The 2021 Gardening Thread

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WillowMarie

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Also, the larkspur are in full bloom
So pretty and unique flowers!

Planted my vegetable seeds and in a few weeks will plant some more lettuce in another container. I also managed to snag the lowe's goodies, which came in a 3 gal. (?) pail and will use that for another plant. I also need to set up herb pots and which ones to start with. I have some older pots not in use that should be a good size. My cilantro ceramic pot that was left out over winter shattered in many places. Oops! But guess you live and learn. No more ceramic pots left out over winter!
 

NY cat man

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So pretty and unique flowers!

Planted my vegetable seeds and in a few weeks will plant some more lettuce in another container. I also managed to snag the lowe's goodies, which came in a 3 gal. (?) pail and will use that for another plant. I also need to set up herb pots and which ones to start with. I have some older pots not in use that should be a good size. My cilantro ceramic pot that was left out over winter shattered in many places. Oops! But guess you live and learn. No more ceramic pots left out over winter!
We had several unglazed pots for the hens and chicks, and they cracked as well. Last winter, I put up a shelf in the garage window- it faces west- and the last surviving pot made it through safely, even though the garage is unheated.
 

catapault

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Me again, N NY cat man It is a wet pot that gets cold, water expands, pot cracks. Dry and cold - like inside your garage - and the pot won't crack.
 

rubysmama

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I've suddenly got the itch to grow some veggies this summer, so I've been looking at raised garden bed frames. The ones I see are approximately 4' x 4'. Anyone know approximately how much could I grow in that size space? I'm thinking tomatoes for sure. Maybe some green beans and carrots. Possibly corn.
 

MoochNNoodles

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I have 3 4x8 beds and each bed used to be divided in half (when the wood rotted away we just left it and added wood outside the bed for more support). You don't want to crowd it TOO much. I grow my tomatoes in pails but have done them in the beds too. Corn needs more space unless you try the dwarf kind. That might work! I saw some advertised for container growing. I only started growing corn for the first time last year; but I learned it needs to be planted in blocks in order for the wind to polinate it.

Bush beans would work easily as woud carrots. I do/have done all of those. Last year I had a lot of success with both bush and pole beans in the raised beds.

I generally try to keep each bed to 1-2 types of plants. Some things don't do well together so I check on the Old Farmer's Almanac website for that. You might have to read the seed packets to see how much space stuff needs and how big it gets. But I do squeeze things a bit more in the raised beds. Just not TOO much.
 

rubysmama

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I have a feeling 4x4 is a lot smaller than I think.

This will be my 2nd time growing veggies. My first time was 6 years ago, and I jammed green pepper, yellow and green beans, corn, cucumber, carrot and tomatoes into a long border garden. That garden is now a perennial garden, so don't want to disturb it.

That year, the green peppers were mostly a failure. But everything else did ok.

Here's a pic of the garden that year.

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I think the corn was my favourite, just because everything I read said it was hard to grow. I did plant it much closer than the directions said, and eventually pulled out a few that didn't grow well.

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And I was so excited when they got their tassels. At that point, I hand pollinated them, to help get them the pollen evenly distributed.

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I didn't get good corn cobs from every plants, but some did well.

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So I hope to grow some corn again.

Just Googled, and corn and tomatoes aren't companion plants. So maybe I'll grow corn and beans in planter and the tomatoes in pots. :headscratch:
 

NY cat man

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I have a feeling 4x4 is a lot smaller than I think.

This will be my 2nd time growing veggies. My first time was 6 years ago, and I jammed green pepper, yellow and green beans, corn, cucumber, carrot and tomatoes into a long border garden. That garden is now a perennial garden, so don't want to disturb it.

That year, the green peppers were mostly a failure. But everything else did ok.

Here's a pic of the garden that year.

View attachment 376067

I think the corn was my favourite, just because everything I read said it was hard to grow. I did plant it much closer than the directions said, and eventually pulled out a few that didn't grow well.

View attachment 376068

And I was so excited when they got their tassels. At that point, I hand pollinated them, to help get them the pollen evenly distributed.

View attachment 376088

I didn't get good corn cobs from every plants, but some did well.

View attachment 376078 View attachment 376081

So I hope to grow some corn again.

Just Googled, and corn and tomatoes aren't companion plants. So maybe I'll grow corn and beans in planter and the tomatoes in pots. :headscratch:
Back in the day, the Senecas planted the "Three Sisters"; corn, beans, and squash together in hills, as each complemented the others.
 

MoochNNoodles

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My tomatoes actually grow best in pots. I get a new bag of potting soil every year and wire the tomato cages to the fence. I've had tomato plants over 7' tall!

Last year my Aunt did a single row of corn she got as sprouts and they did ok. I think part of the reason for not crowding is so they don't compete for nutrients. But air flow and sunlight are important too. I can find some pictures of my garden later. I'm supposed to be outside helping DH with the yard. :lol:
 

rubysmama

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Back in the day, the Senecas planted the "Three Sisters"; corn, beans, and squash together in hills, as each complemented the others.
And as a vegetarian, I should maybe follow their lead. :)

My tomatoes actually grow best in pots. I get a new bag of potting soil every year and wire the tomato cages to the fence. I've had tomato plants over 7' tall!
Seven feet !!!! :wow:

Last year my Aunt did a single row of corn she got as sprouts and they did ok. I think part of the reason for not crowding is so they don't compete for nutrients. But air flow and sunlight are important too. I can find some pictures of my garden later. I'm supposed to be outside helping DH with the yard. :lol:
LOL. Better get out there, then. :lol:
 

WillowMarie

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Lettuce seeds already sprouting! Think I planted five, and two have sprouted so far. And here's the pic of the catnip that is regrowing from last year.

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posiepurrs

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I have my broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and celery in. Today I am hoping to beat the rain and get the onions, cabbage and potatoes in. I am late getting these in - between vaccine appointments, Bills transplant evaluation and normal everyday life, I just haven't been able to get out in the garden. Again this year I am going to have way to many seedlings of peppers and tomatoes. I always plant more than I would need, just in case. I hope my neighbors need some transplants for their gardens!
 

NY cat man

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The tomatoes that I started from seeds have sprouted, and should be ready to go in the ground by the time the danger of frost has passed. Also, more flowers are either blooming, or near full bloom
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English daisies
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I believe this is a lavender mountain lily
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and the first tulip to show anything.
 

NY cat man

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N NY cat man Exciting! When did you start your tomato seeds? Still waiting on mine. They were planted about a week and a half ago.
Mine were started at about the same time as yours. So far, the sprouts are only about 3/4" high, so there is a long way to go. Around here, it's not safe to plant them much before the end of May.
 

catapault

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The nose knows. I go for hyacinth. Hyacinths are good repeat bloomers but tend to offer a, hmm let's say more delicate flower stalk in subsequent years after their first flower-packed production. Take a sniff of your lavender mountain lily, N NY cat man and then let everyone know what you decide.
 

WillowMarie

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Mine were started at about the same time as yours. So far, the sprouts are only about 3/4" high, so there is a long way to go. Around here, it's not safe to plant them much before the end of May.
Off to a good start! Hope mine come up soon, too. The nice thing about pots is I can bring them in overnight. I don't think people here plant outside yet due to frost potential, too, if that's what you meant by being not safe. We may have a week or so with mid 30's overnight this week so probably bringing in my outdoor pots overnight just in case.
 

NY cat man

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Off to a good start! Hope mine come up soon, too. The nice thing about pots is I can bring them in overnight. I don't think people here plant outside yet due to frost potential, too, if that's what you meant by being not safe. We may have a week or so with mid 30's overnight this week so probably bringing in my outdoor pots overnight just in case.
I started mine in one of those mini greenhouses that hold 16 pots. Around here, we can get frosts up to Memorial Day, and as the plants will be put in the ground, that's how long I have to wait, unless I tent them.
 

NY cat man

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It has rained 3 days out of the last 4, and the plants show it.
This clematis, our oldest planting, has grown a foot in the last week.
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The amsonia, too has grown like a weed.
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I planted this daylily a week ago, with nothing visible.
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I planted this sea holly at the same time.
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The Aquilegia are really taking off, too
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And so are the delphinium.
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susanm9006

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I know posiepurrs posiepurrs , we had snow here the other night and so annoying to wake up to white ground again. But it thankfully doesn’t last.

In addition to the snow we have had more than a week of daily rain so I am thrilled to see sun today. Only 55 as a high but still warm enough that I can get out and clear my flower gardens.
 
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