OT: Anyone doing vegtable gardens… what’s in your garden.

[NotCranky]

Hi UGgal,

I started building a garden last father’s day and haven’t stopped since.We grew corn and pumpkins only.following that I had my first fall/winter garden ever. The learning curve kicked my butt. There were some good results with many cool season crops once I got the hang of things. The soil is becoming excellent and I have lots of compost/ fertilizer reserves.

We are just finishing harvesting cool season produce. The fennel bulbs are just now swelling.

At 2000 feet I am a ways behind you with the summer annual vegetatbles. It’s been a cold spring and an earwig infestation out there set me back too. Overall though, I am pleased.Some off the crops I am going to list will “underperform” due to inexperience with them.As you know, stuff happens. I am just working on the timing and cultural practices.

I am practicing with lettuce in the shade.
Stawberries, (Much easier than I thought)
Tomatos( variety)
eggplant
peppers,
corn,4 staggered stands so far
pumpkins,Including some that can get pretty big.
Watermelon (3 kinds)
beets
Basil (harvest plenty and will keep planting)
Summer squash
Butternut squash(winter)
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
cucumbers
runner beans (just enough to practice/study with)

I very much want this delicious lettuce we have been getting to be available with ripe homegrown tomatos. We will see.

My other medium sized project has been starting blackberries. So far they are going gangbusters.

I think I am not much of an orchardist but there are some stone fruit trees and a few apples, that have been out there in the yard about 4 years now doing better than ever. Citrus planted at the same time is producing great oranges every winter through spring with the number of fruit increasing each year. Next year there should be a thousand oranges and grapefruits or more, some of which are something like gift quality.

[eavesdropper]

UCGal, you have succeeded admirably in making me feel both hungry and inadequate. However, I’ll get over it (the feeling of inadequacy, anyway), and enthusiastically applaud you. I am soooo impressed!

I don’t like gardening, but I engage in it because I like the results. Last summer, I turned about 200 square feet of concrete-hard rural Virginia pastureland into a perennial garden surrounding the porch of our house there. The ground is so hard that you need a full-size farm tractor to turn the earth and break it up (most of it is solid clay) – a rototiller can’t begin to do the job. Unfortunately, a full-size farm tractor can’t get close enough to the house, so it involved several weeks of really intense labor (sending my bulging spinal discs into full ruptured status), lots of mud, and the likelihood of future skin cancer.

However, I had almost instant gratification. The plants I put in grew and bloomed rapidly, and really made a difference. We can sit on the porch, in view of the Blue Ridge, and watch the visiting butterflies and hummingbirds. The best part is that they all came back this year, much larger than last, and I didn’t have to lift a finger.

Once I’m down there full-time, I hope to expand into vegetable and fruit
gardening. We have decent acreage, so we won’t have to evict the cows. However, if they ever legalize pot, all bets are off. I’m not hopeful that Social Security will be around to help with expenses, so I will have to use my assets wisely.

[eavesdropper]

UCGal, you have succeeded admirably in making me feel both hungry and inadequate. However, I’ll get over it (the feeling of inadequacy, anyway), and enthusiastically applaud you. I am soooo impressed!

I don’t like gardening, but I engage in it because I like the results. Last summer, I turned about 200 square feet of concrete-hard rural Virginia pastureland into a perennial garden surrounding the porch of our house there. The ground is so hard that you need a full-size farm tractor to turn the earth and break it up (most of it is solid clay) – a rototiller can’t begin to do the job. Unfortunately, a full-size farm tractor can’t get close enough to the house, so it involved several weeks of really intense labor (sending my bulging spinal discs into full ruptured status), lots of mud, and the likelihood of future skin cancer.

However, I had almost instant gratification. The plants I put in grew and bloomed rapidly, and really made a difference. We can sit on the porch, in view of the Blue Ridge, and watch the visiting butterflies and hummingbirds. The best part is that they all came back this year, much larger than last, and I didn’t have to lift a finger.

Once I’m down there full-time, I hope to expand into vegetable and fruit
gardening. We have decent acreage, so we won’t have to evict the cows. However, if they ever legalize pot, all bets are off. I’m not hopeful that Social Security will be around to help with expenses, so I will have to use my assets wisely.

[eavesdropper]

UCGal, you have succeeded admirably in making me feel both hungry and inadequate. However, I’ll get over it (the feeling of inadequacy, anyway), and enthusiastically applaud you. I am soooo impressed!

I don’t like gardening, but I engage in it because I like the results. Last summer, I turned about 200 square feet of concrete-hard rural Virginia pastureland into a perennial garden surrounding the porch of our house there. The ground is so hard that you need a full-size farm tractor to turn the earth and break it up (most of it is solid clay) – a rototiller can’t begin to do the job. Unfortunately, a full-size farm tractor can’t get close enough to the house, so it involved several weeks of really intense labor (sending my bulging spinal discs into full ruptured status), lots of mud, and the likelihood of future skin cancer.

However, I had almost instant gratification. The plants I put in grew and bloomed rapidly, and really made a difference. We can sit on the porch, in view of the Blue Ridge, and watch the visiting butterflies and hummingbirds. The best part is that they all came back this year, much larger than last, and I didn’t have to lift a finger.

Once I’m down there full-time, I hope to expand into vegetable and fruit
gardening. We have decent acreage, so we won’t have to evict the cows. However, if they ever legalize pot, all bets are off. I’m not hopeful that Social Security will be around to help with expenses, so I will have to use my assets wisely.

[eavesdropper]

UCGal, you have succeeded admirably in making me feel both hungry and inadequate. However, I’ll get over it (the feeling of inadequacy, anyway), and enthusiastically applaud you. I am soooo impressed!

I don’t like gardening, but I engage in it because I like the results. Last summer, I turned about 200 square feet of concrete-hard rural Virginia pastureland into a perennial garden surrounding the porch of our house there. The ground is so hard that you need a full-size farm tractor to turn the earth and break it up (most of it is solid clay) – a rototiller can’t begin to do the job. Unfortunately, a full-size farm tractor can’t get close enough to the house, so it involved several weeks of really intense labor (sending my bulging spinal discs into full ruptured status), lots of mud, and the likelihood of future skin cancer.

However, I had almost instant gratification. The plants I put in grew and bloomed rapidly, and really made a difference. We can sit on the porch, in view of the Blue Ridge, and watch the visiting butterflies and hummingbirds. The best part is that they all came back this year, much larger than last, and I didn’t have to lift a finger.

Once I’m down there full-time, I hope to expand into vegetable and fruit
gardening. We have decent acreage, so we won’t have to evict the cows. However, if they ever legalize pot, all bets are off. I’m not hopeful that Social Security will be around to help with expenses, so I will have to use my assets wisely.

[eavesdropper]

UCGal, you have succeeded admirably in making me feel both hungry and inadequate. However, I’ll get over it (the feeling of inadequacy, anyway), and enthusiastically applaud you. I am soooo impressed!

I don’t like gardening, but I engage in it because I like the results. Last summer, I turned about 200 square feet of concrete-hard rural Virginia pastureland into a perennial garden surrounding the porch of our house there. The ground is so hard that you need a full-size farm tractor to turn the earth and break it up (most of it is solid clay) – a rototiller can’t begin to do the job. Unfortunately, a full-size farm tractor can’t get close enough to the house, so it involved several weeks of really intense labor (sending my bulging spinal discs into full ruptured status), lots of mud, and the likelihood of future skin cancer.

However, I had almost instant gratification. The plants I put in grew and bloomed rapidly, and really made a difference. We can sit on the porch, in view of the Blue Ridge, and watch the visiting butterflies and hummingbirds. The best part is that they all came back this year, much larger than last, and I didn’t have to lift a finger.

Once I’m down there full-time, I hope to expand into vegetable and fruit
gardening. We have decent acreage, so we won’t have to evict the cows. However, if they ever legalize pot, all bets are off. I’m not hopeful that Social Security will be around to help with expenses, so I will have to use my assets wisely.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Russell]Hi UGgal,

I am practicing with lettuce in the shade.
Stawberries, (Much easier than I thought)
Tomatos( variety)
eggplant
peppers,
corn,4 staggered stands so far
pumpkins,Including some that can get pretty big.
Watermelon (3 kinds)
beets
Basil (harvest plenty and will keep planting)
Summer squash
Butternut squash(winter)
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
cucumbers
runner beans (just enough to practice/study with)

I very much want this delicious lettuce we have been getting to be available with ripe homegrown tomatos. We will see.

My other medium sized project has been starting blackberries. So far they are going gangbusters.

I think I am not much of an orchardist but there are some stone fruit trees and a few apples, that have been out there in the yard about 4 years now doing better than ever. Citrus planted at the same time is producing great oranges every winter through spring with the number of fruit increasing each year. Next year there should be a thousand oranges and grapefruits or more, some of which are something like gift quality.[/quote]

Awesome, Russell!! As for your final line, my address is……

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Russell]Hi UGgal,

I am practicing with lettuce in the shade.
Stawberries, (Much easier than I thought)
Tomatos( variety)
eggplant
peppers,
corn,4 staggered stands so far
pumpkins,Including some that can get pretty big.
Watermelon (3 kinds)
beets
Basil (harvest plenty and will keep planting)
Summer squash
Butternut squash(winter)
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
cucumbers
runner beans (just enough to practice/study with)

I very much want this delicious lettuce we have been getting to be available with ripe homegrown tomatos. We will see.

My other medium sized project has been starting blackberries. So far they are going gangbusters.

I think I am not much of an orchardist but there are some stone fruit trees and a few apples, that have been out there in the yard about 4 years now doing better than ever. Citrus planted at the same time is producing great oranges every winter through spring with the number of fruit increasing each year. Next year there should be a thousand oranges and grapefruits or more, some of which are something like gift quality.[/quote]

Awesome, Russell!! As for your final line, my address is……

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Russell]Hi UGgal,

I am practicing with lettuce in the shade.
Stawberries, (Much easier than I thought)
Tomatos( variety)
eggplant
peppers,
corn,4 staggered stands so far
pumpkins,Including some that can get pretty big.
Watermelon (3 kinds)
beets
Basil (harvest plenty and will keep planting)
Summer squash
Butternut squash(winter)
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
cucumbers
runner beans (just enough to practice/study with)

I very much want this delicious lettuce we have been getting to be available with ripe homegrown tomatos. We will see.

My other medium sized project has been starting blackberries. So far they are going gangbusters.

I think I am not much of an orchardist but there are some stone fruit trees and a few apples, that have been out there in the yard about 4 years now doing better than ever. Citrus planted at the same time is producing great oranges every winter through spring with the number of fruit increasing each year. Next year there should be a thousand oranges and grapefruits or more, some of which are something like gift quality.[/quote]

Awesome, Russell!! As for your final line, my address is……

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Russell]Hi UGgal,

I am practicing with lettuce in the shade.
Stawberries, (Much easier than I thought)
Tomatos( variety)
eggplant
peppers,
corn,4 staggered stands so far
pumpkins,Including some that can get pretty big.
Watermelon (3 kinds)
beets
Basil (harvest plenty and will keep planting)
Summer squash
Butternut squash(winter)
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
cucumbers
runner beans (just enough to practice/study with)

I very much want this delicious lettuce we have been getting to be available with ripe homegrown tomatos. We will see.

My other medium sized project has been starting blackberries. So far they are going gangbusters.

I think I am not much of an orchardist but there are some stone fruit trees and a few apples, that have been out there in the yard about 4 years now doing better than ever. Citrus planted at the same time is producing great oranges every winter through spring with the number of fruit increasing each year. Next year there should be a thousand oranges and grapefruits or more, some of which are something like gift quality.[/quote]

Awesome, Russell!! As for your final line, my address is……

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Russell]Hi UGgal,

I am practicing with lettuce in the shade.
Stawberries, (Much easier than I thought)
Tomatos( variety)
eggplant
peppers,
corn,4 staggered stands so far
pumpkins,Including some that can get pretty big.
Watermelon (3 kinds)
beets
Basil (harvest plenty and will keep planting)
Summer squash
Butternut squash(winter)
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
cucumbers
runner beans (just enough to practice/study with)

I very much want this delicious lettuce we have been getting to be available with ripe homegrown tomatos. We will see.

My other medium sized project has been starting blackberries. So far they are going gangbusters.

I think I am not much of an orchardist but there are some stone fruit trees and a few apples, that have been out there in the yard about 4 years now doing better than ever. Citrus planted at the same time is producing great oranges every winter through spring with the number of fruit increasing each year. Next year there should be a thousand oranges and grapefruits or more, some of which are something like gift quality.[/quote]

Awesome, Russell!! As for your final line, my address is……

[Eugene]

– Twelve valencia orange trees. Most of them weren’t very fruitful last season (they ripen around January), I hope to improve that this year.
– A 1000 sq. ft. or so pomegranate grove. Ripening in October. Basically neglected last year, they managed to yield around 120 to 150 fruit. This winter I came around to routing some irrigation to the grove, there are lots and lots of flowers.
– Grapes. Two big vines inherited from former owners, around twenty were planted earlier this year, so they are just starting to grow.
– An avocado tree and an apple tree, also planted this year, about 4 feet tall. The apple tree looks like it might have four or five fruit this year, the avocado tree might have one.

Now, on to vegetables. From the first batch that I planted directly into the ground in April, only the pumpkins survived. They have four foot long vines with fruit the size of my fist. Since then, I came to two realizations: one, that my soil is very poor and its organic content is nearly zero; two, that my location has too much sun and not enough humidity for most veggies. Even pumpkins, though well established, tend to wilt to some degree around midday.

So, my new approach is to use a lot of compost, start everything indoors, in commercial potting mix in plastic cups, transplant into the ground after the second or third pair of leaves, and use cardboard planting sleeves to protect the most sensitive plants from the sun.

In this manner, I managed to start three different kinds of peppers, eggplants, squashes (a dozen of each), and four watermelons. Still awaiting transplantation: a row of tomatoes and a row of armenian cucumbers. Out of curiosity, I also got a package of “big max” pumpkin seeds. Those are supposed to be inedible (or at least not particularly tasty), but able to grow to 100 lbs.

June is not a very good time of year to plant things here, but at least there’s no danger of frost. Plants that don’t die young should be able to grow till November.

[Eugene]

– Twelve valencia orange trees. Most of them weren’t very fruitful last season (they ripen around January), I hope to improve that this year.
– A 1000 sq. ft. or so pomegranate grove. Ripening in October. Basically neglected last year, they managed to yield around 120 to 150 fruit. This winter I came around to routing some irrigation to the grove, there are lots and lots of flowers.
– Grapes. Two big vines inherited from former owners, around twenty were planted earlier this year, so they are just starting to grow.
– An avocado tree and an apple tree, also planted this year, about 4 feet tall. The apple tree looks like it might have four or five fruit this year, the avocado tree might have one.

Now, on to vegetables. From the first batch that I planted directly into the ground in April, only the pumpkins survived. They have four foot long vines with fruit the size of my fist. Since then, I came to two realizations: one, that my soil is very poor and its organic content is nearly zero; two, that my location has too much sun and not enough humidity for most veggies. Even pumpkins, though well established, tend to wilt to some degree around midday.

So, my new approach is to use a lot of compost, start everything indoors, in commercial potting mix in plastic cups, transplant into the ground after the second or third pair of leaves, and use cardboard planting sleeves to protect the most sensitive plants from the sun.

In this manner, I managed to start three different kinds of peppers, eggplants, squashes (a dozen of each), and four watermelons. Still awaiting transplantation: a row of tomatoes and a row of armenian cucumbers. Out of curiosity, I also got a package of “big max” pumpkin seeds. Those are supposed to be inedible (or at least not particularly tasty), but able to grow to 100 lbs.

June is not a very good time of year to plant things here, but at least there’s no danger of frost. Plants that don’t die young should be able to grow till November.

[Eugene]

– Twelve valencia orange trees. Most of them weren’t very fruitful last season (they ripen around January), I hope to improve that this year.
– A 1000 sq. ft. or so pomegranate grove. Ripening in October. Basically neglected last year, they managed to yield around 120 to 150 fruit. This winter I came around to routing some irrigation to the grove, there are lots and lots of flowers.
– Grapes. Two big vines inherited from former owners, around twenty were planted earlier this year, so they are just starting to grow.
– An avocado tree and an apple tree, also planted this year, about 4 feet tall. The apple tree looks like it might have four or five fruit this year, the avocado tree might have one.

Now, on to vegetables. From the first batch that I planted directly into the ground in April, only the pumpkins survived. They have four foot long vines with fruit the size of my fist. Since then, I came to two realizations: one, that my soil is very poor and its organic content is nearly zero; two, that my location has too much sun and not enough humidity for most veggies. Even pumpkins, though well established, tend to wilt to some degree around midday.

So, my new approach is to use a lot of compost, start everything indoors, in commercial potting mix in plastic cups, transplant into the ground after the second or third pair of leaves, and use cardboard planting sleeves to protect the most sensitive plants from the sun.

In this manner, I managed to start three different kinds of peppers, eggplants, squashes (a dozen of each), and four watermelons. Still awaiting transplantation: a row of tomatoes and a row of armenian cucumbers. Out of curiosity, I also got a package of “big max” pumpkin seeds. Those are supposed to be inedible (or at least not particularly tasty), but able to grow to 100 lbs.

June is not a very good time of year to plant things here, but at least there’s no danger of frost. Plants that don’t die young should be able to grow till November.

[Eugene]

– Twelve valencia orange trees. Most of them weren’t very fruitful last season (they ripen around January), I hope to improve that this year.
– A 1000 sq. ft. or so pomegranate grove. Ripening in October. Basically neglected last year, they managed to yield around 120 to 150 fruit. This winter I came around to routing some irrigation to the grove, there are lots and lots of flowers.
– Grapes. Two big vines inherited from former owners, around twenty were planted earlier this year, so they are just starting to grow.
– An avocado tree and an apple tree, also planted this year, about 4 feet tall. The apple tree looks like it might have four or five fruit this year, the avocado tree might have one.

Now, on to vegetables. From the first batch that I planted directly into the ground in April, only the pumpkins survived. They have four foot long vines with fruit the size of my fist. Since then, I came to two realizations: one, that my soil is very poor and its organic content is nearly zero; two, that my location has too much sun and not enough humidity for most veggies. Even pumpkins, though well established, tend to wilt to some degree around midday.

So, my new approach is to use a lot of compost, start everything indoors, in commercial potting mix in plastic cups, transplant into the ground after the second or third pair of leaves, and use cardboard planting sleeves to protect the most sensitive plants from the sun.

In this manner, I managed to start three different kinds of peppers, eggplants, squashes (a dozen of each), and four watermelons. Still awaiting transplantation: a row of tomatoes and a row of armenian cucumbers. Out of curiosity, I also got a package of “big max” pumpkin seeds. Those are supposed to be inedible (or at least not particularly tasty), but able to grow to 100 lbs.

June is not a very good time of year to plant things here, but at least there’s no danger of frost. Plants that don’t die young should be able to grow till November.

[Author]

Posts