The Garden Thread

[Alleycat72]

[ReeferMac]

Omg, a Bills fan!!!!

(Buffalo born and bred here...)

[ReeferMac]

Finally got my neighbor to bring the kubota mounted tiller over!

First 10 feet are greens (turnip, kale, mustard), rest are various clovers and cover crops... until Spring!

[ReeferMac]

Peat moss is 10 bux a bale at the local big blue hardware store. Threw 3 bags of it at the garden this weekend and turned it over. 

Anyone order seeds for Spring yet? Catalogs are hitting my mailbox.

[Jamie Jackson]

Got a Johnny's catalog in the mail this past week.

We ordered seeds from Victory last year for this years raised beds.

Of course there's always temptations awaiting in those seed catalogs.

[ReeferMac]

27 minutes ago, Jamie Jackson said:

Of course there's always temptations awaiting in those seed catalogs.

I swear they wait until peak Seasonal Affective Disorder time to send them out.

[FrankD]

I have two small 6'x10' raised beds and have always just used big box plants for my annual "crop" any benefit of using mail order seeds other than cost?

[ReeferMac]

46 minutes ago, FrankD said:

I have two small 6'x10' raised beds and have always just used big box plants for my annual "crop" any benefit of using mail order seeds other than cost?

Hmm. Can of worms there, lol.

Arguably store bought may produce better as many are hybrid varieties. However they will not produce true seeds. Many mail-order types are heirloom varieties, which can breed true seeds, or are varieties you cannot find at most retail markets. 

Many of us green thumbs find enjoyment in starting our own seeds (kinda like reloading). Helps kick the winter blues if you're plantings seeds in Feb. or March.

[peejman]

4 hours ago, FrankD said:

I have two small 6'x10' raised beds and have always just used big box plants for my annual "crop" any benefit of using mail order seeds other than cost?

What he said, cost and variety, mostly variety.   Cost is marginal with the extra work involved starting with seeds, though perhaps there is some extra satisfaction. 

We've had good luck with a seed biodome....  https://parkseed.com/park-bio-dome-seed-starter/c/bio-dome/

[FrankD]

1 hour ago, peejman said:

What he said, cost and variety, mostly variety.   Cost is marginal with the extra work involved starting with seeds, though perhaps there is some extra satisfaction. 

We've had good luck with a seed biodome....  https://parkseed.com/park-bio-dome-seed-starter/c/bio-dome/

looks like a little biodome would be a fun spring project for the kiddos. What's another activity to take away free time at this point?

[gregintenn]

Finally dry enough to turn the garden spot.

[Jamie Jackson]

Just now, gregintenn said:

Finally dry enough to turn the garden spot.

You're gonna make it rain. You know that don't you?

I am so looking forward to garden time!

[10-Ring]

I spread about 150 pounds of fresh chicken manure over my 600 sq ft garden about 2 months ago to let it cool off before planting time.  Also amended the soil with some wood ash.  Looking forward to planting!

[peejman]

You guys are way ahead of me. My plan for this year is to wait until later than usual to start the garden. My idea is to try to avoid the rot problems I've had over the last few very wet Springs. 

[gregintenn]

All I did was turn mine. I won't do anything else til probably May.

[Ronald_55]

I dumped one side of the composter into the raised beds in the fall. Hoped that would avoid the volunteer tomatoes like we had all over last year. Lesson learned, We stopped putting tomatoes in the compost bucket.

Been dumping the water my wife takes out of the aquariums into them too, I even added the carbon from the filters she replaced into the composter. Lots of nitrates in those. 

[peejman]

5 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

I dumped one side of the composter into the raised beds in the fall. Hoped that would avoid the volunteer tomatoes like we had all over last year. Lesson learned, We stopped putting tomatoes in the compost bucket.

Been dumping the water my wife takes out of the aquariums into them too, I even added the carbon from the filters she replaced into the composter. Lots of nitrates in those. 

We had several volunteer tomatos show up in the flower beds last year. I assume they were courtesy of the birds. I just let them be and had a few extra tomatoes. 

I also use my aquarium water on the garden and house plants. 

[gregintenn]

23 hours ago, Jamie Jackson said:

You're gonna make it rain. You know that don't you?

I am so looking forward to garden time!

Glad I did it. You could sink a wide track dozier in it today.

[Hozzie]

I turned mine last fall so the stalks and things could decompose.  I ordered a new tractor in November.  I may not have a garden at all at the rate things are being produced.  I'm not man enough to till mine with a walk behind.  

I am thinking of setting up a raise bed greenhouse to start a few things though.  My buddies dad created a bed the size of a screen door and place the screen door on top.  Just open it to work and close it for warmth.  Open the screen for nice days  Thought it was an easy solution without having to build a big greenhouse.

[gregintenn]

I stopped by Co-Op Friday. The only garden seed they’ve gotten in this year was corn seed. They had no idea when or if any more would arrive.

Last year, fertilizer was $16.50 a bag. This year it’s $28!!!

This scares me when I think about it from a commercial farmer’s perspective. How are we gonna eat this next year?

[Jamie Jackson]

It's gonna be tough Greg. And unfortunately will just get worse.

I don't put in a garden anywhere near the size of yours, but I am looking forward to getting all of beds beds up and running.

Fortunately I ordered my seeds last fall and already have the onions and Chard planted.

 

Wishing everyone good luck!

[Quavodus]

Good luck to all the gardeners, especially this year. Me and my wife are doing a small one this time. Probably just a few "maters', a few cucumbers, squash maybe, okra, "taters", green beans. 

[Nikiski Dave]

Just built a 30"x8' bed for small potatoes. Green beans on the outside climbing up a fence. Lost one blackberry plant but next one over starting to put runners there. Seriously thinking of doing tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets this year.

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, Nikiski Dave said:

Just built a 30"x8' bed for small potatoes. Green beans on the outside climbing up a fence. Lost one blackberry plant but next one over starting to put runners there. Seriously thinking of doing tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets this year.

You'll find a 5 gal bucket a bit small for a tomato plant. If you have a buddy or neighbor who raises cattle, those plastic mineral tubs are perfect.

[E4 No More]

Let me preface to say that I am not an avid gardener. The only thing I've successfully grown was strawberries in a raised garden bed so that they didn't spread. I built a 10' x 5' raised bed and dumped a crap-ton of raised bed soil into it. We have the usual suspects to plant. I love corn on the cob and got some ambrosia sweet corn to plant. Since the news is saying that there will be large food shortages in the US, I'm now thinking that I need to go bigger for our stables: potatoes and corn. My land is an old corn field, but I've had no luck in growing a lot of things on it. My biggest challenge is that with two back surgeries and robust girth I cannot weed - particularly a large garden.

Any suggestions on how to keep the weeds out without getting down on the ground would be appreciated.