# The 2015 Gardening Thread



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

We have a Prep of the day thread going and now a EDC thread that seems to be working. I figured we could have a thread for gardeners on the board. It will be a helpful thread for those with brown thumbs and a nice way to share your progress with you gardening brothers and sisters on the board. I may be a little ahead of those in the north, but here in east Texas it's planting time. 

Today I noticed the radishes I planted have popped up. Will get pics in the morning. 

This year I am considering doing strawberry for the first time. The local feed store has two varieties. One that is "everbearing" and one that produces all at once. I think I will try both. Should I get some strawberry pots? Or are they overrated?


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## Mule13 (Dec 30, 2012)

I have corn thats probably 6 inches tall already. surrounded by green beans and squash.tomatoes i started in my green house and are already set out. few other things . as for the strawberries i've never had much luck growing them.Here in central Florida most everyhtings in full bloom.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

I planted one tomato plant yesterday and accidently got it with the lawnmower today. I'm a lousy gardener.


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

You southerners! Except a test of an old wives tale (planting greens on Valentine's Day despite the snow) my first stuff went in yesterday. But my first attempt at indoor starts from seeds of heirlooms I saved from previous harvests are Up and growing!

Your results in the south may vary, but I found 'everbearing' to be pretty disappointing. All they did was supply a moderate, steady diet to help the pests build up their numbers. They really attracted slugs, but that let me discover that beer traps really work for slugs. And use up nasty cheap beer, too.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

We planted our onion's last weekend. Still waiting for the ground to dry more to get our potato's planted. 
And it's time to switch ground this year for the tomatoes.
The lettuce I grow in an old wheelbarrow, and hope to get those seeds going this coming weekend.
Too early for much right now.
We sprayed our peach and plum trees.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

My tomatoes seems to be doing well, but I'm really worried. The temperature is supposed to get to 94F this weekend and most are just starting to pollinate.


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## redhawk (May 7, 2014)

My garlic that I planted last fall is doing well. My cabbage, potatoes and carrots are doing well...cannot wait until it's warm enough to finish planting my garden...squash, sweet potatoes, peppers, limas, and tomatoes...then comes the canning and freezing!


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

a few weeks ago i noticed i havent even started talking garden or seeds or sprouts. theres no one to ask me how my garden grows now... how long it took for mittens to tear shit up. well maybe next yr or the yr after that. i dont know.


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## mmikeclass06 (Feb 13, 2015)

i would love to see input on gardening and storage. last year my wife and i (who have experiece) planted a small garden here in central texas, did pretty well with the few things we planted. wouldnt mind seeing or coming up with a chart for others such as myself on plants that are very easily grown by beginners to plants that need mroe care and attention to them. Reason for this is when we made first purchase we bought going off what we like not what would be best in the long run as far as canning,drying and storing.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

I'm a brown thumb and a newb, for sure, when it comes to gardening. Started my first garden ever this year. The following are my attempts and how they went.

Just to test the water I tried my first garden in a kiddie pool. 
Started from seeds and went well. I grew kale, broccoli and carrots. Unfortunately after they came in something ate them all (insects I think).

Next was hydroponics. Had spinach, arugula, jalapeno and tomatoes. We had a week long heat wave (90+) and everything wilted. I lost the spinach but everything else seemed to snap back and is doing good.















My third attempt is a raised box. It's only 2 weeks old but seems to be doing good. I have Jalapeno, tomato, strawberry, yellow squash, zucchini and walla walla onions.








It's a work in progress but I am learning a lot. I just started 7 more pots of seeds and this time trying okra.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I am the worlds worst at plants. I kill the fake plants you buy at Hobby Lobby. Still, I am going to grow some tomato plants and peppers this year in 5 gallon buckets Just to see how I do. I could, no check that, the plants could use all the help they can get. LOL


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## hardcore (Jan 13, 2013)

one of my raised beds
(last years..still a weekish out before i plant this years). my rabbit cage is on the right of it, poop goes right in. my wife only eats my home grown tomatoes, store bought dont do it for her.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I'm not in a bit of a hurry this year. I lost half of my seed plants last year to a late season frost so I'm just preparing my soil now.


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

I garden organically. This year I'm trying companion planting: I've done some research on what plants are mutually supportive in needs or help keep pests off the plants I care most about. Those sets are going together either in the traditional garden spot or one of the raised beds. Here are the sets:


Prospective companion sets
Bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, basil, hot peppers, garlic, borage, bee balm
carrots will be smaller but tasty?, leeks, okra, nasturtium

Pumpkins, corn, melon, squash, beans, cucumber, nasturtium, oregano, sunflower, 
radish (3 icicle per squash hill, let go to seed), marigold. Chard except with 
corn. Savory

Spinach, peas, bush beans, strawberries, squash, borage, thyme, radish, lettuce,
coriander/cilantro, okra, savory, beets, carrots

Kale, collards, other brassicas, nasturtium, cucumbers, onion, spinach, garlic,
mustards, chives. Chard except with cucumbers, carrots, kohlrabi. Young 
dill. rosemary, thyme, a Little camomile. Sage, unless with cucumbers.

We'll see!


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Excellent. Be aware of Sun/shade needs of smaller plants when companion planting. Sounds tasty!


Spice said:


> I garden organically. This year I'm trying companion planting: I've done some research on what plants are mutually supportive in needs or help keep pests off the plants I care most about. Those sets are going together either in the traditional garden spot or one of the raised beds. Here are the sets:
> 
> Prospective companion sets
> Bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, basil, hot peppers, garlic, borage, bee balm
> ...


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I'm planting the tomatoes in buckets this year. Corn, squash and cucumbers in the garden. We are expecting a hard freeze this week so I'm putting it all off 2 more weeks or so.


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## Sarahwalker (Mar 3, 2015)

Sasquatch said:


> I'm a brown thumb and a newb, for sure, when it comes to gardening. Started my first garden ever this year. The following are my attempts and how they went.
> 
> Just to test the water I tried my first garden in a kiddie pool.
> Started from seeds and went well. I grew kale, broccoli and carrots. Unfortunately after they came in something ate them all (insects I think).
> ...


I'm with Sasquatch all the way.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> I'm a brown thumb and a newb, for sure, when it comes to gardening. Started my first garden ever this year. The following are my attempts and how they went.
> 
> Just to test the water I tried my first garden in a kiddie pool.
> Started from seeds and went well. I grew kale, broccoli and carrots. Unfortunately after they came in something ate them all (insects I think).
> ...


Squatch, you know you can't plant hot peppers alongside certain other veggies, right? The squash might be one of them...don't recall for sure. I know you can't plant them next to your Bell Pepper plants, or you'll end up with Hot Bell Peppers. 
We've grown cayenne next to our tomato's and never had a problem.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

BagLady said:


> Squatch, you know you can't plant hot peppers alongside certain other veggies, right? The squash might be one of them...don't recall for sure. I know you can't plant them next to your Bell Pepper plants, or you'll end up with Hot Bell Peppers.
> We've grown cayenne next to our tomato's and never had a problem.


Haha! Funny you should say that. I was wondering about that because I thought I had heard it somewhere but wasn't sure. I have limited space so I decided to roll the dice. I'm crazy like that. Besides I like hot stuff. Thanks for the heads up. I'll let you know if one effects the other.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Wow yall know how to put folks in the picture on this kinda stuff. Too early for maters and way too early for Okry. Yall get a grip. The garlic and onions from last year should be choice. I am fixing to start growing stuff in buckets.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Tomato plants like afternoon shade down here. Do much better than those in full sun all day.
Those of you planting in the buckets will be able to move them.
Lettuce too likes shade later in the day. 
Anyone getting old manure to till in the soil?


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

We had snow last night. Still to early here. Monday morning it was 17 degrees.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Just a word of advice: My neighbor keeps plating potatoes and turnips every year. That wears the soil out and diminishes the nutrients. We share a garden and I keep having to bring in topsoil and fertilize just to make the dirt viable.


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> Haha! Funny you should say that. I was wondering about that because I thought I had heard it somewhere but wasn't sure. I have limited space so I decided to roll the dice. I'm crazy like that. Besides I like hot stuff. Thanks for the heads up. I'll let you know if one effects the other.


If you look on page 2, those 'companion sets' are researched from a variety of sources...they claim hot peppers and tomatoes like each other, and the hot peppers don't mind the shade underneath the tomatoes.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

That's what I told him too. It's Bell Pepper, and possibly squash that can get cross pollinated thru the hot peppers.


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

Squash will cross pollinate peppers? That's some unusually bad quality control by the plants; they aren't even in the same family. I had no idea.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

csi-tech. This is good to point out to new gardeners. You have to rotate your crops. Also, adding composted manure, or any compost from leaves, legumes, etc., in the fall, and cut it into your soil, so it will benefit your soil. Come Spring, your soil will be in great shape for new plantings.
We get truckloads of Cotton Gin Millings to spread and cut into our gardens. Letting it lay over the winter to decompose, makes a big difference.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Gourds can get cross pollinated with watermelon too. Ruins the watermelons.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

BagLady said:


> Tomato plants like afternoon shade down here. Do much better than those in full sun all day.
> Those of you planting in the buckets will be able to move them.
> Lettuce too likes shade later in the day.
> Anyone getting old manure to till in the soil?


Thanks for the tips on that. We got a fence blocking either side..we definitely going to need to scoot them plants around a bit.


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