Author Topic: 2016 Gardening  (Read 9288 times)

Offline greyhoundgirl

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2016 Gardening
« on: April 11, 2016, 06:45:43 AM »
Wow, can't believe we made it till April without starting this thread!

Last fall, I planted and overwintered, new for me.  I planted garlic, kale, spinach, beets, sugar snaps, and leeks, and left the chard growing.  Right now I'm harvesting loads of kale and spinach, the beets (didn't grow a whole lot, but they're ready), and sugar snaps (enough to snack on in garden).

Growing still are the garlic, leeks, radishes (planted by Morgan a few weeks ago), and carrots.  Volunteer tomatoes are up and I have many other plants started under lights inside.  The chard is going bolting and going to seed, which I'll collect because it does so well here.  Hoping to also have volunteer plants of it come up.  Oh, and I also have lettuce planted outside and doing well.

Need to get my green beans in this week, and replant summer squashes.  I have planted the squashes a couple times already and am not sure why, but they have not come up.  Maybe too cool still, though I usually plant them quite early.

So what's going on in your gardens or inside?

Offline Rooney

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2016, 12:29:32 PM »
Wow, sounds like you never even quit for the winter!

We are still going, but just not spending near as much time as we should be with it.  Right now have lots of kale, lettuce, tomatoes, all at a constant harvest state.  Peppers and cucumbers planted, but not ready yet.  Not sure what all else just got planted cause I didn't help with it.  Tilapia on the aquaponics side are about as big as they are gonna get, so we could start eating those anytime I guess. 

Working on making sure the compost tumblers are full and doing their thing inside.  We keep forgetting to add moisture.  Hubs talked to a gardener friend who told us to make sure we added some of the dirt from the beds to them, so hope that helps.

Offline greyhoundgirl

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2016, 12:36:02 PM »
Well, we didn't quit for the winter per se, but there were probably 3 months or so where those planted things were simply slowly growing under the frost blanket.  The plants were still tiny when we took it off, but quickly shot up as the weather warmed.

Offline Proudmama

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2016, 04:06:11 AM »
Well, we had snow all day on Saturday so not much gardening going on here!  😊 Our generally "safe" planting time is after Mother's Day so we often don't put much in until then.  We do have a few lettuce plants in the ground.  They seem ok after the snow, but aren't growing very quickly.  We have had an odd winter and spring.  We had 70 degree temperatures in December and off and on all winter long.  The fluctuation in temperatures has been wild.  It will be 80 on a Monday and be in the 40s by the end of the week.  Some orchards nearby lost their entire peach crop because of the frost last week. I hope the cold is finished and the growing season can recover.

Denise

shedrinkzcoffee

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2016, 01:43:58 PM »
I got my garden in last week and we got the blueberry bush and orange tree planted.  I am starting to get a few sprouts coming up in the rows.. the weeds grow great in between the rows, of course!  LOL

Its been raining here so that has been nice.

I have Meyer lemon seeds sprouting and hope to get a couple trees started.

Offline Cathie

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2016, 06:30:49 AM »
We planted 45 vines last night, 15 more to go. These are Cabernet Vine grapes.   We will plant the rest by this weekend

I want to plant sunflowers - I'm pretty sure I have the seeds

I will buy a tomato plant, herbs

I bought 20 strawberry plants - they need to go in

I have bought 2 fig trees - they need to go in

I need to buy rose bushes to plant by the grape vines

Offline greyhoundgirl

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2016, 09:44:13 AM »
Go Cathie!  You should be eating (and drinking) well before long!  I mean, I'm sure you do already but from your own crops.

It's been 2 or 3 weeks, but we planted out the three blackberry bushes.  Also, about 44 of the 50 strawberry plants I'd ordered.  Earl built me a planter out of pallets inspired by one I'd seen online.  Looks like a manger to me, but with strawberries growing from the sides and top.  The bare root plants have greened up and are doing well. 

Got my beans planted last week before the rain.  A few are poking up and more should be shortly.  I did a small area of bush beans, then we did a pole bean teepee and also an archway made from a 16 foot cattle panel.

Still harvesting kale and spinach.  The first of the Romaine is about ready.  Sugar snaps had to be pulled due to powdery mildew after all the rain, but I planted out a few tomatoes in that spot. 

Planted out some storebought pepper starts last Saturday, too.  I have some homegrown ones but they are still small, so will wait a bit on those.

My biggest garden chore this week has been pulling the weeds from all the "helicopter" seed pods from a tree.  There are thousands of them sprouting up.  I spent a long time yesterday working on them with plenty more to do today.  :(  We're supposed to climb into the 80's this weekend, though, and I don't want those to continue growing.

Oh, fun thing!  Next to my little apple tree, some other plant was coming up.  At first I thought the apple tree had sprouted another plant from the roots, but on closer inspection, the leaves were different.  So I pulled it up, only to find it was a little pecan tree growing from a pecan either a kid or squirrel had put in the bed.  So with roots intact, Earl planted it elsewhere for me.  Hoping it flourishes!

Offline sbdriver

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2016, 05:07:48 PM »
We can't plant anything here till after the long weekend in May lol. Never fails when people plant their flowers cause it's so hot out we get snow  :o As tempting as it is I always wait. I say that as our temps here this week have been as high as 27 which is hot trust me lol
Laurie
Many hands make light work

shedrinkzcoffee

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2016, 06:00:17 PM »
I have some seeds sprouting in the garden.  About 7 of the corn seeds have started, a zucchini is up, I think a watermelon plant is poking through, I see lots of carrots starting, a few tomato plants are coming up and a couple pea plants.  Right now its hard to tell what is a plant and what may be a weed since I started all the seeds in the ground, LOL.  It should become more clear soon.   Everything is in rows but with the rain and some watering, I wonder if some of the seeds shifted and its hard to tell whats what when they are just poking up so thats why I am waiting to pull anything.  This is my experimental year so we'll see what happens this year and go from there for next year.

I do have the Meyer lemon seeds that have sprouted so I am going to get them in pots soon.  I have 5 or 6 seeds that I will plant.  If they all come up and do well, I will plant a couple and give a couple to my inlaws and a couple to friends.

Today, I bought a couple tomatillo plants at Home Depot and put them in the ground. We got a thornless raspberry bush and I'm deciding where to put it.  Not sure if I should plant it or put it in a large pot.  It will get to be about 3x3. 

My blueberry bush has quite a few berries on it.  Its a VERY small plant but there is a good amount on it and I am hoping that it grows more now that its in the ground and as room to expand.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2016, 06:01:08 PM by shedrinkzcoffee »

Offline Cheryl

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2016, 06:51:33 AM »
If the rain holds off we will be planting some today.  We have tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and peppers ready to go in the ground.  We will plant the pole beans, peas, and okra too.

I've got cabbage, 3 varieties of lettuce, onions, and garlic planted.  Last fall we planted cabbage, broccoli, and collards.  They did great all winter.  The broccoli kept producing after I cut it and we were able to get quite a bit more from it.  My cabbages made smaller heads after being cut, so we got 2 crops of those.  The collards lasted all winter.  We finally mowed them down because they were beginning to bolt.

We've added 2 plum trees, gooseberry, a goji berry, and more raspberries to the fruits we already have.  I need another cherry tree but am having trouble finding one.  My peach trees are loaded with little peaches and my strawberries are coming along.  The thornless blackberries are spreading.  I have a grape vine that is doing well and have 2 different muscadines.  I'm hoping to get a lot of blueberries this year too.

Herbs - I replaced my sage that I had for a long time.  I have a few chives, but they're not looking so great.  I've bought basil, oregano, parsley, and dill.  I also grow lemon balm, lemon thyme, mint, catnip, yarrow, and tansy. 

Cheryl in Alabama
Wife to Tony
Mother to Lana & Emily
Nana to Logan & Madilyn

shedrinkzcoffee

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2016, 01:15:33 PM »
Its raining!  A lot! 

Garden is getting free water  ;)

Offline greyhoundgirl

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2016, 06:24:24 AM »
I've weeded on four days the past few days, and finally have most of the seed pod sprouts up.  I'm sure there will be more out there today, though.

Earl hooked a hose to one of our rain barrels so I was able to water with that yesterday, mainly areas where I planted more seeds on Saturday, but also some of the other plants.  We'll set our totes out to catch the predicted rain tomorrow and then use buckets to refill the rain barrel I took out of.  One of these days, if there is extra money, we'll get it all set up to automatically fill the barrels, but we have to install gutters first.

Offline MissMandy

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2016, 06:47:57 AM »
Garlic is still going strong, and yesterday I put in herbs on the deck (cilantro, 'Red Freddy' basil, Apple Mint, dill, and rosemary) and marigolds around the perimeter of the square foot garden.  I also put in some freesia and gladiolus bulbs in the front yard.

Mandy
Mandy, wife to Jean, furmama to Irish Wolfhound Grimmauld (Grimm), living in the mountains of Virginia.  Childless by circumstance and loving it! ♥

Offline greyhoundgirl

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2016, 06:11:53 AM »
The spinach and kale are now mostly pulled up and fed to the chickens and ducks.  Just a few more kale plants to go.  They were turning bitter from bolting.

I planted the new cherry tree last week, where the previous one was.  :/

Last week, I planted out my tomato starts that survived the cat upset, as well as more basil seeds and some fresh cucumber seeds I just purchased.  My others mostly did not come up so I decided to get newer seed and replant.  Those are up now.

Yesterday, I planted the rest of the peppers I'd started from seed.  They weren't doing well in their flats, so despite being tiny, I felt it was best to put them out.  Also planted another 3 tomato plants I'd bought, along with 2 eggplant plants and some verbena and chives in the herb and flower garden.  Got my tomato plants caged (those that need it) as well.  Between the volunteers and what I've purposely planted, I think I'm up to about 30 tomato plants--more than I intended, anyway!

Oh, and corn is up!  This is an early variety and I'm going to scout out where I might tuck a later variety as well.

shedrinkzcoffee

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Re: 2016 Gardening
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2016, 11:24:43 AM »
Our garden is also coming along nicely.  Zucchini, yellow squash, pumpkin, watermelon, corn, green beans, carrots, peas, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, tomatillo and artichokes are all up and doing well.  Some are slower starting than the others but I am pleased overall. 

We planted all of the new fruit trees this weekend so now we have orange, plum, peach, pomegranate, Fuji apple, Gala apple and fig.  Looking forward to watching them grow and hopefully getting lots of fruit.

The Meyer lemon seed that I started are doing well too.  I have 7 started.  I'll keep several and give a few away.