Garden 2021

[Bacpacker]

Here is where I have my most recent, and best information on growing onions. I've always grown

The onions that I planted last fall are now doing well, some are up to 4' tall trying to put on flowers, I wish I knew more about growing and harvesting onions.
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I've always grown onions, But they never made any size. Part of it was planting them too crowded, lack of fertilize, and lack of water. When I started buyin my onions from here.
Dixondale Farms Onion Plants - We Know Onions!

They have a LEARN section that has lots of info. And you can sign up for their news letter. It always has some timely tips for growing them. I've used them for 5-6 years now and usually have a decent harvest, plus all we want to eat along the way.

 

[Amish Heart]

Finally I got some stuff in the ground. Round one anyway. 30 tomato plants, 4 zucchini, 9 peppers, 6 cucumbers.

 

[LadyLocust]

Finally I got some stuff in the ground. Round one anyway. 30 tomato plants, 4 zucchini, 9 peppers, 6 cucumbers.

You planted more than 1 zuke?! Wow ~ you are a brave one. Last year I planted 1 zuke and fed 4 families all summer.

 

[LadyLocust]

@Double R Here is a good example. If you've not read the blog before, you might like it.
http://gdonna.com/living-like-the-past/can-we-answer-these/

 

[Amish Heart]

That's what I'm hearing. But see I've been planting for years in a desert climate...plant 4, get 1. Maybe. So now I'm in a new good zone and have 23 acres and I've gone wild. Husband is shaking his head at the 30 tomatoes. I still have that many more in the greenhouse.

 

[LadyLocust]

That's what I'm hearing. But see I've been planting for years in a desert climate...plant 4, get 1. Maybe. So now I'm in a new good zone and have 23 acres and I've gone wild. Husband is shaking his head at the 30 tomatoes. I still have that many more in the greenhouse.

A little town of maybe 200 people not far from here has a wonderful little restaurant. The owner is from Scotland and is a hoot. He said, "You have to lock your car doors here in the summer, it's not safe. If you don't someone will fill it with zucchini."

 

[Amish Heart]

I'll just grate down the extra and dehydrate it if I have lots.

 

[Double R]

@Double R Here is a good example. If you've not read the blog before, you might like it.
http://gdonna.com/living-like-the-past/can-we-answer-these/

Thank you!!! I’ll be getting milk tomorrow on my trip to town!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I searched online but didn’t come across that remedy. I wanted to be sure we didn’t kill the bees and lady bugs.

 

[PopPopT]

You planted more than 1 zuke?! Wow ~ you are a brave one. Last year I planted 1 zuke and fed 4 families all summer.

That was how it seemed to work when we lived in Pennsylvania. But here in Tennessee, I've never had one give like that. I do have several in grow bags in the greenhouse and have a nice zucchini waiting for harvest (today, getting company, saving it for one of them to harvest). Have already had a zucchini and several yellow squash from the greenhouse but wasn't really expecting a lot out of them. We'll see.

The garden zucchini and yellow squash looked gorgeous this morning but they're smaller and haven't blossomed yet.

Previous years have seen massive rains this time of year and things like fungus and blight just hammering us. We have had rains this spring but it almost appears that we're headed into our summer dry spell a bit early this year so that might actually be good for the outside gardens though probably more work for me with watering. So we'll see.

 

[PopPopT]

Husband is shaking his head at the 30 tomatoes. I still have that many more in the greenhouse.

You sound almost like me. I have 30 in the greenhouse (high tunnel, they're gonna stay there) and 27 out in the garden. Once again, hoping to have a few to sell but I said that last year, and then it rained for 6 weeks.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Have you ever transplanted broccoli? I have some almost full grown plants and have realized that they could use a little more support, was wondering if it is too late to transplant?

 

[joel]

I would not move full grown plants.
If you do please let us know how they do after moving. Maybe move every other plant or push a rod down by the plant for support.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I would not move full grown plants.
If you do please let us know how they do after moving. Maybe move every other plant or push a rod down by the plant for support.

Thanks for the input, it's in a shallow container so I might be able to move it safely.... just not sure, and I am just not in the mood for one of those DANG moments!

 

[Neb]

Thanks for the input, it's in a shallow container so I might be able to move it safely.... just not sure, and I am just not in the mood for one of those DANG moments!

Only from pots into the garden in spring. They were only a few inches tall. They did have bent root. Is it what is called club root?

Do the science thing and keep a control to compare. There will most likely be a bit of a shock.

Ben

 

[PopPopT]

Have you ever transplanted broccoli? I have some almost full grown plants

Curious, does it have a head on it yet?

I've never tried to move one that was even approaching maturity.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Only from pots into the garden in spring. They were only a few inches tall. They did have bent root. Is it what is called club root?

Do the science thing and keep a control to compare. There will most likely be a bit of a shock.

Ben

I have 6 in 2 shallow containers, I moved 2 into a shared deep container (~ 12 gallons, 18" deep), they had about 9" of stem above ground, I buried them to within an inch of the leaves (about 8" deeper than they were). I had watered them last night and they were dry by the time I moved them around 6:30 PM. I back filled the space they created in the old pots with potting soil and watered everything. I will track how all 6 plants do. The are all very close to making heads, I saw a marble size head on one of the plants.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I went out and cut all of the flower part of the tall onions off, they look like they are big seed pods. I wonder if I can collect the seeds off those pods or if they are just too immature.... On one bed where they were shorter stems with the seed pods showing, I removed half of them to try to do some more experimenting....

I hope I get some nice big onions and shallots, but either way I will be learning something.

 

[Meerkat]

I went out and cut all of the flower part of the tall onions off, they look like they are big seed pods. I wonder if I can collect the seeds off those pods or if they are just too immature.... On one bed where they were shorter stems with the seed pods showing, I removed half of them to try to do some more experimenting....

I hope I get some nice big onions and shallots, but either way I will be learning something.

I'm hoping we get back to gardening this fall.

 

[Amish Heart]

I'd transplant that broccoli. Give it a try.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I'd transplant that broccoli. Give it a try.

Hey, you know me, I'll give almost anything a try, once.

That's why when I was in High School I was voted most likely to... it didn't really matter what it was, I was most likely to....

 

[LadyLocust]

I went out and cut all of the flower part of the tall onions off, they look like they are big seed pods. I wonder if I can collect the seeds off those pods or if they are just too immature.... On one bed where they were shorter stems with the seed pods showing, I removed half of them to try to do some more experimenting....

I hope I get some nice big onions and shallots, but either way I will be learning something.

If you cut the seed heads off, just place them in a cup (or vase whatever) of water. They will continue to push everything they have into the seed head - it's a survival thing.

 

[Amish Heart]

My plants have to sink or swim. Maybe that's why I planted 30 tomatoes? Ha. I seeded twice that many in the little greenhouse, and didn't think half of them would come up.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I ran out real quick and grabbed the seed pods that I cut from the put them in water. Thanks @LadyLocust , will let you know if I get any seeds.

I thought I lost my San Marzano Tomatoes they looked so sad when I took them outside, but I planted them deep and they are all now over 2' tall. They have survived about 4 frost events but hey like @Amish Heart said they have to either sink or swim.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I have been picking the green caterpillars off my plants as I water them each day, their numbers seem to be declining. I am hoping that eventually they will stop appearing.

The radishes in the first of my picnic table trays are appearing today, so it shouldn't be long before the lettuce and spinach show up. I need to run to lowes and pick up 3 more trays (giving me 6) first chance I get, the problem with rotation gardening is you need lots of spaces so you can constantly be planting, harvesting, and replanting.... for context each tray is about 6 sq ft and I put 3 rows in them.

My over winter red and green leaf lettuce is now about 2' tall and very leggy, I figure that they will only be good for about 2 more harvests.

The over winter spinach is now very close to done, the next harvest I will be pulling the plant that will give me about 9 sq ft to replant.
I have 1 short row (3') of early spring spinach starting to be harvested now and 1 long row (8') about 3" tall, so I do not expect a drop in production until the heat sets in... I hope using the picnic table for shade will let me keep it going till the end of July. I said HOPE.

Even with my small space I need to focus away from things that grow easy to things that can be put up for later consumption. Balance is a difficult skill to learn.

The broccoli that I transplanted yesterday evening does not appear to be wilted, will watch them to see if they wilt or perk up...

this morning my red-bud tree had a crop of cicadas on it, I knocked them to the ground with my watering wand, as soon as I moved on Mr. Robin pounced on them.

 

[Amish Heart]

Balance is difficult to learn. Husband was questioning why more zucchini and not an overabundance of cucumber. I planted 4 cucumber, and told him we only eat them fresh (not pickle cucumbers, but market more type), and zucchini I can freeze or dehydrate. Tomatoes I can, freeze, or dehydrate. I planted lettuce and spinach in the greenhouse I think in October/November. It grew well, and I just cut when I needed some. Then the polar vortex freeze in Feb. So replanted in March. Now I have plenty again, but we'll see when it bolts. Then it's chicken food.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

My garden this year is trying to plant fruit trees and small fruits. Its literally hard going as I only have hard packed clay covered in a foot or two of pea gravel. My mail order fruit trees are currently planted in wheel barrows waiting for their spot.

I have about 30 odd tires in a heap out back piled against the backstop. One by one I am cutting out the sidewalls. I scrape the gravel away, dig out about one foot of clay and use an old machete to chunk it up while flouring it with peat moss and sand. I put this mix back, place the tire ring on the surface, set the tree and fill the tire ring with more manufactured dirt. The gravel is then raked back around the tire. This should create drainage and a way for the roots to get started.

For my future garden, I have placed a layer down using all the tons of cardboard left from moving, I put a layer of sand, and a layer of clay lumps and leave the clay to dry out. once it is dried, I can mostly flatten the lumps with the tractor bucket. Next is a layer of feeder poop. This is all the bedding from where the neighbors cows were winter fed and is full of fresh poop.
I have to dig it out of his barn and barn yard first. It is in a bad area and has to be dug by hand.

Next comes another layer of sand and clay. This will be mulched in the fall and hopefully I can till it all together next spring. I will also be sprinkling some chelated cattle minerals and woodash in there. In the spring, if I don't like the progress, I will seed the whole lot down with mangels.

It will take up to two years to get good dirt, and no, hauling in top soil is not an option.

 

[joel]

ClemKadiddlehopper
A lot of gardeners are against using rubber in the the garden, but your plan should work & the walls will not rot like wood. I talked about using concrete blocks instead of cross ties on another site & got a lecture on how they were just as bad for the garden. I have been told by an old farmer that once you fill clay with organic matter, it will turn brown or black & be better than sandy loam. I have only grew in sandy, or sandy loam soil, so I do not know, but read that clay holds on to micro & macro nutrients better than sandy loam. We want lots of pic as soon as you get time.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Yes, clay is good because it can't leach easily, so as you said, more nutrient retention. Clay is bad because of its compaction factor so that is why the sand is added along with organic matter. The clay i am using is from digging a pond, so it is like shifting backhoe shaped rocks and lining them up for smooshing into the sand.

The tire rings are for trees only, not veggies. I am literally planting the trees above grade a bit, and need to keep the dirt covering the top of the roots and the gravel away.

These are the instructions sent along with the Russian root stock that is supposed to grow in clay, once started. Only time will tell.

 

[Amish Heart]

I was out planting for a couple of hours...yellow squash (8), peppers of all types. Thunder, dark skies...put it all away and took two loads of laundry off the line. Wet clothes to hang inside now. And not a drop of rain yet.

 

[Neb]

OH NUTS!

After 7 or 8 years, today for the first I found these on one of my English walnut trees.

I hope they are the nuts I have been looking to find for years.

Can anyone confirm or deny my suspicion these are young walnuts?

Ben