23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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oliveoyl3

to follow up on compost for the garden results:
I might change my answer that compost is enough because we had different results last year when we moved the garden & built new raised beds in a recently cleared area. Our 1st garden in the new location with a lot more sunlight had amazing growth as compared to a few hundred feet away. We joked that with sunlight you can grow anything & there must be some truth to that though some of the stunted growth in the old garden was from the tall conifer roots soaking up the moisture & nutrients.

I moved our rhubarb one day in late March to the new spot outside of the raised beds & observed incredible growth all season. Granted the plants were larger last year than 5 years ago when first planted, but still it was an amazing difference from 2013 to last year 2014 in the new spot. You'd think the plants would have been stunted by digging them up, but because my soil was so loose from the compost amendments it was easy to keep the clumps intact & cart them over to the new spot with the clump of soil attached then I just mulched around after planting. Where before I would wonder what was wrong with my rhubarb that wasn't huge yet like my dad's now I know it was lacking sunlight not nutrients.

Mulch & occasional watering was all we did for the rhubarb back in the old garden & the new spot. I won't spread my compost on it because applying manure when dormant in fall and early winter is easily composted by spring with the rain washing the nutrients down into the soil. I save the compost for mulching in early summer when the soil has warmed.

    Bookmark     January 9, 2015 at 8:03PM
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jctsai8b(8B)

You may use 10 to 1 diluted urine for fertilizer too, it works pretty good for me, no more chemical fertilizer.

This post was edited by JCTsai on Sat, Jan 10, 15 at 15:39

    Bookmark     January 9, 2015 at 8:27PM
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zzackey(8b GA)

Thanks for all of the ideas! I like the cornmeal, egg shells and coffee ground ideas the best. The tooth picks sound good too.

    Bookmark     January 9, 2015 at 8:21PM
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zzackey(8b GA)

Thanks for all of the ideas! I like the cornmeal, egg shells and coffee ground ideas the best. The tooth picks sound good too.

    Bookmark     January 9, 2015 at 8:22PM
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nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country)

I'm probably not going to be very popular, BUT.... I had a bed that had great soil, but had hardware cloth( wire very strong and spaced very close together) already in place from crops before we planted our gus.
We ended up planting it just about 6" deep and topping it with tons of compost (as we do each year!).
This is not the optimal way of planting asparagus, but for our situation, it has worked very well!
The gus is ever expanding, and we almost have too much! (NoNo! Never mind! Gus soup is in the freezer!) Nancy

    Bookmark     January 8, 2015 at 9:03PM
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harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania

I won't be planting until March. I was just taking advantage of a warm December to prepare a new garden space.

I have a large supply of good garden soil from my previous vegetable garden which will no longer be used. It is a raised lasagna-style bed loaded with rich, wormy, black soil. One way or another, that soil will end up in this new garden.

I don't have rodent problems because of the feral cats living in my back yard.

Thanks

Harry

    Bookmark     January 9, 2015 at 11:29AM
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tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM

If it is the bag stuffed, it is likely not hot and should have been consulted before you bought it. I think it would be fine to use. If it was coming straight out of a coop, then a couple of weeks would not be long enough.

    Bookmark     January 7, 2015 at 3:36PM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

Thanks tishtosh. Yeah, I wouldn't think the bagged stuff would be too hot. The reason why I asked was sometimes there's a "little" bit of warmth to those bagged manures.

Kevin

    Bookmark     January 9, 2015 at 11:12AM
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nugrdnnut(6a n-c WA)

My (limited) experience is that I winter sow brassica seeds in January. They will sprout when mother nature nudges them to. Last year I planted in raised beds 3 weeks prior to average last frost. They (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) all did well. I sowed seeds for the fall crop ~ the 7th of July. I had nice fall crops of cauliflower and broccoli, but the cabbage didn't have enough time to form. I may sow seeds this year 1.5 - 3 weeks earlier for cabbage and probably 1 week sooner for the other 2.

For you, you will want to know your average last freeze (spring) and average first freeze (fall) and sow & plant accordingly.

Also see link below to winter sowing.

regards,
tom

Here is a link that might be useful: wintersowing FAQ

    Bookmark     January 6, 2015 at 11:25PM
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planatus(6)

The planting dates are really confusing and hard to believe. As others have said, cabbage and broccoli can be double-cropped in 6B, with spring crops seeded indoors in late Feb, and fall crops seeded in early July. Cauliflower seeds need to be started in early July, too.

I have never gotten decent B sprouts or cauliflower from spring plantings. I now start B sprout seeds the first week of June; the plants bear in November.

    Bookmark     January 9, 2015 at 8:08AM
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oneshotveth

Yep. Just came back to say I found that forum. Sorry everyone.

    Bookmark     January 8, 2015 at 6:56PM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Not a problem. :)

Dave

    Bookmark     January 8, 2015 at 9:21PM
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Deeby

If you decide against towels I sure hope you'll take them to the pound/shelter. Dogs lay on the bare cold cement inside the cages. I know this for a fact. Just donated three old comforters. Pounds always need blankets, towels, quilts, and comforters.

    Bookmark     January 8, 2015 at 9:08AM
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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

If rain isn't in the forecast while you're on vacation it might be easier just to throw a tarp or a sheet of plastic over the garden. That it as long as you don't have any desirable plants growing.

Rodney

    Bookmark     January 8, 2015 at 11:17AM
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grandad_2003(9A/sunset 28)

jennieboyer, I generally watch the cauliflower florets at the base of the head and look for separation. I try to catch it when they just start to separate. This is not always easy to see, especially for the self blanching cauliflowers...Below is a Candied Charm head that is noticeably separated.

Here is a Candied Charm head that is just starting to separate.

Here is a Romanesco Veronica head that is showing first hints of separation. Its a bit hard to see - look close at the bottom florets. I picked it because we are supposed to reach 20 degrees in the AM and I did not want to take a chance on an essentially ready-to-pick head This is my first year growing the Romanesco Veronica and I'm not sure of it's hardiness. I have several smaller heads and will soon know of their hardiness.


. But as noted above by farmerdill it's really a matter of preference.

    Bookmark     January 7, 2015 at 3:49PM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

grandad: those are just about perfect.. any more separation and one has waited too long.

Jennie: I wouldn't let FULL size interfere with harvesting a week or so prior to that potential. Better a week early than a week late. :

Kevin

    Bookmark     January 7, 2015 at 8:05PM
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

why havent you shown us a pic of the inside ... drooling too much after cutting them open.. to pick the camera back up ... lol...

any observations as to rind thickness etc???

ken

    Bookmark     January 7, 2015 at 1:23PM
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gregplantaine7(7a)

The skin was around 1/2 inch thick or less. The rest was the edible orange area.

    Bookmark     January 7, 2015 at 3:43PM
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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

bella-trix, I have raised Nancy Hall many times. I kind of like it as I prefer yellow over orange , red, and white ones. Nancy Hall is sweet but a bit grainy. O'Henry is a yellow that is very smooth. Steele Plants carries both.

    Bookmark     January 5, 2015 at 11:40AM
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fusion_power

Since this is an older thread, I'll suggest two varieties that are not mentioned. Bradshaw is one of the best flavored orange sweet potatoes I've grown. Covington is a recent release that is also an excellent sweet potato.

    Bookmark     January 6, 2015 at 12:18AM
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irfourteenmilecreek

Muscadineman45,
Visit green country seed savers website to see photos and read more articles about Heavy Hitter okra. The seeds are only available by contacting the developer at fourteenmilecreek@yahoo.com Fall and Winter are best times, as Spring and Summer, they are in the fields all day.

    Bookmark     January 5, 2015 at 11:47AM
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irfourteenmilecreek

Here is another photo of Heavy Hitter okra. Notice the heavy branching traits, each branch will fork out to form a crown of blooms, bearing several pods of fresh, crisp, Clemson Spineless okra pods.

You can read more about Heavy Hitter okra at the green country seed savers website.

    Bookmark     January 5, 2015 at 12:12PM
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djkj(9b)

Thank you, I have done that!

    Bookmark     January 4, 2015 at 11:55PM
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zeuspaul(9b SoCal)

I have Reed, Pinkerton, Fuerte and Hass. Hass is the most reliable producer, has very good flavor and hangs well on the tree.

    Bookmark     January 5, 2015 at 11:23AM
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livewombat

I wasn't trying to overwinter eggplants, but I had one that was growing nicely in a 2-gallon grow bag and had unripe fruit on it. After the eggplants ripened and were harvested, I cut off the foliage and neglected the plant on a windowsill with a plant light running on a timer for another plant. The eggplant promptly put up new shoots, and I started watering it once in a while. Now in early January, it is looking full and vigorous. I am curious enough to keep watering it and see where this leads.

    Bookmark     January 4, 2015 at 11:51AM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

We had a somewhat unpredicted "hard freeze" last week -- temps of 28F, and I didn't have a chance to protect my peppers (jalapenos) and eggplants (ichiban). which I was thinking about keeping over the winter. Both were doing fine in temps of 30-40F. The peppers did well in the freeze -- no damage at all, but the eggplants were half-killed. In fact, the peppers were more exposed, and the eggplants were on the south side of the house. I ended up pulling the latter. Comes as a bit of a surprise that the eggplants seem to be a lot less frost tolerant than the peppers. I would have thought they'd both be about the same in that regard, but that they're not is consistent with what I'm reading here.

    Bookmark     January 4, 2015 at 4:31PM
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lantanascape(z6 Idaho)

1. Only plant ONE cherry tomato plant, and give it 4x4' to itself.
2. Keep it simple, stupid
3. Plant more cabbages and don't bother with Brussels sprouts
4. Get soakers or drip lines installed first thing, and mulch heavily to keep the watering labor under control.
5. Don't plant so many summer crops; leave room for fall crops
6. Be prepared with mulch or row covers in case of freak early winter weather like we had in November.

    Bookmark     January 4, 2015 at 11:00AM
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elisa_z5

These were fun and inspiring to read.

Good luck, everyone, in 2015!

    Bookmark     January 4, 2015 at 11:01AM
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farmerdill

Just for info, Stokes now offers broccolini Aspabroc

    Bookmark     January 1, 2015 at 9:21PM
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laceyvail(6A, WV)

Last year I grew both Happy Rich and Green Lance (and will do so again this year).. I direct sowed both in early April under a little hoop house I rigged up over the bed. Both did very well, were very easy to grow and were absolutely delicious. Much easier than broccoli, much more productive, and better tasting and more versatile as well. Great plants.

BTW, When I removed the plastic hoop house, I immediately put the plants under row covers.

    Bookmark     January 4, 2015 at 6:28AM
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