who's started their veggie garden so far

I have got these plants and seeds in the ground now

bloomsdale longstanding spinach seed
packman broccoli plants
cauliflowerplants
romaine lettuce plants

Going to plant the brussels and cabbage this weekend,

I have some arkansas traveler's tomatos in the greenhouse from cuttings I took and seeds from last fall. Seeds were planted recently though. I 'm going to do some brandywine tomatos too, but that's it on the tomatos.

I'm going to plant some banana melon, yellow squash , zuchini squash, I have some lavender touch and ichiban egg plant seeds germinating in the GH now. And going to do some chinese cucumbers in a large pot this year with a homemade bamboo trellis .
And I'm still looking for what ever else.

My husband told me that someone is going to come out and take pictures of our veggie garden this year, that our neighbors have been talking about our beautiful garden every year, and some local radio garden show is coming out with a photographer this year. how about that. I couldn't believe me when he told me that.

That crazy husband of mine, lines his rows up perfectly with the barn every year, and is maticulous about a perfect garden, Since I had that heart surgery, I don't know how much hoeing and digging I can do, we'll see, he's making all the rows and I've planted so far, so it's worked out good LOL

let 's hear what your planting this year too

Actually I jus slow down, never quit. Collards and kale overwineter nicely, bolting now but English peas are coming on. This warm weather will probably bring the Irish potatoes up, Broccoli and cauliflower make thier transit from cold frame to field next week weather permitting. Then the real planting begins in april, corn, snapbeans, melons, squash etc. Sweet potatoes are started in the cold frame as soon as the brassicas are through with it. April is probably the busiest month.

Stop that, stop that, stop that! LOL My veggie garden is full of the soil I escavated to put in my green house. Now I am thinking about giving up part of it to expand the kid's playground. I wonder how rows of beans, cabbage and tomatoes will fit into the flower beds? :) I *might* have started a whole bunch of veggie seeds. Ahem...

Hey Farmerdill, can you post a pic of your cold frame? do you have a greenhouse or just the coldframe

No green house and the cold frame is just a hole in the ground framed with 4 x 4 's filled to about 8 inches of the top with woods dirt (leaf mold to some of you) and covered with an old storm window. Nothing fancy or that costs much money at my place.

With the lid on

Do you have things planted it in during the freezing weather? does it freeze in there?

smart idea gardening all year. Never thought of collards through the winter months. but why not, what's the coldest weather gets over there? it got down to l2 here a couple times

There is usually nothing too fancy that costs much here either! I had to find a way to extend the season and enjoy my hobby for more months in my colder zone. :O)

I imagine I could learn a lot more about growing veggies year round with as many mouths as I have to feed.

I only use a cold frame for starting plants. I grew up with cold frames and hot beds, which differ only in that hot beds were dug 21/2 feet deep, filled to 16 inches with fresh maure, then 8 inches of wood dirt. The composting manure would make those things steam. Used for tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Cold frame is good for cold tolerant plants like brassicas and will germinate them from about spring thaw. They work when the surrounding ground is not frozen solid.

Thanks farmerdill, I wish I could garden year round.

Outside: I've got two types of leaf lettuce, brocolli, snow peas, potatos, bush and pole beans, carrots, and radishes going so far.
Inside: I have tomatoes (4 varieties), cucumbers, zucinni, summer squash, egg plant, green peppers, banana peppers, jalopeno peppers, and red hot chili peppers started. They won't go out ....maybe to the cold frames, but not into the ground for at least another 6 to 8 weeks.

I have 2 thai pink egg tomato plants doing well, sugar snap pea happy.
Carrots, chicory, swiss chards, tendergreen mustard doing ok but could be better with a little more sun and warmer weather...but it's an El Nino year so...

I did not see any 8b or 9 zone people posting, so I will let you in for a little zone envy. I say my front yard is zone 8b and my backyard is zone 9. LOL My tomato plants in 12x4 raised bed are 2 ft tall. Of course that is just an almost bear stem cause I put them out too early and had a freeze sneak in and bite all the leaves off!! Put in 4 more un-frosted plants that I had saved back, just in case. Wrapped whole bed in row cover, which will work great against any 80 degree freezes we might have from now on. (It was 84 here today). So take heart all you low zoneites. A dumb gardener in a high zone won't do any better that a smart one in a low zone.:) SEEYA, Margie aka Queen of Dirtland

I'm 8b and I posted , two above yours............ :-)

Here is an update on my progress so far:

In the garden I have cabbage, collards, and broccoli which I planted in the fall. I also have onions (6 types), garlic, mustards, beets, chard, turnips, parsnips, carrots, and rutabaga (yuck! Sometimes you plant things for the DW that you wouldn't touch yourself.)

In my hoop house which is now covered with just shadecloth I have spinach, 5 types of lettuce, mesclun, endive, radicchio, arugula, (and several other types of salad greens).

I have planted the snow peas and sugar snap peas. The corn and okra go in today. Eight different types of summer squash were planted yesterday.

In the greenhouse I have 31 different varieties of tomatoes that are almost ready to transplant. The eggplant and peppers are also almost ready.

Top dressing the beds with compost and sifted manure today before planting. Hopefully I will get done today. Getting the beds all dressed up is my favorite part of Spring in the garden. New mulch in the paths helps to make everything look nice and fresh.

Lots of work to do in the next few days. The weather may or may not cooperate with me.

Time to sign off and get back to it. I had come in to eat some breakfast and decided to check in with my imaginary friends while I enjoyed my cup of coffee.

See you at lunch time or maybe after dark tonight.

Good Gardening!

Aubrey

I'm zone 6, and still about 6 weeks away from being able to plant. However, I have planted peas, onions, beets and cabbage. Not safe to do anything else until about May 15. Can't wait though. I have 10 varieties of tomatos started, just through with first transplanting. All doing well.

Wow Aubrey That's a load of veggies, do you guys can or freeze or just eat them all out of the garden, I don't even think I could keep up with all that. I got a late start on the seeds this year, hoping it's not too late to plant them when their ready to go into the ground What kinds of summer squash did you plant?

when are you suppose to plant winter squash, like blue hubbard,

Mesclun, radishes, and bunching onions seeded so far. I've got onion plants to set out as soon as the mud dries a bit.

I've got tomatoes and peppers started under lights. I'm planning about 24 tomatoes, 8 or so sweet peppers, and 6 jalepenos. I am growing 11 different tomato varieties and 3 different sweet peppers.

I haven't started anything except some herbs. Lavender, Rosemary, Spearmint, Sage, and TrailiningThyme. I have also planted 2 tree's. Peach and a tulip tree.
As for Tomatoes, I will be planting Aunt Ruby's GreenTomatoes, Bush Celebrity, Italian Speckled Roma's, Arkansas Traveler, 4 kinds of Brandywine, Pineapple Tomatoes, Sunny Goliath, Italian Goliath, And Rutgers. AS for peppers- Big Bertha Bell, Fat-n-Sassy(Red), Jalapeno,Sweet Banana-For my Daddy, and cucumbers, and Ambrosia Cantaloupes. And I am planting Hanging Growing Kits that grow upside down out of the hanging basket. 1- is a Cherry tomato and the other is sweet Strawberries.
I can' Wait, and ofcourse plenty of plants and vines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,
Traci S

This message was edited Mar 26, 2005 6:53 PM

i'm still waiting for the snow to melt in my garden area.

Kathy_ann, you might like the Eliot Coleman book "Four-Season Harvest" if you haven't read it already. I've only used a few of his ideas so far, but they're generally very good... his website explains the method, which is mostly common-sense and historically proven methods. http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/default.html
Now if I could just get around to building a northwest stone wall...

Kathy Ann,

We do eat a lot of the veggies fresh from the garden. We also share with our friends, family, and neighbors as well. We do not can anything but we put things in the freezer each year.

My Grandpa taught me to plant "enough you, enough for your neighbors, and enough for anyone in need." No one who came to visit their house left without a bag or two of veggies or some sort pretty much all year long.

Last year I was fortunate enough to have a bumper crop to share with those around me.

You plant winter squash the same time of year that you plant the summer varieties. The only difference is that you let them reach maturity before picking instead of picking them young and tender.

The summer squash I planted are:

Early Prolific Straightneck
Crook Neck
Lemon Squash
Zucchino Rampicante
Bennings Green Tint Scallop
Costata Romanesco
Tonda Scuto Di Piacenza
Zucchini
Eight Ball
Green Striped Cushaw
White Bush Scallop
Flying Saucer

(I think that's more than eight =) but that is what is in the ground now.)

I spent the day yesterday sifting compost and manure and top dressing all of my beds. I started laying out newspaper on the pathways and covering it with hay but gave up before I was done.

I got almost all of the planting completed yesterday.

Last night / this morning it began to rain....and it rained....and it RAINED! Steady pouring rain from 4am on. As of this evening at 7pm we've had 5 3/4 inches of rain. I hope all of those little seeds I planted are going to be OK. I really would hate to know that I had to replant all of that.

Good Gardening!

Aubrey

Wow Aubrey, You know, we put the newspaper down one year, my kids begged me never to do it again LOl We now just tiller inbetween the rows. I didn't do any top dressing of any of the rows but we will top dress the tomato rows. We poured all our horse manure on the garden last year, and then sold all the horses LOL. wishing I had a bunch of chicken poop. I have l0 chickens, and it's piling up in the chicken house, I need to go scoop that. No I can't do that, it's too strong now. oh well.

Do you save your seed? do they cross pollenate? just wondering.

I'm just planting the basics ig uess, zuchinni, yellow squash, blue hubbard. it's rained here so much, that I can't get into the garden yet, and I might have to replant the spinach seed, they might have rotted, with all the rain we've had. but i'll wait and see I guess.

it's been great learning all the veggies I didn't know about, and seeing what all has been planted by folks.

Today...outside...we planted potatoes, red and yellow onions. Inside I have started yellow and red tomatoes, watermelon, acorn squash, zinnias, marigolds.

Deb

I'm also excited about seeing all of y'alls pictures when they take off!!

Chele you're thinking about changing that back yard again? You've got too much energy! ;) How's it looking now? I remember reading about your last remodel of your pond I believe.

Dang Aubrey that's a lot of squash! Do you you can it or anything?

I've got Bok Choy, Japanese Eggplant, Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes, and .... plan on going back for more because I'm out of dirt! Have yall every eaten bok choy? It's a chinese version of collard greens, quite yummy steamed.

Speaking of bok choy, how much space should I leave between plants in the garden? I have about 12 in a 12" pot for the moment until it stops raining long enough to get out in the garden.

I planted watermelon last year, but never had a chance to harvest any of them. I had one the size of a baseball until it split! Last summer was really hot, but I watered on a regular basis. It grew in a location where it got full sun all day long. Any suggestions? I'd love to grow some again this year.

Watermelons don't do well in a heavy soil that retains water. Well drained has added meaning for watermelon, They will go wild on a sandbar where nothing else will grow. I would suspect that either your soil is too heavy (clay, muck or gumbo) or that you overwatered. Contrary to popular opinion, watermelon is the most drought resistant species that I grow. They love heat, temps in excess 0f 100 F do not not faze them.

That explains a few things. My soil is full of clay and I overwatered last year as well.

Farmerdill... watermelons are drought & heat resistant, just as you said. We used to plant them at the end of cotton rows where it was sandy soil and while we were working in the cotton on a hot 100-110 degree afternoon, what a TREAT it was for us to "bust open a sweet BlackDiamond watermelon " for a cooling snack!! We NEVER watered the vines of course and the only moisture they got was from MotherNature.

Oh you guys! I'm with Badseed. I'm up to my armpits in MUD. Although the sun is out and temperature is supposed to his the 80's!!! today there are MORE predictions for rain tomorrow.
:-(
I haven't even bothered to pick up any onion sets or seed potatoes. Major bummer.

it's mud here too, rain is never ending it seems, suppose to rain again tomorrow, but i'm in luck, that great long row of spinach I thought I was going to have to replant, well, it's germinating, got spinach, Yay!! I don't like to replant things LOL.

everything else is doing ok too with all the rain, can't get in there to plant the rest of it though. for another week or two.

I have a "greenroom"that I am starting everything in. I have 50 tomato plants,5 pumpkins,15 melon(different kinds)5 each of califlower, broccoli,brussel sproats, 25 onion from seeds,50 greenpepper plants.
When weather allows(around May or so) I will be planting alot of other stuff in the veggie garden.This will be the biggest garden I hve done since my heart attacks.I am really looking forward to it.

Karen

Karen, I hope your garden grows great for you this year. Take it easy out there and don't overdo it! Good luck!

Hi kathy_ann, I've got seedling lettuce in a coldframe ready for thinning/transplanting
Outside are broad beans (Scarlet flowered), two types of peas, scorzonera (I think from Evert), seedling rows of cabbage and green sprouting brocolli.
Shallots are waiting to go in and soon it will be April so.........lots more to go in :)

TODAY is the FIRST DAY I could get out and start preparing the garden for planting later in the month. What a treat!!!!! It Was 64 degrees, but the ground temp. is only 44 degrees. The leaves & compost I turned under last Fall have transformed my soil into soft, friable planting areas. ,,,Only thing I have planted in the garden,m so far, is pre-sprouted Snow Peas. However, In my basement I have 18 varieties of tomatoes, several Chinese Cabbages & some Rhubarb Chard seedlings that I check on daily.... for later plantings WHEN the SIGNS & weather are just right.

Hope everyone has a productive year!

Wow, I have peas! Sugar snaps about 2 inches long, but not filled out. I wonder how many days til pick'en time? Can't wait! hope they make it to the house. SEEYA, Margie

I wasn't organized enuf earlier this week to post this- lol. I've had spinach growing for over a month, and planted my garlic and red onion sets last November. I have had my loose leaf lettuce growing under garden fabric for a month as well and doing really well- good to 24 degrees! We still get temps in the low 30's at night-really cool Spring but that won't last long now. Also planted my Mammoth Melting Sugar pea pods about a month ago- they are about 8 inches high now but quite yellowed, not sure what they need, but I see some green growth at their base so there's hope yet (1st time I've grown them and it's a new garden plot I put in). I have two Sweet Million cherry tomato plants under garden fabric as well and am about to add my zucchini plants. I have to laugh at the quantities of veggies I see some folks saying they are planting- I live by myself and just a few plants will supply me and my neighbors just fine, I'm sure!
Here's a pix of some of my garden over a week ago - the onions are to the right just out of the shot and my tomatoes and pea pods are behind me. You can see the fabric under which my lettuce is hiding :-) Small, but still can't seem to find the time to pull all those weeds that keep coming up from all the rain we had this winter! The empty space is where my zucchini plant is going.
Carolyn

So far I've got Early Dividend brocolli, Early Flat Dutch cabbage, Thomas Laxton peas, Texas Sweet Onions (can't call them Vadalias) and Large Crimson radish planted. Also I've set out 4 highbush blueberry plants.

Hopefully Kennebec potatoes and horseradish go in tomorrow if it doesn't rain again. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce growing inside under lights.

the first seedlings left the basement for the great outdoors today!

from foreground to background (more or less):

green sprouting broccoli
purple cauliflower
dicicco broccoli
red acre cabbage
early wakefield cabbage
a couple of kinds of onions interplanted
romaine lettuce and choy sum around the perimeter

and thunderstorms coming!!

Nice beds, WE've planted a few more things, beefstake tomatoes, betterboy tomatoes, arkansas traveler tomatoes, bok choy, buttercrunch lettuce, brussles, cabbage, green onions, black seeded simpson lettuce, I planted a bunch of chinese greens too, but their in big long pots behind the greenhouse. planting alot in containers this year, so I can try out new things. we'll see how they do.