Planning for our vegetable gardens

summerkid, sorry I don't use the plastic mulch, so no advice, Jim

Hi Summerkid,

I am in Zone8b, and I start my tomato seeds somewhere between early to mid March. (Have started as early as March 3, and as late as March 15)

I have posted how I start my tomato seedlings on my blog at: http://www.boelstoddard.com/starting-tomato-seedlings/

Peppers I start mid March, and the key with peppers is to not transplant them out in the garden too early.

When there is risk of temperatures falling below 50 at night, it is not a good idea to set peppers out. It will stunt them for life. I set mine out about June 15, usually, over a month after I set my tomato plants out. Peppers actually thrive here, if you make sure to not get them into the garden too soon!

Boel, very informative!!! Jim

Thank you, Boel. Have you thought at all about starting a thread on Earth Boxes? We have several urban gardeners here who might like to see what they are . . .

Sharon - I was reading this month's Organic Gardening last night and they've listed 5 types of peas that are good for snacking in the garden. I'll post the types on this thread tonight if I remember, but wanted to let you know that your question may be answered there in case you want to pick up a copy of the magazine.

Beautiful harvest picture.

Forgot Potatoes:

German Butterball - It is divine!

Also forgot garlic:

German Porcelain
Chinese Pink
Music
Ontario Purple Trillium
Premium Northern White
Italian Easy Peel
Western Rose
Georgian Crystal

Katie - I have posted on the EB forum, but it's been awhile, so I should re-visit.

I guess I should go over there, too . . . I forgot that it was there . . .

Boel, I also wanted to let you know that Holly (Mauryhillfarm) grows many, many types of garlic and has a whole thread going on it. I didn't even know there were that many types!

Hmmmm ... we did not have any luck with potatoes in Illinois. Maybe I'll try again here, since it is difficult to find organic ones & you do NOT want to eat the commercially grown ones. Did you know that, not only do they use pesticides, they spray the plants with HERBICIDE to kill them off before harvesting?

Okay, Sharon. This is from the article in Feb/March 2010 Organic Gardening:

EARLY SEASON
'Laxton's Progress' aka 'Progress No. 9' - 58 to 65 days to maturity. High-yielding for an early pea. Produces 15- to 20- inch vines with 5-inch pods. Resistant to fusarium wilt and root rot. Recommended for all climates.

'Tom Thumb' - 50 to 55 days to maturity. Heirloom variety. Vines grow only 8 to 12 inches tall, with full-sized pods. Very frost-hardy. Also good for a container or cold frame.

MAIN SEASON
'Green Arrow' - 68 days to maturity. Wilt- and mildew-resistant. Peas tend to stay small and sweet. Plants are 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall with 4 1/2- to 5-inch pods. Recommended for a fall crop in warm climates.

'Lincoln' aka 'Homesteader' - 67 days to maturity. Good choice for northern gardeners. Withstands heat well. Plants are 2 to 3 feet tall with 4 1/2- to 5-inch pods.

'Little Marvel' - 64 days to maturity. Stays sweet, for prolonged harvest; 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall with 3-inch pods.

'Wando' - 70 days to maturity. Heat-resistant and recommended for all climates. Good disease resistance,. Freezes well. Vines grow 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall with 3 1/2-inch pods.

Sources: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds @ rareseeds.com; High Mowing Seeds @ highmowingseeds.com; Seed Savers Exchange @ seedsavers.org

SK - potatoes here = easy. Not much to do for them, they love it here.
I grow on top of the soil & layer dry leaves/compost/mulch over the top. (This is contained by wire fencing). They grow vertically this way & root along the stem. tubers are really easy to harvest - reach in & pull out.
If you have nice loose soil, they can be grown "in-ground" as well. I just prefer not to dig, or use up space for spuds.

Katye, that sounds like a great method. What kinds of leaves will work for this? I have several bags of oak leaves left over from making a lasagna bed, but I don't know if they might be too acidic for this application. Maybe if I mix them with compost or straw it could work.

Kathy, I'm wondering if wood chips would work for potatoes, I know straw works. not enough leaves for me to use. I used the wood chips on my hardy Fuchsia. it worked really well. Jim

Kathy, thank you so much. I tried to get the info on line, but no luck. I will take this all into consideration. I only like to have peas to eat while strolling the rest of the garden.

I'm with you, Sharon. There's nothing better than fresh peas to nibble on while you're walking through, except, of course, maybe for a sweet sun-warmed tomato.

Jim & Holly - use what you have on hand. Just make sure the mix is not heavy. Loose & moisture holding is fine. Like i said - I mix up what i have. This has been successful for me & I save the riased beds for other veggies. A wire cage made from fencing - you can make it as wide as you want. 3 - 4 feet works well, any bigger you might want to stake 1 side. Line with landscape fabric, or for that real down home look, use a thin cardboard. It's free for me & it rots in the end. If you use clips, the wire cylinder can be stored flat for Winter OR, use it to corral your leaves or what-not over the winter.
Potatoes don't have high nutrient requirements & they're so tasty - SWEET - when they're fresh. So good & so easy to grow.
If you prefer the traditional grow them in the soil, just be sure to loosen it up as much as possible. I always damaged them when digging, so i switched methods. But growing in the soil is a very good way to go.

Ha ha -- today I noticed a roll of cattle fencing or something rusting in the brambles of the riverbank. Instant potato corral!

Katye - I grow potatoes in wire the way you do, and you're right, it works really well!
I have been doing layers of soil alternated with straw - maybe I'll try just straw next time.

Ah, Katie - you mean start a thread here on the Pacific NW on Earth Boxes. Not a bad idea at all!

Yes, Boel. I think a lot of us would be astonished at your harvests. And when one has to be constantly diligent about keeping slugs off their vegetables, it's nice to have this is a solution.

Actually, I've been wondering how earth boxes fared during the hotter and dryer weather we had last summer. It must have been great to know exactly when you needed to refill and that your plants weren't going to suffer . . .

OK what is an earth box? Anyone have a link to more info?

Here you go . . .

http://www.earthbox.com/

Thanks Katie - I wonder if the results with these are better that raised beds for tomatoes. I am rearranging the stones of my patio to make room for raised beds in the sunniest area.

I think you'll find people on both sides of that argument, as with anything.

My SIL and brother use a combination of raised beds, earthboxes and old chimney lining tiles. The good thing about earthboxes and chimney tiles is that they don't have to worry about slugs. The chimney lining tiles are expensive, but they don't have an animal/rabbit problem with those and harvesting is easier because they're high. They also heat up the soil really well. I worry a little bit about residual carcinogens, but I don't know if that's realistic or not.

The best thing about earthboxes is the watering system. You have a more consistent supply of water and or water with nutrients, which most container gardeners will say is the best way to feed (a steady supply of moisture and nutrients makes it easier for the nutrients to pass from the soil into the plants' cells). It's great if you have to go away for a bit.

EP - have you had any issues with the layered straw holding too much moisture? Sorry - ignorant here about the stuff. I've never used it, but thought I could get 4 bales to make the walls of another lasagna mix. I could then use the straw to layer into the potato cylinder - I was not able to procure any leaves last fall after i torques my wrist playing with rocks. Straw sounds easy.

I did not have a problem with the straw being too wet. In fact I am still picking good potatoes out of my cylinders.

As for tomatoes in EBs, I find tomatoes do much better in the ground. The only tomatoes I'll grow in an EB is smaller varieties and generally determinate varieties.

Listen to Boel/EP: She knows her earth boxes. That's interesting about the tomatoes.

After digging up a raised bed with 2 tomato plants in it (don't gasp - it was November) and seeing how far down those roots went, I understood how much sturdier & healthier those 2 plants were with unfettered access.
I prefer to plant them with LOTS of room for their roots. The larger garbage cans work well. But I do agree that the smaller determinate varieties do just fine.

does this count for vegetable gardening: we have been working on a new large (I mean large - I think Portland's garden will fit in this bed) LARGE bed for pumpkins down below the compost bins. This is, unmeasured, 5 by 7 metres on a full sun slope. AND the purpose - I have decided to have a pumpkin sale this October to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Moonwalk - I just couldn't face asking all my friends to stump up again, particularly not in this economic climate so decided to put my best resources forward (gardening skills, especially when it comes to pumpkins, and land, definately when it comes to pumpkins) for raising the support.

I have 11 different pumpkins/squashes and three separate areas set aside - fingers crossed that this works well and people will come to buy them (we are having the sale on one of the days that Sarah Raven opens her garden - hoping to catch all the passing trade with mucho dinero in their shopping pockets).

Now, all I have to do is grow them, plant them out, walk the 26.2 miles, and hope for a good harvest.

My goodness, of course that counts as vegetable gardening! What a good soul you are, and I know your pumpkins will be the best for miles around. Well, for kilometers around. Bravo!

Thank you Portland - I don't know about the good soul bit, I so enjoyed last year's walk I just had to do it again - but it comes with a fundraising tariff. I feel guilty asking friends to contribute to something I get such a kick out of. So pumpkin a go go!! Hey, thats funny, good pun(kin) - oh dear, I better stop.

^_^ Please don't stop. Maybe next year, I'll do pumpkins.

I think pumpkins are a great idea for a fund-raiser, since they are easy to grow, don't require much maintenance, and have massive output that is both useful (edible) and fun. It's especially good if you open up the field for you-pick, and people get to come to pick out their own and carry it to the scale to weigh in. That way it's not just a pumpkin, it's an experience.

Laurie - I think it's a GREAT idea. Let us know what kinds of pumpkins you plant and which ones are the most popular.

Katie - I will make up a list for you - I got a lot of the seeds from the American company Baker Seeds (?) what a fab catalogue

MHF - you are absolutely right about the field/weighing, I hadn't thought of that. I just pictured a pile - no idea as to pricing/choosing. Tick on my list. Thank you.

Jan, please don't encourage me/us - I am absolutely sure if we let the pun-fairy loose on this thread we would melt into 7 yr old giggling punsters! YIKES.

thanks for the encouragement, I will keep you informed.

THEME IN YELLOW

I SPOT the hills
With yellow balls in autumn.
I light the prairie cornfields
Orange and tawny gold clusters
And I am called pumpkins.
On the last of October
When dusk is fallen
Children join hands
And circle round me
Singing ghost songs
And love to the harvest moon;
I am a jack-o'-lantern
With terrible teeth
And the children know
I am fooling.

by Carl Sandburg

Laurie, One of my son's fondest memories of his early childhood is the time we went to a you-pick pumpkin field. He was thrilled with carrying his find, carefully chosen from under the pumpkin leaves, to the farm stand and lifting it onto the scale. This was before we had a place of our own with room for a pumpkin patch.

This message was edited Feb 15, 2010 8:11 AM

Thank you MHF - that is touching.

Holly, that is just magical. I love Carl Sandburg, but I hadn't heard that one. I love your son's story. I have a few memories like that of my own and I try to bring them back often - to remember when the world was magic and everything was so much bigger than I.

I'm renewing my Raspberry beds and had to buy more Tulameen canes, my local nursery who had bare root every year for $3 a cane decided to pot them up in 1 gal pot and is now charging $12 a plant. needless to say I declined and decided to checked out the catalogs , Raintree Nursery is selling them for 5 canes for $15. I bought 3 bunches. with tax/shipping $59. where I bought my bare root Strawberries, the nursery went out of business. I was paying $5 for a bundle of 25. I know I won't find that price here locally. does anyone know of a nursery in the puget sound region that sells the strawberries like that? Jim