OA 2015 garden thread

[ness]

And, that lettuce looks great! You've got that stuff growing in the sweet spot of cool temps but with protection from the early start.

[ness]

JD. I've been wondering about your bees. Glad to hear they're doing well. I think that's pretty dang cool. I watched a gardening show on PBS the other day and they were talking about backyard bee hives. Maybe some day....

I grow bush and pole beans. They've each got their positives and negatives. Bush throw off a nice crop all at once, and they're done pretty quick before disease can set in. I can do a fall crop with them. Pole beans give them for a couple months, and they're easier to pick. Bush beans take up a lot of space in my leetle garden, and pole beans seem to always get sick about the time the harvest is maxing out. So, I plant both.

If I had to plant one, it would be Dragon Tongue. It's a bush wax bean that has excellent flavor. Green pods with purple flecks. Maybe my favorite thing out of the garden.

[fishinwrench]

Looks like a lot of freakin' work to ME. I just asked Sugarbritches how much we spend on lettuce in a year....she estimates about 40-50 bucks.

I see a 300.00 operation there, BH. And that ain't counting labor or wear/tear.

You're upside down !

[ness]

$300? Silly, silly boy.

Do I need to go over the fishing math again?

[fishinwrench]

I'll spare you the bother and take your word for it since math and carpentry are my two weakest areas.

[BilletHead]

Ha Wrench! Stick to outboards and you will be ok. Go ahead and send Sugarbritches down and let her pick so fresh stuff. One thing though she and the kids can enjoy the harvest. You Mr. negative Nellie cannot partake. Oh by the way I may get a package sent your way this week and it isn't edible ,

BilletHead

[jdmidwest]

http://www.buckmanager.com/2015/01/12/white-tailed-deer-parasite-spread-by-feral-cats/ Another reason to keep feral cats out of your food plots. Nasty feral cats.

[ness]

Well, the last of the little stuff is done. Herbs and a few Alpine strawberry plants I'd started are in the pots. Everything else has been in for a few weeks. We've had a lot of nights in the 40s, so things are not popping like they would if it was warmer. A little bit of rain here and there has helped though. So, here's my little garden at it's prettiest, with the dogwood blooming, green grass and the rose bush starting to blossom:

I've been getting a nice harvest of lettuce and radishes. Succession plantings of those are well on their way and should follow the first planting nicely. Spinach was a bust -- can't seem to get that one right for some reason. Some critter has eaten off the leaves of my banana peppers -- they look like they'll come back, but they're gonna be set back quite a bit. A few of my maters struggled out of the gate because we had some cold nights and my tomato juice bottle cloches were a little too tight so the leaves got singed. They'll be fine, just behind. Oh well, it's always something. One variety of peas is thriving, and the other is stunted. Lots of onions, shallots and leeks this year. Garlic too. Beans -- bush and pole -- are on their way. Swiss Chard and beets are coming along.

[Seth]

I got my raised beds worked up yesterday and will get some compost worked in the next few days unless it pours. Im hoping the rain holds off long enough for me to till up the regular garden area too.

Dad had some extra tomatoes so he gave me a few along with some burpless cukes and zucchini seeds. The tomatoes are called big rainbows. Has anybody tried them before? We always do mortgage lifter, brandywine and german queens.

[ness]

I got my raised beds worked up yesterday and will get some compost worked in the next few days unless it pours. Im hoping the rain holds off long enough for me to till up the regular garden area too.

Dad had some extra tomatoes so he gave me a few along with some burpless cukes and zucchini seeds. The tomatoes are called big rainbows. Has anybody tried them before? We always do mortgage lifter, brandywine and german queens.

Big Rainbows doesn't ring a bell. I grow Brandywines every year and know of Mortgage Lifter. German Queen is a new one to me. Brandywine are a pretty finicky heirloom in my experience, but have good size and great taste when things come together right.