Veggie Garden 2014
So, anyone else start yet? Seems too early with the snow cover and all, but I couldn't wait. Started some seeds yesterday. Chives, Cilantro, Basil, Thyme, Broccoli, and Arugula. Need to get some parsely seeds to start as well.
MeisterNJ My garden still has 2 feet of snow in it. But when it does thow out does anyone know who sells 2x6 cedar I can use to make raised beds
Jdem If you decide to buy the landscaping timbers and have some place to store them it makes sense to buy them early. The price goes up in April/May when they start to be more in demand.
hktownie Blue ridge should have them, Jdem. If not try Mendham plywood, they have a good selection of cedar lumber. I used cedar siding to make a raised bed last year. Worked pretty well, but you do have to reinforce it if it's going to be longer than about 6 ft.
Once the snow melts and it warms up a bit, I'll break out my cold frame to get a head start on the early season crops. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuces, etc.
Thanks, I took a look at Home Depot and all they had were 4ft kits that were like 120 bucks.
Burpee's catalog has raised bed kits too. Garden shows coming up: Springfest Garden Show at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, March 13-16. NJ Patio Flower & Home remodeling show, National Guard Armory, Morristown, March 21, 22, 23.
Denise Just ordered my seeds and will probably start them up inside to get them going. I'm doing a deck garden this year so on the hunt for good size pots. I'd rather not have a buffet ready for the bear that likes to mosey through our yarn ;)
LadeeVee Probably will start next week. Don't forget the peppers and some onions, I start those first.
I actually use wolmanized for beds, can't find any bad issues especially with post 2003 produced wood. Most of mine is old wood so it's been in the elements for a couple of decades before it goes into garden duty. Also use regular wood, so far I have about a decade before I need to replace.
Probably have to redo my fence this year, what do you use?
mistergoogle 
I bought the cedar siding because it was cheaper than buying 1 x cedar. Fits together nicely. I supported it with 2x4 cedar at the corners and in the middle, Bottom is 1x6 cedar cross-wise, and topped it with 1x4. Stained it white to match the PVC fencing.
I'll definitely get some peppers going soon. Need some parsley seeds too.
MeisterNJ, Love your set up! How did that screening work for keeping out critters including deer? Was it a nuisance to take down when you needed to weed, harvest etc ? Thanks!
Spring Fever Thanks Spring Fever.
Short answer is ok. I planted stuff in there that the deer don't normally like. It was all peppers and eggplant. So, they didn't bother it for almost the entire summer. Then one day in Aug., they snacked on it pretty good. Must have been young deer who don't know any better. As far as harvest/weeding, it didn't matter. It's not that tall. A little bit more than waist high. This year I'll put some plastic netting over it as well to prevent that. Didn't have to do much weeding. I mulch everything with grass clippings.
Meister, your stuff is always a work of art. Mine is much more primitive and rustic.
I had a deer, I think, come in last year, walk to the middle of the garden, reach in and decimate one tomato plant, and then leave with fence untouched. Weird.
My solar electric seems to keep them away, it's the groundhogs and rabbits that are harder to keep out.
We ordered our seeds several weeks ago (went all non-GMO this year) and are totally pumped for this upcoming gardening season!! We have a small 6x8' heated greenhouse so we got a head start on all of the herbs (sage, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, oregano and thyme) so we can plant them pots to keep in the kitchen for easy reach while cooking. So far everything but the rosemary has had at least one or two pots germinate (which I expected because rosemary takes forever to germinate) and some, like the thyme, are really taking off. The greenhouse is heated, but it still gets a bit chilly at night so I think the germination has been a little slower than usual but everything looks super healthy and happy.
We had a few totes laying around so we drilled some drainage holes and planted arugula, baby oak leaf lettuce and spinach to harvest as baby greens until we can plant greens directly outside. All of them are doing great and are now about two and half inches tall but don't have any true leaves yet. I think in another 2 weeks we will be able to have some really nice salads with fresh greens. We also planted our cayenne peppers and Thai yellow chilies over the weekend.
We had a few smaller gardens around the house but built a 33' x 16' "real" garden last year that is flanked by two 4'x8' raised beds. This is also our first year having a greenhouse which I think will be HUGE difference because the past few years our seedlings tend to be spindly because of the less than optimal light sources in the house where we used to start our seeds. We had a few grow light set ups that worked fairly well, but the natural light should make them much stronger plus my house won't be covered with trays of seedlings! We have learned so much over the past few years, like the magic of using grass as mulch (Bonus: totally free), and had some pretty good results. We can now better gauge our plant selection, where each grows best and with much more space we can properly rotate our crops now. We also won't need to spend much money at all this year (assuming everything works out as planned), although there was quite an initial investment last year. We also have a bunch of compost going on (not enough to use for all of the gardens, but enough to get us started). Our efficiency has really developed over the past few years and it is much less work on ourselves now that we have a little bit of experience under our belts. When we started gardening, we made things much more difficult and expensive than it had to be.
We made homemade tomato sauce last year using only ingredients from our garden (except onions that were Best's) and it was amazing. I am really looking forward to this year's harvest!!
(NOTE: We initially used the black weed block/landscape fabric thinking it would, well, work as a weed block. However, it appears grass is not a weed and grows really great underneath weed block. Don't waste your money- just use a few inches of grass clippings which will compact down, work as a weed barrier, help with water retention, is free and will eventually compost back into your soil and add nutrients.)
Happy Homemaker Very nice, Happy Homemaker. Impressive, actually. I don't have that kind of real estate. There isn't much that compares to a homemade meal right from the garden. I love going out and picking greens for a fresh salad or to make dinner.
I learned a long time ago that weed fabric is fairly useless. Hated dealing with it when I worked landscaping during the summer. I've pulled many weeds out that have grown right in and/or through it.
well meister, I will be lucky to get my husband to make them, you take yours to the next level. I would really like them to have rough cut lumber on the sides, that would be cool.
sheryl sheryl, buy him a tool or two and see how fast they get made. I recommend a nail gun.... Then leave some strategically placed lumber lying around on a Saturday morning. With a cup of hot coffee sitting on top.
jrsemom Does anyone grow potatoes? I am thinking about growing some in containers on my patio. Looking for some insight regarding timing and what type.
Joe M 
Tracy We put in potatoes last year in a sunny spot formerly occupied by a tree that had fallen down in a storm some time ago. Cut up potatoes we had in the house; red, sweet and whites and planted them in a mound with good fertilized soil. Put up a 4 foot wire fence to deter the deer, and left them for the summer. Did very well and got a good result. Waited as long as possible before pulling the potatoes out all at once.
Since our garden is not where we live (we're part of the community garden in Mount Olive), should I start seeds in the house and then plat them when the garden is ready. Last year, I only bought plants that we're a decent size and didn't do too good with them. The wee control was a major issue, can't use grass clippings so I have to figure out what will be best to use. Thanks for the heads up on the black paper.
Bessie I've grown them in a whiskey barrel on the deck... just kept some potatoes until they formed lots of eyes and buds and dug holes and planted.... regular potting soil was used. They grew lots of leaves and flowers. Best to keep them in the soil as long as possible, few months I'd say before digging up, the longer you keep them the larger they will be.. I didnt do anything special other than to simply water them. Hope this helps..it was easy and fun to do with a 7 year old :)
Debra I've never done potatoes. Might try that and some garlic this year. Now, if I could get the basil and chive seeds I sowed a couple weeks ago to sprout, I'd be happy. Maybe they need warmer temps? Have the house at 70 deg F, and it gets warmer than that in the mudroom (where I have them) when I close the door. Hmmm.
We are going to hunt down a few garbage cans and try our hand at potatoes this year (we picked up seed potatoes to start out with). I believe they should be planted about 2 weeks before the last frost.
We planted garlic in the fall and its starting to come up (the picture is of our baby garlic). This is our first year planting garlic and we are pretty excited to see them come up.
Bessie-
Tomatoes and Peppers can be planted inside now if you are going to try seeds rather than buying pre-grown seedlings. We used to do them inside before we got the greenhouse and found that if you do not rotate it very often the plants turn out very spindly because they are always trying to reach towards the sun. We hooked up a grow light above the seedlings and that helped a lot (sped up growing and helped them stay straighter). We planted the seeds in peat pots that were placed on a boot tray to catch water. We have tried tomato seeds indoors for the past three years and for the past three years we ended up buying pregrown seedlings because ours didn't work out. I hope you have better luck!
MeisterNJ,
They are outside in the raised beds flanking the garden. They look super healthy so far. I believe they get harvested in June, so once the hot pepper seedlings are ready to go out they will be planted among the garlic. I figure the peppers will be small enough come the end of June that they won't over shade the garlic, plus they are companion plants so they can help keep each other healthy. Hopefully no critters will mess with them since they are not covered.
We plant about 100 garlic plants every year. As soon as the scapes start growing, cut them of so all the energy grows into making the garlic bulb grow larger.
kayaking Kayaking,
How long should the scapes be before you start trimming them? Do you use the scapes (I would assume you could use them similarly to green onions)? What have you found is the best way to store them after harvest? We were planning on using panty hose, tying a knot between each head and storing them at the top of the basement stairs. The top of the stairs gets a bit warmer than the rest of the basement but stays fairly cool but we have no AC. Would deeper in the basement be better? We planted around 50 bulbs which will hopefully tide us over for at least a few months, unless we get a nice crop of tomatoes then I am sure most will go to sauce!
I used to grow potatoes in two old tires high. They did very well. If you dig a few and cook right away they are like cream. Leave them in the ground till the tops start to die. If you have stringy tomato plants, Lay them down sideways in the soil. They will grow roots along the sides. Grass is Ok for mulch if you didn't use pesticides or fertilizer.
Old Gent 
Lena I get my seed garlic from Roman at Valley Fall Farm in Johnsonburg. He's been farming garlic for decades and has dozens of varieties, plus he's full of great advice.
Kate the Great Thanks Kate. I'll have to drop by Valley Fall and pick up some bulbs. What is the address in Johnsonburg? I googled it, but only gave an address in Newton. Is that the farm on Silver Lake Rd?
We did garlic last year also with some bulbs I found online. Good to hear of a local source for bulbs. We planted in Nov, mulched for the winter, and can harvest in June.
I think 2 crops are possible though? Does anyone know when to plant for a fall harvest?
Happy Homemaker: Cut the scapes as soon as you see them. They are wonderful on the grill, cut up into a salad or fried up with potatoes, just a couple of suggestions. FYI Donaldson's get $10 a lb for scapes! That is how we store them as well and we put them in the basement. The quicker you use them the better as they will start growing. Hope both our crops are great this year!
The farm on Silver Lake Road is Genesis Farm. Valley Fall is a couple miles east, just off Route 94, on Route 661 (Ramsey Road). You have the right place, it's just that the mailing address is Newton. You'll find it if you map 10 Old Stage Road, which is basically their driveway.
Also, I'm not sure if people on here know that the library in Long Valley is starting a seed library this year, and that local folks can get top-quality free seeds there, all non-GMO, mostly organic. All you have to do is sign up for their mailing list that announces their events and classes. They're launching any day now. (Full disclosure: I'm a volunteer helping them set it up.)
Thanks Kate. Is Valley Fall open on Sundays? Didn't know the Long Valley Library is starting a seed program. I will have to check it out.
Valley Fall is open pretty much all the time--you just go into the garage and get whatever garlic you need. Roman does lots of local events and farmers' markets; he's an older Ukrainian guy so he doesn't have a dynamite social media presence. If you want to talk to him or find out where he'll be selling besides his farm, you can email him at oldstage@live.com or call (908) 852-7362.
Thanks Kate the Great. I was actually over that way yesterday and forgot exactly where it was. I'll stop in next time I'm up there.
Now, if I could only figure out how to keep my seedlings from dying I'd be alright. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. They sprout fine for the most part, then seem to slowly wilt and die. I water them a little every other day. Tried giving them a little food. Maybe not enough sunlight?
Sounds like damping off. I've had that happen before. It's hard to treat once it starts. Make sure not to overwater, encourage air circulation, and don't let them get too hot or too cold. This link has some useful info: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/seedlings-suddenly-wither-away-how-to-avoid-damping-off
Washington Township, (Morris County) has a seed library -
http://www.wtpl.org/seedlibrary.htm
BLDFinally getting a bed cleared out of an awful mess of orange lilies and creeping myrtle and lovely weed fabric...I saved a good number of the orange lilies so if anyone would like them just PM me.
Now, does anyone have a good place to get some larger sized rosemary and sage plants.?I want to put them into this bed and not looking for the small herb garden size.
GC Lowe's actually had some that were a decent size. About the size of a small boxwood bush.
ianimal Washington Township, (Morris County) has plots available in their community garden. The garden is located in Palmer Park on Bartley Rd. and you don't have to be a resident -
http://wtcommunitygarden.jimdo.com/
Warren County has a Heritage Seed Library in a few locations as well. You do have to learn to generate seeds to return to the library at end of season or buy some to replace what you took. Instructions on seed production is included.
Our garlic plants are getting huge! I have to start finding recipes to use the scapes in because we sure have plenty! Something got into the beds and plucked a few plants out but we still have about 30 left.
The herbs we had planted in the greenhouse didn't work out so well. I think there were a few really hot days where I forgot to open the vent and they fried. Some of them can now be direct sowed outside so we will do that today and more plantings over the next few weeks. We have the tomatoes going and they really look great. They are about 2 inches tall and should be getting some true leaves over the next week or so. We are using all heirloom seeds this year and are a bit worried about diseases and such, but have been doing a lot of research so we know what to look for and how to treat it organically.
It is so awesome that so many people are into this. I would love to meet you all one day:). Hackettstown should hold a harvest festival!
I think the thing I am most excited about this year are the peas. I remember my Great Grandmother and Grandfather sitting on the porch with us kid shelling peas every year. Not only do they taste way better than frozen peas, they hold nostalgia for me. My Great Grandmother lived to 105, so maybe all those fresh garden veggies were the secret!
My garlic is doing well too! We have about 90 plants. I do share with my friends too!
I just put peas in today. Hope I'm not too late.
@Happy Homemaker - it looks like your pea plants survived that late cold snap / frost we had. Did you have to cover them? Or did you start them indoors and transplant after the frost? Also - I'm in love with your garden fencing. What are the poles - stained 2x4s? Thinking of doing something similar for our new space.
Rebecka Rebecca-
We direct sowed the peas outside a few weeks ago and did not cover them during that recent frost. This is our first year doing peas but they seem super hardy. There are only two of us, so we did several plantings so they don't all ripen at the same time and we end up with too much (although we should end up with plenty to freeze if everything grows as we intend).
Our garden posts are stained landscape timbers. They normally go on sale at Home Depot around Memorial Day for $2 so that was really economical. The fencing, however, was not economical. Don't bother with rabbit fencing around the bottom- they can jump right through. We used the rabbit fence but then had to reinforce it with chicken wire a few feet up.
Thanks so much for the info, Happy. Will look into the landscape timbers. Believe it or not, we have no issues with bunnies (knock on wood). We are bordered by woods, and there are so many hawks, the bunnies don't come out of the brush into our open backyard to eat the garden. Or if they do, I don't think they survive long enough to eat anything. Even the deer and gophers don't come 'round. Maybe it's having 4 dogs and 2 indoor/outdoor cats that keeps all the free-lunchers away. Our fence is mostly to keep our pets out!
@ Happy ~ here are a couple of recipes for you to try for your garlic scapes
http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2011/06/csa-box-3-basil-garlic-scape-pesto-and-broccoli-with-toasted-garlic-olive-oil.html
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/07/06/white-bean-and-garlic-scape-dip/
JrzyGirl88 Have beans, tomatoes plants, squash, growing in bay window. Is it still to early to plant, it's still so cold out.
idlechatter 
Thanks for the recipes! They look amazing.
We were cruising around this morning and stumbled on a stack of pallets out for free and decided they would make a great compost bin. We have a small compost bin which can't really supply everything we need. Its not quite done yet (there will be slats that slide in the front to contain the compost in the bin while letting it get sun) but I am pretty happy with the way it came out and it is quite sturdy (and practically free!).
The garden took a little bit of a beating over the winter so next weekend will be all garden prep for all of the May planting. The ground is still soaked so I am crossing my fingers it will dry up a little. The very wet soil is nice once the plants get established because we don't need to water them as much, but this time of year when nothing is growing in there (except some stray grass) there is nothing to absorb the water.
Went to Well Sweep Farm today and it was relatively limited pickings due to the cold. They told me it was too early to plant tender herbs such as basil. Their basil was still in the greenhouse. 3-4 weeks for the overnight weather to be warm enough according to them.
Donaldson's said the same thing. They didn't even have any for sale. Looking forward to fresh basil for bruschetta.
emaxxman Happy Homemaker-where did you find the free pallets and, were there any left as I saw a great idea for planting within the open slats of a pallet and would like to try it!
kayaking-
They were over by Four Sister's Winery (not sure if they were actually from the winery). There were only 2 left and they were in pretty rough shape. If I see some in my travels, I will let you know. There are so many things you can do with them. I saw a strawberry planting idea using the open slats as the planting rows and also a really cute potting workbench that I want to make. Hamilton Electric on Rt. 46 occasionally has a pallet or two sitting out front (presumably for free). Some of the ones we picked up were hardwoods which is awesome for durability but a real pain in the rear to remove the bottom stringers.
Funny, I was building a compost bin out of pallets today. Single bay. The ones I got are more open so I'm going to add some wire mesh to the inside. I cut one pallet in half to make double doors for the front to ease unloading. Will post pics when I'm done.
We started our garden in Tupperware bins about 1.5-2 months ago. They will be transferred outside in may. I'd like to have at least 2 harvests instead of having more than I can handle all at once =)
NoUseForAname Oops, wanted to mention. If you don't want to grow/eat GMOs avoid buying seeds from places like lowes, home depot, walmart etc. Monsanto owns those seeds. Here is a link to a list of GMO & non GMO seed companies. Or you can google it for yourself. Happy growing!!!! =)
https://www.facebook.com/notes/saving-us-all/a-list-of-gmo-and-non-gmo-seed-companies/334086699976625
@ Happy Homemaker:
We have huge garden we inherit from the previous owner and 7 hens.
I did harvest few things last year and I planted tomatoes.. We have abundant of garlic and giant sunflower last year they were growing crazy all over the garden.
but because the garden is huge i don’t know where to start. We still have raspberries ( 3kinds) and strawberry.
We have compost too.
Based on your photos your peas is looking good.
I guess I can plant the rest of my seeds now..
I have Lettuce, Cabbage,Broccoli, green beans, sweet pepper, cucumber, peas etc ..I already started my tomatoes and other herbs inside the house..maybe next year we can build a greenhouse.
I had bees issues last year and attacked me.
any advice should I start sowing the rest of my seeds?
Rhen MeisterNJ- The gaps on the pallets we got were much wider, so we took off the bottom stringers and filled in the gaps with them. I am very interested in seeing the door on yours (we are just going to use slats that slide in to the face).
Rhen- You are very lucky to have inherited such a bounty! Lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and peas are fairly cold weather crops so you should be able to plant them outside now. Some herbs can also be direct sowed outside now (Thyme, cilantro). The peppers, tomatoes and more tender herbs like basil can be planted inside now. Cucumbers do best when direct sowed (we have transplanted cucumbers but have not had much success with them) and we will be doing ours in a few weeks when it gets slightly warmer.
I want to line the perimeter of the yard with raspberries, so I will be borrowing some cuttings from the mature bushes where we usually pick them and seeing if I can't propagate them. How do you like raising chickens? Do they still lay eggs?
Yeah, HH, I did that a bit as well with filling in the gaps for the bottom and the back of it. I actually went a little crazy and broke the pallets down for the two sides and the doors. For the doors, I'm using a smaller pallet and will basically make a double door out of the pieces. I will put a couple of latches on it to hold them closed. I am also going to put a lid on the whole contraption, using some corrugated plastic roofing. It's tinted like sunglasses. I'll just have to keep it open from time to time to let the rain in. I was also thinking of painting or staining the whole thing. Whatever I have laying around, not going to buy anything.
Have you propagated raspberries before? I've never tried to propagate anything other than landscaping plants. Do you wait for some new growth on the donor plants?
Happy Homemaker Thank you very much so I guess I have to wait when the rain stop.
We are very lucky!
We love raising chicken makes me feel back home (Philippines) We feed them veggies and fruits from the garden.
And yes, they still lays eggs we shared eggs with our neighbors and relatives.
They helped me in the garden and their manure is perfect for the compost.
About the Raspberries cuttings I threw everything in the compost.
Happy homemaker do you have any tips on how to get rid of moles without using chemical?. We had such a moles problem in our garden and backyard, It's crazy the whole frontyard and they dug tunnels underneath the walkway.
Made this last night. Came out really good! I modified it quite a bit. The cauliflower worked great as an arborio rice substitute. I made it with olive oil, onions, lemon juice, and white wine. You just have to be careful with the amount of chicken broth you use because you don't need that much. It's not like real risotto where the liquid gets readily absorbed.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/golden-cauliflower-risotto-50400000131531/
Here is the finished composter. Came out pretty good. A little hard to see because of the evening light. Still have to straighten out the doors a little bit, but it's done for now. May get around to painting or staining it at some point.
You composting a tree? I think if you bury the trunk you kill the tree.
You can drill the roof for water. If you screw and unscrew it, you will be putting holes in it anyway and on top of the rafters, if you use them. You can drill it in the valleys before you install or put a few screws in it and re-do those screws after drilling. I ruined a plastic roof by moving it, opening holes by the nail gaskets, and making many, many drips.
Course it may not matter if your nail holes drip and rot the wood faster in this case in which case, attach it and drill away Merrill, drill away.
Ha. Looks like that, doesn't it? No, not composting the tree. Composter is sitting on a some paver bricks, so it shouldn't smother the tree. This was the best spot for it in my yard and it is hidden from the neighbors.
I think I will drill some holes in the lid when I put it on. Or I can just open it when a good rain is coming.
That looks great, MeisterNJ!
For those growing tomatoes from seed, how tall are your plants? I keep seeing these plants that are already 8-12" high in the stores, but my guys are only about 2.5 inches and I feel like I am behind the curve. They do look really healthy though. I had put 3 seeds in each pot because we have never used heirloom seeds before and I was worried that the germination rate would be low. However, almost all of the seeds did germinate so I separated them each into their own pot and we now have a TON of tomato plants! So far none of them seem to have any problems from the transplant.
Rhen-
Fortunately, I have never had to deal with moles but did read that you can use castor oil granules, spread them around your lawn and they will repel moles and groundhogs which is natural and wouldn't have a negative impact on your garden and livestock like a poison would.
HH --- I am with you and have been there before and never has been a problem. Especially since it appears to me that today's tomatoes seem to produce and stop; less and less do they seem to just keep going whether genetics or weather. So it has not mattered to me whether they produce late or not, I still get the same amount.
Some years I have really smiled when I see joe gardener grab those two footers in early May for $4 a piece and wonder if he gets $4 of tomatoes or whether they get hit by a late cold snap.
Just remember to harden first, then plant em deep when you move to garden; you can bury a tomato up to and even over the first set of leaves to get a nice strong stalk.
And if really worried, buy a couple of the big boys and you will have some spacing between harvests.
I am hoping to start small this year with a raised bed ( if I can find one to purchase). This will be my first ever garden attempt. I am inspired and intimidated at the same time by all of these posts! I need to get over my fear of gardening! Any advice for a complet rookie without a green thumb?!
Townies We've gone to our garden, tilled the soil and now have to rake and pull out all the weeds that the tilling didn't get. Should I be mixing some compost/manure into the soil now. Garden is 10x10 (approx). For weed control, which we failed at terribly last year, I was going to use the black fabric stuff to cover, cut out the holes for my plants and pray that it all works. Am I missing anything in the prep work before planting?
MrG, maybe someone mentioned this already but there are "determinate" and "indeterminate" types of tomato plants. I think the determinate types produce all the fruit at once and the indeterminate types continue to produce fruit throughout the growing season. We typically grow both types so we have variety.
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/tomato/2000082337022708.html
3wbdwnj Bessie - Your first defense for the weeds is preparing the soil to begin with. In flower beds you don't always get the chance to start from scratch so make the most of it. Tilling needs to be deep enough that it gets all the roots of all the weeds. Then all you really have to do is run through all the dirt pulling anything living out. A rake to do that will probably miss a lot and might only be for a start. If you want to speed that up faster than just with your hands, you might consider a big coarse frame sieve to put the dirt through.
After that, then for sure get some rich organic material like compost to mix in. Then you want to get the fabric over it all as quickly as humanly possible. Get loads of stakes to keep the fabric in place. Supplement the stakes with some rocks around the perimeter. I've got a big roll of the fabric, way more than I need, if you'd like some.
So, this is the third year for my asparagus. Thought I would be getting a nice harvest by now, but most of the spears are skinny and go to seed real fast. Is there anything to do except look fwd to year 4? I cut them off as soon as the tops start to spread so that the plants are wasting energy and resources on bum spears. Anything else?
3wbdwnj: will try that although I consistently get 7 footers since I grow them in tight quarters.
Townies: First, I just put four boards together which is a lot cheaper than pre-made. I have used treated and not; there are no known risks of treated but if uber careful, line with rock. During the first year, if you use store bought dirt (I just use home depot topsoil for a single bed) you kind off get a give-me in that fewer weeds and excellent nutrients. In later years, you'll need to attend to both of those factors.
Keep it simple, plant what you like, think vertical, small, and simple. You can cage/trellis cucumbers; pole beans take less ground space, cherry tom's and roma's safer than huge tom's. Zucs and squash are ez but take space but are way ez. Leaf lettuce ez-er than head and carrorts/radishes read need some sandy soil. You're probably too late for peas, spinach are other cold crops until fall. Melons are tough and take space. Peppers are fun, plus if overloaded they freeze ez but I have gone to small cherry-like varieties that still taste like peppers (not hot). I find them ez-er to grow. Eggplant is fun but insect intensive; they turn the leaves into screen doors overnight. Chinese (zuc shape) is ez-er than the big ones.
Herb-wise, parsley and basil grow like weeds.
Remember the sun: taller plants in back, shorter in front.
Lately I have been choosing a lot based on ease and price. I mean why kill myself for radishes and carrots when I can buy great ones fresh for a few pennies.
Depending on where you are, fencing can cost as much as the garden. I have electric, a two foot 2-inch square rabbit fence, and flat boards for ground hogs.
The one thing way different with raised beds that I have found is drainage. The good news is mine literally can not be washed out. The bad news is that I have to water daily until roots go deep and the greenery blocks most of the sun from the soil. Weed protection like grass clippings, straw, etc. helps retain water.
Gardening is an inconsistent sport. I had issues with peppers and eggplant for decades and two years ago I had 3 -4 foot plants with commercial sized fruit. And then last year, nada on the eggplant, the seedlings just did not transplant. I planted zucs next to cantalopes one year and got zuccalopes or cantalinni.
Have fun and keep it cheap as you will be learning what is good for you for a few years. Good luck.
Hi I was hoping someone would have some old fencing hanging around their yard. Posted at least a week ago and no answer. Have all my plants almost ready to be planted. Or does anyone know of fencing that isn't too expensive. Thanks
You can get the plastic black fencing at Home depot in a roll. It's fairly inexpensive, about 50 feet long and 6ft or so high. You'll have to get some fence posts as well, either some wood ones or the green metal ones. It's a decent low cost option and the plastic should last a couple years. Otherwise, maybe go to a metal scrap yard and see if they have any chain link lying around?
Happy Homemaker
Thank you very much..
MeisterNJ My asparagus grew back after I cut them all down last's year winter.
some are skinny and some are fat, I never knew the taste between fresh cut and store bought..I just harvest and eat them raw they are so good.
The reason I cut them down I thought it will never come back, we don't really care for asparagus that much..
Wow MisterGoogle thank you!! Very helpful...is it too late for me to start with seeds? Or is this weekend a good time? For tomatoes, cucs, peppers....
I would say in the ground yes, but probably not seedlings in pots so will probably need to buy peppers, tomatoes and others that should be started indoors; seed package will tell you.
Townies - I start most vegetable seeds in pots regardless of planting time and I actually just started some tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squashes a few days ago. Ground should be not less 55 degrees at night if you want to have reliable seed germination in ground soil. It's also much easier to transplant seedlings than take care of germinating seeds in vegetable bed with all bugs, birds, and garden helpers who pull weeds that are not really weeds (despite markers and warnings). Also if you want continues harvest of summer squashes and cucumbers you need to re-plant them with 3 weeks intervals. Re-planting needed for greens and beans also. These seeds are better to be planted in ground.
I'm jealous Caren. Most of mine are thinner than a pencil. Got a few that were maybe sharpies size. I'll see what I get now. It's a small patch, the asparagus is all in a 1x3 area. Should I be dividing it to give it more room?
Meister.
I really don’t know about dividing for room ( but based on the distance now it's about 12inces), the previous owner of this house he used to work in the farm, he said it's about 2 yr old.
Asparagus loves organic fertilizing, mostly it should be done AFTER you stop harvesting it. Don't cut ALL sprouts, leave some and let them grow all summer and fall until frost kills them. The plant itself looks like large bush with red seeds and many people use branches to add to cut flowers bouquets. You can collect seeds and start new plants. New plants from seeds will come true to parents plants. For many years I grew asparagus only as a flower, not as a "vegetable".
Thanks Lena. I did let it grow during last summer, so as to establish its root system. I'll try some fertilizer. Maybe I'll get a better crop in the fall.
@GC..would love some of the fabric..will send you an email since I know you have stuff sitting in your garage that you would just love for me to come and pick up :)
My family knows me so well; for Mother's Day I was given two peach trees to start a small orchard! I think the peaches will be great because they are quite versatile- peach salsa, canned peaches, pies, wine. We want to eventually have 6-8 trees but haven't yet decided what other fruits we want to go with. I would love to try cherry trees, but all I hear are horror stories about all of the problems they are prone to (i.e. birds eating the fruit before you get to it, pests, etc). Do any of you have fruit trees? What would you recommend?
We put fencing around the trees in hopes that the deer would think it too much trouble to try and bother them. I did a lot of research on the proper way to prune peach trees and I think I have a pretty good idea of what to do. The plan is in about 4 weeks, give them a light pruning (There are too many branches going straight up and I want to start training it correctly) and then two weeks from then fertilize it. Is there any other tips / tricks that I should know?
Nice. Read up on it. We had a couple of peach trees when I was growing up and if you didn't spray the right pesticides at the right times, you wouldn't get any edible fruit. And the peaches we did get were small. I'm sure there are more organic options these days as well for controlling pests.
Bessie - Didn't see your message until now. I would figure those supplies I have plus the fabric I can just get to you at the Exchange.
I did peaches, had nice returns. Spraying was not to bad, mostly used general orchard spray. Bad news is have to prune harshly if you want big fruit, small fruit is often not pruning harsh enough. Good news is peaches are neat in that there is not a lot to prune, easier than apples. But get a book and get the shape right and be ruthless.
Deer love peaches, never had one on the ground.
Last thing is the trees do not last forever, they go after a decade or so, so if you like em, you might want to think succession planting so you always have some mature ones going. Got a few years to consider that one.
Happy - wonderful about the peach trees! Note that you may have to research how to protect them from bears when they start bearing fruit. We had 10 young pear trees. They were protected from deer, but the bear just crashed through the fencing to get to the fruit, destroying half our trees in doing so. (They don't bother reaching up to pick the fruit; they'll just pull entire large branches or young trees down.)
Thank you so much Lena and MisterGoogle. Total rookie question here....
I am starting indoors with peppers, cherry tomatoes and peas(I know you said probably too late for them but went for it anyway. What the heck?!). Anyway, I am embarrassed to even ask but I can't find answer online. How many seeds do I place in each pod?? And how many peas??
Thanks again!!!
I do two per, sometimes three. I just hate to cut em back to the one that you end up transplanting. Your peppers will probably go in very late, but not to worry, if they don't produce even to late fall they go and go and can even take more frost than most plants. Are you doing regular or hot peppers?
Peas ---- in the ground, not seedlings. And this year you might be OK. Be sure to be prepared to trellis.
Although last year I used a hybrid, didn't read the package cuz I'm so smart, put up a 5 foot trellis for a 2 foot bush. Little suckers still produced pretty well but those hybrids are just too expensive.
Actually I got wiped out this year; either too old seeds or too much water at the wrong time. Probably water. Tomatoes came up, late, but they did OK.
Thanks again for the tips everyone. So I have some success...mustard greens and spinach look ready to harvest. Do I cut them....pull them?? Will they produce more or do I need to plant more? Told you I was completely "green" here....
And I need to trellis tomatoes and peppers, correct?
Thx in advance!
I find staking tomato's to be cheaper/easier. I use pieces of yarn to tie them and you can get 1x2x8ft lathe at Lowe's for about $1 a pole. Have to cut em cuz too tall and I put an "arrow head" on the ground side when I cut them so they pound in easier. Last a few years if you take em under cover at harvest.
I use these for my tomatoes, and sometimes the peppers: http://www.amazon.com/Gardeners-Blue-Ribbon-TMC60-Discontinued/dp/B000RUM0R4
They work great. You can adjust them as the plants get taller. Pretty well made and last a long time. I bought a bunch of them and plant the tomatoes in rows so that I can tie the scaffold together. Sum of the parts is stronger than the individuals. Breaks down easy and I can store them all in 1 five gallon bucket. Tomatoes grow really well with them.
If you are going to regularly grow tomatoes, get the tomato cages made just for the purpose. They are not that expensive depending on size.
Peppers I've never needed anything special at all, but I usually grow small hot varieties. If you're growing 4-5ft tall plants then yes. Just a plain stake should do well for those.
Townies, if you pull the leaves off your greens as you need them rather than pulling up the whole plant, they should continue to produce for you a little longer. When the spinach starts to bolt (grows a big central stalk with flower buds), then you know it's petering out.
We pulled our garlilc yesterday and are really happy with them. They are nicely shaped and sized but most importantly, they have a super fresh, spicy taste. This was our first year with garlic and we will certainly be growing them again. We ended up with 35 bulbs. I have been saving my pantyhose that ended up with runs in them rather than tossing them and plan to use them to hang the cured garlic in the basement (which stays fairly cool and non-humid throughout the summer).
Our tomatoes are looking great now too. I had my doubts because we grew them from seed and they were so tiny when we planted them. But, once we had them in the ground, they started to grow really well and are the most robust tomato plants we have grown in years.
peas n beans going gangbuster. No matter how many I grow, how many I pick, there's never enough peas to freeze. Wando's are extremely sweet this year. Peppers coming, got one banana and everything else is moving along. A little slower than usual, but the cooler weather good for the peas.
Happy Homemake~~were the green tops on the garlic turning yellow? The ideal time to pick garlic is when the tops have turned half yellowish/brown.
Had a decent snap pea crop. First few banana and anaheim peppers were picked the other day. A few more days and I should get some squash. Terrible year for cauliflower. Big plants, tiny fruit. I wound up ripping them out to make room for the stuff groing adjacent to it. Good year for arugula, kale, leeks, and scallions. Another week and I should have a good cherry tomato crop.
Yup, gonna pick my first tomato today, it's great, I mean grape!
Squash flowering but late due to seedlings not starting on the first round. Cold spring.
There's a fungus amongus. Got a green bean fungi, black rust, but supposedly it disappears when cooking. We'll see. So far just eating the yellows but probably won't freeze any till the pole beans come it. Oh well.
Picked our first zucchini today, planted seed directly in ground memorial weekend.
Tomatoes are coming, seems early, but grape versions are very, very sweet. Got peppers too, huge ones, but seems to be that I was early on that one.
Peas are fading but going to get some with this cold snap.
Japanese beetles hit my pole beans, I hate that since it's hard to spray given all the veges in harvest. Grrrrrr. Will kill them e mano e buggo.
Ha. Yeah, I was picking bugs off of my Eggplant. Don't know what they are. It is hard to spray with all of the fruit coming in. I have things planted in almost every square inch of real estate. Scallions amongst the peppers, arugula and lettuce amongst the leeks and onions, cucs and squash in and around the tomatoes, etc.
I have learned to keep the egg plants in a "can spray" area; mine will not grow without bug killing. Guess I need to create one for pole beans too, this is the second year for attack.
Lately I've noticed a milky white haze on the leaves of my zucchini plants. Anyone know what this is? Mold? Is it harmful? Remedies?
Hard to spray this time of year, so might just wash/wipe off.
The only Zuc failure I get is the fungus/worm, whatever that kills the whole plant very quickly.
Too many weeds, next year I want to go with permeable landscape cloth. Any recommendations on brand and technique? I want to be able to re-use as long as possible and will take up each fall.
Yes, Weeds are really bad this year. I put a ton of grass clippings down and garden is still a mess. Might try newspapers next year, topped by clippings.
I'll try wiping the leaves off. Doesn't seem to be harming the plants, but any restriction on the light the leaves receive can't be good.
Milky white haze is powdery mildew. I have a bunch of plants all together that get it - bee balm and phlox in particular, with some lilac next to it. I've never tried diluted milk, but that is supposed to be a way to control it. I have neem oil which I want to try on it, but haven't done it consistently enough to see the mildew really disappear. Since my issue is mostly flowers instead of vegetables, it's not critical for me to solve. But it sure does seem to be much worse than other years, starting earlier (I've seen it more often later in the season), and actually affecting the plants where it was just a nuisance before.
If you try the milk, let me know. In the mean time I should get serious about spraying with neem enough days in a row to make a difference.
Also - if you're wiping the leaves with something wet you may be helping it. The wiping could just be spreading the fungus spores, and if it still is wet then more is just going to grow back.
Thanks GC. I've heard that baking soda solution might work too. I figured something like that or heavily diluted vinegar would help.
Yeah, my sister uses paper and clippings to great success but for me, the darn stuff just never breaks down.
Anyone going, or gone, for second plantings yet?
MeisterNJ - Ditto on the baking soda, I've heard a combination of baking soda and milk as well. Don't go for vinegar though. That's the opposite as an acid instead of base. If you want to try the pH angle which is supposed to be what makes baking soda work, then you want something like more like window cleaner with amonia or plain soap. Some people say neem for fungus is more about the oil than the biological defense in which case just plain old soap like some Tide mixed with water would be better than vinegar.
Thinking about putting some more peas in, and it's almost time for more broccoli. With the mild summer, arugula should come back strong.
GC, I have a chemistry degree, so I know an acid from a base. ;). Might be all I remember though. Ha.
The day I take milk to save a zucchini is the day I go to Best's and just buy one :>)
Have you seen the price of milk?
We have tried cucumbers for the past few years with no success at all. This year we moved them to the regular garden and apparently that is the spot! We had an awesome crop of cucumbers and pick bags full every other day. So far, we have 59 jars of pickles (plus we already gave some away) and it looks like we are about 1/2 way through so we should get plenty more. If we had more time, we would have been able to do a lot more pickles but I am pretty happy with what we have done so far. We were not expecting the cucumbers to do well and will probably run out of jars before the tomatoes hit.
Speaking of tomatoes, we have quite a few nice, large tomatoes and the plants are very strong and healthy looking, but nothing is even hinting at turning red yet. Are your tomatoes still green?
We had planted 2 small peach trees earlier this year. We were not expecting any fruit as they are only a year old or so, but we ended up with two peaches on the one tree. We picked both tonight and they were absolutely perfect! I can't wait until the tree is really producing so we can work on peach salsa, peach pie, peach wine and any other peach preservation ideas we can think of!!
I wish I didn't have to work so I could just stay home and garden!
Get those peaches quick; they are a short-lived tree!
Been eating tom's for weeks; grapes are sweet and resilient, will plant again next year. Yellows, for me, are totally tubular (big grape) but not resilient, much cracking. Cocktails more acid than grapes with a little splitting on some and Roma's just coming in now, news at 11....
My cucs are OK, but nothing is producing at a level to put much up. Too many weeds. Just finished the last pickle jar from last year although I do refrigerator sweets, don't can much anymore and these are oh oh so ez.
Cucs have petered out. Cherry tomatoes have been slow and steady. Pick a handful almost everyday. Planted limelight squash for the first time and the vines are doing laps around my garden. They're everywhere. Climbing the fence, tomatoe plants, asparagus, etc. Pick one or two every three days or so. They're pretty good and taste just like zucchini.
Great recipe for squash btw. Cut into spears, toss with olive oil and herbs (I use parseley and lemon thyme). Grill. When they're just about done, brush on some balsamic vinegar and grill for another minute. The balsamic caramelizes a little and they taste awesome.
I just thought I would share a visitor I have in my garden. I have pots of peppers and tomatoes and this "Little" girl.
Mr 4paws
4paws Does anybody know where I can buy some garlic bulbs for planting in the fall my grandma use to get them from a framer in Great Meadows years ago. They lasted all year she would harvest them late spring and braid them them up and hang them to dry. I remember they where white with a strip of purple like color and the bulbs were individual cloves like 6-8 per bulb. Would so much like to plant some this year, thanks so much. jy
jy jy - Look at the earlier posts in this thread, around March. They were discussing exactly where to get the bulbs and how to cultivate them:
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/588723#t595995
I've been weeded out, depressed, and even let my second bean crop go...... But hint: if you like string beans, if you plant bush and pole, the pole seem to come in much, much later making for a second crop without have to plant much later than the first.
Tomatoes are steady, I really love the grapes. Much less cracking than cocktail, longer shelf life, and sweeter. Gonna skip the cocktails next year.
New cuc trellis didn't work, will stick with cages next year, they worked as usual.
Enough of these weeds, they have won! I need a new attack strategy. Next year I put down garden clothe.
jy: Shawnee Mtn. just had their annual garlic fest last weekend. Check online, I believe Easton has a garlic fest in October. That is where we buy our garlic to plant for the next year.
4 paws, we just found two of them. So neat to watch them catch their prey and wrap it up for dining later.
littlelu Also If you want Organic Garlic, www.seedsofchange.com
They have a nice selection and now is the time to order.
Mr. 4paws
I have a ton of hot peppers that I want to pickle. I've only done the pickled radish/carrots for sandwiches. These didn't last long so I wasn't concerned with long term storage. Given the amount of peppers, this will last me a very long time.
So my question is, do I need to boil the mason jars if I'm simply going to store the jar in the fridge right from the start? I've seen recipes that say I don't and that boiling the jars and pickled mixture is only necessary if I'm going to store it on a shelf.
I store sliced jalapenos in a jar of vinegar that I keep in the fridge. No boiling necessary. Last a good long time. I have a jar in there from last year and they're still good. If it is going on a shelf, then yes, I would boil the jars, lids, and the picking mixture.
Peppers will last a good time, but it depends on how long you expect that to be. Anything that takes up room in the fridge I wouldn't think would have an issue. However, they definitely will not last like on the shelf jars will. If you are talking in terms of years or months then boil because it's not that much more work. If you are talking weeks, then don't worry about it.
As an alternative for long term storage, I would also consider drying peppers and not canning them. They are still quite good if rehydrated. I have a source in NM, near the famous town of Hatch where you can buy outstanding ristras and bulk pods. Some boiled reds still have great flavor two years later.
Fall resurgence is in full swing. I have arugula that has seeded itself and is coming up all over. Same with leeks. Asparagus is thin, but coming up plenty. Think I should really spread out the plants. Should receive garlic bulbs shortly for fall planting.
Second season is really producing. I have more arugua than I know what to do with. Garlic has sprouted, and I even got a good last crop of cherry tomatoes when I ripped out the plants. Leeks should be of usable size soon and even the herbs have sprouted some fresh growth with the recent warm weather and rain. Going to have to get busy freezing much of the surplus.
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