Garden Thread

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Tiiimmmaaayyy

First 100 ish
Jan 19, 2015
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So now, I wait. Who else is planning a garden this year?




Greta pics and info. I have started to get into gardening the last few years. Mainly as a way to spend time outdoors with my little one. She really loves it. I see a lot of people using these raised gardens and/or buckets. So far we have only just used a tiller and planted ours in the ground. As I'm still so new to the whole thing I wonder which way is better. Aside from not having to pull weeds, are there other advantages to these raised garden areas? It seems that in those small areas the ground would be depleted of nutrients pretty quickly. Do you have to replace the dirt and/or compost to keep them going year after year?
 

Tiiimmmaaayyy

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Jan 19, 2015
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I love fresh tomatoes, we had cherry tomatoes when I was growing up, and they never made it past washing, if they got that far.
Eating tomatoes right off the vine is amazing. My daughter gets a handful every day. Unless we are bringing them in for a salad or something, they never get washed. When we first started gardening I thought we should bring them in and wash them, then I remembered that when I was a kid everyone drank from the nasty garden hose. Surely eating tomatoes right off the vine will be ok.
 

gangsterkathryn

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Oct 20, 2015
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Eating tomatoes right off the vine is amazing. My daughter gets a handful every day. Unless we are bringing them in for a salad or something, they never get washed. When we first started gardening I thought we should bring them in and wash them, then I remembered that when I was a kid everyone drank from the nasty garden hose. Surely eating tomatoes right off the vine will be ok.
Exactly. Especially since you know what's going into and on to them.
I wonder if I can grow them down here. I've never tried. I don't see why not.
 

IschKabibble

TMMAC Addict
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Jan 15, 2015
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I do a raised bed in our side yard. I will start the plants inside by seed in a few weeks; plainning 6-8 tomato plants, cucumbers, watermelon and sweet potatoes.
What kind of light do you use to get them started? Or do you use a window?
 

IschKabibble

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To you experts who have done this before, am I supposed to thin these sprouts to allow one plant per section? I assume those swiss chard plants are going to get in the way of each other. Same with the lettuce.
 

IschKabibble

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Day 40. Had to put up some chicken wire to prevent the pirate squirrels from digging up my food. They completely dug up the kale on the left. Tried to replant it. We'll see how it does.

And I harvested my first salad. :)





 

IschKabibble

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Jan 15, 2015
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Aside from not having to pull weeds, are there other advantages to these raised garden areas? It seems that in those small areas the ground would be depleted of nutrients pretty quickly. Do you have to replace the dirt and/or compost to keep them going year after year?
I don't know why I liked this and never answered. I have cat poop issues in my yard. The people who used to live in my house moved right next door, so their cats hop over the fence to shit in my yard as they please. Plus the soil down here in Florida is basically sand.

As far as amending the soil, not really sure on that. I keep hearing a lot about mineralizing with rock dust, but a youtuber I watch experimented with it and actually got less of a yield. Interesting video...

 

mysticmac

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Oct 18, 2015
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You're going to get a fuck ton of yield with all those leafy veggies as long as your soil is fertilized correctly. I hope you have a family to feed or just REALLY like leafy veggies.
 

mysticmac

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Oct 18, 2015
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I don't know why I liked this and never answered. I have cat poop issues in my yard. The people who used to live in my house moved right next door, so their cats hop over the fence to shit in my yard as they please. Plus the soil down here in Florida is basically sand.

As far as amending the soil, not really sure on that. I keep hearing a lot about mineralizing with rock dust, but a youtuber I watch experimented with it and actually got less of a yield. Interesting video...

The main advantage is having control over the soil. There are four important aspects to having good garden soil. The dirt needs to retain water fairly well, the soil should be loose so there is negative space where roots can grow to get to nutrients and water (this is why raised beds square foot gardens can plant the seeds closer than is used in a traditional line garden), the fertilizer needs to be the right mix for the plants you are growing, and no weed seeds.

You can generally get the first two without the beds if you till the ground and don't walk on it. You'll still need to control the fertilizer mixture with or without the bed. The biggest advantage with the beds is that you most likely won't have to worry about weed seeds depending on where the soil came from.
 
Feb 28, 2015
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Hi IschKabibble @IschKabibble ! You've done awesome work on that yard, looks great and the greens are looking delicious!

Short story update from here...
Worst winter in years, snow until first of April then cold, wet spring and then overnight blazing hot. So, everything is late to start this year but I have managed to get most of my garden going and have all sorts of stuff out there.

Mostly my time has been taken up by doing a trial by fire flower farm this year. It's been a real struggle but I'm learning loads and should be well set up to do much better next year. So basically all of my days are out in the yard or the field as of late :)
 

sparkuri

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Jan 16, 2015
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My garden starts next week, just moved into a new house, so it'll have to be late harvest stuff.
Me 'n the girls will grow our first :jackolantern: & :sunflower:.
 

mysticmac

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I skipped a garden this year due to moving, but the place I'm in for now has some rosemary, dill, and parsley growing in the backyard along with a fig tree.

And I didn't have to do any of it.
 

Freeloading Rusty

Here comes Rover, sniffin’ at your ass
Jan 11, 2016
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And one of the dogs has taken a liking to pea pods...
Nicely done!
Too much to take pictures of.

The greenhouse is clutch for the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

I think my fave thing to eat from my garden vs the store is peas, carrots and tomatoes.
 

IschKabibble

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Jan 15, 2015
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I always plant a veg garden. So much better tasting.






Nice setup! My raised bed veggies got infested with bugs around mid-March so I let it go until just now. Replanted everything the same, along with a jalapeno and cilantro plant start. Have some impromptu corn growing from the squirrel feeder too. Not sure what that's going to give me in the end.





Tomato plant did well for a couple months but it's root bound now and struggling in that little fabric pot. Also harvested a sago palm pup which seems to have rooted nicely.





 

Freeloading Rusty

Here comes Rover, sniffin’ at your ass
Jan 11, 2016
26,916
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Nice setup! My raised bed veggies got infested with bugs around mid-March so I let it go until just now. Replanted everything the same, along with a jalapeno and cilantro plant start. Have some impromptu corn growing from the squirrel feeder too. Not sure what that's going to give me in the end.





Tomato plant did well for a couple months but it's root bound now and struggling in that little fabric pot. Also harvested a sago palm pup which seems to have rooted nicely.





Ever year I learn more from my garden. What works and what doesn't for my yard and set up.

Very enjoyable when everything is going good.
 
Feb 28, 2015
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And one of the dogs has taken a liking to pea pods...

Too much to take pictures of.

The greenhouse is clutch for the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

I think my fave thing to eat from my garden vs the store is peas, carrots and tomatoes.
Tomatoes taste like cardboard in the store/restaurants, nothing even comes close to home grown!