The Gardening Thread

[salutethehill]

How many Volnation gardeners do we have?

I started my first official vegetable garden (more than a couple of plants) this past spring. It's just over 600 square feet. Next year it will at least double. I've had success with:
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Green Beans
Peas
Sweet Potatoes
Squash
Zucchini (sp?)

and failures with:
Spinach
Sweet Georgia Onions <-- Figures

I've been enjoying this tremendously. Growing up, we always had small kitchen gardens. As an avid tomato sandwich eater (my daily lunch during the week), and husband of a wife who makes killer japanese food, this has come in quite handy.

 

[MWR]

Yep, I've been known to garden some. My wife and I grow watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, corn, broccoli and so on.

Just a hobby.

And I have pictures - if the public demands them.

 

[VolGal423]

We've got:

Corn
Lettuce
Snap Beans
Jalapenos
Tomatoes
Okra
Green Onions
Sweet Onions
Broccoli
Strawberries

Were up to our elbows in corn right now and will have okra out the wazoo soon!
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[JFreak]

Mary jane and moonshine are all you will find in my "garden". Both are harvesting quite well this year.

 

[salutethehill]

Yep, I've been known to garden some. My wife and I grow watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, corn, broccoli and so on.

Just a hobby.

And I have pictures - if the public demands them.

Don't go out of your way, but I'd like to see some pics. When I get a chance, I'll get some on here, too.

 

[KB5252]

I have a garden as well, my only problem is the bermuda grass, it takes over everything.

I grow corn, satan's kiss peppers, habenero peppers, cayenne peppers, bush beans, squash, cucumber, lettuce, carrot, tomatoes and thai chilli pepper.

I also have some thornless blackberry and planted some blueberry bushes and grape vines this spring. Raspberries and another fruit tree are in the plans for next year.

 

[jhen713]

This is my first year planting a garden as well. I bought 4 cross ties and made a square out of them. I fillid it in with garden soil and top soil and put a fence around it.(we have a ton of rabbits...) I mainly done it to give my daughter and me something to do together. She has had a blast with it. We got a late start and didn't plant untill the end of april. She got to pick the first pepper, okra, green bean, and green tomato out of it. Tomato plants are doing great. I am hoping to have some red tomatoes early next week. We planted bell peppers, jlaps, hot banana peppers, green beans, okra, zucchini squash, adn tomatoes. The Squas hasn't done very well. The plants got really big and looked tlike they were about to explode with squash and then all the blooms withered adn the plants started turning brown from the bottom. I still have 2 left and might get a few but I doubt it.

 

[VIF]

Hey Jhen, didn't we already have this thread inside the random thoughts thread? We want credit for this idea!!!! JK

 

[jhen713]

:yes:I'm sure that's where salutethehill got the ieda but he will never admit it.

 

[VIF]

:yes:I'm sure that's where salutethehill got the ieda but he will never admit it.

:lolabove::lolabove::lolabove:

 

[salutethehill]

Total coincidence, I assure you. I rarely venture to the Pub. I thought the runner's thread was a good idea, so I decided to find out who the gardeners were. If anyone should get credit for this, it should be lylsmorr.

 

[rockytophigh]

I've got

Okra
Corn
Tomatoes
Cucumbers (galore)
Bell Peppers
Japaleno Peppers
Bannana Peppers
Lettuce
Radishes
Onions
Watermelon
Squash

Some I've picked...some are still growing but looking good

No Luck With

Cabbage
Carrots (twice)
Spinach

This is my first year too.

 

[salutethehill]

I've got

Okra
Corn
Tomatoes
Cucumbers (galore)
Bell Peppers
Japaleno Peppers
Bannana Peppers
Lettuce
Radishes
Onions
Watermelon
Squash

Some I've picked...some are still growing but looking good

No Luck With

Cabbage
Carrots (twice)
Spinach

This is my first year too.

Nice spread. I'm up to my eyeballs in squash. Tomatoes are starting to flood me, too.

 

[jhen713]

Total coincidence, I assure you. I rarely venture to the Pub. I thought the runner's thread was a good idea, so I decided to find out who the gardeners were. If anyone should get credit for this, it should be lylsmorr.

Just kidding around. You'll find out we do that alot around here.

 

[VIF]

Just kidding around. You'll find out we do that alot around here.

+1

 

[J-P]

In the garden, we've got:
Cherry tomatoes
Big mama plum tomatoes
Beefsteak tomatoes
2 kinds of heirloom tomatoes
green bell peppers
hot jalapeño peppers
tame jalapeño peppers
habañero peppers
lima beans
pigeon peas
cucumbers
zucchini

In the orchard we have:
3 kinds of peaches (this is their first year fruiting, and so far we are getting some awesome white peaches)
8 blueberry bushes of different varieties (these are still less than knee high, so we are not letting them fruit until they become larger bushes)
a new strawberry bed this year (we have had limited success with them this year, the birds and our GSD have enjoyed more berries than we have)
2 apple trees (a fuji and a granny smith, just planted last fall, will be a few years before we see any fruit)
2 sweet cherry (just planted last fall also, will be a few years before we see any fruit)

Oh, and planted two pecan trees last year also, but it will be about ten years before we see any pecans.

So far, we are enjoying zucchini, cucumbers and peaches from our harvest, and we should probably be able to have some fried green tomatoes this weekend.

Everything else is coming along fine.

 

[J-P]

I have a garden as well, my only problem is the bermuda grass, it takes over everything.

I grow corn, satan's kiss peppers, habenero peppers, cayenne peppers, bush beans, squash, cucumber, lettuce, carrot, tomatoes and thai chilli pepper.

I also have some thornless blackberry and planted some blueberry bushes and grape vines this spring. Raspberries and another fruit tree are in the plans for next year.

Ah, a fellow chili head! What do you do w/ all of those hot peppers?

I make my own hot sauce with the habañeros and jalapeños that we grow.

 

[KB5252]

Ah, a fellow chili head! What do you do w/ all of those hot peppers?

I make my own hot sauce with the habañeros and jalapeños that we grow.

I don't have many planted this year, A couple of plants of each kind of pepper. My stepson and I are the only ones that like them so we cook them separately from the rest of the families meals. We use them so much that we really don't have a lot left over. I am going to keep enough seed this year to triple my amount and next year plan on drying many of them for use in the late fall and overwinter.

I might try to make some hot sauce next year. I purposefully went small with my garden this year, I plan to till everything under this year in late summer, cover with plastic and compost old leaves under the cover. I hope this will kill off any bermuda and other grass that goes to seed in this area to get me a head start for next year. As I mentioned the bermuda seems to choke off some of my plant growth/production every year and my schedule prevents me from weeding it every day to keep the bermuda from going nuts.

 

[J-P]

I don't have many planted this year, A couple of plants of each kind of pepper. My stepson and I are the only ones that like them so we cook them separately from the rest of the families meals. We use them so much that we really don't have a lot left over. I am going to keep enough seed this year to triple my amount and next year plan on drying many of them for use in the late fall and overwinter.

I might try to make some hot sauce next year. I purposefully went small with my garden this year, I plan to till everything under this year in late summer, cover with plastic and compost old leaves under the cover. I hope this will kill off any bermuda and other grass that goes to seed in this area to get me a head start for next year. As I mentioned the bermuda seems to choke off some of my plant growth/production every year and my schedule prevents me from weeding it every day to keep the bermuda from going nuts.

Do you just tie them up and hang them around the house to dry them out?

The hot sauce I make is fairly simple. I cut up an onion and drop it into my blender, peel a couple cloves of garlic and drop it in, fill it the rest of the way with hot peppers, sprinkle some salt and a couple spices or fresh herbs in it for added flavor, pour white vinegar in, and blend away. Once it's pretty much liquefied, I usually put one jar of it in the fridge for immediate use and can the rest in mason jars. It's really pretty easy to do and you can play around with flavors and heat intensities. As long as you have the acidity of the vinegar, it will keep well in the fridge or canned in jars.

 

[TruthIsOutThere]

This is my first year planting a garden as well. I bought 4 cross ties and made a square out of them. I fillid it in with garden soil and top soil and put a fence around it.(we have a ton of rabbits...) I mainly done it to give my daughter and me something to do together. She has had a blast with it. We got a late start and didn't plant untill the end of april. She got to pick the first pepper, okra, green bean, and green tomato out of it. Tomato plants are doing great. I am hoping to have some red tomatoes early next week. We planted bell peppers, jlaps, hot banana peppers, green beans, okra, zucchini squash, adn tomatoes. The Squas hasn't done very well. The plants got really big and looked tlike they were about to explode with squash and then all the blooms withered adn the plants started turning brown from the bottom. I still have 2 left and might get a few but I doubt it.

Your squash got hit with cut worms - they invade the base of the plant and the mortality rate is about 100 percent. You will likely get them uear after year if you don't treat.
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[jhen713]

Your squash got hit with cut worms - they invade the base of the plant and the mortality rate is about 100 percent. You will likely get them uear after year if you don't treat.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

What's the best way to get rid of them?

 

[rockytophigh]

Dad had me place a large nail next to each plant. I haven't had one cut worm. I heard from a neighbor you can wrap the base of your plant in wet paper sack and it'll keep them off.

 

[KB5252]

Do you just tie them up and hang them around the house to dry them out?

The hot sauce I make is fairly simple. I cut up an onion and drop it into my blender, peel a couple cloves of garlic and drop it in, fill it the rest of the way with hot peppers, sprinkle some salt and a couple spices or fresh herbs in it for added flavor, pour white vinegar in, and blend away. Once it's pretty much liquefied, I usually put one jar of it in the fridge for immediate use and can the rest in mason jars. It's really pretty easy to do and you can play around with flavors and heat intensities. As long as you have the acidity of the vinegar, it will keep well in the fridge or canned in jars.

Yes, just tie them up with string (leave plenty of stem when harvesting for this purpose) and hang them up to dry out. If you live in an area with low humidity and low threat of rain you can do this outdoors more quickly. In some arid parts of the US and Mexico you can see these "chili bouquets" hanging on peoples houses.

 

[Slydell]

This is my first year planting a garden as well. I bought 4 cross ties and made a square out of them. I fillid it in with garden soil and top soil and put a fence around it.(we have a ton of rabbits...) I mainly done it to give my daughter and me something to do together. She has had a blast with it. We got a late start and didn't plant untill the end of april. She got to pick the first pepper, okra, green bean, and green tomato out of it. Tomato plants are doing great. I am hoping to have some red tomatoes early next week. We planted bell peppers, jlaps, hot banana peppers, green beans, okra, zucchini squash, adn tomatoes. The Squas hasn't done very well. The plants got really big and looked tlike they were about to explode with squash and then all the blooms withered adn the plants started turning brown from the bottom. I still have 2 left and might get a few but I doubt it.

As already noted, cut worms is probably the problem. The garden department in your local Home Depot has great in store resources for identifying and resolving these types of problems. I would check with them. If you can take one of the brown, withered leaves in, it would help them identity exactly what it is. There are insect repelling plants that could be planted in the vicinity. They could recommend this if it is a possibility.

 

[J-P]

What's the best way to get rid of them?

This is the kind of question I take to my local farmers' co-op.