when are you sowing your garden this year?

[HoneyBadger]

Time to build a greenhouse or move to state that actually has a good climate for growing stuff.

[ChunkyMonkey]

so the noobs have all given up?

[rbeau30]

so the noobs have all given up?

Naaa... I'm determined to figure this out.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Naaa... I'm determined to figure this out.

Glad I am not alone lol


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[Dave]

so the noobs have all given up?

Not yet. Just having seen my mom's garden growing up in Michigan vs. trying to grow stuff here it's a frustrating difference.

[HoneyBadger]

so the noobs have all given up?

Nope, I'm still in! My bean sprouts are about 4 inches tall now.

Edit: It seems that I am MONTHS behind hollohas. I guess I should have started everything inside and transplanted it. I won't have any veggies until August at this rate...

[cofi]

Nope, I'm still in! My bean sprouts are about 4 inches tall now.

Edit: It seems that I am MONTHS behind hollohas. I guess I should have started everything inside and transplanted it. I won't have any veggies until August at this rate...

US too everything's only got a few leaves on em

Next year were going to start inside and run hoops

[hollohas]

Next year were going to start inside and run hoops

I guess I should have started everything inside and transplanted it. I won't have any veggies until August at this rate...

The first time I started seeds inside I made a mistake and the plants didn't grow strong. I mounted the lights much too high. I've found that the most important thing is to keep the lights mere inches (1-2) above the plants. But not everything transplants well. Tomatoes, peppers, celery, onions, strawberries and herbs are what I start inside. Some people start lettuce, cucumbers, squash and beans inside but they grow fast enough I don't see the point in starting them inside. I had two zucchini plants last year and they produced twice as much as I could eat, so no need to start them early. Spaghetti squash? I had two plants and I still have 4 squash in the basement that need to be eaten...they were direct sowed outside last year. But that's one reason I LOVE winter squash...they last through the winter and spring in the cool basement. Something that's very important if food supplies were short.

Also, carrots do not transplant well at all...it makes them not grow straight for some reason.

I am still experimenting. I have a pretty small yard so I'm working on some methods for small spaces. This is my second year with a real garden of my own but my Dad kept a very large garden when I was growing up that I spent some time in and that has helped wonders. I hope to pass that on to my kiddos too.

[rbeau30]

I had two plants and I still have 4 squash in the basement that need to be eaten...they were direct sowed outside last year. But that's one reason I LOVE winter squash...they last through the winter and spring in the cool basement. Something that's very important if food supplies were short.

Do you have a thermometer in your basement? I have storage areas in my basement where I have the space to keep things like this. I can always can it, but fresh is nice too.

I think it stays pretty cool.

[hollohas]

Garden is doing well and coming back strong from the earlier storms.

I have been eating radishes and lettuce every day for a week. Tomatoes are very strong. I have been pinching off the suckers and every flower so they spend their energy growing strong roots and branches. I did this last year and although it delays a harvest for a couple weeks, my tomatoes last year were a good 6ft tall and grew TONS of fruit so it's a good investment in the future.

Sugar Snap peas are a good 5ft tall and I expect to be harvesting peas in a week. Corn is 4in tall and growing. Carrots, beats, herbs, squash, melons, celery, onions are all still small but growing. Strawberry plants are getting big. I'm not sure if they are the single harvest variety or if they are the kind that produce throughout the summer so that will be a surprise. Pepper plants are still a little on the small side. Next year I will make sure to start them inside as usual, but a few weeks earlier.

Pole beans had a terrible germination rate. Maybe 5%. I re-sowed them a week ago also adding some bush beans that I know are from good stock. The bush beans are already germinated but I still have yet to see any new pole bean plants sprout. I think I got a bad batch of seeds. I also sowed additional carrot seeds all throughout my tomato beds. Apparently the two plants are mutually beneficial. I'll report on how that works this fall.

I got potatoes planted late, in boxes, and will report on those later.

For the above posts concerning keeping the plants protected, I always start my plants outside under hoops and plastic. I uncover them throughout the day once the weather warms but this year I got hit with the storms like everyone else because I left them uncovered while I was at work. After the damage I decided I would keep them covered even during the day until the threat of storms passes. I use PVC hoops and 5mil plastic making a tunnel. To keep them protected from above but not over heating during the day I just open the ends of the "tunnel". When I am home I uncover them completely so they get the full sun but I leave the plastic attached and rolled on the side so I can quickly run outside and get them covered if the hail starts flying.


I will post pics later today on the setup.