The Endzone Garden Thread

[Orangeslice13]

How big of a food garden will you have this year? Ours shouldn’t be 20x20, more like 18x20, because of our shed on the southeast side casting shadow, but it will only be flowers and other pollinators, so not a crisis if they’re not full sun.

We have raised beds. Several different sizes. Probably in the neighborhood of 260 sqft

 

[Orangeslice13]

We’ve just taken everything out to get ready for the next planting. I’ll take pictures tomorrow

 

[82_VOL_83]

Oh gosh, no. We eat everything we can, give some away to people who can’t escape, and can the rest. Of course, I’m saying this as if we had done this for more than one year.

All we had last year was a water-bath canner, but I bought a pressure canner this winter, so I can go beyond tomatoes and pickling and salsa. We also bought a vacuum sealer and (finally!) a small freezer, so I hope to be able to preserve lots of sauces and stews.

Our garden is severely challenged by shade issues (hemlocks, oaks, and maples), so luckily it’s not as productive as it could be. But by August, I was eating 3-4 tomatoes a day in an attempt to keep up. lol

I have three acres now that is full sun. I can put up shade cloth for what needs it. I have to learn to can and put up in the vacuum sealer. I have found that I can make pesto mix (add pine nuts and cheese after thawing) in small frozen containers and pack it with olive oil. I am going to try and dehydrate thyme and rosemary this fall. We are psyched! My orchard is going to consist of Gala and Golden Delicious Apples, Bosc and Bartlett pears, Elberta Peaches, Apricots, Persimmons, Plums, and Blackberries and Blueberries. Haven't decided what to put in the garden yet but that is next year. Hope to get the trees in this fall.

 

[VolNExile]

I have three acres now that is full sun. I can put up shade cloth for what needs it. I have to learn to can and put up in the vacuum sealer. I have found that I can make pesto mix (add pine nuts and cheese after thawing) in small frozen containers and pack it with olive oil. I am going to try and dehydrate thyme and rosemary this fall. We are psyched! My orchard is going to consist of Gala and Golden Delicious Apples, Bosc and Bartlett pears, Elberta Peaches, Apricots, Persimmons, Plums, and Blackberries and Blueberries. Haven't decided what to put in the garden yet but that is next year. Hope to get the trees in this fall.

Oh, I am jealous! I’m trying to convince myself that I could grow grapes, but I’m not terribly sure where. Trees, trees, trees...

 

[VolNExile]

We have raised beds. Several different sizes. Probably in the neighborhood of 260 sqft

We go back and forth on raised beds, partly because we’re still experimenting with layout.

What kind of lumber did you use? Pressure-treated or other? Frankly, I don’t mind if the planks rot out after 3 years or so. We’re not adamant purists, but we do shoot for organic.

Best Wood for Raised Garden Beds | Empress of Dirt

 

[Tin Man]

Already got 3 baby pepper plants out of the seven seed cups designated for peppers. Tomatoes from seed include San marzano, Cherokee purple, and big beef.

 

[Tin Man]

I am an organic gardener. I compost stuff. Heck, I want my grandsons to enjoy the garden bounty, so I must meet the daughter’s exacting standards.

 

[rocytop2624]

There is some sort of Plant from Hell that keeps popping up, maybe horseradish from the previous tenants? We cardboarded the heck out of the garden area for 2 1/2 months before planting, and that really seemed to help. Bermuda grass is always fun of course.

We’re doing no-till this year if I can keep the shovel away from my husband.

Just hit him in the head with the shovel.

 

[Orangeslice13]

We go back and forth on raised beds, partly because we’re still experimenting with layout.

What kind of lumber did you use? Pressure-treated or other? Frankly, I don’t mind if the planks rot out after 3 years or so. We’re not adamant purists, but we do shoot for organic.

Best Wood for Raised Garden Beds | Empress of Dirt

We used cinder block that’s been salvaged from demolition projects. The red women tests the soils and adds “ingredients” as needed. Leaves, blood meal, ash, compost ect.

 

[Behr]

I learned to remember how many feet were in a mile thanks to tomatoes. Always remembered 5 tomatoes in a mile.
5 2 m8 0s.

I'll leave now. Lulz.

 

[VolNExile]

Just hit him in the head with the shovel.

This guy’s my hero. Charles Dowding, south of England, small market gardener (sells to restaurants), writer, teacher, agrotourism. Great videos for cold winter days. He has a lot of videos on his YouTube channel, including side-by-side tests on no-till and standard garden bed prep, tracked over months and years. (No-till is easier AND more successful.)

This is one sample. His nemesis, that he pronounces “cooch” grass is couch grass, which appears to be the European equivalent of crabgrass or something equally awful. Couch grass

No-dig gardening:

 

[Tin Man]

We used cinder block that’s been salvaged from demolition projects. The red women tests the soils and adds “ingredients” as needed. Leaves, blood meal, ash, compost ect.

I use end caps.

 

[rocytop2624]

I learned to remember how many feet were in a mile thanks to tomatoes. Always remembered 5 tomatoes in a mile.
5 2 m8 0s.

I'll leave now. Lulz.

That's a gooden

 

[VolNExile]

I am an organic gardener. I compost stuff. Heck, I want my grandsons to enjoy the garden bounty, so I must meet the daughter’s exacting standards.

Behold the Taj Mahal of compost building. I wouldn’t have room for a garden with this, although it’s a great bit of gardener porn:

 

[Tin Man]

“Gardener porn” it is.

 

[VolNExile]

“Gardener porn” it is.

All his vids are. Everything green and lush, in tidy little rows.

 

[rocytop2624]

This guy’s my hero. Charles Dowding, south of England, small market gardener (sells to restaurants), writer, teacher, agrotourism. Great videos for cold winter days. He has a lot of videos on his YouTube channel, including side-by-side tests on no-till and standard garden bed prep, tracked over months and years. (No-till is easier AND more successful.)

This is one sample. His nemesis, that he pronounces “cooch” grass is couch grass, which appears to be the European equivalent of crabgrass or something equally awful. Couch grass

No-dig gardening:

Have you tried hydroponics tomatoes?

 

[VolNExile]

Have you tried hydroponics tomatoes?

I’ve eaten them from the store, but I have dirt.

Seriously, we might need marriage counseling if I buy any more gardening equipment. We’ll see how the seed-starting do-dads go.

 

[BigO95]

 

[BigO95]

 

[BigO95]

 

[BigO95]

 

[GordonC]

If anyone's interested, today is the first time this has been in stock at our local Sam's this year. I check every other day or so. I missed out on it last year, and it goes fast.
This is much cheaper than MG, and I cannot tell the difference between the two. I use this to supplement my raised beds as well.
I will have to make a run before the weekend, I guess.
I read somewhere that storing potting mix outside during at least part of the winter helps kill off insects, eggs, and larva.

 

[VolNExile]

Oh lawd, the Buying of Dirt...

The garden’s pretty rich by now. We shouldn’t need much this year. Maybe we’ll split a truckload of organic compost with a friend (“friend” as in he has a truck, and we have elderly Honda Accords .)

 

[Plano Vol]

So back to the garden/orchard..................why not some black raspberry bushes? My Meemaw made the best black raspberry jelly with the pickings from her garden.