Off-Topic...Any Gardening Happening This Year?
- Thread starter CandidPicker
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CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
Proprietary "Gesundheit."
Am trying something different with a 30" tall vertical herb garden planter (3-space x 5-tier) that holds 3 small basil seedlings, 2 oregano, 2 thyme, 2 parsley and 3 chives. Still have 3 spaces left to fill atop the planter, may try sage...
Also was given permission last year from our apartment board of directors for putting in a 55-gallon rain barrel & downspout diverter on the corner downspout. (No outdoor faucet; would otherwise use a watering can filled from the kitchen sink or bathroom tub).
If weather holds out, will likely put in garden edging in the front yard to provide our apartment lawn maintenance crews with a guideline of where not to put their riding mowers...one of the crew recently kept his leaf blower firmly focused on my front yard daffodils as I watched them tossed about in the wind draft. Had to poke my head out and ask the attending crew member if he'd not mind re-directing the leaf blower away from my daffodils. None the worse for wear, the flowers in 2 days time regained their stature and are standing vertical again. One flower was sacrificed as the lower stalk broke away. The remaining front yard flowers survived. Backyard flowers pictured in the OP.
My Mom used to love cutting grass with our corded electric push-mower, but since we've sold the old house this past winter, no more yard maintenance, save for trimming hedges, and gardening. Still don't mind putting a few brews into my porta-lunch cooler with some ice and gardening, or grilling within the backyard patio area.
Remember xeriscaping? Just remember a healthy dose of weed barrier and spreading a base coat of drainage material before adding decorative gravel, river stone, or large pebbles.
Best wishes to you. Also consider olives trees if perhaps the climate and soil is agreeable.
Understood. If the robot can manicure your lawn like you do each morning, you've got most of the problem solved. Give yourself a pat on the back and grab some extra munchkins from the office break room snack tray tomorrow. See you Thursday!
alantig
Zombie Four, DFZ
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- Apr 28, 2012
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Based on my car shopping last year, that's gotta be exciting.
"Gray. Gray. White. Gray. White. Black. Gray. Gray. Gray. White. Red. Gray...."
11top
Cousin Eddie's cousin
So here’s what I tell my wife about “yard work”:
If God wanted it to grow that way, who am I to interfere?
If God wanted it to grow that way, who am I to interfere?
Bill SAS 513
Just another old guy in a T-shirt
But you cannot use any color more than 3 times in the same card (sheet of paper)
My go-to's are Black, Yellow (yeah, its a Steeler thing), and beige (yes, beige), and if you put a color and convertible, you get that square plus one more that neighbor's it if it drives by.
alantig
Zombie Four, DFZ
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2012
- Messages
- 14,942
Honestly, the color selection was depressing when we looked. Primarily gray/silver, a lot of black or white. some red, less blue. All fairly subdued colors. Nothing with any oomph to it. The one we ended up with is dark gray, but there was a surcharge because it was an experimental color or something like that. This is the first time since 1987 that we haven't had a blue vehicle. It feels weird.
Bill SAS 513
Just another old guy in a T-shirt
Surcharge, Experimental color...phooey, I say!!!!
And now, in addition to the weird feeling, for the first time since 1987, you need to worry about Sergio stealing YOUR car, too!!!!
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There are guys who feel that way about nose hair.
11top
Cousin Eddie's cousin
I gotta make up for it somewhere.
I have a roughly 32x8 foot section in my backyard that is our garden. Over the past 10 days I tilled it, took the ash from our fire pit and spread it out, and then tilled it again after a good watering. Last night and tonight I planted tomatoes of various types, bell peppers of various types, some Jalapenos, watermelon, and sweet corn. Need to run out this weekend for onions. Rhubarb plant has grown up from nowhere so there is that as well. Chives grow all over the place in our yard, so I keep them out front with the various flowers, shrubs, hostas, and other things. We have a few Asian Lillies in front that will look awesome in a few months. My wife likes to grow plants, indoor and out, so I help where I can.
Last year our garden boomed. Yield was excellent as we were picking veggies every night. Problem was that there were too many plants and none were able to get as big as they potentially could. Nice thing....no weeding. There was no way that weeds could grow due to the dense foliage. Strange thing, somehow our sweet corn was cross pollinated with Indian corn. Cool decorations to add to the pumpkins that we planted, but not so good to eat. I think my wife purchased and planted a pack of seeds that she shouldn't have.
As for yard work, eh, I enjoy it. Gives me a reason to drink beer at 9AM on a Saturday or Sunday.
Last year our garden boomed. Yield was excellent as we were picking veggies every night. Problem was that there were too many plants and none were able to get as big as they potentially could. Nice thing....no weeding. There was no way that weeds could grow due to the dense foliage. Strange thing, somehow our sweet corn was cross pollinated with Indian corn. Cool decorations to add to the pumpkins that we planted, but not so good to eat. I think my wife purchased and planted a pack of seeds that she shouldn't have.
As for yard work, eh, I enjoy it. Gives me a reason to drink beer at 9AM on a Saturday or Sunday.
jxe
babe en der wood
CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
I think God wanted you to retire to a place where the river meets the sea, and watch the waves wash in back and forth. (I may not be right, but I'm darn close.)
CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
Cool rainy weather the next few days precludes gardening this weekend locally. Am considering purchasing more potting soil for my pickling cucumber (think I'll need 2 cu ft) earthenware planters, and prepping the garden to receive my Sungold tomato plants beginning of May. Also 3 small sage plants for my vertical herb planter.
Congrats on your good fortune in 2018. Our apartments were being renovated last year which meant only ceramic planters could be used for my garden. 2 Sungold tomato seedlings and a batch of baby lettuce greens. Tomatoes lasted until October...
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I don't like cucumbers much. Last year we were getting massive ones and were giving them away. I would like to try my hand at pickling. Never done it and know nothing about it, but I do like pickles. We tend to stick with things that we know that we are going to eat. The kids love cherry tomatoes and bell peppers for snacks so we always grow those. I haven't had luck with corn but am trying again this year. Onions are always good. There is a corner of my garden where watermelons boom, so I plant them and do well. I need to go out this weekend for garden stakes to support what will be large tomato BeefEater tomatoes and bell peppers.
We grow herbs pretty much year round inside. Sage, thyme, parsley, etc. Thinking about transplanting some chives for indoor growth as well. Again, these are things that we cook with so it's cheaper than buying them.
When we lived in an apartment, we used planters and hanging baskets to grow stuff. Never got a lot, but it was worth the effort know and then.
Good luck this year!
CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
Actually, the pickling cukes are just smaller versions of their larger relatives, perhaps slightly "more spiny" (?) (read: not as smooth and more curved), but less base spread throughout the garden (takes up less room) with more abundant crop yield.
My plan was to use these in salads (not for pickling, though some of the folks who might receive these have done pickling before and could use these) along with the garden tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and mebbe some seasoned rough-chopped smoked paprika boneless chicken. (thighs more flavorful)
Our local soil and climate (glacial sand and loam; Connecticut) usually doesn't allow bell peppers (not much success with those in recent years) and local raccoons would decimate any corn. I've considered wintering some onions, but didn't do so autumn 2018. We just don't have enough room for melons.
As was said earlier, my sandwich tomatoes didn't do well last year, but the Sungolds thrive if grown from established seedlings. Our local Home Depot or Lowes has Sungolds about the first or 2nd week of May.
Visited a local garden nursery on the way home today and picked up some sage seedlings to add to my herb planter. Was raining something fierce this afternoon so not garden work today; mebbe after dinner if the rain lets up.
CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
Yes, I have a...soundgarden...(I know, really bad pun)
We see! I am groaning my garden as well in your honor.
Hey, who doesn't like thighs and legs? Don't get dirty....talking chicken here.....hahaha. I saw some cuke starters that are meant for growing them the size for pickles that you would get from a jar. Now I'm curious.
I live in Iowa....just up the bluff from the Mississippi.....in a 100+ year old farm house. The town grew around us. Part of my garden is in what used to be an old gravel drive way. Pretty much all we did was add some potting soil, homemade compost, leaves, and ash from the fire pit. Ran the tiller through to create a good loam and planted. The first year was weak but that was expected. It was an experiment. Then we expanded year after year until where we are now. Still doing pretty much the same thing every spring and fall with the tilling, compost, and ash. My wife is totally against using anything "non organic" around the plants, so I abide. The past few years, as the soil has absorbed the various elements, we continue to see better and better yields (combined with crop rotations).
I honestly have no idea how I can grow bell peppers here especially in the light they get after the trees grow in in. They range from baseball to softball size and we have to pick them otherwise the plant falls over. Typically get 4-5 mature ones per plant a week. Corn is going to be interesting again this year. We have several large coons in the neighborhood that might investigate. We shall see. As for melons, man, they take up a LOT of space and water. Melons and gourds of any type. They spread out and will take over the garden. But we have had great luck with them over the years. Two years ago we produced several watermelons weighing in at over 11 pounds each. Last year, we decided against the watermelons and my wife bought pumpkin seeds. Well, she bought the seeds for the little decorative ones. Had 50-60 of those useless things......gave them away to kids at Halloween along with candy.
For tomatoes, I don't eat them often. Had an incident when I was younger and I really have no interest in them. But my kids love cherry tomatoes and my wife likes to makes sauces and salsa. Again, I abide. They do take a lot of watering and twice a day attention. I need to run out for those stakes, so I'm going to see if Home Depot or Lowes have the Sungolds in stock yet. I'll give them a shot and see how they fair. How long until they start producing?
dmatthews
Dave's not here
CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
Nice story! My story is slightly different. Moved into my apartment in early August 2016 and quickly noted the backyard area where a garden might be was covered with lilies of the valley and various weeds. My buddy used a pickaxe to excavate the ground cover, and I put in a 5-½' x 8' (2" x 6") garden frame. Filed it with topsoil and potting soil. Then, later that autumn, topped it with composted bark mulch, about 4" thick. (Composted translates to less nitrogen being pulled from the soil as the wood decomposes).
The bark mulch has sat a year along with added kitchen compost (veggie peelings, moldy bread and eggshells only), charcoal ash, raked autumn leaves, and a batch of red worms from a website called Uncle Jim's Worm Farm...(variety of composting materials available)...
As you put more composted mulch and kitchen compost back into the soil, the yields will improve even more so. For evidence of this, feel free to view the video below "Back to Eden" that describes how one man learned nature's way of how soil was enriched and how his crop yields improved over time. For 'Back to Eden' debunkers, their videos mention that your garden will NOT be weed-free, though with the bark mulch method, weeding is much easier to manage.
Congrats re: the peppers! I've not tried peppers at my apartment just because they didn't do well at my former house previous to 2015. Maybe the soil was too acidic, I dunno. The pickling cukes are perfect for smaller areas where you don't want them taking up a lot of space. Burpee Seeds packages something called Pickling Bush cukes. High yield, small surrounding grow area.
The Sungolds (try Home Depot with established seedlings with flower buds, if possible) begin producing about a month after planting...normally, from seed (don't try this, the seedlings almost always grow too spindly and weak) it takes 45 to 52 days to fruit. From established seedling (a $5 to $7 4-6 inch plastic pot) will produce in about a month's time. So, if perhaps you plant Sungolds 1st or 2nd week of May, 2nd/3rd week of June, later you plant mid to late May, until October when frost arrives.
Sungolds grow tall and spread over like a large tree with boughs overreaching, so be sure to use tomato cages, fencing, or something similar to help support these veggies during their lifetime.
Several years ago I used the hay bale method with 4 bales & 8 metal posts, and strung wire between the posts and tied the growing Sungolds to the horizontal wire. That was a lot of work and I'd not recommend that.
Just find some tall tomato cages and drive 6' to 8' tall plastic/metal posts into the ground inside the cages to help strengthen the cages so they don't tip over when the Sungolds grow tall. Or drive metal or wood posts into the ground and use flexible wire fasteners to attach the growing Sungolds to the posts. The cages allow expansion, the metal posts may cause stem breakage as the plant grows top-heavy...The 6' to 8' tall metal/plastic thin posts supports inside the tomato cages, perhaps 3 to a cage. That'll give my tomatoes the support they need to grow tall and firm.