2014 Gardening Thread

• justincredible

  

  Just wanted to start up an official thread for all gardening discussion for this year. I'm sure it will be a lot of just Belly and I, but hopefully some others will check in.
  
  I am putting together a seed order on rareseeds.com right now. Still trying to figure out what I will have room to add once I build my addition raised beds and add some vertical planters to the deck and porch. I grew no herbs last year so I am for sure ordering some basil, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, chives, parsley, and stevia. Anything I am missing that's easy to grow?
  
  I will be cutting back on my tomato plants this year. I had four plants last year, two beefsteak, one cherry, and one orange variety. This year I will be doing one beefsteak, one cherry, and one roma.
  
  I will be doing more carrots and radishes this year, last year I only planted a few and it was hardly worth it.
  
  I am cutting back on kale and adding more lettuce varieties and spinach.
  
  I also want to try my hand at fingerling potatoes.
  
  My spaghetti squash, zucchini, and cucumbers all sucked last year but I think I over planted and they were fighting for nutrients. I will be separating them this year and each will get it's own bed. Hopefully that will take care of the issue.
• Enforcer

  

  We are putting in cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and green beans for Us, We also have a bunch of blackberry , and Raspberry vines, along with grape vines, and a few apple trees. I'm also planting field corn and 6 apple trees for the Deer this year
• thavoice

  Not sure what I will do this year. Just have a small one with tomatoes and corn last year. Half of the crop didnt survive the wind storm we had. Was wondering if it was worth the effort but man they just taste better outta your own garden.
  
  Probably add some peppers in this year and more corn, less tomatoes.
• justincredible

  

  Our beans did really well last year so I will definitely continue those. Our habaneros did great but we have enough saved that I won't need to grow them this year. Our bell peppers didn't do well. I am going to try them in containers this year. I'd also like to get my hands on some blueberry bushes. I absolutely cannot wait until I move out of the city and have the space to plant as much of whatever I want. You really have to get creative when your yard is so damn small.
• thavoice

  justincredible;1570326 wrote:Our beans did really well last year so I will definitely continue those. Our habaneros did great but we have enough saved that I won't need to grow them this year. Our bell peppers didn't do well. I am going to try them in containers this year. I'd also like to get my hands on some blueberry bushes. I absolutely cannot wait until I move out of the city and have the space to plant as much of whatever I want. You really have to get creative when your yard is so damn small.

  Then you will need to get proficient in canning your vegetables!
  
  I may try some cabbage and see if I can master making saurkraut.
• WebFire

  Did gardening change from 2013? :RpS_flapper:
• WebFire

  justincredible;1570298 wrote: I will be cutting back on my tomato plants this year. I had four plants last year, two beefsteak, one cherry, and one orange variety. This year I will be doing one beefsteak, one cherry, and one roma.

  Simply because you had too many? Finally moved back out to the country, so I will be doing a garden as well as starting up chickens.
• justincredible

  

  WebFire;1570345 wrote:Simply because you had too many? Finally moved back out to the country, so I will be doing a garden as well as starting up chickens.

  Yeah, and they take up A LOT of space.
• Belly35

  

  I'm adding a fence around my garden this year the deer and ground hog have found Belly honey hole.
  I'm also replaced some windows in my home and I'm going to build a Glass house maybe crude but it's a start. With the fenced in area I'm going to add pop corn, sunflowers more vine beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and garlic.
  Cutting back on tomatoes only four types and yellow cherry tomatoes.
  i got it fingered out to stagger the planting so plants like green bean, radishes, cucumbers, lettuces, beets will be producing all season at a growth rate we can harvest and eat without over production.
  
  Last year was a disaster for zucchini, acorn, butternut between the weather, rain fall and bugs what a failure. I'm prepared this year, new soil (more ash, bone meal, compost, manure baking under black plastic all winter I should have some great soil)
  
  made some rain barrels to the down spout for additional water supply also.
• Ironman92

  

  I have a small section probably meant for a flower bed....one year we planted 6 tomato plants. It some the fuck how yielded 215 tomatoes. My family ate about 4 and we gave away the rest. Now it's a tiny strawberry patch.
  
  Our librarian at school raised garlic plants and sold $70 worth of garlic at a local farm market.
  
  There are a lot of Amish people down here. I watched an elementary age Amish kid chop down a tree with an ax when I used to flag traffic for the county during summers in college.
  
  I have nothing to add to this thread so enjoy.
• I Wear Pants

  I always want to do a bunch of plants but usually only end up doing like two or three habanero plants or something.
• mcburg93

  

  Most of all my plants are heirloom and I save seeds from year to year. I will only do a few tomatoes and cucumber since I canned over 100 quarts of different tomato products and probable 30 quarts of pickles. I will put out quite a few of the peppers and think I will venture into a few different onion types this year. I think I over did it on the garlic last fall and will have way too much for me. I guess I will be taking some to the farmers market.
• Devils Advocate

  

  I just pulled the last of my kale up last Sunday.
• 1_beast

  

  i will try to contribute when its not 11 degrees outside. Until then, Im still good on last years canned goods/freezer goods.
• Bio-Hazzzzard

  

  justincredible;1570326 wrote: Our habaneros did great but we have enough saved that I won't need to grow them this year.

  How many habs do you get out of a plant per harvest? We usually get about 200 per harvest for 3 habanero trees twice a year. Down here in FL they are perenials and they call them trees, mine have grown 6 feet tall and very productive. What did you do to preserve them from last year? I'm always looking for a different thing to do with them. I fermented some last year and made hot sauce that was great, I also dried some and made habanero powder along with just pickling them whole.
• BRF

  

  BRF is planning on having a garden this year, so I will be checking into this thread often.
  
  I know for sure that I will be talking to a couple of posters on this thread personally about theirs.
  
  Maybe I will invite an Amish kid over to watch him cut down a tree, too! ha ha......wtf?
• thavoice

  BRF;1570471 wrote:BRF is planning on having a garden this year, so I will be checking into this thread often.
  
  I know for sure that I will be talking to a couple of posters on this thread personally about theirs.
  
  Maybe I will invite an Amish kid over to watch him cut down a tree, too! ha ha......wtf?

  Maybe it was the f ucking amish kid who cut down my tree a few summers ago while I was on vacation. We got home and it was gone and I was like WTF.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  I'll probably try oranges, pineapple, coffee, and bananas again. They all died last year.
• WebFire

  Anyone have luck with blueberries? I read that they can be a PITA.
• Belly35

  

  WebFire;1570763 wrote:Anyone have luck with blueberries? I read that they can be a PITA.

  I've never planted blueberries, we have friends in Pa. That has 5 rows 6 /8 feet apart 30 yards long blueberry bushes and they produce a shit load of berries. We when over there last year (week to early ) but we still picked more than what we needed
  filled four of those cat litter buckets. If I where to plant blueberry bush I say 4 would be my limit. His are in the opening where they get lots of sun.
• WebFire

  Belly35;1570770 wrote:I've never planted blueberries, we have friends in Pa. That has 5 rows 6 /8 feet apart 30 yards long blueberry bushes and they produce a shit load of berries. We when over there last year (week to early ) but we still picked more than what we needed
  filled four of those cat litter buckets. If I where to plant blueberry bush I say 4 would be my limit. His are in the opening where they get lots of sun.

  I think I'll give them a try. Sounds like patience is needed, as it takes like 3 years to even start getting berries. Then you have to cover every square inch or birds and varmints will eat them.
• Belly35

  

  WebFire;1570783 wrote:I think I'll give them a try. Sounds like patience is needed, as it takes like 3 years to even start getting berries. Then you have to cover every square inch or birds and varmints will eat them.

  my friend bushes are older there is not much care, trim a little so they don't get to tall and that is it. You're correct about three years to get berries, but once they start producing look out. Now my friend he knows when the berries are ready for picking, he watches when the time is right he and his family and friends jump on those few days and get as much as possible, after the bush will keep producing so you and the birds can share all year. The only problem he has is deer and with deer comes bears... Yes he has bears a few time...coyotes, fox and wolves
• Belly35

  

  Seedling started: what plants do you start from seeding?
  I start three different tomatoes plants
  green peppers, brussel sprouts, acorn, zucchini, spaghetti squash
• dlazz

  Just tended to my meth plants this morning. Hopefully the frost doesn't kill them.
• WebFire

  I'm just hoping to get my raised beds started on Sunday. Now I see there is a chance for snow Saturday, though it won't last long with the high near 60 on Sunday.