2025 Garden Thread

[EatenByLimestone]

I need to do a retaining wall this summer too.

 

[begreen]

I did the new retaining wall 3 yrs ago. It's holding up well.

So far it's too cool for most plants outside. There are garlic, potatoes, onions, and lettuce out there, but the rest is just starting in the greenhouse on a heat mat. I started the seeds on the first day of spring. It's the usual suspects, tomatoes, peas, more lettuce, cukes, peppers, and some red onions.

As an aside: We are still using last summer's crop of onions. The Patterson and Rosso di Milano onions are great keepers. We are growing them again along with Ringmasters. The Ringmasters are a large, sweet, white onion like Walla Walla but we find they grow better and keep longer.

 

[EbS-P]

Do you have gravel underneath and behind it?
Otherwise water pressure may ruin your wall.
Put the downspout on the other side of the wall too.

It’s all 100% sand. It will probably pour out of the cracks for a few years. Spout will get re routed likely to a rain barrel.

 

[Montanalocal]

Peas can be seeded directly outside during the very first part of the spring. They are among the most hardy plants.

 

[begreen]

Peas can be seeded directly outside during the very first part of the spring. They are among the most hardy plants.

I can't do that here. The sparrows and robins love the tender babies. What they don't demolish, the slugs get. Instead I start them inside until they are 4" tall, then transplant. The row gets covered by a 1/4" hardware cloth tunnel until they are well rooted. By the time they start climbing, the birds leave them alone. I have to do the same for other tender starts like spinach and lettuce. We love the birds so this is a compromise we live with.

 

[EbS-P]

I need to do a retaining wall this summer too.

I’m so glad I live 4 minutes for the orange big box and 6 from the blue. I made four trips for blocks so far. 40 then 50 then 40 this morning and 40 more this PM are in the back of the van. Like most things. Prep takes the longest and if you lay the first course the rest is about a 75 minute project with the kids bringing the blocks to me at the wall. I’ll glue down the top course so climbing kids won’t knock them off.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’d planned on kid help, then she got injured wrestling. We get an MRI on the 1st. It looks like I get to move all the blocks myself. They’ll weigh 70lbs each. It’ll be 3 pallets worth. They just got their stone in. I’ll be doing it at the end of April hopefully.

 

[EbS-P]

I’d planned on kid help, then she got injured wrestling. We get an MRI on the 1st. It looks like I get to move all the blocks myself. They’ll weigh 70lbs each. It’ll be 3 pallets worth. They just got their stone in. I’ll be doing it at the end of April hopefully.

Moving 70#ers would put me in bad shape in short order. I’m glad this project isn’t that large.

 

[EbS-P]

This is my kind of garden. It stayed outside all winter. I did keep water in it most of the time. It only ran dry twice. But I didn’t always add fertilizer. Several might down into the teens, but I didn’t always add roll it oner the porch.

Swiss chard, curly kale, Dino kale, and giant Italian parsley. If it can withstand this neglect and look this good anyone can grow it!! The scarlet kale didn’t make it.

 

[Montanalocal]

It’s great to grow over winter in places that do not get too cold. You could probably also grow most of the other cole crops such as cabbage, brockley, brussels sprouts, turnips and rutabagas. You could also try carrots and lettuce.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’ve had Dino kale last through winter just fine until the snow got high enough that the bunnies could jump the fence, so it probably can handle down to 15 or so without issue. Probably much lower, but those are our most common winter highs and lows. It just doesn’t grow at those temps. So it has to be leafed out there before it gets cold. I’ve never had any volunteers pop up the next year so it doesn’t survive the winter due to age or cold killing it. I’ve never seen it go to seed either so there haven’t been surprises like tomatoes popping up.

 

[30WCF]

Looks like the one Chestnut I planted early is doing fine and starting some leaves. The others I just planted are sprouting tiny little shoots.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Nice! I hope the American Chestnut comes back. It looks like it was a huge food crop at one time. Supposedly it was very fast growing also!

 

[walhondingnashua]

Nice! I hope the American Chestnut comes back. It looks like it was a huge food crop at one time. Supposedly it was very fast growing also!

Rural King had a bunch of the Dunstan chestnuts last fall. The day I went to buy 2, a guy had bought the entire lot. I am planning on getting my hands on them early this year.

 

[walhondingnashua]

Anyone big gourd growers? I want to start growing gourds like birdhouse gourds and I am looking for growing ideas. Thanks in advance.

 

[begreen]

Nah, I'm already out of my gourd. 🤪

 

[Pinesmoke]

Anyone big gourd growers? I want to start growing gourds like birdhouse gourds and I am looking for growing ideas. Thanks in advance.

Back in the day I had about 20 cords of 1/2 rounds from 3' hack berry trunks., big stacks. I planted gourds along the base and let them cover the stacks. Looked good, comparatively speaking.

 

[Max W]

I did the new retaining wall 3 yrs ago. It's holding up well.

So far it's too cool for most plants outside. There are garlic, potatoes, onions, and lettuce out there, but the rest is just starting in the greenhouse on a heat mat. I started the seeds on the first day of spring. It's the usual suspects, tomatoes, peas, more lettuce, cukes, peppers, and some red onions.

As an aside: We are still using last summer's crop of onions. The Patterson and Rosso di Milano onions are great keepers. We are growing them again along with Ringmasters. The Ringmasters are a large, sweet, white onion like Walla Walla but we find they grow better and keep longer.

Our onions have sprouted and are under the grow lights. We have enjoyed how well Pattersons keep but have been growing Talons the last few years. They are a very large long day onion. Last summer’s are still keeping well. We’ve had them keep through May. Trying some Red Mountain as well this year for something a little different and smaller.