What's growing? The garden thread.

cydnote

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Oct 24, 2023
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Did anybody use or plan to use seed tapes this year? I think they are cost prohibitive, but an excellent idea. That said, I made my own during all the wet and cold weather. I made tapes for carrots and beets. The carrots I spaced at 1 inch and the beets at three. I’ve always gotten a crop doing it the conventional way, but thought this might be a fun little experiment. have you ever tried planting carrots in 30 mile an hour winds?
 

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CYdTracked

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Mar 23, 2006
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Hoping for some dry weather so I can till the garden. Would have liked to plant this weekend but it's going to be too wet.
 

cowgirl836

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Sep 3, 2009
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Need to pick out my tomato plants for a sale I'm going to tomorrow. My experiment planting in milk jugs did pretty well! Lots of flowers to plant.
 

cydnote

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Oct 24, 2023
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Need to pick out my tomato plants for a sale I'm going to tomorrow. My experiment planting in milk jugs did pretty well! Lots of flowers to plant.
I've only planted one variety of tomatoes for several years now--Amish Paste. They are a bit later maturing but have a great flavor and work so much better for sauces and salsa then traditional varieties. Since they don't get cross pollinated I save seed and start my own indoors. I plant them out when they are fairly small and cover them with a clear 2 liter diet coke bottle (with the lid and bottom removed), giving them each their own little greenhouse. When that becomes too small for them I remove the bottle and surround them with a bottom removed 5 gallon plastic bucket. This prevent wind desiccation and no need to harden them off. My homemade wooden cages fit directly over the bucket so they remain on all season long. If watering is necessary I just water inside the bucket and it soaks in where it is needed and avoids splashing up the plant reducing the risk of fungal diseases. If you need access to 5 gallon pails check your local Subway or similar--they get their dill pickles in them and will give them to you free or charge very little just to get rid of them.
 
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BoxsterCy

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Sep 14, 2009
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Hostas, ferns and some sort of crazy weed that I spent an hour pulling out yesterday. Whatever the heck it is it's invasive as all get out. Must have pulled/dug out a few hundred of the them.
 

cydnote

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Oct 24, 2023
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Hostas, ferns and some sort of crazy weed that I spent an hour pulling out yesterday. Whatever the heck it is it's invasive as all get out. Must have pulled/dug out a few hundred of the them.
Creeping Charlie or Creeping Jenny? Had it show up this spring and had never seen it before on this place
 

BoxsterCy

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Creeping Charlie or Creeping Jenny? Had it show up this spring and had never seen it before on this place

No, some upright leafy thing. Guess i should photo it and key it out.

I finally got rid of all of the creeping charlie, took years but it is gone. Still have some damn gout weed in my pachysandra bed. I pull it and individually spot spray the leaves but haven't been able to get rid of it, just manage to keep it from taking over.
 

cowgirl836

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Sep 3, 2009
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I've only planted one variety of tomatoes for several years now--Amish Paste. They are a bit later maturing but have a great flavor and work so much better for sauces and salsa then traditional varieties. Since they don't get cross pollinated I save seed and start my own indoors. I plant them out when they are fairly small and cover them with a clear 2 liter diet coke bottle (with the lid and bottom removed), giving them each their own little greenhouse. When that becomes too small for them I remove the bottle and surround them with a bottom removed 5 gallon plastic bucket. This prevent wind desiccation and no need to harden them off. My homemade wooden cages fit directly over the bucket so they remain on all season long. If watering is necessary I just water inside the bucket and it soaks in where it is needed and avoids splashing up the plant reducing the risk of fungal diseases. If you need access to 5 gallon pails check your local Subway or similar--they get their dill pickles in them and will give them to you free or charge very little just to get rid of them.

I could start my tomatoes but I found a local woman about my age who does hundreds of heirloom and local varieties and makes it fun to pick and support her. Had a purple and orange cherry tomato last year. I don't think I've ever done Amish Paste (my mom always did) but I've used Opalka for the past couple years and really love those. I end up with 3-5 varieties to explore.
 
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Ms3r4ISU

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No, some upright leafy thing. Guess i should photo it and key it out.

I finally got rid of all of the creeping charlie, took years but it is gone. Still have some damn gout weed in my pachysandra bed. I pull it and individually spot spray the leaves but haven't been able to get rid of it, just manage to keep it from taking over.
Poison hemlock? I had one last year and thought it was a neat thing until I plant app ID'ed it. No thanks. Pulled, dug it and let it dry in the driveway.
 

cycloner29

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Dec 17, 2008
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Finished putting mine in today. Planted radishes, carrots, red beets, onions, and sugar snap peas a month ago. Been harvesting rhubarb like crazy. Just made nine 1/2 pint jars of rhubarb strawberry syrup last night.

Planted 21 tomato plants five varieties, 30 pepper plants five varieties and two varieties of cucumbers. Except for 8 peppers being put in raised beds, everything is planted in 23’ x 20’ garden. Didn’t even till this spring as I did last fall and it was so dry early on.
 

jsb

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I did my annual trip to the Mennonite Greenhouses in NE Iowa last week and just about got everything planted. It's almost embarrassing how much I plant for how small my yard is. But it's such a good deal....$3.69 for 4 inch geranium pots, $3.49 for petunias, very cheap herbs and vegetables. Hanging baskets that go for $40-50 in Des Moines for $25.
 
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Isualum13

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I planted my seeds on Tuesday. Green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, cucumber, and onion bulbs. Planted the bell peppers, jalapeños, habeneros, and tomatoes today. I would always get a plant or two of Carolina reepers from the greenhouse in town but unfortunately that closed when the lady that ran it died a little over a year ago. I didn't find anywhere else that had them so I'm trying some plants from Amazon.

Cut the big ass tree down in my yard last year that created too much shade so I'm hopeful things will produce better this year.

I did plant a very young white oak tree this spring since I cut one down but tried to place it in a place that once it gets large won't shade the garden too much. But that won't happen for many years and there's a good chance I will move before that is an issue.

I don't have a huge garden but provides enough for me to do a little canning and freezing of the veggies.

Will probably have my yard leveled and hydro seeded thus fall as the massive tree roots really messed up the ground. So at that point Iay rethink the layout of the garden.