Homegrown is the way it should be.......Gardening!

[searchinbig]

Okay lets do it. I've read some posts about gardening here and with Spring around the corner let's share some advice. I muddle around in the garden with my wife and we try different techniques. We have a decent garden to feed our family of four, tomatoes, string and pole beans, cucumbers and recently garlic. What do some of you folks do?
Soil prep?, compost? ( we just toss everything in a 55 gallon plastic barrel and mix it up occasionally), rain water vs. well or town water?( contemplating rain water this year), start seeds indoors or out?( we do both), fertilizer?, etc.

Nothing like fresh veggies and herbs in the summer.  :)

[aMillionDreams]

I'm becoming an avid gardener.

We have two compost bins.  Just regular chicken wire homemade ones. 4X4X4 and I'm going to build another one in the spring/summer.  I get UCGs (used coffee grounds from Starbucks), OPBLs (other people's bagged leaves) from the roadside, and then add whatever organic matter we produce which is mostly food scraps, junk mail, and the guinea pigs' litter.

As far as the gardens, I do all my veggies in containers, because I live in the burbs on less than 1/5 acre.  I'm doing five kinds of tomatoes, five kinds of peppers, 3 kinds of zuchuini, lettuce, greens, okra, bush beans, the usual herbs (lots of basil), and others that I'm sure I'm forgetting. I hope that fits on our deck...

I double dug my front garden beds last fall and am getting a soil test this spring to see what else it needs.  Hopefully I can get away with topdressing because double digging was a LOT of work.  There I'm planting a new Japenese Maple, some dwarf evergreens, daylillies, lots of echinechea (sp?), rock roses, lavendar, and a lot more.

I also have a lasagna bed that I will be planting a cutting garden in.  I'll be planting cosmos, zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers (tall and short), baby's breath, lupine, and more

I also have another shade garden that's not quite ready for spring but I hope to have some native ferns, hostas, and hydrangeas in there.

I'm going to start what I can indoors which will be two or three trays. I'm trying a lot of direct sowing so we'll see how that goes.  Most of my perennials I'll buy at a local nursery.

I'm also planting castor bean plant for the first time this year, which I'm excited about!  Oh, and coleus.  I LOVE coleus!!!  It goes everywhere!

Thanks for starting this thread.  I was going to in a few weeks.  I hope we get some responses!

[goose]

I think I'm going to start a compost this spring.  I have thought about it for a while.  I put three flower beds in at my house over the past couple of years.  I love working with my hands, and I want to do more.

[searchinbig]

I think I'm going to start a compost this spring.  I have thought about it for a while.  I put three flower beds in at my house over the past couple of years.  I love working with my hands, and I want to do more.

Yeah...do it. Great way to use table and kitchen scraps, no grease  products though. I put grass, leaves, vegetable scraps, shredded newspaper, even worms help to break the stuff down. You would be amazed at the black dirt you get in a short time.

[wharf rat]

Like aMD, I've been double digging for quite some time, and it is back-breaking work, but well worth it.  Only organic additions to my bed.
I used to have compost piles at the old place, but we've recently moved and I will be starting a new pile this year.
I do a mix of sowing seeds directly into the soil and starts.  I usually buy my starts from a few organic farmers at our local farmer's market.  They usually have lots of heirloom varieties of tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans, etc.  I'm planning on making one of my beds strictly a spinach/strawberry (great companion plants) plot this year.  Where I have the space, I try to practice companion planting, so as to lessen competition for valuable space.  Again, like aMD, I am in town now, thus don't have nearly the space we had on our 36 acres previously!
I plan on adding to this thread plenty over time.  Thanks for starting it! It's such a treat to get my kids out with me, getting our hands and knees dirty as we're working the soil.  It's almost time!

[pawpaw]

Cool thread! I don't have a garden...I don't even have a yard, but we're looking to buy a house this spring/summer. My wife is a landscape architect, and we're both farmers kids, so we're both into plants and gardening. The Sacramento Valley rocks for growing stuff too!

I'll be checkin' in here for tips when the time is right!

[goose]

Everyone who knows, please keep posting.  I will be hitting this up for pointersover the next few months.

[st. john]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/

go here u can 'listen again' to broadcasts - u can also post - email questions to them. more info than u will ever want .

[aMillionDreams]

Are there any winter sowers out there?  It's an interesting concept.  I'm going to give it a whirl next year.

If anyone has any questions about composting or gardening, post them here.  If I can't answer em, I can at least point you in the right direction.

Like Bbill, I am also a descendant of a farmer. My grandfather was a farmer.  He actually invented the hydraulic log splitter, if any of you are familiar.  Unfortunately he sold the farm because it couldn't be civilly decided who was going to get the farm in his will.  This still breaks my heart.  I loved that farm and would seriously consider a career in farming if I had access to his land.

I didn't mention this before but I am also an organic gardener.

Oh, I also have a plot at the community garden next to my school that my third grade class helps me with planting, amending the soil, weeding, and harvest.

[Bumbeli]

At first I thought that post was about drugs  :-?
Then, after reading the first sentences I thought it was about the comfort of having a garden, but finally I read the whole thing and now I know everything :)

We do have a compost, but that's more of a random square with woo around it.
But I do think it's quite cool that some of you are like really gardening, we only got various berries and fruits off our trees.
Now that I've told that boring tale, I am happy :)

[mjkoehler]

Are there any winter sowers out there?  It's an interesting concept.  I'm going to give it a whirl next year.

If anyone has any questions about composting or gardening, post them here.  If I can't answer em, I can at least point you in the right direction.

Like Bbill, I am also a descendant of a farmer. My grandfather was a farmer.  He actually invented the hydraulic log splitter, if any of you are familiar.  Unfortunately he sold the farm because it couldn't be civilly decided who was going to get the farm in his will.  This still breaks my heart.  I loved that farm and would seriously consider a career in farming if I had access to his land.

I didn't mention this before but I am also an organic gardener.

Oh, I also have a plot at the community garden next to my school that my third grade class helps me with planting, amending the soil, weeding, and harvest.

I winter seed my grass for areas that Mr Mole fucked up the year before, which is a lot. Little blighters.

Also, Lettuce should be planted late winter i.e. about now in the St Louis area for better growth and to produce less bitter leaf. I have hate to grow good lettuce, mine is always too bitter. We plant everything else from seed and will be starting up soon in peet pods and a hot lamp. I think my neighbors think I'm growing some thing else that's green.  :-/ We get seeds from Burpee if we do not have any that we dried ourselves from the year before. For 'maters, going exclusivly with Burpee's 4th of July. I HIGHLY recommend these zesty, delicous small globe tomatoes. They start to ripen around 4th of July, produce a large yield, and produce all the way until it turns cold. De-lic-ious.

[aMillionDreams]

some people winter sow all kinds of stuff.  basically they direct sow a flower seed in potting soil on top of the ground and put a dome over it (usually half a 2-liter bottle) to protect it from frost.  Apparently the seedlings are stronger and it gives gardeners something to do in the winter.  But yeah, spring is almost here, that's yesterday's new, right?

The tomato variety I'm most excited about is Sun Gold.  They are a cherry variety that is apparently the sweetest tastiest tomatoes available, huge yield, they were new three years ago.  If anyone wants some seed I'll send you a few.

I also get my seeds from Burpee or Johnny's.

I worry what my neighbors think, too, MJ.  But hopefully when they see my yard in the summer they'll realize why I've been doing all this "crazy" stuff.  If not, fuck em, their yards look like shit anyways!

RE: bitter lettuce: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/lettuce1.html

Lettuce may become bitter during hot weather and when seedstalks begin to form. Wash and store the leaves in the refrigerator for a day or two. Much of the bitterness will disappear.

[mjkoehler]

The punks across the street would be here in a heartbeat if I grew what they were looking for. Skateboard ramps, bike ramps, and souped up camero's. Fucking cannot wait until they leave for college.

Yeah, I think we are giving up on lettuce for a while. We always have great luck with 'maters (seriously try the 4th of July), green beans (pole), and chilies. Also, we have good luck with a couple of rhubarb plants that were here when we moved in.

Also, I forgot about the raspberry plant that a friend from work gave me. Damn thing took off last year. I need to nuture that mofo. He brought me berries from his plants last year that were outstanding.

Fuck, get here spring GET HERE!

[aMillionDreams]

We also have a raspberry plant that took off last year.  We're going to plant blackberries this year.

How about we trade mater seeds?  10 sungold for 10 4th of July.  I promised my wife I wouldn't make anymore seed orders this year.  

I love rhubbarb but hadn't thought about trying it. The idea of a perennial veggie is pretty cool.  What kind of harvest do you get off a plant?

I really already planning so much at this point I'm cutting myself off.

I'm so glad this thread is getting responses!  :)

[mjkoehler]

I'm up for a seed exchange.

The 'barb plants we have a small ones but we get about 6-8 stalks from each but they are not big. I've seen some where you get pounds off a plant. Most we freeze for strawberry rhubarb pie or this brownsugar spice coffee cake my mom used to make.

On the berries, patience is the most important thing. Patience and acidic soil. Thankfully I planted in an area that is by a pin tree that has had years and years of pine needles composted so it's really acidic. If you need acid, used coffee grounds works good.

[aMillionDreams]

Good deal, MJ.  I'll shoot you a pm.

I ordered a canner the other day, hopefully this year's harvest will warrant one.

[red]

I've always dabbled in gardening, but never gotten really serious.  Since I'm now in a basement suite, I'm looking for something to grow in my window-ledges come spring.  Any advice for something low maintenance and worth growing?  I'm thinking loads of herbs.  

[tomEisenbraun]

 I'm thinking loads of herbs.  

;)

[aMillionDreams]

I've always dabbled in gardening, but never gotten really serious.  Since I'm now in a basement suite, I'm looking for something to grow in my window-ledges come spring.  Any advice for something low maintenance and worth growing?  I'm thinking loads of herbs.  

Will they be outside?  Will they have full sun?  Herbs are definitely good to grow in window boxes.  You could also do leafy greens if you want to eat what you grow.  If not, you've got a LOT of possibilities.  My favorite annuals are coleus, begonias, and snapdragons.  The first two will do well in shade or sun, snapdragons need full sun.

Also, I noticed the OP asked about raincollecting.  I have a rain barrell that's just a 55 gallon barrell with the top cut off.  We are getting new gutters this year and I'm going to have them install a water diverted to another rainbarrel that will be sealed other than a small hole to let water in and one to let water out where I'll connect a garden hose.  Plants LOVE rainwater, you really can tell the difference. City water has WAY too much chlorine which kills the beneficial microorganisms in the soil.  In other words, city water turns soil into dirt.

[searchinbig]

I've always dabbled in gardening, but never gotten really serious.  Since I'm now in a basement suite, I'm looking for something to grow in my window-ledges come spring.  Any advice for something low maintenance and worth growing?  I'm thinking loads of herbs.  

Will they be outside?  Will they have full sun.  Herbs are definitely good to grow in window boxes.  You could also do leafy greens if you want to eat what you grow.  If not, you've got a LOT of possibilities.  My favorite annuals are coleus, begonias, and snapdragons.  The first two will do well in shade and sun, snapdragons need full sun.

Also, I noticed the OP asked about raincollecting.  I have a rain barrell that's just a 55 gallon barrell with the top cut off.  We are getting new gutters this year and I'm going to have them install a water diverted to another rainbarrel that will be sealed other than a small hole to let water in and one to let water out where I'll connected a garden hose.  Plants LOVE rainwater, you really can tell the difference. City water has WAY too much chlorine which kills the beneficial microorganisms in the soil.  In other words, city water turns soil into dirt.

MD this is great advice. I've learned already! I'm gonna do a rain barrel. Btw, what does make a good compost bin? I'm using a black  55 gallon plastic barrel with a hole in the top. We put all our stuff in and turn it over occasionally, but I bet there's a better way.