The 2023 Gardening Thread

[MoochNNoodles]

I enjoyed growing potatoes the one time I tried. You’re making me want to try again. I had trouble with bug damage on a lot so it was pretty disappointing.

I like the idea of building up something you can take apart to harvest. My aunt used a bucket in a bucket. I just don’t know how to do it without spending a fortune on soil.

 

[posiepurrs]

I believe the early types are determinate- I could be wrong though. There are early, mid season and late varieties. Farmers don’t differentiate between determinate and indeterminate. I only mentioned it to save work and resources. Why hill them if you don’t have to?
A side note, my gardening experiments most recent photo is attached. I didn’t get the whole thing, but I think the tomatoes look good.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My Amaryllis is getting ready to bloom. I never thought id like them but it’s been nice having something growing in the winter. Its HUGE too. I was expecting it to be maybe half the height it is.

 

[CatladyJan]

I started cold stratification of the various butterfly weed seeds I have: Common and Summer Zest courtesy of N NY cat man

 

[posiepurrs]

I finally ordered my onion seeds and my seed potatoes.

 

[Boris Diamond]

I ordered grafted tomato plants in December. Two Cherokee Purples, a Brandywine and a new one, Carbon. I'll be ordering seeds soon. With the odd pepper plants I grow, I mainly find my seeds through small businesses on Amazon. I will try several suppliers for each kind of pepper so I have a better chance of germination and also having peppers that are true to type. I ordered Pequin pepper seeds last year but what came up, I think, were Thai peppers. Pretty plant and the peppers were hot, but not what I wanted.

 

[Winchester]

We ordered onions (Big Daddy Hybrid and Walla Walla Sweet), Kennebec potatoes, a tape of Detroit Dark Red beets, and a packet of Easy Peasy peas. The packet of peas has 200, so if we work it right, hopefully, we'll get a good early summer crop of peas and then a late fall crop.

We had Big Daddy onions last year and they were simply amazing. I'm down to 3 bags of chopped onions from the freezer; that's it. We are trying the Walla Walla onions this year as well.
The Kennebec potatoes come in 10 tubers, but they say growers can get between 50 to 80 pounds of potatoes from those tubers. Each tuber has 4 - 5 eyes.
We planted the Detroit Dark red beets last year and they're really good. I have a few bags left in the freezer. The beet seeds come in a tape for easier planting and spacing. I love red beets.

In addition, we have two packs of pole green beans. We will also be planting sweet banana peppers, a few tomato plants, some corn, some lima beans, and a few broccoli plants, simply for fresh broccoli as we don't care for it frozen. We are kicking around the idea of some cabbage plants. A few sweet potato plants and a few butternuts. And then whatever else trips our trigger.

 

[NY cat man]

I'm thinking of trying something I saw on YouTube, about growing potatoes in 5-gallon buckets. The specific variety planted was Yukon Gold, but I imagine it would work with others as well. Lord knows, we have enough empty litter buckets on hand to work with. I also have been buying a few seeds; Detroit Dark Red beets and Nantes carrots, so far.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I'm thinking of trying something I saw on YouTube, about growing potatoes in 5-gallon buckets. The specific variety planted was Yukon Gold, but I imagine it would work with others as well. Lord knows, we have enough empty litter buckets on hand to work with. I also have been buying a few seeds; Detroit Dark Red beets and Nantes carrots, so far.

My aunt grows hers in pots and buckets. Our pots seem to attract a lot of ant nests so I’m hesitant to try it. Maybe the pots I put the tomatoes in would work though. They haven’t had that issue. I did grow them in the raised beds once and it was ok. I did seem to have a lot of bug damage and mostly small potatoes. Which were hard to clean. It was fun though.

I may have to pass on the big garden again this year. One bed is literally falling apart. If I’m going to save them; I still need to clear them and put down some weed block and newspaper again. I hate to give them up completely because it wasn’t a quick process putting them in either.

 

[vansX2]

I'm not sure whether I posted this in the other thread.. my oncidium went crazy this year.
View attachment 440393

Also a couple of Dendrobium with some Oncidium in another part of the garden.
View attachment 440394

Beautiful photos. I hope that Spring like weather will arrive soon.

 

[Winchester]

N NY cat man Those Detroit red beets are really good. They're nice and dark and they make excellent pickled beets and eggs. If you like that sort of thing. I throw them in my salads (not Rick's as he refuses to eat beets), make pickled beets and eggs, make Harvard beets, and just eat them plain. I really like them.

We grew potatoes a couple years ago in one of the raised beds. They did well, but I thought they were pretty smallish. However the sweet potatoes that we grew were huge! We're trying potatoes again this year, in a raised bed. Although Lord knows, we have enough litter tubs to use.

 

[NY cat man]

N NY cat man Those Detroit red beets are really good. They're nice and dark and they make excellent pickled beets and eggs. If you like that sort of thing. I throw them in my salads (not Rick's as he refuses to eat beets), make pickled beets and eggs, make Harvard beets, and just eat them plain. I really like them.

We grew potatoes a couple years ago in one of the raised beds. They did well, but I thought they were pretty smallish. However the sweet potatoes that we grew were huge! We're trying potatoes again this year, in a raised bed. Although Lord knows, we have enough litter tubs to use.

Actually, I like Harvard beets best, but to each their own. The video that I saw showed the buckets set on 4x4s, with deck boards spaced out between them to keep them off the ground and provide for drainage, and gravel beneath to keep weeds down and pests at bay.
Last year was a 'why not' experiment that turned out better than expected, so maybe it will work even better this year.

 

[Boris Diamond]

Got garlic and onion sets locally today! I thought I was going to have to wait until April or order online where they are ridiculously expensive. I will plant them as soon as the rain ends. I also was able to find a good supply of composted manure. I am going to rebuild a couple of my raised beds. The dirt in them has been there for over 20 years. I think I will have better production with new dirt made from composted manure and peat moss.

 

[Margot Lane]

Ogling the battery operated lawn mower by Ego. Wondering if it’s a mirage.

 

[susanm9006]

Ogling the battery operated lawn mower by Ego. Wondering if it’s a mirage.

My brother in law has one and loves it. I think it’s perfect for a smaller yard.

 

[NY cat man]

The snow is melting, at least for the time being, and the spring flowers are starting to emerge.

I planted a Dutch Iris mix, plus some Queen of Night tulip bulbs last fall, and aside from one that the squirrels dug up- wire mesh halted any further depredations- they seem to be coming along fine.

 

[posiepurrs]

I have mini daffodils, snowdrops, hellebores and crocus blooming. The pussy willows are in bloom too. I had grape vines, strawberries, and blueberries to plant as well as my seedlings for the garden. Can’t wait!

 

[doomsdave]

Keep them coming. Share your joys of spring!

 

[CatladyJan]

My Asclepius seedlings so far. I have to get more started as well as some coneflower’s or I might break down and get the red ones I feally like

 

[Winchester]

We planted peas on Tuesday. Our onions came yesterday, so we'll plant them after the weekend, maybe on Sunday. It's supposed to be rainy now through Saturday.