Seeds are in!

[Jeekinz]

I wasn't going to be left with a bunch of green tomatos this year.

I also made some changes in what I planted because of the space I alloted.

Last year: Carrots, Bib & Romaine lettuce (all failed), string beans, Tomatoes & Romas (planted too late), Cucumbers (killed off the lettuce), Green peppers (tomatoes blocked the sunlight).

This year: Peas, Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, Big Beef Tomatoes. Green peppers coming soon.

What do the rest of you plant? Any tips?

 

[Half Baked]

We bought the tomatos, jalapenos, cukes, red, green and orange peppers, the romaine and head lettuce plants.

These are from seeds - radishes, carrots, beets, eggplant, chard, leeks, green beans, chinese pea pods and peas, black simpson lettuce, lima beans and probably a couple more that I can't think of off the top of my head. Everything is coming up beautifully!

Each of my rows are 3' (sometimes I made 2 rows of the seeds/plants) so this is not a huge garden...18'x12', with an 18" path right up the middle. It's only my 2nd year of planting anything besides tomatos so I don't have any tips except cross your fingers.

 

[Jeekinz]

Anyone else over seed, then thin the crop out?

 

[Half Baked]

I bought the book Square Foot Gardening and I suggest you check it out of the library. If you over seed, you're just wasting plants. The author suggests you put a seeds at the distance that the packet says because 99% of the time they'll grow. I used seeds that I bought last year at the end of they year when they were on sale. Everything is growing.

The only plants that I have to thin are the black simpson lettuce because the seeds were so small that that I accidently dropped way too many into the rows.

 

[bethzaring]

Anyone else over seed, then thin the crop out?

DH does a lot of the planting and he ALWAYS overseeds. So far all he has planted is spinach and it germinated a few days ago. I am waiting for the next rain to thin the plants. He always overplants, must be some insecurity. I can deal with the spinach because it is easy to thin. But I allow him the priviledge of thinning the carrots. My hands do not work so well and I can not grasp the tiny carrot seedlings.


Tips?

How high is your fence?

Can you do a rain dance?

Check your plants daily. Look for bugs or anything else going wrong.

Keep the veggies weeded.

Plant something every week/every other week/monthly, especially greens

Don't handle the plants when they are wet.

Harvest plants at all stages of growth. I find it especially fun to harvest really young veggies. gotta get your kicks somewhere

Ask lotsa questions here.

I have marked on my calendar that yesterday put us 8 weeks from our last frost free date. I will be buying potatoes tomorrow and probably planting them this weekend. Still too early for me to start tomato, pepper and flowers. Gee, I think I can start my broccoli and cabbage plants

 

[Candocook]

You can get your tomatoes started but until the nights are 60* nothing will happen much.

 

[bethzaring]

You can get your tomatoes started but until the nights are 60* nothing will happen much.

Not around my place . Plenty can happen, the cats can lay on the trays, the plants can die of damping off disease, mice can eat the seedlings, and for sure, I would have to haul the trays outside in the mornings and back inside in the evenings. Not a big deal you say?, but I can have up to 20 flats of seedlings. I wait until the last minute to start the tomato and pepper plants, cuts down on the excitement.

 

[shpj4]

I would love to have a yard where I could plant vegetables but unfortunately I live in a condo and there is no yard.

Good luck with your planting.

 

[Jeekinz]

I would love to have a yard where I could plant vegetables but unfortunately I live in a condo and there is no yard.

Good luck with your planting.

You can always find certain herbs or other plants that can grow indoors.

vvvvvvv - will have some good ideas.

 

[RMS]

I've got my seedlings growing in the window so I'll be ready when they are!
Happy planting to all!

 

[RMS]

Shp,
Try container gardening.

 

[QSis]

What do the rest of you plant? Any tips?

Jeekinz, I live in a townhouse with a small backyard that has maybe 1/2 of topsoil, enough to hold down grass, and that's it. I've been a container gardener for 18 years.

Now I plant pretty much what you do, but I add a six-pack of Ichiban eggplants, herbs, ONE jalapeno plant, and annual flowers for my fence window boxes and hanging pots.



I do start heirloom tomato seeds, plant bean seeds, sunflower seeds and radish seeds (I plant the radishes around the perimeters of my tomato pots, so that I can harvest the rads without disturbing the tomato plants in the middle), but I buy the grape tomatoes and all the other plants. MUCH easier!



My garden is such a lovely and relaxing little place to come home to, especially on those balmy summer evenings!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/QSis/QBrointheBack40.jpg

Lee

 

[bethzaring]

Lovely pictures, thanks for posting them!

 

[auntdot]

Oh my gosh, Square Foot Gardening is still around? We got that as a wedding present almost 30 years ago.

Sorry, just an aside.

We have very limited space and forewent tossing in seeds (except herbs) several years ago, largely due to the space problem.

Now we go to the store and buy the baby plants.

Our choices must be very limited. Always concentrate on tomatoes, which only do well for about six-to-eight weeks before they turn yellow and croak. Think the folks who lived here before us liberally flicked their ciggies into the plant beds and we have a heep of tobacco mosaic virus.

And then we have a small herb garden. The remainder of the farm is taken up by what we sorta fancy.

No room for stuff like spinach or okra (great plants but the yield per plant is just so limited for the space we have), or leeks (rats) or Brussel sprouts.

Or pumpkins. Used to love to grow them in other places.

Was unable to clean out the plant beds in the fall due to a fast weather change.

But will get out there just after I finish the ------nasty words omitted here--- income taxes.

But some of the trees are starting to flower here. A few days ago there was ice and snow, and now we have a few flowers poking up to greet the flowers on the trees.

Am always in awe of how that works.

Hope your gardens are the best ones ever.

God bless.

 

[RMS]

Qsis,
Your garden is lovely. Thank you for sharing it!

Container gardening is great even when you have a lot of property. It enables you to move your plants when the sun does, if necessary and it lets you choose the soil. It's really great for carrots and other root veggies. Its also easier on the back!

 

[Jeekinz]

Nice garden QSis. These are the containers I bought from Lowes. I primarily use them for herbs and chili peppers. As someone else said, you can move these wherever you want too. Just below the deck is where I plant the veggies. This year I'm going to set up a drip irrigation system that can work on a timer.

I have the same flag on my front porch....LOL!

 

[bethzaring]

Here is a picture of the spinach I overwintered. This was a miracle. I usually do not even get a fall crop of spinach, let alone take any through the winter. I have harvested at least the 4 largest leaves from each plant by now, or else it would look like a quite bushy patch.

 

[kleenex]

Reimer Seeds

You want seeds, this place sells seeds!!!

 

[Half Baked]

Oh, I can't wait for my spinach to grow. There is almost nothing better than sauteed baby spinach leaves...a little garlic, evoo

Nice site, BethZ!

 

[RMS]

I agree Halfbaked. I like to add a few mushrooms to mine.