Garden Thread - 2021

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  • Slackdaddy

    My pronouns: Iva/Bigun
    Jan 1, 2019
    5,851
    It has been 20 years since we dabbled in gardening, but we have a good 1/2 acre of land in which to do it now. And we are here long term.

    And wisdom or ideas?
     

    Growler215

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 30, 2020
    2,172
    SOMD
    When we first moved to MD I didn't have much luck with growing summer squash/zucchini. The hot humid summers produced an insect population which killed off the plants soon after they reached maturity. Then I learned about the mochata family of squash, specifically Tromboncino, and haven't had any trouble since. I grow it on a trellis made from a cattle panel. We eat the small immature squash as summer squash and let some squash mature for winter squash and seed for next year. Excess goes to the cow and chickens. Note: the trellis is to keep it from sprawling and taking over the rest of the garden. If it sprawls on the ground it sends down new roots at the nodes and spreads rampantly.

    I have a large asparagus patch which is very productive. I harvest half for a few months then switch and harvest the other half.

    I also planted some semi-dwarf fruit trees. Most productive so far have been peaches and asian pears.

    The point of bringing up the asparagus and fruit trees is that it takes 3 years to get a full harvest from asparagus and longer for the fruit trees, but produces a lot with minimal effort after the first years labor.
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    Not a farmer or even a gardener but wife likes to dabble a bit. Is it too early to start this stuff inside? I SERIOUSLY doubt she can transplant radishes. :D
     

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    Growler215

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 30, 2020
    2,172
    SOMD
    Not a farmer or even a gardener but wife likes to dabble a bit. Is it too early to start this stuff inside? I SERIOUSLY doubt she can transplant radishes. :D

    Dont know what to tell you about the radishes. They grow so fast I've always just direct sown them. Maybe she's growing them as a pest prevention crop and wants them big enough to do that as soon as she puts them out? I've used Icicle radishes for that when growing melons. Afaik they can be transplanted but won't do much the first couple of weeks after being put out.

    Maybe not too early for peppers - they're usually started 2-3 months before last frost date. That's around mid April where I am.

    Only thing I've started so far is onions (from seed). Peppers are next though.
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    Dont know what to tell you about the radishes. They grow so fast I've always just direct sown them. Maybe she's growing them as a pest prevention crop and wants them big enough to do that as soon as she puts them out? I've used Icicle radishes for that when growing melons. Afaik they can be transplanted but won't do much the first couple of weeks after being put out.

    Maybe not too early for peppers - they're usually started 2-3 months before last frost date. That's around mid April where I am.

    Only thing I've started so far is onions (from seed). Peppers are next though.

    I do most the cooking. Peppers and tomatoes are invaluable to me, most anything else is trash. :o
     

    Growler215

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 30, 2020
    2,172
    SOMD
    What, no onions and garlic? I couldn't cook without those.

    Actually I do most of the cooking too since I'm retired and the wife still works full time.

    But we eat (and I grow) lots of different stuff. I don't grow shelling peas - seems like too much work for too little food. So post SHTF we will just have to do without. We'll still have snow peas and sugar snaps.

    And one year I grew sweet potatoes and had a huge harvest, but no one wanted to eat them. So I won't be doing that again unless maybe we decide to raise a pig.
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    What, no onions and garlic? I couldn't cook without those.

    Actually I do most of the cooking too since I'm retired and the wife still works full time.

    But we eat (and I grow) lots of different stuff. I don't grow shelling peas - seems like too much work for too little food. So post SHTF we will just have to do without. We'll still have snow peas and sugar snaps.

    And one year I grew sweet potatoes and had a huge harvest, but no one wanted to eat them. So I won't be doing that again unless maybe we decide to raise a pig.

    Sweet or Vidalia onions and mushrooms are cheap enough to buy. :) I use a LOT of tomatoes and some pepper in my chili so if that's all she plants and it grows it's a win. Garlic keeps both vampires and me away unless used in moderation.
     

    mmerz914

    Member
    Aug 10, 2020
    7
    What, no onions and garlic? I couldn't cook without those.

    Actually I do most of the cooking too since I'm retired and the wife still works full time.

    But we eat (and I grow) lots of different stuff. I don't grow shelling peas - seems like too much work for too little food. So post SHTF we will just have to do without. We'll still have snow peas and sugar snaps.

    And one year I grew sweet potatoes and had a huge harvest, but no one wanted to eat them. So I won't be doing that again unless maybe we decide to raise a pig.

    I've always suspected shelling peas to be more work than what they're worth but I'm giving it a go anyway.

    Garlic is in the beds now. Will be planting radish, peas, turnips, beets, lettuce, carrots and other greens in the spring. Starting tomatoes and peppers indoors in another month or so. Will have a full 4x8 bed each of potatoes and onions. Can't wait.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    Whats the early crops everyone plants? Sugar snap peas is all I am thinking right now.

    I won't be dropping seeds into trays until 3/1. Tomatoes, A bunch of Amish paste and green peppers
     
    In the front yard built 6 raised 8" beds 7 of them 4x8ft that we regularly rotate butternut/acorn squash, jalapenos, eggplant, zucchini, sunflowers, carrots. Everything but carrots and sunflowers we tend to get as seedlings later in the season, no room or time to start them indoors. We have one 1/2 bed (4x4ft) that's just strawberries and lavender. I've started planting a couple of flowers here and there to help attract pollinators as well as I think they're just pretty.

    In the back yard we have an Asian pear, fuyu persimmon and 2 fig trees. Besides winter pruning, figs take care of themselves for the most part and produce really well. The pear and persimmon are self-pollinating and the hardest part is keeping the squirrels out. Got a sling shot to entertain myself trying to deter them but I can't catch them enough to save anything for long. They tend to go after the fruit in the summer when water is scarce. It's a fun and occasionally delicious hobby on my 1/4 acre just outside DC.
     

    Pushrod

    Master Blaster
    Aug 8, 2007
    2,979
    WV High Country
    I tried to order seeds from my normal goto: Johnny's Seeds, and at this time they are not selling to non-commercial customers due to seed shortages. :(
     

    CharlieFoxtrot

    ,
    Industry Partner
    Sep 30, 2007
    2,527
    Foothills of Appalachia
    Started bell peppers and leeks yesterday indoors. Also did two mortgage lifter tomatoes. It’s about a month earlier than I usually start tomatoes but what the heck I figured I’d try for an early tomato this year.
     

    Growler215

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 30, 2020
    2,172
    SOMD
    Whats the early crops everyone plants? Sugar snap peas is all I am thinking right now.

    I won't be dropping seeds into trays until 3/1. Tomatoes, A bunch of Amish paste and green peppers

    I plant (or plant out) onions, spinach, broccoli, and snow peas before the last frost.
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    I tried to order seeds from my normal goto: Johnny's Seeds, and at this time they are not selling to non-commercial customers due to seed shortages. :(

    Good subject... seeds. Are all seeds created equally or are some better than others or even last years crop seeds?
     

    Growler215

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 30, 2020
    2,172
    SOMD
    Good subject... seeds. Are all seeds created equally or are some better than others or even last years crop seeds?

    I don't think they are all the same.

    To me the best seeds are saved seeds if you were happy with the crop. Over time this can give you a "landrace" strain that is especially adapted/suited to your specific climate and land. Most important thing if saving seeds is to always save seeds from your best plants, not the last ones to mature.

    They say not to save seeds from hybrids but some sold as hybrids may not be. I've had good luck with tomato seeds saved from hybrids.
     

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