# How's your seedlings?



## NewRiverGeorge (Jan 2, 2018)

Hey everyone,

By now I'm sure many of you have started your gardens indoors and I thought we could swap some pictures of them.

These are pepper plants started on February 28th, the larger ones are Keystone Resistant Giant Sweet Bell Peppers and the smaller narrower leaved ones are Sweet Pickle (Christmas Tree) Peppers. I will start tomatoes around the first week of April.









How about you?


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## Michael_Js (Dec 4, 2013)

Nice! We have basil & cilantro growing in the south facing window, under a heat lamp and grow light.

The greenhouse (un-heated) is packed of just planted seeds, ready for the garden.
The garden is almost ready - not temps wise - turned the soil, added fertilizer, added compost, added a new corn area (not in raised beds).

We are ready & waiting to go! Now if spring would cooperate!! garden has beautiful garlic shoots & kale growing...






























peace,
Michael J.


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## MountainGirl (Oct 29, 2017)

Our unheated greenhouse will soon have seeds started; just waiting for a bit warmer overnight temps. 
Nothing planted indoors; cats rule this domain. Pffft.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Nothing started yet, a bit early here. I'm in zone 5 but in the hills so I've seen snow in May, frost near end of the month.

I have an invitation from a friend with a heated greenhouse to start my seeds there. He's getting going this weekeend, same with me.

I have a lot of saved seeds that need to be used, he'll get free seed and I get a place to grow. 

Hope to have a much larger selection of early cold tolerant plants, and the peppers/tomatoes can get started early and still have enough room to grow until danger of frost is past.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

I started 8 sweet peppers in peat plugs with the intentions of only planting 5 in the garden. All 8 are sprouted and two are sporting their secondary leaves already. I will be starting tomato and all the rest of the seeds before the end of the month. The garden has always been a hobby, but this year it may take on a little more importance. I have a good supply, but today I ordered 48 more Ball canning lids.


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## Broncosfan (Mar 2, 2014)

We have cabbage and other cold weather crops in the greenhouse now. Plans to plant them Sunday. They will need to be covered at night once in awhile. 2 trays of peppers spent 48 hours in the greenhouse due to warmer night. They will return tot he inside grow lights this evening as temperature are going down to 25. Tomatoes are sprouting nicely will be ready to go into bigger peat cups in about 2-3 weeks


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

My tomatoes are doing nicely, picked the first ripe one. Potatoes are in and in 61 days, fresh new crop of Reds.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

I have about 120 tomatoes up in trays, almost 20 days old, they are doing well.
I'm starting for the first time" cold treating," and going to use hydrogen peroxide on my plants. I'm a tomato freak. I raise about 30 different kinds. I will plant more this week and peppers too. I have peas up, onions started. I just learned about hydrogen peroxide and plants, I know the amish near me use it. Cold treating seedlings is how the stems get huge on plants at big box stores.
I can recommend tomatoville.com.
It's a great gardening web site.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

I have 8 pepper plants up 2 inches so far. And two each of broccoli and cauliflower. My intention is to start additional broccoli and cauliflowers at two week intervals so hopefully I get produce all summer. I will be starting the tomatoes any day now, maybe this afternoon. 

Everyone! Make sure you get your canning lids asap (if available) cause I’m pretty sure we will see a repeat of last falls shortages.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Our Sugar Snap Peas and Carrot Seeds have been in the ground in the raised beds for a couple of weeks now. Already poking their scrumptious little heads through the nutritious soil...


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

I just moved my seedlings outside yesterday with temps supposed to be in the 80's for the next few days, I have been hardening them indoors so hopefully I don't go out today and see dead plants. I also started some of my seeds in the ground.


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## Ranger710Tango (Feb 27, 2021)

My tomatoes are doing well, about a foot tall now. I planted early this year to try an beat some of the heat we get here in summer. 

Can’t wait to get some tomatoes that have some taste, store bought just don’t have the flavor most of the time.


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

I brought my habenaro plant up from the basement where it winters over and hung it outside. I has flowers already so I see more peppers for my hot sauce in the next few month. I might re pot it in a few days because it surely must be pot bound after being in that one for a year. My ginger plant will stay in the basement for awhile longer though.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

I have 12 tiny seedlings that are spending their first few hours outside in the shade today. 8 sweet peppers, 2 broccoli, and 2 cauliflower. If time allows , I will be starting my tomato seeds today. It’s sunny and almost 70 degrees outside. Lots of outdoor chores on the schedule today.


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## 46rkl (May 2, 2020)

Dang, I’m still two weeks away from being able to start seeds indoors. It was 19 here last night and , even though we have a nice stretch of weather coming up, there is 90% chance we will have multiple nights well below freezing still to come. Outdoor planting here starts mid-May (except for greens and peas) so my starting seeds indoors begins about a month before that. Heck, we had two inches of snow 5 days ago.


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## Ranger710Tango (Feb 27, 2021)

79 here today with full sun. I have tomato that I started a month ago along with chocolate mint and cilantro. My wife started some other things too, squash and onion. 

All started inside and we put them out about a week ago. I need to transplant.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

I'm not home, working . I will post pics tomorrow.
I have been raising plants for 40 yrs, thought I was up to speed, but learned 2 things this week.
I have been watering my seedlings with hydrogen peroxide. 4 oz.to gallon, can be sprayed on plants or dirt, before starting seedlings. I'm going to soak all my seeds monday, its suppose to speed germination. And kill fungus on seeds.
I also have been keeping them as cold as I can, in my building. This will cause the stems to get fat and slow the growth in height down. This will mimic the plants you see at Walmart, Lowe's, this is how the seedling companies do it.
It's working, I'm trying to keep my height down because I can't put mine out till May 15 to 20. This will cause the root to grow, cold treatment also causes stems to grow.
Search both on net. Lots of info.
Or go to. tomatoville.com, or net.
Lots of info on gardening.


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## Ranger710Tango (Feb 27, 2021)

When starting plants it’s important to control humidity, soil moisture and temp. Fungus and PM issues can be avoided. 

Struggling plants attract nature’s clean up crew, bugs. Throw struggling plants away. 

Implement an IPM system. Bugs spread disease. 

Keep foliage away from the soil and all dead plants material cleaned up. 

Treat your pots with a bleach water solution and store in a dry place. 

Inoculate your soil with good bacteria and fungi. Foliar feed with worn tea and root drench on a regular basis. 

Anything suspected of Fusarium gets thrown in Denton or Slippys garden. 🤡


Useful tips 👍


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Peas and Carrots both started outside in the ground in raised beds. Looking good so far...


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

bsbeprepared said:


> I'm not home, working . I will post pics tomorrow.
> I have been raising plants for 40 yrs, thought I was up to speed, but learned 2 things this week.
> I have been watering my seedlings with hydrogen peroxide. 4 oz.to gallon, can be sprayed on plants or dirt, before starting seedlings. I'm going to soak all my seeds monday, its suppose to speed germination. And kill fungus on seeds.
> I also have been keeping them as cold as I can, in my building. This will cause the stems to get fat and slow the growth in height down. This will mimic the plants you see at Walmart, Lowe's, this is how the seedling companies do it.
> ...


 I didn't know that about peroxide, will have to try it. I do that to my indoor plants also, start the seedlings under a grow light and when they get larger move to basement under that grow light which is much cooler then upstairs. They get a little shell shock when first put out but are doing well, however they are predicted some freezing so I will be bringing them in next week since I still haven't gotten the greenhouse repaired. My indoor tomatoes just started coming up in my click and grow.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

We got cold temps coming, they will get some this week. I been using that peroxide about 10 days. Now my plants look better. I'm starting a small greenhouse this week..I'm planting the rest tomarrow, I'm going to try that peroxide on the seeds, I'm planting, some are 10 yrs or more.


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

Spent the last 2 days trying to fix my greenhouse, no help from the ole guy, sigh and moved my seedlings back in under the grow lights since we are expecting possible freezing temps all week. Ate the first of my lettuce I grew inside and it was yummy. I hope to finish the greenhouse today after securing all the stakes and cover and then my plants will be fine in colder weather. My tomato seedlings are getting big but not going to put them out yet as they aren't as cold hardy. I have now turned my 3 basil plant into 20 plants by trimming the offshoots and putting them into water to root and in their own pots, I can see having an endless supply. Going to make some hot pesto sauce next week.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

This was about a week.ago, I have been trying to suppress their growth, I'm just about done with my small greenhouse , I can move them outside after this snow that's coming.
My greenhouse is a little further along than this picture


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

This is the starting of my small greenhouse, just to use for a few weeks until.time to plant


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## acidMia (Aug 3, 2016)

bsbeprepared said:


> I'm not home, working . I will post pics tomorrow.
> I have been raising plants for 40 yrs, thought I was up to speed, but learned 2 things this week.
> I have been watering my seedlings with hydrogen peroxide. 4 oz.to gallon, can be sprayed on plants or dirt, before starting seedlings. I'm going to soak all my seeds monday, its suppose to speed germination. And kill fungus on seeds.
> I also have been keeping them as cold as I can, in my building. This will cause the stems to get fat and slow the growth in height down. This will mimic the plants you see at Walmart, Lowe's, this is how the seedling companies do it.
> ...


I definitely could have used these tips a few weeks ago when i started my seeds. This year seemed to be particularly bad for the fungus. Lost a good chunk of them to that.
The ones that have sprouted are sooooo tall and spindly









Now I know for the next round!


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

Look up cold treatment, nurseries have been using this for years, I just found out about it. This is how lowes, Walmart gets these tomato plants with big stems. My plants are 35 days old. The pic was about 5 or 6 days ago
I have them outside now, not trying to suppress their growth. We are getting snow tonight, so they are going back in.
Go to tomatoville.com. these guys can get way over a persons head with growing plants. But you can learn a lot.
It's good for other plants too.


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## 46rkl (May 2, 2020)

Started all my veggie seeds today. The sun room is full of trays and the dog can’t figure out what happened to all his lounging space. Expecting 5-8 inches of snow tonite but that’s not unusual here for this time of year. About 5 weeks till I can plant anything outside safely.


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

I am terrible at raising plants from seeds. They start out fine in the house. Get too big for the starting pots, transplant them into a bigger one and that is all she wrote. 5 out of my 8 tomatoes just died. This is why I usually end up buying plants from the garden center. Sigh.


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## Ranger710Tango (Feb 27, 2021)

Megamom134 said:


> I am terrible at raising plants from seeds. They start out fine in the house. Get too big for the starting pots, transplant them into a bigger one and that is all she wrote. 5 out of my 8 tomatoes just died. This is why I usually end up buying plants from the garden center. Sigh.


Where are you getting the dirt that you’re using for transplant ? 

They use very little water for the first week or so after transplant. You don’t want to keep the soil wet, just moist and let it dry to your first knuckle on your index finger before you water the soil again. 

Use 10% of the pots volume in soil to calculate how much water. 

I would water a 1 gal pot with 13 Oz of water every other day once the tomato plant started growing. When it starts to dry out in one day then I would transplant again. 

I’ll help if you have questions. 👍


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

I think I do over water them. The small pots seem to dry out so fast. I used the same soil I start them in and use the dirt from the small plant also. In my click and grow they do do great, transplant them to a pot and they start dying. They can only stay in the click and grow until a certain height. My basil did ok but even they are starting to look sickly. If they weather would just stop being cold hot cold hot I could get them permanently planted. I probably jumped the gun on starting them.


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## Ranger710Tango (Feb 27, 2021)

Megamom134 said:


> I think I do over water them. The small pots seem to dry out so fast. I used the same soil I start them in and use the dirt from the small plant also. In my click and grow they do do great, transplant them to a pot and they start dying. They can only stay in the click and grow until a certain height. My basil did ok but even they are starting to look sickly. If they weather would just stop being cold hot cold hot I could get them permanently planted. I probably jumped the gun on starting them.


Maybe they’re not getting enough light after you remove from the click n grow. Try a seaweed extract product at transplant to ease the shock of transplant. 

When you first transplant it’s ok if the top of the soil drys out a little. The soil may be wet deeper in the pot. 

This will encourage root growth to find that water in the bottom of the pot.


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

I used to put in a massive garden and it did great, except for what the darn deer ate. Now that I have downsized and mostly container garden I seem to have lost my green thumb.


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## Ranger710Tango (Feb 27, 2021)

Container gardening is a little more complex than planting in natural soil. Your soil ph can swing quick if you over feed or use the wrong amendment. It’s also a learning curve to water properly. Keep a notebook of when snd how much you water. Experiment with a few and give them less or more water. Observe the results. 

We’ve talked about worm tea and how This introduces bacteria that breaks nutrients down in the soil to feed the plant and helps regulate soil PH. It’s like a plant super tonic. 

I never water with just plain water unless I’m in a hurry. I always use some strength of worm tea. Either straight undiluted or I’ll mix up to 5 10 gallons of water to one gallon of worm tea. 

I also like to make drench out of bone meal about once every 2-3 weeks. I like to top dress every few weeks with about 1/2” of straight worm castings.


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## Ranger710Tango (Feb 27, 2021)

Here is a days worth of tomato I grew last season.








Notice how healthy the foliage is. All natural organic fertilizer and homemade bug spray. Grown in cat litter buckets. They get huge, 7’-10’ tall and 6-8’ wide for each bucket.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

Megamom134 said:


> I am terrible at raising plants from seeds. They start out fine in the house. Get too big for the starting pots, transplant them into a bigger one and that is all she wrote. 5 out of my 8 tomatoes just died. This is why I usually end up buying plants from the garden center. Sigh.


In raising plants, I think dirt is the key, I never use any dirt from walmart, lowes, ect. Last year I used miracle grow, worse plants in 30 + years.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

Megamom134 said:


> I am terrible at raising plants from seeds. They start out fine in the house. Get too big for the starting pots, transplant them into a bigger one and that is all she wrote. 5 out of my 8 tomatoes just died. This is why I usually end up buying plants from the garden center. Sigh.


In raising plants, I think dirt is the key, I never use any dirt from walmart, lowes, ect. Last year I used miracle grow, worse plants in 30 + years. I use promix mainly.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

Some of my plants have spent a night or 2 outside. They are out now for good, unless it snows again. We still have BlackBerry winter to go thru. I still have 4 trays more under lights. It was 39 here last night, still not done with lean to, but it's under roof.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

Megamom134 said:


> I am terrible at raising plants from seeds. They start out fine in the house. Get too big for the starting pots, transplant them into a bigger one and that is all she wrote. 5 out of my 8 tomatoes just died. This is why I usually end up buying plants from the garden center. Sigh.


This is simple.i have a 4 ft. X40" box.i hang 4 regular 4ft florescent light, was 12 to $14. I put 6500k bulbs.these do cost a little. Shop around. My box will hold 6 trays for starting plants. I uses
Styrofoam board for walls. Inside is 5/16 thick, it has aluminium foil on one side, available at lowes. If its cold i have another green insulation board I put next to inside the board. Also at lowes. The lights provide some heat.i have mine in a unheated shop.. when I start my seedling I leave my lights on 24/7. For at least 3 weeks after sprouting. Then i put on timer. I have it on a stand..if its below 20. I add a electric oil heater under box for heat.
I keep box between 70 and 80. Take a wall off box if it gets to hot. Buy promix dirt.. if you have any questions just ask.
I will post pics later


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

I have good black dirt here and that is probably the problem, when I planted in a regular garden they did great, started planting using boughten soil and manure and chicken poo from my neighbor. This year I bought a composter. I would put in a massive garden every year and got tired of being the only one working on it, weeding, harvesting, digging it up. The ole guy and son's loved the fresh produce but not the work that went into it. I also loved the fresh produce but worked 12 hour shift so downsized to container gardens about 6 years ago. Some years I get bumper crops, some years not hardly anything. One year I had a tomato plant that was so huge we had it staked to the house and I got about 130 tomatoes off that one plant. I usually get a years worth of beans and peas but not much luck with my strawberries or potatoes. I am trying a new way to grow my potatoes and hope it does better and I have been mixing my compost in with some dirt I dug up from the back lot. I will probably end up buying my pepper plants and things again since I just haven't got the seed thing down well.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Me and the little one planted carrots and okra. Been in the ground for about 10 days now. She is so excited to see them sprout. She keeps asking everyday if they are "done".

Also have some tomatoes, squash, jalapenos, bell pepper going but I bought those already grown.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

When starting seeds you really want store bought dirt. Too much nutrients, can harm young seedlings. Plus the risk of fungus. I tried using miracle grow dirt last year it was a disaster. Miracle grow does make a seedling starter dirt, it's not available in my area. I get all my supplies from a greenhouse supply place, except the lights, bulbs.
I used sungrow dirt this year, some of the pro mixes got stuck in Canada because of covid. Last year my plants did make it but was very late. This is what I have done the last 10 years, it's worked very well. Good luck!


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

I never


Megamom134 said:


> I used to put in a massive garden and it did great, except for what the darn deer ate. Now that I have downsized and mostly container garden I seem to have lost my green thumb.


I never have had luck with containers probably because they get too hot on sides, I just lost interest in it.


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## acidMia (Aug 3, 2016)

My gardens are containered. They definitely do not hold their water as well as the beds and I've lost more than a few plants because I wasn't paying attention. Gave up for a couple years. Working from home now I have time to keep an eye on them so it's happening this year









I do miss my raised beds at the house. That's my main driving factor to buying land. I'l live in a treehouse as long as my gardens have a nice place to grow haha.

My tomatoes and cucumber are off to a great start (seeds harvested from last year's crop!)
Spinach was questionable but came up over the weekend. I'm less stressed about them now.
Bell Peppers seem to be steady, tho still small.
Lettuce and Swiss Chard are at the point where they have historically died on me before. Fingers crossed here.
Various herbs are doing their thing. Lemon Basil is booming as usual. 
Celery is try to sprout.. taking its time. More fingers crossed.
And I rescued some lettuce and arugula from a friend. Arugula was hit hard, but I think it's in the clear now.

I'll get some photos this week once I transplant them to their more permanent homes


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

I am going to use seeds, maybe tomato and cucumber; it is smoking hot here and the seeds should blow up, in short order.


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## 46rkl (May 2, 2020)

My very modest setup does the job for me. Beans, Peas, Tomatoes, Eggplant and three varieties of squash along with some ornamental corn and lots of herbs. A couple of more weeks and the chance of frost is about 80% past. Still not dry enough to till the soil but I’ve got lots of containers ready to go as soon as the weather cooperates.


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

Finally got the majority of my plants planted outside. Sadly my herb garden is going to be destroyed by the heavy equipment used when they tear down my old house so I am trying to transplant them to a new home but they did so good there I am sad. My few remaining tomatoes perked up and are doing well and my potatoes are doing well. I planted horseradish for the first time in a 5 gallon bucket I took the bottom off of and buried so I can contain the spread. I used the peroxide as suggested so we will see. I planted a ton of hot peppers also, can't have too many since I make so many things from them. The weather is great and I am taking the day off and getting on my bike, grabbing my camera and going to shoot the blue herons on their nest.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Im fixing to grow min in order to make menthol cigarettes to use as barter when the economy collapsest. My pal says its invasive like monkey grass and the wifey said it dont need much sunlight. Who knows? Thanks.


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

We have a community garden in town. You can rent a raised bed for 25$ and they do the watering. I am thinking of renting one because I can't grow corn or beets here until my husband puts up a tall fence. My neighbors is 8 foot and the deer still get in there. My concerns are if things go bad someone robs my garden but if not I might be able to finally get corn and beets to grow. For some reason the beets seem to attract every rabbit in a 10 mile radius. I even had one dig down and have babies in one of my garden beds. When I watered it one days I had tiny bunnies screaming and pouring out the side and near gave me a heart attack. I had been watering all along and don't know how I didn't drown them. So there are pros and cons. There is a security camera and it is in a good part of town.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

I put out some plants and used DeWitt woven ground cloth. First time for using it. I know people that has used it.. I'm taking a chance, we probably will have a couple more frost. I have plenty of plants.
For you all that want to know. It comes in various sizes, I used 3ft it comes
300 ft lengths. $ 38.50. I got at a local amish greenhouse supply place.
It suppose to last 3 to 5 years. It's recommended to take up in winter. Small metal stakes hold it down.
Cut holes with propane torch. Search DeWitt groundcover, watch on you tube. Its sold me. Let's water,







in, breathes. Keeps most weeds out. Keeps ground warm.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

BrooksD123 said:


> And here I am using newspaper lol(well for in between rows)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nobody can , or even buys the local newspaper around here anymore. It's too expensive and has shrunk to a few pages. My parents stopped after 60 yrs. The best garden I ever had was with cardboard, on ground that hadnt been plowed in 50 yrs.. I had been saving cardboard for this year, until I ran across this grown cover.


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## bsbeprepared (May 6, 2020)

Not enough, I had to go back to work .I got them about 5 or 6 ft apart. This weekend I will put them 3 ft. I have access to scrap wire at work, so I will make my own. A neighbor bought contractor stakes at lowes. I think a box of 100 was $ 6.00. We got a lot of rain the last 2 days, I could walk down the row. My next piece will overlap the other.. I have some places I will leave a 4" gap between cloths and not have to put holes in them. That where I will plant. I have a problem with weeds, they grow when I am working, or rains. I have a mixed up schedule. I'm gone at least 14 hrs a day, I think this will work out, cuts out tilling, I can get in there after a rain,ect. My neighbor has been using it for 2 yrs, he said he will never go back to any other way. Lo9


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

My plants were all doing well, even my struggling tomato plants were getting huge and have several tomatoes. Darn deer came and ate my biggest plant, my sweet potatoes and my clematis bush, they have never bothered them before. I am hoping they survive the pruning. I wanted to get a outdoor dog kennel and put all my plants in there, I container grow but haven't found one I can afford yet. However the rest of my plants are thriving. I have pepper growing already.


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