that life goes on.

God takes what's his. Just make sure you are straight......

 

[Old Glory]

Just ordered a bunch of seeds for this year. Gonna experiment with starting some earlier than normal and put them out under a cold frame prior to the frost free date.

A guy I follow said he just uses two of these to make a cold frame so I'm going to give that a shot.

MacCourt 42 in. x 15 in. Polyethylene Reversible Bubble Window Well Cover W4217

The MacCourt 42 in. x 17 in. Circular and Rectangular Plastic Window Well Cover is manufactured from plastic. It is durable. The cover is designed to be placed over your window well to prevent animals,

www.homedepot.com

Here is his video on it:

 

[Old Glory]

First seeds of the year started yesterday.

Starting lettuce, kale, and spinach earlier this year to see how they do. Also have some cabbage and flowers in there right now. I'll pretty much be adding to this every week from here on out as we move closer to spring.

 

[sanction]

I need to start breaking ground as soon as it’s dry enough. Gonna
rain all week here.

 

[ChicagoFats]

First seeds of the year started yesterday.

Starting lettuce, kale, and spinach earlier this year to see how they do. Also have some cabbage and flowers in there right now. I'll pretty much be adding to this every week from here on out as we move closer to spring.
View attachment 80338

How is it going @MSU_Spartans? How are those seeds coming along?

Think I’m going to get started next weekend.

 

[Old Glory]

How is it going @MSU_Spartans? How are those seeds coming along?

Think I’m going to get started next weekend.

On vacation right now but I’ll post some pics when we get back. Started a bunch of seeds around two weeks ago. When I left everything was going well… we’ll see when I get back.

 

[Old Glory]

@ChicagoFats

First pic is the light setup, nothing fancy but it works.

Some seeds are doing great, others I experimented (i.e. spinach which you don't typically start indoors) and it's failing but that's why I tried it.

I'm adding a third garden bed this year. Hoping to get that going soon but there's still snow on the ground on Michigan where I live.

I'll type most of what I've got going and if you have specifics I can link the seed link.

Couple regular tomatoes
Cherry Roma Tomatoes
Black Strawberry Tomatoes (first time with these, super excited to see how they taste)
Black Strawberry
Fish Pepper (hot)
Red Bell Pepper
Jimmy Nardello Pepper
Red and green cabbage
Couple types of Kale
Couple types of Lettuce
Broccoli and Broccoli Raab
Chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, and thyme (first time starting herb seeds indoors as well)
Started Hollyhock flowers indoors

I think that's all of my seeds so far, I'll start more in the coming weeks (i.e. cucumbers). I've got garlic in one spot right now outdoors, that should be harvested in July. I'll direct sow green beans, carrots, radishes, watermelon, and pepitas (those green pumpkin seeds from the store) once we're past the frost day in May.

This year I made my own potting soil mix with peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, and worm castings. So far it seems to be doing well.

 

[Old Glory]

Planted seeds today outside for spinach, some head lettuce, carrots and radishes. I've never planted seeds this early before so we'll see what happens.

 

[hmt5000]

Planted seeds today outside for spinach, some head lettuce, carrots and radishes. I've never planted seeds this early before so we'll see what happens.

We wait til May to plant in KY. You might get lucky with some of that but a frost after it sprouts will kill it. Better to start seeds in the house and transplant them after risk of frost.

 

[DuckDitchtiger]

I started beekeeping as a hobby, to improve my garden and fruit production.

 

[ChicagoFats]

I started beekeeping as a hobby, to improve my garden and fruit production.

And how is it going? I've considered bee keeping, how much work do you have to put into keeping your hive?

 

[Old Glory]

We wait til May to plant in KY. You might get lucky with some of that but a frost after it sprouts will kill it. Better to start seeds in the house and transplant them after risk of frost.

None of the seeds I direct sowed can be transplanted. I tried spinach and it failed. They are all frost tolerant crops so I'm not too concerned but I have a cover ready incase we get a hard frost. I won't transplant tomatoes, peppers, etc until after the frost free date. I will also sow more every two weeks for a while to get a successive harvest.

 

[Nape]

I got my chiles going and was planning on turning my garden over this weekend. Unfortunately, the 3” of rain we got this week put a stop to that enthusiasm real quick.

I have my lawn guy coming to expand my garden by about 400sqft. More stuff I can can and dry. Load up, people. Shit is coming. Quickly.

 

[Rebarcock.]

I started beekeeping as a hobby, to improve my garden and fruit production.

I'll buy some honey. We can make honey shine at my house in Phillips.

 

[DuckDitchtiger]

And how is it going? I've considered bee keeping, how much work do you have to put into keeping your hive?

I have only been doing it a few weeks. I have 3 hives currently and will have 5 two weeks from now.

 

[Nape]

I have only been doing it a few weeks. I have 3 hives currently and will have 5 two weeks from now.

What is the dominant flora in your area? Not sure where you are but I always dig clover and orange blossom honey.

 

[DuckDitchtiger]

I'll buy some honey. We can make honey shine at my house in Phillips.

Viking blood mead, cherry mead. I just bottled a gallon.

What is the dominant flora in your area? Not sure where you are but I always dig clover and orange blossom honey.

South Carolina and the deer love clover. I just bought 3 pounds of wildflower mix to plant nearby

 

[noleology]

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Saving the Past for the Future

www.southernexposure.com

best heirloom peas.been growing them 20 years-no fall off

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Saving the Past for the Future

www.southernexposure.com

best bean

 

[sanction]

My sweet corn is 3 inches tall. Also have tomatos, jalepenos, okra’ zucchini,
2 types squash, zipper cream peas, 2 types eggplants, Bush baby limas,
cucumbers , cilantro, parsley and spinach planted.

 

[sanction]

The sweet corn got a 150 pounds nitrogen applied. It jumped with a half inch rain shower.

Gonna have to irrigate soon.

 

[hmt5000]

The sweet corn got a 150 pounds nitrogen applied. It jumped with a half inch rain shower.

Gonna have to irrigate soon.

I'll trade you some of our rain for some of your sun.....

 

[sanction]

I'll trade you some of our rain for some of your sun.....

It’s been low 90s and clear here for 2 weeks.

It’s dry

 

[sanction]

Sweet corn patch today 10 days after 150 pounds of nitrogen applied.

 

[TJHall1]

Sweet corn patch today 10 days after 150 pounds of nitrogen applied.

How much that nitrogen run ya?

 

[sanction]

How much that nitrogen run ya?

80 bucks for 150#

Paid 1100 bucks per ton for Triple 17 today. Bulk.

 

[Old Glory]

Just got the peppers and tomatoes in. I am way ahead of where I was at this point last year but not satisfied with how the peppers turned out. I'm going to start more seeds now just to get some practice in. The roots didn't develop as well as I want them too. Tomatoes turned out OK, some plants were great, others were OK. The ones that were just OK were all the same variety so I'm thinking it's more to do with that specific type than me. I put twine up for the peppers but the synthetic stuff sucks, I've got natural here now to replace it. I'll do the same style of trellis with the tomatoes once they grow a bit more.

If you click the link it doesn't work, not sure why. First time using Imgur in forever.

 

[Nape]

Got part of the garden in the ground yesterday. Rented a tiller Monday to work the soil. Still need to go get some zucchini, grape and pear tomatoes, and some Swiss chard. Will get those in today.


Planted:

14 cayennes
4 Lemon Drop
2 Habanero
1 each golden ghost and ghost
4 San Marzano tomatoes
3 Cherokee Purple
1 Pineapple hybrid tomato

 

[Old Glory]

Got part of the garden in the ground yesterday. Rented a tiller Monday to work the soil. Still need to go get some zucchini, grape and pear tomatoes, and some Swiss chard. Will get those in today.


Planted:

14 cayennes
4 Lemon Drop
2 Habanero
1 each golden ghost and ghost
4 San Marzano tomatoes
3 Cherokee Purple
1 Pineapple hybrid tomato

That’s a damn good list there. I want to try growing the San marzano next year.

 

[Nape]

That’s a damn good list there. I want to try growing the San marzano next year.

They grew really well last year. Sometimes they don’t. They are a bit finicky little bastards but delicious. I jar pretty much all of my yield so we can have plenty of fresh tasting sauce in the winter.

 

[TTUcamper]

Doing acorn squash, jalapeno, yellow squash, even planted a grape vine on my chicken coop run. That was the big project. Got ten chickens.

 

[Nape]

 

[ttyh]

Have sweet banana peppers, jalapenos, cucumber, okra, 3 different leaf lettuce varietals, tomatoes and several different herbs in the ground. My cucumber plants are producing crazy amounts of fruit already. And they are delicious.

Hoping to get some corn planted between now and Saturday and have been hunting for seed potatoes for a few weeks now to no avail.