from 'comunity garden' - into 'first try at a garden'..

[canesisters]

Yeah Steve, you think? I'm already planning how to set up a few more circles. I like the ease of working it from one center spot - but I'm definately going to have to segregate and plan better 'containment'. I've got way too much crammed into this small space... but they looked so lonely when they were tiny little sprouts..

At least the corn didn't actual quit at 2' tall. It's nearly 5' now. It looks good, but I'm not holding out great hopes for corn on the cob. I think the weeks of cold nights was pretty tough on it.

I've got 3 of these - one almost ready to pick
mmmmm stuffed squash bowls.....

And a BUNCH of tiny little tomato nubs.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Your garden is looking great! Healthy and strong :weight . Don't let those pesky weeds deter you!

 

[baymule]

Didja ever think gardening would be so much fun? It is so rewarding to put something on the table that you just picked out of your garden. Not to mention the taste! Great job! Beautiful garden..........(she's measuring off new garden space........

 

[canesisters]

Thanks yall!

Yes, you're right Bay - this IS a lot of fun. And I am SO looking forward to being able to put some of this on the table before too long.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Very nice garden!! I did not know you called that the Florida Weave. I googled it. We have our raspberries and blackberries like that. We planted telephone peas and are going to use that for them and the tomatoes. The tomatoes always had some kind of wooden cage or support my husband made, but we wanted to try this. Can't wait to see your compost pile this fall.

 

[baymule]

We planted telephone peas

Do they call you when they are ready to pick?

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

We planted telephone peas

Do they call you when they are ready to pick?

The are called TALL telephone garden peas. I hope it means they grow as tall as a telephone pole, but I guess it would be nice to have too many peas and you need the telephone to call for help with the picking. I can't wait to see because the Little Marvel peas are 36 inches tall in some places and the package said 18 inches tall.

 

[canesisters]

Best laid plans......



I have learned SOOOO much this year about basic gardening.
The 'Mt. Rotmore' garden is growing and producing like crazy.

I have 2 pattypan squash plants and I can't give them away fast enough. We're eating them daily... stuffed, fried with potatoes & onions, hidden in sauce with porkchops..... Lessons learned:
1. They grow UP into a large bush, not vineing along the ground. Very good around the bottom of something that does grow UP, like corn or maybe trellised something.
2. They PRODUCE so 1 plant is more than enough for me - 2 supplies everyone I know - 3 will overrun the county.

I planted 3 spaghetti squash. Harvested the first one yesterday but not SURE it was really ready so will have a verdict after cooking it.
Lessons learned:
1. They vine like MAD. Up the fence, down the fence, across the yard, heading for the pasture... some of them probably pushing 20'.
2. They produce A LOT
3. They take a LONG time to ripen
4. They will ripen 15 giant squashes all at once so have a plan for giving away or freezing

Tomatoes.... I planted 4 varieties... I have no idea who is who in "THE JUNGLE".
Lessons learned:
1. They do NOT stay small so when the little voice in your head says that the tiny little tomato seedling looks lonely in the middle of that big space.. beat the little voice into submission and cage that little seedling!!!
2. Label them with something bigger and tougher than they are. I will probably never find the little plastic labels I carefully placed in front of each pie wedge shaped section of tomato varieties. Doesn't matter anyway this year, I'll be picking whatever I can manage to spot and reach ...
3. Don't plant cucumbers near them.... It is not possible to pick things in a 4'wide mass of vines. :/

Cucumbers... I have 3 varieties.
Lessons learned:
1. One word... TRELLIS!!!!!!! Mine managed to go up the tomatoes and then over to the nearby fence. I now have a tunnel that is about 3' high. I can only pick cucumbers while on my hands and knees. BUT, I have a nice shady place to hide.

There are 8 corn plants. I haven't harvested any yet so I can't say how the corn production is going other than that there are nice, big ears on the stalks.
Lessons learned:
1. They are (so far) the one thing that I've tried that is not happy in a compost garden. The soil is too soft and loamy to hold them up and they go over every time we get a little wind. On the other hand, the soil is so soft and loamy that I can stand them right back up without damaging the stalks or roots.



Already making plans for next year.
This is my yard. The white lines are the current garden and chicken run. The yellow lines are the future gardens and chicken run. There is already a mini-Rotmore where the middle garden will be.
Will the seeds that I got this Spring still be good next year? There are a LOT of things that I never got around to planting. They are just in a box in the kitchen.

 

[so lucky]

I'm getting a chuckle out of you hiding in the garden under the cucumber vines. Yes, your seeds will be ok next year. May be a little lower germination rate, but certainly worth keeping. They will do better kept cool and dry. I keep mine in the fridge or the freezer in their envelopes, then in plastic freezer bags. Tomato seeds are viable for 10 years or more. Beans for 2-3 years, corn the same. Cabbage and broccoli probably 3 years. These are just guesstimates from my experience. One thing I know has a short seed life are parsnips.

 

[Kassaundra]

Best laid plans......



I have learned SOOOO much this year about basic gardening.
The 'Mt. Rotmore' garden is growing and producing like crazy.

I have 2 pattypan squash plants and I can't give them away fast enough. We're eating them daily... stuffed, fried with potatoes & onions, hidden in sauce with porkchops..... Lessons learned:
1. They grow UP into a large bush, not vineing along the ground. Very good around the bottom of something that does grow UP, like corn or maybe trellised something.
2. They PRODUCE so 1 plant is more than enough for me - 2 supplies everyone I know - 3 will overrun the county.

I planted 3 spaghetti squash. Harvested the first one yesterday but not SURE it was really ready so will have a verdict after cooking it.
Lessons learned:
1. They vine like MAD. Up the fence, down the fence, across the yard, heading for the pasture... some of them probably pushing 20'.
2. They produce A LOT
3. They take a LONG time to ripen
4. They will ripen 15 giant squashes all at once so have a plan for giving away or freezing

Tomatoes.... I planted 4 varieties... I have no idea who is who in "THE JUNGLE".
Lessons learned:
1. They do NOT stay small so when the little voice in your head says that the tiny little tomato seedling looks lonely in the middle of that big space.. beat the little voice into submission and cage that little seedling!!!
2. Label them with something bigger and tougher than they are. I will probably never find the little plastic labels I carefully placed in front of each pie wedge shaped section of tomato varieties. Doesn't matter anyway this year, I'll be picking whatever I can manage to spot and reach ...
3. Don't plant cucumbers near them.... It is not possible to pick things in a 4'wide mass of vines. :/

Cucumbers... I have 3 varieties.
Lessons learned:
1. One word... TRELLIS!!!!!!! Mine managed to go up the tomatoes and then over to the nearby fence. I now have a tunnel that is about 3' high. I can only pick cucumbers while on my hands and knees. BUT, I have a nice shady place to hide.
There are 8 corn plants. I haven't harvested any yet so I can't say how the corn production is going other than that there are nice, big ears on the stalks.
Lessons learned:
1. They are (so far) the one thing that I've tried that is not happy in a compost garden. The soil is too soft and loamy to hold them up and they go over every time we get a little wind. On the other hand, the soil is so soft and loamy that I can stand them right back up without damaging the stalks or roots.



Already making plans for next year.
This is my yard. The white lines are the current garden and chicken run. The yellow lines are the future gardens and chicken run. There is already a mini-Rotmore where the middle garden will be.
Will the seeds that I got this Spring still be good next year? There are a LOT of things that I never got around to planting. They are just in a box in the kitchen.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/8721_sadie_lane_tobe.jpg

I believe that is the true story of how Yoga came to be, ancient Indian gurus trying to harvest their gardens.