Some Vegetable Garden pictures

[crashbandicoot]

I still haven't put a garden in and each year I keep thinking I will. Maybe I'll at least pickup some tomatoe plants this week.

Try starting your own from seed.A lot of fun if you like that and more varieties to choose from too.

 

[billb]

Hello Bill and other fellow gardeners , Bill your gardens looking good but I wanted to warn you about the use of Straw in the garden . Straw , hay , and livestock manure from animals that eat the hay all run the risk of being contaminated with broad leaf herbicide . this is used to keep weeds out of the fields and will wreck your garden for years if you happen to apply such materials to your garden . not happened yet doesn't mean it won't . look up Grazon contamination , Grazon has a half life of 3 years and will wreck your garden plot. a safer mulching material is arborist wood chips .

ticndig
This is the shredded straw that I use ..the label states it’s approved for organic gardening
Any thoughts Thanks Bill

 

[billb]

Real nice. In my opinion, raised beds are the way to go. I have seen some designs where 55gal. plastic drums, split lengthwise, and framed in 4x4’s to a height that allows the tending of plants to be done at a waist high level. Greatly aids gardeners experiencing back or leg issues. Fortunately there many easily attainable resources for individuals looking to participate in such an important activity. Reward follows effort…..even nicer when the rewards are fresh and tasty.

Thank you…our favorite to grow is the San Marzano and Roma tomatoes for sauce and green beans.
We freeze some and it’s great to have well after the gardening season is over

 

[ticndig]

my thoughts are if it's organic then it's fine . random bales from a random farm is asking for it.

 

[billb]

Try starting your own from seed.A lot of fun if you like that and more varieties to choose from too.

Last year I did well with seeds inside
Getting all the items needed and bringing them in and outside and finding places to put the trays is ok but this season I got the plants started and just planted green bean seeds .it just seems easier

 

[crashbandicoot]

Last year I did well with seeds inside
Getting all the items needed and bringing them in and outside and finding places to put the trays is ok but this season I got the plants started and just planted green bean seeds .it just seems easier

It,s not for everyone! Works best with tomatoes and peppers,Green beans,okra and the like do just as well direct sowed.It,s just kind of fun to me to watch em sprout and grow!

 

[billb]

It,s not for everyone! Works best with tomatoes and peppers,Green beans,okra and the like do just as well direct sowed.It,s just kind of fun to me to watch em sprout and grow!

We have a short season here and I went to a nursery this season that had so many different varieties..and I can’t go wrong either way but we have to start most seeds inside in April because of the cold weather and putting everything by a window for light and bringing them outside and back in you bring in the little flying insects and it gets a little overwhelming

 

[crashbandicoot]

We have a short season here and I went to a nursery this season that had so many different varieties..and I can’t go wrong either way but we have to start most seeds inside in April because of the cold weather and putting everything by a window for light and bringing them outside and back in you bring in the little flying insects and it gets a little overwhelming

When I grew some super hot peppers a while back I rigged a grow lamp bulb to shine directly on my trays where I could move it up or down to maintain a temp of around 85F required for the seed to germinate. Early March or so. Put my tomato seeds to one side and the temp was lower there. Worked!

 

[crashbandicoot]

We have a short season here and I went to a nursery this season that had so many different varieties..and I can’t go wrong either way but we have to start most seeds inside in April because of the cold weather and putting everything by a window for light and bringing them outside and back in you bring in the little flying insects and it gets a little overwhelming

I,m just a glutton for punishment!

 

[billb]

When I grew some super hot peppers a while back I rigged a grow lamp bulb to shine directly on my trays where I could move it up or down to maintain a temp of around 85F required for the seed to germinate. Early March or so. Put my tomato seeds to one side and the temp was lower there. Worked!

I have trays and heat mats etc.And metal shelves for planting from seeds.last year I tried seeds for cucs. peppers and tomatoes and just ended with too many.of each..
This season I got a few of each plants and it just made the process easier for me.
There’s no right or wrong as both are better than none

 

[crashbandicoot]

I have trays and heat mats etc.And metal shelves for planting from seeds.last year I tried seeds for cucs. peppers and tomatoes and just ended with too many.of each..
This season I got a few of each plants and it just made the process easier for me.
There’s no right or wrong as both are better than none

Agreed!

 

[tamrock]

Ok, Today I made an attempt to grow something. Tomatoes and Jalapeno peppers. If this turns out to be a success, maybe I'll take it a bit further next year.

 

[crashbandicoot]

Ok, Today I made an attempt to grow something. Tomatoes and Jalapeno peppers. If this turns out to be a success, maybe I'll take it a bit further next year.

Looking good,got to start somewhere.Good luck and may you reap the rewards.

 

[billb]

Ok, Today I made an attempt to grow something. Tomatoes and Jalapeno peppers. If this turns out to be a success, maybe I'll take it a bit further next year.

Congratulations..I’ve found that egg shells work great with tomatoes and get a bag of tomato tone also.
It helps to also plant marigolds around the outside and save the flower seeds to replant next season.They will keep a lot of pests away
It also helps to space the plants so they don’t touch each other and I always try to remove the leaves that touch the ground
Best of luck and hope deer and woodchucks will keep their distance also

 

[tamrock]

Congratulations..I’ve found that egg shells work great with tomatoes and get a bag of tomato tone also.
It helps to also plant marigolds around the outside and save the flower seeds to replant next season.They will keep a lot of pests away
It also helps to space the plants so they don’t touch each other and I always try to remove the leaves that touch the ground
Best of luck and hope deer and woodchucks will keep their distance also

The only pest problem I've seen before is those tomato worms. I would just snip them in half with some scissors as best I could. I'll get some marigolds as you mentioned. Those should grow easy enough in the hard pack ground I have here, which has been one of the reasons I've not had the desire to take up gardening so much. Dang stuff is tough to till and pretty much good only for making adobe bricks imo.

 

[billb]

The only pest problem I've seen before is those tomato worms. I would just snip them in half with some scissors as best I could. I'll get some marigolds as you mentioned. Those should grow easy enough in the hard pack ground I have here, which has been one of the reasons I've not had the desire to take up gardening so much. Dang stuff is tough to till and pretty much good only for making adobe bricks imo.

Thanks again depending on the garden size your garden center can truck in good soil or get it in bags and I always added leaves in the fall and compost and coffee grounds are great also
Just add a little as you go
Good Luck and with the marigolds last year pests were not a problem

 

[DizzyDigger]

depending on the garden size your garden center can truck in good soil or get it in bags and I always added leaves in the fall and compost and coffee grounds are great also

As a constant gardener indoors, I can go through a dozen 2 cu. ft. bags of soil a year, easy. I've tried most of the main garden retailers soils (Lowe's, from local nurseries, etc.) and found them to be very lacking.

Anytime they stack soil bags outdoors, quite often I find they are rain soaked, and worthless. They use bags with small holes to vent gasses, but it also
allows fungus gnats to lay their eggs in the damp soil.

Now, I strictly use Fox Farms Ocean Forest or Happy Frog, and then
add about 30% more perlite. Drains well, but still holds plenty of
moisture.

Bill, have you ever used compost tea? Great stuff! I also use "Recharge" from Real Growers, a microbial powder that does wonders for root structure,
and nutrient uptake.

 

[billb]

As a constant gardener indoors, I can go through a dozen 2 cu. ft. bags of soil a year, easy. I've tried most of the main garden retailers soils (Lowe's, from local nurseries, etc.) and found them to be very lacking.

Anytime they stack soil bags outdoors, quite often I find they are rain soaked, and worthless. They use bags with small holes to vent gasses, but it also
allows fungus gnats to lay their eggs in the damp soil.

Now, I strictly use Fox Farms Ocean Forest or Happy Frog, and then
add about 30% more perlite. Drains well, but still holds plenty of
moisture.

Bill, have you ever used compost tea? Great stuff! I also use "Recharge" from Real Growers, a microbial powder that does wonders for root structure,
and nutrient uptake.

Great information and Thanks again on those gnats last year we had many plants in the house an started to see them..
We threw out all the soil cleaned the pots and replanted with new cactus mix and had the same problem.the garden center clerk said use neem oil where the real problem was the soil.
I went back and got a $100 refund and got rid of all the plants unfortunately.but it solved everything.I will keep a eye out for those items that you recommended -Take Care

 

[billb]

Hello Bill and other fellow gardeners , Bill your gardens looking good but I wanted to warn you about the use of Straw in the garden . Straw , hay , and livestock manure from animals that eat the hay all run the risk of being contaminated with broad leaf herbicide . this is used to keep weeds out of the fields and will wreck your garden for years if you happen to apply such materials to your garden . not happened yet doesn't mean it won't . look up Grazon contamination , Grazon has a half life of 3 years and will wreck your garden plot. a safer mulching material is arborist wood chips .

I tried to write back on another message but it didn’t work.
I’m going to try to get a list on when to plant things for the fall up here

 

[billb]

Ok, Today I made an attempt to grow something. Tomatoes and Jalapeno peppers. If this turns out to be a success, maybe I'll take it a bit further next year.

Looking good and good luck with the garden.