let's talk dirt...

decides2dream · March 2009

in the garden!

since we seemed to turn justam's avatar thread into a gardening thread, let's move the convo here and discuss anything and everything desired about gardening, plants, flowers....what you love, tips and tricks....whatever!

living in zone 7, not quite temperate enough here to start digging in the dirt, yet. my daffodils and muscari are bursting to bloom - i've given up on tulips b/c the squirrels just love them TOO much and i end up with beheaded tulips that are far more befitting the adams family garden. :P

anxiously awaiting may 15th when i can plant up all my flower boxes, pots, hanging baskets....put some extra shots of color in the garden....and start our veggie garden! LOVE the fresh produce we get bureid in at the end of the summer....and most especially all the yummy things hubby makes with the bounty!

for a good tip:
in containers and the like:
for really large containers, i add crushed soda cans at the bottom to take up space, use less soil and keep em lighter. also, i swear by hydromats - which i purchase the gardener's supply catalog - that 'hold on' to extra water so you water less, and your plants don't dry out and stay healthy!

QuarterToTen · March 2009

i can't wait to get my hands in the dirt, my tomato plants in the ground.

come August i have more than i know what to do with.

leaf compost is my secret weapon to ensure huge plants and fruits.

i love spring.

Cinnamon Girl · March 2009

Starting my first ever veggie garden this spring!!

I've got onions started in my window and I'm going to start some lettuce soon.

I moved into a nice country house with a totally bare yard...about half an acre. So I'm starting from scratch.

I love english cottage gardens (since that's what my mom had) so thats my goal. (I think I'm zone 5...I should probably know that.

)

YAY SPRING!!

libragirl · March 2009

ah, what a let down..I thought this was about talking shit.

decides2dream · March 2009

sorry libragirl....

quarter - i KNOW! come august i am hauling cucumbers and zucchini to work and passing em out like candy. it'd ridiculous. and i eat a TON of cucumbers, hubby makes this awesome thai cucumber salad that i adore, so i practically live on it for lunch daily during the summer, and STILL have too many cucumbers. tomatoes never get given away......can never have too many for fresh salsa and my hubby's fantastic sauce. freeze it up and lasts half the year. leaf mulch is awesome. we do the same as well. also given that we have about 10 trees on our plot, lots of other deciduous trees about...the earthworms LOVE our garden.

cinngirl - congrats! what fun! and what expense! :P hahaha. i've spent a small fortune on our yard/garden and don't have nearly as much property as you. we have quite a good sized yard by middle-class long island standards b/c space, and home prices are a premium! ENJOY! and share all your accomplishments!

libragirl · March 2009

I want to plant some tomato plants. I have some strawberry bushes and Im looking forward to them coming in..they spread so much. Im gonna have a bunch tis year

decides2dream · March 2009

libragirl wrote:

I want to plant some tomato plants. I have some strawberry bushes and Im looking forward to them coming in..they spread so much. Im gonna have a bunch tis year

what do you do to keep the birds off your strawberries? i've given up on all berry growing, sadly, b/c i LOVE berries and eat a TON....but i find *just* when anything is near ripe...the birds swipe em. :( i've tried netting, but it's such a pain in the ass....

Steve Dunne · March 2009

any thoughts on that upside down hanging tomato plant commercial??? i actually saw it in walmart for about $10.

decides2dream · March 2009

Steve Dunne wrote:

any thoughts on that upside down hanging tomato plant commercial??? i actually saw it in walmart for about $10.

i've never seen the commerical but i've seen em in my gardening catalogs. i think it's a cool idea. cut down on disease/bugs, and probably easier to harvest. altho i do wonder how big a plant you can get b/c you are limiting it's root growth. our tomatoes grow like weeds. visually, i think it's hideous tho. :P hahahaha. i asked hubby about it, he's not interested...just wants to grow em the old-fashioned way. but i would be curious to know how well it does.

libragirl · March 2009

decides2dream wrote:

libragirl wrote:

I want to plant some tomato plants. I have some strawberry bushes and Im looking forward to them coming in..they spread so much. Im gonna have a bunch tis year

what do you do to keep the birds off your strawberries? i've given up on all berry growing, sadly, b/c i LOVE berries and eat a TON....but i find *just* when anything is near ripe...the birds swipe em. :( i've tried netting, but it's such a pain in the ass....

yeah I had the same problem..I put this wire fencing around it and it seemed to help.

blackredyellow · March 2009

I'm excited too...

We moved into a new house in november, so we are playing the wait and see game with some of the little flower gardens that are around the front walk and the back yard. We really have no idea what is planted, so we thought we'd let whatever comes up this spring grow and go from there.

I do want to plant a small garden though with some tomatoes, zucchini and peppers.... yummy...

decides2dream · March 2009

blackredyellow wrote:

I'm excited too...

We moved into a new house in november, so we are playing the wait and see game with some of the little flower gardens that are around the front walk and the back yard. We really have no idea what is planted, so we thought we'd let whatever comes up this spring grow and go from there.

I do want to plant a small garden though with some tomatoes, zucchini and peppers.... yummy...

most definitely WAIT, right through early autumn to see what treasures - if any - await you! our garden required a LOT of work/overhaul.....but there were a lot of good perrenials that we let stay put, or simply divided/moved....and then sure, knew what and where needed work, etc. it's just like the inside of your home; give it time to examine natural light, how you use each room, it's functionality, what you find you wish was where, etc. how EXCITING for you - enjoy!!!

as to the veggie garden - if you KNOW some part of the garden is vacant, or right within the lawn....can cut out a plot for a garden. again, watch your yard carefully to see exactly what spot gets THE most direct sun, for the longest portion of the day = ideal spot for your veggie garden.

LG - wire caging is a good idea....but sure, it's so ugly. :P haha. was hoping for some miracle tip!

Cinnamon Girl · March 2009

Here are my baby red onions.....

nice and close up....so teeny.

blackredyellow - The last house I lived in the previous owner had planted violets, which are lovely, but spread into the grass...the neighbours grass...the neighbours garden...it was a pain in the ass. They were impossible to get rid of, so I just had to live with them. I'm beginning to wonder if those violets were a factor in my choice to move.

Here's hoping the previous owners of your house didn't plant violets.

CHANGEinWAVES · March 2009

Steve Dunne wrote:

any thoughts on that upside down hanging tomato plant commercial??? i actually saw it in walmart for about $10.

I was interested in this since I don't have much outdoor space. I've seen similar things for a few years in higher end catalogs but they were too expensive to try...now that they are cheaper I think I may give it a try. I'd like to grow hot peppers too, anyone have suggestions on those?

justam · March 2009

I knew this would be a gardening thread!!

dunkman · March 2009

a gardening thread on a rock band's forum?

what next? a top ten best knitting patterns poll?

Fifthelement · March 2009

dunkman wrote:

a gardening thread on a rock band's forum?

what next? a top ten best knitting patterns poll?

Fifthelement · March 2009

Great idea for a thread D2D. I'm looking forward to working the soil as well. So far the crocuses, hyacinth and daffodils are all blooming. The tulips are on their way (at least the ones the deer didn't top) and the lilies and bleeding hearts are poking through as well. The lilacs, cherry blossom and magnolia trees all have hundreds of leaf buds getting ready to unfurl

I can hardly wait to plant the vegetable gardens. This year we'll do potatoes, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, carrots, peppers, onions, rhubarb and maybe I'll try garlic again. I never seem to have much luck with it. I get the stalks (which smell very garlicky) but not the bulbs :x Any suggestions? :geek:

Berry-wise we'll have two types of blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and a ton of raspberries. Hate to say it, but by the end of the season I am thoroughly sick of raspberries and blackberries. Never get tired of the blueberries though

It's been unusually cool here this Spring, but I'm hoping to get a start on the veg. garden within the next week or so.

Happy gardening everyone.

justam · March 2009

dunkman wrote:

a gardening thread on a rock band's forum?

what next? a top ten best knitting patterns poll?

Well, um, that's been done. Ms haiku started some popular threads about knitting and quilting on the old board. :?

Cinnamon Girl · March 2009

dunkman wrote:

a gardening thread on a rock band's forum?

what next? a top ten best knitting patterns poll?

oooooo....I DO have some lovely knitting pattern to share!!

decides2dream · March 2009

CHANGEinWAVES wrote:

Steve Dunne wrote:

any thoughts on that upside down hanging tomato plant commercial??? i actually saw it in walmart for about $10.

I was interested in this since I don't have much outdoor space. I've seen similar things for a few years in higher end catalogs but they were too expensive to try...now that they are cheaper I think I may give it a try. I'd like to grow hot peppers too, anyone have suggestions on those?

grow em in pots!
we grow all our peppers in pots - from bell peppers to habaneros, thai and jalapenos. just be sure to use rich potting soil, deep pots and in direct sun. pots make them easier to care for - move em around and less worry of bug infestations/disease. big thing with pots, make sure you keep them well-watered!

cinngirl - your seedlings look great!
i've never started any plants from seeds, i always go to the nursery and buy pre-started seedlings. some day perhaps i'll give it a go, but right now...especially since we don't have the space for lots and lots of plants, we use the starter seedlings.

our usual veggie garden:

6 roma tomatoes
2 cucumbers
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 eggplant
6 varieties of peppers

we have 3 3'X6' rasied beds for the veggie garden, and then i have 6 large pots nearby for the peppers.

let's talk dirt...

Comments

Categories