Spring has sprung - Calling MFP Gardeners!

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kalmf
kalmf Posts: 351 Member
in Chit-Chat
Wow - I just burned over 700 calories hauling mulch for 2 1/2 hours. So much more satisfying than squats. I am an avid but lazy and sometimes not so competent gardener, and I'd love to chat with other plant lovers.

Got some tomato starts ready to go, and now I get to go seed shopping. Isn't spring the best!:flowerforyou:

Karin

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  • jewelinvic
    jewelinvic Posts: 332
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    That's fabulous! I'll be out in my gardens this afternoon, raking, weeding and hauling mulch! I love spring!!

    Enjoy jewel :flowerforyou:
  • mlv333
    mlv333 Posts: 86 Member
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    I've been trying every spring for about 4 years to acquire a green thumb. My back yard where I hang out and entertain is nothing but shade. I planted a wisteria last year of which I don't expect to bloom, but I wanted a nice vine to grow up my back porch awning that would survive MD winters. It looks like it's doing well SO far. I shall see. I think my biggest problem is when the summer hits I'm not very good about watering. I need to be better focused after the plants are planted.
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
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    We have 2 square foot gardens. In the past I've only grown tomatos. I tried green beans one year and the deer came and ate them. I tried carrots one year and they just weren't worth it... I'm trying to figure out what to plant this year...
    I know there will be some lettuce... with all the salads that we're eating now - it only makes sense.
    I may try some peas, zucchini and broccoli

    Anyone have any pointers? I'm not an avid gardener... and honestly, not that good!
  • CreativeRedhead
    CreativeRedhead Posts: 2,166
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    Yep I just spent almost 3 hours out in the yard carving out two flower beds. Moving big rocks, weeding, raking, and planting. I'm sure I burned lots of calories.
  • kalmf
    kalmf Posts: 351 Member
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    Oh, the dear deer! I'm gardening in LA now so I don't have them around, but for the past three years I was in the North West and I fenced the vegetable garden and grew lavender, daisies and other deer-proof plants in the open areas. You might have to find a way to fence. Mine was just 6' rolled up wire fencing - kind of like chicken wire supported by round wooden posts that I hammered into the ground and it worked fine.

    I love square foot gardening. I do broccoli, beets, carrots, peas, beans - I love fresh fava beans - and strawberries. I haven't done so well with peppers, so I'm going to give them another shot this year.

    MLV - you could run a soaker hose out there, and put a hose timer on it. Costco just had soaker hoses on sale for half of Home Depot's price.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
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    Oh this is my kinda' thread!!! LOL

    Urban gardener here & landscaping FREAK! I built a pond a couple of years ago and have to build another one this year because the one I have now is too small for my darling CoyKoi. Last year, I got cucumbers, my corn didn't do so well (got smut - which is edible - but as an American, its kinda' hard to imagine - it looks really gross and threatening!), pea pods, and potatoes which we never actually dug up. lol! This is only my 3rd season with produce so I'm still learning and experimenting. We JUST got a compost bin from Sams - $40!!!! I am SOOOO happy!! I actually would like 3 - 1 for food scraps, 1 for paper products and 1 for plant matter; they all decompose at different rates and will render different kinds of soil and nutrients.

    I have a GIANT oak that desperately needs trimming because I too don't have enough sun, but I think this year, I'm going to try making my own upside down planter for tomatoes, peppers and maybe even beans. I'll need string for those. The back will be reserved for the larger items and roots (potatoes, onions and carrots if I can ever get the soil texture right!!!) along with squashes, cucumbers and other vines. ALMOST got grapes but I'm not sure I have the space.

    We're still having some cold snaps here so I think I'm going to have to start planting indoors this coming week, get my starts and then build my upside downs and prep my areas for the big plants. I'm SUPER excited! Oh, with corn, plant them CLOSE! They have to cross-germinate. I think my biggest mistake has been that I've been planting them too far apart. :-(

    pee hee... I am so excited... I'm going to expand this year since I know I can do squashes, cucs and beans fine. I'll do the others in the front. I've had NO success with lettuce, broccoli or cauliflower - but I'm going to keep trying. I'm starting to wonder if its the seeds I have.

    MLV - most produce requires full sun. But there's lots of shade & partial shade greenery that can be done beautifully! I'll be happy to offer some ideas, if you'd like?
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
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    We have 2 square foot gardens. In the past I've only grown tomatos. I tried green beans one year and the deer came and ate them. I tried carrots one year and they just weren't worth it... I'm trying to figure out what to plant this year...
    I know there will be some lettuce... with all the salads that we're eating now - it only makes sense.
    I may try some peas, zucchini and broccoli

    Anyone have any pointers? I'm not an avid gardener... and honestly, not that good!

    The best thing is to grow what you like to eat. Sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, lettuce are a must in my garden. So is garlic, but I planted that in fall for harvesting in June/July. Potatoes are pretty easy if you have a bit of sandy soil. Lat year I planted a store bought yam that was sprouting and ended up with ivy-like leaves all over the place and a few good sized and many small yams. Pumpkins are fun, especially if you have kids who are into Halloween, but they also make good eating. Carrots and beets can be tricky but radishes are usually easier because they grow so much faster.

    Most of all, plant only as much as you can handle. It's hard to work full-time and have to spend your evenings and weekends canning and freezing, unless of course you like canning and freezing:happy:
  • kalmf
    kalmf Posts: 351 Member
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    I'd like to figure out a way to insulate pots from the heat in the summer. They are mostly plastic and terra cotta. If anyone has any thoughts, I'd appreciate them.

    Fire Monkey - you are so right, it's important to grow what you like to eat. Last year I got carried away with brussell sprouts - I mean, I like them okay, but not hundreds of them, and most people aren't that in to them so they're hard to give away. I'm not sure what I was thinking.
  • kcdrake
    kcdrake Posts: 512
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    I would LOVE to grow some plants but I have no idea what would be good to grow! I'm in Florida so I feel like we have a different planting season than most places. I'm also in an apartment so I don't have the ability to make an actual garden.

    Does anybody know of any plants that do well in pots? And when I would plant for Florida?

    Some plants I would love would be broccoli, sugar snap peas, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, spinach, green beans, carrots... Anybody have any pointers for me??
  • aprilf
    aprilf Posts: 34 Member
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    I've grown tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, onions all in pots before. This year, my grandmother is trying out potatoes too. Works really well. Had a pretty good crop of zucchini. The trick is watering. You've got to water them a bunch. I've got some roses in containers right now, that I've hooked up to an automated watering system I picked up at Lowes. Worked great last year.

    Oop, that reminds me, I need to plant some strawberries that I bought in some containers I already had. Gotta run!
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
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    I would LOVE to grow some plants but I have no idea what would be good to grow! I'm in Florida so I feel like we have a different planting season than most places. I'm also in an apartment so I don't have the ability to make an actual garden.

    Does anybody know of any plants that do well in pots? And when I would plant for Florida?

    Some plants I would love would be broccoli, sugar snap peas, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, spinach, green beans, carrots... Anybody have any pointers for me??

    Go to your local garden centre - they know what grows best in your area and they have the seeds and plants that will do well under your conditions. Spinach and peas prefer cooler weather; you could probably still grow them but would have to watch the timing. Same with broccoli; it tends to bolt (flower) when it gets hot. The flowers are edible but maybe not what you have in mind for your broccoli dishes :happy: Peppers and cucumbers like it hot but especially cucumbers need lots of water at the right time or they can go bitter :sick:

    This might give you a start: http://floridagardener.com/misc/floridainfo.htm
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
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    KC -

    I'm going to make some upside down planters this year and how I plan to do it:
    plastic pot or bucket with 3 or 4 fairly large holes drilled into the bottom
    Use the handle or make one to hang from my awning
    Bottom: peppers & tomatoes
    Top: undecided.. Maybe lettuce or herbs. Nothing I have to pull out so I don't disturb the roots of the others.

    Cucumbers - be careful! These are viney plants and can get VERY large!! There are ways to manage depending on how your apartment is - is it a multi-unit (more than 6) or a 2-4 family flat? Depending on this factor, you may or may not be able to get away with this. All of these would just flourish in Florida and require LOTS of water. Remember, water early morning or at dusk!

    We got a leaf blower/vacuum/mulcher just a couple of weeks ago and since my compost bin is now almost full (leaves), I've taken the area I've designed in the back for planting and started laying a thick layer of mulched leaves down. It's not done yet but after I get that filled in, I'm going to use some of the chain link fencing we took down last year and lay that over the leaves and nail it down (maybe?) to the wood "frame" (loosely speaking), leaving a very sligh gap between the leaf mulch and the fence. Then, I'll pile on some fresh soil (which I'll have to purchase, unfortunately) then seed/plants. This will give lots of opportunity for the leaf mulch to fertilize the soil underneath, help control for weeds and allow aeration between layers. I'm super excited about this idea and I can't wait to see how my garden produces this year!

    My younger son has already put in potatoes (idaho, sweet and red baby) and onions (white and yellow). We have a particular spot just for rooting produce. I just wish I could get the danged formula down for carrots!!! Any thoughts on that?
  • kalmf
    kalmf Posts: 351 Member
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    A master gardener I know swears by vermiculite. You just sprinkle the carrot seeds and then sprinkle vermiculite over them. He gets grea tcarrots.

    KC, I'm in California, so we have a really hot summer too. Firemonkey was right - check with a nursery, but a real nursery, not a big box store that just wants to sell you fertilizer and pesticide. And almost anything can be grown in a container. Some veggies need sun and I'm not sure how much you get on your balcony, but you can certainly do all the basic herbs and greens.
  • mlv333
    mlv333 Posts: 86 Member
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    Karin- Thanks for the tip. I'll go look for timed soaker hoses while I'm buying plants! That would totally solve my problem. Actually, I don't have much space for a designated vegetable garden (I live in a townhouse in Baltimore city) and I soooo much want to grow my own tomatoes. It's going to look a little silly in my front yard, but that's where the sun it; so that is where they will go :)

    KC- I would love to know what plants you know do well in the shade. Right now I'm cleaning, thinking, and planning. I'm going to be implementing my plan right after Easter. I'm hoping this is good timing for successful plants.

    Fingers crossed!
    Maria
  • kalmf
    kalmf Posts: 351 Member
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    Maria, there are thousands of shade plants, many very common and easy to grow. The thing to watch out for is slugs and snails because they also like the shade, so if you use a snail bait , make sure it's safe for animals and birds.

    You can grow fantastic foliage plants - hostas and japanese ariala, and New Guinea impatiens have vivid colors and do great in the shade. I can't remember what the guide books are for the rest of the country are, but we have The Sunset Western Guide and it's indispensable. I know there's one for your area. You could also just Google "shade plants for (your area)"

    The big universities usually have horticulture sites and many give you lists of native plants that usually do well with minimal care because they've adapted to thrive in the existing conditions.

    MLV - I am just completing my horticultural certificate. My emphasis is on vegetable gardens in small spaces with ornamental appeal. The easiest way to include both flowers and edibles is to use parsley, cilantro, basil, lettuce, arugula, spinach, etc. as a border plant or plant them in clumps, intermingled with the flowers. Just make sure you use enough of them and repeat them. If they are individually or sparsely spread around they look like weeds. And play with the different colours of green. Some of the lettuces are bronze, some almost neon lime.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
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    Karin,

    Just straight verm? Really? Huh.. I will for sure have to try that adn that will for sure be a planter food then. My soil is hella' clay here and VERY packed. I've tried to loosen it and mix in sand and rock to keep it loose and last year we started to get some green... but then the bunnies got them, I think. :-(
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
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    MLV - I am just completing my horticultural certificate. My emphasis is on vegetable gardens in small spaces with ornamental appeal. The easiest way to include both flowers and edibles is to use parsley, cilantro, basil, lettuce, arugula, spinach, etc. as a border plant or plant them in clumps, intermingled with the flowers. Just make sure you use enough of them and repeat them. If they are individually or sparsely spread around they look like weeds. And play with the different colours of green. Some of the lettuces are bronze, some almost neon lime.
    y

    Ohhh Karin... you are my new best friend!!!! Will come be our personal garden guide???? We've got some of the basics down but still struggle with some of the finer points. Like my corn.. been planting corn *every* year - have yet to have any I can actually eat!!! :-( Part of it is that after seeing friends gardens, I plant them too far apart. The package says something like 36" spaces... HA! NOT. LOL!!!

    I think we have a whole new group here. :-)
  • kalmf
    kalmf Posts: 351 Member
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    36" for corn! That's insane - pack 'em in!! What I understand is you have to plant them in a square so they can cross pollinate, not in a row.

    For clay - which I have, absolutely lousy drainage which is why I do all the veg in raised beds - have you tried gypsum. It's cheap and you don't have to dig it in. It does blow about a bit, so if you can get it on and then mulch that works. otherwise a windless day, dust mask and water right away. The prilled stuff doesn't blow around so much, but it's expensive. The other stuff is around 8 bucks for a 50 pound bag. Google it and see if it seems like a good choice to you.

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