Any Gardeners Here?

[flyfisher]

So last year in an effort to help to teach my son that the food we buy at the supermarket has to be grown and takes work so we should be appreciative of the efforts involved we grew a garden last year.  We followed the square foot gardening technique where basically you have a series of raised beds and do not use row spacing but rather individual plant spacing for your planting. . The technique maximizes space.  Anyways last year we did jalapeños, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers and tried some cucumbers and squash but the varmints got to them.

 

Well this year i was perusing the burpee website and next thing you know i have 150 worth of seeds in my cart, after downsizing

 

I am hoping to start planting this weekend after building the garden out a little larger than last year, well who am i kidding, it will be at least double the size.

 

Here is what is on the menu:

 

Butter lettuce

Romaine

Arugula

carrots

4 types of tomatoes

brussel sprouts

2 types of onions

green peppers

3 types of hot peppers

cucumbers

squash

zucchini 

peas

lima beans

spinach

 

and i am sure there are other things i missed....I am going to be mapping it out this week and building it this weekend...

 

anyways, any one else do up a garden?  I know last year it was pretty awesome to walk in my back yard before dinner and pick the stuff to make a salad and it was also great to see my 3 1/2 year old go over to the tomatoes while playing out side and popping a few cherry tomatoes off and eat them as a snack  

 

 

[Oregon Native]

Gardens are awesome.  I'm hoping to build a couple new beds here pretty quick.  Since moving to Tenn from Oregon it has been really different.  I try and do the organic route.  Really wanted some japanese egg plants and some others but got the pancreatitus so couldn't watch garden too well so it got rabbitized and dried out.  This year hope to do better...will see if health lets me out. 

Enjoy

[flyfisher]

I thought about going all organic but I am new to this and don't have the time to research all the various techniques right now.

I do have a few heirloom varities in my veggie mix so that should be cool.

I almost got some eggplant because they looked cool but I never eat them lol

[Redlinerobert]

Another gardener here.  We set up some nice planters in the back had them made out of redwood.  some are elevated.  Everything from cilantro, peppers, basil, thyme, cucumbers, tomatoes, arugula, and a few others I can't remember. 

[preach4bass]

Fellow gardener here! We grow a little of everything and a lot of the staples (potatoes, onions, beans, and carrots). We can a lot and try to only eat vegetables that we grow. I'm a row gardener because we have the space and a buddy with a tractor, but I like the idea of square foot gardening. If you've done both, which do you prefer?

[clayton86]

My dad and grandpa were huge gardeners grandpa had a giant garden. I don't but want to but apt living isn't really the best way I mean I have a huge yard it's just not MY yard.

[Oregon Native]

I've done row and raised beds and was sold many years ago when my good ol neighbor and I planted brocoli at the same time.  Mine in raised beds and no chemicals and his in rows with chemicals.  After a month his still looked like a starter plant and mine was huge.

I think one of the big things is your not walking on the roots.  Water not be wasted so much as plants getting more due to more focus.  Plants are raised a bit so much easier to work in beds.  Think the root thing is the biggie though.

Looking to due artichokes to this year.....critters got those too last year.  Could be some lead poision goin around this year....or maybe a fence.

[RAMBLER]

Look up Earth box instructions.  I made and used one and they work well.  A friend had them in his "Florida room" and picked strawberries and cucumbers all year long.

They are great for people who don't have room for a garden.  You can end up with a garden on your porch or balcony.

[Maico1]

Do the herb thing in pots oregano,cilantro,thyme,basil,rosemary, parsley etc.....

[nick76]

We have been doing the garden thing for the last 5 years.  We started just tilling a space in the our rather large yard, but after two years we quickly realized that our heavy clay soil was no good for growing and we would work ourselves to death doing it.  So 2 years ago we put in some raised beds.  Each year we have added more beds and will be again this spring.  We plant onions, carrots, peppers, strawberries, potatoes, sweet corn, green beans, snow peas, tomatoes, broccoli, squash, zucchini and cucumbers.  I might be missing some stuff, but oh well.  We also have a local farm we visit for blueberries, peaches, apples and raspberries.  My wife is a big time canning person.  So we can go almost all year on what we grow.  People are shocked when they see how much we put away for the year.  I also planted some fruit trees this last fall so hopefully in a couple of years we will have our own fruit trees.  We try to do everything organic the best we can.  Anything that doesn't get used goes right back into the compost pile and returned back into the garden at some point. 

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Yea my mom and 2 of ny uncles do. I help my uncle with tomatoes, corn, squash, zucchini, a bunch of peppers and some,others. Its about 80x80 give or take. W use 2 rows of chicken wire and have and eltric fence around it. Where he lives is a private lake where theres no hunting lots of,huge deer in there. So it becomes a problem. Weve done well with organic

[flyfisher]

I am definitely looking forward to it this year as we expanded out quite a bit.  I'll try and take some pics as i go through the process

 

Last year i started taking pics every few days to do a time lapse deal but i forgot a few weeks in lol

 

I have tried the spice thing with basil and all that but never have any luck.  I may try again this year though as nothing beats fresh basil on just about anything.

[flyfisher]

Another gardener here.  We set up some nice planters in the back had them made out of redwood.  some are elevated.  Everything from cilantro, peppers, basil, thyme, cucumbers, tomatoes, arugula, and a few others I can't remember. 

I really wanted to do some redwood boxes for our beds but around here the price is astronomical for redwood and we aren't going ot be in this house for more than a few years so the added cost wasn't worth it to me.  I may just do some stone or soemthing this year though....who knows  as i know i can get that just as cheap as i can lumber lol

[Root beer]

I grew a salsa garden two years ago. I normally grow onions, tomatoes, and peppers.

[roadwarrior]

My wife and I are big time gardeners, but we only grow flowers and flowering shrubs.

When I lived in Colorado we had a VERY well lighted laundry room and I built raised

beds with artificial soil on our southern facing porch. We grew exotic tomatoes from

seed planted in January in our sun room. We like jjuicy, highly acidic fruit, soft not

meaty. You can't buy the varieties we grew at market, they don't ship well. However,

the plants themselves are hardy and will do just fine in your garden.

[flyfisher]

My wife and I are big time gardeners, but we only grow flowers and flowering shrubs.

When I lived in Colorado we had a VERY well lighted laundry room and I built raised

beds with artificial soil on our southern facing porch. We grew exotic tomatoes from

seed planted in January in our sun room. We like jjuicy, highly acidic fruit, soft not

meaty. You can't buy the varieties we grew at market, they don't ship well. However,

the plants themselves are hardy and will do just fine in your garden.

What varities of tomatoes were those?  The one i am very anxious to try out this year is San Marzano as they make awesome sauce and are sweet enough you don't even need to add carrots to the sauce as a sweetener.

 

Oh and i remembered one other thing we are also growing which is one of my favorite vegetables of all time....Red beets

[Siebert Outdoors]

I'll grow garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos, and potatos.  Once in awhile I'll throw watermelon or cucumbers in the mix.  Its a good time.  I grow enough tomatoes that I never need to buy sauce during the year.

[flyfisher]

I'll grow garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos, and potatos.  Once in awhile I'll throw watermelon or cucumbers in the mix.  Its a good time.  I grow enough tomatoes that I never need to buy sauce during the year.

do you jar your sauce and if so how do you handle having the correct acidity level or do you use a pressure canner?

 

I have been researching the jarring of sauce and everything i read said the acidity level of most tomatoes is not high enough to prevent certain bacteria from growing that can only grow in a vacuum or something like that...a pressure canner kills it as does the correct acidity level but most recipes call for lemon juice added to the sauce.  it says it doesn't hurt the sauce but my sauce is pretty good and i don't want to screw with it lol

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Tomatoes. Onions. Scallions. Mushrooms. Bell peppers. Cucumbers. Squash. Water melon. Egg plant. Green beans. That's it for this year.

[.ghoti.]

Several tomato varieties, as many hot pepper varieties as I can find, cucumbers and annual herbs in the garden. perennial herbs in pots.

 

Near the end of the season, when the plants are full, I make spaghetti sauce. I put one cup of the cooked down sauce in a freezer rated ziplok and freeze it. One bag equals one serving. I take out as many as I need. I never make enough to last much past January, so I don't know how long the sauce will stay good when preserved in this fashion.

 

If you want it to last until the next year's harvest, you probably need to pressure can.

 

I freeze it because I don't like adding the extra acid required for long term storage.

[flyfisher]

Several tomato varieties, as many hot pepper varieties as I can find, cucumbers and annual herbs in the garden. perennial herbs in pots.

 

Near the end of the season, when the plants are full, I make spaghetti sauce. I put one cup of the cooked down sauce in a freezer rated ziplok and freeze it. One bag equals one serving. I take out as many as I need. I never make enough to last much past January, so I don't know how long the sauce will stay good when preserved in this fashion.

 

If you want it to last until the next year's harvest, you probably need to pressure can.

 

I freeze it because I don't like adding the extra acid required for long term storage.

I would freeze it if i had the space but right now i don't have an extra freezer.  I freeze a batch of sauce at a time now though and it works out pretty well for about 4 meals for me the fiance and my bottomless pit of a son....

[.ghoti.]

I should mention, there is no meat in the sauce I freeze. Just tomato, onion, peppers, garlic, basil, oregano and olive oil.

[wnybassman]

Been gardening for a very long time, about 30 years or so.

 

I like to grow milk, satellite dishes and electrical conduit.    lol

 

 

[flyfisher]

I should mention, there is no meat in the sauce I freeze. Just tomato, onion, peppers, garlic, basil, oregano and olive oil.

Yeah i dont freeze meat in m sauce either.  You bring up a question i have had though with regards to storing either by freezer or canning sauce.  Is it best to season when reheating it or before freezing or canning?

 

I currently season it like normal and freeze but i always wonder if any flavor is lost while freezing.  It never seems to taste quite the same as when it is hot but that may just be my mind messing with me because it always smells so good when cooking it  

[Root beer]

I would freeze it if i had the space but right now i don't have an extra freezer. I freeze a batch of sauce at a time now though and it works out pretty well for about 4 meals for me the fiance and my bottomless pit of a son....

Hmmmm homemade spaghetti sauce...that be something for me to do this year.