Garden thread
Tacklewasher
Posts: 7,122 Member
So, lets chat about planning your garden for next year.
16
Replies
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@GottaBurnEmAll
I built raised beds and a potato bin last year. For the raised beds, I used cinder blocks. I did this so if I decided to rearrange things, I could pull it apart easier then if I used wood.
Narrow blocks (1/2 sized) so they are not too heavy to move around and two rows. My beds are actually sitting on pieces of plywood so about 4ft by 8ft. I built three but am adding a couple for next year. I ran drip irrigation to my beds. We grew corn, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and some other stuff my wife eats. She managed the raised beds.
My potato box is about 4 ft square. The trick with it is you have it mostly empty and plant your potatoes. Then when you start to see them (when you would normally hill them) you add 6 inches of dirt. Keep doing that all year. This was my responsibility as my wife can't eat potatoes. The key is to make sure the layers all get water. I didn't have the watering set up well so I only got them around the middle and near the bottom. I have to figure something else out for next year.10 -
not sure about sizing but thinking 4x6 for vegetables and melons. things were too smooshed this year
green beans, melons, tomatoes, hot peppers, carrots, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin.
i already have a blueberry bush (pink lemonade), natchez blackberry, heritage raspberry, everbearing and cabot strawberry (sometimes they come back) and a grape vine (begins with a c), elderberry bush.
my butterfly bush is questionable for next year, my golden privets are not thriving but trying to make it. allium did well, iris did poorly but i think they will do better this year. tulips did ok. i've got a few hardy rose bushes. balloon flower. my lilac died but i'll try again. i love lilacs. 2 hydrangea. 1 clematis fighting with a previous resident morning glory(just won't die). my grape hyacinth did well but it's sometimes hard to tell them from the grass so the grass is doing well too(boo). oh and my autumns blood sedum.
my herb garden will be mint, lemon balm, chamomile, basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, and chives.
might try potting ginger, rosemary, and horseradish for indoor outdoor use4 -
I put in two 4' x 8' x 6" raised beds in 2016 and a 12' x 2' x 6' bed last weekend.
This year the first 4' x 8' had strawberries, pole beans, Malabar spinach (it's a tropical climber that LOVES the summers), Swiss chard, dill, marigolds, and stevia that mom gave me that I didn't do anything with before the frost killed it.
The second 4' x 8' had snap and snow peas, which I replaced with morning glories when they were done, Scotch and Russian kale, mint, regular basil, Thai basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, marigolds, and scallions.
The beds are a little crowded and my Swiss chard doesn't get enough sun so we just put in the 12' x 2' x 6' bed which I'm going to use for the Swiss chard, marigolds, and other things the ground hog does not like. It's closer to her burrow. So far she has stayed out of the veggies and has stuck with the clover in the lawn and is probably responsibly for eating the morning glories by her burrow, although a lot of the damage was high, so that was weird.
There was a bunny in the strawberry bed but he didn't do any damage that I saw. I used the fence below plus bird netting to keep the squirrels and birds out of the strawberries, then moved the fence to around the rest of the bed once the bunny started hanging out. Supposedly this is not tall enough for rabbits, but it worked with mine. I ended up getting another fence and fenced in the second 4 x 8 as well. I'm going to wait and see about the 12 x 2. Generally, EVERYTHING leaves Swiss chard alone
I need to get peat moss and compost for the new bed. So far it has leaves, lime, manure and vermiculite.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB1EECB/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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not sure about sizing but thinking 4x6 for vegetables and melons. things were too smooshed this year
green beans, melons, tomatoes, hot peppers, carrots, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin.
i already have a blueberry bush (pink lemonade), natchez blackberry, heritage raspberry, everbearing and cabot strawberry (sometimes they come back) and a grape vine (begins with a c), elderberry bush.
my butterfly bush is questionable for next year, my golden privets are not thriving but trying to make it. allium did well, iris did poorly but i think they will do better this year. tulips did ok. i've got a few hardy rose bushes. balloon flower. my lilac died but i'll try again. i love lilacs. 2 hydrangea. 1 clematis fighting with a previous resident morning glory(just won't die). my grape hyacinth did well but it's sometimes hard to tell them from the grass so the grass is doing well too(boo). oh and my autumns blood sedum.
my herb garden will be mint, lemon balm, chamomile, basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, and chives.
might try potting ginger, rosemary, and horseradish for indoor outdoor use
I'm interested in hearing from gardeners with success with squash family plants in smallish raised beds. I tried bush cucumber and zucchini one year at my old place and while they fit, they were very unproductive.
I also did a non-bush on an A-frame trellis and I think it took up at least 4 x 6', which is more real estate than I can afford where I live now.
I gave my trellises to Mom and get cucumbers from her. She has full sun, tons of room, very fertile soil (thank you neighbors with horses), and produces a massive amount of cucumbers and butternut squash each year.
https://www.burpee.com/gardening-supplies/supports-ties-and-fences/squash-and-cucumber-a-frame-prod003093.html
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i was thinking of a trellis but i also use the chain link fence and tell my neighbor to take what she'd like for use of her fence.
my bush cucumber produced one sad little cucumber. like a petite pickle size. my carrots were smooshed too
it was all in 1x6 bed.
so giving another 3x6 i hope it to do better
(my beds are not raised)
edit: my pumpkin vine did well on the fence. i just had to keep catching it trying to expand into a neighbors yard... i got 3 pumpkins. obviously it could do better but i got one perfect pumpkin. the others were ok. i think i used the pumpkin pie pumpkin seeds. it was supposed to be a sweet pumpkin-but i did not eat it. i just thought it was cute2 -
Yes!!! Gardening is the best!! We moved too late into the season so I was stuck with container gardening on my deck- still a blast and I wound up with good yields on my tomatoes and decent yield on the cukes. This year’s standout was my habanero plant! It was HUGE and yielded enough peppers for 3/4 of a spice jar (we smoke, dehydrate, and then grind)! Totally jealous of all the homeowners out there and your ability to create a magical and functional garden!! someday...3
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OvershareUsername wrote: »Yes!!! Gardening is the best!! We moved too late into the season so I was stuck with container gardening on my deck- still a blast and I wound up with good yields on my tomatoes and decent yield on the cukes. This year’s standout was my habanero plant! It was HUGE and yielded enough peppers for 3/4 of a spice jar (we smoke, dehydrate, and then grind)! Totally jealous of all the homeowners out there and your ability to create a magical and functional garden!! someday...
When all I had was a balcony I did basil, cilantro, and parsley
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i was thinking of a trellis but i also use the chain link fence and tell my neighbor to take what she'd like for use of her fence.
my bush cucumber produced one sad little cucumber. like a petite pickle size. my carrots were smooshed too
it was all in 1x6 bed.
so giving another 3x6 i hope it to do better
(my beds are not raised)
edit: my pumpkin vine did well on the fence. i just had to keep catching it trying to expand into a neighbors yard... i got 3 pumpkins. obviously it could do better but i got one perfect pumpkin. the others were ok. i think i used the pumpkin pie pumpkin seeds. it was supposed to be a sweet pumpkin-but i did not eat it. i just thought it was cute
Looks like someone around the corner from me was growing monster cucumbers over a fence. I was always driving by so couldn't get a good look, but they were HUGE. (They looked more like cukes than zucchinis, but were fatter than both, but not round.)1 -
Just saw this, yay!
Until this year I had no yard or real garden space, only a roof deck on which I'd do some container gardening (tomatoes and herbs usually worked out well). Now I have a small back yard, so I am going to decide what all to plant (there are some perennials (flowers) there already, I'd like to have strawberries, and then want to decide what else, and in what format (raised beds or what -- I also have a huge pot that I took from my old place, at one time it had a small tree in it, now it's empty and reading for anything.
As an aside: I was having some work done on my old place before selling and paid one of the contractors to bring down the giant (extremely heavy) pot, since there was no way to move it. I arranged to meet him in the alley behind my new house and was telling my friend I had to leave early to go meet this guy in the alley to get my pot (he knew the back story) and he said "you really need to stop saying it that way."
Anyway more actual gardening thoughts/questions later.5 -
I *kitten* my tomatoes all up last year. I didn't figure out how to prune and train them until they were already out of control with like 15 main stems (And I had 10 plants) it was just a mess. I'm planning on growing at least a couple plants up ONE main stem on a single post, and then the rest maybe let them grow into 3 and prune off the rest. I'm still trying to figure out how I want to support them though. I've been using plain old tomato cages the last several years. I was thinking two posts on either end of the garden bed with chicken wire or something and just growing them up that.
I also REALLY wanted to plant 2 blueberry bushes but didn't get around to messing with the soil. I've heard the soil needs to have just the right acidity and if it's not, you need to put *stuff* in the soil several months ahead of time to get it suitable for the blueberries. So I guess I won't be planting my blueberries this spring *sad face*
I never do very well with cucumbers. They always die really early on. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. They always get some sort of disease. Sucks because the cucumbers that I get before the plants die are SO good.
I'm also planning on adding zucchini to my garden next year. I also do green beans and a couple different types of peppers.0 -
Lots of tips for raised beds here and the book is probably available in most library systems: http://www.squarefootgardening.com
I don't follow the grid system, but base what I fill my beds with on Mel's mix, which does retain water very well, especially when I also mulch with straw:
http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/mels-mix/- 1/3 vermiculite (Medium is available at my Home Depot. Mel recommends large, but this works. Get the BIG bag, not the little ones.)
- 1/3 peat moss
- 1/3 compost (from as many sources as possible)
Home Depot also has kits for raised beds. Cedar is more expensive than pine, but will last longer. (You don't want treated pine for growing edibles.)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Greenes-Fence-4-ft-x-8-ft-x-10-5-in-Dovetail-Cedar-Raised-Garden-Bed-RC6T21B/203477958
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Here are my garden beds. my husband build them and the trelises. The one closest to the camera is for green beans and the one on the other is for cucmbers
I am a total amateur by the way, no idea what I'm doing. My plan of action every year is throw some stuff in and hopefully it makes me food lol
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I *kitten* my tomatoes all up last year. I didn't figure out how to prune and train them until they were already out of control with like 15 main stems (And I had 10 plants) it was just a mess. I'm planning on growing at least a couple plants up ONE main stem on a single post, and then the rest maybe let them grow into 3 and prune off the rest. I'm still trying to figure out how I want to support them though. I've been using plain old tomato cages the last several years. I was thinking two posts on either end of the garden bed with chicken wire or something and just growing them up that.
I also REALLY wanted to plant 2 blueberry bushes but didn't get around to messing with the soil. I've heard the soil needs to have just the right acidity and if it's not, you need to put *stuff* in the soil several months ahead of time to get it suitable for the blueberries. So I guess I won't be planting my blueberries this spring *sad face*
I never do very well with cucumbers. They always die really early on. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. They always get some sort of disease. Sucks because the cucumbers that I get before the plants die are SO good.
I'm also planning on adding zucchini to my garden next year. I also do green beans and a couple different types of peppers.
These are great tomato cages. With the extenders, they are 76" tall. I also used them for the pole beans and malabar spinach.
https://www.burpee.com/gardening-supplies/cages-and-supports/xl-pro-series-cage---green-prod001781.html
If the problem with the cucumbers is squash vine borer worms, these will attack the zucchini as well
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/prevent-stem-borers-melons-cucumbers-74204.html
https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=yua&biw=1270&bih=742&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=fK71W5eHPOvc5gKc_aWAAg&q=squash+vine+borer&oq=squash+vine+borer&gs_l=img.3..0i67l2j0l6j0i24l2.34723.36245..36775...0.0..0.107.627.1j5......1....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30.NjuwBRTvQGE3 -
i plopped my blueberries in the ground with no specialness. so far so good. planted it at the beginning of 1 season and had it for 1 more year. not a lot of berries but it's a young plant
i think it will be a year or two before i get significant berry harvests on all my berries. i want a couple of marionberry vines too and plant near my water spout (they are from the PNW)
i plan on having my berries on the chainlink fence to discourage fence testing and jumping by the foster dogs. however, my lab just barrels thru the roses on the other side of my yard. i'm always pulling thorns out of her.
i also have 2 arkansas black apple trees. though i think only 1 will make it thru the winter. i don't know if it will recover from the shock it suffered when we planted it (dad and i).
i want to plant a few more apple trees in back and 1 or two small cherries in front of the house.
also kinda want a mulberry plant2 -
i plopped my blueberries in the ground with no specialness. so far so good. planted it at the beginning of 1 season and had it for 1 more year. not a lot of berries but it's a young plant
i think it will be a year or two before i get significant berry harvests on all my berries. i want a couple of marionberry vines too and plant near my water spout (they are from the PNW)
i plan on having my berries on the chainlink fence to discourage fence testing and jumping by the foster dogs. however, my lab just barrels thru the roses on the other side of my yard. i'm always pulling thorns out of her.
i also have 2 arkansas black apple trees. though i think only 1 will make it thru the winter. i don't know if it will recover from the shock it suffered when we planted it (dad and i).
i want to plant a few more apple trees in back and 1 or two small cherries in front of the house.
also kinda want a mulberry plant
Mom is up to three mulberry trees. We have mulberry pancakes and mulberry pie around the 4th of July. Mulberries freeze well. Some people complain that they are messy - I always had purple feet when I was a barefoot child.4 -
what about grapes, does anyone have a grape vine? I also would really love to have one of those.1
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what about grapes, does anyone have a grape vine? I also would really love to have one of those.
I had one when we first bought the house (18+ yrs ago) but it got mold every year so I finally pulled it out. Never did get grapes good enough to eat off of it.
Based on the effort the wineries put into grapes, I think they are pretty finicky.2 -
Here are my garden beds. my husband build them and the trelises. The one closest to the camera is for green beans and the one on the other is for cucmbers
I am a total amateur by the way, no idea what I'm doing. My plan of action every year is throw some stuff in and hopefully it makes me food lol
Great trellises!
A tip on tomato growing - you can use the small cages for determinate / bush/ patio tomatoes, but a healthy indeterminate tomato in good soil needs a huge cage or support.
I use the small tomato cages for bell peppers.
https://www.tomatofest.com/tomato_questions_s/128.htm1 -
Here are my garden beds. my husband build them and the trelises. The one closest to the camera is for green beans and the one on the other is for cucmbers
I am a total amateur by the way, no idea what I'm doing. My plan of action every year is throw some stuff in and hopefully it makes me food lol
You've got a funny looking weed there. 4 -
what about grapes, does anyone have a grape vine? I also would really love to have one of those.
Concord grapes do great here in New England. They even grow wild in the woods. I love walking in the early fall and discovering a patch of grapes by the smell.
These have thick skins and seeds so are not as popular, but you can use a foley mill to get rid of the skin and seeds if you are using them in a recipe, or just spit them out if not.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Here are my garden beds. my husband build them and the trelises. The one closest to the camera is for green beans and the one on the other is for cucmbers
I am a total amateur by the way, no idea what I'm doing. My plan of action every year is throw some stuff in and hopefully it makes me food lol
Great trellises!
A tip on tomato growing - you can use the small cages for determinate / bush/ patio tomatoes, but a healthy indeterminate tomato in good soil needs a huge cage or support.
I use the small tomato cages for bell peppers.
https://www.tomatofest.com/tomato_questions_s/128.htm
Thanks, Yea I know every year I say "these tomato cages don't work, I need to do something different next year" and then next year rolls around and I never did anything so I just use the stupid cages again LOL. I'm still thinking of how I want to support them next year, but I know I'll do something different this time. My tomato plants were out of control. They got so big I had to grow the stems sideways and tie them up along that little chicken wire fence I have around the bed. Again, I have no idea what I'm doing lol.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »what about grapes, does anyone have a grape vine? I also would really love to have one of those.
I had one when we first bought the house (18+ yrs ago) but it got mold every year so I finally pulled it out. Never did get grapes good enough to eat off of it.
Based on the effort the wineries put into grapes, I think they are pretty finicky.
Darn. I got grapes from a farmers market once that were so delicious, they tasted like candy. Have never been able to find grapes that good since then. Home grown food always seems to taste better.0 -
I'm in an apartment, so I try grow bags on my balcony every spring. I garden like @hesn92 just throw 'em in the soil and hopefully something grows I try to buy seeds that specify a bushing plant, and "easy to grow".
I have had great luck every year with swiss chard. With two plants in one bag I can usually get a serving or two out of it a week. They'll even last through an intermittent frost, I just pick the leaves a little younger towards the end. I planted cherry tomatoes last year and had tomatoes for weeks, but this year we had a super wet and very hot summer and they just were NOT happy. Sweet peppers crapped out on me two years in a row. I tried yellow summer squash for the first time this year and they did not do well. It said the plant would bush, but it did not, so it was a trailing/vining mess with no support. I got lots of flowers that turned into little tiny baby fruit, but most got soft and brown before growing beyond a couple of inches. I love yellow squash and they don't get that cheap around here for some reason, so I will try it again next year with a support.
I try to grow stuff that I typically don't like the look of and/or is expensive at the grocery. I love all the pictures, an actual in the ground garden is #lifegoals for me!2 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »what about grapes, does anyone have a grape vine? I also would really love to have one of those.
I had one when we first bought the house (18+ yrs ago) but it got mold every year so I finally pulled it out. Never did get grapes good enough to eat off of it.
Based on the effort the wineries put into grapes, I think they are pretty finicky.
Darn. I got grapes from a farmers market once that were so delicious, they tasted like candy. Have never been able to find grapes that good since then. Home grown food always seems to taste better.
I am in the South and here there are Muscadines/Scuppernogs that grow wild. They have a super thick skin and big seed, but the flesh is so sweet and delicious!! I see people growing them in their yards, so they must do alright! I don’t think they are super cold hardy though...
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@kshama2001 a house by me ties sheets to the branches and catches the berries.
@hesn92 i have a catawba. this second growing season it's been hardier. the first season i thought i'd lose it completely. it's not a heavy producer yet but it's only been in my yard for a full year. they are sweet but do have seeds.
i don't think the muscadines or scuppernogs grow up here (SE Wi zone 5b)-well, not perennially.
we have wild grapes too but not edible.
re: tomatoes i'll be getting something for them this coming growing season. they were unruly uncaged.0 -
I'm in an apartment, so I try grow bags on my balcony every spring. I garden like @hesn92 just throw 'em in the soil and hopefully something grows I try to buy seeds that specify a bushing plant, and "easy to grow".
I have had great luck every year with swiss chard. With two plants in one bag I can usually get a serving or two out of it a week. They'll even last through an intermittent frost, I just pick the leaves a little younger towards the end. I planted cherry tomatoes last year and had tomatoes for weeks, but this year we had a super wet and very hot summer and they just were NOT happy. Sweet peppers crapped out on me two years in a row. I tried yellow summer squash for the first time this year and they did not do well. It said the plant would bush, but it did not, so it was a trailing/vining mess with no support. I got lots of flowers that turned into little tiny baby fruit, but most got soft and brown before growing beyond a couple of inches. I love yellow squash and they don't get that cheap around here for some reason, so I will try it again next year with a support.
I try to grow stuff that I typically don't like the look of and/or is expensive at the grocery. I love all the pictures, an actual in the ground garden is #lifegoals for me!
I highly recommend Swiss chard for new gardeners. It isn't bothered by any of the normal New England garden pests. I can put it in April and even after several frosts, it is still alive now, although no longer growing. I mulched the heck out of it and some will survive the winter. Next years' leaves will be small, and I'll just use one or two with the red stems as ornamental plants.
I eat small leaves in mixed green salads, and mature leaves in smoothies or steamed. Many people use it interchangeably with spinach, which is harder to grow here, as most varieties bolt as soon as the weather gets hot.1 -
what about grapes, does anyone have a grape vine? I also would really love to have one of those.
I have concords, which are delicious for eating, make the best pie ever (high effort though), and are dead easy (US/MI USDA Z5). The only trouble is that raccoons love them about 3 days before optimal ripeness for humans.
Tip for caged tomatoes in raised beds: Set the plant in a 3' or so square at suitable planting time, possibly with Hotkaps or equivalent as needed. Direct seed basil somewhat thickly in 1' bands all around (1-2" centers).
By the time the tomatoes are threatening the basil's sun (here in MI anyway), the basil is near to flowering and plenty big enough to cut. Make pesto (ask about Ann's dumb easy recipe if you care) or just blenderize with olive oil. Freeze in small jars, thaw by sitting jar in hot tap water, mixing by cutting with knife as thawing proceeds - takes 15-20 minutes, total. Yum.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »@GottaBurnEmAll
I built raised beds and a potato bin last year. For the raised beds, I used cinder blocks. I did this so if I decided to rearrange things, I could pull it apart easier then if I used wood.
Narrow blocks (1/2 sized) so they are not too heavy to move around and two rows. My beds are actually sitting on pieces of plywood so about 4ft by 8ft. I built three but am adding a couple for next year. I ran drip irrigation to my beds. We grew corn, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and some other stuff my wife eats. She managed the raised beds.
My potato box is about 4 ft square. The trick with it is you have it mostly empty and plant your potatoes. Then when you start to see them (when you would normally hill them) you add 6 inches of dirt. Keep doing that all year. This was my responsibility as my wife can't eat potatoes. The key is to make sure the layers all get water. I didn't have the watering set up well so I only got them around the middle and near the bottom. I have to figure something else out for next year.
I'm going to have to do some research on this because I need to find the laziest way to do this. I know, I'm pathetic.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I'm in an apartment, so I try grow bags on my balcony every spring. I garden like @hesn92 just throw 'em in the soil and hopefully something grows I try to buy seeds that specify a bushing plant, and "easy to grow".
I have had great luck every year with swiss chard. With two plants in one bag I can usually get a serving or two out of it a week. They'll even last through an intermittent frost, I just pick the leaves a little younger towards the end. I planted cherry tomatoes last year and had tomatoes for weeks, but this year we had a super wet and very hot summer and they just were NOT happy. Sweet peppers crapped out on me two years in a row. I tried yellow summer squash for the first time this year and they did not do well. It said the plant would bush, but it did not, so it was a trailing/vining mess with no support. I got lots of flowers that turned into little tiny baby fruit, but most got soft and brown before growing beyond a couple of inches. I love yellow squash and they don't get that cheap around here for some reason, so I will try it again next year with a support.
I try to grow stuff that I typically don't like the look of and/or is expensive at the grocery. I love all the pictures, an actual in the ground garden is #lifegoals for me!
I highly recommend Swiss chard for new gardeners. It isn't bothered by any of the normal New England garden pests. I can put it in April and even after several frosts, it is still alive now, although no longer growing. I mulched the heck out of it and some will survive the winter. Next years' leaves will be small, and I'll just use one or two with the red stems as ornamental plants.
I eat small leaves in mixed green salads, and mature leaves in smoothies or steamed. Many people use it interchangeably with spinach, which is harder to grow here, as most varieties bolt as soon as the weather gets hot.
It would figure that the easiest plant is the one green I actually can't stand. Swiss chard tastes too much like beets. :::shudder:::2 -
I actually do have a grape vine -- the prior owner of my house put it in, and it grows like crazy.3
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