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What’s growing - 2025 Garden Thread

cowgirl836 said:
Veggie garden is in as of yesterday....minus cilantro that I want to go add. I don't even know how many annuals I've planted. It's a lot. Probably pushing 1000 or more so I expect a nice cutting flower garden later this year. Radishes, spinach, and arugula are strong right now though I expect the arugula to bolt over the next 48. Then I'll pull and start lettuce or heat tolerant spinach.

I was very sad to find that hydrangea cane borers (new to me!) and done a ******* number on my beloved hydrangea bushes probably over the past couple years. Roses too. So now I need to watch that very closely. Found some in our raspberry canes as well. And have SVB took out my zucchini last year, this year I'm watching growing degree units to start wiping stems, did 4 instead of 2 plants, and I added 4 trombocino squash that are more resistant. I'll end of with nothing or enough squash to mail you all 20lbs.
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Hi I want to note that 4 squash was too many. I gave 200lbs of trombocino squash and tomatoes to the food pantry last year. Gave away another red wagon full. And I did save my zucchini from the ******* svb but it was intense. Trombocino is fine.i did indeed have a hell of a flower garden. Also did well with 1st time onions.
 
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Kinch said:
I have never transplanted corn. Corn likes direct plant in my experience. You need to plant more than 20. I tried around 8x4 raised bed that had around 30 plants and there wasn’t enough pollination to make full ears. Maybe someone on CF has a recommendation for minimum size.I avoid peaches and crap, and go with something more sugar content. Johnnys seeds has a good selection. Our seed dealer Iowa Missouri Seeds sells some of the best sweet corn I have ever tried. But that is two hours away from you. That is awesome and wish you and your grandson the best.
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It's possible that weather (too hot?) during pollination or insects feeding on silks or some other environmental factor could have led to poor pollination because a single volunteer plant in the midst of a bean field can produce a full ear under ideal conditions
 
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cydnote said:
I laughed when my brother who moved to LA told me that the garden centers there sold 6 packs of started corn plants (from the view of an Iowa corn farmer), but if you and your grandson would enjoy the experience, why not? Also, not entirely necessary, but beneficial to plant 4 rows of 5 than one row of twenty for pollination purposes. No comment on variety as that's a preference thing. Good on you for exposing the youngster to this endeavor!
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Thanks , quite honestly the only reason I thought about starting some inside is to have him watch them emergence more closely. And, possibly be the first ones in the neighborhood to eat local corn. Not expecting much true agronomic advantage just wanted to make sure it's feasible. We do start a lot of other things indoors like tomatoes, kolrabi, etc.

Speaking of Tomatoes if you're looking for a hardly indeterminate variety in Iowa, give Rutgers a look. Old commercial variety sold at Earl May. I recruited a tomato breeder role for a vegetable seed company a few years ago and started asking for variety recommendations. Rutgers came up a lot.
 
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intrepid27 said:
Thanks , quite honestly the only reason I thought about starting some inside is to have him watch them emergence more closely. And, possibly be the first ones in the neighborhood to eat local corn. Not expecting much true agronomic advantage just wanted to make sure it's feasible. We do start a lot of other things indoors like tomatoes, kolrabi, etc.

Speaking of Tomatoes if you're looking for a hardly indeterminate variety in Iowa, give Rutgers a look. Old commercial variety sold at Earl May. I recruited a tomato breeder role for a vegetable seed company a few years ago and started asking for variety recommendations. Rutgers came up a lot.
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Just a Cydnote:
I still have a gold (colored) wristwatch that I won for writing a paper on "How corn roots affect corn yields". Our Voc Ag teacher made it a requirement that we enter the contest I believe sponsored by the Corn Growers Assoc. back in the early '70's and I came in 1st in the regional. I don't have a copy of the paper but would guess it would be a fun read today. If I had it to do over I shoulda woulda coulda changed my major to Agronomy after failing to get into Vet school and getting my BS in animal science. My intent was to come back to the farm but I've always enjoyed growing things and interacting with Mother Nature.
 
We starting seeds yet? I start tomatoes peppers and melons but AI is telling me to wait, I usually can get in the ground by May 1st
 
intrepid27 said:
I garden with my 13 YO grandson. This year he wants to grow sweet corn which we have not done before. Looking for any suggestions on good varieties (live in Cedar Rapids). Prefer something fairly early and hardy.
Also, does anyone have any experience starting it inside and then transplanting? We probably only have room for 20 plants do it would not be a hassle.
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corn needs wind and numbers for full good pollination... you could learn about chute bagging and self pollinate it only 20.. northern growers will do some sweet corn transplants. they want that july 4th market. expensive to do on large scale compared to direct seed. but do able
 
iowastatefan1929 said:
We starting seeds yet? I start tomatoes peppers and melons but AI is telling me to wait, I usually can get in the ground by May 1st
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no, i will start Watermelons middle of march for early may transplants in southern illinois. peppers and tomatoes the week after
 
Busy Sunday for us. Planted carrots, onions, lettuce, potatoes, and transplanted our haskap bushes.

Prepped our pepper and tomato area as well. Hoping we actually get a decent yield this year

IMG_3099EBF9-30AD-4E4E-A20B-9564A99FCB47.jpeg
 
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NWICY said:
Layer of straw?
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Cardboard, then straw on top. Had a massive weed issue last year. Researched everything possible. This was the best option I had found for using straw as a mulch

Edit-the big straw section is where we will plant tomatoes/peppers next month. Covered it to kill weeds/grass now
 
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Going to try some raspberries this year. Picked up a few plants at Lowe's yesterday. 2nd year trying them, they never did anything last year (different variety from different retailer). Any tips are welcome as I really don't want to throw my money away for a second year
 
Cyinthenorth said:
Going to try some raspberries this year. Picked up a few plants at Lowe's yesterday. 2nd year trying them, they never did anything last year (different variety from different retailer). Any tips are welcome as I really don't want to throw my money away for a second year
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wait wait wait, where is your raspberries from last year, those should be popping back up?
 
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I've always enjoyed gardening but have really scaled back the last few years. My wife developed a tough case of gastroparesis and can no longer enjoy most of what I harvest. Our "fruit room" is still fairly well stocked from last year's excess, so some things won't be planted this year. Potatoes are in the ground and spinach will follow as soon as conditions allow. I've germinated the tomatoes (moist paper towel in a ziploc bag) and will be potted up today. Intend on planting around a dozen with the intent to share. I'll plant too many green beans in a week or so--not so much for myself but to share with friends who can no longer garden as in years past. No longer make salsa so it's been easier to grab onions at Fairway as it's newer been my forte to grow them and even less so to store them. Some things are always better fresh from the garden but onions don't seem that way to me. The economics of growing bell peppers comes into play for no more than I consume--$4.50 for a plant or a buck a piece in the store.
Cynote: I've had excellent luck saving seed when my spinach has bolted and using it to plant a fall crop
Hope everyone has a bountiful harvest!
 
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Cyinthenorth said:
Going to try some raspberries this year. Picked up a few plants at Lowe's yesterday. 2nd year trying them, they never did anything last year (different variety from different retailer). Any tips are welcome as I really don't want to throw my money away for a second year
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they don't do much 1st year (or 2nd tbh). Do you see growth coming out of where you planted them last year? What variety did you get last year and this?

Source: planted 12 plants about 6 years ago and now have way more raspberries than we can eat
 
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Cyinthenorth said:
Going to try some raspberries this year. Picked up a few plants at Lowe's yesterday. 2nd year trying them, they never did anything last year (different variety from different retailer). Any tips are welcome as I really don't want to throw my money away for a second year
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My Dad always picked black rasberries with a long sleeve shirt and a very sahllow pail, as to not crush the rasberies on the bottom with the weight of the rasberries on top. The brown thrushes used to love nesting in the rasberry patch.
 
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