23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Raji- not sure what part of the bay area you're in, but, yes it's time to plant! We're actually a couple of weeks late!
Your seeds should have been started about 8 weeks ago inside under lights for most things, but with our long growing season, go for it!
Happy gardening! Nancy
John, got really busy with the build and got lost. Thank you for the idea on 1/2 block. I love your beds, those look amazing. I will have to go 3 high as well now :) Great idea on the onion and lettuces in those, now you have me thinking about basil, chives, and a ton of stuff that could go in there. I am actually honored you would post. I had not seen your stuff and watched all your videos. I love how you give it away to a food bank your a great guy.
Great idea NC about checking craigslist, I wouldn't be surprised to find some.
Hello! I just found this forum, and this thread... it's a little old, so I hope you don't mind if I jump in with some questions on the subject (or should I start a new thread?). I too am very impressed by John's beds! I'm planning on building two raised beds out of cinder blocks as well, one of them 2 feet high and the other 3 feet. The 2-foot-tall one will be 10x6 feet in size, a garden with a path in the middle of it that you can walk on. The 3-foot-tall one will be long (35 feet) but narrow (2 feet) and will serve as a border edge wall along the sidewalk, and will be planted with shrubs. Now, my questions are -
1. Can I get away with not pouring a concrete footing, but instead using just compacted gravel or sand? Will that be structurally sound?
2. Can I use the "skinny" cinder blocks instead of the standard ones? They're cheaper and lighter, but are they as structurally sound of a choice given the size of my beds?
3. Do I have to fill the cinder blocks' holes with anything for structural support? I was thinking of putting top caps on them so the holes don't collect water (as they'll be quite deep).
4. It's hard to find information on raised beds that are 3 feet tall; is there anything else I need to take into consideration at that height, other than general raised bed procedure? Like, do I have to fill the bottom with a layer of gravel for drainage? Etc.
I'm planning to drive rebar down the holes for extra support, and mortar the joints between the blocks. But given that one bed will be walked on, and the other one is tall, I'm worried about their structural soundness. I feel like the more I read the more confused I get... If anybody can answer my questions, I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks!
Didi
This post was edited by DidiH on Wed, May 1, 13 at 21:24
Uh oh...I use about 8" centers between plants. Past 3 years have had way more corn than I could eat or give away. But my garden is very, very nutrient rich (almost too much) as per soil sample sent in to the co-op, so that must be why I can get away with that.
The stalks get pretty crowded, but they sure don't seem to mind. The tough part is digging out the root clumps in the fall. Since they grow together it almost takes the bionic man to pry them up out of the ground.
Vanlsle_BC, thanks for the link. That's what I was seeing. Tomorrow they both go.
Hopefully my handpicking is coming to an end as I got notice today that my ladybugs have shipped and should be here the end of the week. Sure hope that they arrive hungry....
I agree completely about the squash as sensors. They're the sensitive ones. When they wilt, I water them. Every other time, I water everything else.
But in general, when things wilt a little, put on water. They won't mind being thirsty briefly. The squash perk back up in an hour or two. You'll develop a keen eye for when things look like they're drooping a bit.
The inches/week also depends enormously on sunlight, temperature, and humidity. If I did one inch/week in a central Texas summer, everything would be dead.
DO NOT keep the top of the soil moist. That's fungus heaven.
Well unfortunately I don't have any squash right now lol. I did decide to mist all the seedlings that have sprouted (lettuce, kohlrabi, a few herbs and flowers) since it hit almost 90 today. But tonight it's supposed to start raining for several days straight so I'm hoping they all do ok.
No.. Lol. I watched a you tube video explaining how to grow them vertically so you can fit more plants in a smaller space. It said to use soft thick rope and tie the stem to a heavy tall garden stake every few inches. Once you harvest zucchini, cut off any leaves below the fruit line and move the rope up. It's working pretty well actually. I'll take a picture of the full plant when I get home from work tonight. :)
Watering any plant isn't a set a schedule thing. Sometimes it might be every day sometimes once a week. It all depends on your soil and the weather, the needs of the plant since all don't need the same amount, and in the ground or in a container. Depending on where you are located every other day could easily be over-watering.
But as a general rule watering less frequently and deeper is.much better that watering frequently and more shallow. It isn't the surface of the soil that you go by, it is the moisture level down at the roots. Stick your finger deep into the soil. If it is still cool and at all moist or damp, don't water.
Keep in mind that most gardeners OVER-water and that most all plants will tolerate too little water much better than they will too much water, so when in doubt, don't water.
Dave
If one does decide to use a pesticide it is imperative that one follows the label directions to the letter. So many bees have been killed by people who do not take the time to read instructions. Farmers around here are now "beekeeping" so their crops will get pollinated!
Deborah....are you CERTAIN that your "black and orange babies " were assassin bugs? Because when I hear a description just like yours ON TOMATOES, I'd suggest that leaf footed bug nymphs are present. They appear in large numbers. The adults look quite similar to ordinary stinkbugs.
Hi folks :).
I love leeks,, and grow about a hundred each year from seed. January is the perfect time to start them, in the PNW.
I clean them by peeling back each outer leaf about 2" and washing under it.
I am a weirdo and like to eat the green parts too, so I don't blanch them. I don't trim them while growing, either.
At harvest, I trim each leaf where it transitions from tough to tender (I do this by feeling them). I use the cut-off straps to make stock, and eat the tender green parts and the white.
Braised leeks are fantastic! I also use leeks in place of onions or shallots, in nearly everything I make. Stir-fry, soups, casseroles... they are great in Thai chicken curry, for example.
I've taken to 'recycling' leeks bought at the store or farmers market. Cut off the bottom 1 or 2 cm and plant.
I've been doing it with green onions (japanese bunching onion) for about a year, and have enough to eat some green onions every day. Now I've added leeks, but it will take a while to build up a collection of them.
I plan on growing them as cut-and-come again leeks, we'll see how that goes.
Regardless, poo of any sort is not generally a good idea in the garden until it's been composted for a couple years. Although around shrubs and trees it's ok.
===
NILA
The above is correct or chicken poops but not the case for rabbit poops. I use fresh rabbit poops for my vegetable especially Okra. My 0kra gets 8-9 feet tall and abundance of fruits.
Poke your finger in the soil to see if it's damp before you decide to water. Every day seems like too much unless you have it in an ultra light soil-less mix.
Part of the problem is over crowding. You have about thirty basil plants in the space where you should have one plant.
Separate the plants and repot. Then in a couple of weeks plant them in the garden.
Zeuspaul