Get Your Summer Garden Started: Planting Tips and Progress Updates

[raebates]

I'd share pictures, but I rarely take pictures of anything--no digital camera, and too lazy to do the whole getting-film-developed thing.

 

[bsaxman]

I live in a small townhouse, so i really don't have much room. I have a tiny gardenia bush, some calla lillies, petunias, pansys and for the first year I planted Nasturcians (sp?) so we'll see how that goes!

Also have a pot of Cherry Tomatos, cilantro and basil! Yum! That's all I could fit on my porch this year though! Maybe next year we will have a REAL HOUSE!

 

[afeller]

I went a little crazy this year and planted roses. Hybrid teas, known for their neediness, especially in MN. So we will see how I do with those. Also, tomatoes, lots of herbs, and plenty of annuals.

 

[pamperedalf]

Don't know how I missed this thread......We do a big garden every year because we sell eggs and vegies at our local farmers market. It's long so beware

Okra red & green (20)
blue lake beans (20 now stagger planting)
yellow wax beans (20 now stagger planting)
Sugar snap peas
snow peas
Sweet peppers (7 different varieties, 20ish plants)
hot peppers (6 different varieties, 15 plants)
Lemon cucumbers (9)
Armenian (SP) cucumbers (9)
Japanese cucumbers (6)
Reg. cucumbers (3)
Japanese eggplant (9 3 varieties white, pink, purple)
globe eggplant (6)
Bianca eggplant (6)
Plus 2 more varieties I am spacing right now.
Cabbage red and green (24)
Tomotillos (1 this year so I can make my green salsa. I love it)
Tomatoes:
Sun sugar (2 orange cherry)
red cherry
black cherry
snow white cherry
black plum (mini black roma)
early girl (2)
early stripy
beef steak (2)
celebirty (SP)
Old german
Pinapple (white beefsteak)
green zebra (yellow tomatoe w/ green stripes)
Black beef steak
black prince
roma
brandy wine
yellow brandy wine
yellow jubilee
golden something can't remember
Morgage lifter

There's a few more, but can't remember 25 total

Squash: If you haven't noticed I am big on variety.
Spaghetti squash (6)
Pumpkins 8 varieties (12)
Zuc. (yellow, dark green, grey, jade, dark round, yellow round, light green round, Italian stripe) 4 of each going in stages
crookneck (6)
straight neck (3)
white scallop (4)
butter scallop (3)
Patty pans (dark green, light green, Yellow) 3 of each

Strawberries
Blackberries (on the river bank)
Rhubarb (just planted and it says I can't use the first crop, sick of not finding it in the stores when I wanted to make pie)

Cilantro
sweet basil
reg basil
cinamon basil

Melons
Watermelon (5 varieties sugar baby, striped, orange inside, yellow doll, pink lady)
Honey dew
Casaba
Sharalyn
crane melon
Banana Melon
cantalope (best melon you ever tasted)
spanish melon

If I got everything this is it. I would say 80% is planted. Some of the plants are staggard in planting due to the demand at the market. Summer squash is hard to sell at the begining because everyone has it except the different varieties. Then at the end I can never keep enough when people let their plants go. Since I teach this is my summer income, but it teaches my son a lot since we grow our own vegies and raise our own chicken eggs (we don't eat our chickens our neighbors do).
garlic chives

 

[pamperedalf]

Oh yeah forgot green leaf lettuce
spinach
Just enough for the fam, too hot to try and grow for the market
I didn't include our fruit trees.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I think I love you Amanda! Wish you lived closer to me (I wouldn't eat your chickens though).

 

[janetupnorth]

Ooh...that reminds me...I did plant some asparagus last year...I just remembered where! Yikes - I might have pulled it as a weed this year! We'll see if it comes up!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

We do a big garden every year because we sell eggs and vegies at our local farmers market. It's long so beware

Okra red & green (20)
blue lake beans (20 now stagger planting)
yellow wax beans (20 now stagger planting)
Sugar snap peas
snow peas
Sweet peppers (7 different varieties, 20ish plants)
hot peppers (6 different varieties, 15 plants)
Lemon cucumbers (9)
Armenian (SP) cucumbers (9)
Japanese cucumbers (6)
Reg. cucumbers (3)
Japanese eggplant (9 3 varieties white, pink, purple)
globe eggplant (6)
Bianca eggplant (6)
Plus 2 more varieties I am spacing right now.
Cabbage red and green (24)
Tomotillos (1 this year so I can make my green salsa. I love it)
Tomatoes:
Sun sugar (2 orange cherry)
red cherry
black cherry
snow white cherry
black plum (mini black roma)
early girl (2)
early stripy
beef steak (2)
celebirty (SP)
Old german
Pinapple (white beefsteak)
green zebra (yellow tomatoe w/ green stripes)
Black beef steak
black prince
roma
brandy wine
yellow brandy wine
yellow jubilee
golden something can't remember
Morgage lifter

There's a few more, but can't remember 25 total

Squash: If you haven't noticed I am big on variety.
Spaghetti squash (6)
Pumpkins 8 varieties (12)
Zuc. (yellow, dark green, grey, jade, dark round, yellow round, light green round, Italian stripe) 4 of each going in stages
crookneck (6)
straight neck (3)
white scallop (4)
butter scallop (3)
Patty pans (dark green, light green, Yellow) 3 of each

Strawberries
Blackberries (on the river bank)
Rhubarb (just planted and it says I can't use the first crop, sick of not finding it in the stores when I wanted to make pie)

Cilantro
sweet basil
reg basil
cinamon basil

Melons
Watermelon (5 varieties sugar baby, striped, orange inside, yellow doll, pink lady)
Honey dew
Casaba
Sharalyn
crane melon
Banana Melon
cantalope (best melon you ever tasted)
spanish melon

If I got everything this is it. I would say 80% is planted. Some of the plants are staggard in planting due to the demand at the market. Summer squash is hard to sell at the begining because everyone has it except the different varieties. Then at the end I can never keep enough when people let their plants go. Since I teach this is my summer income, but it teaches my son a lot since we grow our own vegies and raise our own chicken eggs (we don't eat our chickens our neighbors do).
garlic chives

Having a garden like that would be my dream! but we would have to move out of town and into the country to do it.....I'd love it, but not sure DH would go for it. I've always thought it would be so rewarding to be able to set up at a Farmers Market, and plant enough in veggies and fruit to not have to buy them! Of course, our growing season is probably WAY shorter than yours!

And the rhubarb - that's exactly why I planted rhubarb.....but I did use it the first year. I wonder why you aren't supposed to?

 

[janetupnorth]

Having a garden like that would be my dream! but we would have to move out of town and into the country to do it.....I'd love it, but not sure DH would go for it. I've always thought it would be so rewarding to be able to set up at a Farmers Market, and plant enough in veggies and fruit to not have to buy them! Of course, our growing season is probably WAY shorter than yours!

And the rhubarb - that's exactly why I planted rhubarb.....but I did use it the first year. I wonder why you aren't supposed to?

Don't harvest rhubarb the year it is planted. Only a few stalks should be taken the second year. This is important to let the plants become well established before harvest stress is imposed. An established planting can be harvested for about eight weeks, beginning as soon as the stalks are large enough to use --- harvest only the largest stalks ( 1/2 to 1 inch diameter).

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Don't harvest rhubarb the year it is planted. Only a few stalks should be taken the second year. This is important to let the plants become well established before harvest stress is imposed. An established planting can be harvested for about eight weeks, beginning as soon as the stalks are large enough to use --- harvest only the largest stalks ( 1/2 to 1 inch diameter).

Interesting.....it hasn't seemed to have much impact on mine....It's doing really well!

 

[janetupnorth]

Interesting.....it hasn't seemed to have much impact on mine....It's doing really well!

In some locations it may not, it is just a precaution. I learned that last year from a friend.

I guess then maybe I can call myself a novice gardener now rather than a beginner since I know some basic facts? Naw, probably still a beginner....





Too funny, a topsy turvy commercial just came on TV as I'm typing! Ha! My 5 gallon buckets were free!!!!

 

[pamperedalf]

Linda, I won't tell dh he is already jealous of my sister consultant. Every time she calls, "it's your girlfriend."

We are very lucky to have the space that we do, but next year the chickens are loosing real estate. Funny thing we started off the first year w/ no garden, then the next we had a small garden, then it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I will see if I can take pics of what is planted so far. Oh I recounted my tomatoes I have 27 rings (all but 9 are planted).

Then once DS started eating eggs, I get the hair brain idea to raise chickens so we can save some $$ on eggs. Well I went a little crazy at the feed store and bought 5 of every kind of chic. We ended up w/ 50 chicks. Right now I have 34 chicks waiting to see how many roosters there are (they go to chicken dinner for my neighbors) & 37 chickens. That's why we had to start the farmer's market to get rid of eggs an extra veggies.

We have a decent growing season, but sometimes I wished we lived in the valley by Sacramento so it would be even longer. Depending on our weather I have harvested cucumbers as late as beginning of December.

 

[pamperedalf]

Thanks Janet for the tips on Rhubarb. I bought some at safeway this year and froze it already. I absolutely love a berry rhubarb pie.Sara Lee makes this fruit of the forest pie; Apples, berries, & rhubarb. Oh I found it at thanksgiving last year when I couldn't find rhubarb. Oh I ate like 4 pies by myself in a month and a half. Oh I am hungry. This is an awesome thread.

 

[janetupnorth]

Amanda - I used to have a picture up of my two kids with their chickens a few years ago.Did you know that chicken poop composted is supposed to make the best fertilizer for your garden? Something about how their pee and poop is in one that makes it better?So, I planted my garden this year where we used to keep our few chickens. The ground had 2 years to "soak up" the chicken poo nutrients...

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Linda, I won't tell dh he is already jealous of my sister consultant. Every time she calls, "it's your girlfriend."

We are very lucky to have the space that we do, but next year the chickens are loosing real estate. Funny thing we started off the first year w/ no garden, then the next we had a small garden, then it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I will see if I can take pics of what is planted so far. Oh I recounted my tomatoes I have 27 rings (all but 9 are planted).

Then once DS started eating eggs, I get the hair brain idea to raise chickens so we can save some $$ on eggs. Well I went a little crazy at the feed store and bought 5 of every kind of chic. We ended up w/ 50 chicks. Right now I have 34 chicks waiting to see how many roosters there are (they go to chicken dinner for my neighbors) & 37 chickens. That's why we had to start the farmer's market to get rid of eggs an extra veggies.

We have a decent growing season, but sometimes I wished we lived in the valley by Sacramento so it would be even longer. Depending on our weather I have harvested cucumbers as late as beginning of December.

I think the problem is that I grew up on a farm - and we had a garden that was at least an acre, plus our own fruit trees apples and pears), and raspberry bushes, and a strawberry patch. And our own chickens & eggs, and we had cows and pigs (just for ourselves - more of a hobby farm) and even though I live in the middle of town, I keep trying to emulate the farm where I lived growing up!

Most ironic fact in all of that is that growing up, I would do anything to keep from working in the garden! That was how I fell in love with cooking - I made a deal with my mom that if I cooked the meals, I didn't have to work in the garden! So, from the time I was 11, I was the chief cook and bottle washer during the summer.

I'm amazed at how much I learned about gardening - even though I did my best to stay away from it. I'm also amazed at how much I LOVE gardening today!

 

[pamperedalf]

Janet in the winter we take all the shavings out of the chicken coop and put it in the garden along w/ the horse poop. Then we let them in the garden during the winter so they can scratch and eat the weed sprouts. It has helped a lot.Becky it's so funny the stuff we hated as kids, sometimes is the same thing that we love as adults. I grew up in over populated southern cali and now I live in a small town on 2.2 acres w/ a horse, chickens, dog, cat, dh & ds.
What's funny is the previous owners had chickens and I wanted nothing to do w/ them tore down their house. Now we are at 70 chickens, who would have thought.

 

[janetupnorth]

We don't have any chickens right now - not enough time!!!! We do too much already, but DD learned A TON having them!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Sounds like me as a kid too Becky. My grandparents were farmers and their 'garden' was about the size of a football field! They farmed a couple 1000 acres so whatever wasn't in the garden, we'd have to go out to the fields to pick - yuck! My granny used to make me get out there and work the garden with her - I hated picking beans the most! Then when we'd have to snap, shell, shuck, can, freeze....whatever the fruit/veggie required. Oh, how I hated it. Now I look forward to it every summer! I'm planning to make strawberry jam later this week too.

Funny, out of 4 grandchildren, I'm the only on that does any of this stuff. Blows people's mind when they learn this side of me too - they think I'm the last person to garden and can! LOL My cousin told me not too long ago that I better get with granny and learn how she makes her chicken and dumplings "to be sure the recipe was passed down".....I told her to go pay a visit and learn it herself! LOL

 

[peachey]

We have the garlic, basil, thyme, parsley, mint, and oregano going. One cherry tomato plant in so far, but I am waiting to finish our next bed so I can plant more tomato plants, lettuce, squash, and peppers. Anyone ever planted Chocolate Pepper Plants? They are brown bell peppers that are supposed to be sweet. I will try anything chocolate! I am planting bell peppers this year. I about freaked when I went to buy a Red Bell Pepper yesterday and it was $4.99!!!

 

[pamperedlinda]

I planted chocolate bell peppers several years ago. They were sweet, kinda like the red/yellow/orange ones. They had a thinner flesh though. I haven't sen any seeds since then. This year I found a purple bell pepper plant at the garden center so I'm trying it.

 

[pamperedalf]

We have the garlic, basil, thyme, parsley, mint, and oregano going. One cherry tomato plant in so far, but I am waiting to finish our next bed so I can plant more tomato plants, lettuce, squash, and peppers. Anyone ever planted Chocolate Pepper Plants? They are brown bell peppers that are supposed to be sweet. I will try anything chocolate! I am planting bell peppers this year. I about freaked when I went to buy a Red Bell Pepper yesterday and it was $4.99!!!

don't pick them too early, they will be bitter. I found the purple ones were the same.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Sounds like me as a kid too Becky. My grandparents were farmers and their 'garden' was about the size of a football field! They farmed a couple 1000 acres so whatever wasn't in the garden, we'd have to go out to the fields to pick - yuck! My granny used to make me get out there and work the garden with her - I hated picking beans the most! Then when we'd have to snap, shell, shuck, can, freeze....whatever the fruit/veggie required. Oh, how I hated it. Now I look forward to it every summer! I'm planning to make strawberry jam later this week too.

Funny, out of 4 grandchildren, I'm the only on that does any of this stuff. Blows people's mind when they learn this side of me too - they think I'm the last person to garden and can! LOL My cousin told me not too long ago that I better get with granny and learn how she makes her chicken and dumplings "to be sure the recipe was passed down".....I told her to go pay a visit and learn it herself! LOL

My older brother is quite the gardener too - but with his job (Lt. Col - USMC) he doesn't have as much chance to dig any more, but I know that he and his wife have a good sized garden.

My grandparents had a garden that was about 3 times the size of ours when I was growing up - and I learned alot about cooking from my grandma. She was one of those that never used a recipe, and if she did have a recipe, it was on the back of an old envelope, or written on a scrap of paper....I still have her recipe for hot sweet & sour bacon salad dressing written by her on the back of an old envelope! So, I learned how to cook without recipes from her!
I always liked the canning/freezing/preserving part of the garden - but every year when I do it, I feel lonely. When I was doing it growing up, it was a big family event, with my mom, and grandma, and sometimes aunts and cousins all together in either my grandma's canning kitchen, or our canning kitchen. Now, it's just me - and it feels like something is missing. (I did get DH and DS to help me can salsa last year though!) Yep! I grew up with a 2nd kitchen that was used just for canning/preserving...and then also for putting up beef/pork/chicken/pheasant/venison......I realize now what a blessing and gift that was!

 

[CookingwithMary]

Happy to read I'm not the only Cheffer with chickens...
we have them mainly for eggs. Have sold or given away most of the roosters. I didn't ask their fate Amanda, your garden sounds like mine...and I also love the Fruits of the Forest pie. Haven't been able to find it for ages. Must contact the kitchens of Sara Lee about that.

 

[pamperedalf]

Happy to read I'm not the only Cheffer with chickens...
we have them mainly for eggs. Have sold or given away most of the roosters. I didn't ask their fate

Amanda, your garden sounds like mine...and I also love the Fruits of the Forest pie. Haven't been able to find it for ages. Must contact the kitchens of Sara Lee about that.

Oh my I saw it the other day at Safeway and had to talk myself out of it. I don't need to be eating a whole pie right now. Maybe I will splurge when we go camping in a few weeks. Ooh another countdown I can do.

I know what my neighbors do w/ the chickens, I just ask them not to do it in front of me, or invite me over to dinner when they eat them.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Becky - my granny has 2 kitchens too! The regular kitchen and the canning kitchen. She's 91 and still lives on the family farm (by herself!). Gardening is hard for her now, she's recently discovered Hay Bale Gardening and she grows some awesome tomatoes in her hay bales! She has someone come help her (ie: do all the work for her). She's still going strong!

 

[lacychef]

Wow Amanda, you're quite the gardener too!

 

[pamperedalf]

Okay Linda, what is hay bail gardening. Just out of curiosity. That's a new one for me.Lacy, I just kinda fell into it. As a kid we had a garden like twice that I can remember, which is odd to me since we were poor. I would have thought my mom would have done it more to save $$. Of course my MIL ask me if it's worth it every year, oh yeah home grown tastes way better than store bought. I keep telling my tomatoes to grow, grow. Okay off to make fajitas for dinner.

 

[rennea]

I'm green with envy with all your gardens!! I did chop down my rhubarb today I made rhubarb sour cream pie tonight and in the morning I'm making rhubarb/strawberry jam. Yahoo!!!

 

[pamperedalf]

rennea I'm curious what is rhubarb sour cream Pie?I have only put rhubarb in a pie w/ berries. Oh I am going to be in trouble I can see it now. What else do you guys do w/ rhubarb?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

rennea I'm curious what is rhubarb sour cream Pie?

I have only put rhubarb in a pie w/ berries. Oh I am going to be in trouble I can see it now. What else do you guys do w/ rhubarb?

Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Rhubarb Pie (no berries) is my DH's favorite
Rhubarb Sauce - to use on ice cream or pound cake
Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Jam.......

 

[pamperedlinda]

Okay Linda, what is hay bail gardening. Just out of curiosity. That's a new one for me..

See this: http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/strawbales.htm

 

[Teresa Lynn]

we just wash it and eat it like celery at our house

 

[chefdiana2007]

We have a big garden, can and freeze. we have tomotoes 12 , potatoes3 rows, corn 16 rows, 3 types of squash, 3 types of onions, beans, peas, peppers 4 types, eggplant, broccoli, brussel sprouts, we trade green beans with our friend for cucumbers, he plants 100 plants and makes tons of pickles. I make pickles, salsa, ect. I have a few herbs, but I have not been really successfull at growing those. and several flower beds.

 

[crystalscookingnow]

We have 60 tomato plants (different varities) & will can A LOT this summer. I did some early girls, some middle of the summer & some late. I hope to not have my entire tomato crop at once!! I'll also sell some with MIL at the market. We've got sweet corn, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peas & onions.

 

[pamperedalf]

See this: http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/strawbales.htm

Thanks Linda for the link. My dh thinks we should try it. We have 10 bails of straw lying around that got wet so we can't use it in the chicken coop. It would be a fun experiment. I was thinking strawberries might do really well in a bale.

 

[janetupnorth]

We had frost and a freeze 2 nights in a row!!!!I didn't check this a.m. to see what survived, some came in, some got covered but a freeze is hard to prevent...YIKES!

 

[StacieB]

We finally got ours planted on Monday as we didn't know if DH was changing jobs or not.

We planted the following:

Beets
Beans
Carrots
Peas
Cucs
Kohlorabi
bunching onions
radushes
Jalapenos
Grape Tomatoes
Big Beef Tomatoes
Red Peppers


Hopefully this cool weather we are having will quit so my garden can grow!!