Any Vegetable Gardeners?

[KarakD.]

I just discovered a great use for recycled plastic bread bags (and other strong plastic bags). Cut them crosswise in 1 1/2" widths so that you have loops, then cut the loops open to make strips. You can roll these into ropes and use them over and over again to tie up tomatoes, beans, peas, and other lightweight veggies, they wash off well at the end of the season. Don't use on woody plants, the plastic isn't rigid enough to do the job.

Baby Herc

Awesome Idea!!!!

[Synny667]

I just started gardening last year and ready to start this years garden. To scared to try root vegetables just yet and didn't have much luck with my squash plants or brussels sprouts.... Will have to try again this year

[Baby Hercules]

I'm psyched about the growing season! I just came indoors after my first foray into the garden to deadhead, prune, cut back, and remove leaves and protective mulch. Portland, Oregon, has an earlier spring than most. A cornucopia of bright green goodies were revealed underneath, popping up all perky and succulent in the warming weather. Bulb season is upon us; I got crinums, narcissus, muscari, and tulipa rarin' to go.

My father sent me an early-maturing Brandywine tomato seed which I'll be starting indoors tomorrow along with Sweet 100's and peppers. Meanwhile, I've got enough expanding strawberry plants in the veggie garden to keep me in smoothies until July. I'm gonna try sweat peas in hanging baskets this year and build a trellis from bamboo canes to train a honeysuckle so the night wind will send the sweet aroma directly into my bedroom window while I sleep. Mmmmmmmmmmm!

Baby Herc

[Synny667]

I did rake back the leaves and found lots of green starting to come in. My iris and hyacinth are my only bulbs I have in the ground. Friday I will be ordering my lilac pompom poppy seeds and love-in-a-mist seeds for my flower garden. I am thinking about getting my hands on some old tires and trying to grow some potatoes in them since I found a how to on it. I need a couple trellis so that I can plant runner beans and sugar snap peas. Might try the build my own with bamboo poles. I am still trying to decide what I want to grow. Strawberries are a hard to do in my area cause the ants won't leave them alone. Have you ever seen a tomato hornworm devour pepper plants??? Guess I better get busy with deciding on my garden! Not going to rely on buying ready to plant vegetable plants this year like I did last year.

[wahminsc]

I am so behind when it comes to getting the veggie garden ready. The extremely mild winter has tricked various plants into blooming. I have blooms on two of three azalea bushes and have lilies and daffodils popping up all over. I'm still finding remnants of the previous owner's planting beds and am hesitant to rip anything out because I love what I've found so far.

[Baby Hercules]

I'm still finding remnants of the previous owner's planting beds and am hesitant to rip anything out because I love what I've found so far.

Definitely wait to plant! Until you see a property through four seasons, it's just like an unwrapped present sitting out there, waiting for you to notice. Start seeds indoors now so you'll have hardy starts to work with when you're ready. Once bulbs are done blooming, you can move them if you need to. In the mild climate where you are located, you can even move all bulbs into pots and set them aside until you decide where you want them placed. Bulbs in pots are very hot right now, anyway. Just add some annuals when the bulbs are done, or plant herbs like parsley, cilantro, annual sage and basil.

You can do veggies in pots, too, if you want to play it safe and wait to see what all's in the garden. Use ceramic, plastic, and wooden containers--never creosote-coated railroad timbers, tires, or other chemical-laced stuff. It'll leech into the soil and into your harvest! Rubber-scented tomatoes, anyone?

Baby Herc

[Cellar Yeti]

I really want a vegetable garden.

If I could grow carrots, garlic, onion, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and other leafy greens it'd save me soooo much money.

[Baby Hercules]

I really want a vegetable garden.

If I could grow carrots, garlic, onion, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and other leafy greens it'd save me soooo much money.

If you've got a window with some bright light you can grow lettuce indoors in pots year round. Spinach tolerates lower temps. Try just one pot as an experiment: about 8" across and the same deep, good soil, a few seeds in the center, pinch off all but one plant when they are about an inch high, keep watered and mist the leaves if you like. Harvest the leaves first thing in the morning the day after watering.

Baby Herc

[Cellar Yeti]

All I grow is sadness and disappointment.

[KarakD.]

I just started gardening last year and ready to start this years garden. To scared to try root vegetables just yet and didn't have much luck with my squash plants or brussels sprouts.... Will have to try again this year

Don't be scared. Root veggies are some of the easist to grow.
If you didn't have much luck it could be that you aren't watering enough.
For example: I always FAILED at tomatoes but as it turns out they were not getting
enough water. Water is te key & it should be Floride free (I know Ive already posted this)
You MUST install rainbarrels. The water is free & it's what your plants crave.

Since the begininng of this year my area is 2.5 inches below average & it's only feb.
I pulled my barrels out've the basement & hooked them up over the weekend just to
harvest 100gals today.

[KarakD.]

I am so behind when it comes to getting the veggie garden ready. The extremely mild winter has tricked various plants into blooming. I have blooms on two of three azalea bushes and have lilies and daffodils popping up all over. I'm still finding remnants of the previous owner's planting beds and am hesitant to rip anything out because I love what I've found so far.

Mulch that sh!t. Seriously, you need to add more mulch next fall - it will keep the ground cooler for a longer time.

I too held off on cleaning the beds & ya know what? That's a good thing! This year I found 2 praying manits egg sacs.


WOE! sorry about the size of that - let me try to re-post

[KarakD.]

I really want a vegetable garden.

If I could grow carrots, garlic, onion, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and other leafy greens it'd save me soooo much money.

Carrots: are pretty simple - I suggest growing them in deep pots w/compost & sand. This way they will grow straight.
Besides they like loose soil & not much else.
* Start seeds now, I love purple because they are sweeter

Garlic: Should be started in fall. You might be able to get away w/planting it now but it depends on your growing zone

Onion: Buy starters, its way easier then starting seed.
The seed I started last year is only now forming edible bulbs.

Tomtoes: Start Seeds now in potting mix.
Try to avoid bags that have peat moss. Peat moss is not sustainable

Cucumbers: Good luck (I suck at growing them)

Leafy Greens: Start now just like carrots

Good Luck!

[KarakD.]

I really want a vegetable garden.

If I could grow carrots, garlic, onion, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and other leafy greens it'd save me soooo much money.

Carrots: are pretty simple - I suggest growing them in deep pots w/compost & sand. This way they will grow straight.
Besides they like loose soil & not much else.
* Start seeds now, I love purple because they are sweeter

Garlic: Should be started in fall. You might be able to get away w/planting it now but it depends on your growing zone

Onion: Buy starters, its way easier then starting seed.
The seed I started last year is only now forming edible bulbs.

Tomtoes: Start Seeds now in potting mix.
Try to avoid bags that have peat moss. Peat moss is not sustainable

Cucumbers: Good luck (I suck at growing them)

Leafy Greens: Start now just like carrots

[KarakD.]

All I grow is sadness and disappointment.

The garden centers, mags & seed catalogs make it look soooo easy to grow veggies when it fact it isn't easy at all.
//They// want you to fail! If you succeed then //they// will lose $$$

I suggest just starting with 1 tomato plant in a nice big pot. If you give it all the love it needs then it will
produce tons of fresh fruit. Maybe even enough to roast & freeze for the winter.

The key is not to overwhelm yourself. Do you really want to be outside when it's over
90 degrees ranking weeds & swatting bugs?

1 plant in the right place with the right amount of water is all you need to start with.

[Synny667]

I loved my first year of gardening I had so much success with my tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos and green beans! I really want blueberry bushes, more beans and peas, brussels sprouts and my squash oh and onions and sweet potatoes..... No idea where to plant all this stuff so that I can freeze some for this winter.