Gardening

How about a new topic to get away from the politics and other polarizing threads.

My wife and I have purchased a new home with a nice yard. We are just under an acre and I have started planning the back yard. I’m thinking I would like some fruit trees (apple, pear, cherries, apricots, maybe plums and mulberry). We are also interested in planting grapes. My dad had an awesome trellis system that the grapes grew on and could supply 2 bushels or more a season. Finally I would like to have a vegetable garden. My old place I had a 12x20 raised garden bed that sufficed for our needs but now I’m thinking bigger. The kids are growing and as such are eating a hole in my wallet. I was thinking to be somewhat self sufficient. I could probably increase the garden size to about 30x40. Would love to hear anyone’s input on what they are accomplishing with their gardens. I’m not thinking that this will stop grocery store visits, I’m just trying to A. teach the kids about gardening and B. Supply my family with the freshest grown produce while in season. I’ve also have ideas of a strawberry patch and a raspberry row.

What’s everyone trying, growing? What has been working, what hasn’t?

Nows the season to be figuring this out.

Thanks

Straw or Hay bale garden

We moved in to our little slice of heaven in 2016. Previous owners had let most of the outside go. So that year I spent a lot of time clearing out mint, and various weeds that had taken over everything. I did start a strawberry patch that now produces nicely. Given some dietary things our garden is more about trying to maximize what we can eat. Each year I've played with it, trying to find the right combinations.

Red/White Onions
Potatoes
Usually two Cucumber
6 Bell pepper
Tomatoes from cherry, slicing, Beefsteak
Lots of Bok Choi, and usually two plantings/harvest once the heat is gone.
Asparagus

Plus we have an indoor garden where we grow Tomato, Bell Peppers and Bok Choi year round

This year I plan to increase the Asparagus garden, as well as add Honey Dew. Starting some seeds now.

my grandmother is around her 80s and still up in the morning at 6am everyday to go garden during the summer and spring time. main reason she doesnt want to move houses is because she loves the garden. her backyard is like an acre big alone and the whole thing is rows of vegetables, shes got a pear tree, peach tree, apple tree, mulberry tree, she does alot of zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, lettuce cucumber, beans, theres more i just honestly dont know what else shes been growing lately lol

Maybe Fox will pipe in...he's doing that now...

I did it all about 20 years back, a little of everything then gradually found effort and time wasn't worth it comparatively to what I could buy some stuff for. ie: I stopped growing potatoes...at $2.99 for a 10lb bag ..silly to waste the space in the garden and time.

Also found a few local people (neighbours) who were into self-sufficiency/sustenance farming that sold their surplus farm goods at the road side. Fresh produce for next to nothing and the money went to them, not a chain Grocery store.

After the kids left we eventually ended up just growing raised bed tomatoes and peppers. You can't buy them cheaper than growing those yourself.

There are phases to 'Grow Your Own' stuff, much like hunting. You go at it gangbusters at the beginning then taper off as the years progress.

Now were into Beekeeping...if your doing Fruit trees you might look into that..get the benefits of pollination and the by product of fresh Honey.

I would think you must be in a pretty good area with a good soil base to be planning that type of garden?

I managed to hack out a bit of a garden on my property up north which was an old settlement farm on the Canadian shield.

So soil pretty poor in the area save and except around the old home and barn area which are now gone and had been taken over by meadow grass and light bush.

So basically first year cutting stuff down and second year hiring a tractor to till the acre or so and I planted a food plot for the deer. Within a few years the grass took again and back to square one. LOL

So I cut it down to a modest small garden which I can turn with a small cultivator.

Mostly for fun I plant a big potato crop usually get 400-500lbs a year, squash on the edges, garlic, asparagus just started.

Once the potatoes are out I usually seed it into a food plot for the deer with turnip seeds.

I have planted over 15 apple tree's but its been murder to get them going as I chose a poor soil spot. So after 10 years they are now doing good and producing apples, I surrounded the orchard with some fencing otherwise the deer and Moose would have killed them.

I've always had a garden of some sort most of my life but last year presented an opportunity to build a rock garden on a south facing hill in the yard. I just got back from the hardware store with some potting mix, I'll be starting my pepper seeds this week. I began harvesting my own seeds 2 years ago and was glad I did as they were hard to come by last year. In a couple of more weeks I will start my tomatoes and then zukes & cukes a couple of weeks after them.

I like to grow the following in my rock garden
Red, Orange, Yellow Bell Peppers
Cayenne, Hot & Sweet Peppers
San Marzano & Beef Steak Tomatoes
Green & Yellow Zuchinni
Garden & Pickling Cucumbers
Green Onions and Radishes
Dill & Chives

I also have a few old wheel barrows I grow Mesculin mix Lettuce in as well as Bright lights Swiss Chard and grow a variety of herbs in pots on the deck. Last year just for the hell of it I cut a slice off a Hot House Tomatoe from the grocery store and stuck it in some dirt and had a hundred little tomatoe plants in no time, I transferred 3 of them to half oak barrel and was surprised at the amount of fruit the scraggly plants produced.

I don't grow potatoes for the same reasons as Mike PAL, they just take up to much real estate for the price of them. I trade veggies with the bee keeper on the corner for honey and give everyone I know some zuchinni. LOL Good Luck with your garden and a green thumbs up!

I have always had a very large garden and orchard - I just love working with the earth and eating fresh healthy produce - but this year it has also taken on more importance to me since the pandemic came along - yes you can buy some stuff cheaper than what you spend on your own garden but what would happen if you can't buy the food - it isn't available anymore - a garden gives you a sense of security - a pantry full of canned food - a big pile of firewood - a good supply of root crops makes one feel good - and chickens - they are a good source of protein with their eggs - I think I can live for a long time on the food I produce myself

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoePa

- yes you can buy some stuff cheaper than what you spend on your own garden but what would happen if you can't buy the food - it isn't available anymore

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That presents a small problem in that your garden fresh veggies have a limited season. So yes you can offset you needs for a few months but your back to buying fresh veggies from the southern USA.

Women will always be on the hook for a functioning supply system...but most men can go 10-12 months without a supply of fresh veggies HaHa..

Some things might be cheaper, others not. Plus theres always the upside of knowing what fertilizer, pesticides etc.

Ignore the purple, the light isnt actually like this, it's more a function of white balance, colour temperature, nor do I feel like loading into PS to correct

Potatoes.
I take the last out of the bag with eyes and plant them in dirt. I should have a couple harvest in a couple weeks.
https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2182443430-5.jpg

These will be good in tomorrows salad.
https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2182443504-6.jpg

A couple pepper plants are getting older and Im just waiting for new ones to start flowing. But we pretty much have fresh Bell peppers every week.

Potatoes in the outside garden, the way I look at it. Some moo poo, some bending over. Easy peasy. I know what goes in, and what comes out.

Potatoes and Tomatoes are easy, just plant the seeds out of a ripe tomato and cut a potato into a few pieces.

You can likely get these plants locally but they had the Goji berries and hardy kiwi that are hard to get so I will reference their web page.

In the raspberries, I am actually weeding them out in favour of the golden raspberries, they are ever bearing and real good. They came back from the rabbit devastation and with screening have done good last year and the screens do slow down the raccoons but not the squirrels by much so you have to stake the plants up firmly otherwise the weight of the squirrels breaks the branches and you end up with dead plants broken off near the ground.
https://bambooplants.ca/product/yell...s-idaeus-anne/

If you can put down some straw bed for the strawberries you can grow the everbearing (not as big and they seem to not last as long in the fridge (pick and eat)
https://bambooplants.ca/product/ever...mara-des-bois/

I plan on mixing this into the strawberry bed this year and around some of the plants I want to put hardwood mulch down around. ** MUST be hardwood and not treated! IF you have fresh hardwood logs Oyster and Shiitake mushrooms are good to grow, mushrooms usually only grow best on certain types of logs. Way too much to post here and I have used the grow at home kits for Oyster and Lions mane mushrooms from here and got good flushes.
https://shop.fungiakuafo.com/collect...kg-plastic-bag



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TERv85b9krI


If you have room for some of the dwarf apple trees you can get the ones that have 3 or 4 species grafted together and it is amazing how many apples you can get, but you must use the dormant spray in the spring and squirrels can be a big issue and crop reducer.

Disasters for me have been the hardy kiwi, yellow plum, grapes, corn, nectarines and peas the last couple years, the squirrels, raccoons and rabbits are fat though! The blueberries (rest their souls) got ate to the ground by the rabbits and never came back even with screens around them..


Morels can be grown but the success rate is less than 50% and often 2 or 3 years before they grow. If you already pick them in the spring using some of the old ones or pieces and making a "morel slurry" can work with the same odds it seems but would be free for the pickers.
https://www.mushroomkit.ca/product/morel-mushroom-kit/

or the slurry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmlmq7CamLY

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mosquito

Potatoes and Tomatoes are easy, just plant the seeds out of a ripe tomato and cut a potato into a few pieces.

You can likely get these plants locally but they had the Goji berries and hardy kiwi that are hard to get so I will reference their web page.

In the raspberries, I am actually weeding them out in favour of the golden raspberries, they are ever bearing and real good. They came back from the rabbit devastation and with screening have done good last year and the screens do slow down the raccoons but not the squirrels by much so you have to stake the plants up firmly otherwise the weight of the squirrels breaks the branches and you end up with dead plants broken off near the ground.
https://bambooplants.ca/product/yell...s-idaeus-anne/

If you can put down some straw bed for the strawberries you can grow the everbearing (not as big and they seem to not last as long in the fridge (pick and eat)
https://bambooplants.ca/product/ever...mara-des-bois/

I plan on mixing this into the strawberry bed this year and around some of the plants I want to put hardwood mulch down around.
https://shop.fungiakuafo.com/collect...kg-plastic-bag

If you have room for some of the dwarf apple trees you can get the ones that have 3 or 4 species grafted together and it is amazing how many apples you can get, but you must use the dormant spray in the spring and squirrels can be a big issue and crop reducer.

Disasters for me have been the hardy kiwi, yellow plum, grapes, corn, nectarines and peas the last couple years, the squirrels, raccoons and rabbits are fat though! The blueberries (rest their souls) got ate to the ground by the rabbits and never came back even with screens around them..

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my grandmother has the same issue haha. she has grapes as well but has given up the last few years on them, doesnt matter what she does the rabbits squirrels and racoons seem to get to most of them, she actually asked to shoot them with a pelet gun but shes in city limits lol

We will have a few different types of lettuce , some zucchini ,spinach , cherry tomatoes beefsteak and some earlygirl tomatoes. Some beans green and yellow might do potatoes onions see what happens with the asparagus I planted last year might add onto. Also do a few different spices chives , thyme rosemary and what ever else the better half wants .



Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

my grandmother has the same issue haha. she has grapes as well but has given up the last few years on them, doesnt matter what she does the rabbits squirrels and racoons seem to get to most of them, she actually asked to shoot them with a pelet gun but shes in city limits lol

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I was going to try some gain with the motion sensor sprayers.
https://themecountry.com/reviews/bes...or-sprinklers/

Lee Valley had one but I don't see it now, maybe later, the owl looks interesting though.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sear...erOfResults=24

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mosquito

I was going to try some gain with the motion sensor sprayers.
https://themecountry.com/reviews/bes...or-sprinklers/

Lee Valley had one but I don't see it now, maybe later, the owl looks interesting though.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sear...erOfResults=24

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hmm those sprinklers are interesting but pretty expensive, epically to hook her garden up. one of my uncles has that owl actually, not to sure about how successful that is though

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

hmm those sprinklers are interesting but pretty expensive, epically to hook her garden up. one of my uncles has that owl actually, not to sure about how successful that is though

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Someone I knew had one that covered most of the yard, it would shoot where ever the motion was detected. Knowing him it probably was expensive and I saw the Lee Valley that just shoots one area for $70 so two or three were probably cheaper than that one.

Let us know if the owl work for rabbits and squirrels ... or is just an expensive crow decoy.

Need it closed off to keep the rabbit's out.




Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

Mosquito
I recall another thread where you gave us pointers for Morels. I wish I could get them going.

2,years ago I planted corn. It did well but tasted like crap :(

Blueberries.
Haven’t done well. Suspect it’s my soil. Sometimes I’m tempted to have my soils PH tested.

Anyone tried worm farming?
Basically another way to compost.

On the expense side.
We do know all of us have hunting/fishing gear? That cost waaaaay more :)

[QUOTE=MikePal;1150074]After the kids left we eventually ended up just growing raised bed tomatoes and peppers. You can't buy them cheaper than growing those yourself. /QUOTE]

Not 100% sure on the tomatoe? When the good sales are on, we buy tomatoes for .88 cents/can. Wife and I do grow a few plants each year, mostly for the nice juicy fresh taste right off the vine, however, the work and cost in time to jar up enough tomatoes for the year, just doesn't add up the same as buying a can? Granted, the quality may not be the same, but they're used in sauce, soups and chili for the most part and I don't think the taste difference is measurable?

So for a few years I’ve been following a YouTuber that goes by Migardener. He can get a tad annoying and the videos are sometimes a bit lengthy for the information provided but it’s great info. Also worth checking out is an Australian guy on YouTube that goes by self-sufficient me. Great advice there.

Because of the smaller garden at our old place we practiced high density gardening. It worked out well enough. We had high yields for the limited space and not much weeding was needed. Also tried hugelkuktur. I can’t really say if it was better or not because we only ran 2 raised beds like this for two years and didn’t notice much difference.

I think I will continue the raised beds. I found it easier on the back for cleaning up, weeding and amending. I also like the ability to rotate beds and amend them to the needs of next years crops. It also looks nice and neat.

I’ve never tried growing mushrooms. I’ve had luck at picking morels in the spring and various varieties in the fall.

Things that have worked for me in the past are:
1. tomatoes (beefsteak, Roma’s/san Marranos, rapunzels)
2. English cucumbers and pickling ones too
3. Peppers (Thai chilli, poblano, jalapeño, red bells, admiral bells, Shepherd peppers)
4. Eggplant
5. Carrots (various varieties)
6. Peas (kids love peas)
7. Bush beans (yellow and green)
8. Onions (red and white)
9. Garlic
10. Asparagus
11. Zucchini (green and yellow)
12. Beets
13. Herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
14. Horseradish

Things that haven’t worked:

1. Corn (either gets ravaged by squirrels or doesn’t like my soil)
2. Parsnips
3. Potatoes (never get big yields or any size to them)
4. Cherry trees (destroyed by ants and aphids)
5. Raspberry bushes (destroyed by an infestation of Japanese beetles)
6. Blue berries (very picky plants)

For pest control I fenced off my old garden. This prevented the rabbits and groundhogs. The squirrels, chipmunks and possums get in still. A rat trap helps with the squirrels and chipmunks. I’ve never tried a crow or owl decoy, I figured they would get comfortable with it and eventually ignore it.

I like the idea of an apiary. It would be beneficial with a bigger garden. I will look into it. I’m not sure I need another hobby though.

All great info everyone, thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bushmoose

Not 100% sure on the tomatoe? When the good sales are on, we buy tomatoes for .88 cents/can.

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Mostly for the Beefsteak...love a slice of tomato on my sandwich...

You right about canned for sauces etc.....I do that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

Mosquito
I recall another thread where you gave us pointers for Morels. I wish I could get them going.

2,years ago I planted corn. It did well but tasted like crap :(

Blueberries.
Haven’t done well. Suspect it’s my soil. Sometimes I’m tempted to have my soils PH tested.

Anyone tried worm farming?
Basically another way to compost.

On the expense side.
We do know all of us have hunting/fishing gear? That cost waaaaay more :)

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The slurry looks like a good way to try it if you use some dried ones or can get some old ones from someone that picks them. The success rate is 40% and it may take 2 or 3 years before they start... the kits are easier for the Lions mane or oysters :-) order, check they are ready, cut a couple small holes and spray until ready and eat :-)

Blueberries do require a particular PH and fertilizer.... and no rabbits to chew them down to the ground in a night! Screens are necessary but if determined they will push in, dig under etc.

The easiest source of tomatoes are the seeds of the one you just got from the grocery store and like. There are over a dozen cherry tomatoes in an egg carton just starting to peak out, I may be a bit too early but can try growing them indoors.

To keep the deer and raccoons out of my garden area I put up a 7 ft chicken wire fence that has a plastic coating on it - on top of the fence I have 2 wires strung which are charged by a electric fence charger - so far so good - I have cherry trees that the birds eat half of the cherries - I've tried putting decoy owl in the trees - a big rubber black snake - but it doesn't take long and the birds ignore them - this year I am going to try and buy small red beads that I will string around the trees - maybe the birds will thin-k that they are cherries and get tired of trying to eat them when the beads won't come off the string - squirrels are something else - they love to grab my peaches when they are the size of a black walnut - the only way I found you can control them is to shoot them- they are persistent on coming back even after you shoot at them - I'd say that half the work I put into my garden is keeping animals away from eating everything - the fence keeps the groundhogs and rabbits way

One huge benefit to doing some indoors is no rabbits, chipmunks, caterpillar, aphids or insects. :)

I’ll look at those kits Mosquito. Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

One huge benefit to doing some indoors is no rabbits, chipmunks, caterpillar, aphids or insects. :)

I’ll look at those kits Mosquito. Thanks

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My main nemesis is the potato beetle , mother nature pretty well looks after the rest.

Mine is chipmunks. They devoured all my outdoor beans and snap peas last season, some peppers. And no chicken wire defeats them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

Mine is chipmunks. They devoured all my outdoor beans and snap peas last season, some peppers. And no chicken wire defeats them.

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The dog has taken it upon himself to patrol the cabin area and chipmunks are his nemesis, oh along with most all else.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

Mine is chipmunks. They devoured all my outdoor beans and snap peas last season, some peppers. And no chicken wire defeats them.

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The kits generally work pretty good if you follow the directions, the company I posted the Wine Caps is where I have got some from, I was going to try Shiitake but they don't sell it so will look at other companies. After a couple harvests and the kits are done you can just dump them in the compost or garden.

Since I usually use a clippers to cut my hair I have human hair, I know it works. The rabbits love my wife's one flowers more than anything else by far and I have used screen and hair to keep them out. If not those particular flowers are chewed right to the ground!
This winter for the summer I am saving coffee to try this year, I have a big bottle and two take out trays, after making coffee I dump container 1 that is dry into container 2 to make sure it is dry, I then take the just made coffee grounds and put it in container 1 to dry. When container 2 is full I put it in the bottle, tub etc. for use in the summer. The tea bags go into an old pail to be filled with water for the acid loving plants and then later dumped in the composter.
https://www.offthegridnews.com/survi...f-your-garden/
https://plantinstructions.com/diy-ga...in-the-garden/

I don't know about some of the other plants listed above but I have a couple indoor rosemary plants that I will trim and put in water to root in a couple weeks for the garden and the oregano just takes care of itself always coming back. I cut small bunches of branches to dry the oregano for the winter use before it seeds, easy to do, just put it in a spot it won't get bumped after it is dried.

Squirrels are worse for the plants since the raspberries get broken by them climbing on them unless they are strongly tied up so I am hoping the tea or coffee work there.

Blood meal works but must be sprinkled around each week or after a heavy rain.



P.S.
I forgot the 2nd option after the mushrooms are done fruiting, start your own grow op.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45b2t7fqhjA

Like you we have bought 5 acres and a homestead and plan over the next 5 yrs to turn it into a market garden. Been doing lots of container gardens over the last 5 yrs and using what space we had in townhome to grow as much as we can. Lots of learning and failures.

The biggest successes have been early seed starts under grow lights which have increased our yields, plus learning the nutrient cycles of plant grow. Having a good seed start indoors has been the biggest improvement yet with understanding nutrient cycles.

I had grandiose plans for 2 acres this summer of veg, but realistically it will more of a 100 X 100 foot space we grow this year. This year we will grow for us only and share any excess. I started seed saving heirloom mixes 4 yrs ago and have had great success and will see how that goes as we scale up. Cherry tomatoes and a few beefsteak varieties will be going in, as well as peppers, snow peas, bush beans and pole beans. lots of salad greens and spinach (family cant enough of spinach) We are going to try a new method for squash, ground cover growers, zucchini, cucumbers and watermelons by clearing out 4 X 4 patches (12 ft apart) amending the soil and growing in these boxed areas for the space it will create for leaf growth and spread. This will allow for maximum space usage in proper garden rows.

The focus this year will be fresh greens and root vegetables for our family. I will start the asparagus patch this year as well. 3 to 6 Apple, pear, peach trees (still not totally set on which yet) are going on front of property as well. A big potatoes patch will be going in as FIL is planting his there as well

We cleared 4 of the 5 acres last year of the 19 yrs of fallowed overgrown land, and have lots soil amending to do to restore the organic matter. The local beef famer will give me all the cow manure/straw I can take, so I will also be starting a good compost pile or just adding to tilled (but unplanted areas), to let the manure mature over this growing season, with a couple of good tillings to mix.

Our goal is to be viable for sales in 3 to 5 yrs, and, the site plan is laid out for new building/barns/coops and goat pen...just have to build it all now. Eventually the home will be off grid as much as possible. First building going up this year is future steel bldg., which was supposed to be up last fall, but shipping delays never seen it come until late Sept. Next will be 16 X 40 open post and beam (style) open barn, 12 X 18 Amish shed (coming in May), then new road surfaces to these bldgs. (tractor and cars).

Eventually the farm layout will have wheat and corn in front half with fruit trees, a berry patch, strawberry, raspberries, blueberry, a small solar power store front near road with parking. Up to 4 beehives in back of property (2-3 yrs).

That's the plan - now to make it happen...

That's a lot of work Mark, good luck to you and be safe.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by line052

Like you we have bought 5 acres and a homestead and plan over the next 5 yrs to turn it into a market garden. Been doing lots of container gardens over the last 5 yrs and using what space we had in townhome to grow as much as we can. Lots of learning and failures.

The biggest successes have been early seed starts under grow lights which have increased our yields, plus learning the nutrient cycles of plant grow. Having a good seed start indoors has been the biggest improvement yet with understanding nutrient cycles.

I had grandiose plans for 2 acres this summer of veg, but realistically it will more of a 100 X 100 foot space we grow this year. This year we will grow for us only and share any excess. I started seed saving heirloom mixes 4 yrs ago and have had great success and will see how that goes as we scale up. Cherry tomatoes and a few beefsteak varieties will be going in, as well as peppers, snow peas, bush beans and pole beans. lots of salad greens and spinach (family cant enough of spinach) We are going to try a new method for squash, ground cover growers, zucchini, cucumbers and watermelons by clearing out 4 X 4 patches (12 ft apart) amending the soil and growing in these boxed areas for the space it will create for leaf growth and spread. This will allow for maximum space usage in proper garden rows.

The focus this year will be fresh greens and root vegetables for our family. I will start the asparagus patch this year as well. 3 to 6 Apple, pear, peach trees (still not totally set on which yet) are going on front of property as well. A big potatoes patch will be going in as FIL is planting his there as well

We cleared 4 of the 5 acres last year of the 19 yrs of fallowed overgrown land, and have lots soil amending to do to restore the organic matter. The local beef famer will give me all the cow manure/straw I can take, so I will also be starting a good compost pile or just adding to tilled (but unplanted areas), to let the manure mature over this growing season, with a couple of good tillings to mix.

Our goal is to be viable for sales in 3 to 5 yrs, and, the site plan is laid out for new building/barns/coops and goat pen...just have to build it all now. Eventually the home will be off grid as much as possible. First building going up this year is future steel bldg., which was supposed to be up last fall, but shipping delays never seen it come until late Sept. Next will be 16 X 40 open post and beam (style) open barn, 12 X 18 Amish shed (coming in May), then new road surfaces to these bldgs. (tractor and cars).

Eventually the farm layout will have wheat and corn in front half with fruit trees, a berry patch, strawberry, raspberries, blueberry, a small solar power store front near road with parking. Up to 4 beehives in back of property (2-3 yrs).

That's the plan - now to make it happen...

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Sounds like a plan... hope it goes better than the plan!

For the apple are you going to go with one species, a mix or get some of the grafted ones with multiple types each tree?

IF you are cutting down some hardwoods (or softwoods - Phoenix Oysters) then a project that would take a day then forget until harvest is Shiitake mushrooms (or others as per preference). I used a big branch off a pine tree that I had to trim off for the Phoenix Oysters (Turkey tail and P.O. grow on softwoods others don't do well) and got a couple tiny ones in the fall and am hoping to see better ones in the spring but I know the branch was too small according to what they say.
Tree reference
https://northspore.com/blogs/the-black-trumpet/tree
https://i.shgcdn.com/817b6587-41ff-4...ality/lighter/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3FxpvPnrgc

This year my Garden will be like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDh7wO2C8y0

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Kale
Lettuce
Potatoes
Green Onions
Variety of herbs

150 square feet just for hot peppers (Jalapeno, Scotch Bonnet, Banana, Ghost, Chilli)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

Mine is chipmunks. They devoured all my outdoor beans and snap peas last season, some peppers. And no chicken wire defeats them.

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A mouse trap wired to something and a little peanut butter takes care of them pretty quick.

Haven't decided yet on fruit trees, apples no problems - but the other we need to do more research if they will grow in zone. I have found living plumb/pear trees on crownland land in this area, so I know those can grow, peaches is another.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mosquito

Sounds like a plan... hope it goes better than the plan!

For the apple are you going to go with one species, a mix or get some of the grafted ones with multiple types each tree?

IF you are cutting down some hardwoods (or softwoods - Phoenix Oysters) then a project that would take a day then forget until harvest is Shiitake mushrooms (or others as per preference). I used a big branch off a pine tree that I had to trim off for the Phoenix Oysters (Turkey tail and P.O. grow on softwoods others don't do well) and got a couple tiny ones in the fall and am hoping to see better ones in the spring but I know the branch was too small according to what they say.
Tree reference
https://northspore.com/blogs/the-black-trumpet/tree
https://i.shgcdn.com/817b6587-41ff-4...ality/lighter/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3FxpvPnrgc

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In regard to apple trees, unless there are multiple varieties on the same root stock you really need to have different trees to ensure pollination. In my case it was close to 20 years back and I planted a golden delicious, a royal gala and a dolgo crab which is the crab to use for jelly. I don't have the most amount of sun on my acre but it still takes many years before harvesting a decent crop, in the early years you are actually better off removing most of the apples that start to promote tree growth as well as years where the crop is crazy heavy and younger branches are in danger of breaking. The main goal is to get that best crotch angle of around 45° for branches. Last year was by far my best gala harvest and they were fantastic tasting. There is yearly maintenance required like specific pruning techniques as the tree grows, as well as yearly spraying with a bordeaux mix after pruning in late winter as well as a dormant oil spray once temps are steady above zero but before bud swell.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edi...nformation.htm
https://www.nature-and-garden.com/ga...x-mixture.html
https://modernfarmer.com/2015/02/right-cut/?
Attachment 41512

Ok, got a question for you garden gurus? Every year I start beefsteak tomatoes indoors and haven't had any problems with the exception of the plants growing very spindly and not producing any offshoot branches until they are 14 to 16 inches tall. Yet when you go to buy them they're filled with these offshoot branches when only 10 to 12 inches high... What am I doing wrong. Was hoping to start them this week or next... Help!!!

[

Quote:

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Originally Posted by smitty55

a bordeaux mix after pruning in late winter as well as a dormant oil spray once temps are steady above zero but before bud swell.

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Thanks for the reminder Smitty....needs to be done this later this week...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Ok, got a question for you garden gurus? Every year I start beefsteak tomatoes indoors and haven't had any problems with the exception of the plants growing very spindly and not producing any offshoot branches until they are 14 to 16 inches tall. Yet when you go to buy them they're filled with these offshoot branches when only 10 to 12 inches high... What am I doing wrong. Was hoping to start them this week or next... Help!!!

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If they are spindly it's because they are too far from a light source and are reaching for light. When I have mine under lights I'm generally within 4" and they never get spindly. So far as side branches go, I only grow indeterminate heirloom tomatoes and I pinch off ever sucker as I only want tomatoes growing on the main stem and not on side shoots. Too bushy of a plant is just asking for problems like blight due to lack of air flow and light penetration.
The best thing you can do for your seedlings is to strip of most of the lower branches and plant it as deep as you can which will develop roots along the whole planted stem part to feed your plant that much better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Ok, got a question for you garden gurus? Every year I start beefsteak tomatoes indoors and haven't had any problems with the exception of the plants growing very spindly and not producing any offshoot branches until they are 14 to 16 inches tall. Yet when you go to buy them they're filled with these offshoot branches when only 10 to 12 inches high... What am I doing wrong. Was hoping to start them this week or next... Help!!!

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According to my wife....you have to plant the root ball of the started plant down deep, like 5"-6 ". Trim off the bottom leaves.

It also helps if there is a frost, the deep root stock will come back.

edit add: sorry Smitty didn't see you had posted the same advice before I posted

Lighting Bo D.
If you don't have a good/large south facing window, consider adding some grow lights. Think of spindly as the seedling starving and reaching for light. Word of warning, when it comes to indoor lights, there are a million options. If all your looking for is start your seeds, just get some T5s. T5s are also strong enough that if you really wanted to you could grow some vegetative greens like herbs, lettuce year round. After that, humidity. If you don't have a dome for them, consider adding.

I'm starting my seeds now. Have 3 trays started, will get some more going soon. The top shelf with the 3 seed trays are under two 36in T5s. Excuse the wiring mess, was moving stuff around yesterday to make room for a new quantum led board that arrive's today. Just look at the top shelf, thats two T5s
https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335964-2.jpg
https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335964-2.jpg

https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335813-2.jpg


https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335964-5.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Maybe Fox will pipe in...he's doing that now...

I did it all about 20 years back, a little of everything then gradually found effort and time wasn't worth it comparatively to what I could buy some stuff for. ie: I stopped growing potatoes...at $2.99 for a 10lb bag ..silly to waste the space in the garden and time.

Also found a few local people (neighbours) who were into self-sufficiency/sustenance farming that sold their surplus farm goods at the road side. Fresh produce for next to nothing and the money went to them, not a chain Grocery store.

After the kids left we eventually ended up just growing raised bed tomatoes and peppers. You can't buy them cheaper than growing those yourself.

There are phases to 'Grow Your Own' stuff, much like hunting. You go at it gangbusters at the beginning then taper off as the years progress.

Now were into Beekeeping...if your doing Fruit trees you might look into that..get the benefits of pollination and the by product of fresh Honey.

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Yep, 4800 sq ft garden that we use to grow veggies for the preserves that we sell at the market. We have more than a dozen fruit trees on the property, most are older, we planted 1 pear and 2 plum trees, the cherry trees died and the peach tree too. I tried a sour cherry bush last year, dug a big hole, 5 times larger that I needed and mixed rabbit manure with peat moss into the hole before planting the bush, we have a lot of sand and I needed to bulk up the water holding. We planted 4 grape vines that will run along the page wire fences in a couple years. The plan is to add orchard trees around the pasture with fencing around them to protect them from the animals.

Figure out what your soil is like and go from there, carrots and beets do not do well here, I may try starting some inside and then planting them but for some reason they do not germinate. Our fertilizer is goat, sheep, rabbit, chicken, quail and duck manure, rabbit can be spread on right out of the animal but the bird manure needs 6 months at least to settle and not burn the plants. Garlic did really well here but have not planted it in a couple years as it is never ready when we need it. Hot peppers love this property, last year I had bushels of jalapenos, cayennes, habaneros, ghost and serrano peppers. Tomatoes I plant a fence to tie the cages too, anything else I have found allows the plants to fall. These tomato plants are Lebanese Marzano tomatoes, they grow 6ft if you let them and I plant an 80 ft row of them every year for salsa and sauce.

Thanks John, I believe that could be the issue.. where I have been starting them is on an east facing window, I don't have a south facing one. May have to invest in some lighting... Very impressive set up there John...

better look at T5s
https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189447494-2.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikePal

[
Thanks for the reminder Smitty....needs to be done this later this week...

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Mike I don't know if you've had problems with tent caterpillars recently on your apple trees as the swarm moves around the province it seems. It was real bad around here 6-7 years ago where I was literally killing thousands every day here with a strong dawn dish soap spray. I now do this trick every year to protect my apple trees even though they are gone around here now. Wrap some duct tape around the trunk of your fruit tree a foot or so up the trunk and smear it with vaseline, the caterpillars will not cross it. It works great. Also I look for their nests on thin branches before the trees leaf out and destroy them. Here's what they look like.
Attachment 41513

Message me if you want Bo D. Indoor lights there are millions of options, most are expensive. Overkill is easy, or cheap knockoffs leaving you disappointed.
This arrived for me today :)
https://www.viparspectra.com/collections/xs-series

Do you need anything like that ( and there are hundreds). Nope. If you dont want to grow anything that flowers aka Peppers, Tomato, weed.
For seeds and things like herbs get a couple T5s. You can set them up near anywhere, and if you get a dome for your trays, just hang them about 6-10inches above the canopy or a couple above the dome ( for your humidity)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by greatwhite

This year my Garden will be like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDh7wO2C8y0

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Interesting, I never say anyone growing them like that before.
I actually have 2 bales in the shed I was going to use and I see that the guy in your video talks about the mushrooms being beneficial... I was thinking 1 bale for a strawberry bed and another for mushrooms then later in the garden as a mulch covering or some more strawberries. Maybe I will combine some tomatoes or other with the mushrooms. She talks about the bale, logs and growing on wood mulch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_qmXTeSysE

The next one continues onto the types of beds and in the yard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jovIxInkRs

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

Lighting Bo D.
If you don't have a good/large south facing window, consider adding some grow lights. Think of spindly as the seedling starving and reaching for light. Word of warning, when it comes to indoor lights, there are a million options. If all your looking for is start your seeds, just get some T5s. T5s are also strong enough that if you really wanted to you could grow some vegetative greens like herbs, lettuce year round. After that, humidity. If you don't have a dome for them, consider adding.

I'm starting my seeds now. Have 3 trays started, will get some more going soon. The top shelf with the 3 seed trays are under two 36in T5s. Excuse the wiring mess, was moving stuff around yesterday to make room for a new quantum led board that arrive's today. Just look at the top shelf, thats two T5s
https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335964-2.jpg
https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335964-2.jpg

https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335813-2.jpg


https://jbenphotography.ca/img/s/v-10/p2189335964-5.jpg

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woah! this is impressive and real cool looking. reminds me of my buddies weed tent LOL

One of my gardening friends is about 80% no dig (hay). She swears by it. Hubby does some of his "crop" in it. Had one tree last year that was far bigger than any Christmas tree :)

Lol Bo D. That's what it is. I picked the brain of a good friend that grows. The big thing is par, so for veggies like Peppers/Tomatoes don't need quite as much. For me mainly LED, just not what he uses, with a couple t5s. Beyond that it's basically the same. Lights, Humidity and ducting/inline fan for CO2 exchange.

I have one friend that doesn't even bury his potatoes in soil, he places the spuds on the ground and covers them over with straw or hay in the fall he just uses a rake to pull back the straw and then pick up the potatoes.

Jben, that is an impressive setup. I’ve been thinking about setting up some T5s for seedlings.

I’m in awe of how resourceful and genuinely green thumbed everyone is.

Green beans
Tomatoes (for sauces)
Cucumber
Squash
Strawberries
Raspberry
HoneyBerry
Weed
Attachment 41517
Attachment 41518

Thanks for the response guys, much appreciated... Lesson learned, first thing will be to acquire some growing lights. I don't have an area i.e. windows with a west, south exposure... The place where I've been starting the plants has an easterly facing window... Morning sun only...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Thanks for the response guys, much appreciated... Lesson learned, first thing will be to acquire some growing lights. I don't have an area i.e. windows with a west, south exposure... The place where I've been starting the plants has an easterly facing window... Morning sun only...

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Amazon has tons of grow lights for cheap

Quote:

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Originally Posted by greatwhite

This year my Garden will be like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDh7wO2C8y0

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GW I'm was not impressed with that video at all. He didn't even explain the most critical part of the process at all which is preparing the bales for planting, which takes a couple of weeks and requires daily maintenance to get the straw to start composting. They need daily watering and the addition of high nitrogen chemical ferts to get the process going, similar to a compost pile. Also the best method involves opening up the bales down the center and adding some soil to provide the bacteria source that's needed along with the carbon source (straw) and the nitrogen (ferts) required to build up the heat to break down the carbon and provide the nutrients required to grow healthy plants. You can use organic substitutes but the process will be that much slower as you're not adding urea at 46-0-0 for high nitrogen. So the bale needs to build up heat like a compost pile (mine get up to 150°) for several days and then cool down before planting. The straw on it's own provides nothing for growth without doing this first. Then they need daily watering as they drain so fast and weekly fertilizing as nutrients get washed out so easily as well. I thought about trying them at one point but decided I was far better off with my raised beds. Another issue with them is that they cool down very quickly in cool weather which is not conducive for most plants that prefer a warmer soil for roots to flourish so come fall growth is inhibited for many plants. I'm not saying they don't work but there's a lot more to it than many realize. Plus they start to look pretty ugly later in the season as the turn grey and break down more over the summer. I'm pretty well mostly an organic gardener, using manure, my own compost that I make yearly, bone meal and alfalfa pellets as well as aerated compost tea that I usually have a couple of pails going all summer long and use for everything I grow including my berries and apple trees as a foliar feed and soil drench. Nothing beats that for a total soil enhancement to build up a healthy soil full of beneficial microbes. It would be very beneficial as well for established straw bales.

Cheers

Smitty, do you not find that manure brings weeds along with it. If it's cow manure that you are using, they do have a tendency to eat weeds along with grass, and it does come out the rear end eventually... Just asking here cause it is plentiful around here...

Yes I will agree it's not perfect but you don't need to get quite as specific as your say. They all leave steps out and I would not do everything the way he is doing. I will take some pics this year and then post them in the fall. I plan to use 16 bales for a small garden.

It would be nicer to get bales that are a few years old.

They have those laying around here a lot, sitting in the same field for years, only thing is they're the big rounds ones. If you can get them to your place all you'd have to do is roll them out...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Smitty, do you not find that manure brings weeds along with it. If it's cow manure that you are using, they do have a tendency to eat weeds along with grass, and it does come out the rear end eventually... Just asking here cause it is plentiful around here...

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For sure it needs to be well composted or that can happen. Make sure to check. You could even just bring a shovel full home, lay it out anywhere warm a few inches deep and water it. Within a week you'll know, even if nothing shows hopefully, break it up and look for fresh shoots to be sure. Other wise it's a great organic addition to improve soil structure.

When I first moved here I bought a tractor bucket full of manure from the farmer just up the road and it was terrible for seeds as everywhere I used it sprouted up like crazy. So much for assuming it was old well composted manure. Never again. I was not happy, it took like three years before I had it cleared out. Since then I've literally bought hundreds of bags over the years of the store bought cattle or sheep manure when they go on sale as well as countless bags of black earth, topsoil mix, peat moss by the bale, and huge bags of perlite and some agricultural lime as well. I've also had a couple dump loads of topsoil and a load of triple mix over the years. I'm literally on a rocky Lanark slope and besides my compost and leaf mold piles I've had to import everything to the property. I quickly figured out that the only way to try and make garden beds is to remove and relocate rocks, and after breaking many a shovel I finally bought a real pinch tip crowbar that still gets regular use on my log piles over 20 years later.
I've always made a planting mix with those products by the wheelbarrow that gets used for ever single plant I ever put in the ground whether its annual flowers every year, all my veg seedlings of course and for sure a lot in my herb beds and other perennials like my fruit trees, hostas, ferns and annual bulbs like 4 Oclocks and Canna lily that I plant each summer and dig up in the fall and then just store in the basement in cardboard boxes. Over the years the soil in all my beds around the property has greatly improved as a result. Plus to grow vegetables on this property I've always had make use of 4ft wide raised beds, my first ones were 20" Hemlock using rough 2x10s I got from a farmer. They actually rotted out over the years, I turned one 12 footer into a mixed strawberry raised bed now and the rest has been replaced by 5 4'x8'x16" boxes using one inch cedar, all rough cut #2 grade. My 2x4 cedar bracing was free too so with hardware each box was around $60. I grow 200 garlic each year too, so that uses two beds that rotate each year. My favorite crop, along with my Greek and some other heirloom tomatoes. I'm still eating fresh garlic that I grew, and I have 200 planted in November from my largest 50 bulbs. But it's getting closer to the point where I'll slice and dehydrate to make my own garlic powder that gets well used too till summer harvest . I use it in my spice rubs too for sure and marinades.
Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

Mosquito
I recall another thread where you gave us pointers for Morels. I wish I could get them going.

2,years ago I planted corn. It did well but tasted like crap :(

Blueberries.
Haven’t done well. Suspect it’s my soil. Sometimes I’m tempted to have my soils PH tested.

Anyone tried worm farming?
Basically another way to compost.

On the expense side.
We do know all of us have hunting/fishing gear? That cost waaaaay more :)

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Your Blueberries need sulfur, grab some sulfur powder and sprinkle at the base of the plants in spring and watch them explode.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

I ordered this light and over a period of 47 days the energy consumption was 37 KWH ($7.71 cent worth of electricity @ .21 per KWH) basically 3 days worth of house power for over a month. Amazon $114.00
Attachment 41520

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Thanks for the response guys, much appreciated... Lesson learned, first thing will be to acquire some growing lights. I don't have an area i.e. windows with a west, south exposure... The place where I've been starting the plants has an easterly facing window... Morning sun only...

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I'm heading into town this morning to have a look at what's available at a location that Jben mentioned. Again appreciate all the help guys...

For those interested in raised beds here's what mine look like. Besides my heirloom tomatoes my favorite crop by far is my garlic, I grow 200 each year and each 4x8 box hold 100 bulbs. best of all it's free each year as I save my 50 largest bulbs for replanting each November. This is in May, I've removed the leaves off two of the right side beds and you can see the garlic shoots starting.
https://i.imgur.com/QYoL97A.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/COrH0TP.jpg

I was at the Forestry Station in Kemptville years back when they sold saplings of various indigenous trees to the public. I saw what was basically kits made up of x-large green garbage bags with corner pegs . I asked and the lady said they were used to plant the saplings.

In the centre of the bag were these two cuts (x pattern) . The idea was to stretch if over the ground and plant the sapling in the hole in the middle. It cut down the weed growth.

A light went on ... I bought a 1/2 dozen and to be used to plant my Beefsteak tomatoes. I modified the idea slightly by cutting the bottom off an empty frozen yogurt container leaving a collar about 4"-6" long that I pushed down over the plant into the hole and into the soil leaving 1"-2" above ground. So what I had was a way of watering the plant, just fill up the container with water.

Saved a huge amount of water, stopped weed growth around the young plants and forced the water to go down to the root ball instead of rolling of to the side the plant.

Have had success for many years with that method.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikePal

I was at the Forestry Station in Kemptville years back when they sold saplings of various indigenous trees to the public. I saw what was basically kits made up of x-large green garbage bags with corner pegs . I asked and the lady said they were used to plant the saplings.

In the centre of the bag were these two cuts (x pattern) . The idea was to stretch if over the ground and plant the sapling in the hole in the middle. It cut down the weed growth.

A light went on ... I bought a 1/2 dozen and to be used to plant my Beefsteak tomatoes. I modified the idea slightly by cutting the bottom off an empty frozen yogurt container leaving a collar about 4"-6" long that I pushed down over the plant into the hole and into the soil leaving 1"-2" above ground. So what I had was a way of watering the plant, just fill up the container with water.

Saved a huge amount of water, stopped weed growth around the young plants and forced the water to go down to the root ball instead of rolling of to the side the plant.

Have had success for many years with that method.

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Thats the same kind of idea I use for my cucumbers and pumpkins while they are young. I do it to stop the cut worms.

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Nothing more disheartening then start some plants from seed in the house - take care of them like they were babies - harden them off by putting them outside for a few hours each day - then prepare a nice bed in the garden for them - plant them carefully - then go out the next day to see how they are doing and find some sob of an animal eat them all -

Late starting your seeds? Sprouting hack.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...xX9eQHfjE2I_sw

Isn’t this the same idea as a heat pad under your starters? Germination usually occurs quicker in warm soil.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

Isn’t this the same idea as a heat pad under your starters? Germination usually occurs quicker in warm soil.

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Yep, But works faster 2-3 days for peppers and 70% sprout success. I guess you didn't read it. I'm going to try it with my water distiller it has a thermostat.

My pepper seeds do well with the heat mat and dome. If on average her hack ( pretty smart) saves 4-8 days.............not sure I'd qualify that as anything great. So she starts 1 week later? If she procrastinates, which the same for everyone. Theres still 8 weeks or so until frost risk is past.

Those that I move to the garden, the big deal for me anyways is hardening them off. Saw a hack last year that said leave them outside all day but on the north side of house/shed etc. Where there will be shaded all day and not getting cooked.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBen

My pepper seeds do well with the heat mat and dome. If on average her hack ( pretty smart) saves 4-8 days.............not sure I'd qualify that as anything great. So she starts 1 week later? If she procrastinates, which the same for everyone. Theres still 8 weeks or so until frost risk is past.

Those that I move to the garden, the big deal for me anyways is hardening them off. Saw a hack last year that said leave them outside all day but on the north side of house/shed etc. Where there will be shaded all day and not getting cooked.

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Be careful leaving them out overnite if it gets too cool, specially peppers and tomatoes. Plus you want to slowly acclimatize them to the sun over the days, I start them in dappled shade.

Wouldn't want to my expensive seeds in the insta pot lol.

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I germinate them on the hot water tank with varying degrees of success, hot and sweet do good the bells not so well, takes 3 or 4 weeks. I cooked a bunch of tomatoes in the sun last year hardening them off, it didn't take very long. I plucked some tomato seedlings that had started growing from the compost and was surprised to find they caught up to the ones in no time to the ones I started 8 weeks earlier. This is my second time starting from seeds.

My daughter just planted peppers, watermelon and a mixed flower this evening with her brownie group . They went straight into the soil in little pots . I'll post back when they sprout . Can't wait to start tilling up some soil the warm temps last week was a tease with more than a month to go before we get things in the ground.




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Essentially that’s what it combats. If you don’t have time to bring them back in after a few hours. Out in the am, bring them in after dinner.

As a photographer where you are shooting the light. Overcast days are great for a lot of stuff. Even diffused light. Not direct, at times harsh light. So the north side of your house.

I’ll see if I can find the video on it. Not ready to risk all my seedlings first go, but some. Sure

I generally just buy everything when it's ready to go in the ground. If it can be planted directly outside into the ground when the weather permits I'll also do that. But buy the peppers, tomatoes a few herbs and what ever else from the market. Sometimes I splurge and will pick up a few big tomato plants with some fruit and flowers already on it. About 20 bucks each tho lol.


I Will try the insta pot method just to see what happens.


With the bigger seeds and germination I usually just go paper towel in a bag moist and tuck it away untill roots appear. Near a window or some place not chilly. Or just soak in a cup of water 12 to 24 hours then put into the dirt a few days later it's up .

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A few pics that I have from last year.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2ad2fa1e72.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b4929f4e76.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...98223b3205.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9968703632.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...44ad05cba9.jpg

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My neighbour doesn’t seed anything. She just plants directly. Usually last week of may. Her crops, while a little behind do well. Makes you wonder. But part of it is the journey. No different than hunting or fishing.

Peppers are little tougher to germinate. Tomato do ok, last year my cherry didn’t so I bought a wee one. Others things like cucumbers, melons, peas and beans. Almost always 90-100%.
Pak Choi. Lol. Not possible to grow enough but instead of tossing the crown, place in some water. A couple days later replant in dirt.

Avacado.
I must have tried 12 pits to get to sprout before finally getting a seedling. 1 year later (it’s been in my grow room since July) it’s pushing 3 feet. Will it fruit in 6 more years? Doubt it. But it’s fun all the same.

and there is no comparison store/GiY when it comes to taste/texture. We had friends for a short visit Sunday. Used a couple tomatoes out of my grow room. Neither could believe how much more “dense” and flavourful they were. Neither they nor my peppers grow quite as large. Fruiting vegetables need way more energy. Kind of hard to replicate the sun. But Heat, humidity/moisture, light and CO2.....

Due to being in sand I use raised beds and they work pretty well - mostly tomatoes, lettuce, hot peppers, kale, and cucc's. I made this one a couple of years back U shape and a smaller rectangle off to the side of my deck for herbs and spices. I grow my hot peppers from seed - germinate in moist paper towel in zip lock bags then plant in soil.

Every fall I bring home a couple of garbage bins of manure from the farm and spread on the top of the soil after the gardens are cleared out. In the spring I turn over the soil mixing it and then plant.

https://i.imgur.com/0gmZVdT.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 410001661

Due to being in sand I use raised beds and they work pretty well - mostly tomatoes, lettuce, hot peppers, kale, and cucc's. I made this one a couple of years back U shape and a smaller rectangle off to the side of my deck for herbs and spices. I grow my hot peppers from seed - germinate in moist paper towel in zip lock bags then plant in soil.

Every fall I bring home a couple of garbage bins of manure from the farm and spread on the top of the soil after the gardens are cleared out. In the spring I turn over the soil mixing it and then plant.

https://i.imgur.com/0gmZVdT.jpg

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Wow, that looks very nice

Nice work there 4100

My dad has a large garden (Italian) ... and swears it costs way more to make his own vegatables than to buy at the grocery store ... so I'm not sure it's about saving money, lol.

We have a small garden ... we like growing different leaves for salads, spring onions, cherry tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. We also grow a few herbs like rosemary and oregano.

The trick is to find out what works in your area, given the amount of sun, rain, etc. Some plants take to long to produce ... for example, we tried growing Habanero pepper last year ... it just didn't grow fast enough ... but the Jalapeno's took off like crazy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MarkB

My dad has a large garden (Italian) ... and swears it costs way more to make his own vegatables than to buy at the grocery store ... so I'm not sure it's about saving money, lol.

We have a small garden ... we like growing different leaves for salads, spring onions, cherry tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. We also grow a few herbs like rosemary and oregano.

The trick is to find out what works in your area, given the amount of sun, rain, etc. Some plants take to long to produce ... for example, we tried growing Habanero pepper last year ... it just didn't grow fast enough ... but the Jalapeno's took off like crazy.

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I make my own dry rub and hot sauce so I grow a variety of different peppers, onions and tomatoes for it. Either I have to week and water it or cut it with a lawn mower.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MarkB

My dad has a large garden (Italian) ... and swears it costs way more to make his own vegatables than to buy at the grocery store ... so I'm not sure it's about saving money, lol.

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Your dad is a wise man...and he's right. Self sustainability cost way more in the long run, people forget to add things like plot preparation costs, soil prep, water bills, electric bill, etc etc and time to the equation. Then again, like you suspect, it's isn't about the money :)

I gave it up after about 10yrs.... easier and cheaper to buy other peoples surplus. :)

I think most people garden, hunt, fish, because of the love of-for it. Not necessarily for what you consume, price wise. Fresher yes. How much is that pound of venison, when you figure in all the costs. I went perch fishing on Simcoe this past season, only brought home a dozen. Between the son and I, we could have kept 100. How much did those 12 perch cost? Hate to tell you by the pound!

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Originally Posted by 410001661

Due to being in sand I use raised beds and they work pretty well - mostly tomatoes, lettuce, hot peppers, kale, and cucc's. I made this one a couple of years back U shape and a smaller rectangle off to the side of my deck for herbs and spices. I grow my hot peppers from seed - germinate in moist paper towel in zip lock bags then plant in soil.

Every fall I bring home a couple of garbage bins of manure from the farm and spread on the top of the soil after the gardens are cleared out. In the spring I turn over the soil mixing it and then plant.

https://i.imgur.com/0gmZVdT.jpg

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Nice looking garden pal...I've been using pots the last couple of years, but I'm hoping to make a raised this year. I do hot peppers as well, then into jellies. I still have a bag in the freezer of ghosts/habenero and reapers. How well do your cuc'z do? I'd like to plant a bunch of pickling cuc'z for dills...

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Originally Posted by fishermccann

I think most people garden, hunt, fish, because of the love of-for it. Not necessarily for what you consume, price wise. Fresher yes. How much is that pound of venison, when you figure in all the costs. I went perch fishing on Simcoe this past season, only brought home a dozen. Between the son and I, we could have kept 100. How much did those 12 perch cost? Hate to tell you by the pound!

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My fun comes with delivering stuff to friend's and maybe swapping stuff with them I did not grow, my big crop is potatoes for give away stuff, probably cost more to buy the seed potatoes in the first place, but like guys have said very satisfactory watching the garden progress and thing's changing. There is a world of difference between eating a store bought one and a home grown one.

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Your dad is a wise man...and he's right. Self sustainability cost way more in the long run, people forget to add things like plot preparation costs, soil prep, water bills, electric bill, etc etc and time to the equation. Then again, like you suspect, it's isn't about the money :)

I gave it up after about 10yrs.... easier and cheaper to buy other peoples surplus. :)

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Yet if you turn it into things and sell it as locally grown and produced consumer good then it can be profitable. I just did my taxes, I know.

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

My fun comes with delivering stuff to friend's and maybe swapping stuff with them I did not grow, my big crop is potatoes for give away stuff, probably cost more to buy the seed potatoes in the first place, but like guys have said very satisfactory watching the garden progress and thing's changing. There is a world of difference between eating a store bought one and a home grown one.

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Sounds like you do a fair size potato plot . I tried a small area it was ok got a few meals out of it. Have been thinking about doing a 45 gallon barrel to save the space and trying it that way. You can apparently get some decent yields from the space used .

I tried 3 or 4 year's for a corn plot finally got it and the corn sucked lol. Always trying to figure out what goes best where and what does well.


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We put just under 60 pounds of Venison in the freezer this fall. Ground beef on the low end around $4/pd, roast steak and chops? I est a rough average of about $9-10/pound for beef.
60 x $9.50?

Loblaws prices
Bell Pepper $2 each
Tomato $1.53 each
Cucumber $1.70 each

I'd guess pepper we harvested last season 1-2 doz . From my basement easily 3 dozen but wont count these. Tomato at a really rough guess last year 2 dozen (not counting roma for sauce). Cuks atleast a dozen if not two. If I average everything at 1.70 and just roughly guessing 4 dozen maybe $100 worth if not more. Pretty sure the seeds cost far less than that. for healthier, tastier stuff.

https://www.loblaws.ca/Food/Fruits-%...menttiles_1_hp

It's not about the money, but the journey. But given the cost of produce........it ain't so bad. And it taste far better and you know what addititives there.

Our aspargus patch will be 3 yrs this year and ready to harvest. I wish I could do an acre of that. We each a bunch every week at $5..

Livebates
Yes, my cuc's did well this season - I added chicken manure before I planted. I planted 4 plants across the back of the garden and have several 1x1x10' long spaced every 6" for about 4" high to get them off the ground.

My potatoes are in the garbage cans on the side of the garden, and my peppers did very well. My ghost pepper plant produced very late in the season but kept kicking out peppers until October - probably harvested 30 peppers off the one plant. I also planted jalapeno, habanero, red chilli, green chilli and thai hot peppers. I had very little luck with sweet peppers, beets and carrots. I tried growing in pots but found the heat kicked the crap out of them and they did not do well so I now plant them in the pots then and take them to the front garden and set them in with the Hosta's and other annuals as I have irrigation in the front of my house and they are not in direct sun.

Tomatoes were insane last season, as was lettuce and kale.

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Originally Posted by fishfood

Sounds like you do a fair size potato plot . I tried a small area it was ok got a few meals out of it. Have been thinking about doing a 45 gallon barrel to save the space and trying it that way. You can apparently get some decent yields from the space used .

I tried 3 or 4 year's for a corn plot finally got it and the corn sucked lol. Always trying to figure out what goes best where and what does well.


Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

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Yeh a pretty big plot I generally get 400-500lbs, but you would be surprised how fast you can give them away. LOL

The potato beetle are a real pest and are the most work, I have a big pile of manure to put down this spring so expect a good crop, after harvest I seed the same area with turnip seed and they have enough time to get up and running for the deer to hit them..

Got some fav for the garden. Nothing like spring onion and asparagus to start the season. Like broccoli as if you tend them like roses can crop them till deep freeze. Love fennel as store bought never the same.
Disinvited crops corn and potatoes as can't beat the price for store bought and takes up space, recently put bell peppers on the list as since can't buy a decent pesticide they become impossible to grow as they get a grub inside that rots them from the inside out.

I’m planning on getting the early season veggies in this weekend. Peas, cabbage, beets, broccoli, kale and potatoes. Hopefully that’s it for the negative temps.

Long leggy plant starts for tomatoes are what I used to experience as well, and they didn't hold up well when hardening off. What I learned is, from seed to about 3" tall, I was top watering under grow lights (early indoor planting), when I switched to bottom water trays that held 50 seeds, it caused the roots to reach down and develop root growth instead of leaf growth, so bottom water source is very critical after sprouting to encourage root. Also, with grow lights if I found the plants getting leggy, I reduce the amount of light they get. Research each plants growth cycle, seed to sprout - when to switch to root fertilization (such as onions), green plant growth is and root development are two critical feeding times. Peppers, like root after seeding and sprouting, and then like leaf growth again during stalk building. I fertilize root veg different from vine or stalk growing veg.

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Ok, got a question for you garden gurus? Every year I start beefsteak tomatoes indoors and haven't had any problems with the exception of the plants growing very spindly and not producing any offshoot branches until they are 14 to 16 inches tall. Yet when you go to buy them they're filled with these offshoot branches when only 10 to 12 inches high... What am I doing wrong. Was hoping to start them this week or next... Help!!!

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I got the LOEPP grow light from Amazon, they worked so good I ordered another this winter.

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Thanks for the response guys, much appreciated... Lesson learned, first thing will be to acquire some growing lights. I don't have an area i.e. windows with a west, south exposure... The place where I've been starting the plants has an easterly facing window... Morning sun only...

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Anyone use pressure treated lumber for raised beds - my one son replaced a large wooden patio deck that was built from pressure treated lumber - I took the lumber and stacked it in my yard - thought of using it for raised beds in the garden but found out it has arsenic in it - now I am wondering if I should forget about using it in the garden - it is a shame because there is a lot of lumber -

Put a liner in it.

My grow light set. They were outside during the day for a week. But have been inside since last thursdayAttachment 41678Attachment 41678

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Originally Posted by JoePa

Anyone use pressure treated lumber for raised beds - my one son replaced a large wooden patio deck that was built from pressure treated lumber - I took the lumber and stacked it in my yard - thought of using it for raised beds in the garden but found out it has arsenic in it - now I am wondering if I should forget about using it in the garden - it is a shame because there is a lot of lumber -

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Not really an issue Joe unless your cutting it , then wear a mask...or you G'kids like to chew on it. :)

They stopped using the green stuff here year backs...the new brown Sienna stuff is safe.

Attachment 41680Just a quick update since obtaining a couple of grow lights as per the advice given here when asked for it back a month or so ago. The plants, particularly the tomato plants are a lot hardier. The stems are thicker and no where near as spindly as they were in the past. I've replanted most of the beefsteak tomatoes into larger pots burying them deeper hoping they'll get a better root system. A couple of them need redoing to get them even deeper in larger pots. With another two to three weeks before outdoor planting to go I may cut down on the amount of time I have the grow lights turned on.

I even went to the extent of constructing raised beds and am just waiting for the weather before ordering the triple mix to fill them. Thanks for all the help, much appreciated..

We used to do the seed starter thing; special lights, water trays, pots, soil, vermiculite, seed pkg, ect ect ..

Then a local garden centre started to sell 6 pkgs of started veggies for about $3..hardly worth the effort to grow them at that cost. They are the same thing as a home grown one..without the fuss.

True Mike but it not only passes the time but it's something you did yourself and not someone else. From preparing the soil mixture to sowing the seed and watching it progress after it germinates... No different than starting and training a dog and watching it progress from being a pup to a finished hound or finished retriever... I guess it's up to the individual and whatever turns their crank. I can see with you living on a farm there's more to do to keep you busy... It's just something I enjoy doing....

Like Mike I use to do the seed starter thing but I did it a few times to just say I did it. Cost me much less time to go buy some plants .

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Originally Posted by Bo D

True Mike but it not only passes the time but it's something you did yourself and not someone else.

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You're absolutely right...and I did it for years when we first started the farm. Starting tables full of seedlings of every shape and size. But the effort of doing it indoors was basically a pain in the butt, all for a few 'feel good' rewards. Sort of like making your own soap or candles. Sure..but after awhile the 'back to your roots' feeling goes away and far easier (cheaper?) to support the nursery.

We continued our gardens with the $3 'six pgk' plants for years. Grew all our own veggies, hours a week spent working and weeding the garden. Watering it with our precious well water through the summer droughts and spending hours in the hot kitchen boiling stuff on the stove to bottle up everything.

It WAS great fun, but as the back got older and I got lazier, I found people willing to sell me their surplus. People trying to make a go of a Hobby farm will sell their priced harvest at a cost comparable to doing it yourself and it saves you the costly trip to the Pharmacy to stock up on A535 and Tylenol. :)

Basically human evolution; as we grow older we grow wiser :)

Are small Mom and Pop green houses even open? I know the one down the road from Me Closed and was trying to sell the place.

Mike I may be a little older than you and in the long run you are right and maybe my mind isn't what it use to be...But I'm hoping the raised beds will have a little mercy on my back with less weeding. I've never been one to walk away from work and if I can get a bit of enjoyment out of it right now I'm gung ho on it and only time will tell.

Besides if you're ever up this way and I have some produce left over you'll be more than welcome to it...

What I did last year was plant a couple tomato plants in old tires I had laying around - they took off and had ripe tomatoes by July 4 - I put one tire down and planted the tomatoes plants then when they got bigger I put another tire on top of the first one - if you plant them early it is easy to cover if frost is expected - the black tires kept the plants nice and warm

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Originally Posted by greatwhite

Are small Mom and Pop green houses even open? I know the one down the road from Me Closed and was trying to sell the place.

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The two I frequent are opening the 1st weekend in May...one you can pre-order and curbside pick up....the other he's allowed to let 2 into the greenhouses at a time.

Yep the one I go to opens tomorrow

The farmers market stayed open during the last lockdown they sell food.

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Originally Posted by Bo D

I've never been one to walk away from work and if I can get a bit of enjoyment out of it right now I'm gung ho on it and only time will tell. .

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I retired about 10 yrs before my wife, the kids had left home, so we had a lot of surplus. So I stopped doing the veggie garden about 5 yrs before she retired. The year she did, she was keen to revitalise some of it, so I built a few raised beds for her and help her get started. The raised beds worked great, less weeds and easier for her. The first 2 yrs she stuck with all 4 gardens, then it dwindled to 2 and last year she didn't bother. We were were down to just tomatoes and peppers at that time.

An eager young lad moved in not to far from me and is farming his 'God's little acre'. So I am able to barter and buy up some of his harvest at the local Farmers market. So I still get to enjoy fresh farm fair with none of the sweat equity. :)

Thanks for the offer...I may just take a drive one day just for a sunned warm summer tomato, fresh off the vine. )

You'd be more than welcomed anytime...

Pete ...

Thought I’d bring this thread back and see how everyone’s gardens are doing. I’m still in the middle of the build for my permanent garden. It’s been a lot of work. For this year I transformed the back flower bed into a small veggie garden. Not much size (2x12) but I’ve loaded it with a bunch of veggies. My beef steak tomatoes are ripening nicely. I had a couple the other night. The cherry tomato is doing incredible. Yellow bell peppers are turning colour nicely, Shepard peppers won’t be too long either now. The Apache chilies are ripening and have a great flavour. We’ve been picking onions regularly and herbs. Peas burned out in the heat waves. And lastly the spring beets look to be about ready to pick. All in all not a bad haul out of a small space. Hopefully my food factory will be ready to plant for the spring of next year.

How’s everyone else doing?

I am just about living from my garden - eating corn, tomatoes, beets, cabbage, beans, broccoli, onions, squash, peppers and kohlrabi - I had so many blueberries that I couldn't harvest them all and some went to waste - my kids were here also picking them - never saw a year when I had so many blueberries - got around 50 quarts frozen - I am raising vegetable plants now for a fall crop - I always freeze a lot of peppers and broccoli too -

I know it's a lot of work to properly tend to a garden but I really enjoy it and it keeps me busy - I can't sit still - got to be doing something - been doing it most of my adult life - its the same with getting firewood - something else I enjoy doing

I rise a lot of cabbage type vegetables and the one thing that happens is they get a lot of cabbage worms - I built covers out of hardware cloth so the butterfly that lays the eggs on these plants can't get at them - when you buy these vegetables at a store or market you know that they had to spray to keep the worms off the plants - so you better wash these vetgets very good before eating - that's one thing when you grow your own you can grow without spraying

I've got a question for you guys, this is the first year I planted garlic. How can you tell when it's time to start harvesting them.

when the top turns brown and falls over. However check often as if you pick too soon the skin is to thin if you leave too long the cloves will split the skin

Thank you. What I'll do is take a photo of the plants tomorrow if I get a chance and post it here and we'll see what you have to say then..

I try to pick when the first 3 to 4 leaves from the bottom turn brown. I read somewhere garlic leaves brown from bottom to top, not sure where. But it’s worked for me so far.

Best time to plant Garlic is actually between Sept - Nov

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Originally Posted by greatwhite

Best time to plant Garlic is actually between Sept - Nov

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Yes but it’s dependent on weather. You want the bulb to set roots but not necessarily to break through. Timing is everything. They may not over winter well if planted to early and begin to set leaves, while they may not set roots to last the winter if they are planted to late.
Some people mulch over them to add some insulation for the cold winters.

I had good success with the planting I did at the end of October. I planted the cloves about 3" down and covered the bed with about 4-6" of straw. Every clove I planted broke through the straw about mid April. I left the straw on until mid May and couldn't believe the amount of moisture the straw held including the earth under the straw. Right now the plants have to be close to 3' high with each of them having what looks like a clove with about 6-8"of growth above the bulb that's curled over.

I picked some garlic today. Here’s what mine looked like.

Attachment 43704
Attachment 43705
Attachment 43706

Nice looking harvest!

How long can you store them

That's pretty cool the way you braided them together. Where do you hang them. I don't have cold cellar.

We store them in a cool closet in the basement. For now they are hung outside on the porch. They will cure for a week or two in a shady ventilated area. They should last a few months like this. We also preserve garlic in oil for long term use.

I have never been good at storing vegetables to last through out the winter. Generally I blanch and freeze vegetables. I know you can store fruits and vegetables but everything I have tried always goes bad. Carrots, Onions, Potatoes and apples.

When I was a kid we just kept the apples in unheated attached garage and the apples kept we ran out in Feb. Here in my garage kept at 5 C they spoil before Dec. Root crops same thing. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong.

How do store your root crops and what do you store?

Hey Birdbuff, those look great! I planted garlic for the first time ever last fall and they are coming up nicely. Looking forward to harvest when the time is right.

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Originally Posted by greatwhite

I have never been good at storing vegetables to last through out the winter. Generally I blanch and freeze vegetables. I know you can store fruits and vegetables but everything I have tried always goes bad. Carrots, Onions, Potatoes and apples.

When I was a kid we just kept the apples in unheated attached garage and the apples kept we ran out in Feb. Here in my garage kept at 5 C they spoil before Dec. Root crops same thing. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong.

How do store your root crops and what do you store?

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Almost everything gets preserved at my place. Jams, pickling, blanched and frozen, dried or turned into sauce and canned. For us it’s easier this way.

Way back when my dad was a kid he told us of how they kept carrots in the cellar. They would bury them in a bucket of sand and pull them out as needed.

I’ve kept bushels of apples (golden delicious and honey crisp) in the bushels in our cold room. They kept well from October to February. Pears held up well too (Anjou).

Potato’s and onions I don’t grow enough to store. We buy those as needed.

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

Almost everything gets preserved at my place. Jams, pickling, blanched and frozen, dried or turned into sauce and canned. For us it’s easier this way..

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That's pretty well what we do here also. Wife and I did a back road tour just yesterday checking out the choke cherries and apples at our secret picking spots. Shaping up for a good year so far? We plan to do a trip to Wawa this year for Blueberries. I'm thinking wine, jam and jelly for them if the picking is good.

Well it’s the beginning of Japanese beetle season here. I’ve easily gotten rid of over 100 in the last week. They’re loving my cherry, apricot and nectarine trees, but a new one for me is the fact they are eating up my apple trees too. So far not many on my raspberries or grapes.

Anyone else have this pest problem? What works to control them? I’ve just been collecting them in a bucket with soapy water.

How long did those trees take to produce? Are they dwarfs, semi dwarfs or full size?
Try and get some diazinon or sevin from a farmer to spray for them

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

Well it’s the beginning of Japanese beetle season here. I’ve easily gotten rid of over 100 in the last week. They’re loving my cherry, apricot and nectarine trees, but a new one for me is the fact they are eating up my apple trees too. So far not many on my raspberries or grapes.

Anyone else have this pest problem? What works to control them? I’ve just been collecting them in a bucket with soapy water.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by greatwhite

How long did those trees take to produce? Are they dwarfs, semi dwarfs or full size?
Try and get some diazinon or sevin from a farmer to spray for them

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They’re semi-dwarfs. I bought them from a local nursery. They were fairly tall and in 10gallon pots. I planted them last year, they are currently about 6-8ft tall. Pears and apples currently have a modest amount of fruit, though I’ll probably have to take some fruit off to protect the branches. Apricots and nectarine haven’t produced yet. Out of 3 cherry trees, we only got a pint worth of fruit.

Your in New market. Where did you buy them? If you don't mind my asking what did you pay for them. When do you expect them to produce? I had heard dwarfs produce quicker but their difficult to find. Semi dwarfs I think 5 years I'm very interested in the apricots and cherries?

I would like to also find high bush cranberries, yum cranberry wine.

I shouldn't have put planting off for 15 years. Running out of time now.

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

They’re semi-dwarfs. I bought them from a local nursery. They were fairly tall and in 10gallon pots. I planted them last year, they are currently about 6-8ft tall. Pears and apples currently have a modest amount of fruit, though I’ll probably have to take some fruit off to protect the branches. Apricots and nectarine haven’t produced yet. Out of 3 cherry trees, we only got a pint worth of fruit.

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I got them at the Bradford Greenhouse Gallery. They cost $60-80 a tree. I’m no longer in Newmarket. We moved last year. But at that house we had an apple, pear and cherry. It took 4 years to harvest a good amount of fruit. The apple and pear both produced one bushel each and the cherry produced a generous few baskets.

It’s never too late to try fruit trees. Just be mindful of the varieties and your growing zone. To be honest, the apricot is more of an experiment. They are quite finicky in the spring and very susceptible to frosts.

LOL, I procrastinate took me 15 years to get around to putting in the blueberry and Haskap plants.
They seem to be doing OK I really should have put in 5 of each instead of 3. I will buy 2 more of each next Spring.
I have room for 2 fruit trees. Already have a Pear tree and 2 apples.

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

I got them at the Bradford Greenhouse Gallery. They cost $60-80 a tree. I’m no longer in Newmarket. We moved last year. But at that house we had an apple, pear and cherry. It took 4 years to harvest a good amount of fruit. The apple and pear both produced one bushel each and the cherry produced a generous few baskets.

It’s never too late to try fruit trees. Just be mindful of the varieties and your growing zone. To be honest, the apricot is more of an experiment. They are quite finicky in the spring and very susceptible to frosts.

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Another garden update.

This last month has been crazy. The tomatoes are endless. We have been preserving them, eating them and giving away lots. Incredible yields, I’ve picked about 3 bushels and am confident to get another 3 before frost. The eggplant are a pleasant surprise, they did quite well. I’ve grown about a bushel or so and pickled a good amount for the fall and winter.

Peppers, both hot and sweet, are coming along nicely. I personally like shepherd peppers they’re great producers. This summers heat really helped them along. Unfortunately my cucumbers were not so happy. We grew English and pickling cucumbers. We got a few, but for the most part they were not gaining any traction.

Zucchini and squashes are doing well. We’ve grilled a bunch of zucchini’s and my wife has been experimenting with loafs and muffins (mixed results). The acorn, and butternuts are soon ready to pick.

Beans have been plentiful, but they always are. Anyone can grow lots of beans.

Our onions didn’t bulb up as big as I had hoped. We did get some big ones, but many medium and small ones.

I’m excited for the first few frosts when I start to pick carrots and parsnip. They’re looking great.

Herbs have done incredibly well and we have been able to pick and dry enough for the colder months.

My fall plantings of peas, beets, lettuces, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and turnips are looking really healthy. I’m hoping to harvest again mid October or later, if the weather cooperates.

Attachment 43875
Attachment 43876
Attachment 43877

Great produce........and beautiful garden to boot BB.Very professional looking too.

Must be a real investment building this up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

Another garden update.

This last month has been crazy. The tomatoes are endless. We have been preserving them, eating them and giving away lots. Incredible yields, I’ve picked about 3 bushels and am confident to get another 3 before frost. The eggplant are a pleasant surprise, they did quite well. I’ve grown about a bushel or so and pickled a good amount for the fall and winter.

Peppers, both hot and sweet, are coming along nicely. I personally like shepherd peppers they’re great producers. This summers heat really helped them along. Unfortunately my cucumbers were not so happy. We grew English and pickling cucumbers. We got a few, but for the most part they were not gaining any traction.

Zucchini and squashes are doing well. We’ve grilled a bunch of zucchini’s and my wife has been experimenting with loafs and muffins (mixed results). The acorn, and butternuts are soon ready to pick.

Beans have been plentiful, but they always are. Anyone can grow lots of beans.

Our onions didn’t bulb up as big as I had hoped. We did get some big ones, but many medium and small ones.

I’m excited for the first few frosts when I start to pick carrots and parsnip. They’re looking great.

Herbs have done incredibly well and we have been able to pick and dry enough for the colder months.

My fall plantings of peas, beets, lettuces, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and turnips are looking really healthy. I’m hoping to harvest again mid October or later, if the weather cooperates.

Attachment 43875
Attachment 43876
Attachment 43877

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Very nice results and those boxes are the way to go. I do not water at all in my food plot garden so the beans never even got started. I planted a few tomato plants and did produce some but I did water them, I only had six. The garlic did real good with nice big bulbs and I got the usual 350lbs of potatoes, I just seeded the whole area for the food plot with radish, parnips. Did not put in any turnips as I had a hard time finding table turnip seeds in the store. Hoping apples and corn will do the trick.

So Now that I have planted 5 Blue berry plants, 3 Haskap spent the time planting them fertilizing them etc. I am worried about mice come winter especially if we get a lot of snow. Any DIY ideas or just Moth balls (Napthalene Balls) to keep them away. The price of Moth balls is huge, think the last time I bought them 20 years ago they were like a buck or two for like a litre of them now their 15 bucks if you can find them. Not really sure how to apply them either I guess some before the snow and some after every major snow fall.??

I’ve never had considerable mouse damage on my trees and shrubs. Is it worth wrapping the trunks in burlap?
I came across these in CT but I’ve never used them.

Attachment 43959

I'm going to stop and get some. I have also been trying to come up with something simple to put a net over my plants for when they start to produce. I want it high enough so I don't have to crunch over to much. I have some netting from Old trampolines. Just need to rig up some sort stand or trellis like things to keep it up.