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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 11:48am | IP Logged
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All the seed catalogs are pouring in, and it is exciting. I can't believe it is time to start planning for Spring Planting already!
Our thread from last year got so long! I thought I'd start a fresh one for this time around.
One thing that worked well last year was my first try at Winter Sowing. I've been saving my milk jugs for a few months now, and I am excited to try some more.
We also loved having lots of Romaine lettuces lining the paths by filling the holes in our builder's block raised beds. They were so pretty to have early on while most things were still sleepy, and I think we are going to try a new variety I found in the Seed Saver's Exchange catalog called Forellenschluss, aka Speckled Trout Back.
We found that the winter squash overwhelmed the regular raised beds and tried to take over, so we are planning to make a small bed in the back of the property for these. We have loved having these and could use even more! Since these pretty much just grow and grow and ripen other own with little maintenance, we figure they can stand to be removed from the house better than the more delicate fruits that need to be checked daily. This should make for a tidier space in the front!
Does anyone have good luck with growing peas? We never have, and I really like them! I'd love to have more success on this front! Any insights?
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 11:59am | IP Logged
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peas are a cold weather type of veggie.. they don't like hot temps so sow early or late.
I can't direct seed and it's HARD here trying to grow from seed. This year I think I'm going to buy seedlings from a local nursery.. I talked to them already and can order what I want (if they can get it).. I just need to figure out what I want to get, and then talke to them again specifically about when to get them so that I can get them but so that it's not too early (I hope).
I also mentioned in another thread that I'm going to get the older kids involved in the garden financially so that they have some investment in making sure it doesn't fail through neglect.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
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I hope to really do some good work in my berry patch soon - getting our trellis in place. My raspberries thrived last summer in spite of our insanely hot temps! And my little peach tree did well in spite of the heat of the summer. I hope to do some late Feb pruning on all my berries and fruits.
Like you, Lindsay, I'm so enjoying poring over all the seed catalogs coming in!
Our corn in raised beds experiment went surprisingly well last year! We got a lot of corn and I learned a lot - so I hope to improve and build on that experience. Potatoes went well, too.
Our heirloom tomatoes could not handle our extreme heat last summer and that was so sad for me because I love tomatoes. I only got one. It was so depressing - in early Nov when I finally got out to tidy up the summer beds, the tomatoes were *just* showing signs of life. How depressing. I even bought varieties that were supposed to be able to handle our heat...of course...no one knew we were going to have a month of 110 with smothering humidity.
We've had some good success with peas before - but I haven't tried them recently. I'm pretty sure we shade planted (because of our hot summers) and grew vertically.
My leeks are doing well as is my little herb potager...so hopefully I can build there. I had visions of starting our little vineyard this spring in a special place I had set aside in our potager, but maybe I better wait another year since the baby is due in the spring.
I have visions of doing a little picket fence around my potager area (which is actually quite large). I thought for my birthday I could ask everyone to get me one section of vinyl picket fence section...and then we could just build it slowly, a section at a time. Maybe that would be a better spring project since I can just supervise the work. 
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 12:54pm | IP Logged
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I'm really jealous! But, a good kind of jealous! I LOVE gardening! I started when I was in high school and went crazy in college and even got a degree in plant science. We are on a small lot (under a half acre) and the soil is not ideal, plus we are on a hill, and a walnut tree in the backyard causes all kinds of problems. We have a raised bed for our garden. Space is a big problem and so is cost. I had to give up container gardening because of chickens and then the heat/dry weather last year. I'm hoping to go back to that this year. We have some materials on hand to make another raised garden if we can come up with a good location. Time is another concern. I really need to organize my time better! I really miss gardening! 
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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Grace&Chaos
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 1:53pm | IP Logged
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I just walked up to my very small patch this morning. I was pondering what to do this year. We loved our snap peas, cherry tomatoes, herbs, baby carrots, and long green beans (they did the best). The chicken wire under the ground, the small border fence and over the top covering netting really did the trick. Our critter neighbors stayed out(couldn't come in to)our planted areas 
Should I go with the same or try some different things? I've read not to plant the same crop in the same spot the following year. Any thoughts?
Now, if I can get my dh to create some of those raised beds he promised last year, I could really get excited and planning some square foot planting
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Jenny
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Christine
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 2:15pm | IP Logged
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Grace&Chaos wrote:
Should I go with the same or try some different things? I've read not to plant the same crop in the same spot the following year. Any thoughts?
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My parents never rotated their crops and they always got lots of vegetables. However, I think that my dad mixed compost and/or manure in the garden beds in the spring.
Aside from plentiful fruit trees and champagne grapes, they grew tomatoes, potatoes, rhubarb, and strawberries.
I wish that I could be as successful as them in growing fruits and vegetables. I am trying again this year.
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Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
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Betsy
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 2:29pm | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
Does anyone have good luck with growing peas? We never have, and I really like them! I'd love to have more success on this front! Any insights?
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We have had really good success with Sugar Snap Peas My parents always did this in WI climate in the summer with great success. I am in the south now and I need to sow in Feb for a good harvest. Definitely like colder weather!
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Angel
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 5:14pm | IP Logged
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Hah! I was just thinking that it was time to drop by and start talking gardening again... but you beat me to it, Lindsay! 
Peas. We got a decent amount of peas last spring, but never did in NY. I still had problems with them this year, though. A few things I have learned:
1. Treating them with an innoculant before planting probably does help.
2. If you live in an area slow to warm up in the spring, don't plant them "as soon as you can work the soil" like the instructions always say. They take forever to germinate and if it's wet have a tendency to rot.
3. If you have unreliable temps... for instance, if you have a short spring for whatever reason (either you can't plant until late and you don't harvest peas until July 4 or it's 100 degrees in May)... use the variety "Wando". It is by far my favorite and will take weather that other peas can't. The pods are somewhat shorter than other varieties, but the peas are really good.
4. Don't plant your pea plants too close together because they are susceptible to mildew then, especially if you do too much watering late in the day. That's what stopped my peas last year in our rainless spring with my desperate watering measures. Sigh.
We had snow here the day after Christmas which did my lettuce in, but my overwintering cabbage looks great, as do my ultra cold-hardy miner's lettuce and corn salad. The chard and bok choy took some hits, but are still pretty good, and the kale is, of course, ok. I have multiplier onions, perennial leeks, and garlic up and looking ok for harvest at the end of spring (I think) and we have been eating lots of yummy snacking carrots out of the garden since early November-ish. Unfortunately I didn't thin the beets or get to the beet greens, so we lost those, which was kind of a bummer, and the broccoli I was trying to overwinter as an experiment does *not* look good and probably should have been covered.
So that's the fall/winter garden -- our third and biggest! -- which for some reason always seems more successful than our summer garden... backwards, I know. I love being able to eat salads all winter long, though.
This month Andy's going to prune the muscadine vines, of which we have way too many, and probably build another couple of beds. I'm looking forward to being able to cut my asparagus this year come late February or March. We're trying to decide how to handle the garden this year since the new baby is due at Easter. Not long after is our last frost date, so it doesn't look as if our summer garden will be very good this year either... but I'm really hoping it will be a little better!
Oh, and we have 35 chickens scheduled to arrive in mid-February... since we are down to *3* now after a pre-Christmas raccoon attack. 
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Angela
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Three Plus Two
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 04 2013 at 5:44am | IP Logged
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So glad others are sharing in the pouring and planning
With our baby due in July, I'm hoping my second trimester is handily timed for the planning and planting. Dh doesn't mind the maintenance so much, and the boys pitch in, too, but my job is getting things established!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 04 2013 at 5:54am | IP Logged
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I remember now another question I had. I grew cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower last year. Growing it was not a problem, but the bugs and such were AWFUL. It was just so gross and time consuming to pick out all those caterpillars, it wasn't worth it to grow it, IMO. I'd love to try again. I've seen the stuff you can put on them that specifically targets caterpillars, but I am not completely thrilled with that idea. We had so many lovely butterflies last year, I hate the idea of killing them off. Granted, I think that it was mostly the cabbage whites that we're invasive, but we would occasionally see all types of caterpillars making their rounds, I just can't help thinking that I'd have some unintended casualties.
An older local friend said she quit growing broccoli and cabbage for this reason, and she isn't even an organic gardener. BUT I'm able to buy beautiful, local and organic versions, so it IS possible, lol. Though, perhaps farmers have scale on their side and can afford to lose a few while other get by unscathed?
Anyway, I'm not sure what to do.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Angel
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| Posted: Jan 04 2013 at 7:26am | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
An older local friend said she quit growing broccoli and cabbage for this reason, and she isn't even an organic gardener. BUT I'm able to buy beautiful, local and organic versions, so it IS possible, lol. Though, perhaps farmers have scale on their side and can afford to lose a few while other get by unscathed?
Anyway, I'm not sure what to do. |
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Remay fabric is probably what a lot of those farmers are using. You have to put it over your transplants right away, though, before any butterflies have a chance to lay their eggs.
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 04 2013 at 8:19am | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
CrunchyMom wrote:
An older local friend said she quit growing broccoli and cabbage for this reason, and she isn't even an organic gardener. BUT I'm able to buy beautiful, local and organic versions, so it IS possible, lol. Though, perhaps farmers have scale on their side and can afford to lose a few while other get by unscathed?
Anyway, I'm not sure what to do. |
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Remay fabric is probably what a lot of those farmers are using. You have to put it over your transplants right away, though, before any butterflies have a chance to lay their eggs. |
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So helpful, thanks!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Betsy
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| Posted: Jan 04 2013 at 9:04am | IP Logged
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Gardens Alive is a good source for organic-ish pest control for gardens and lawns.
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pumpkinmom
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CrunchyMom wrote:
| I remember now another question I had. I grew cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower last year. Growing it was not a problem, but the bugs and such were AWFUL. |
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Maybe this year will be better. Our weather was so dry and hot that we had pest problems that I have never seen before.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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Angel
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| Posted: Jan 07 2013 at 8:56am | IP Logged
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A little more about peas... I've been reading through my seed catalogs and it looks as if my mildew problem last year may have been variety related. Looks like some varieties are resistant to mildew (and other pea diseases) and some are not. So I may have to give up my beloved Wando in favor of something else. Sigh...
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Angela
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CrunchyMom
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I'm planning on some seed orders here shortly, and I'm stuck on a few things.
I wasn't thrilled with our cucumber choices this year, which were pickling varieties. I still plan to plant these for pickling, but I am looking to add a good cutting cucumber as well. Does anyone have a favorite?
And carrots. I didn't have much luck with carrots. I'm pretty sure it was a water factor, but I am wondering if anyone has a ice, shorter variety they recommend.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mackfam
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Oh! I'm listening in closely on the cucumber question, too! We eat ours fresh mostly, and I probably won't pickle this year. I'd love a good recommendation. Thanks for asking, Lindsay!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 12 2013 at 3:22pm | IP Logged
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Try a lemon cucumber.. we love them.. fresh or pickled (I add them to the bread and butter pickle mix), kids eat them like apples.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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Angel
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| Posted: Jan 12 2013 at 3:35pm | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
I wasn't thrilled with our cucumber choices this year, which were pickling varieties. I still plan to plant these for pickling, but I am looking to add a good cutting cucumber as well. Does anyone have a favorite?
And carrots. I didn't have much luck with carrots. I'm pretty sure it was a water factor, but I am wondering if anyone has a ice, shorter variety they recommend. |
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I like Marketmore cucumbers for slicers.
For carrots... I've had lots more luck growing them in raised beds where I could remember to thin them regularly. I'm not sure how water impacts our yields, because we mostly grow them in seasons when water isn't as much as a problem here -- spring and fall/winter.
We planted Adelaide Baby Carrots this fall and have had good luck with them. They're very sweet, and the boys like to eat them straight out of the ground.
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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roomintheheart
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| Posted: Jan 12 2013 at 4:51pm | IP Logged
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We quit growing broccoli and cauliflower because of worms, too. It was pretty gross.
Has anyone ever tried planting tomatoes in straws bales? A friend told me about it, and I'm considering trying it since our soil has the fungus that causes blight.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Kitchen Gardens 2013
