Garden thread

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  • meganpettigrew86
    meganpettigrew86 Posts: 349 Member
    Katmary71 wrote: »
    OK, composting question! I used to use a deck composter a neighbor gave me but every time I spin it the door falls off so it's not very useable as everything falls on the ground. I use self-watering containers for tomatoes, strawberries, radishes, then have a bunch of herbs in pots and a few herbs in the ground. In other words, not much use for compost but I can use some. I have raccoons and possums, my yard goes into a greenbelt and doesn't have a fence. I ordered a kitchen composter so I'm not wasting produce scraps.

    Long story short, should I get red wiggler worms or figure out something else like getting my composter fixed somehow- nothing's worked so far on the composter? I mostly have green waste. It's in 90s and 100s here and would prefer to keep worms outside. What would you recommend for my garden size?

    Do you have room to make some compost bays? You have three Bays and rotate which one you add to.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Katmary71 wrote: »
    OK, composting question! I used to use a deck composter a neighbor gave me but every time I spin it the door falls off so it's not very useable as everything falls on the ground. I use self-watering containers for tomatoes, strawberries, radishes, then have a bunch of herbs in pots and a few herbs in the ground. In other words, not much use for compost but I can use some. I have raccoons and possums, my yard goes into a greenbelt and doesn't have a fence. I ordered a kitchen composter so I'm not wasting produce scraps.

    Long story short, should I get red wiggler worms or figure out something else like getting my composter fixed somehow- nothing's worked so far on the composter? I mostly have green waste. It's in 90s and 100s here and would prefer to keep worms outside. What would you recommend for my garden size?

    Maybe the neighbor gave it to you because it needed work? Is there someone handy in your life who can fix it?

    I'm very happy with this composter I got in April. It's my first spinnable composter and I can see how much faster stuff is breaking down from the previous style I used. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B077972KCR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,068 Member
    I don't have room for compost bays, there's a lot of oak trees hogging up space.

    Someone handy tried to fix the compost door, he said he'd think on it. Your composter looks cool! I like the idea of a spinning composter, it makes turning it easy. I was so excited the first time and saved up everything so it would be perfect, then the door fell off first rotation and everything fell out! The neighbors that gave it to me never used it.
  • JohnnytotheB
    JohnnytotheB Posts: 361 Member
    I have red wigglers. They are great! You probably should keep them indoors unless you have the correct setup to keep them outside year round. I keep mine in the basement. If you do it correctly they have no smell. I keep them in bins and feed them all of my scraps. If you do a setup outside year-round, you can't leave them in bins because it will get too hot. Also, they don't like the freezing cold.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    Hey everyone! How have your gardens been doing after a pretty weird year, for those of us in the US, anyway?

    We've had a very wet, cool spring and early summer, and then a lot of drought that just broke with some recent rainfall here in northern Indiana. September has been very warm and sunny.

    Mine is cranking out tomatoes like crazy, since it hasn't really started to get cool at all. I have two dozen quarts of whole tomatoes canned, and then a bunch of bags in the freezer and another good 20 -30 lbs on my back porch, just lurking out there, like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes or something. I also found an awesome gazpacho recipe so have been making that a lot. Some of my vines are petering out, but others are still lush, plush and green.

    Unfortunately it's just been a really bad year for eggplants and okra; maybe just not hot enough. The kale and collards are doing great when I can remember to spray them with Bt. We have 24 plants and they were all rowcovered and immaculate till the county fair in late July; when I took off the rowcovers they got cabbage worms & loopers but I mainly just fed the leaves to the bunnies anyways.

    Our pickling and slicing cukes did great this year, but the vines seem to be pretty much spent. I think I got 8 or 10 quarts or so of sun pickles with the pickling cukes. I got a lot of zucchini but not as much as I should have off of 6 plants...but more than I could use effectively, anyway.

    We got a decent amount of peppers, with the orange habaneros especially going crazy this year, which is unfortunate, as we don't really use them, though they sure are pretty!

    Finally, I have a bunch of vines mixed together of assorted beans, hops, birdhouse gourds and butternut squash, and I haven't sorted through that mess yet to find out how things did. They weren't all supposed to be mixed together but they are now all fraternizing, ha ha.

    @lemurcat12 how did your beds do this year?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2019
    I was very happy with my purple pole beans: https://www.burpee.com/vegetables/beans/bean-pole-purple-king--prod000595.html

    I thought seven plants should have been more productive, but it was a good amount for the two of us. (I expected I'd need to have to give some away.)

    I love the purple color (they turn green when cooked) and the flavor is better than the regular green pole beans I did last year, which were hard to harvest as the beans were the same color as the leaves.

    rs3u4jwhlkx7.jpeg

    qp6b0i9mdppf.jpeg

    Cage also from Burpees: https://www.burpee.com/gardening-supplies/cages-and-supports/xl-pro-series-cage---green-prod001781.html
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2019
    I got these peas a little late, but they still did ok until the summer heat did them in: https://www.burpee.com/vegetables/peas/pea-mammoth-melting-sugar-prod000785.html

    Used another giant tomato cage for them.

    I planted more mid August for a fall crop, but am not optimistic they will produce before the frost does them in.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    French_Peasant wrote: »
    @lemurcat12 how did your beds do this year?

    Swiss chard and sorrel and green beans did well, japanese eggplant did okay, peppers did great, tomatoes okay but seem to still be becoming ripe (it's gotten cooler around me in the past week, though, so we will see -- I do have lots of green ones still).

    Herb carts were great -- more than I could keep up with -- except I killed the cilantro. Going to move one of them inside at some point.

    Strawberries and blueberries never produced although the strawberries were on the verge a few times. I'm hoping this is a first year thing and they will kick in next year.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    French_Peasant wrote: »
    @lemurcat12 how did your beds do this year?

    Swiss chard and sorrel and green beans did well, japanese eggplant did okay, peppers did great, tomatoes okay but seem to still be becoming ripe (it's gotten cooler around me in the past week, though, so we will see -- I do have lots of green ones still).

    Herb carts were great -- more than I could keep up with -- except I killed the cilantro. Going to move one of them inside at some point.

    Strawberries and blueberries never produced although the strawberries were on the verge a few times. I'm hoping this is a first year thing and they will kick in next year.

    It may not have been you with the cilantro - it's a short lived herb.

    https://thegreenthumb20.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/cilantro-skip-the-plants-and-buy-the-seeds/

    ..But there’s one herb in pots at every garden center that makes me shake my head when I see it – cilantro. If you buy a cilantro plant, I can guarantee that it’ll be dead within a few months. It inevitable demise has nothing to do with the quality of the plant or your gardening skills. Cilantro dies because cilantro is a short-lived annual herb.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    French_Peasant wrote: »
    @lemurcat12 how did your beds do this year?

    Swiss chard and sorrel and green beans did well, japanese eggplant did okay, peppers did great, tomatoes okay but seem to still be becoming ripe (it's gotten cooler around me in the past week, though, so we will see -- I do have lots of green ones still).

    Herb carts were great -- more than I could keep up with -- except I killed the cilantro. Going to move one of them inside at some point.

    Strawberries and blueberries never produced although the strawberries were on the verge a few times. I'm hoping this is a first year thing and they will kick in next year.

    As Kshama notes below, don't blame yourself for the cilantro. Once it bolts and sets seed, it's going, going, gone. You can save the seedpods for next year, or just don't cultivate the "cilantro patch" too heavily and they might come back; they always do in my garden. Same scenario with dill. The annoying part with both plants is that, in my garden, they are mostly dead at the point where I really need them--when the other produce like cukes and tomatoes come rolling in. If I were more organized, like my MIL, I would succession plant, and plant a patch 3 weeks or so behind the first patch (or just seed some pots and plant out when ready). It's my goal to be more diligent with this next year.

    You are correct that the strawberries won't really get rolling till next year. Likely the same for the blueberries although I have never grown those successfully.

    If your tomatoes don't all come on before frost, do you know the trick of picking the whole lot and wrapping each in a piece of newspaper individually, then checking them from time to time to see if they've turned? If they even have a blush of color they will turn on your counter. Ones that are too green to turn can be pickled, relished, or turned into green tomato bread. https://www.food.com/recipe/green-tomato-bread-53325

    We grew some beautiful fennel this year, but it has bolted so I don't know if I can still cook with it (the roots). I was so pleasantly surprised, because I got it as a pot of many small seedlings at a nursery; in theory it doesn't like having its roots messed with, and I have tried it in the past with poor results, but not this year!! It was gorgeous.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    French_Peasant wrote: »
    @kshama2001 I am envious of your clear sweeps of lawn and your beautiful fence; I have trellises on the back side of my fence, and then things climbing on both the front and the back; it is quite the wonderful mess!

    I'd love to have a glorious mess but my OH is all about clear sweeps and right angles. It drove him crazy that I had morning glories creeping over the fence. Perhaps our recent project to prevent our cat from jumping over the fence was just to get rid of the morning glories!

    This pallet wrap netting is working so far, but I don't recommend it - the netting is too flimsy and we are going to replace it with something more substantial:

    s81cu64ljgnu.jpeg
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i planted too late but i have some cucumbers and green beans
    my one dog ate all my berries before i had a chance to get to them
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Anyone think this excruciating pain in my upper back is from ripping out mint yesterday?
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Welp my garden crashed and burned this year. I had a baby in July and didn't go out there for weeks, and then after that it was so out of control I just let it go. Plants are still out there, I need to pull them and throw them in the compost. The trellises my husband made were pretty neat though, they go from one bed to another so you can walk under them. Next year will be better :D
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Anyone think this excruciating pain in my upper back is from ripping out mint yesterday?

    Mint can be evil. It might be that evil.

    Hope your back improves soon!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    Welp my garden crashed and burned this year. I had a baby in July and didn't go out there for weeks, and then after that it was so out of control I just let it go. Plants are still out there, I need to pull them and throw them in the compost. The trellises my husband made were pretty neat though, they go from one bed to another so you can walk under them. Next year will be better :D

    I lose interest in July and August when it gets unpleasantly hot so have to keep that in mind every year. I mulch the veggies with straw to keep the weeds out and moisture in.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Anyone think this excruciating pain in my upper back is from ripping out mint yesterday?

    Mint can be evil. It might be that evil.

    Hope your back improves soon!

    Thanks!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    @lemurcat2 re fall/winter gardening tasks:
    1. Kale is a "heavy feeder" - needs lots of nutrients to grow well, so in the fall I put compost from my bin down in the kale bed and then remulched with straw. This can be done in the spring as well.
    2. To protect perennials from frost heaves I mulch them in the fall, but it's not too late to protect against spring frost heaves.
    3. I mulch non-edibles with mulch mulch (bark), and edibles with straw or leaves. (Hay has weed seeds, so use straw or sterilized hay - my garden centers carry bales of Lucerne straw.) My mom has bigger gardens and lots of trees, so uses leaves. I started using straw for strawberries, and discovered I liked it better than leaves, but leaves are of course free.

    My FaceBook garden group had a post on NOT doing conventional fall garden cleanup: https://savvygardening.com/6-reasons-not-to-clean-up-your-garden-this-fall/

    Here's what to do. I've never done the lawn stuff, but we should: https://www.almanac.com/content/10-fall-cleanup-tips-better-spring-garden
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    @lemurcat2 re fall/winter gardening tasks:
    1. Kale is a "heavy feeder" - needs lots of nutrients to grow well, so in the fall I put compost from my bin down in the kale bed and then remulched with straw. This can be done in the spring as well.
    2. To protect perennials from frost heaves I mulch them in the fall, but it's not too late to protect against spring frost heaves.
    3. I mulch non-edibles with mulch mulch (bark), and edibles with straw or leaves. (Hay has weed seeds, so use straw or sterilized hay - my garden centers carry bales of Lucerne straw.) My mom has bigger gardens and lots of trees, so uses leaves. I started using straw for strawberries, and discovered I liked it better than leaves, but leaves are of course free.

    My FaceBook garden group had a post on NOT doing conventional fall garden cleanup: https://savvygardening.com/6-reasons-not-to-clean-up-your-garden-this-fall/

    Here's what to do. I've never done the lawn stuff, but we should: https://www.almanac.com/content/10-fall-cleanup-tips-better-spring-garden

    I never cleaned up my garden mess. It's January and it's still a mess. You just made me feel better. I'm just thinking of the bees!! My neighbors probably aren't happy with me though.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Thanks! I actually did the conventional clean up, but will see what I should have done/can do now.
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    Guys, I think i want a fig tree on my patio — I’ve read they can stay in large containers for a few years. Anyone have a fig tree?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Safari_Gal_ wrote: »
    Guys, I think i want a fig tree on my patio — I’ve read they can stay in large containers for a few years. Anyone have a fig tree?

    What hardiness zone are you in? I'm near Boston, zone 6b, and nothing in containers survives the winter. https://garden.org/nga/zipzone/
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    yay well done @gearhead426hemi

    and look at you all being proactive @lemurcat12 and @hesn92 @kshama2001

    i'm all about not doing much for my plants. i sometimes i mulch my garden leftovers by my sensitive plants. but mostly i'm lazy
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    This tree idea made me google around for what the possibilities for me might be.

    Here was an article I found: http://moss-design.com/fruit-trees-in-chicago-in-your-backyard/
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    This tree idea made me google around for what the possibilities for me might be.

    Here was an article I found: http://moss-design.com/fruit-trees-in-chicago-in-your-backyard/

    I would try try peach trees. The orchard near me has ones especially for "pick your own" - they are short - no ladder required. Since they are short, they probably produce more quickly. Local peaches are so good!

    In fact, I should put some in at my mom's...
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    Anecdotally (i.e., haven't tried it myself), there are people around here (Michigan, zone 5/6) who grow fig trees and overwinter them by burying the whole tree. Allegedly, since they're deciduous, it works.

    Maybe potted & brought to semi-temp controlled area (garage?) might, too. Dunno.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2020
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    This tree idea made me google around for what the possibilities for me might be.

    Here was an article I found: http://moss-design.com/fruit-trees-in-chicago-in-your-backyard/

    I would try try peach trees. The orchard near me has ones especially for "pick your own" - they are short - no ladder required. Since they are short, they probably produce more quickly. Local peaches are so good!

    In fact, I should put some in at my mom's...

    I'll definitely look into it. My dad (he lives in SE Washington state) has a lot of fruit trees, I don't recall what (I'm going to ask), but he has a lot more land and of course is in a milder growing zone.

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