|
Zeta Taskforce posted:Also, does anyone have any experience with Jerusalem Artichokes? I just ordered some. Not done them myself, but I do know that the tubers can take over and be invasive. It is one of those things they say to give it's own private bed. I plan to grow some eventually, to use as a potato substitute, since it doesn't raise blood sugar the same way. Room is an issue for me, so I need to wait until I am inclined to clean up one of my weedy old flowerbeds to use. Look forward to seeing your progress with them. Anyone from the GWS thread want to tell me if it is farfetched to envision sunchoke latkes? The prospect might motivate me to make a spot.
|
#
?
May 25, 2009 01:21
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 12:12 |
|
|
Tequila Mockingbird posted:I am so, so jealous of you people with long growing seasons. I started a container garden setup this weekend. I'm growing cucumbers, lettuce mix, kohlrabi (bf's favourite) and tomatoes. I've also been issued a warning, if I come home with any more plants I'm gonna have to move out. Haha I'm glad I'm not the only one getting that warning. My boyfriend just gets this look of despair on his face every time I tell him I'm walking over to Lowes "Just to look this time! I swear!" Came home with two pepper plants and some pole bean seeds the other day. 
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2009 05:53
|
|
|
Harvested my first eggplant!  I made it into a delicious eggplant marinara and ate it over spaghetti squash. 
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2009 16:21
|
|
|
Spring is driving me nuts! They have been threatening heavy rain for 3 days now with nothing. Everything is dried up but I don't want to water and then have it pour and get waterlogged. At any rate: Zucchini  Tomato 
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2009 15:13
|
|
|
HeatherChandler posted:Mystery hot pepper Does anyone know what it means if the leaves get twisted/curled? Mine are doing this. Also, they have lots of blooms, then the blooms fall off and leave a tiny little stem/string type thing hanging there, then I assume the pepper should start growing there. Mine are doing that but they seem to be disappearing at that point. I try peppers every year (bell peppers usually) and have never had one single pepper even begin to grow, while I have success with zucchini, squash, tomatoes, etc.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2009 17:50
|
|
|
I've never really planted or grown anything before. Last Saturday I decided to change that. I'm growing beefsteak tomatoes, red and yellow bells, hot banana peppers, cayennes, and jalapenos from seedlings (I guess that's what they are called.) I also planted chives, curled parsley, oregano, and basil from seeds. I'm in an apartment so I DIY'd some hanging baskets for the tomatoes and planted some of the peppers on top. Below are the pictures of my stuff. So far everything seems to be going ok, except the seeds haven't started sprouting yet, but it's only been 3 days. http://rm-rf.me/pics/thumbs/lrg-1552-9743100.jpg http://rm-rf.me/pics/thumbs/lrg-1553-9743187.jpg http://rm-rf.me/pics/thumbs/lrg-1554-9743258.jpg
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2009 20:47
|
|
|
LTBS posted:I've never really planted or grown anything before. Last Saturday I decided to change that. I'm growing beefsteak tomatoes, red and yellow bells, hot banana peppers, cayennes, and jalapenos from seedlings (I guess that's what they are called.) It's a little late to be starting from seeds, not everything will get full size. Still, it shouldn't be a shutout. Also, those hanging tomato planters look a little on the small side. You'll probably need to water those every day.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2009 23:45
|
|
|
SKeefe posted:I am growing banana peppers and the plants/blooms look almost identical. Sounds like blossoms are dropping? sustained temperatures above 95, below 65, too much nitrogen, or lack of pollinators can cause that, and I think too much water. I'd say it wasn't pollinators if squash is fruiting. That is about all I can think of. Too much nitrogen can also cause some twisting of the leaves, what do you fertilize with? It'd be easier to tell with a picture.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 00:21
|
|
|
All the rain in Ontario today has put at least 3 inches on most of my plants. Broccoli is already 2 feet tall!
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 01:42
|
|
|
Harvested several kohlrabi today and yesterday, serrano, bells and jalepenos all have fruits growing. Most of the tomato plants are getting loaded with fruit as well. The corn is getting close to waist high. I'm 6' 6" as a reference. I heard "knee high by the fourth of july" was a good place to be so I guess I'm doing ok there. One problem has reared it's head with a several tomato plants though. They started wilting out of nowhere, one was one of my biggest and healthiest plant. I looked all over for bugs and found nothing. I finally got down on my hands and knees and looked at the base of the plant and noticed there was a whitish discoloration and a whole main "branch" of the stem was sunken and shriveled in that area. I pulled the plant and broke apart the stem and found no obvious parasites. Hopefully it doesn't spread because it murdered the affected plants before I really even noticed it was happening. Oh yeah, I noticed one of my broccoli plants finally has a head forming, thought it would never happen.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 01:59
|
|
|
Is there any point in me starting some habanero seed with a frost date of around November 1st here in NC? I've never grown hot peppers and ordered some on a lark the other day, I have the ability to start indoors, etc, I just didn't know if that was insufficient time to get a good yield of the fiery little bastards.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 02:03
|
|
|
I don't know about starting habaneros now... They are c. chinense and need a long growing season. You could always grow them in a container and take them inside for the final month since you said indoors was an option. If nothing else, it never hurts to try.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 03:40
|
|
|
Finally got to harvest a few strawberries! It appears some animals are eating a few of them, though. Found at least 6 that were already eaten while I was picking. Guess I have to get a plastic owl and cover them with some mesh. Annoying but the strawberries are oh-so-tasty.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 04:08
|
|
|
That's pretty much what I figured. I think I'll hold off to next year, just stick with getting my tomatoes and such to work. Any secrets to getting tomatoes to actually vine on a rope trellis? My cucumbers and beans are off like gangbusters but the tomatoes are just kind of shrubbing at about 2' tall, even with pruning. Sorry for any simple questions, first year and all.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 04:09
|
|
|
^^Tomatoes don't vine in the same way that beans and cukes do. They won't ever hold on and climb by themselves, the trellis is really just a way to get the plants off the ground. You have to kind of push and weave the leaves in so that the plant stands up. Is that what you meant?kid sinister posted:Also, those hanging tomato planters look a little on the small side. You'll probably need to water those every day. To add to this, did I read right that there are pepper plants in the top? Even with watering every day I'd be worried about the plants becoming rootbound. For one fullsize tomato plant typically 5-8+ gallons is what is recommended, for a dwarf or small determinate plant 3 gallons. A pepper plant can do fine in a smaller pot but will get around 2 feet tall or taller and need more sun than they can get if they are growing close to the awning. I am sure you will make it work, just be aware. ChaoticSeven: I'm sure you've probably already googled the hell out of it, but here is a good guide of tomato problems. http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/diagnostickeys/TomKey.html HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 04:29 on May 29, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 04:11
|
|
|
mischief posted:Any secrets to getting tomatoes to actually vine on a rope trellis? My cucumbers and beans are off like gangbusters but the tomatoes are just kind of shrubbing at about 2' tall, even with pruning. -They might be a bush variety of tomatoes instead of a vine one -Tomatoes don't really get that tall. They don't climb like creepers.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 11:52
|
|
|
madlilnerd posted:-They might be a bush variety of tomatoes instead of a vine one Do cherry tomatos do this? I planted some along my gardens small fence for this exact reason, hopefully I didn't make a mistake.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 14:26
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:It's a little late to be starting from seeds, not everything will get full size. Still, it shouldn't be a shutout. Everything is growing pretty well. Those pictures are from the day I planted them. I have been watering every day and they seem to be getting plenty of sunlight. They have started to curl up towards the sun. Should I think about moving the pepper plants into their own planters? I don't have a problem doing this, I was just putting them in the top to save some space.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 14:39
|
|
|
MarshallX posted:Do cherry tomatos do this? I planted some along my gardens small fence for this exact reason, hopefully I didn't make a mistake. Cherry tomatoes can be either a bush or a vine. Depends on the variety. If it is a vine, or indeterminate, it will likely be as big as a normal tomato plant. I do have to disagree about tomatoes getting tall--I've had them go to about 6 ft before I top them a month before frost and have seen others get taller in a longer season. They just won't ever creep up on their own.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 15:43
|
|
|
MarshallX posted:Do cherry tomatos do this? I planted some along my gardens small fence for this exact reason, hopefully I didn't make a mistake. Tomatoes will benefit from being near a fence, but they won’t climb it automatically. You will have to tie the stems as they grow, or if it is something like chicken wire you could weave the growing stems back and forth through the wire. I’ve done this in the past and it was great when they were growing, great when harvesting, but it was kind of a bitch ripping the vines off the fence in the fall. LTBS posted:Everything is growing pretty well. Those pictures are from the day I planted them. I have been watering every day and they seem to be getting plenty of sunlight. They have started to curl up towards the sun. Are the peppers in the same planters as the tomatoes? If so, that would be a good idea before they get established in their new home. As kid sinister said, those hanging baskets are on the small side, and especially once the tomatoes get bigger, on a sunny, hot, windy day they will dry out amazingly fast. The pictures earlier in the thread had them growing in 5 gallon pails. If you find them drying out fast you could try putting in a water bottle with a pin prick hole and then it will leak out over the course of a few hours. Like kid said, it is kind of late to start a lot of herbs from seed, but the chives and oregano are perennials, so you might not get a lot this year, but take care of them and they will do you well for a long time. Parsley is a biennial, so it will be there next year too before it goes to seed. The basil will grow pretty fast once it gets going, but the seeds are tiny so keep it well watered. Even though your garden isn’t huge, nothing connects you better to the natural world than eating something that came from your own hands, and unless everything goes wrong, you will experience that, you will see what works and do more of it and see what doesn’t and read up on it and try something else next time.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 16:01
|
|
|
Our cute little commune garden is chugging along just fine.  Here are some pictures:Strawberries:  Beans:   Peppers (we have 40 baby peppers so far):   Cukes:  Tomatoes: (horrible picture... sorry; we have 119 tiny tomatoes so far): 
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 17:33
|
|
|
madlilnerd posted:And forget eating dandelions- go for nettles instead! The young tips can be cooked just like spinach. Of course, they're also an excellent indicator of good soil quality too.  Zeta Taskforce posted:I had to look up microgreens too. I’ve never heard of it before until now, but was reading about them. Are they really 30% protein? That’s amazing! I’m going to try it out. Do you eat them straight or add them to stuff? madlilnerd posted:I think we need a subforum called Goons in Communes were we can talk about gardening and tie dye and running your car off chip fat. Marchegiana posted:My mom used to use cocoa shell mulch around my swingset when I was a kid; it's soft enough for bare feet and makes your walkway smell like chocolate when it's fresh. The downside is that it can be hard to find, and is a good deal more expensive than ordinary hardwood mulch. coyo7e fucked around with this message at 19:59 on May 29, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 19:22
|
|
|
HeatherChandler posted:Sounds like blossoms are dropping? sustained temperatures above 95, below 65, too much nitrogen, or lack of pollinators can cause that, and I think too much water. I'd say it wasn't pollinators if squash is fruiting. That is about all I can think of. Too much nitrogen can also cause some twisting of the leaves, what do you fertilize with? It'd be easier to tell with a picture.  
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2009 23:37
|
|
|
SKeefe posted:It does look like pictures I've seen that were attributed to too much nitrogen, but I really can't tell you for sure. It does look more like environmental stress than disease. That could be any number of things. Are you growing right in the lawn without prep? Is that working for other things? I'm so traditional other than a few containers I wouldn't dare try to get away with not digging and tilling and digging some more. If it works, that is neat. -- I hand pollinated that female zucchini flower today. I am so immature, it made me giggle a little.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2009 02:02
|
|
|
HeatherChandler posted:It does look like pictures I've seen that were attributed to too much nitrogen, but I really can't tell you for sure. It does look more like environmental stress than disease. That could be any number of things. quote:Are you growing right in the lawn without prep? Is that working for other things? I'm so traditional other than a few containers I wouldn't dare try to get away with not digging and tilling and digging some more. If it works, that is neat. quote:I hand pollinated that female zucchini flower today. I am so immature, it made me giggle a little.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2009 02:42
|
|
|
Haven't updated in a while and things are happening, so. Excessive amounts of pictures. First head of brocolli  Swiss Chard  First serrano pepper  First jalepeno pepper  First and second bell pepper  Lettuce  Corn  Cucumbers  Kohlrabi  Purple Hull Peas  Zucchini and squash. Had to replant these 4 times. First time, transplants died. The second and third birds and squirrels ate all the seeds. The fourth time I put like 8 to 10 seeds in each hill and managed to get at least one plant established in most of the hills.  First squash 
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2009 02:43
|
|
|
ChaoticSeven posted:pictures Looks great. How do you water it?
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2009 05:14
|
|
|
ChaoticSeven posted:Haven't updated in a while and things are happening, so. Excessive amounts of pictures.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2009 16:38
|
|
|
landis posted:Awesome garden, makes me sad I'm stuck in containers for a while. Containers happen. I'v got nice little garden, but it's completely inappropriate for vegetables. My containers are doing alright though! It's so nice to see how much lettuce I have grown already, and my cucumber vines are peeking above the edges of the pots  I hope they have enough growing time to make some tasty cukes! This is on my dahlia leaves. What is it? Is it dirt? Are those eggs? I saw the ladybugs hanging around there, so I'm curious.  Happy Kohlrabi, they are putting up new leaves very nicely! They don't look as nice as ChaoticSeven's kohlrabi though   New cucumber leaves This weekend it's finally been warm enough that the plants can get some good growth going. It's been below 20c all week here up until now, and from now on it should be nice and warm. Tequila Mockingbird fucked around with this message at 22:35 on May 30, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2009 16:41
|
|
|
Costello Jello posted:Looks great. How do you water it? I haven't. Excessive rainfall has kept it too wet ever since I planted it. When I do start watering I'll probably use some cheap sprinklers. I'd like to use some kind of drip system but I don't think I could afford to buy enough parts for such a relatively large plot.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2009 16:58
|
|
|
SKeefe posted:I didn't fertilize them, if that provides any info. Well, I am stumped. Nonstop rain would definitely explain blossom drop now, but not every year. I hope someone more knowledgable comes around--I am pretty versed in the usual suspects but that is it for me. Are you going to mulch? I'd go mental weeding that. I go mental just weeding mine, and it is nothing but maple tree seedlings and mystery tiny blue flowers. It was my first time pollinating squash and it felt pretty dirty, haha. I've always had lots of male flowers first so I was kind of baffled by the female. If it worked I'll have a jump start on being totally sick of zucchini. ChaoticSeven: I love your excesses of pictures! How funny having peppers so advanced with zucchini just establishing. I hope you have a lot of friends and family to pawn it off on when they take off though. About irrigation: How expensive is it? I always thought the most expensive part was all the starting bits, then drip tape was cheaper. Of course, I don't really know a drat thing about it--I'd like to do it but reading tutorials makes me feel really flakey, I kind of glaze over. I think soaker hoses are more my speed. Oh, and your swiss chard is loving gorgeous. I think I want to grow it mixed in a flowerbed. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 03:46 on May 31, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 31, 2009 03:39
|
|
|
Honestly, I don't know how much it would cost. I've seen kits for something like 100 feet that ran $100 or so. That wouldn't really cover what I've got going. It'd be nice for water savings as I'm sure it will get expensive as soon as the weather gets hot and dry, since my soil is nice and sandy and dries out a lot quicker than most. Maybe I could just rig up the tomatoes, since a lot of the central part of the garden is lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and such that will be vacant when the weather turns hot. Which it is starting to. That would leave just the cucumbers and squash in the middle, which are all close together and wouldn't require a whole lot of tape or piping or whatever it is. Oh yeah, I'm 99% sure what killed 3 of my tomato plants was southern blight. It's a fungus and is aided by overly moist conditions (check) and mildy warm temperatures (check). Unfortunately everything on the internets says you're just hosed if it occurs and to not plant anything in that area but corn for the next two years. It can spread up to three feet through the soil and attacks just about everything but corn. I'm just hoping the dryer conditions we've finally gotten will keep it from spreading out further. The swiss chard really does look outlandish, the colors are sort of surreal compared to the surroundings. The variety I bought was called northern lights. Harvested some kale for the first time today, I nibbled a little (haven't tried it before) and it has a really "green" taste to it. Not sure exactly what to do with it, but I think I'll try something called Crispy Kale tomorrow. You toss the kale in olive oil and apple cider vinegar, toast it in the oven till crispy then salt it with sea salt. 
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2009 05:52
|
|
|
I just realized I only have one zucchini plant. Do they self pollinate?
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2009 17:50
|
|
|
Housesitting for my parents I figured I'd take the opportunity of temporary home ownership (that I'll never myself have) to start a garden. I'm calling it a birthday present to my mom, we'll see if she likes it Cherry tomatoes against the wall, roma tomato, thyme, basil, oregano, eggplant, bell pepper. Tried out soaker hose for the first time to simplify watering. Not sure if I'm laying it correctly; there's almost no lateral water movement so I'm not sure if this means I need the hose placed very close to the plants. I also have another section I want to sow seeds in but it still has the original unamended soil which is some sort of sandy clay. Water likes to pool on the top of it and just create a muddy sludge. I want to plant lettuce and carrots, any recommendations? Also trying to plug the female end of the soaker hose but having difficulty. I have a male to male coupler and a female cap but it leaks. Anywhere I use this male to male coupler it never seals right, not sure why. Maybe just pinch the hose closed? Ideas?
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2009 19:17
|
|
|
dwoloz posted:I also have another section I want to sow seeds in but it still has the original unamended soil which is some sort of sandy clay. Water likes to pool on the top of it and just create a muddy sludge. I want to plant lettuce and carrots, any recommendations? Water on top of the soil is usually bad for sowing seeds, as it will usually float the seeds away. The answer to this is to improve the drainage. First thing's first: which direction does the water shed? If it's a low spot, you may have to fill it in slightly to correct the grade. For a garden that close to the house, make sure the water sheds AWAY from the foundation. There are several methods to improve water penetration. This first is to simply till the soil better. Have you done that yet? Make sure the rubber washer inside the cap is in good condition. The old "quick fix" for those is to pull out that washer and flip it over. You could try some pipe tape too.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2009 20:16
|
|
|
ChuckHead posted:I just realized I only have one zucchini plant. Do they self pollinate? They don't 'self-pollinate', but one plant has both male and female flowers and if there are pollinators around they will do it.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2009 21:48
|
|
|
coyo7e posted:I've always been fascinated by the idea of consuming nettle - as food or for health/allergy-related benefits.. But I really have no clue about them, although they do grow wild in my area I was wondering about the feasibility or cultivating some? I've always had terrible allergies and wanted to try nettle tea, and at worst scenario it'd grow out of hand and keep the homeless people from trying to get in my backyard to root through the trash.. Then I recommend you get the book "101 uses for Stinging Nettles" It's a slim paperback but it's got some cool stuff in it- the leaves and roots make dye, you can make cordage from it, it's an insect repellent etc etc etc. Nettles are very invasive. To cultivate at home I recommend confining to containers. Just go out to your nearest nettle patch, dig up some root and put it in a pot full of compost.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2009 22:24
|
|
|
Can someone explain to me in dumb mans terms how a drip system works? I put in a sprinker system last year which my dog ended up eating. I was planning on hand watering this year but if a drip system can be contained within my fence (sprinklers couldn't) then it may be an option. Do you need one drip spout for each plant??
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2009 13:45
|
|
|
SKeefe posted:My peppers are doing the exact same thing. We've had tons of rain, cloudy days, and too many cool nights. The past weekend when it was in the high 80s with plenty of sunshine has perked them right back up, the leaves have almost completely straightened out and there are now little baby peppers on them.
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2009 15:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 12:12 |
|
|
Argh, I went out today and the slugs had eaten through the stalk on one of my two remaining courgette plants! I hate it when they do that so much because it just means instant death for the plant! Anyway, here is my last courgette plant with a pea plant behind it. The idea is that the nitrogen the pea provides will give the courgette a boost.  Leeks and garlic in plot 2. Plot one in the background has some tiny tomato plants in it, but I am less than hopeful of their future. It was originally going to be a pumpkin patch until they were all slaughtered at the hands of the slugs.  My last remaining pumpkin plant is looking a bit peaky. I don't think it likes being container bound, but I don't want to risk the slugs again.  Pfft. I don't know why I care. I'm going to Hawaii for 2 months in a few weeks and although my mum says she wants to keep the vegetable garden, I doubt she'll put any effort into it
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2009 16:11
|
|