2022 Garden Thread

[EatenByLimestone]

I hand pollinated 4 tiny Tim flowers tonight. Next month I might get a tomato, lol

 

[begreen]

You've been a busy bee! We're quite a ways from that, but at least we are starting to see green.

 

[clancey]

Hang in there free and you will feel much much better at the end of Nov and just take an easy and try not to cough too hard and wrap it with an ace bandage just to support the ribs. Keep the mucus spit out if you do have to cough so sorry you are going through this and soon you will be good again. Get comfortable in a chair that keeps you snug at night so that you do not move in your sleep--night is the worse..Saying prayers for you so keep the faith you will get well and when you do cough--brace yourself and do not laugh.. From a experienced "rib hurt person"--lol and God Bess You. clancey.

 

[Dan Freeman]

Thank you for the tips, support and encouragement, Mrs. Clancey. All are much appreciated.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Down to 24 tonight. I’m up at the cabin and going to get the boat put away.

It’s nice to lay on the couch with the T5 chugging away with a 600F stove nearby.

 

[Dan Freeman]

Down the 24 tonight. I’m up at the cabin and going to get the boat put away.

It’s nice to lay on the couch with the T5 chugging away with a 600F stove nearby.

Doesn't get much better than that. Enjoy!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I'm strongly considering changing my planting of tiny tims in the aerogardens. I've been planting in the outer holes/spots. In my 6 spot aerogardens, I planted 2 tomato plants. In my oldest group, the outer leaves and lower leaves are self pruning as they aren't getting enough light. I wondervif the plant would do better if it was a single plant in the center instead of 2 half plants. But 2 plants that produce 60% yield is better than 1 plant with 100%.

 

[clancey]

Lime I cannot help you with your question about your aerogardens but somebody with more expertise will help you with that problem of self pruning because of not enough of sunlight but my one plant "outside" which I think I planted too late has produced in total 248 tomato's with most of them being green and smallest but the ones that mature were real juicy and I had to get used to them because I was used to store bought tomato's which are not juicy and rather on the tough side. So if you want a producing plant GO Bigboy but one thing it will take up the whole side of your plant room---lol---"at least a half of an acre and I picked the end of the plant tomato's the other day and I have a picture coming. Next year I will pick another variety for planting outside. clancey

 

[begreen]

I'm glad your tomato garden has turned into a success. The neighbors must love you. If you want less, but bigger tomatoes you need to prune them regularly. Or grow a determinate variety like the Celebrity you grew last year.

Cold weather and a freeze are predicted for next week. Looks like it's a wrap except for the cold hardy plants. One delightful discovery in a fall planting has been Perpetual Spinach. It's actually a form of chard, but cooks and tastes like spinach, but is easier to grow and with nice big leaves. We will definitely grow this again. We have broccoli, some January King cabbage, lettuce, and carrots still growing well. Self-seeded Nasturtiums started taking off in late summer. They dominate the bed now.


The pickled green tomatoes are a hit. I'm going to do another batch. My wife is brewing up a big batch of homemade sriracha sauce. It is primarily Fresno peppers but also has some Beaver Dam and jalapenos in it. The taste is wonderful. So much better than the commercial stuff. Will taste-test the fermented peppers in a week or so. They look like they need a bit more time.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Those nasturtiums look beautiful, @begreen. I used to grow them in Virginia but haven’t had a lot of success with them in Texas. The one time I had some good plants going down here, I didn’t have them protected from the deer, and well, that didn’t go too well. The deer down here eat all sorts of stuff I wouldn’t expect.

I got some new seeds when I ordered seeds this summer, so I have hopes of growing some along the edges of garden next spring and summer. I love using the leaves and petals in salads.

We haven’t had a frost yet down here, but it looks as though we might have cooler nights (in the forties) starting by the end of the week. I think I’ll try to dig my sweet potatoes.

I have beans, beets, carrots, kale, radishes, leeks, and broccoli that all seem to be liking the cooler weather. I’ve finally been able to make a couple of side dishes of green beans from my fall planting after not getting any harvest at all all summer. (I had a meager harvest from the spring planting but once the heat came on early with 100+ temperatures, that was the end. I ended up pulling the vines so that I wouldn’t have to water them.)

 

[begreen]

Nasturtium leaves and flowers are edible so I can see the deer loving them. They also like for temps to be on the cooler side. Try growing them in a shadier area.

I forgot that we also have a big Russian Red kale plant. Maybe due to the situation in Ukraine. We also have some big chard plants growing.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Ugh, I can't find the transformer for the 3rd aerogarden. I remember packing it up in the box it came in. That little box is not where it should be!

I hate not finding stuff!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Ok. Found it. My wife borrowed it for something in her office. Borrowed back! She'll have to find a new one! Lol

 

[Dan Freeman]

Yes, I love nasturtiums, too.

We have been pulling the last of our carrots, and with them, the end of our outdoor harvest 2022.

It has been unseasonably warm here the past week with day temps in the 70's. Last night we slept with all the windows open which is very unusual for this time of November. Heck, we haven't even had a fire yet. Looks like things should begin to get near normal over the next week to 10 days with temps beginning to drop into the 40's during the days and 20's at night.

I almost bought an aerogarden yesterday which I was thinking about just for lettuce and spinach. I spent about a 1/2 hour on their site looking at all the models and about another 1/2 hour reading customer reviews and experiences from different sites on the web. While I can see their value and convenience for some folks depending on their needs and lifestyle, they definitely are not cost-effective as far as I can see for someone like me, so I decided not to spend the money. An areogarden would definitely be a space-saver, but space is not an issue for me. I also know form my past hydroponic experiences, that the lettuce/spinach would grow faster, but time is not an issue for me, either. But who knows, I may still get one just to have the experience and another toy to play with.

I finally got the last 2 Tiny Tim seeds planted a couple of days ago. Just waiting for them to break ground. Here is my progress so far. (Total of 8 Tiny Tims and 4 heads of lettuce.) Planning to plant more lettuce/spinach. (Perhaps in a new aerogarden???

)

You can see the blossoms beginning to open on the 2 TT's on the left. (5+ weeks)

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Those plants are looking great, @Dan Freeman. I like how you stagger your plantings. How are you feeling these days?

I spent a chunk of time harvesting and watering in the garden this morning. We had a shot at some showers, but they didn’t materialize. Because of the possibility, though, I harvested several of the Taiga tomatoes that had changed color (they’re a green when ripe tomato, so they still look pretty green, but I can tell they’re getting closer). I just thought I’d share a few pictures because we talked about them earlier in the summer on the thread, and I’ve been very impressed with how those same plants that I started last winter and pruned back this summer have grown and started producing this fall.



The Taigas are the heart-shaped green ones. The rounder pinker one is a Captain Lucky which is one of the parents of Karen Olivier’s True North Tomato line, of which Taiga is a part. She has other color hearts of different names which I haven’t tried. The other tomatoes are mostly elongated cherries, Blush 2.0 or Maglia Rosa, from Artisan Seeds.

I also harvested some Woods Mountain Crazy Beans today to have with our supper. My daughter harvested a few radishes to cut up for a snack for us this morning. She likes to slice them and eat them with salt.


I also spotted my first sugar snap pea flower today. This is one crop where I’ve not had good success here in Texas. So far things are looking good this year.

 

[Dan Freeman]

Thanks, DG. I staggered them this year because last year all 8 TT's overwhelmed us with tomatoes at the same time. This year the harvest should be more spread out and even.

Thanks for asking...Today, marks 4 weeks since I broke my ribs. The real bad pain is gone, but I still am very sore, tender and achy on my entire left side. I am moving better, but really can't do much that involves any type of weight bearing or work.

Nice haul of tomatoes, and nice pics of your latest harvest.

Well, after some more thought, I decided not to buy the aerogarden for more spinach and lettuce. Instead, I took a 4x2 table, put a frame from an old growing station on it to hang a grow light, and will use this set up for the cost of just a bag of potting soil. I will get a bag of potting soil this morning after I vote and get some seeds planted today.

The red tablecloths on top of each unit get flipped down at night since we watch TV in this room. Without them, the room would be way too bright at night with the 3 grow lights. I'm sure people passing by see how bright the light is in those windows and think we must have a good crop of pot growing!

 

[Dan Freeman]

I was also going to plant 2 pots each of basil and parsley, but decided to trim and clean up these neglected plants from the greenhouse and see how they do inside. I can always plant new seeds if they don't bounce back.

The two pots on the left got Monte Carlo romaine lettuce seeds. I think romaine gives the most bang for the buck when planting a limited amount. This was our favorite when I was growing lettuce hydroponically down in the cellar last year. It has a real nice crunch to it.

The two pots on the right got 2 seeds each of Hybrid Smooth Leaf, Hybrid Savoyed, and Bloomsdale Long Standing lettuce.

I'll plant 2 pots each of lettuce and spinach every week to 10 days apart until this table is full.

 

[begreen]

You folks have me longing for summer already. We are still working our way through processing a boatload of peppers and tomatoes. The homemade sriracha sauce this year came out fantastic. Best ever. It has a wonderful flavor imparted by the combo of the Fresno and Beaver Dam peppers.

Our little iDoo garden is growing. I will need to start harvesting some lettuce soon. The tiny tims are looking nice too.

 

[Dan Freeman]

Thoughts?

I am looking to build/buy some elevated garden beds at least 4' x 8' and 26-32" high.

My 2 contenders so far are:

DIY: from pressure treated 2x4's and galvanized corrugated metal roofing. (Cost: @$120 per unit)

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Buy: Vego Garden Brand (Cost: $379.95 per unit)

32" Extra Tall 10 In 1 Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit

Buy 32" Extra Tall 10 In 1 Modular Raised Garden Bed Kit online at Vego Garden. We offer a wide range of garden beds in different sizes at discounted prices.

vegogarden.com

 

[begreen]

The Vego Garden32" is a lot of fill without a lot of growing advantage. I like their 17" high beds better, but would prefer a 4'x10' or 12' configuration. It looks like you can buy extension panels to accomplish this. I like the screen kit option though I wonder how much light it reduces. And I like the stainless gopher/mole screening for the bottom.

 

[Dan Freeman]

I would fill it like a hugelkultur mound with just about 12 inches of soil on top no matter what we eventually go with. The 17" certainly are nice and more than sufficient, but I am looking for the height as we get older for some of the things we grow. Less getting down on the ground.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Are you going to want a 4’ wide bed in the future? The height would make it easier to reach over, but it’s still a distance.

 

[Dan Freeman]

I would think reaching in 2 feet on either side would be doable even if much older. Your thoughts?

One nice thing about this Vego Garden 10 in 1 is that it can be adjusted to various lengths x widths.

 

[clancey]

If I had to do it I would get the 120.00 one and put it on top of cider block..clancey

 

[Dan Freeman]

If I had to do it I would get the 120.00 one and put it on top of cider block..clancey

Neither has a bottom. I would have to create a bottom that would have to support all that weight and would likely rust or rot through within a few years...unless you mean cinder blocks around the entire perimeter.