Summer Garden Time

[Boone]

Anyone else doing a summer garden? I grow most of my stuff from seed so I just have transplants coming up under fluorescent lights now. I have a pretty large garden, about 1000 square feet, plus 4 large raised beds. I don't grow everything - I generally don't screw around with root crops or greens (except chard which can take the heat all summer long here in Carolina and which I love). My grow list includes:

tons of tomatoes (I mean, 50 or more plants - and I mostly grow heirlooms and a few really reliable modern types)
tons of eggplant (ichiban, white, pink, purple, orange, I love it all)
tons of hot and superhot peppers (I had so much fun making flavored salts/powders last year and there was enough of my friends/family that wanted it that I am tripling my plants this year)
pickling cucumbers (I grow them on a nylon trellis and use them almost exclusively for dill and bread and butter pickles)
pole beans (I grow these on a large chain link fence that borders the long side of my garden - I've grown a lot of different types but by far my favorite is purple pod as they are easy to spot/pick and never get stringy or tough, even if you pick them late)
Okra
Squash (summer and winter)
Swiss chard (I like the colorful 'bright lights' variety a lot)
Sweet potatoes (I like Georgia Jet variety and I grow them in large plastic trashcans with numerous holes cut into the sides)

I need to get my stuff in the ground before the bees arrive this year. Anxious to see how having hives right adjacent to the garden effects my plant production.

Anybody else going to be putting in a garden this year?

 

[tshile]

Oh I'm so jealous. One day I hope to have the space to do that sort of thing.

Home grown hot peppers are the best. Makes you realize the crap quality you're getting from the store.

 

[Nobody]

Of course I'm doing one. This year I decided to do raised box gardens. Considering how horrible the "soil" is here, it should be a significant improvement.

Starting off with romas, eggplants, onions, garlic, zucchini, and cucumbers. Adding on as I always do, and following it up in the fall with some beans and collards. I definitely prefer doing the collards in the fall, because those damn cabbage moths are gone and can't lay the eggs for those worms that wipe out an entire plant in a day. Speaking of, anyone know a good way to rid your collards of those in the Summer? Since collards have a waterproof coating naturally, nothing you can spray on them will accomplish anything. I've literally had no luck at all keeping those damn things away.

 

[Snydershrugged]

Yep, we do one every year too. Have some peat pots started in a small greenhouse now.

Trying kale this year

Green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, beat steak tomatoes, spaghetti squash, and 3 types of heirloom sweet peppers from seeds we pulled from last years crop.

 

[Boone]

Of course I'm doing one. This year I decided to do raised box gardens. Considering how horrible the "soil" is here, it should be a significant improvement.

Starting off with romas, eggplants, onions, garlic, zucchini, and cucumbers. Adding on as I always do, and following it up in the fall with some beans and collards. I definitely prefer doing the collards in the fall, because those damn cabbage moths are gone and can't lay the eggs for those worms that wipe out an entire plant in a day. Speaking of, anyone know a good way to rid your collards of those in the Summer? Since collards have a waterproof coating naturally, nothing you can spray on them will accomplish anything. I've literally had no luck at all keeping those damn things away.

On the collards, diatomaceous earth is like magic. You can buy it online or find it in garden stores: Safer

It consists of prehistoric fossilized microorganisms that have very sharp edges. It will basically tear apart and kill most insect bodies but washes right off your produce. It's really a great biological control. Try it. You just sprinkle it on and around your plants. I only grow cabbage, collards, and other greens (other than previously mentioned chard) in the Fall - they taste a lot better then too. Southerners will tell you never to harvest collards until the first frost as they taste better after that, and I think that's one of those southern beliefs that may actually be true.

I intended to try my hand at growing my own hops this year - may be too late to try that but looking into it.

 

[Ax]

Got a 8'x4' raised box bed. Handles all the mater's and peppers we want.
Cherry mater's for the ole Battle Ax's salad. (Luvya Baby!)
Goliath's for me sammiches.
Habanero's & Japaleno's for life.

Kale in the fall.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

We have a small garden...and will be growing tomatoes, cucumbers, beans & peppers, (sweet & hot). If you ask real nicely, I'll bring some of my infamous hot sauce
. I grow lot's of herbs, mainly in large containers....rosemary, basil, sage, thyme, horseradish, mint, lemon balm, oregano

 

[Nobody]

On the collards, diatomaceous earth is like magic. You can buy it online or find it in garden stores: Safer

It consists of prehistoric fossilized microorganisms that have very sharp edges. It will basically tear apart and kill most insect bodies but washes right off your produce. It's really a great biological control. Try it. You just sprinkle it on and around your plants. I only grow cabbage, collards, and other greens (other than previously mentioned chard) in the Fall - they taste a lot better then too. Southerners will tell you never to harvest collards until the first frost as they taste better after that, and I think that's one of those southern beliefs that may actually be true.

I intended to try my hand at growing my own hops this year - may be too late to try that but looking into it.

I remember you hyping this stuff last year, so I got some to use around my other plants, but the problem I have with collards comes from those white moths, not from the ground, so I don't think it would help me with that, because nothing sticks to those damn leaves it seems, except the eggs for the worms that those stupid moths lay. It drives me nuts. I don't know if putting up netting would work, or even be worth the epic pain in the ass to do.

 

[Boone]

Well - you could always go old school. Sevin dust Pretty sure that would take care of them.

 

[Nobody]

Well - you could always go old school. Sevin dust Pretty sure that would take care of them.

I actually considered it, but that stuff is so nasty. With kids and dogs, I really don't want to go that route. Maybe surround the garden with those bug zappers lol.

 

[Snydershrugged]

we used these last year and it really worked well for us.

Beneficial Bugs Garden Pack Pest Control | Buy from Gardener's Supply

 

[Goaldeje]

My Dad came up on Friday and we built a raised garden for the back yard by the alley. It looks great. While we are in Phoenix in a couple of weeks, he's going to come back and finish up another two we started. My wife wants to plant cucumbers (her favorites), tomatoes, squash and some melons.

 

[Boone]

SS - that's a great suggestion. I've used Garden Supply beneficial insects before and echo your results...

 

[SC_RedskinsFan]

Next year I will, since we moved in a month ago it is not on the top of the list. Plus I have only lived in Ohio for a year and a half so I need to study what I can grow and the planting times. We will grow some potted herbs again this year tho.

 

[Nobody]

My wife wants to plant cucumbers (her favorites)

I love when a joke writes itself

 

[Goaldeje]

I woulda put money on El biting on that one.

 

[riggins44]

I am hoping to have a garden this year. May get late start due to weather. Plus, we are adding a in-law suite to house which means backyard is will be a mess most of spring.

Will definitely do usual herbs and hot peppers.

 

[Boone]

Herb/Bee Garden I put in this weekend. I have a ton of tomato, eggplant, super hot peppers, okra plants that are really ready to go in the ground here in NC, but it's still borderline on the nighttime temps (low 40's at times). I hesitate to plant, think I will wait 1 more week and then pull the trigger. When you grow most of your stuff from seed, you hate to spend 2 months on it, then put them out a week or two too early and lose them. But it is hard to be patient. I've got spring fever like it's a damn terminal illness

Am I alone out here?

 

[Nobody]

My plants have barely been in the ground a week, and they are turning gold. I don't mean yellow, I mean it looks like someone spraypainted them gold. Anyone have a clue what could cause this? I've never seen anything like it before.

Whatever it is, it's not healthy, it's killed the cucumbers already. I'm going to replace all the plants, I just wanted to know if anyone knew what this could be.

 

[Boone]

I imagine it's just the cold weather... I am going to have to plant my garden on Friday - my tomato, okra, and other plants are getting to that 'too tall to bear their own weight' stage. I almost timed everything perfectly this year, but we had that very cool weather last week. Hoping it's night time temps of 50's by the end of the week on. I have to get them in the ground either way or I'll just end up killing them inside instead of outside