I want a place I can "go to" to share photos about my garden, what I plant and just general information sharing. Won't you join me in sharing your 2017 garden experiences?

As discussed on other threads, I have planted onions, English peas, garlic and potatoes [red and white] in raised beds already. The potato plants got bit with that last frost but they are already popping back out, so no worries. The English peas are about five inches tall now and flourishing. Onions and garlic are jumping on up since I fed them with 21-0-0, thanks BhamFred!

I've transplanted two rosemary bushes from big pots into a big ole tractor tire on the ground; they were just too big for the pots.

Today, I tilled my in ground small garden and planted Gem Glass Corn, Zea mays , an heirloom Cherokee corn, for the first time. This is organic non GMO corn and can be used in flour, for pop corn and for ornamental purposes. Mainly, I wanted to see if I could grow it! If it grows and produces, it will be for ornamental use. In addition, I planted a good bit of dill seed out in that small garden too.

My banana tree has popped twice and been bitten back by frost already this year and it looked a mess especially where all that dang hay straw had come up around it, so I cleaned up the banana tree and fed it good too.

My next project is to fill my grow boxes and get them situated on the deck ready for planting, fill a number of pots I have with soil, so I can plant a handful of baby trees I got in the mail, crepe myrtle, dogwood, crab apple & hawthorn. They will be fine in pots for a couple of years since they are so small. After that, I have to get my octagon raised bed tilled, soil added and ready for planting. In addition, I have to feed and add some soil to another rectangular raised bed for tomato plants.

My Steak house tomato seed should be here Monday or Tuesday, so I can get them started in a Jiffy Greenhouse inside. Already started bok choy, celery and cucumber seeds inside in another Jiffy Greenhouse ...this time of year my dining table resembles a baby plant nursery!!

When things really start popping, I will put some more photos up but I just wanted to establish a thread where "general garden" photos and information could be shared by all so I did not have to find topic specific threads.

Anyway...hope you you feel free to join in the sharing!! It always interests me to see what others grow and how they go about it. I look forward to seeing how your gardens grows!

6 tomato, 2 japs, 3 banana pepper, 2 bell pepper, 1 cajun bell pepper, 1 Tabasco pepper and 4 cucumbers. Keeping in the garage until next month.

Well dang, I am impressed already. Did you start with plants? Everything looks great!

I've got some jumbo jalapeno pepper seed coming along with those steakhouse tomato seed too. As for me, I can take or leave peppers but the hubby loves um.

Well done.

Thanks. I started with plants. I don't have the patience to start from seed. Everything but the cucumbers was planted last week of February.

Im about to put some seed in the ground. Good Lord willing ill put some pics up in a few weeks.

Looking forward to watching things grow.

I spaced my rows so that I can still till between them with a tractor. My potatoes are breaking the ground. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and cilantro is in one row. Tomatoes and jalapeño peppers are in a row to themselves. I also payed out a row so that my kids can plant ANYTHING that they want. This year it was flowers and sunflowers. The sunflowers are 2" high. I have well water run to the back left corner so that it can be watered during a drought. I just do it so that my kids can learn something new plus my wife and I enjoy it. Here is a pic!!

DH, that sounds might good & I do hope you will post some more pics especially with those kids learning! Great idea to let them have a row in the garden. My grandkids, even though they are in their early teens now, always love hanging out with nana in the gardens.

Gardening is a vanishing art we all need to pass on to the next generations. As I age, I see fewer and fewer who garden & I shudder to think what would happen if there were some catastrophic event where food supplies were lost.

I agree Maggie!! I'll get some pics of them while we are picking or tilling it. I also have a row of onions and radishes. My kids love radishes and cornbread!!

My red potatoes come up before my Yukon golds. I still have some Yukon golds that haven't broke the ground yet.

Just finished mine today. 3 beds 2ft by 12ft made of pressure treated 2x12x12s
Filled with composted horse manure and covered in the weed blocking plastic with the little holes in it. Should make for a low maintenance/high output garden.

Lookin' good, Nick. Dump a box of redworms or wigglers in each one and run soaker hoses (on a timer) under your weed barriers, and besides being high yield, they'll also be almost maint. free!

Looks awesome & those should be most productive. Agreed on the red worms; I put 4200 red worms in my beds last year or maybe the year before. Best of luck!!

I might have to get the worms. There were a few worms already in there. I did think about doing soaker hoses but didn't

I set them to run for about 20 minutes at or just after dark, and about 10 minutes at dawn, leave the timers on all the time unless we're expecting a solid week of rain, or something like that...never worry about whether or not the garden's getting enough water.

Ahhh horse Chet!!

Well, crapola....went out to set up my drip hose system throughout my raised beds this afternoon and hit a problem.


These two pieces for the quick-connect and faucet adapter would NOT connect. Hubby and I tried for an hour to get it to connect and nadda. Mind you I am fairly engineering savvy and this is not the first drip hose system I have installed, so it was frustrating. We finally called Gardener's Supply Company, where I ordered two of these systems to talk to the experts.

First I got some young buck that talked to me like I was a blathering idiot, so I politely told him thanks and hung up. I then called back and spoke to Janet, a female. She tried to tell me the same things...you screw this part to the faucet, you attach the other part to the hose you got in the kit and then you just snap them together.

When I responded to her in almost the same sing song voice giving the same spill except I ended with and then it just snaps together... in theory. In all actuality there is no couple, no snap. She laughed. She actually went to get the two parts to see if she had any problems and voila she had none and said it was working just like it should.

After that, she offered to send me two [actually 4] more parts. I told her to send me the one she had put together so I would be sure it worked!

My only observation was the connector I received was black, not green. Only thought is I possibly got sent the wrong connector.

Anyway, after an aggravating hour or so, the company, or rather Janet, did offer to make things right and that was greatly appreciated. We will see when the other parts arrive if they work...

I'm through bitchin' now. Just glad they offered to make it right.

Things are popping...view from our deck.


taters...taken a few days ago, they are twice that big/green now.


English peas are going great...


Big ole garlic and two types of onions in one bed.


Two more types of onions and more garlic in another bed.

I planted two Better Boy, two Big Boy and one Roma Grape tomato just a few minutes ago and will plant more tomatoes later. Saw these and wanted to get them in the bed before the rain. My steakhouse seed are all popping in the starter boxes, so looking forward to those too.

Got the octagon bed all planted with seed this week too...got lavender,zinnia [two types], wild flowers, coleus, sunflowers, marigolds and chives. If I can keep my German Shepherds out of the bed till it all pops it should be beautiful.

Looks good

I've got strawberries out, garlic, lettuce, squash out. I ordered tomatoes that should be here next week. Peppers, cucumbers the next week.

Sounds good...lemme know how your strawberries work out please!! I planted them last year and battled the birds or something for um.....would have what I thought was a harvest for the next day and ...boom! The birds or something got um....

I will Maggie. I bought the white pine berries variety which need a pollinator, which is a red.

New parts delivered today and all works fine, so I guess I can now assemble the drip hose system for my beds.

All planted and drip hose system in place...feel sort of bad for my yard guy about the weave of hose throughout the yard but he is being a GREAT sport. If you feel the need to make a crack about my yard guy, just don't. I have mowed my share of yards over the years and am old enough to let someone younger do it now.

All beds full here and at the camp after the final plantings today. Also pepper and tomato seeds [small plants now] ready/growing in pots for late planting!!

Hope to post some photos soon but gonna take a break cause tomorrow is my birthday and the next day is my anniversary...so I am taking it easy. Have a great weekend yall!!

Put out 12 tomatoes today. All heirlooms but 2. A rapunzel, 1884, black Ethiopian, Marianna's peace, Paul Robeson, white ivory, Hawaiian pineapple, big zac, Carmelo, chocolate Amazon, Todd county Amish and a coustolee.

I hope you have great success with those varieties and share some pics!! Personally, I've had both good and bad luck with heirloom tomato plants. I don't believe I have tried any of the ones you named, so please let us know how they grow for you!

Will do

Tilled my spot up today.

Well spit..to cover or not to cover Friday night....37 degrees...could be light frost....could not depending on wind.

What think you? I got a lot of stuff out and up going really well but I do have a long roll of bubble wrap that could easily be placed over any and all of it.


My corn is not jointed yet, so it should be fine..

Planted today. Cucumbers, okra, Swiss chard, Arugula, beers, corn, and squash. Plan to put started peppers and tomatoes in the ground this week along with getting the herb Garden planted.

How many cans off 1 beer plant?

It's very important that you constantly pick them so they will continue to flourish.

I always knew beer was good for you

Some updated photos...
onions abound


taters growing well..


English peas blooming like crazy..




tomatoes coming right along..


even have a couple of tomatoes already..


That raging wind the other day did a bit of a job on things but nothing that won't pop back...

Finally put everything outside.







Once the cucumbers start to climb I`ll move them under the lattice

Looks mighty fine!

just remember you WILL have to water those bucket plants every day, twice a day later on.

Yep....thats my only downside. When it gets hot I water them before I leave for work and as soon as I get home.

Well, I have grown corn once or twice and it has been a long while since I did. I planted some glass corn {Indian Corn} and was hopeful about my endeavor but it is looking mighty suspect.

I had always heard if your corn was not jointed it could take a light frost but I am beginning to thing those two cold nights might have taken a toll.

I have lost three or four sprouts and several others are looking rather sickly....any advice or should I scrap this? It was truly a lark to try and grow something different and I won't languish over it but if it is bound to fail, I want to take it out and put something else in that spot.

Thoughts?

Is it a heirloom corn? I tried planting heirloom corn a few years back and it seemed like it would sprout and stall out. I think corn really likes to be planted in big patches rather than a few stalks or one row especially when it comes to pollinating. The cold weather didn't bother my corn it's about 5 inches tall but we got a whole dang bunch of rain and it washed some of my corn away. I've had real good luck planting silver queen or king. This year king.

I would say yes on the heirloom. I planted a forty plant block but , I just do not know....

After reviewing the corn plants left today, I went to the local CoOp and bought some Charleston Grey watermelon plants and put um in the fenced area. I did not pull the remaining glass corn plants but decided I was going to get something to grow in that spot. If a few of the corn plans survive, so be it but I am gonna try to get a few melons too!!

I have English peas on the vine now but not near ready to pick.

Those steakhouse tomato seed I potted are doing great now too! Put them outside on the deck in larger pots and they are putting on the first couple of leaves [not the two that initially come out when the seed sprouts] and looking good. Also have some giant jalapeno plants coming up great from the seed I planted.

I have gone in with my neighbor on a garden too this year and will get some photos of that up soon. It actually sits on his property but I have helped with the seed/plants, provided the tractor with tiller for preparing the garden spot and will help tend and manage the garden.

THAT garden has: yellow squash, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, purple hull peas, baby Lima beans, green beans, butter-peas, crowder peas, colored butter-beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions corn and maybe some more...it is a big garden.

This is the small garden beside the house:
5 rows of G90 corn
1 row of cow horn okra
1/2 row yellow crookneck squash
1/2 row scallop squash
12 cabbage plants
6 eggplants
12 brussel sprouts
4 bell peppers
9 jalapeño peppers
3 sweet banana peppers
1 Carolina reaper
24 onions
12 better boy tomatoes
2 lemon boy tomatoes
2 Cherokee purple tomatoes
2 yellow cherry tomatoes
6 Roma tomatoes
5 beefsteak tomatoes

Lonster

Well, dang man, you have got it going on!! Looks great!

I have been pulling onions like crazy, giving them to neighbors and using them. My English peas are starting to fill out so first picking should not be far off and I counted 14 tomatoes already on the vine yesterday.

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Still have a few more rows to plant. I have maters, jalapeño peppers, pink eyes, butter beans, cucumbers, Kentucky stringless, squash, zucchini, and bell peppers so far. I'm later planting this year than I have been in a while

Lookin good y'all.

Agreed!

All of the pics above look GREAT!!!! I've never been able to grow anything in a bucket or a half drum. I drilled holes in the bottom added gravel and straw and still was unsuccessful at growing anything. I even tried the hanging bags and the 5 gallon bucket upside down tomato plant only for them all to die.

potted plants need LOTS of water, at least once a day, hot weather twice a day. Every day.

I drill a 1/2" hole in the side of the bucket 3" up from the bottom. Fill the bottom 3" with gravel and then put the dirt and plants in. As stated...the only issue is they must be watered daily. I have been very successful with this setup except tomato plants. Them damn things are finicky.

My "other" garden where I am in halves with my neighbor....







I could not get the entire thing in one shot, so I opted for several. We have a LOT planted. There are 28 hills of squash,including yellow straight neck, zucchini, spaghetti and butternut, baby lima beans, pink eye purple hull peas, crowder peas, colored butterbeans, sweet corn, green beans [my neighbor calls them break beans], cucumbers, 25 tomato plants, onions and a black butterbean [I think it is actually a lima bean]...seems like I am leaving something out but that is most of it anyway. Fortunately, he has a well on the property so watering is not an issue.

AND, no we were not staggering drunk when we planted. Those rows are long and it is hard to get them straight without pulling a string and we had to much to do for that to happen.

On another note, my Steakhouse tomato plants that I started from seed are doing great!! Hubby and I have started a competition with each other and three other friends we delivered tomato plants to this morning. We are going to see who can grow the biggest tomato!! Should be fun.

Raised bed update...

I just finished fertilizing all of the rows about 5 minutes before it started to sprinkle. Praying for a long slow rain tonight here in Brierfield.




Jeremy

Whoa baby, you gotta big garden!! Best of luck with it.

Kinda pales in comparison to some of the fine garden pics on here but I'm excited to have some small tomatoes on a few of my Better Boys.

Lonster

The rain really made my small garden perk up.

Looking good. Not assuming mine is considered a fine garden pic, but keep in mind that I have 6 kids that are helping me in my garden. We also finally have some good equipment (6ft pto tiller) to use this year.

Jeremy

Eeeeeeekkkkk gads...this stuff is popping around here!!!! How are your gardens faring?

I sure hope these storm's don't destroy my garden. The wind is kicking here already. I hoed all my corn ,watermelons and sunflowers up really good yesterday. I put 12 bales of pinestraw around my maters and melons,hopefully that helps. My corn is about 2ft high. That's what I'm worried about.

Hope you do alright man; it got rough here for a bit with a tornado in the mix.

That big in ground garden is going to take a lot of backbreaking work..so about a hundred parts later...my new garden ride!!



I have a bucket with a colander for washing that fits into the back basket coming but apparently the scooter beat that box. (Background my girl, Roxie, and that box is another scooter for my neighbor with whom I am sharing the garden spot.)

That's pretty cool right there. That sure would help with picking purple hulls

I'd be interested to know if it did...seems to me like picking peas, while it does involve a lot of bending over/stooping, also involves moving down the row kind of quick, or quicker than it would make heading adjustments on the scooter worthwhile. I always seem to run into a lot of wasps when picking peas, too...don't wanna be eye level with them! *L*

Just hook that German shepherd up to that hitch and yhaa mule!!

We shall see how it works...seat swivels so it should be a jewel! With my bad back, it will be worth its weight in gold! Never had that wasp problem that I know of but will watch for that this year.

...another day or two and I will have a mess of English Peas.

The big garden got happy after the rains. How did you fare during the storms> Any damage?

No damages, mine were smiling today also

I have reduced my two beds to one deeper bed. But added some pots to keep up the numbers. currently I have 5 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 8 squash, 8 zucchini, 1 banana pepper and will be putting in 4 okra after the cold weather moves out next week.
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l333/...zpsyataxy4h.jpg

I may not be able to do the garden thing for Mrs. Geno because she will be real busy for a few years. I really don't like all the hard work because it hurts but I already miss the enjoyment of watching stuff we planted grow into what it wants to be.

Looking good guys/gals. Keep it coming so I can live vicariously through you all.

That looks great.

I picked all the English peas but can't say that is the best crop for small spaces. It takes a lot of room for a small amount of produce-- we enjoyed them though. I have already put in two more tomato plants and am putting in some carrots this weekend; happy gardening.

Finally got mine in the ground today!

Hey, I have that same fence around my corn and watermelons! Works great.

Big Boy tomatoes and Steakhouse we started from seed in the back grow box.


Big Boy tomatoes


Grow boxes in our camp garden....

Hubby's pole garden...sun fern, wandering jew, in the boot marigolds and cucumber in top and cucumbers in toe and then cucumbers in planter below...all to run along the fence.



raised bed onions



muscadines with pepper and onion raised beds in the back ground

I've worked through a couple things before settling on that. I thought I had it with the black erosion screen but it put out too much shade and enoucouraged fungus growth by not allowing air circulation.

Shucks, we discovered squash bugs on the butter nut, spaghetti and zucchini plants but I think we may have caught it in time to prevent damage.....bugger.

I checked under my leaves yesterday. Killed a bunch of eggs

The in ground garden is coming up gang busters....



dug potatoes today....

Nice taters. I m growing some for the first time this year. How do you know when to dig em up ?

After they bloom hon. However, mine showed signs of nematodes, so I pulled/dug them earlier than I normally would. Gotta get that raised bed treated and rotate taters somewhere else next planting.

After they bloom hon?? I have blooms all over the plant.

Good for you; great sign that you are about ready to dig for treasures. Let those blooms abound, die and then go for it. The longer you leave them the larger they get . Hope your gathering is plentiful.

Thanks Maggie

How do you keep the grass out Maggie?

First, we kill the grass as garden ground prep is done in early spring. Second, we till between the rows regularly and hoe where or when needed. We work in the garden every day starting at daylight and working until the sun breaks over the trees. It takes lots of attention and dedication.

Well it looks great

Thanks. We truly work at it.

...and harvesting begins...

I am now officially jealous.....

Hope all of your gardens are doing well! We have yellow summer squash and zucchini coming out our ears already. Tomatoes & cucumbers are really starting to come in well also.

I believe we are going to have enough zucchini and squash to feed a small city!!!

If you grow zucchini and want something different following is a recipe that ROCKS!!

Zucchini Bread

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup apple sauce
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 – 4 cups grated zucchini*
1 cup chopped walnut or pecans [optional]
DIRECTIONS:
Prep time approximately 40 minutes; Cook time, 40 – 60 minutes,

1. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, applesauce and sugars together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in grated zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 – 60 minutes, or until tester (tooth pick) inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan and completely cool.

*I am liberal with the grated zucchini and never use less than three cups. It just melts into the bread when it cooks. There is no need to squeeze out excess moisture, that only adds to the flavor and moistness of the bread.

When you mix the creamed mixture with the sifted ingredients, the batter is initially a little stiff but it loosens up quickly as the ingredients meld together. You can also use smaller tin pans by varying your cook time, making sure your tester comes out clean. However, do not overcook or your bread will be dry.

That sounds good Maggie. One thing we do with our over grown squash is to hollow out the seeds from the end of the squash then stuff it with rice and hamburger meat the simmer it in tomato sauce and water. It's some count !! We use left over burgers from the grill .I really like the way the left over burgers give a good smokey flavor. My wife heard about it from a middle eastern woman. They call it coosa.

Oh, that sounds great. Cooked rice {?} and burger meat; do you add any seasoning? Going to have to try this.

Un cooked rice .I just use nature seasoning or salt and pepper.

Thanks!

We're about 5 weeks in. Everything was Bonnie plants except the corn and beans. We're just starting to bud out now.

Looking good man!

We worked in our garden yesterday and today...laid the soda by the corn and tilled it in yesterday. This dang garden has exploded and is going gangbusters...







Had to harvest onions today and just dang!!!

How hard is it to dig those 45 degree corner post holes?

Not tooooo hard...they been there about 12 years now and ya bump one with the tractor while tillin and things just adjust. It's all good.

Lmao stop hating

Looking great. Wish I had that much room

Do you try to freeze the onions or do you have a way to can them?

I do freeze some chopped in small vacuum sealed bags for soups, chili and things of that nature during the year. I give LOADS away. So far, I have given a big bag of onions to five different friends, and some them more than once. Its all good and sharing gives me pleasure. Some, I put in the extra refrigerator in the cook shed to store and use as I need them but they do need some air drying time first.

About to get covered up with everything!

I am late getting my garden in the ground but just finished planting last week and everything is growing now with all this rain. Should have fresh veges into early fall.

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It's feast or famine these day with the rain. My garden hasn't dried out in 2 weeks but it's hard to complain about the rain.

I have Jurrasic garden! The largest squash and tomato plants I've ever had. Currently been getting squash, tomatoes, peppers and onions. Will have eggplant, corn and cabbage very soon.

Looking good on the gardens and I totally agree!! All this rain has totally caused "Jurassic garden" [GREAT expression!!] explosion around here. Everything is thriving. Today, I put up twenty quarts of yellow summer and zucchini squash. With what I have already put up, I don't need another package in the freezer and am giving squash away willy nilly!!

Hard to gripe about the rain after the drought last year but I am thankful it looks like we may get several days reprieve from the liquid sunshine! Not to mention my freakin chicken coop smells to high heaven after all the rain....peefreakinyou!!!

My garden partner and I have determined we are wearing high leather boots, thick hunting pants and gloves while picking!! Our garden is so thick and tall there is no telling what we may find in there and those dang rattle snakes and copperheads scare the bejesus outta me!!