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My tea plants finally sprouted up! After about a month of germination I've got little sprouts for 7-8 out of 20 seeds. Now to wait 3 years before harvesting. I found this guide for small-scale growing, including pests, pruning, harvesting and processing: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/NPH-9.pdf
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Feb 7, 2012 17:58
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Here's my rough plan for the garden. Any comments or tips would be much appreciated! North is at the top of the image.
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Feb 7, 2012 20:11
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Plus_Infinity posted:And are the purple things in the tomato box kohlrabi or beet?
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Feb 7, 2012 21:41
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Socratic Moron posted:As hot peppers should not be next to any beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts or fennel. Why is that?
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Feb 7, 2012 21:51
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Socratic Moron posted:Are the boxes connected left to right? If so, are those hot peppers? As hot peppers should not be next to any beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts or fennel. Yes, they're jalapenos. I'm building boxes and was going to put a divider in there to help keep soil even, so they'll be sort-of-connected-but-not-really-- but I can move that one broccoli over to be safe. I might end up growing the jalapenos in pots anyway so I can move them to the greenhouse if they need more sun. The red things are beets.
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Feb 7, 2012 21:52
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Costello Jello posted:Why is that? I've never seen anything that claimed why particular plants were good or bad companions. Most everyone seems to copy a table of companions and antagonists from a magazine by Rodale written in 1972. I did find this article on the general reasons for companion planting: https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=72 This other site has a lot of other interesting articles that are a scientific debunking of common myths. I haven't read all of them yet to see how much I agree with them though. http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/index.html My guess is that most agriculture research is funded by commercial interests and they grow huge fields of single crops, so knowing which plants work well together in a home garden isn't even on their radar. So we end up relying on basic concepts like heavy-feeder/light-feeder, nitrogen loving/fixing, plant heights, insect behavior, personal experience and "folk wisdom" like that Rodale table. Cpt.Wacky fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Feb 7, 2012 |
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Feb 7, 2012 23:46
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Costello Jello posted:Why is that?  I know the reason behind some like the three sisters or say keeping potatoes and tomatoes far apart due to contaminating each other with blights. But I'm not sure of the science behind the ones I listed, I just got it from a list I have.
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Feb 8, 2012 01:02
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Cpt.Wacky posted:I've never seen anything that claimed why particular plants were good or bad companions. Most everyone seems to copy a table of companions and antagonists from a magazine by Rodale written in 1972. Taking notes on these articles right now, since I'm always open to clearing up any bad advice I might have gotten in the past. Thanks for posting these. But I will argue to the death that tomatoes grown with basil are absolutely heavenly. 
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Feb 8, 2012 01:02
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TheFuglyStik posted:But I will argue to the death that tomatoes grown with basil are absolutely heavenly.
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Feb 8, 2012 01:09
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Socratic Moron posted:Do tell more. Do tomatoes pick up the flavor of basil or something? Not enough to be as strong as fresh chopped basil dumped on top of the slices, but I've had no trouble telling the difference. My grandmother's tomatoes had more noticeable results with cherry instead of beefsteak. I've heard the basil is better too, but I've never been able to test that theory out.
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Feb 8, 2012 01:18
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This isn't strictly about veggies/herbs but we don't seem to have a general gardening thread, so: does anyone know where I can get some venus flytrap seeds for cheap?
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Feb 8, 2012 02:08
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Cpt.Wacky posted:This other site has a lot of other interesting articles that are a scientific debunking of common myths. I haven't read all of them yet to see how much I agree with them though. http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/index.html This website owns. I couldn't find any reliable source as to if pressure treated lumber near garden was a bad idea a few years ago when I was buildng my raised beds. I know it sounds obvious but it had a hell of a time trying to find good advice. Glad I resided to treat regular lumber with linseed oil.
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Feb 8, 2012 02:28
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ChuckHead posted:This website owns. I couldn't find any reliable source as to if pressure treated lumber near garden was a bad idea a few years ago when I was buildng my raised beds. I know it sounds obvious but it had a hell of a time trying to find good advice. Glad I resided to treat regular lumber with linseed oil. I read a handful of her articles and while I didn't disagree with the one on treated lumber, I also don't think it contains the whole story. There is no date so it's possible that it was written before 2004 when a voluntary restriction started on selling CCA treated lumber to residential buyers. Her article doesn't talk at all about the two alternatives that were developed (ACQ and MCQ) which are supposedly safer because they don't contain arsenic. I've heard from a local master gardener that they were safe as long as you didn't plant root vegetables with a few inches of the lumber. Overall, I think you're better off not taking the chance on treated wood. When the untreated stuff rots in 5 or 10 years you can break it up or chip it and toss it in the compost and rebuild with new wood. Treated lumber is still going to break down eventually and when it does you're not going to want it in your compost. On the other hand the one about container drainage where water has a harder time moving from fine-grained material to coarse material, like pebbles in the bottom of a container, was surprising to me. I wish more of them had citations for the papers she refers to since there really does seem to be a lack of scientific rigor to most home gardening books.
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Feb 8, 2012 04:47
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So tonight I'm seriously toying around with the idea of using a buddy's land to grow enough to sell at the local farmers' market. The one here is lots of awesome cheese and bread, but the vegetables are the same stuff you can buy from the store, so I'm wanting to go with some less common heirlooms, just to set myself apart. More of a trial run this year than anything. Oh and I threw together a 24"x66" vertical banner for said hypothetical stand just for shits and giggles.  e: square thumb so as not to break size rules TheFuglyStik fucked around with this message at 05:24 on Feb 8, 2012 |
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Feb 8, 2012 05:21
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Hummingbirds posted:This isn't strictly about veggies/herbs but we don't seem to have a general gardening thread, so: does anyone know where I can get some venus flytrap seeds for cheap?
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Feb 8, 2012 15:10
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Those of you talking raised beds and pressure treated wood, I know I sure wouldn't touch pressure treated. And why would you when cinder blocks are about the same price, last pretty much forever, and you don't have those contaminant concerns. In addition, I find that if I don't fill in the holes, before long lots of spiders and lizards move in and are my first line of defense against bad bugs.
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Feb 8, 2012 15:27
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I've been debating between buying cedar or cinderblocks, but have been leaning towards cedar do to believing I'll only be in the house I'm in now for a few years so easier to chop apart for the next tenants. Btw any good tips for building a raised bed? I was going to start digging and assemblig about a month before our last frost in mid-April. cheese eats mouse fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Feb 8, 2012 |
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Feb 8, 2012 15:55
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Cpt.Wacky posted:I read a handful of her articles and while I didn't disagree with the one on treated lumber, I also don't think it contains the whole story. Yeah it HAS to be very out-dated because it doesn't even mention ACQ lumber, which as someone else mentioned is what everyone has been selling for 8 years now. I would definitely trust brand new pressure-treated lumber, personally.
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Feb 8, 2012 17:26
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cheese eats mouse posted:Btw any good tips for building a raised bed? I was going to start digging and assemblig about a month before our last frost in mid-April. If you've got some clean cardboard laying around, you can strip off the non-biodegradable tape and labels etc, and use it along the bottom of the bed before you fill it with dirt - a biodegradable ground barrier.
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Feb 8, 2012 22:55
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Quick update on the Mel's mix experiment one week on before I start thinning everything out tonight. Fastest I've had any kind of green germinate and shoot up several inches at the tallest, so it's kicking regular topsoil's and potting soil's asses so far. My only complaint so far is the price of the ingredients. Speaking of prices, I'm holding off on the market garden for this year. After calculating all of the costs involved, there's no way in hell I'd be able to keep a market booth stocked with what I could afford to get started in a couple of months. Setting money aside to give it a better planned go next year seems a hell of a lot more prudent. If anything, I'll get some berries planted in beds so they can start getting ready for full production next year. TheFuglyStik fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Feb 9, 2012 |
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Feb 9, 2012 02:35
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TheFuglyStik posted:Quick update on the Mel's mix experiment
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Feb 9, 2012 03:01
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Socratic Moron posted:I missed this. What's Mel's mix? http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/mels-mix/ Interesting stuff and I'm liking it so far, but it's expensive to get started with it. After the first grow with it, just add more compost to replace what was depleted.
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Feb 9, 2012 03:35
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Z. Beeblebrox posted:Thanks for the info! I actually bought a book today that talks a lot about this. Glad to know I can do what the tumblers do for much cheaper... Also, a mega post would be fantastic and probably very beneficial given the number of gardening goons here. Just an FYI - you can try out a tumbler for very minimal $$ if you're into a little DIY (and this is the forum for that, is it not?) Here's an example, related vids will link you to make more styles, but im partial to the ease/cost of using the caster wheel style. keeps the setup mobile also instead of building something big, heavy, and stationary. http://youtu.be/LMEMvQnGWg4 I actually just got 3 barrels today (5$ each, tracked down on craigslist, 55 gal, plastic, foodsafe. they were kikoman soy sauce - yum!). 1 will become a tumbler, and the other 2 are turning into rainwater collection so that I can use some water from the sky instead of the pipes. similar to this http://youtu.be/r6miTYYoCMs
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Feb 9, 2012 06:51
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civilian.d posted:Just an FYI - you can try out a tumbler for very minimal $$ if you're into a little DIY (and this is the forum for that, is it not?) Here's an example, related vids will link you to make more styles, but im partial to the ease/cost of using the caster wheel style. keeps the setup mobile also instead of building something big, heavy, and stationary. http://youtu.be/LMEMvQnGWg4 Holy cow, I don't know why I never considered this... Thank you so much for the info!
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Feb 10, 2012 05:28
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Woo! Already growing: peas (supposedly heat-resistant), grape tomatoes, and sunflowers. Just planted: mild jalapenos, banana peppers, pepperoncini, "sweet wonder" bell, and mini bell pepper. Plus a bunch of herbs, including but not limited to: fenugreek, opal basil, thai basil, oregano, and thyme. Hopefully gonna be a good season (if you can even refer to Florida weather as "seasons").
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Feb 10, 2012 17:29
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I have about a dozen strawberry plants in the ground (started out with three plants 18 months ago, but you know how it goes) and I am disappointed with their second year yields. Does anyone have recommendations for how to best transfer them to containers? I wouldn't mind setting up some hanging containers or something similar and just using that ground space for spring onions.
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Feb 10, 2012 19:02
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I've been saving my cat litter containers. The ones like this http://www.tidycats.com/Products/Scoop/InstantAction.aspx in the plastic jug, not the container. I'm thinking about cutting the tops off, drilling holes through the bottom, and planting stuff in them. Would strawberries be a good idea?
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Feb 10, 2012 19:11
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Z. Beeblebrox posted:Holy cow, I don't know why I never considered this... Thank you so much for the info! No problem! Glad my first post in this subforum was helpful. I am going to be doing those two projects this weekend, we've got some rain and warm temps on the way the next cpl days, so since it's too early for the garden, I think maybe my dog will get a rainwater bath  Also - my lady and I moved into a new house last fall, it was a little late for planting, but we got some layout done. Since it got cold I've really ignored everything, so now I'm beginning to get in prep mode. I have a good bit of space this year, trying not to be overwhelmed. 6 5x10 beds, and 1 8x8 bed in a semi-shade spot (herbs) first image is looking (mostly) west  second is looking north  (sorry for crappy pics) I envision lots of upcoming work! 364 sq ft should keep me busy for the upcoming months. civilian.d fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Feb 10, 2012 |
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Feb 10, 2012 19:12
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Alterian posted:I've been saving my cat litter containers. The ones like this http://www.tidycats.com/Products/Scoop/InstantAction.aspx in the plastic jug, not the container. I'm thinking about cutting the tops off, drilling holes through the bottom, and planting stuff in them. Would strawberries be a good idea? It's hard to tell how big they are. I grew strawberries in 3-4 of the bucket type cat litter containers. They did alright the first year. When I took them out the next year to plant in the ground they were really root bound in the containers. So, they'll work but they like to have a little more room. Maybe you can find a variety that does better in a container. I have no idea what variety I had but they weren't everbearing.
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Feb 10, 2012 20:11
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Bought one of those topsy-turvey tomato planters this week since they were marked down to $2.50 at Big Lots. I may go back this weekend and buy out the store here and in the next town over since I don't trust plastic bags to hold up to the weight as well. I plan on dumping the provided seeds and trying things like hillbilly tomatoes, bush beans, and whatever peppers I finally decide on in them. I've determined that one or two 4x4 SFG plots, gutters for herbs on the deck railing, and whatever containers I can muster are going to be all I can do at home this year due to renting. The borrowed farm is just going to get some prep work and needed plantings for next year. I plan on keeping records of the weight and grocery store value of what I grow, along with the expenses and time involved, just to shut up a few folks who tell me it's a waste of time and money. If anyone's interested, I can post that data here as well once it starts coming in. If anything, it'll all be an excuse to get my grandmother to finally show me how to can things. Alterian posted:I've been saving my cat litter containers. The ones like this http://www.tidycats.com/Products/Scoop/InstantAction.aspx in the plastic jug, not the container. I'm thinking about cutting the tops off, drilling holes through the bottom, and planting stuff in them. Would strawberries be a good idea? I've been saving 2-liter bottles for seed starting with the exact same idea in mind. Just trim off the top half, and there you are. Now that I've found seed starting pots at literally $0.06 a piece locally, it's more out of a recycling ideal than anything else that I'm still doing it.
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Feb 11, 2012 01:23
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Talking about plastic buckets, I hate weeding and I figured the reason I always get weeds between plants is because I was broadcast watering. So I got plastic 5 gallon buckets and drilled a 5/16 hole in each one so I could water exactly at each plant. It will keep the weeds down between the plants (after the ground dries out) and put water more or less where you want it. It would be better to get a drip irrigation system. I wound up splitting the difference and putting a bulk head fitting, and a hose barb that would screw into the bulk head fitting, in each bucket near the bottom and ran out about a yard of 5/16 tubing. With that set up I can water each plant right at the base of the stalk instead of out where I can set a bucket. Early on in the season I will also stir in fertilizer for the tomatoes into the water and "fertigate". I suppose you could use compost tea but sometimes the coarser material gets stuck in the hose and the best way to clear it is to blow it out and it will get a little icky.
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Feb 11, 2012 06:11
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TheFuglyStik posted:just to shut up a few folks who tell me it's a waste of time and money. What about the enjoyment factor? Those folks sound like assholes. I grew beets, cabbage and brussel sprouts during the winter here. I'm probably going to get $10 worth of produce. Could I have gotten about the same if I had gone to the store? Sure... but I grew this poo poo.
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Feb 11, 2012 13:31
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Desiree Cousteau posted:plastic buckets... drip irrigation system. Any way you could hook up your drip system to a garden hose and skip the buckets? I figure you'd be filling the buckets with a hose anyhow.
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Feb 11, 2012 14:57
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It's burgin' time! 
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well, I was hauling bucketsfulls of water down but that was a special situation since I was using someone else's garden and water hydrant. And I was trying out some things from Steve Solomon's Gardening Without Irrigation: or without much, anyway (at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4512). But yes. All the parts I was using besides the bulk-head fitting was from my previous garden's drip irrigation system. Solomon's whole point is to use less water and greater spacing for the plants to get better flavor and hardier growth. This is not square foot gardening, it is hardly square yard gardening. I have to say it worked like a treat on the eggplant and kohl rabi. It doesn't work with corn very well and the melons and potatoes could have used more water, but the melons actually matured which is problematic in the Willamette valley.
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Feb 12, 2012 03:51
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For those of you with dogs have you had any trouble with rabbits or squirrels? We have two dogs that are outside doing their business pretty regularly plus a dog next door.
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Feb 12, 2012 18:22
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cheese eats mouse posted:For those of you with dogs have you had any trouble with rabbits or squirrels? We have two dogs that are outside doing their business pretty regularly plus a dog next door. My mom had a dog back when I still lived at home that was outside all day. All it amounted to was it was chase rabbits and squirrels until they got to somewhere out of its reach, then it would get bored and wander away. I would still put up some kind of fencing around the garden, and teach the dog to stay out of it. Even if it does chase the rabbits and squirrels away, it might chase them into your garden, and that's bad news no matter what happens.
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Feb 12, 2012 19:16
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I just started my first batch of seeds in some cardboard egg cartons I've been saving. I've never grown from seed before, I'm so excited!! I'm also realizing I'm going to have to thin out some onions and garlic I planted in the fall. Any tips for thinning plants that are fairly established? I'm terrified of shredding all the intertwined roots. They're all in containers if that makes things easier.
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Feb 12, 2012 21:42
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The local nursery's vastly expanded seed selection is the worst thing ever to happen to me. Friday morning I walked out with a seed plug kit after running out yogurt containers and potting mix. Friday afternoon I re-started a bunch of seeds a cold snap had killed. (My melons!  )This morning I walked out with close to a dozen new varieties of seeds. This afternoon I started at least a couple of everything I bought. I get the distinct feeling I'm going to be giving seedlings away to anyone that'll take them. Either that or buying a lot of new containers. drat Your Eyes! posted:Any tips for thinning plants that are fairly established? I'm terrified of shredding all the intertwined roots. Unless you really really want to transplant the extras, selectively cut them off at ground level. They'll die, the roots will be undisturbed, and your untouched plants will keep on trucking. Molten Llama fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Feb 12, 2012 |
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Feb 12, 2012 22:58
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With my little lettuce patch on the desk, I'm finding a spray bottle for watering is quickly becoming my best friend. I fully intend on getting a pump sprayer this year for the same purpose outdoors. Going to test out compost tea and milk baths this year with it as well. The trick will be filtering the particles so the nozzle doesn't clog up.Molten Llama posted:I get the distinct feeling I'm going to be giving seedlings away to anyone that'll take them. Either that or buying a lot of new containers. I'm starting from new seed stock this year due to losing my old collection while moving, and I'm a big seed saver. This mean's I'll be in the same boat, but just to hand out seedlings to get other people gardening. I can only plant a few of the seedlings in my own space, so the rest are going out to whoever the hell wants em'.
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Feb 13, 2012 01:51
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Molten Llama posted:I get the distinct feeling I'm going to be giving seedlings away to anyone that'll take them. Either that or buying a lot of new containers. Just eat the sprouts. Mmmm.
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Feb 13, 2012 17:30
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