Gardening

[Robert]

Karma to Bean for starting this, BTW!

I am directing my wife to this thread.  She needs a little inspiration right now and this will definitely do the trick!

[legion of daves]

we had a decent garden going last year, which is tough out here, because like FL, we've got a lot of sand in our earth.  but last year we did a lot of work, really incorporated a lot of potting soil in the ground, plant food pellets, all that stuff.  we had a couple small green pepper plants, some HUGE tomato plants that gave us way more tomatoes then we could use, i ended up making a lot of salsa and pasta sauce, some pumpkins, green chiles, basil (one plant exploded in size, was basically a small bush by the time it was full grown), some rosemary, thyme, a bunch of zooks and squashes.  the tomatoes and that one basil plant were the only things that REALLY took off, unfortunately by the end of the summer we got a squash beetle infestation that totally ravaged the pumpkins, zooks, and squashes.  we didn't start the garden this year because we've started the process of buying a house and didn't want to have to abandon the garden mid-summer.  but the house that we're trying to buy already has a raised bed garden set up in the back yard, so that is promising for next year. 

[Matt H.O.W.L.]

unfortunately by the end of the summer we got a squash beetle infestation that totally ravaged the pumpkins, zooks, and squashes.

In the NW, we get powdery mildew that's like gourd cancer. It looks like a dusting of sifted flour on the leaves and pretty signals death to all pumpkin, squash, zucchini, cukes, etc. It seems like it smothers the plants, preventing them from getting enough light or air. We only use organic methods to garden, which pretty much leaves a spray bottle with diluted milk as a defense. I've lost many a pumpkin to that bastard fungus. 

Do squash beetles hate basil? Most insects do. I read recently that basil is a good companion plant because insects hate its smell. Just a thought.

[legion of daves]

that's interesting, i couldn't figure out how to get rid of them permanently, i could only kill the ones i found when i found them.  i've heard that if you plant them in july, instead of when you start your garden in spring, it keeps the plants from getting too big when the beetles are in season, so they're not at as high a risk.  i'm willing to try anything next time around, those fuckers are vicious.

[StreetCR]

Do squash beetles hate basil? Most insects do. I read recently that basil is a good companion plant because insects hate its smell. Just a thought.

Wiki has a bunch of great tables on companion planting.  I've copied them over in excel to help organize for next year.

Nasturtium-Repels aphids, cabbage looper, squash bug, white fly, cucumber beetles. Works as a trap crop for aphids, is among the best at attracting predatory insects. Considered one of the "magic bullet".

Nasturtium and Marigolds are some of the flowers I plan on using in my garden next year.

[Matt H.O.W.L.]

Wiki has a bunch of great tables on companion planting.  I've copied them over in excel to help organize for next year.

Nasturtium-Repels aphids, cabbage looper, squash bug, white fly, cucumber beetles. Works as a trap crop for aphids, is among the best at attracting predatory insects. Considered one of the "magic bullet".

Nasturtium and Marigolds are some of the flowers I plan on using in my garden next year.

Awesome. Karma for that tip.
Sometimes I forget there are wikipedia pages for things besides movies, comics, and music. 

[john_k]

I've got a mini-comic tree





and 3 orange trees, 1 grapefruit tree, 1 plum tree, and 1 nectarine tree

[bean6344]

I'm starting some tomato sauce featuring bell peppers from my garden!  I'm going to use it to make an eggplant lasagna tomorrow.

Bean

[Brian N.]

We were really thinking our eggplant and bell peppers were doing bad, but they made a huge recovery a few days ago.  The leaves filled out and there are some blooms on them.  There are a few more tomatoes growing now too.

I checked out the squash plants in the other bed and one of them has doubled the size.  It's getting pretty big.  Things are starting to look good out there.

[StreetCR]

Well, turns out to be mice demolishing my pepper plants.  Is it wrong to picture Speedy Gonzales eating my jalapeños?

I was pruning back some of my zuchinni plants to make room for my tomato and ran across droppings.

I bought a few traps and after a week of no luck catching them, I got 3 within a 24 hour period.  When I got home yesterday, I checked on my garden and one of the traps was gone.  I saw a mouse run off in one direction and then I caught a glimpse of another.  The first one ran under the planter that my cucumbers are in and after moving the box I found the spring trap.  There was a foot and tail in the trap, everything else was gone.  I think the other two mice ate him!  I cleaned up the trap and reset it.  An hour later I got my second and around 8:30 I got the third. (I have pictures but will spare you the horror)

My tomatoes are looking good and this difficulty with the mice is making me nervous about the birds.

[bean6344]

Here's a neat tip on growing cilantro. 

http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/better-way-grow-cilantro-00400000017171/

Bean

[bean6344]

My efforts so far.

Peppers (red, jalapeno and habanero), tomatoes, cilantro and basil guarded by the worlds most friendly guard dog, Udo.



I started beats and radishes today. 

Also, I got a rain barrel and a compost tumbler off of some sweet deals today.  I had a chicken wire composter but decided to upgrade.

Bean

[Jeremy G]

My efforts so far.

Peppers (red, jalapeno and habanero), tomatoes, cilantro and basil guarded by the worlds most friendly guard dog, Udo.



I started beats and radishes today. 

Also, I got a rain barrel and a compost tumbler off of some sweet deals today.  I had a chicken wire composter but decided to upgrade.

Bean

Wow!! You grew a dog!  You got some skills there.

[Brian N.]

Checked in on the garden last night (like I do everynight) and things are growing by leaps and bounds.

We probably have more than a half dozen tomatoes already.  The Jalapeno plant had a small one about a week ago and now it's pretty big.  Probably going to leave it on a few more days.  The two parsleys and pineapple sage look like small bushes at this point.  Even one of our strawberry plants is filling back out (no more fruit yet though) and we thought they were done for the season.

I checked the squash plants in the other bed and the front one is getting large.  I saw a bit of yellow through the thick leaf coverage, so I pulled it back and we have a huge squash blossom already and I counted 4 more buds.  The blossom and buds came out of nowhere.  The other squash plant hasn't grown nearly as much, but looks fine. 

I'll probably take some pics this weekend.  I plan on using some of the pineapple sage on Monday when I cookout.  I'm making jerk chicken burgers out of ground chicken and I'm going to put some of that in there.

[bean6344]

I just got home from work and my compost tumbler was waiting by the front door (thank you UPS driver).  I also picked up the extra stuff I need to finish my rain barrel.  As soon as I get the tumbler assembled and rain barrel completed, I will post pictures. 

Bean

[bean6344]

Here is the new Tumbler next the old bin she is replacing and the new rain barrel.  The barrel still needs a few things (attach the spigot, screw down the filter, etc.).  Now it just needs to rain!






Bean

[ValorPhoeniX]

bought a house this winter and surprise... the yard was full of perennials.
started a garden this week, we'll see if work and what doesnt. secretly i'd like to fill in the pool and make the whole back yard a garden

[edfantom]

Going to close on our new house in less than two weeks, once that's done & we're moved and my sanity is restored I look forward to posting my wannabe gardening efforts here...knowing my luck, I'll probably end up growing some flesh-eating plant that hates people.

[Brian N.]

Made jerk chicken burgers last weekend where I used home grown pineapple sage, jalapeno, and a tomato.

Last night I made chicken parm and used fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, and basil.  The fresh herbs really made a difference.  I can't wait until the eggplant grows and I'll make eggplant parm with some!

[Jo-El]

Wow, cool thread!

I started a garden for the first time this year.  Where we're at in the country, we can't start as early as some of you all, but we got it in about 2 weeks ago.  I'm focused on peppers (chili, habenero, ancho, etc), but also have some tomatoes and cucumbers.  Everything's still tiny right now.  My biggest problem is bunnies.  The damn bunnies.