2022 Garden Thread

[DuaeGuttae]

Decided to buy some 4 x 16 cattle panels from Tractor Supply and build some arched trellises to grow my cantaloupe, acorn squash, cucumbers, and perhaps grapes on. I was watching some YouTube's last night where folks even grow watermelons and pumpkins this way. Keeping them off the ground appears to cut down on so many problems and saves space. I'll only be able to get 2 at a time, so I'll have to make a few trips. The only local place I could find that delivers is Lowe's, but they charge more per panel and want $80 to deliver them.

We love our arched trellises (made from 4 x 16 cattle panels from Tractor supply as a matter of fact). We’ve used them for cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes. We don’t grow huge pumpkins, but growing vertically helps a lot in our raised beds.

Here’s a picture of a Seminole pumpkin to which I gave some extra support last fall when we were expecting storms.


These are the new garden beds we were given last summer just after we added the arched trellises. We grew cowpeas up them last year both for harvest and for soil improvement in the new beds.


The heat and sun can be intense down here in summers, and standing under covered arches is almost like a refuge. Cherry tomatoes do particularly well down here, and it’s fun to harvest them from overhead.



This was our tomato arch last year. It had indeterminates on the far side and determinaties on the near side. Our pumpkin that was growing in a small bed with a vertical trellis kind of took over the determinate side, and I let it, though I don’t believe it set any fruit on the arch at that point. We did harvest and fry some flowers, though. I loved them, the kids not as much.

 

[Dan Freeman]

That looks great, DuaeGuttae. Nice gardens. 👍

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yeah, as mine mature they start looking more overgrown and ratty.

 

[clancey]

Well i worked so hard on my "farming" for I got my three plants in the container until I can place them outside. This gardening is hard work...I bought a Big Boy tomato and a mint plant and some lettuce too. These three plants were dying and just called to me to water them...I am fixing my special food up for them too and after they look more "sturdy" I will give them some food. pictures coming...clancey

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Excellent! Be careful with the mint! You may want to keep it in its own container. It has a tendency to overtake everything. Its a perennial too, so you likely will never have to plant it again!

 

[clancey]

Well that's nice to know and could I keep it in the same container that it is in now and would it do okay? I love mint and it helps to settle my stomach so just wondering..When I take the tomato and lettuce outside can I just keep the mint in the container that it is in--the planter...That particular plant seems to be thriving okay...The lettuce has fluffy leaves that tear easy and could I cut some of them off for a salad--now and will it continue to grow okay... That porch has no heat and it can get really cold at night time and i have a oil filled heater and should I put this on low for the "babies", those little s---- better thrive for I am not very experience with all of this and here are some pictures of the three of them...Thanks..clancey

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yeah, don't worry about hurting the mint. It'll take anything you can throw at it. Freezing Temps might do it in since it was just transplanted, but give it a week and throw whatever at it.

Your lettuce is a cold weather plant. It'll do well in cooler r weather and will probably bolt once it gets warmer. Tear or cut off the outer keaves to enjoy!

Your tomato is the only one you're going to havevto worry about as it does not like cold Temps.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Yeah, as mine mature they start looking more overgrown and ratty.

Most of those pictures were from the beginning of summer. Things certainly look worse later in the season, and I start pulling plants when they get too diseased or stop bearing. Last year was unusually rainy and cool, so it was a great garden year for me.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

@clancey , have fun with your new plants. I thought I’d post a link to a pretty good video about the “cut and come again” method for harvesting lettuce. You might just want to leave the lettuce in one planter and the mint in the other. The lettuce will appreciate being kept cool as it warms up this spring.

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Tomatoes handle transplanting fairly well, but they do appreciate being kept warm. If your porch holds on to some of the day’s heat overnight, it will probably be okay, but if it drops to lower 40’s or 30’s, you could consider offering some heat. It might be more economical to purchase a small plant heat mat to put directly under the planter and run that overnight rather than trying to heat the air with a space heater. If I remember correctly, though, your porch has insulation under the slab, so that might make things better. @begreen, what do you think?

 

[clancey]

That video was neat and today I will have me some lettuce just taking off a few leaves like the first part of the video for to me it looks too "fluffy" , so its time to eat some...I will keep it in the container and really think it might like my porch..Now you gave me extra farm work for I need to move my beautiful little mint plant to the other container..and then move my tomato "outside"., in time..That's a good idea about the plant individual type of heater--wondering if a heating pad on low would help?..For I do have two of them "might as well use them"..The porch is insulated floor and sides and roof but without heat it can get down right "cold in there"...This time of year maybe about 35 degrees or there about.., but its cold and now this morning it was comfortable as I checked out the plantee"s--my word...they seen to be happy and I guess I will have two indoor plants and one outside so far and after I dig up the soil outside and turn it over I am thinking of planting "peppers" and maybe a few other things for this year...These plants get the eastern sun in the morning and the southern sun in the early afternoon as well as the strong western sun in late afternoon so I figure they might have enough of sun..might have to adjust the blinds for that strong afternoon sun but I am checking it out...thanks...appreciate... One thing about growing your own plants for you know that it is truly organic with no poisons and this lettuce I will wash and wash and then eat...a few leaves...I love basil too but they did not have any just yet..Thanks limestone and I moved my tomato out further from the window at night--the plants seem happy so far until I go in with small scissors for the lettuce one so we will see and I will let you know how I think the leaves "taste"--they call it gourmet lettuce? clancey

 

[DuaeGuttae]

You can move your mint to the other planter, but I wouldn’t worry about it (unless you’ve already done it, in which case no harm done). It will coexist with the lettuce right now, and the lettuce isn’t going to last all summer.

Watch for nightly lows to be around 50 degrees before you put your tomato out.

Basil is another plant that doesn’t like low temperatures. It will show up in stores pretty soon, I would think, but you could also get a pack of seeds and sow them in your tomato planter now and transplant when you put the tomato out (or just leave the plants in the planter).

If your heating pads are the kind used for people for aches and pains, they might get too hot for the plants. They also aren’t usually made to be left on unattended as plant mats are. I’m thinking of something like this that is also waterproof.

(broken link removed)

I looked up ”Big Boy” tomato this morning just to learn more about it. It sounds like a good one. I thought you might enjoy this article that gives a little history. (Don’t be alarmed by the term “hybrid.” Some people confuse that with genetic modification, but it’s not at all the same thing. Hybrid plants are safe and productive; you just can’t save seeds.)

Origin of Big Boy Tomato Hybrid | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener

This was written by Gerald Klingaman, retired Extension Horticulturist - University of Arkansas Origin of Big Boy Tomato Agriculture has gone through a number of technological revolutions, but few have been as dramatic as was the introduction of hybrid seeds. While hybrid corn is the classic...

www.walterreeves.com

 

[clancey]

Great I will read all that this afternoon but right now need to pick up birdie seed. I never planted seeds and I will buy a packet of seeds for basil to put in my boxes until they go outside...The little heater "oil filled" work very well on a real low temperature..It was 57 degrees this morning and my "babies" are looking pretty darn good...I used the heater for only about four hours and it kept everything really nice...Yea hybrid scared me thanks for the explaining...thanks clancey

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Great I will read all that this afternoon but right now need to pick up birdie seed. I never planted seeds and I will buy a packet of seeds for basil to put in my boxes until they go outside...The little heater "oil filled" work very well on a real low temperature..It was 57 degrees this morning and my "babies" are looking pretty darn good...I used the heater for only about four hours and it kept everything really nice...Yea hybrid scared me thanks for the explaining...thanks clancey

Running that heater on low for four hours sounds just about perfect then.

All our discussion of cutting lettuce inspired me. I went out and harvested some lettuce for my five year old this afternoon. He’s sick but was up for eating some salad (he loves salad), so it was a great treat to harvest some lettuce, parsley, and a green onion to make something special for him.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Mrs Clancy, have you looked at growing millet for your birds?

 

[Dan Freeman]

We started driving posts into the ground today for our food forest. We did the 85 foot stretch closest to the house. The corners require 5 posts since the fence will “pull in” in at the corners. We bought special hardware for the corners to attach the diagonal posts. The diagonal braces keep the corner posts from being pulled in. Along the 85 foot stretch we alternated 2 – 6’ posts (driven 1.5’ into the ground) and 1 – 8’ post (driven 1.5’ into the ground). The fence will be 4.5 feet high and have electric fence attached to it, but we will run wires between the 8-foot posts (6.5’ high) to keep deer out. Hope that makes sense. BTW…the compressor-driven tool we bought to drive the posts in was worth every penny we paid for it. Only 285 more feet of stakes to put in, and then we can run the fencing.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Looks great! I need to redo some fencing this year. Nothing like yours, lol. I just need to keep some bunnies and a curious golden retriever out.

I use a Vivosun grow mat the same size as mentioned above. Mine has a thermostat/probe attachment. It cost less than $40 off Amazon and has worked great so far.

 

[clancey]

Everything looks just wonderful and that trellis is just beautiful as well and it would be good for me to have something like that extending from my back door to the back door of the pigeon loft and its about 30 feet long in distance and 48 inches wide..but not this year..I need more experience with growing plants..But it sure is beautiful and yes Limestone I thought about this for the future because I just bet millet would grow good here as well as sunflower plants but would have to hire out this job so I will push it off for now for the future thinking..But that;s a wonderful suggestion..I just got nine bags of pigeon seed in (50 lbs each) (Bought extra because of the political climate) and almost had a heart attack with the price---377.90 and I did buy extra just to be safe..I am making a batch of food up for my plants and it is drying out right now on cooking sheets outside--my secret recipe..Down the road if you people want to try out some of this for "inside" plants--I stress that because of it might attract predators like skunks and coyotes., and other things as well..lol-. I will use it on my garden outside when it is time and we will see how my secret recipe does and if it does well I will send you each a little bag of it to try out when you message me your e-mail and I will send you mine as well..Just a thought...I fixed my lettuce hoping I did not kill it and went by the video on how he did it and my plant looks "sick" now but look at all I got and I am going to have a salad too with onion and parsley too and tomato's too and some cucumbers as well and I also throw some olives in too...cleaning out my ice box today...My gosh freeman you have so much work to do but it sure will be beautiful in the end--patience does it so take a easy too and don't overstretch yourself even at your young age--have a cold beer and a roast beef sandwiche with cheese--stretch out the time young man..My new pictures are coming..I am also wondering about those rototillers and if they have smaller ones for weak people. Heck if all this goes well I"ll be rotilling my whole yard --lol clancey

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Looks great!


Don’t worry about rototillers. I haven’t turned soil in years. You certainly can turn over the soil to help get rid of weeds, but I prefer no till methods. You can mess up a lot of good things in the soil by turning it over.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Looks great!


Don’t worry about rototillers. I haven’t turned soil in years. You certainly can turn over the soil to help get rid of weeds, but I prefer no till methods. You can mess up a lot of good things in the soil by turning it over.

I agree. I’ve never used a tiller and never plan to. My mother always tilled our garden growing up. She still has the garden, but the tiller broke a couple of years ago, and she has done without it ever since and is enjoying it. Good cardboard and mulch layers can do a lot for getting rid of grass and weeds. I think maybe you can see some of that going on in @Dan Freeman’s second picture above.

Good job, Mr. Freeman, on all those fence posts, by the way!

 

[Dan Freeman]

How was the salad Mrs Clancey? Rototillers? I used to have a big one that was a pain to handle. It used to drag me around. Then, I bought a Mantis Tiller. Much smaller and easier to handle. It won't break raw ground as quickly as my old one, but it doesn't drag me around the yard, either!

I agree! I haven't tilled my gardens in years. I only use the tiller now to start a new area to break up the soil initially since we have a lot of clay and rocks. When I was a kid, my father would spread all the fall leaves over his garden and then spade them under each Fall. He always had a good summer garden.

I have the same Vivosun mats and thermostat. They make a big difference in how fast seeds germinate. My seeds used to take forever to germinate before I got these.

I should have posted this picture earlier when I posted the ones showing the first row of fence posts we got in today. This "box" will be the area of the food forest. The posts we set today are on the line in the foreground of this picture.

 

[clancey]

Well the lettuce was wonderful but the texture was very different like a "softness and juicy" as well. I have to get used to this different texture for I am used to romaine lettuce and this was very different but excellent in taste and it had sort of a delightful small bitter taste that I could pick up with my taste investigation. On its little dog tag it says--Bonnie Plants since 1918 and it is a gourmet salad mix leaf lettuce combo..I read the back and it says: Part shade three to six hours and harvest time is 21 days after planting and no need to transplant out of the containers. For my first taste test I think that I like Romaine lettuce better because it is more crispy. But it is excellent.. Where I am to put my garden is right beside my old wood shed and not do anything to the soil but rough it up a little to put the plants in when I get them and try a few seeds as well keeping the "so called grass" around it --like holes in the grass. That's all I did for my last years tomato plant and had my carpenter dig the hole for me because of my back problems I need to be careful here-getting old has a lot to be desired-lol. But now I have my stool and a old ax that I fling into the soil to loosen so that I can mix my special feed in it in order to try it out on the plant I plant--I hope this makes sense here for its easy to fling the ax rather than dig a hole at this time. lol...I will investigate those vivosun mats and thermostat in the meanwhile. My carpenter travels all over the country in his motor home with a porch type pull out because he attends all the different sporting games and conventions and sells stuff like hats and beads and the different sales they have at those type of places. He most likely will go to the Cheyenne days next because he just attended the nascar or whatever races. Not a refined carpenter but he gets the job done and has built houses "when he was younger by himself"--very talented especially with a saw. I am going to request him to turn my wood shed into a "green house" of sorts and I cannot wait to see his facial expression as I ask what is possible? I know him almost 30 years and we argue like brothers and sisters and he hates to hang curtains-lol--that's how I get even for I know what he does not like...lol But he is a expert in his field...The whole sports world has changed over the last few years and he is up to date on this as well. I wish that I had a video of him working for I have seen him knock out a two by four and move the ladder at the same time as he knock out another one..a very strong man indeed...People have different talents and people are special especially in Gods eyes.. Gosh i am writing a book here. Thanks for the update and that food forest is pretty large in size and all I see right now for you is a whole bunch of work.., but it is fun designing work too...Thanks everyone..clancey

 

[Dan Freeman]

I hope he will be able to convert your woodshed into a working greenhouse. That would be great!

 

[Dan Freeman]

It is not going to be pleasant the next few days.
-48 today and rain
-40 tomorrow and chance of snow showers
-Monday mostly sunny but only 30 degrees
I am worried about Sunday into Monday. The temps are supposed to drop below freezing down to 18 degrees! I am worried about the tender young buds on my fruit trees and bushes, and on my ornamental tulip tree, rosebud trees, and purple empress tree I have on the property. We are expecting a delivery of 12 trees/bushes today. I will put them down in the cellar until the weather returns to "normal". At least all my vegetable and flower seedlings are in the heated greenhouse, so they will be safe.

 

[clancey]

Yea I have been watching the weather too and a real cold air is coming because of a dip in the jet stream.. Would wrapping those trees in a tarp or plastic help and how many are there anyway? can you fill the area with a lot of mulch or something--would that help? Can you put a plastic trash can or something over them are they too tall? Praying for the baby trees..even if they are 50 feet high--lol No laughing matter here just trying to put humor in this bad weather report..We are going to get it here but your going to get a lot of moisture as well...Hoping it dips a different way---Maybe CA and Texas needs the moisture more because of forest fires or even CO maybe it will be okay--but I do not think so...I am watching the weather too at this point and I just moved my planters out to get some sun and I will pull them back in but I unloaded my birdie food--took a long time by wheel barreling and sliding on the table to get the seed in the cans but that job is finished...clancey

 

[Dan Freeman]

At a low of 17 (that's what they are saying now), there's not much I can do. I have over 20 trees/bushes planted, some as high as 5 feet tall. I'll just wait it out. At least they are not blooming yet, just buds. Some buds will die, but it is early in the season; they may be able to push out new ones for the ones that die.