The Gardening Ideas and Information Thread

I'd like to make a thread that is strictly for gardening ideas and information. Please post here any innovative, useful, or unique gardening solutions, along with tips, tricks, and techniques for growing the most successful garden. I realize this may have some overlap with the "when are you sowing your garden this year" thread, but I would like to create a one-stop-shop for gardening info, advice, and ideas.

For example, here is a neat idea that could really provide a huge benefit to us in Colorado with a short growing season:
http://www.treehugger.com/green-arch...ear-round.html
http://media.treehugger.com/assets/i...crop-scale.jpg

Here is a snapshot guide to garden insects:
https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/...e5&oe=54109089



A few great books:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160...whomesteadi-20 (1/4 acre farm)
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Canning-...KQEHD62QCYP9FH (Canning and curing guide)
http://www.amazon.com/DIY-Projects-S...KQEHD62QCYP9FH (25 DIY ways to be self-sufficient)
http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Homes...d_bxgy_b_img_z (Basic all-around guide to using your yard effectively for gardening)
http://www.amazon.com/Projects-Build...KQEHD62QCYP9FH (40 DIY projects for self sufficiency)
http://www.amazon.com/Aquaponic-Gard...KQEHD62QCYP9FH (Aquaponic gardening guide)

Other Resources:
Here is a facebook page (if you're into that sort of thing) with lots of neat ideas and good info: https://www.facebook.com/homesteading

Conversation starters:
-What things grow well in Colorado? (especially at 6,000+ ft)
-What plants benefit other plants by keeping bugs away, cross pollination, etc.?
-What plants give a large yield without taking up much space?
-What plants are easy to process or store for long periods of time?
-What plants don't play well with others?
-Etc.

want more peppers?

mix up a diluted solution of Epsom salt and water in a spray bottle and spray it all over the plant when ti starts blooming. colorado soils are notoriously poor in magnesium and the pepper plants will explode with peppers.

Great thread!

when are you sowing your garden is more of a what not to do thread at this point (with some exceptions)

Neem oil will kill or slow down 90% of the insects out there

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnTRourke

want more peppers?

mix up a diluted solution of Epsom salt and water in a spray bottle and spray it all over the plant when ti starts blooming. colorado soils are notoriously poor in magnesium and the pepper plants will explode with peppers.

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We just want peppers. I see a lot of dirt, so far.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnTRourke

want more peppers?

mix up a diluted solution of Epsom salt and water in a spray bottle and spray it all over the plant when ti starts blooming. colorado soils are notoriously poor in magnesium and the pepper plants will explode with peppers.

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What ratios?

Also, in the other thread, Hollohaus alluded to pinching off blossoms on some of his plants to get more fruit. My pepper plant is currently blossoming a lot, but I don't know if I can pick off the flowers. Do the flowers develop into peppers, or will they look like peppers from the get go?

Gardening

CSU Master Gardener Extension office, they will answer questions via e-mail about plants in Colorado.
http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/

Contacts by county.
http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/ask-cmg.shtml

State and Provincial Listings
http://www.extension.org/pages/9925/...ateEMGPrograms

I'll edit this post for more. I know most states have these websites/offices. When contactuing these folks be careful what you tell them. I contacted Arapahoe County, and I had the word "Arizona" in my e-mail and they were pretty quick to refer me to the Arizona Extension office instead of answering my question.

Preserving
I use the Ball Blue Book of Preserving almost exclusively for my canning recipes. It is pretty comprehensive, and has a section in the front all about canning with illustrations. All Ace Hardware Stores should have it in stock if you want one now.

Thanks for the reminder JohnTRourke! Do not forget to refer to the section that shows the Altitude Adjustments.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Irving

What ratios?

Also, in the other thread, Hollohaus alluded to pinching off blossoms on some of his plants to get more fruit. My pepper plant is currently blossoming a lot, but I don't know if I can pick off the flowers. Do the flowers develop into peppers, or will they look like peppers from the get go?

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The flowers will wilt and then start developing into peppers.

On the same token, you need to pick off the sucker branches off of your tomato plants. They are the smaller leaves between a main stalk and a larger branch.


Sent from my tin foil coated mind reading device.

Also inter mix your pepper plants and tomato plants for better production


Sent from my tin foil coated mind reading device.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Irving

Also, in the other thread, Hollohaus alluded to pinching off blossoms on some of his plants to get more fruit. My pepper plant is currently blossoming a lot, but I don't know if I can pick off the flowers. Do the flowers develop into peppers, or will they look like peppers from the get go?

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Pinching off the flowers on tomato plants until they get well established is especially important with determinate varieties. Determinate type tomatoes produce the entire crop in more or less a single harvest during a few weeks near the end of the season. Unlike indeterminate tomatoes that produce fruit throughout the season.

Determinate tomato plants virtually stop putting energy into producing roots and branches as soon as the first fruit forms. The plant's growth basically stops. So if you prevent it from setting fruit for a couple extra weeks by pinching off flowers then your plant will be bigger, stronger and produce more fruit. If you leave the flowers and let fruit form on a small plant early in the season, that plant will stay small all summer.

It isn't as important for indeterminate tomatoes but I personally still like to make sure the plant spends all of it's energy getting roots and branches established before it starts using energy on fruit.

My indeterminate heirloom tomato plants are now almost 6ft tall and will likely grow another foot or two. I started to leave the flowers alone about two weeks ago. These nice big plants will make more tomatoes than I know what to do with. My determinate tomatoes (mostly Romas) are about 5ft tall which is pretty big for the variety.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mindfold

On the same token, you need to pick off the sucker branches off of your tomato plants. They are the smaller leaves between a main stalk and a larger branch.

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Good point.

Thanks for the tips guys.

Here is a recent Wranglerstar video about gardening. Not information packed, but she clearly knows what she is doing. They have a few different garden videos that I feel are worth checking out.

pan full of beer will attract and kill tomato worms.

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

pan full of beer will attract and kill tomato worms.

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I am going to do that .... tonight!

For the pepper experts: I have a Cayenne Pepper plant that has a large pepper on it (~7-8") but it's not ripening. It's been a couple weeks since I've seen any change in size but it hasn't shown any change in color. Another pepper on the same plant has turned a birght red, as it's supposed to do. I planted it next a to Jalapeno plant so is it possible that that flower cross-pollinated and will therefore not turn red?

How about ideas to keep out critters? I had a bunch of bush beans just popping up the last couple days and they're all nibbled down to the ground today. Darn rabbits.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Irving

What ratios?

Also, in the other thread, Hollohaus alluded to pinching off blossoms on some of his plants to get more fruit. My pepper plant is currently blossoming a lot, but I don't know if I can pick off the flowers. Do the flowers develop into peppers, or will they look like peppers from the get go?

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the flowers turn into peppers

a pinch or so, it's not exact enough to matter, you just spray it on the leaves and watch them explode with peppers
truly it's amazing.
it's not adding a dramatic amount of magnesium, but enough.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rbeau30

Preserving
I use the Ball Blue Book of Preserving almost exclusively for my canning recipes. It is pretty comprehensive, and has a section in the front all about canning with illustrations. All Ace Hardware Stores should have it in stock if you want one now.

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make sure you adjust your processing times for altitude (the adjustments are in the book in the back IIRC)

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Originally Posted by JohnTRourke

make sure you adjust your processing times for altitude (the adjustments are in the book in the back IIRC)

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Very good reminder, it is second nature for me to refer to the chart every time. That is why I forgot to mention that. I'll add that to my original post.

fried, braised, grilled, roasted, stewed?

2' fence of chicken wire. or a kid with a pellet gun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

fried, braised, grilled, roasted, stewed?

2' fence of chicken wire. or a kid with a pellet gun.

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Yeah, too bad I can't eat these rabbits.