i've had my first few spring moments, the days have been sunny and in the 50's and 60's the last couple of days. its been a long cold winter. i'm looking forward to open sunroof days, fishing and my garden.

i'll be starting seedlings inside soon and wonder what everyone else is planting. i usually do a couple different types of tomatoes, bell peppers and hot peppers, cucumber, cantelope, water melon, pumpkin, radishes, and i have a small plot of alpine strawberries.

the 1st two years the garden did well but last year i had minimal results. it was really hot with little rain. i have a "soaker" hose that i use to water it with. i think i need more fertilizer. how much would you put down on a plot 10 ft x 15 ft?

Check with your county extension agency. Here in Iowa, Iowa State University runs the extension agency. One thing I love are the calenders they offer. They have footnotes to agency publications, but more importantly they offer guides as to when to plant, when to prune, etc. An Iowa calender would not work for you down where you live as your average temperatures lead Iowa by a couple of weeks. I just keep mine from year to year (I'm a cheap ol' fart), 1990's calender matches 2007's calender for example.
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Take soil samples from about five different areas of the garden mix them together (getting an average) and take s sample to a good garden center. I go to Earl May's, I think you have them in MO too, they can tell you what's good and whats needed. Costs $10 or less. For example 1 year my parents garden was way off the scale as far as the potasium was concerned. This was due to burning somekind of stuff in the garden, to try to amend the soil. Whatever it was it gave some way out of normal potasium levels and would have grown some real funkified plants.
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Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto.
Turning white on top, like owner.
Leaks a little, like owner.
Doesn't smoke, unlike owner

[This message has been edited by DtheC (edited 02-23-2007).]

well i put in my peas about 3 weeks ago (package says to plant as soon as soil is workable since they are cold weather veggies) they grew about 2 inches then we got a cold spell for several nights. now i have two rows of yellow wilted plants. i think i'll till them under and start over. next week i'll put in new peas and spinach. i have three tomatoe plants that i "hope" will last til next week when i can get them in the ground. i have a big beef, some sort of hybrid and a cherry tomato. weather permiting i'll also sew the cucs and zucs. also need to add some strawberries to my little plot; seems like they are kinda thinning out.

don't think i'll put in any cantelope, pumkin or watermellon this year. for the space they take up and water required its not worth it. i'll put in some hot and sweet peppers in a few weeks. i'm also going to try a straw mulch to keep the weeds down and moisture in. we'll see how it works. happy gardening!

I've been growin' some Habenaros, and have been pondering what to grow in my enormous 5x5 plot...Squirrels get into pretty much everything (they eat tomatoes?!?!? )

Maybe I'll just plant some nice flowers...

if they eat those habenaros i ain't messin' with 'em.

i'm in my first home that i actually own (i was leasing before) so i've been trying small things (about all i can afford to do right now). i made a sort of wire gazebo in the corner of the back yard and planted some grape vines in the corners that i hope become like shady walls with fruit on them. and i'm hoping to put down some pavers just off the deck like a two level outdoor space (trying to work up an outdoor theater setup) that i want to border with some flowers of some sort.

quote Originally posted by FieroRumor: I've been growin' some Habenaros, and have been pondering what to grow in my enormous 5x5 plot...Squirrels get into pretty much everything (they eat tomatoes?!?!? ) Maybe I'll just plant some nice flowers...

an old guy told me once that if you take very strong human urine (like after drinking coffee or eating asparagus) and put it into cups and place in the corners of your garden that it will keep animals out. i know sounds kinda nasty but its free. i don't have a problem with critters but sometimes the birds decide to have a free lunch.

Well lets see our strawberies blackberries blueberries and razbrries already have good blooms on them. Our grapes are just starting to have some leaves. This little cold spell may have ruined our apple blooms but time will tell. I will be planting tomatoes on about 3 more weeks. I dont think I"m gonna do potatos this year I just dont have the time. I cant wait till my berries start to come out. My daughter loves to go out and pick her own and eat them right off the plants.

ok yesterday i added some peas to my two slightly damaged rows. about 80% of the little peas lived through the good freeze. put in my three (so far) tomato plants, some basil around them, put in four hills of zuccini squash, a row of spinich, four hills of cucumber, oh and planted some flower seeds for the wifey.

i'll add another tomato plant of two and some hot and sweet peppers in a couple weeks. its hard being a suburban gardner. the wife tells me i can buy all that stuff at the grocery store and the neighbors walk by and look at me weird. guess you can take the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy.

I ate my first fresh, ripe, juicy homegrown tomato last night.
All but one of my tomatoes was grown from seed [started by the GF]
I bought the cherry tomato plant at K Mart.

"there's only two things that money can't buy
and thats true love, and home grown tomatoes."

I'll post some pictures of the garden this weekend.

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..articulate and bright and clean,
and a nice looking guy.

[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 05-07-2007).]

quote Originally posted by sostock: an old guy told me once that if you take very strong human urine (like after drinking coffee or eating asparagus) and put it into cups and place in the corners of your garden that it will keep animals out. i know sounds kinda nasty but its free. i don't have a problem with critters but sometimes the birds decide to have a free lunch.

I heard fox Urine is good also, I happen to have some I'll try it and see if it works...

I have some Habenaros, Jalapenos, Pole beans, Bell Peppers and Tomatos planted. I gave up on Corn, dang coons kept getting it just as it was ready in past years. I may do lettuce and carrots, I'm not sure yet.

I'm going to try something different this year. I bought a bunch of plant boxes and put them on my deck, I have about 900 SF of deck space so I'm trying to grow them there instead of in the yard. I thought I could keep a eye on them better there and it would be a nice way to add some greenage on the deck and get some fresh veggies this summer.

[This message has been edited by Earl-R (edited 05-02-2007).]

My 5' by 6' urban garden:

So far, I have used no chemical fertilizer or pesticide. I'll have to resort to pesticides sooner or later, I'm sure.
I'm growing tomatoes, both hybrid and heirloom varieties. Onions, Swiss chard, collard greens, lima beans, huckleberries and sunflowers. In the side yard, I have Chili peppers, cilantro, basil and rosemary. Avocados, navel oranges and key limes are in the back yard.


Bananas:


Papayas:

I love tomatoes:


For those in northern climes who are lusting for fresh vegetables now, you may feel a little better knowing that when July and August roll around, my tomatoes, chard, and onions will be a memory. Only the collards and herbs can survive the intense sub tropical heat of central Florida..

[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 05-07-2007).]

hey in a few months i'll see if we can arrange a "tomato for avacado" exchange. i love them little bugers with a little salt. they go for 70-120 cents around here.

I've been enjoying Swiss chard, Cherry tomatoes, and regular tomatoes for a while now.
This weekend we had fresh picked butter beans, sliced tomatoes, and fresh caught fish for dinner. Zucchini and egg frittatas for breakfast. [Chris has pet chickens].
Bruschetta for lunch made with fresh Cuban bread, homegrown tomatoes and basil, and fresh garlic.
My urban garden is 100% organic, no pesticides or chemical fertilizers were used.
I also grew a couple of heirloom tomato varieties: Cherokee purple, and mortgage lifter.
Here's the biggest tomato I have ever grown, a mortgage lifter just a bit over 5" in diameter:

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..articulate and bright and clean,
and a nice looking guy.

Our plants are doing ok. Kinda got things going late, but everything is flowering.

heh heh heh...My Great Atlantic pumpkin plant is doing really well

This is what I have going on in my basement.



Before anyone says anything there is no illegal activity going on in my basement. Those are Jalapeños, Serrano peppers, assorted Chili's, Roma tomatoes, and bell peppers.

Well this is what I have going this year. Cucumbers, green and gold squash, green bell peppers, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes and a couple different tomatoes plants, oh and some cantelope.


I used some newspaper and paper bags with some grass clippings to make a mulch.

To give scale here is a pic of my helper.

I convinced my wife to try pot gardening several years ago, I don't like tomatoes and I don't/won't weed a garden that doesn't provide the items I like. Anyway, the wife started pot gardening growing tomatoes, she's tickled to death and I don't have to weed. She gets so many that she supplies most of the neighbors with the fruit of her labors. Win/Win.

Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 07-03-2008).]

quote Originally posted by blackrams: I convinced my wife to try pot gardening several years ago, Ron

I didn't know growing pot was gardening. Hey as long as your wife is growing it I guess you don't have anything to worry about.

Touche'!

quote Originally posted by sostock: I didn't know growing pot was gardening. Hey as long as your wife is growing it I guess you don't have anything to worry about. Touche'!

I figured someone would go for that, should have known it would be you.

Ron