Gardeners in the Asylum

[SvilleKid]

Woke up early this morning, couldn't go back to sleep. Nice outside, and rain was expected later in the day, so I went ahead and did some more gardening. I've now added new (red) potatoes, pink-eye purple-hull peas, butterpeas, rattlesnake green beans (just enough for fresh - I have plenty canned from 2011), cucumbers (for pickling), Squash, Zucchini, sweet corn (again, just enough for fresh - plenty still in freezer) and okra. I have some sweet potatoes to plant in next several days, but still have about 1/3 of space available. I need some ideas! NOT going to plant cabbage or lettuce (just not cost effective, and no good way to preserve). We don't care for turnip greens, mustard or Kale, and it's really too late to plant spinach. If I can find seeds, I might consider a mound of spaghetti squash. I'd love to plant multiplying (or bunching) onions, but I haven't found them locally anywhere in last 5 years. Bulb onions also not cost efficient (can buy cheaper than I can grow). If nothing else, I guess I can plant watermelon and cantaloupe. Those take up lots of room. Only problem, when they get ready, they get ready at same time, and no good way to preserve them. Will entertain suggestions.

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Will entertain suggestions.

Stagger plant some corn every two weeks? That way you can have fresh off the stalk for a long time. I do this because every year we wait too long and miss the best picking time.

[smitty81]

If you like sweet potatoes what about some squash bro? good stuff

How about some eggplant too, awesome breaded and fryed

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by smitty81

If you like sweet potatoes what about some squash bro? good stuff

How about some eggplant too, awesome breaded and fryed

Got squash already planted. I enjoy eggplant, but I'm the only one, so it doesn't pay to grow something that I'm the only one eating! Although, I think I'll look for the japanese variety and plant a plant or two (my elderly mom really likes egg plant, and I found out this morning that she's not going to try gardening this year.

[smitty81]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Got squash already planted. I enjoy eggplant, but I'm the only one, so it doesn't pay to grow something that I'm the only one eating! Although, I think I'll look for the japanese variety and plant a plant or two (my elderly mom really likes egg plant, and I found out this morning that she's not going to try gardening this year.

good on you for thinking of your mom like that

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by smitty81

good on you for thinking of your mom like that

She really likes to use eggplant in lasagna. She will fry it occasionally, but uses it more in dishes as replacement for pasta. I bet if I bring her the eggplant, she will drop some of it back on me in the form of completed dishes!!!

[smitty81]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

She really likes to use eggplant in lasagna. She will fry it occasionally, but uses it more in dishes as replacement for pasta. I bet if I bring her the eggplant, she will drop some of it back on me in the form of completed dishes!!!

More than likely.
Better drop off some stuff for a pie while your at it and see how that pans out...lol

[SvilleKid]

We don't seem to be getting much action in this thread, despite the fact that planting time is upon us! Should we go back to a "yearly" title thread??

In the mean time, I picked up some Rutgers tomato plants today, plus two types of watermelon seeds and some cantaloupe seeds. We've had rain for the last 20 hours or so, and the garden is too soft to walk into. However, I should be able to get the rest of the purchases planted tomorrow. That will also give me time to look further for eggplant plants. After that, who knows. Depends on the garden space I have left.

I can't wait to get back and start getting my garden together. The compost will be well done and ready to top off the boxes. My wife sprained her back so she has not been gardening. We never need half the stuff we grow, anyway.

[mkarnold1]

I picked up some asparagus seeds, never planted it before. Any tips?

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by mkarnold1

I picked up some asparagus seeds, never planted it before. Any tips?

I'd be interested in hearing how these do (seed form). I've only dealt with "crowns" when I've planted in the past. I'd assume the seeds would have a two year harvest restriction. With one year old crowns, you don't harvest the first year crop, and harvest only about half the second year spears. You can buy 2nd year crowns that are supposed to be harvest ready the first year. But I've heard, over a long time, 2nd year crowns yield less than planting first year crowns.

For seeds, I'd think you'd have a two,
probably three year wait for a good harvest.

[shilala]

I'm going to put the plant stand together tonight so we can get our seeds started.
If I don't, I risk falling way behind.

Cliff, staggering starting times is best for holding your plants back. Your growing season is longer, but if it gets too hot and dry, you might need some shadecloth or something to keep the melons from scorching.
The only thing I don't stagger is tomatoes and corn. I use different varieties that bear at different times. It seems to work a lot better because we have such a short season. If the corn kernels don't start well, it's all over. No second chances.

I'm with you on the "yearly thread thing", too. I tried talking Lance into it when he was making this thread but I was a second too late.

[Chainsaw13]

Cleaned up the planting beds, got all the weeds out. Now to get some more top spoil and manure and I'll be all set to plant next month. We've had such warm temps here it's tempting to plant now, but we're due for a spring frost at some point. Don't need to kill off the plants.

Redid my rain barrell, moving it to the other end of the garage, closer to the beds. I plan to fashion some type of automated watering system. Just need to start planning it out.

Well, I planted seeds indoor for celery, oregano, basil, three types of tomatoes, jalepenos, habaneros, bellpeppers, tomatillos, and tobacco. After three weeks I have one celery, three tomato, one basil, two oregano, one tomatillo, and three tobacco (one of them is named Shilala). I see no signs of life from any of the chili based plants. I am both overjoyed and concerned over these results simultaneously. Perhaps it's the freak weather?

I'm looking to mends the earth in the backyard, somehow, before planting. After I do that, I will sew some other plants directly into the ground.

[Blak Smyth]

I greww mint and lavendar last year. Going to try my hand at a little tobacco this year.
Working on planting some Forsythia today.

Originally Posted by Blak Smyth

I greww mint and lavendar last year. Going to try my hand at a little tobacco this year.
Working on planting some Forsythia today.

Then you will have mint again this year. Mint sends shoots off everywhere and comes back like the living dead. It's a fitting plant for ZOTL's...

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by mariogolbee

Then you will have mint again this year. Mint sends shoots off everywhere and comes back like the living dead. It's a fitting plant for ZOTL's...

You got that right!!!!!! Not as bad as ivy or kudzu, but it will survive even a shot to the head

[Blak Smyth]

Originally Posted by mariogolbee

Then you will have mint again this year. Mint sends shoots off everywhere and comes back like the living dead. It's a fitting plant for ZOTL's...

Yah I have had it for two years now, I have almost all of it gone finally.
I laid down fabric, luckily it was in a planter bed surrounded by concrete.

[SvilleKid]

Scott, I'm going to try a two week stagger on the melons. My main concern isn't the heat, it stem boring wasps that attack the squash and zucchini later in summer. I'm not sure how the melon vines will hold up. And with the lack of an extended hard freeze this past winter, we already are swamped with gnats, skeeters and other flying pests. I'm afraid I'm I'm for a much heavier workload this garden, just keeping the pests at bay!

Regardless, I planted the Rutgers tomatoes, squash, sweet taters, cantaloupes and watermelon this morning. I left room to plans 3-4 mounds of watermelons in two weeks. I'm still planning on eggplant if I find a flat of starter plants.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Scott, I'm going to try a two week stagger on the melons. My main concern isn't the heat, it stem boring wasps that attack the squash and zucchini later in summer. I'm not sure how the melon vines will hold up. And with the lack of an extended hard freeze this past winter, we already are swamped with gnats, skeeters and other flying pests. I'm afraid I'm I'm for a much heavier workload this garden, just keeping the pests at bay!

Regardless, I planted the Rutgers tomatoes, squash, sweet taters, cantaloupes and watermelon this morning. I left room to plans 3-4 mounds of watermelons in two weeks. I'm still planning on eggplant if I find a flat of starter plants.

Cliff, I have a mosquito zapper machine that kills all sorts of flying critters that invade the garden. It works incredibly well. I'll try to find a link...
Here it is.
It's a Mega-Catch. It helps to stop the cycle by whacking parents before they lay eggs.
Aside from that, Liquid Sevin works charms. I mix it 1/4 strength and use the backpack sprayer. I do it every other week or as needed, as minimally as possible. It's as decent a pest control system as I've ever used and it's very safe.
You absolutely MUST be proactive to control bugs. Once they have a foothold, you're out of luck. Same goes with fungus. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You already called it, too. This year is going to be sheer hell. Without a proactive plan in place, it'll all be over before I get started.