23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
OK - so here is the latest - seems like most people like 4C and 3C, im not really partial to one over another, some people think they might be too big take up too much room - ive reattached 4c and 3c along with a few other variations, just need some help with whats most practical, easy and provides most options /space... is orientation really even important at all?
Here is Original 3C:
Here is Original 4C:
Here are a few variations of 3C (some of which might also work with 4C as well)
3C_3: most different - all large beds split [even one on left (north)] w/ bigger paths on right/south
3C_2: or replace two 3' beds with one central 4' bed (bigger paths)...
[perhaps even split left/north bed in 2 as above in 3c_3]
Any thoughts? So far 4C has gotten more traction with people but perhaps the above provide other options, personally i dont care i just want a functional backyard, easy access and lots of growing space.. sadly im just stuck with the dimensions of the yard and am looking for the most utilitarian layout that is able to produce.... Also while we at it can someone suggest bed depth I was thinking like 16-18" but not sure... I do appreciate all the advise so far. This is going to be great when finished! :)
This is a 4x4' plot with beans and peppers on one side and potatoes on the other, right? That's a lot of stuff for a 4x4 plot. Or are you now moving the cukes?
There is no reason cukes can't grow by tomatoes as they have nearly the same nutrient needs and only minimal different water needs. How much space you would need depends on the type of tomatoes, how you support them and if you prune them or not as well as the size of the trellis, and he number of cuke plants etc. Basically 3-4' anyway as many tomato plants get at least that wide.
Like Dan said (I think it was him) - "tall crops on the north, short crops on the south, it really is that simple." But keep in mind that thousands of gardeners also grow quite successfully every year with N-S beds or NE-SW beds because they don't have any choice on placement. So don't let it worry you too much. Assuming even half-way decent sun exposure, over-crowding the crops is more of a threat to success than is placement relative to the sun.
Hope this helps.
Dave
I used AG-19 to cover one raised bed this past winter, I had kale and spinach in the bed. Not sure if the light transmission wasn't enough or something, my kale and spinach didn't grow much while under the AG-19. Bugs didn't chew through the Agribon.
So are there REALLY insects that chew through tulle? I'm baffled. Rodents can do it, but why would a bug do it? Tulle not remotely digestible, and they don't know that there is something good underneath. Bugs aren't that smart. Seriously. If there is a bug that chews through tulle, I don't want to be anywhere near it.
Strange. I've ordered from egardenersplace for a few years since there was a flat rate shipping. I guess the Jung conglomerate stopped doing the one-stop-shop thing, which also means I'll be less likely to order from them (I'm not about to pay all the separate shipping).
Rodney
Hi Hokie, so far so good, the skirett plants are still quite small, thinking they might be a little tricky to germinate I sowed more seed than I wanted plants, all the seed germinated I ended up with 24 plants LOL.
The sea kale, I removed the outer husks on all 15 seeds and planted in a community pot, placed them on a heat mat, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I potted them on as they germinated, first in 2" pots and then into 5" pots where they are now.
12 of the seeds germinated, one came up I guess you'd call it blind one little leaf, no growing tip, one looks stunted. That leaves me with 10 plants. The sea kale plants look floppy, not as tight looking as cabbage or cauliflower usually looks at this stage but I think it's the nature of the beast. I looked on you tube and the plants being planted out looked about the same.
All my tubs are in use, yacon, oca, crosne, and some samples of bush bean varieties, I kind of got carried away this year trying new things so I'm going to sink the sea kale pots in the garden for a couple of months and then pop them out of their pots, into the soil in August, then it's sink or swim. The skirret are going in the ground as soon as their roots fill the pots. I'm only keeping 6 of each, the rest are going to our Hort Society plant sale later this month.
They're sitting outside hardening off. Not the best picture but gives you an idea of what they are looking like at this stage.
Annette
Start fresh seed outside and you'll have better luck. A container that big should be able to last a few days without water at this point. If you've been watering them frequently while they are inside then you've most likely been overwatering them.
Rodney
I have an area about 4'x4' I wanted to grow them in. Half for pickles and half for slicing. Is that area too small, how many plants could i fit in there if anything? Would a trellis be required? I had a larger area planned but am thinking of throwing tomatoes in there for extra tomatoes but could go back to using it for cucumbers. Thanks again for all the advice. This forum is the best
4'x4' might be a bit small if you're planning on pickles. Ideally, you want to be able to harvest a large amount of pickling cukes so they'll be fresh off-the-vine when you process them. If you have a small area with few plants, then you'll end up collecting and storing them over several days to have enough to make pickles, which you'll want to avoid. And if you're sharing that area with slicing cukes, it may take longer to get plenty of pickling cukes due to having fewer pickling cuke plants.
I would highly recommend a trellis so you can let them grow upwards. The area will probably handle more plants if trellised and you'll be able to keep them under control instead of dealing with them inevitably snaking out beyond the 4'x4' area. Easier to find the cukes too that way.
You may also be able to add another trellis to the northside of the larger area where you're growing tomatoes. Then you can use that area for both cukes and tomatoes and plant additional pickling cukes there to give you larger harvests prior to pickle making.
Let me tell you a story about spreading of horseradish) I got tired of its spreading so I decided to grow it in the huge tree pot. I have rock hill from huge rocks, ground cover and some lilies grow there between the rocks. So I placed the pot on one of the solid rocks. It did pretty poor, so I decided to get rid of it in fall. What surprise it was to see, that I can't lift the pot. Horseradish root got through drainage hole, traveled about 2 feet under Vinca ground cover right on the rock surface, found the crack and rooted. Guess what? Now I have horseradish in my rock garden)Fortunately it doesn't spread as the crack is just enough for one plant, but I can't take it out - root breaks, and grow again. So be very careful)
I guess that would be 'Horserockish' then! I did some google searches and it seems that the flowering is expected on 2nd year plants so I assume that plants grown from 1 year crowns are considered 2nd year plants. I read conflicting info on whether to cut off the flowers or not. Some say to cut them so they don't propagate by seeds and to let the plant put the energy into growing roots.
Well, it turns out the roots were pretty intertwined, and there were 5 or 6 plants in each cell. The tip about putting them in water to untangle was great- a little patient work and water and all were separated. Ended up picking the 10 biggest each of the red and yellow onions and replanting with about 4" around each. We will see what happens! Thanks again.
In the northern hemisphere, big plants go on the north side, smaller plants on the south side. It's really just that simple. That being said, yes, one line of tall plants running E-W will get slightly less sun than one line of plants running N-S. But if you have a square containing many lines of plants, it makes no difference whatsoever what direction those lines are in. If you plant corn, it sure wouldn't be smart to plant them all in one line.
Yep. That one point can make a huge difference in how scabby they turn out.
But, well, we'll do our best! :) We're not depending on this crop to feed ourselves, so we'll do what we can. Not being a subsistence farmer, gardening can still be a grand, fun experiment. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
I had success with rabbits and groundhogs just bending the bottom foot or so of the metal chicken wire outward and securing it to the ground. My critters didn't seem to catch on that they could start digging further away.
I wasn't going to dig a ditch -not a senior, just too lazy :) - and it worked fine in NJ. of course, now I'm in gopher territory and will soon need to make up for it in spades!
If you haven't started ditch-digging yet it might be worth a shot to try the easier way.
~emmers
I have always wanted a small garden so in early April my boyfriend and I planted a small garden. However our Kentucky wonder green beans are STILL only about 6 inches tall and they are a light colored green. I'm not sure just what to expect but my boyfriend says they should be greener and MUCH taller. What did we do wrong? We used good soil and ferilizer with manuer.
In southern California, we have serious problems with nematodes because we have no winter freeze to kill them annually. So they build up over time. I followed fusion-power's suggestions below and I concur in all his ratings. We have had to give up our favorite pole bean (Kwintus, aka Early Riser and Northeaster) because of nematodes. So we've switched to Rattlesnake and Alabama #1. I bought some Marbut, but have yet to plant them. The early Rattlesnake beans are good. The slower growing Alabama #1 are just beginning to flower but the plants are verdant and thriving. The only source that we could find for Alabama #1 and Marbut was Sandhill Preservation Center. Their seeds seem to be good.
Hard to tell by the picture if they are inside or outside. Have you been foliar feeding them or misting them with something? It looks to me like it is environmental damage from water droplets getting on the leaves that then intensify the sunlight causing the spotting leaf burns. If this is the case the new foliage should grow fine. Well hardened off plants would not typically show this type of damage after having wet leaves.
I took the picture outside while hardening them off (or attempting to) in the shade, but the spots had started after the plants had sprouted and grown indoors, on a windowsill exposed to about a half-day's worth of sunlight. The leaves never would have been wet - I simply added some water a few times directly to the soil.
It's been raining a lot this year, our area lakes are over 100% full, whereas same time last year, they were at less than 50% full. I haven't been watering, but it's been wet because of the rain. Good to know! I was wondering if I should switch compost in the future. Looks like I don't have to. :-)
Many types of vegetables do best in soils rich in fungi. Basically all solanaceae (potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper), all alliums (onion and garlic), beans, peas, and cucurbita (squash and cucumber). Also carrots, okra, and a number of other lesser vegetables.