Gardening

[azucena]

Let's move the gardening talk to its own thread so I can protect my mental health by ignoring the c-word.

Someone asked about buying plants.  I may order some seeds, but I always have trouble starting from seed.  So, I may take advantage of one of the local nurseries that is offering free delivery.

I usually do a garden of peas, beans, tomatoes - easy stuff - all bought as seedlings.  What else should I consider?

I'd love to have herbs but haven't had any luck.  Someone show me their setup or link me to an herbs for dummies page.

[Deleted]

Thank you for starting this thread!

I have questions about growing herbs and all sorts of things.

Hopefully some of our posters with experience and know how will chime in.

[empress of self-improvement]

Zucchini. It is incredibly easy to grow and can be done in container.

What kind of herbs are you thinking about, Pink? I grow basil, mint, I'm trying sage this year and thyme. I usually just shove them in a pot and then forget about them. I do eat the basil right off the plant. I LOVE basil!!!

[Tennesseer]

On the Everything Else board, there is a thread titled Time for starting plants if anyone wants to contribute there too.

[bobosensei]

I'm doing lettuce, onions, bush beans, jalepeno and cayenne peppers this year too.  Growing up my mom always got tons from squash, zuchinni, banana peppers, and okra plants.  I've only ever had container gardens as an adult, and they never do as well as the gardens my mom and grandma had when I was little.  I tried bush beans and pole beans and peas last year too, but sewed them directly in the ground.  Rabbits ate them when they were seedling size.  I'm building a cage around my raised bed this year and might have to add chicken wire around my deck to keep them out of the containers.  We will see.  My tomatoes didn't produce as well as I hoped.  I just started my seeds and it is a little late so we will see what actually happens with them this year.

[haapai]

Radishes are reasonably easy to grow and mature quite quickly, 30-40 daya.  The trick might be getting them into a garden that is reasonably free of weeds and weed seeds so that you don't pluck them out when you are weeding. 

Carrots have distinctive foliage that can prevent the above problem, and a similarly pleasing color that makes you feel like you have added joy to the world.  Unfortunately, I have no idea how long they take from seed to harvest. 

Zukes are great for giving away.  I recommend planting them close to the sidewalk and encouraging everyone to take anything that they see. 

Peas can be planted very early (I planted mine on St. Patty's) and eaten directly from the vine.  They also are good candidates for a garden with a sign that says "take anything that you want".  Their shoots are immistakable, so they can be planted in poorly weeded and recently tended-to places.  Just be careful that you erect any necessary supports in a timely fashion.  They grow fast and like zukes need to be harvested almost daily in order to maintain yields. 

Chives are impossible to get rid of, emerge early, and cannot be mistaken for much else.  If you haven't any bulbs, their flowers can cheer you up. 

Tomatoes and cucumbers, if you site them right and water them well (which might mean religiously), can really make you feel like you have a green thumb.  Like zucchini, it is remarkably easy to plant too many of these and then feel guilty for not being able to eat them all.  I'd suggest getting over that, and also figuring out whether your tomatoes are determinate or indeterminate and pruning them accordingly.  It's really quite shocking how much better a properly pruned/pinched Early Girl yields compared to one who has been left alone. 

There are some herbs and lettuce mixes, ie, cress and mesclun, that have remarkably short seed to harvest times but I've never been too happy with the results.  I don't like what cress (15 days) tastes like and lettuce mixes need to be planted in a reasonably weed-free medium where they will get copious water delivered gently. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've gotten tremendous joy out of volunteer pumpkins and gourds.  They take forever to mature, take up a ton of space, and are susceptible to all sorts of rots and mildews, but there definitely is some joy in cultivating them.  Sometimes the joy is in figuring out what they are, as most squashes have remarkably similar leaves and flowers and the immature fruits look remarkably similar. 

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

All I know about gardening is that my parents planted and we weeded! 😜

[haapai]

Cilantro and dill are both easy to grow, smell great, and can make you feel like a real earth mother while cultivating them. 

OTOH, timing the harvest of both of the above is bound to end in heartbreak.  They both have a tendency to bolt (i.e. go to seed and become much less edible) long before the tomatoes or cucumbers are ready for harvest.  I've heard that staggering their planting can get you past this, but I have never been successful at doing so.  It takes a certain amount of gardening space, and some organization, to stagger plantings. 

On the plus side, if you want to experiment with growing seeds directly in the ground, the sprouts of both dill and cilantro are reasonably distinct from most weeds. 

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Haapai is spot on. A few more points: there are cool weather veggies and hot weather veggies. Cool weather veggies are peas, lettuces, kale, chard, spinach, beets, Brussel sprouts, broccoli. Cool weather veggies want both cool air temps and cool soil temps. Popular hot weather veggies are tomatoes, peppers, basil, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash. Hot weather veggies want hot air and warm soil temps (65 degrees or warmer). So, plan your planting accordingly.

Here in Massachusetts (Zone 6 and a little Zone 5), peas seeds go straight into the ground on St. Patrick’s Day. Other cool weather seeds can be planted directly into the ground at the beginning of April. In areas with short growing seasons due to long winters, hot weather seeds can be started indoors at the beginning of April.

Getting the seeds to germinate is the easy part. Keep the containers or garden spot evenly moist. Some hot weather seeds need warming mats underneath the containers they’ve been started in to trick the seed into thinking the garden soil is 65 degrees.

Once the seeds have germinated, the real work starts. Cool weather seedlings have to be protected from cold temps (below freezing) especially at night and during cold spells. Use a sheet or light blanket to gently cover the seedlings until temps top 32 degrees. Hot weather seedlings need to be kept warm and to get sufficient sunlight to prevent them from getting too leggy reaching for the sun. You might need to invest in a grow light or 2 if you do not have a spot in your house with at least 8 hours of full sun for the hot weather seedlings. Hot weather seedlings will have to be hardened off before you plant them outside: they need to become accustomed to the temperature fluctuations, the wind, the strength of the sun without the protection of your house, etc. A week before the last usual frost in your area (here it is traditionally Memorial Day but in Boston proper is closer to Mother’s Day), start putting your seedlings our on sunny warm days, increasing the time each day.

After your last frost, plant your hot weather seedlings in full sun, minding spacing necessary to prevent crowding and fungus issues, keep evenly watered aiming for the base of the plant NOT the foliage, and feed regularly according to the fertilizer’s recommendations. Pinch as recommended to promote strong plants. Monitor closely to catch problems (pests, diseases) early on.

As for cool weather plants, you can plant a second round late Summer to take advantage of the cool Fall weather and enjoy more home grown veggies!!

Have fun!!! Homegrown is fresher and yummy!!

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 17:03:13 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

Zucchini. It is incredibly easy to grow and can be done in container.

What kind of herbs are you thinking about, Pink? I grow basil, mint, I'm trying sage this year and thyme. I usually just shove them in a pot and then forget about them. I do eat the basil right off the plant. I LOVE basil!!!

Well, so far I’ve bought rosemary, spearmint, peppermint, citronella, and lavender seeds. 

DBF would like herbs for cooking. I already have one of his favorites, Rosemary. I just don’t know what to do with it lol.

You shove them in a pot..... seeds or plants? Does it need to be a tiny pot? 

[oped]

Lavender isn’t the easiest seed... or I should say it takes a long time and you’ll want to warm those probably.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I buy plants and them shove them in a pot.  I should have brought them in but forgot this winter so now I have to start over, even my chives are dead.

I have done: basil, thai basil, oregano, French thyme, marjoram, dill, mint and chives.  I want a bigger Thai basil plant my little one didn't produce near enough leave.   DH did not care for it but I loved Thai basil.

Been browsing online to see what other types of herbs I can buy.

For someone who has a black thumb I've found herbs easy to grow.  I have two pots on my porch I grow them in, may need a third this year if I am going to be cooped up until possibly August.  May also need to buy jars from Penzy's, I am considering drying my own herbs this year.

Poor DH is going to be living with Holly Hobby after awhile.

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 18:02:12 GMT -5 haapai said:

Cilantro and dill are both easy to grow, smell great, and can make you feel like a real earth mother while cultivating them. 

OTOH, timing the harvest of both of the above is bound to end in heartbreak.  They both have a tendency to bolt (i.e. go to seed and become much less edible) long before the tomatoes or cucumbers are ready for harvest.  I've heard that staggering their planting can get you past this, but I have never been successful at doing so.  It takes a certain amount of gardening space, and some organization, to stagger plantings. 

On the plus side, if you want to experiment with growing seeds directly in the ground, the sprouts of both dill and cilantro are reasonably distinct from most weeds. 

In Houston, they both spread like weeds b/c the birds eat the seeds and all things come to pass wherever the bird goes potty.  Last time I planted cilantro I had it volunteering in front and back yards for a year.  Which was okay by me b/c cilantro is $0.39/bunch so I could just go cut some from wherever it popped up.  Both dill and cilantro are also host plants for lots of butterflies so it's a win-win.

[happyhoix]

I like planting potatoes. Yes I know you can buy a whole bag for like five bucks, but fresh potatoes taste better to me, and there is something exciting about digging up a potato bed, like a treasure hunt. You have to pick the right potato for your area. I found this out the hard way, planting potatoes that like cold weather first. Finally learned to go look at the big ag university website for my state and found they offer a nice 'gardening for idiots' section that tells you what kind of veggies grow best in our state. For us, Kennebecs usually do well (although last year was not so good). 

I usually make a few trips and spend a lot of money at the nursery, but this year, I won't. Might go to the local hardware for some tomato plants in a month or so, but no flowers. Just not in the mood for it, and don't want to risk going on any unnecessary trips. 

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 18:33:39 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Mar 30, 2020 17:03:13 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

Zucchini. It is incredibly easy to grow and can be done in container.

What kind of herbs are you thinking about, Pink? I grow basil, mint, I'm trying sage this year and thyme. I usually just shove them in a pot and then forget about them. I do eat the basil right off the plant. I LOVE basil!!!

Well, so far I’ve bought rosemary, spearmint, peppermint, citronella, and lavender seeds. 

DBF would like herbs for cooking. I already have one of his favorites, Rosemary. I just don’t know what to do with it lol.

You shove them in a pot..... seeds or plants? Does it need to be a tiny pot? 

I've never grown any of those from seeds.  I have a huge rosemary bush (about 3'X3'), and a big Thai basil too.  If you are in a cold climate, you're okay with planting the mints in the ground but here in SE Texas, they are incredibly invasive so we only plant in a pot.  Citronella thrives here and is great for controlling the mosquitoes.  Lavender can't handle our summer temps of 100 degrees+.

Rosemary is awesome with poultry and lamb.  Dice up the fresh rosemary leaves, mix them with some butter and stuff them under the skin on the breast and legs of a chicken before baking or grilling.  Dice and mix with olive oil to marinate lamb chops, and pound into a puree with minced garlic to stuff into little cuts in a leg of lamb.  Rosemary is wonderful with goat too if you like that.  Minced rosemary leaves are also really good in most Italian sauces, sausages and meatballs.  Our mantra is "rosemary is the groom and garlic is the bride; together they create beautiful food".

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Found a web site that delivers plants and they are as cheap as when I get them from the Farmer's Market.  Holy cow I had no idea there were so many types of basil alone!   Decisions decisions.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Mar 30, 2020 16:45:28 GMT -5 azucena said:

Let's move the gardening talk to its own thread so I can protect my mental health by ignoring the c-word.

Someone asked about buying plants.  I may order some seeds, but I always have trouble starting from seed.  So, I may take advantage of one of the local nurseries that is offering free delivery.

I usually do a garden of peas, beans, tomatoes - easy stuff - all bought as seedlings.  What else should I consider?

I'd love to have herbs but haven't had any luck.  Someone show me their setup or link me to an herbs for dummies page.

I have always grown herbs in pots on my balcony or deck.  TD made me a raised garden, and I have all my herbs planted together in that.  I think for the 2’ x 4’ box, I have chives (not sure how many as he replanted from an old pot, 4 rosemary, 4 thyme, 2 oregano and 4-6 basil.  I try to get the basil as big and bushy as possible, and make a big batch of pesto to freeze.  

ETA:  Basil loves sun....lots of it.  It also does not like low temperatures.  I have to wait until night time temps do not drop to the low 50s.  In the PNW, I can plant everything except basil late April.  Basil I need to wait for awhile.  It might be as late as June.  

I kill everything that does not grow in a culture dish in a lab, and I can grow herbs.

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 19:16:00 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Found a web site that delivers plants and they are as cheap as when I get them from the Farmer's Market.  Holy cow I had no idea there were so many types of basil alone!   Decisions decisions.

Genovese is a good, old-fashioned Italian type basil for tomatoes caprese, pizza, marinara sauce etc.  Thai basil has a really pronounced licorice flavor which we love and handles our extreme summer heat well.  Chocolate basil tastes like Genovese, but has really pretty green-brown leaves so good for ornamental plantings.  

[azucena]

Dd7 and I just went put together a flat of zinnia seeds to germinate in our kitchen window.

Tomorrow we will start our peas and green beans. Neither of which make it inside the house for dinner. She eats them right off the vine and thinks she is being sneaky lol.

We have six strawberry plants that survived their first winter and are growing nicely. After reading more about them, I realized we didnt pick the first flowers off of them last year to encourage bigger berries. Will reread that and have her watch for them.

Also have raspberry and blueberry bushes that I got on clearance at the end of last season. Need to read more about them. Likely didnt give them enough room to grow.

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 19:13:35 GMT -5 @donethat said:

Mar 30, 2020 18:33:39 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Well, so far I’ve bought rosemary, spearmint, peppermint, citronella, and lavender seeds. 

DBF would like herbs for cooking. I already have one of his favorites, Rosemary. I just don’t know what to do with it lol.

You shove them in a pot..... seeds or plants? Does it need to be a tiny pot? 

I've never grown any of those from seeds.  I have a huge rosemary bush (about 3'X3'), and a big Thai basil too.  If you are in a cold climate, you're okay with planting the mints in the ground but here in SE Texas, they are incredibly invasive so we only plant in a pot.  Citronella thrives here and is great for controlling the mosquitoes.  Lavender can't handle our summer temps of 100 degrees+.

Rosemary is awesome with poultry and lamb.  Dice up the fresh rosemary leaves, mix them with some butter and stuff them under the skin on the breast and legs of a chicken before baking or grilling.  Dice and mix with olive oil to marinate lamb chops, and pound into a puree with minced garlic to stuff into little cuts in a leg of lamb.  Rosemary is wonderful with goat too if you like that.  Minced rosemary leaves are also really good in most Italian sauces, sausages and meatballs.  Our mantra is "rosemary is the groom and garlic is the bride; together they create beautiful food".

Thank you for posting this. I’ve read that some of these can be invasive, and that’s not really a chance I want to take. Besides, I’m trying to start out slow anyway, with containers. I’ve read that lavender can be tricky, and I guess it doesn’t help that it gets close to or actually gets to 100 degrees during summers here. 

I have one small flower bed in the back of the house that I can experiment with if I get the urge to start planting stuff in the ground. It’s bricked in and surrounded by concrete on all sides.

I’d already decided that would be my “test” area, whether it’s with flowers or whatever. If I make a mess of it, at least nobody will know but me, DBF and the kids since it’s not visible from the street or front of the house.

I’ll have to make sure DBF never sees your post. He’s the one that enjoys experimenting while cooking, and he already likes rosemary. I don’t want him to start bugging me about my idea to try to grow some at home.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Mar 30, 2020 19:21:25 GMT -5 @donethat said:

Mar 30, 2020 19:16:00 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Found a web site that delivers plants and they are as cheap as when I get them from the Farmer's Market.  Holy cow I had no idea there were so many types of basil alone!   Decisions decisions.

Genovese is a good, old-fashioned Italian type basil for tomatoes caprese, pizza, marinara sauce etc.  Thai basil has a really pronounced licorice flavor which we love and handles our extreme summer heat well.  Chocolate basil tastes like Genovese, but has really pretty green-brown leaves so good for ornamental plantings.  

 I grew sweet basil and Thai basil last year.   I'd like to grow both again and maybe a third.  I got up to $45 in my cart when I decided I better step back and think.  I'd also like to get a couple things for Gwen's fairy garden.  We tried seeds last time but an asshole squirrel came along and ate all the shoots.

[oped]

Mint will take over anything else and the whole space of any bed you plant in. Understand this when planning or put it in a pot.

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2020 20:00:54 GMT -5 oped said:

Mint will take over anything else and the whole space of any bed you plant in. Understand this when planning or put it in a pot.

Duly noted. And thank you.

[oped]

Mar 30, 2020 19:44:35 GMT -5 azucena said:

Dd7 and I just went put together a flat of zinnia seeds to germinate in our kitchen window.

Tomorrow we will start our peas and green beans. Neither of which make it inside the house for dinner. She eats them right off the vine and thinks she is being sneaky lol.

We have six strawberry plants that survived their first winter and are growing nicely. After reading more about them, I realized we didnt pick the first flowers off of them last year to encourage bigger berries. Will reread that and have her watch for them.

Also have raspberry and blueberry bushes that I got on clearance at the end of last season. Need to read more about them. Likely didnt give them enough room to grow.

My understanding is that blueberries do better if you plant 2 kinds near one another so they can cross pollinate while raspberries are the opposite.

[oped]

Mar 30, 2020 20:03:37 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Mar 30, 2020 20:00:54 GMT -5 oped said:

Mint will take over anything else and the whole space of any bed you plant in. Understand this when planning or put it in a pot.

Duly noted. And thank you.

You didn’t mention but FYI for anyone lemon balm is a mint. Mint is very hard to kill once it takes over. I once had to black paper a bed completely and take it out of circulation for a year to kill the lemon balm ...

[wvugurl26]

Gardening might be better for everyone's waist line than my baking. I bought vanilla beans today to make my own vanilla extract. Baking is my favorite.

I should try some peas. I love them. I was supposed to wait for the deck to be done for flowers but nothing was said about vegetables.

[gambler]

I grow tomatoes,squash, Pepper's in 5 gal buckets filled with stay green potting soil. Also herbs of all types. In buckets you have no or at the best a little weeding. Add egg plant to list, back yard looks like a abandon paint factory. Remberer to drill holes in bucket for drainage.

[crazycat]

I love to garden . Just spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon out back . I grow rosemary , lavender , jasmine , Mexican sage and cannas out back around the pool . Hibiscus and succulents as well . I tend to gravitate towards tropical and or drought tolerant plants .  I also have a couple of containers that I grow cilantro , basil , tomatoes, peppers , chili’s, etc in . Plus , I have tons of container planters . 

I really love this time of year cuz my jasmine is in bloom and smells fantastic . I have it planted  around the house , in the backyard , side porch and out back the pool . Heaven . 

Im in SoCal . Don’t know what zone you are in . 😀

[saveinla]

Mar 30, 2020 21:08:55 GMT -5 crazycat said:

I love to garden . Just spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon out back . I grow rosemary , lavender , jasmine , Mexican sage and cannas out back around the pool . Hibiscus and succulents as well . I tend to gravitate towards tropical and or drought tolerant plants .  I also have a couple of containers that I grow cilantro , basil , tomatoes, peppers , chili’s, etc in . Plus , I have tons of container planters . 

I really love this time of year cuz my jasmine is in bloom and smells fantastic . I have it planted  around the house , in the backyard , side porch and out back the pool . Heaven . 

Im in SoCal . Don’t know what zone you are in . 😀

I smelled the jasmine at Trader Joes 3 weeks ago and it brought back so much nostalgia, that I bought the plant for 8.99, even though I know I will kill it. Its still blooming and makes me happy - especially now.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Ordered my herbs.   We'll see if they get here in the projected timeline.   I found something called "banana mint" which according to the description smells exactly like it sounds.   I was interested enough to buy a seedling, it would be fun to use to bake muffins.

Then I got Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, Greek oregano, English Thyme, Chives and Parsley and Moroccan Mint for my herb garden.


I got Gwen some marigolds, bergamot, Chamomile and clove for her fairy garden.   Thinking about trying my hand at my own tea blend with the chamomile and bergamot if enough flowers grow.