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Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science ( Forum Locked)
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Topic: How will your garden grow?

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Angel
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 7:46am \| IP Logged

Well, we're talking chickens, geese, dairy goats, and buying garden seed. Considering the fact that we're in the middle of a snowstorm here, I thought that it would also be the right time to start a thread about gardens!

So, what are your garden plans for this year? How big will your garden be? Will you be container gardening or tilling up a half-acre? Trying anything new this year? What will you grow?

For myself, I'm going to try to get my seed order in this weekend. I'm again being lured into trying to start tomatoes from seed, even though I don't have the best luck with it and can't beat the seedlings from our local nursery. I'm trying to talk my husband into building a light cart in place of a greenhouse.

And we're supposed to be getting some old windows from my son's Scoutmaster which we'll use to build a new chicken coop, but also to build some cold-frames.

Time to get the day started here, but I'm looking forward to the discussion!

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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two

Bookswithtea
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 10:42am \| IP Logged

Well, dh is putting up shelves in front of a garage window in a couple of weeks that he is hoping to cover with some plastic for a cheapo version of a greenhouse. Dh is determined to plant from seeds and not transplants. He is the gardener, while I am more interested in animals, so whatever he decides is fine with me. I can't remember the dimensions of the garden, but its nowhere near a 1/2 acre, or ever a 1/4. But its supposed to have 4-6 boxes in it with fencing all around, for veg. Tomatoes, lettuce, cukes, peppers, zucchini, crooknecks...the usual things. On the outside of the fence will be a row of pumpkins, a few rows of corn, and hopefully lots and lots of raspberries, strawberries and blackberries! Somehow I do not think this summer will be a slow one for us!

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Blessings,

~Books

mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and

due 9/10

JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 11:52am \| IP Logged

We just got some old windows too.. I have no where in the house under normal condition I could start plants from seed. But cold boxes.. THOSE I think I could handle for starting seed.. so.. we'll give it a try..

We have a nice sized garden.. but it's a backyard garden that doesn't use the whole back yard.. so we're still pretty limited.. we'll be attempting to start from seed..

tomatoes
cucumbers
zucchini
pie pumpkins
hot green chiles
bell peppers
lettuce
carrots
radishes
peas

And my oldest girl will get a flower bed to make into an herb garden and also a space in the garden for sunflowers.

and we might plant an asparagus bed.

edited to add: spaghetti squash.. another one my oldest dd really wants.. if she's not careful I'm gonna be handing the whole garden over to her before long

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Jodie, wife to Dave
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SusanMc
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 12:08pm \| IP Logged

I've been reading and reading and reading trying to plan my garden this year and I've come to the conclusion that I just need to jump in and ACT. I live in zone 9 so I don't have as much time to plan as others.

I have a 4x4 square foot garden that I hope to use for salad stuff and veggies. I'm also planning to take over a portion of the backyard to plant a tea herb garden and finally build a proper compost bin since my wire mesh one got totalled during the last round of hurricanes.

I'm hoping to grow more from seed this year as I'm planning to track all my garden expenses to get a handle on the ROI.

Rachel May
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 1:47pm \| IP Logged

I've been wondering this myself. What are we going to do with our gardens, especially since we are moving in the summer?

I decided to put bulbs into the square foot garden in the back and then bring our bulbs along with us to our new home. The kids asked if we could plant there in the summer and get a fall harvest. I'm still a new gardener, so I'm not sure what we can get, but I'll try.

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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)

Bookswithtea
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 3:57pm \| IP Logged

SusanMc wrote:

I've been reading and reading and reading trying to plan my garden this year and I've come to the conclusion that I just need to jump in and ACT.

you know, that's the same conclusion dh and I came to the other day when we were talking about animals and big gardens. If we are going to do it, we need to just do it and not be completely paralyzed by workload fears. We'll see how it goes...

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Blessings,

~Books

mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and

due 9/10

JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 4:13pm \| IP Logged

Rachel, you might want to check on that.. things that are planted may be considered part of the property and so sold with it.. at least make sure that it's noted they're excluded from the sale or whatever..

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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

All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott

BeckyC
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Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 4:41pm \| IP Logged

We have had a garden for several years and each year I add a new vegetable. Last year my husband built me some raised garden boxes because of our VA clay soil. One of the boxes I am going to try square foot gardening and see how that works. In the past we have grown:

plum and grape tomatoes
cucumbers
zucchini
bell peppers
head and leaf lettuce
spinach
radishes
green beans
green onions
peas
watermelon
carrots

We added some raspberry and blueberry bushes last year and 3 rhubarb plants. This year I would like to try pumpkins and a few potatoes.

Thanks for starting this thread. I need to get organized and make my order for my seeds NOW! I always get started too late. Also I am hoping to get some seeds started indoors instead of buying seedlings at Lowe's.

Becky
Mom of 3

Rachel May
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Posted: Jan 29 2009 at 10:07am \| IP Logged

JodieLyn wrote:

We're in military housing so we HAVE to take the square foot garden when we go, but I'm glad you mentioned it since someday we do hope to own a house.

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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)

CrunchyMom
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Posted: Jan 29 2009 at 10:41am \| IP Logged

We just ordered seeds through our co-op. We've had some salvaged windows around for a cold frame for some time--and I'm hoping that this is the year dh builds it!

I have had good luck starting seeds in the oven with the light on, and though they got a wee bit spindly, raising them from there in a window seat. But, my boys are now sleeping in that bed--so, we are getting some growlights for the basement to use until the seedlings can weather the outdoors--perhaps sooner rather than later if we can get that cold frame built

We're also planning on building some raised beds in our neighbor's yard that she doesn't use AT ALL. She gave her permission in the fall--so, hopefully that is still the case so we don't have to take as much play space away in our own city lot.

I'm the planner and the pruner. Dh can't handle "thinning" which seems wasteful to him even though he logically knows otherwise--but he's a decent weeder.

Any suggestions for veggies that would be easyish for little one's to grow in their own "spot of earth." Maybe lettuces or spinach to snip for baby greens salads? Those seeds can be "sprinkled" too, right?

I think I've just inspired myself to read The Secret Garden to my boys as our next read aloud!

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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

JennGM
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Posted: Jan 29 2009 at 11:20am \| IP Logged

Rachel May wrote:

Last year I did some late planting in the summer, flower seeds. There were actually coming up, until dh sprayed them with weed killer.

You could also plan a fall garden. Here's some info about planting in Kansas for fall.

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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to

& ds1

'03 & ds2

'07
Family in Feast and Feria

Rachel May
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Posted: Jan 29 2009 at 1:02pm \| IP Logged

Just what I needed, Jenn, Thanks! Got it bookmarked for later.

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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)

teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells

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Posted: Jan 29 2009 at 9:36pm \| IP Logged

Boy, you all are thinking WAY ahead of me! But since you brought up the subject, I have a question.

I had a garden for the first time last year. I had two 3x3 ft. raised grow beds from Gardeners. I had a bit of success, but nothing like some people's experience with basics like tomatoes and peppers. In talking to a friend, I learned that she depends on fertilizing regularly. Well, I was proud of myself for remembering to even water the two beds for most of the summer.

I hadn't even thought of fertilizing, but had started out with a good mix of dirt, peat, etc. I guess I thought that was enough.

So how do you all approach fertilizing? What do you use and how often do you use it?

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CrunchyMom
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Posted: Jan 30 2009 at 8:21am \| IP Logged

Its tricky, and I think it takes some trial and error since over fertilizing can yield big plants with little fruit.

With tomatoes, Mike McGraff recommends saving your eggshells to crush and plant with your plants (when you put them outdoors). It is also good to remember to pinch off "Runners." So, you have the main vine and then a branch off of it--a runner starts growing in between those two. If you catch them early, they are super small and just pinch off, but they will suck life out of your plant but not grow any fruit.

I generally just fertilize well when first planting and then occasionally (no more than once every other week if that) fertilize. I don't know how "right"that is.

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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

missionfamily
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Posted: Jan 31 2009 at 9:42pm \| IP Logged

We have winter lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower in the garden now...about halfway to harvest. Strawberries, blueberries, red onions, yellow onions, shallots, and garlic went in today.
Big beef and Juliet tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber and eggplant seeds should arrive this week.
Later in the spring we'll add summer squashes (variety), canteloupe, and watermelon.
In the herb garden, we've got oregano, sweet basil, thyme and rosemary.
The rose garden needs to be reworked this year. The antique roses I planted two years ago were obviously bad choices on my part, so I'm reading up again and consulting my fil who grows the most amazing roses to get ready for that round of gardening.
Whew, between the chickens and the gardens, I'm tired just writing it down!

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Colleen
dh Greg
mom to Quinn,Gabriel, Brendan,Evan, Kolbe, and sweet St. Bryce

Footprints on the Fridge

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