# Sticky  2014 garden pics



## fordson major

anyone have any pics of their gardens yet? mine is under 3 feet of snow and ice with more being added today!:runforhills: show us your dirt!!


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## jd4020

Things were melting yesterday. 
Today we have 6 more inches of snow. At least it is not below zero. 
I do have parsley & broccoli seedlings going and started chives, leeks, onions and lemon grass today.
Springs a coming, I'm ready! 
God bless,
jd


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## Jersey/guernsey

My garden is still down for the count, But the green house is up and running:happy2: Thats mustard greens, collards and my hobby, cacti


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## a'ightthen

Already? Lol

Been getting my tail kicked with OT ... and the dental work ( and med issues from such), Sheesh!
I'm getting back to being myself though ... at least as I'm told 

I hope to get a bit of time off and start to bring the greenhouses back to life over the next week or 2 ... but yeah, there are other things to tend to as well 










Have been doing a few things but all I have for now is a garlic pic from Thursday .. no "dirt", but no mud either


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## Tarheel

Sorry to tell ya my friend........the mud........will come.

I got a couple hundred tomatoes ready to go in the high tunnel in a coupe of weeks..........




If and when the snow melts, the rains quit it will be weeks before I could ridge some land. Looks like we all need to be growing under the big tops.


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## a'ightthen

Indeed, It has not left yet ...










But I have been playing with ways to drain the swamp 










One can't change the weather, but perhaps one can adapt  At least the battle continues ...


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## a'ightthen

Other projects include upgrading the raised beds ( used old form boards and they are deteriorating) ...










This one is planted in shallots and tater onions ... 1 down, 11 to go.


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## Jersey/guernsey

a'ightthen said:


> Other projects include upgrading the raised beds ( used old form boards and they are deteriorating) ...
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> This one is planted in shallots and tater onions ... 1 down, 11 to go.


You're beds are beautiful! I'd love some like that for my veggies near the house. My garden is a long walk for stuff like a couple of tomatoes or some parsley:grump:


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## Mattie420

Nice greenhouses!!


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## henryriverfarms

a'ightthen said:


> Already? Lol
> 
> Been getting my tail kicked with OT ... and the dental work ( and med issues from such), Sheesh!
> I'm getting back to being myself though ... at least as I'm told
> 
> I hope to get a bit of time off and start to bring the greenhouses back to life over the next week or 2 ... but yeah, there are other things to tend to as well
> 
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> Have been doing a few things but all I have for now is a garlic pic from Thursday .. no "dirt", but no mud either


Where do you buy your garlic and what types do you grow. This is my first year with garlic, planted last September. If it does good I plan to plant about 500 cloves this fall.


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## a'ightthen

henryriverfarms said:


> Where do you buy your garlic and what types do you grow. This is my first year with garlic, planted last September. If it does good I plan to plant about 500 cloves this fall.


 Well, that is quite a loaded question as all of the garlic planted here is pretty much an experiment to see what works here ( growing ain't the same as planting).

Currently, I have 114 different cultivars planted and 5 more to plant. These range from as few as 9 cloves to ... well, many. If the rows were stretched out end to end, It gets pretty dang close to 1 mile that one could walk and find a garlic every 6-8 inches.

Primary source of this # is via SSE members. Commercial sources that have been good are Filaree, MyDadsGarlic, RedGateGarlic ... and there were the bulbils from Martin that pretty much set me off growing "different" garlic.

I tend to trial a chunk and eventually settle on that which works for me ... might very well be that I only grow 10 cultivars next year ... might clear 300 - even I do not know that which I will do next year.


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## a'ightthen

Jersey/guernsey said:


> You're beds are beautiful! I'd love some like that for my veggies near the house. My garden is a long walk for stuff like a couple of tomatoes or some parsley:grump:


The raised bed section is protected by rabbit fencing ... tis the only way to grow certain things here. It takes a concerted effort ... but we do tend to eat well in the end


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## henryriverfarms

a'ightthen said:


> Well, that is quite a loaded question as all of the garlic planted here is pretty much an experiment to see what works here ( growing ain't the same as planting).
> 
> Currently, I have 114 different cultivars planted and 5 more to plant. These range from as few as 9 cloves to ... well, many. If the rows were stretched out end to end, It gets pretty dang close to 1 mile that one could walk and find a garlic every 6-8 inches.
> 
> Primary source of this # is via SSE members. Commercial sources that have been good are Filaree, MyDadsGarlic, RedGateGarlic ... and there were the bulbils from Martin that pretty much set me off growing "different" garlic.
> 
> I tend to trial a chunk and eventually settle on that which works for me ... might very well be that I only grow 10 cultivars next year ... might clear 300 - even I do not know that which I will do next year.


I started to order form SSE but by the time I decided they were out of several types I wanted to try. I will plant 3-6 different types this fall. 

What state are you located in?


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## Jersey/guernsey

a'ightthen said:


> The raised bed section is protected by rabbit fencing ... tis the only way to grow certain things here. It takes a concerted effort ... but we do tend to eat well in the end


 
Big time garden envy! Those are lovely :goodjob: Rabbits sure do like to trash ones garden


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## solsikkefarms

I'll post a picture of mine once i find it under the snow. lol


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## a'ightthen

henryriverfarms said:


> I started to order form SSE but by the time I decided they were out of several types I wanted to try. I will plant 3-6 different types this fall.
> 
> What state are you located in?


 A little south of ye in GA. A chunk of patch 1 as of this evening ... Spring draws nigh and hopefully I'll start seeds come morning


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## a'ightthen

The start of patch 2 ( 4 rows/bed, 8 rows planted so far - yesterday evening)



















View from the other end this evening ...










Things are progressing


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## Tarheel

I'm so tired of wearing rubber boots........18 months of rain & snow has taken a toll on these old bones. Hopefully brighter days ahead.

And I to a'ightthen plan to start seeds tomorrow for round 2........the field.

Spent the day pulling plastic over the new tunnel today......was thankful for family showing up to help. Life is good !


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## Homesteader

Let's see, DH is opening a palette worth of manure in the one pic, and he later tilled it in with the tractor:



Today I potted up 40 cucumber seedlings:



Whoop!


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## a'ightthen

Tarheel said:


> I'm so tired of wearing rubber boots........18 months of rain & snow has taken a toll on these old bones. Hopefully brighter days ahead.
> 
> And I to a'ightthen plan to start seeds tomorrow for round 2........the field.
> 
> Spent the day pulling plastic over the new tunnel today......was thankful for family showing up to help. Life is good !


 Completely understand about the rain/snow/mud! 

I did not start anything yesterday but I did venture into the first greenhouse for the first time since walking away in disgust last Spring.

I had intended to do a complete grow out of my Campbell/Heinz library last year but gave up.



















"Gave up" is a pretty strong statement from me as I have transplanted up into 1 gallon pots and set out 4' tall maters with with an auger. It was just that bad and I decided to not fight it.

Meant to tell ya that the plants look great and that I'm glad that the wife agreed to the use of the sunroom 

I'll soon dump the reflection/intimidation of last year and get on with it ... cause it must be so, but reflection is good for contemplation and history is a good thing to learn from.

Ye pulled plastic but showed no pics ... what is wrong with that? LOL

I will start the cleanup tomorrow ...


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## a'ightthen

Homesteader said:


> Let's see, DH is opening a palette worth of manure in the one pic, and he later tilled it in with the tractor:
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> Today I potted up 40 cucumber seedlings:
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> Whoop!



Game on eh? Looks GREAT! Ye have to name the cukes though ... what ya growing?


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## a'ightthen

Oh well, I'm over it 

8, 72 cell trays ready to go ...










Again, I really like Pro-Mix BX and have never had any issues with it. Can't suggest anything more than starting off right.










So 8, 72 cell trays ( which is the number that I have heat mats for) = 516 cells. I have no problem starting 6-8 maters, peppers, eggplants etc ... per cell so here it goes  Trick being which seeds to plant ... and where the heck did I put them?

'course, I failed miserably last year because of the rains ..



















But, the main thing that I have learned from all of these years is ...

If ye do not plant, ye will not harvest. Best of all seasons to one and all


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## Tarheel

Sometimes a little prodding makes a difference. Still a work in progress and I'm running out of time. Tomatoes are blooming as are the squash and cukes. Having to pinch the blooms to keep em down for a few more days. Got a load of sand topsoil and a load of my own compost to go inside. Got to install the ropes on the roll up sides and a few more small projects. Hopefully we can plant sometime next week if the paying job don't whop me first. Feel my pain ?

So for a'ightthen here's a couple of premature pictures





Considered a kit but more than I wanted to spin so most of it was homemade. Weather has made it an experience this year. My buddy TnAndy gave me some advise along the way, but I don't have his woodworking skills......hence the metal hoops.


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## Homesteader

Nice Tarheel --- nice!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, on the cukes, we have no idea what we're doing there, I have not had a lot of success with them, and didn't grow them at all for over 14 years now.

Ah, but hope springs eternal......

Bush Pickles, Homemade Pickles and Boston Pickling. Aim is to put up a bunch of pickles so I chose seed based on that mostly.


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## Homesteader

Ok, here's some more. We have two areas of lights, one is our ever-famous styrofoam box with 4 foot lights set atop. Just a box with no ceiling, glued together with Liquid Nails or that type stuff:



The peppers are in there:





Some tomatoes started in the light shelving unit, Early Girl, and oh my head is fuzzy now, can't remember what others, some pastes and a couple cherry's.



And then, one of my now favorite plants: the Micro Tom tomato. Last year if you recall I gave it my Plant of the Year Award. I started these in Jan and will be eating tomatoes soon. Can just grow them in cups! I'll pot up three to a 12 inch pot later when they can be outside.


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## Mattie420

View attachment 23751


Ready for the tiller!!


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## Homesteader

Well yesterday I guess forgot to post the actual picture of the Micro Toms! Those are just plastic drinking cups they are growing in.



This thread is not the same without Christie Acres. Miss you!!!!!!!!!


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## Jan in CO

Homesteader, where did you find the seed for the micro toms? Wow, they are doing great for being in such small pots!

I have such garden and greenhouse envy, all of you! Great pics and thanks! Maybe I'll get off my fanny and do something now!


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## Homesteader

Jan I got mine on Ebay.


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## a'ightthen

Tarheel said:


> Sometimes a little prodding makes a difference. Still a work in progress and I'm running out of time. Tomatoes are blooming as are the squash and cukes. Having to pinch the blooms to keep em down for a few more days. Got a load of sand topsoil and a load of my own compost to go inside. Got to install the ropes on the roll up sides and a few more small projects. Hopefully we can plant sometime next week if the paying job don't whop me first. Feel my pain ?
> 
> So for a'ightthen here's a couple of premature pictures
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> Considered a kit but more than I wanted to spin so most of it was homemade. Weather has made it an experience this year. My buddy TnAndy gave me some advise along the way, but I don't have his woodworking skills......hence the metal hoops.


  Jam up Sir!


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## a'ightthen

Homesteader said:


> Ok, here's some more. We have two areas of lights, one is our ever-famous styrofoam box with 4 foot lights set atop. Just a box with no ceiling, glued together with Liquid Nails or that type stuff:
> 
> 
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> The peppers are in there:
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> Some tomatoes started in the light shelving unit, Early Girl, and oh my head is fuzzy now, can't remember what others, some pastes and a couple cherry's.
> 
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> And then, one of my now favorite plants: the Micro Tom tomato. Last year if you recall I gave it my Plant of the Year Award. I started these in Jan and will be eating tomatoes soon. Can just grow them in cups! I'll pot up three to a 12 inch pot later when they can be outside.


 That looks like a most efficient set up


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## a'ightthen

Mattie420 said:


> View attachment 23751
> 
> 
> Ready for the tiller!!


 Oooh, that looks most fertile! Like the barn too!


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## a'ightthen

Chance of rain tonight, rain Monday. So my time has been spent working around that 

That which is planted got a little fertilizer applied.

I have been a slacker in starting seeds so far this year ... so a case of onions arrived yesterday. Sad to say while the starting onions from seed thread is below .... but hey, this is the backup plan  Everybody needs a backup plan!










Still have some garlic to plant and now these so ...










At least it looks like a plan. LOL Depending on the rain tonight, I'll try to hop over to another patch and plant taters ... at least pick up the seed afore they disappear ( if not too late already).

Since Christmas, I am trying to leave enough room between the rows for what may become the best tool here yet .... 










Present from the kids  Have to get the Brown Turkey fig planted too ( another present).


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## Tarheel

a'ightthen........love the cart but that's not an excuse to start riding one while you are in Walmart. :happy2:

I planted my candy onions from seed this year, sort of a test in progress but all 350 seem to be doing good.

Looks like we are on the same page as I tilled up some ground today hoping the rains (ice) will miss us. Got a few flats of cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, kale that need a home away from the sun room. 

Hope to bury some tomatoes next week in the tunnel if the bottom don't fall out of the temps.

A good weekend to ya and may your boots stay dry !


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## a'ightthen

"that's not an excuse to start riding one while you are in Walmart." 

You saw that? Honestly, I was simply helping out this nice elderly couple by returning it for them! 

Holy cow Batman! There were WAY more onion plants in that box than I ever wanted or imagined wanting! Comfy seat on wheels or not, that turned into something plum silly ... even for me 





































Still have 3 bundles left 

It's pretty, to me, ... but shah dang. Excalibur takes top spot on the "need to acquire" list.

Got some tater seed picked up but the above was my weekend.

Did you get those flats emptied?

I noticed the onions starts that you had ... looking good!


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## Mattie420

View attachment 24125
View attachment 24126


Garden is tilled and soil is looking good, made a spot for my compost. Next weekend I'm starting our first run of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower inside. Excited that the growing season is right around the corner!!!!


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## Homesteader

Great pics everyone! Onion stew, onion soup, dehydrated onions, onions in your pickles, okay everyone else pitch in to help so he can use all those onions up !

Oh mattie that is luscious, like a big 'ol chocolate cake! Seriously, what's IN that stuff, the stuff in the garden?

I think we started the cukes too early - they are on the floor in the house, and they don't look all that happy. Not anything drastic, but I think they are just too cold. 

Waiting for the sun to hit the other side of the house - it's partly cloudy today and I need to pot up the tomatoes and peppers, but it's a bit too chilly for them to sit outside while I do that. I think I'll get all the cups ready, into their tubs and then I could plop the peat pellets with seedling into them inside. Do the messy part outside and then come in - that would work. But I need some sun to keep me warm too!

DH pickled up some asparagus yesterday - he put lots of onions, oh hey, there you go!!! onions in your pickled asparagus! I am not that fond of onions so I won't dip into this tub but they sure are pretty! We get lots of asparagus with 200 linear feet of the stuff! This tub had lots of the big thick purple stalks:


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## Mattie420

Just a good layer of compost (2") AND not a single weed or blade of grass (I think that's what makes it stand out) thanks a bunch. I give all the credit to God because without him I would have never stood a chance and he is the one that provided the great soil to my family and I


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## blue gecko

I don't have a lot to show yet. We're going to have some awesome compost this year but right now my world looks like this:


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## Kstornado11

All the pictures look great! Keep them coming!


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## Tarheel

a'ightthen ........I did get a few things in the ground on Saturday. We missed the rain so getting the early stuff in the ground was the priority of the day. Kale, collards, cabbage and broccoli.



Since this picture was taken we have had more rain & ice on Monday. I saw the forecast on Sunday so I pulled a 30' x 100' row cover over all of it to keep it a little warmer. Today (Tuesday) we had a low of 17* this morning. I worked inside the warm tunnel the biggest part of the day. Got my rows laid off so hopefully if the weather holds and the row cover (ordered) gets here I will plant matters by Friday. I did get some lettuce and swiss chard planted today and started some sweet potatoes for slips (in the sun-room no doubt).



Black barrels are for heat sinks and are filled with water. I will take them out around Easter when all threats of freezing are over with. I've got 5 rows, 60' long. Most are for tomatoes and 1 will be for early squash and cukes. Wife's ready for me to clean up the sun room, and I'm ready to get some stuff in the ground. Been a long cold winter.



Finally got my wind strapping on the roll up sides. This really tightened up things. I'm actually having to vent some during the day now when the sun pops out. Really nice to have a place to work that's warm and ............no rubber boots. Good growing folks !


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## happyhenfarm

Here's my garden so far. We are in Michigan and still have close to a foot of snow still on the ground so indoors is tge way to go. So far I have 288 planted tomatoes, peppers, just planted squash, cukes and beans. I still have more to start ill keep posting updates and maybe if mother nature ever lets the snow melt get pics of the garden I'm expanding it to 90Ã40 this year.


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## organiac

What a wonderful thread! All those pictures send so much hope to me here in the arctic I mean Michigan. Lol my mistake. I just joined this site but am already so inspired by the things i have seen and read. Well over a foot of snow still on top of the garden. Blue prints drawn out and supply list finalized for the greenhouse and some broccoli started along with one each of my tomato varieties for some early fruit in the greenhouse. Have little tiny asparagus sprouted also they are adorable. Starting couple flats today with peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, maybe some basil. I think I may have seen a 40 degree somewhere in my forecast. Melt baby melt.


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## Tarheel

Welcome organiac............there are brighter days ahead ! It's a known fact if we don't plant we won't harvest. Looking good in the cold country........just try to keep it (cold) up your way.


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## happyhenfarm

What part of Michigan are you from


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## organiac

We are about 45 min north of Bay City. Few miles off exit 212 on I-75.


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## happyhenfarm

organiac said:


> We are about 45 min north of Bay City. Few miles off exit 212 on I-75.


We are south of you in Monroe county. Nice to see another Michigander.


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## happyhenfarm

More of the garden. Starting my sweet potatoe slips.


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## organiac

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've learned a bunch on this site already and excited to continue. Have a question for you @happyhenfarm; where do you grow your slips when they make it to their final home. I'm even a little colder up here than you and I figured I would have to do them in the greenhouse or at the least under their own hoop tunnel. Any info would be cool thanks!


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## happyhenfarm

organiac said:


> Thanks for the warm welcome! I've learned a bunch on this site already and excited to continue. Have a question for you @happyhenfarm; where do you grow your slips when they make it to their final home. I'm even a little colder up here than you and I figured I would have to do them in the greenhouse or at the least under their own hoop tunnel. Any info would be cool thanks!


Actually this is my first year growing everything from seed or in the case of the sweet potatos growing my own slips. We usually just bought plants from a local organic greenhouse, but I decided I want to do it my self. We are going to start and plant about 900 plants this year and I'm loving every minute of it. But as far as the slips go, I was planning to plant them in some trays until the snow leaves and I can get them outside. I have set up a temporary grow room in my basement, this summer I will convert it to permanent, planning on trying some hydroponics over the winter, but I will put the slips in there until I can plant them outside. Hopefully it Will work out I will keep everyone posted.


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## happyhenfarm

I have a facebook group that has a lot of people with a lot of knowledge about gardening and other stuff come by and check it out www.facebook.com/groups/thefarmtable


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## a'ightthen

Tarheel said:


> a'ightthen ........I did get a few things in the ground on Saturday. We missed the rain so getting the early stuff in the ground was the priority of the day. Kale, collards, cabbage and broccoli.
> 
> 
> Since this picture was taken we have had more rain & ice on Monday. I saw the forecast on Sunday so I pulled a 30' x 100' row cover over all of it to keep it a little warmer. Today (Tuesday) we had a low of 17* this morning. I worked inside the warm tunnel the biggest part of the day. Got my rows laid off so hopefully if the weather holds and the row cover (ordered) gets here I will plant matters by Friday. I did get some lettuce and swiss chard planted today and started some sweet potatoes for slips (in the sun-room no doubt).
> 
> 
> 
> Black barrels are for heat sinks and are filled with water. I will take them out around Easter when all threats of freezing are over with. I've got 5 rows, 60' long. Most are for tomatoes and 1 will be for early squash and cukes. Wife's ready for me to clean up the sun room, and I'm ready to get some stuff in the ground. Been a long cold winter.
> 
> 
> Finally got my wind strapping on the roll up sides. This really tightened up things. I'm actually having to vent some during the day now when the sun pops out. Really nice to have a place to work that's warm and ............no rubber boots. Good growing folks !


 Shoot yeah, looking good Sir!

Trying to grow for the market eh? Been stewing on doing this for years.

Time constraints 

I've grown into plant big, harvest, put it by and then put it under. I honestly think that it would be better to fix up a nice little patch like Mattie420 ... and I am quite a bit jealous of those that do ... keep saying that I'll do just that but man it is hard to stop once you get to playing in the dirt!

Around 1978, I passed through the farmers market in Atlanta with my stepfather. I reckon that is the only time that I have been to one but it surely seemed like fun - maybe one day.

I have finally gotten started though ... 24 varieties of maters and a tray of Sweet Banana were started Wed.

UGA climatologist says that the weather has been strange for the lack of a pattern and the polar vortex leaves us "more likely for a late frost this year".

I watch and stew. It's a game of getting it in early enough ... but not too early.

Ex being 2012. The forecast looked good; plants were ready ... I jumped the gun by a week.

Here comes a freeze out of the blue.

I set up a timer to handle the suspect hrs ( dealing with water so lets narrow the time-frame).










And of course there is no need to to spray as long as it is above freezing so a thermostat is used ..










To make it even more feasible, an on/off timer is added to keep it from being a consistent flow ( figured that water from the ground will take a bit to freeze)..










All of this energized a power adapter ..










That energized a solenoid valve ..










That fed a sprinkler, that sprayed the plants ...



















Though most survived, they were stunted and too early was .... well, too early.










Just thoughts on how far ahead ye are with the tunnel.


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## Tarheel

*Trying to grow for the market eh? Been stewing on doing this for years.*

Home canning room is always top priority here, then the kids and our elderly mothers. We try to can up and freeze up enough to get them through the winter. Our personal goals are always at least 2 years ahead in case of a bad year and that has happened.

What really gets me as much as everyone loves good fresh food and canned food for the winter it seems that everyone disappears like Houdini when it's time to plant and harvest . Ever have that problem ? We carry on the tradition though as was passed down from generations......looks like we are a dying breed though.

We.......like you have expanded and expanded and still expanding to different things. Heck it's my stress relief and I'm not one to keep the recliner warm for an expanded time. So on we plant and plant.

To answer your question after my ramblings, We get what we need for us and the extended family and last year carried the balance to market. That's the same plan this year, fill the jars and sell the balance. The tunnel just allows me to garden (rained 4" today) when the ground is too wet. We ALL know this is happening more so we adjust to the conditions. 

So today we got another 2 rows of maters planted and covered. The squash are already making fruit, so we will see what happens. This part of it is all new to me......growing under plastic.





Only 2 more rows to plant and then we will head to the fields.......IF it ever dries out. If we don't try, we will not have results. A good weekend to you folks !


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## mamagoose

I'm taking notes and adding a couple weeks, but wondering more about what your temps are there.


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## Earthling

My tomato garden is not yet planted, meantime, the wildflowers act like they own the place. I hate ripping them out when it's time for planting but go, they must.


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## a'ightthen

mamagoose said:


> I'm taking notes and adding a couple weeks, but wondering more about what your temps are there.



Was a terrible day to be inside a manufacturing plant 

Outside, it was a beautiful day in the 70's here. Rain comes back Wed and we go back below freezing behind the front. Thursday was a cold rain at 34 - tarheel probably got some frozen stuff? 

Spring surely draws nigh?


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## a'ightthen

Mattie420 said:


> View attachment 24125
> View attachment 24126
> 
> 
> Garden is tilled and soil is looking good, made a spot for my compost. Next weekend I'm starting our first run of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower inside. Excited that the growing season is right around the corner!!!!



Darn it, I do so crave ground like that! Excellent!!!


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## Tarheel

mamagoose said:


> I'm taking notes and adding a couple weeks, but wondering more about what your temps are there.


Frozen stuff missed us by 1* degree, stayed 33* here but got almost 4" of rain.

Temperature is easier to live with than all this moisture. Field crops are not even in sight unless it's rice. :grin:

Warm for 2 days then back cold here in Carolina.


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## a'ightthen

I found the first greenhouse today ...










It was in an abandoned state and 2' deep in weeds.

The first sprouts landed ( gotta have light!) ..










Of course there are 24 varieties in the tray and perhaps 250 plants.

But this is going to happen ... simply has to as there is no option.


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## Homesteader

Whoop! Maters peppers cukes!


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## Jersey/guernsey

_We had our first nice day in... seems like forever! Garden is still under 3' of snow, but over the weekend I started some flats of herbs. Thyme, oregano, summer savory, sage, and a few others. also some more containers of lettuce, radishes, and tomatoes, (put in two hundred plants in february, just to early) so put in another seventy five now._

_Here are some pics of the lettuce, and radishes that went in mid feb._


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## a'ightthen

Homesteader said:


> Whoop! Maters peppers cukes!


 Way ahead of me here ... NICE!


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## a'ightthen

Got to play a little bit today. Sheesh, who turned the weeds on already? Temps bouncing from a high of 80 to 45. Lows bouncing from 50 - 20. Wind gusts to 50 mph just left.

Seems that I have set myself up to be a hoer this year. Spent the morning hoeing garlic patch #1 ( not the aisles .. smaller tiller will tend to this) ...










I do not see this getting any better ... especially considering that everything got a bit of 34-0-0 today and another 3 days of rain sets in tonight. Yup, I'm going to be a hoer the rest of the year.

Intended to do a bit more tidying up in there but ... one day?

I did get to plant some taters today. Tater patch #1 got 50lbs of Yukon Gold ...










Did not care to but set out another 40lbs where they were planted last year. 'course they did nothing but drown last year and I was hunting drier ground ... there may be a Patch #3, on higher ground, as the pantry is hurting on taters 










Though you have to zoom in to see them, the onions seem to have taken root and the rest of the garlic is popping up.










Yep, I'm going to hoer but overall, I'm pretty optimistic thus far!


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## wberry85

First time starting seeds indoors. I planted 4 seeds per pod but now I am thinking that is too many because I was really planning on having as many plants as would germinate. I'll do my best to transplant I guess.


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## kazedwards

wberry85 said:


> First time starting seeds indoors. I planted 4 seeds per pod but now I am thinking that is too many because I was really planning on having as many plants as would germinate. I'll do my best to transplant I guess.



I had the same issue! Looks great!


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## Melnic

I am so envious of all the large garden spaces! While I live in a much milder climate (in terms of winter  I only have limited space to garden but have made due. I will be planting my garden this weekend with all my seedlings...maters, cucumbers, squash, and peppers. This weekend I just planted 6 thornless blackberry plants along my fence, a satsuma and avocado tree. My fingerling potatoes are leafing out and my blueberry bush is loaded with blooms. So excited spring has finally arrived..here at least! I will try and get some pics this weekend after it's all planted.


----------



## Homesteader

For the first time ever, we are having an issue. We lost every single cuke seedling, and now some of the tomatoes are looking like they are getting hit. They just begin wilting, but not right where they stem meets the soil, so I don't think it's damping off. 

The potting soil that I used for the cukes and the first few maters had been sitting out uncovered all winter so a blight or wilt could have been in the soil, right?

We can direct seed cukes but it may be too late by the time we have warm enough nights, the heat of our climate may do them in. Maters we can buy at the nursery. Cross your fingers it doesn't hit the peppers, those are all specialty varieties.

Got the potatoes, more bulb onions and carrot seed planted!

Our berries, not sure yet if they are going to be ok. Some of them have green stems, well stems is probably not the right term. These are all 3 year old "sticks". Some are just dead brown still so I'm not sure if they're alive - this berry business is new to us!


----------



## Kristinemomof3

I can't get into my garden because it's too wet, but I have a small area where we dug up shrubs last year and I was able to dig it up by hand and put in a few early things.


----------



## happyhenfarm

Update. My tomatoes and peppers are doing better. Cukes, squash, melons, brussels sprouts, eggplant doing awesome. Just transplanted my beans. 360 seedlings growing still have 144 to start, 400 seeds to go out in the garden when the weather is right. Plus more strawberry plants, asparagus, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onion sets.


----------



## Tarheel

Homesteader said:


> For the first time ever, we are having an issue. We lost every single cuke seedling, and now some of the tomatoes are looking like they are getting hit. They just begin wilting, but not right where they stem meets the soil, so I don't think it's damping off.
> 
> The potting soil that I used for the cukes and the first few maters had been sitting out uncovered all winter so a blight or wilt could have been in the soil, right?
> 
> We can direct seed cukes but it may be too late by the time we have warm enough nights, the heat of our climate may do them in. Maters we can buy at the nursery. Cross your fingers it doesn't hit the peppers, those are all specialty varieties.
> 
> Got the potatoes, more bulb onions and carrot seed planted!
> 
> Our berries, not sure yet if they are going to be ok. Some of them have green stems, well stems is probably not the right term. These are all 3 year old "sticks". Some are just dead brown still so I'm not sure if they're alive - this berry business is new to us!


Sorry about the loss ! I've gotten so paranoid about my starting soil that I've been using all organic soil (Sunshine) and wearing rubber gloves to keep any thing from getting in the soil from my hands. You'd think I was a surgeon planting seeds.


----------



## hercsmama

Tarheel said:


> Sorry about the loss ! I've gotten so paranoid about my starting soil that I've been using all organic soil (Sunshine) and wearing rubber gloves to keep any thing from getting in the soil from my hands. You'd think I was a surgeon planting seeds.


I'm the same way, except I also use a tweezer to place each seed in just the right place, so I don't touch the soil. Dh just laughs at me every time, lol.


----------



## Homesteader

Thanks hercs and tarheel - after 24 years of gardening, this is the first time this has happened so it has come as quite a surprise! I guess what's frustrating is I have no idea how to identify what it is.


----------



## jkgge

Earthling said:


> My tomato garden is not yet planted, meantime, the wildflowers act like they own the place. I hate ripping them out when it's time for planting but go, they must.


What a beautiful picture!!!!!


----------



## a'ightthen

Homesteader said:


> For the first time ever, we are having an issue. We lost every single cuke seedling, and now some of the tomatoes are looking like they are getting hit. They just begin wilting, but not right where they stem meets the soil, so I don't think it's damping off.
> 
> The potting soil that I used for the cukes and the first few maters had been sitting out uncovered all winter so a blight or wilt could have been in the soil, right?
> 
> We can direct seed cukes but it may be too late by the time we have warm enough nights, the heat of our climate may do them in. Maters we can buy at the nursery. Cross your fingers it doesn't hit the peppers, those are all specialty varieties.
> 
> Got the potatoes, more bulb onions and carrot seed planted!
> 
> Our berries, not sure yet if they are going to be ok. Some of them have green stems, well stems is probably not the right term. These are all 3 year old "sticks". Some are just dead brown still so I'm not sure if they're alive - this berry business is new to us!


 Hate to see the bad news  Hope that ye recover!


----------



## a'ightthen

happyhenfarm said:


> Update. My tomatoes and peppers are doing better. Cukes, squash, melons, brussels sprouts, eggplant doing awesome. Just transplanted my beans. 360 seedlings growing still have 144 to start, 400 seeds to go out in the garden when the weather is right. Plus more strawberry plants, asparagus, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onion sets.



Looking MUCH better!


----------



## a'ightthen

I'm trying to catch up .... but it will take time!


----------



## Tarheel

One heck of day here in Carolina today. We hit somewhere around 75* degrees today and tomorrow will be 25* degrees colder. Next weeks forecast does not look good with the nightly temps. They are back and forth on the weather for Tuesday with the possibly of more snow & ice. 

On to today........... Finally got my potatoes in the ground to the tune of 75 lbs., 50 lbs. white and 25 lbs. reds. My asparagus patch has been a work in progress for the last 3 years and I hope I'm finally through with that one. We got another 115 crowns in today for a total of 489 plants in 4 rows. Somebody's going to need one of those rolling carts to cut all of that someday. 



Got it all leafed in to keep the grass down and also to help protect it from the cold that's coming.



Way to early for these Georgia Belle peach blooms. IMHO this is one of the best tasting peaches. The Windblow is my second choice. But hey....I'm a Carolina boy living in peach country.



Plums are not far behind here either.



And the Blueberries are as full as they were last year and it was a banner year for us. I just hope they miss this system that's coming in next week. If they do I've got 800 candy onions to get in the ground. Sounds fun don't it ?

I'm ready for it to truly be spring. Good planting to ya !


----------



## a'ightthen

It's touch and go Mate ..... Wish ye the Best!


----------



## GranmaKay

a'ightthen said:


> Other projects include upgrading the raised beds ( used old form boards and they are deteriorating) ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This one is planted in shallots and tater onions ... 1 down, 11 to go.


Your raised beds using cement blocks is what I want to do. I've just bought a place in AZ and the soil is sand and rocks with a few weeds. Raised beds seem the way to go. Any advice in using blocks?:help:


----------



## kazedwards

My new beds are on there way!
View attachment 25554
View attachment 25555
View attachment 25556


I will need more rock but I think it will look good when I'm done. I have all but 6 feet of where the spring crops will go done. Now I just need to finish the area for all the tomatoes and beans. Then I start digging up grass and and laying more rock for the melons and cucumbers. Can't wait till it's done. I have lots of compost and leaves to help the soil in my beds!


----------



## a'ightthen

GranmaKay said:


> Your raised beds using cement blocks is what I want to do. I've just bought a place in AZ and the soil is sand and rocks with a few weeds. Raised beds seem the way to go. Any advice in using blocks?:help:


 Still playing myself so can not help much. Plan is to go 2 high but not sure when that willl be.


----------



## a'ightthen

kazedwards said:


> My new beds are on there way!
> View attachment 25554
> View attachment 25555
> View attachment 25556
> 
> 
> I will need more rock but I think it will look good when I'm done. I have all but 6 feet of where the spring crops will go done. Now I just need to finish the area for all the tomatoes and beans. Then I start digging up grass and and laying more rock for the melons and cucumbers. Can't wait till it's done. I have lots of compost and leaves to help the soil in my beds!


 I like that. It'll be interesting to watch it progress - please keep it updated!


----------



## a'ightthen

Seems that folks have been too busy ... like me 

The rains keep coming but are a bit more in line with what is needed. Could use a few extra days in between the storms but, so far, doable.

Still a bit damp here .... but the weeds do not care.

I got to till some of the walkways in the garlic this evening ....










The next couple of evenings will be spent, mainly, weeding the rows.

The first tray of maters is coming along ...










23 of 24 varieties are showing. The 24th is up in another tray.

A chunk of stuff to get done over the next month so I'll be busy but will try to check in from time to time.

Potting up will begin soon. Each one will get potted up .... a new case of 800 2.5" pots, some from past years await and other options exist.

Now, a bit of info to the madness 

When I decide to grow a variety, I intend to do just that. I have no clue as to how many seed, if any, will actually germinate.

So I often get what you see above.

Some will get planted and some will get saved for backups ( and perhaps be run through the shredder if not needed).

The remainder goes to school.

The wife, and now the 2 eldest daughters, are teachers. They get dispersed via that medium.

I do not get to witness first hand their experiences, but I do get to hear the stories.

The wife was telling me last night about a child asking her if we would be coming soon to "fix her garden".

We will go out and till a spot for the plants if needed.

I encourage all to help instill this to our future ... it makes for some fine stories!

Looks like they may be getting some garlic bulbs this Fall as well


----------



## sdnapier

Tarheel said:


> *Trying to grow for the market eh? Been stewing on doing this for years.*
> 
> Only 2 more rows to plant and then we will head to the fields.......IF it ever dries out. If we don't try, we will not have results. A good weekend to you folks !


Hi Tarheel...will you educate me on the reason for the floating row covers in the greenhouse and where do you get yours? Thanks, Sheryl


----------



## Mattie420

[ame]http://youtu.be/Nh1hpnKi7e8[/ame]


----------



## kazedwards

Well I got a little more done this morning. Had to take a break from 'construction' to put out the onions!
View attachment 26288
View attachment 26289


----------



## happyhenfarm

kazedwards said:


> Well I got a little more done this morning. Had to take a break from 'construction' to put out the onions!
> View attachment 26288
> View attachment 26289


That's awesome the way your doing those beds


----------



## Tarheel

sdnapier said:


> Hi Tarheel...will you educate me on the reason for the floating row covers in the greenhouse and where do you get yours? Thanks, Sheryl


Good evening, sorry for the delay but we are trying to plant while the rains are gone.

Row cover (Agribon) allows us frost/freeze protection down to about 28*F., or so they claim. I don't trust one layer when it gets that cold but covering it twice (2 layers) will protect it. In the greenhouse I only cover the outside rows with 2 layers because the sides get the coldest. The middle 3 rows only get one layer when temps are forecast to be below freezing. It's my first year in the greenhouse growing early but I have used it in the fields for several years now. It also helps to protect it from varmints and bugs, another plus in my book.

You can use wire hoops, plastic hoops or metal hoops to hold it off your plants. I use the 9 gauge wire in a roll. Cut it every 63" and you do not have to bend it or anything. It comes off the roll just right for you hoops. Cheapest place I've found the wire is Lowe's Hardware in the chain link section. 175' roll runs about $22.

The Agribon I buy in 500' rolls (they make it in smaller amounts) and it's 83" wide. Just right for row farming. They also make it in larger sizes and I use some of the 30' x 100' covers when I have a large area to protect. Last year I use it to cover (protect) blueberries from a late frost.

Cheapest place I've found is just North of you at- http://www.noltsproducesupplies.net/ these folks give good quick service and they have beat some prices by as much as 20%. If I can help anymore feel free to pm me.


----------



## Tarheel

a'ightthen said:


> The wife was telling me last night about a child asking her if we would be coming soon to "fix her garden".
> 
> We will go out and till a spot for the plants if needed.
> 
> I encourage all to help instill this to our future ... it makes for some fine stories!


I would like to reiterate this. We have got to pass this on especially to the kids & adults that want to know how to grow and preserve food. It's a MUST.

Bunch of teachers on my side of the family to a'ightthen. Wife & I have been elected by one (Agriculture teacher) of them to come and demonstrate how to preserve food by canning. For kids that want to know we must be ready to show em. I'm afraid we are a dying breed though. It's too easy for em to just go and buy it.........But we will continue to try.


----------



## JH-Q

Growing some garlic here in the nordic  It's the siberian hardneck cultivar which grows purple-tinted bulbs with 4-5 big cloves. I planted these in october. They freeze every night and grow during the days. Nightfrosts should be gone in week or two, then i get to sow all the other plants... When the frosts are gone, a growing explosion starts here with the long days of north. Day lenght is currently 14 hours, and in summer it doesn't get dark at all.

We have a saying over here; Finnish summers are short and have only little snowfall.


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## FaithFirst

Got my raised bed tilled. Hoping to put up the fence Saturday and plant spinach, radishes and peas on Sunday. Will post pictures again when the fence is up. Need to keep my dog out!


----------



## a'ightthen

Do this mean what I think it do?




























It's running a bit late this year but these appeared TODAY!

Sporting (3) 4x8 and ( 1) 4x4 beds of it, added some 80 ft of row last year of Purple Passion and still stewing on adding more this year.

There is hope folks ... hang in there 

Hmmm, butter, olive oil, garlic ... gotta run!


----------



## Tarheel

Hmm Purple Passion usually comes up first for me and you got both. Love me some grilled asparagus with a little olive oil & garlic.........man Life is good with fresh veggies. 

Been working the field today, chancing green beans and a few rows of purple hulls. Should work out about 10 days so hopefully there will be no chance of frost. Think I might plant a few early rows of corn tomorrow before the rain gets here on Monday.

Potted up another 100 or so tomatoes and a dozen peppers today. Going to hold them another 2 weeks before they hit the soil. Tomorrow I have got to pot up a dozen or so egg plants, few more peppers and right many more tomatoes. I've got sweet potato sprouts that need to be pulled off and stuck in water too. Don't ya just love this time of year ! Sun up to Sun down, and I agree there is hope.



Some pretty chard hiding behind the tomatoes today. Time to cook up some of it.


----------



## a'ightthen

It's my first year with Purple Passion so I can't say anything about which is typically first. The Jersey's are in raised beds so perhaps that may alter the order?

But they sure were good 

Some of these go back to 2008 and each year I add a few thinking that I'll be able to surpass fresh consumption and be able to can some ( lovely posts each year in Preserving The Harvest) ... not yet 

Went ahead and ordered 300 Pacific Purple from Nourse to add to the patch.

I pretty much skipped the Spring plantings here but perhaps this Fall. Your Swiss Chard looks GREAT!

Inside the tunnel? Ruby Red?

Starting to feel pretty good about this season. Thinking that the week of 4-20 will be hog wild here. Lots to do between now and then.

Can not do the sun up to sun down here too often .... but I do have lights 

Early corn ... what ya going with?

For cold soils down here, I can't say enough about Sweet Chorus ...

June 9th, 2012










And was processing June 23rd ..


----------



## a'ightthen

Just adding ... well, just because some have been told that ye can't do that.

I know, you can not plant corn that close and get anything.

Corn is useless unless ye can plant big.

Ye can not plant corn, say 4 stalks per sq ft because it will not work.

Ye can not grow corn in a raised bed.

It really ain't like all of that.




























Do that which you can and/or desire to try. It just might not be so far fetched  Have fun with it and do not limit yourself to that which others failed at.

Ditto with okra ...










I just really wish for folks to try different things/methods and not be discouraged if they do not have the "required" space. Again, it ain't always like that prescribed but I do fear that too many folks disallow the possibilities due to expert advice.

A chunk of what I do simply is not possible lol


----------



## Tarheel

Oh another sun up to sun down day here my friend and I'm beginning to feel the pain.  300 crowns will make that cart worth all the money in the world. I am somewhere around 500 crowns in the ground. I added another 115 this year so I think I'm "Done". But hey.......I said that last time.

I've been on a search the last few years for that just right corn. I've been experimenting with several different varieties. As a youngster growing up the family Always grew Truckers favorite. I've been back and forth a time or two with it here and the son simply loves yellow corn. I'm also a pretty big fan of it to but the wife only wants the white. 

Last year I tried Stowell's Evergreen and it really did good for me. She was impressed so I've stuck 7 rows in (today) to see how it will do as an early corn. I'll have to plant some yellow in another field for the boy and his family. Hmmmm maybe cross pollination would give em the best of both worlds.

So lets see. so far in the tunnel is tomatoes (150 or so), cucumbers, squash (going to eat some next week), chard and lettuce.

Field crops - I've got cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, sweet peas, potatoes, candy onions, beets, green-beans, pink-eye peas and corn to date.

The raised beds (which I love) have spinach, chard, Bok Choy, radishes, lettuce and mustard.

So now we wait for that magical temps and you may be right on Easter. 

I do see some mid 30's coming our way on the extended forecast though. It happens every year !

Good Growing my friend !


----------



## FaithFirst

Fence constructed and spinach, radishes and a handful of peas planted! The only part of the fence I had to pay for was the rebar tie wire I used to hold it together. Everything else was scavenged from my yard fence, saved from the trash at work or given to me from family and friends. Quite proud of how well it turned out. My six year old twins were a big help. The dog hates it, but that was the point, Lol. 4 rows of radishes and a row and half of spinach stuck in the ground and watered too. And now, for your viewing pleasure, my small and simple garden plot:


----------



## Mattie420

View attachment 26690
got the first round of cabbage and cauliflower transplanted in the ground today and the rest of the smaller before mentioned plants in their pots as well as the rest of the tomatoes and peppers


----------



## countryfied2011

My potatoes are in the ground...onions and carrots are planted in the 55 gallon drums and I have my tomatoes started in the house, plus my zucchini, canteloupes and herbs started.

Here is a picture of my tomatoes, this year I am trying a different variety from our normal that is heirloom and is good for our area with heat and humidity. The type is Homestead and I got them from My Patriot Supply...each seed I started came up so I was very happy...cant wait to see the end result. They are suppose to be very good for slicing and canning. I am hoping that it will work well with our summers.


----------



## organiac

Almost finished with 4x6 greenhouse which will transform into henhouse once frost is done. Have asparagus seedlings, 11 types tomatoes, 4types of peppers, 6 types of basil, 6 types of lettuce, 2 types of broccoli, Brussels, oregano, red celery, Italian parsley, and arugala all ready to move from the bedroom to the greenhouse. Hoping to sow spinach, peas, arugala, and some lettuce in the garden today. What a great gift spring has already been after such a long cold winter!


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## a'ightthen

Another rainy day in GA. Yet things continue to progress ...

What became the shallot/tater_onion bed for this year ...










One of 2 strawberry beds are blooming ( need some attention) ..










And the crazy blackberry patch cometh on ( needs work and is perhaps hard to see but there are a couple of terraces there and perhaps 100 thornless plants) ...










Peach, Apple and Cherry trees are blooming ... Spring is fixing to go down here 

So much to do.


----------



## a'ightthen

Tarheel said:


> I am somewhere around 500 crowns in the ground. I added another 115 this year so I think I'm "Done". But hey.......I said that last time.


 Ye talked me into it ... another 1,000 ordered ( so 1,300 cometh).

Tomorrow is not promised and I can not emphasize enough the value that I place on living for the day.

Everything else is but a bonus


----------



## Tarheel

a'ightthen said:


> Ye talked me into it ... another 1,000 ordered ( so 1,300 cometh).
> 
> Tomorrow is not promised and I can not emphasize enough the value that I place on living for the day.
> 
> Everything else is but a bonus


All I have to say to that one is "Amen" brother !


----------



## Tarheel

It's not much but the first cutting today of asparagus sure was good for lunch. The one zucchini diced with some olive oil & fresh spring onions was the topping on the cake.

There should be lots more to come.

Don't ya just love spring vittles !


a'ightthen are there a lot of sprouts under your blackberries ?


----------



## a'ightthen

Tarheel said:


> a'ightthen are there a lot of sprouts under your blackberries ?


 Kind of. Mainly where the canes reach down to the ground and take root ...










Dig them up and plant them ... pretty easy to lose control. Had a nice patch a few years back but just let it get out of hand ... took me close to 3 years to kill it .... may very well be heading down the same road if I don't change my ways soon 

Been down since Sunday with the back. Kind of funny but way longer a story than I feel like sitting here. It'll recover.

Zukes in April? Who would have thunk it


----------



## Tarheel

a'ightthen said:


> Been down since Sunday with the back. Kind of funny but way longer a story than I feel like sitting here. It'll recover.


I actually feel your back pain, had problems for years. It's the times you can not move when it's the worst. Hope you improve soon.

Got ahead of myself with this 80* weather and took a chance on several varieties of squash. I had lots growing so hey....I thought I would chance some.


And dropped a row cover on em to keep the wind from beating em to death and a little added heat. 



Now the forecast for late next week is frost to freezing temperatures. It's for sure I won't plant anymore field crops until after Easter. I can double cover the squash and add water bottles to keep em warm.

It is what it is though........that's farming. Back-ups in the greenhouse if need be.

Have a good weekend folks !


----------



## a'ightthen

Tarheel said:


> I actually feel your back pain, had problems for years. It's the times you can not move when it's the worst. Hope you improve soon.


Many Thanks!

Started dialing in the turnover this evening ...










Been stewing hard while in bed on the heating pad ... thinking that I just might try something that I enjoy *instead* of that which I am good at.

Sent feelers off to the local Farmers Markets. I can easily expand everything into acres .... so why not? Always seem to be too busy doing other stuff. Plant big, put it by and put it under.

Why not maintain it and sell the surplus? Just stewing ... but, I'm thinking, it is fixing to get crazy here as I sort it out and give it a shot.


----------



## Jersey/guernsey

Sorry about the back, hope you feel better soon! 
Everyone's gardens look so nice, its real inspiring seeing all the hard work and love going in and thinking about all the veggies that will be coming out:grin:

Next week I start planting in the main garden (I always like to get my peas in the ground Easter Sunday) but for now rain is keeping me under glass. This is the first growing season for the solar greenhouse and I'm still learning how to make it work. got the cool season crops going good. Late flat dutch cabbage, red acre cabbage, dwarf curled kale, Georgia collards, snowball cauliflower. Also managed to forget to label when starting all my old seeds (buy seeds and never seem to have time or room to plant them all) now I have no idea what some of them are:runforhills: Any seedling ID'ers here? Oh and the tomatoes cause they are pretty.


----------



## Mattie420

I am going to be covering most of these for the next little while with row covers. Been nice at night but we have a cold front (hopefully the last one with lite freezing temps) coming in on Tuesday night so we gotta get them maters n peppers covered!

Broccoli:
View attachment 27184

Cabbage/Cauliflower mix:
View attachment 27185

Peppers (Hard to see all of them but their here and their assorted types):
View attachment 27188

Tomatoes:
View attachment 27189


----------



## kazedwards

Looking good everyone!


----------



## organiac

This is my update. In the pics are all the seedlings so far started. Did great this year so far with successful germination rates and lively young plants. Being a stay at home dad the past ten months has really helped in the nurturing dept. Lol. Also have pic of the garden with the view out the farmhouse (began as sawmill in 1913) kitchen window complete with yucky old trailer in the process of being upcycled into many things here on the homestead. I think after last nights low temps in the teens I can finally get some more of these seedlings into the greenhouse. Almost done with prep work in the garden also. Still have some trellis to string up and tomato stakes to set but I'm close. Well I wish for everyone a good season and a happy digging.


----------



## wberry85

Soil tilled and hilled and ready for the plants. Couldnt believe we had a frost last night but I am glad I waited an extra week to plant. Stil need to get some t posts and some extra wire to make trellis for the maters and beans. Planting this weekend.


----------



## Dixie Bee Acres

No pics, but I did till up almost half acre today....with my 17 inch wide tiller....grrr


----------



## a'ightthen

Added 300 asparagus crowns to the patch today ( the other 1,000 cometh next week)










Tilled most rows today before the rain set in. Taters are popping up ...



















Everything else is kicking ..



















So little to do, so much time ... the game begins


----------



## Kittikity

I'm not really growing a whole lot. We'll be moving to NC in late July/early August. So not a lot of time to get anything grown before we move. But hopefully I'll be able to get some fall veggies going after the move. I am going to spread out some flower seed here just for something to grow but something I won't mind leaving behind.


----------



## NC_Homestead

Got our garden planted for this season. This is our first garden attempt. It is small but will hopefully give us some squash, beans, radishes, cucumbers and chard. When we are successful with this one, we will expand to something larger!


----------



## Tarheel

Kittikity said:


> I'm not really growing a whole lot. We'll be moving to NC in late July/early August. So not a lot of time to get anything grown before we move. But hopefully I'll be able to get some fall veggies going after the move. I am going to spread out some flower seed here just for something to grow but something I won't mind leaving behind.


Welcome to Carolina !

If you get in here by Early July set you a few tomatoes out. Should make some fine tomato sandwich's before frost.

Good luck with the move.


----------



## Kittikity

Tarheel said:


> Welcome to Carolina !
> 
> If you get in here by Early July set you a few tomatoes out. Should make some fine tomato sandwich's before frost.
> 
> Good luck with the move.



Thanks. We may get in there by early July but I doubt it. Hubby's there already and his rental lease goes until mid July. We still have a lot to work out. Like what town exactly, rent vs buy (contingent on a miracle), working out expenses of the actual move itself. I really hate moving so I'll be so glad when it's over with. Then when I get my land I've wanted all these years, I'll be in heaven and I'll actually have things to post about on here. :banana:


----------



## Homesteader

Hi all! Oh so good to see everyone's pictures! I have a bunch:

First, some food for the soul:





We can't believe it still - strawberries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Three beds of peas, (300 plants), Wando, Alaska and Little Marvel:











Have to continue this to a second posting - only allows 10 per.


----------



## Homesteader

and continuing..........

Bolting Broccoli:


Home Sweet Home, note the trellis nursery on the left of house:


Potatoes, maters, carrots, onions, beans, peppers, etc. , the main garden here:



Four rows potatoes, latest two rows not up yet:


The new berry garden, we do have growth on 6 of them! Tayberry, Southern Baba, Kiowa Black, Anne Yellow, Natchez Black, Indian Summer Red. We will have a learning curve I'm sure!


Carrots and onions interplanted:


----------



## mystang89

@ Homesteader
I LOVE your watering system. I currently use a soaker hose attached to a 300 gal rain barrel but I think your system would work so much nicer. Do you till your ground? I know it sounds like a dumb question but if you do till is it a lot of work to move the pvc or how do you do it?


----------



## Homesteader

mustang - my husband takes care of all the watering stuff, and I have to admit I don't understand it really. He tries to get everything onto an automatic system. The long pvc's with holes drilled is a fairly new way for us. He did them last year for our four raised beds and they come on automatically. 

Right now, we are actually hooked up to just a faucet on the ones you see in the larger garden. He is planning to get that all hooked up auto, but I can't advise in that regard.

Now we did till the large garden, and due to water pressure he keeps it to four rows of the pvc per section, so we actually just lift the sections of four pipes and move them! This is a great way of doing it if you till!


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## a'ightthen

Tarheel said:


> I would like to reiterate this. We have got to pass this on especially to the kids & adults that want to know how to grow and preserve food. It's a MUST.
> 
> Bunch of teachers on my side of the family to a'ightthen. Wife & I have been elected by one (Agriculture teacher) of them to come and demonstrate how to preserve food by canning. For kids that want to know we must be ready to show em. I'm afraid we are a dying breed though. It's too easy for em to just go and buy it.........But we will continue to try.



A tad bit behind but these start going to school in the morn ...










It's the reason that they were grown. Mine ( for planting here) are a bit further behind due to the back issues ... but it'll be ok 

Rain cometh again tonight/tomorrow but the other 1,000 crowns landed yesterday ... so I'll get muddy.

Best Wishes to all.


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## Mattie420

View attachment 28028

Onions, potatoes, corn, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, squash, peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Still no pics from me, we all know what dirt looks like..
But, a couple of days ago, I planted 4, 28 ft rows of peas, today I planted 15, 28ft rows of green beans and 2, 20 foot rows each of beers and carrots.


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## hercsmama

Dixie, how exactly do you plant Beers? I know I could get my dh and the boys to help more if I could grow them! :dance:


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Hahaha, I didn't even catch that. Apparently auto correct thinks I need to start drinking.

2 rows of beets. Lol


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## Nancy

I direct seed all my vegetables except tomatoes, green peppers and eggplant. Wow, some of you look like you plant enough to feed an army  Do you do farmers market?


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## robsdak

still have a few more to plant. here's what's in the ground. broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, jalapeno pepper, bell pepper, green beans, carrots, beets, radishes, 2 kinds of lettuce, spinach, bunching onions, garlic, cucumbers, 3 kinds of tomatoes, straight neck squash and zucchini.


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## Homesteader

Nice robsdak! I enjoyed seeing sand! That's what we have, pure sand but of course we amend it.

Thank you for sharing - be sure to come show more pics as it grows!


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## Melnic

We just have a typical suburban lot to garden in but everything's coming up great so far (with one exception...some fingerling potatoes  we have some green and red bell peppers, three sauce, I slice and one cherry tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans and black eyed peas, fingerling potatoes, blueberry bush( that's the one all rigged up with netting...I WILL outsmart the birds this year), my newly planted row of blackberries along my fence (berries next year), several citrus trees, a newly planted avocado tree, the tall planter has newly sprouted salad greens and green onions. I also have several pots in various locations with different types of herbs.

View attachment 28264


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We don't have a lot of space to garden enough to preserve our harvest so we mostly try and plant enough for us to consume. In the future if we find our "dream acreage" that would be a top priority! When a harvest doesn't come through our options turn to farmers market which gets expensive quick 


Sent from my iPad using Homesteading Today


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## robsdak

Homesteader said:


> Nice robsdak! I enjoyed seeing sand! That's what we have, pure sand but of course we amend it.
> 
> Thank you for sharing - be sure to come show more pics as it grows!


LOL sand is everywhere. the garden has a lot of compost in it. it's a slow process to get it the way i want it. the sand you are seeing is from the heavy rain we had in this part of the world the other day. just needs to be tilled back in. so much rain it washed out a 3 ft x 6in hole under the back fence.


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## Melnic

robsdak said:


> LOL sand is everywhere. the garden has a lot of compost in it. it's a slow process to get it the way i want it. the sand you are seeing is from the heavy rain we had in this part of the world the other day. just needs to be tilled back in. so much rain it washed out a 3 ft x 6in hole under the back fence.



Oh man...I need some of your sand AND rain! Heavy clay here and no rain this week or the next!


Sent from my iPad using Homesteading Today


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## robsdak

Melnic said:


> Oh man...I need some of your sand AND rain! Heavy clay here and no rain this week or the next!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Homesteading Today


LOL we had like 15 in fall here at the house. the sand you see, washed from the yard in front of the garden. i have been revamping my yard and it bare. it's all good. 

bring a truck,trailer and shovel. have to load it yourself. LOL rain, i can't help with.


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## Homesteader

Melnic what a lovely place and garden!


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## henryriverfarms

Started putting transplants in the week of Easter. Already have potatoes, onions, garlic, lettuce, and carrots growing. So we completed the irrigation and planted 216 tomatoes with 200+ more going in this weekend and have set cucumbers and squash. Direct seeded fordhook limas, green beans, and okra. This weekend we will also set out transplants of 300 peppers and 36 cantaloups and water melon plus direct seed.

I am using plastic this year for the first time with drip irrigation.


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## Mattie420

View attachment 28375

brocolli

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cabbage & cauliflower

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onions

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tomatoes & carrots

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zucchini

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peppers


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## Kittikity

Mattie420, I love your plant markers. Such a cute and unique way to do it.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Still no pics, but today I planted 4 rows of golden bantam sweet corn, and 18 Ace 55 tomato plants.
I also replanted about 50 onion sets that apparently the birds didn't want planted.
In a week I will plant 4 more rows of sweet corn, and another 4 the week after that.

Going to watch my tomatoes closely this week and if all looks well, will plant 80 or so more this weekend and start planting my 150+ pepper plants.


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## Mattie420

Kittikity said:


> Mattie420, I love your plant markers. Such a cute and unique way to do it.


Thanks! I had some extra 1x4's from when we did our fence and I already had a bunch of 2x4 stakes that I made from another project so I combined the two and used a woodburner on them that way it doesn't wash off or get affected by the rain or hose

P.S - They also make great hose guides & mini tables (for your morning coffee) if you place them in the right spots


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## mamagoose

I'm working on putting a lot of the plants from the greenhouse out. This year, I will keep reps of my pepper collection in large containers near the greenhouse after last year's crazy weather. We've eaten 1 Beaver Lodge plum tomato, 2 Costoluto Genovese, and a couple Golden Nuggets. The cherry tomato plants in the greenhouse are loaded, but dry out quick.







Calabrese broccoli, stressed out cauliflower, slow-growing cantaloupe, loads of cherry tomatoes on these vines--Cherry Falls (far left, back), Golden Nuggets (in front of Cherry Falls) and Black Sea Man (middle back) that won't stop stretching up, and Brandywine tomatoes.


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## mamagoose

pepper collection 1

pepper collection 2

Beaver Lodge plum

Costoluto Genovese --it was delicious! 

5 of them


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## sdnapier

a'ightthen said:


> Way ahead of me here ... NICE!


Where do you get the containers the solo cups are in? They make for a nice 6 pack!


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## anahatalotus

Lovely and inspiring. No pics to share but I think we will be eating some radishes real soon. The dang ground squirrels have been getting into just about everything, lol. I've just given up on containers since they seem to do no good and just limit my space. 
Last week we put in two twenty five foot rows of great northern beans and some other type of bean I lost the bag to. As well as a couple dozen sun flows, none of those are still in the ground though. Epic fail! 
I do have to get some pics taken though since our garden is my daughters biology project for the over regulated homeschool out here. So eventually y'all will get to see a few.


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## mosepijo

We have already planted, potatoes, tomatoes, orange peppers, jalapeno peppers, Tai hot peppers, cayenne peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, collard greens , beets, swiss chard, onions, garlic, Pumpkins, butternut squash, zucchini & summer squash.

Then covered the entire garden with straw.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

This morning I added 30 beefsteak tomatoes, 18 Amish paste tomatoes, and 17 california wonder bell peppers to the garden.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

And, I just finished planting 18 jalepeno peppers, 18 bananna peppers, and 18 red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers. Still have 9 habanero and 9 red and Orange bell peppers remaining to plant.

It has been a week since planting my first 4 rows of sweet corn, so i will plant 4 more this evening. Possibly will also plant melons and pumpkins this evening.


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## FaithFirst

Radishes, green beans then corn - front to back. A handful of peas along the one edge. When the radishes finish I'll plant another 4 rows of sweet corn. Have plans to plant a few watermelon plants between the current corn crop and fence. Going to attempt to trellis the melon. Cucumbers are going to go in as well, just a couple plants. When the beans finish I'll plant and trellis a couple gourds for my son for Halloween. I won't tell him though.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

4 more rows sweet corn in. Hills made so in a couple of hours i can go plant pumpkins, melons and cucumbers.


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## rhelynn

It's been a long time since I was here - love seeing everyone's gardens!

My sweet peas started to bloom today. I was amazed!
In the rest of the garden the beans are coming up (pinto, black Shackamaxon, providers, whipporwill cowpeas) - lots more to plant, have to decide where and how. Our gourds and squash and some cucumbers have started to show, and the corn is probably about two to three inches tall. There are sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias and morning glories starting to come up. The radishes and greens are taking hold - and the seedling tomatoes and pepper from the house (first round) are looking like they will survive. 

Also, I just planted some petunias my little girl bought for me as a Mother's Day present 
~Maria in TN


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## Kasota

I am drooling over all of the green growing things! Memorial Day weekend is not far away and that is when I'll plant. 

I love all the pictures!


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Have a chance of frost here tonight and tomorrow night. I will be out about 4:30-5:00 in the morning both days misting the garden with the hose.
Too much water now from all the rain, but supposedly that will protect my maters and peppers from frost.


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## Kasota

Dixie Bee Acres - how did the garden fair with the cold/frost? 

I planted 10 additional raspberries today and another blueberry bush. One of my blueberry plants disappeared...as in it simply is not there. I am glad it was not one of my favorite varieties. 

I cannot find any gooseberries... Rats!


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## willow_girl




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## Dixie Bee Acres

Kasota said:


> Dixie Bee Acres - how did the garden fair with the cold/frost?
> 
> I planted 10 additional raspberries today and another blueberry bush. One of my blueberry plants disappeared...as in it simply is not there. I am glad it was not one of my favorite varieties.
> 
> I cannot find any gooseberries... Rats!


All is well, thanks for asking.
First morning I went out at 4:30, it was lightly raining so everything was wet, and 41 degrees, so I dodged that one. Next morning went out at same time, only got down to 38* so no frost then either, Thank the Lord for that.

Last night I finally had a chance to get into the garden, after almost a week and a half of rain, it finally got to the point it wasn't all mud. Bad thing is parts of the garden were looking almost like lawn. I ran the tiller between several rows last night. Also got the cucumber bed ready. Tonight will plant zucini and cukes, and probably 4 more rows of sweet corn. After that the garden is done for planting.
First rows of sweet corn are about 2 inches tall. Green beans are looking good, peas are looking good. Carrots and beets are starting to show. Maters and peppers are all still looking good. Onions are doing quite well. Cabbage appears to be growing well, but broccoli and cauliflower look very weak. I have never been able to grow those.


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## henryriverfarms

Cooler weather has slowed growth some but tomatoes are suckered and staked and I should have squash by the end of the week. Beans, cukes, cantaloupe, and watermelon are looking good. Taters are doing great.


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## bajiay

Wow~ That's a serious garden!


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## robsdak

here's what a couple of weeks will do. i added watermelons, cherokee purple tomatoes, patio tomatoes, sweet 100 and egg plant.


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## crazyfarm

has anyone looked into Ruth Stout's system of no work gardening? I found her on Youtube and I think I might be her reincarnation. After all, how many people garden naked. lol Anyhow, I'm trying several methods this year. I've tried gardening every year we've lived here but I've had 0 success each year. I also keep moving the location of my garden. First year I did it in a spot in our tree line. Figured the trees would protect it from the wind. The problem is I put it out of reach of the hoses. So I was carting water and it just wasn't getting enough. The next year I bought longer hoses and tried again. It was eaten my rabbits completely. So I put them in bath tubs. Our property came with way too many random bath tubs. I think they were using them as feeders for their animals. Anyway, rabbits had no problem hopping up on them. So I moved it all over to where my poultry are. It actually did well over there. The poultry (guineas inparticular) keep the rabbits at bay. The problem is they also ate everything that grew. So this year it's been moved again. I've added some infrastructure in the form of a big raised bed. I'm trying straw bale gardening. It's close to a hose. I'm adding lots of compost, peat moss and newspaper. I'm really hoping this is a turning point in my gardening efforts. I'll add photos as soon as I can!


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## BobbyB

We dug all but one late row of our potatoes this week. Half last Sunday and the rest yesterday evening.


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## hmsteader71

Here are a few from around our place.
Our compost pile after Caleb helped me fix it.



Big section of garden.


The section where I'm putting our tomatoes.


Our berry bushes & grapevine.




Potatoes in Tires


Lettuce


Garlic


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## Adisiwaya

Well we have 2 foot chicken wire going around the beds. Put some raspberry plants in from my dads and a few trees. Took over gf moms garden couple trailers down... someone decided to buy a lot of stuff when I was in Wisconsin like 40 tomato plants... lol  . Gotta use my trusy john deer front tine tiller that's horrible at breaking ground... not fun past few days. Have 40 tomato plants 20 cucumbers, 6 watermelon,6 cantaloupe. Put my Romas in pots sitting in between rows so they get sunlight. Have 5# of potatoes to plant, thinking tire method this year? (Seen that in a pics further up) oh forgot bunch of onions... and green beans.... and peas.. won't have enough room for everything.


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## Adisiwaya

There's better pics lol


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## Marthas_minis

Only have my raised beds planted this year. Never seemed to find the time to till my big garden for larger crops. So no corn this year. &#128542; 

I planted grapevines at the posts on the arbor this winter. 

These beds are filling up quickly except my cabbages and greens bed. Flea beetles decimated the turnips & mustard and deer wiped out all but 8 of my cabbages. 

I use a modified square foot method. Somethings just really need a little more room.

I cleaned out winter crops today to make room for more. Tomatoes are a bit crowded but they will grow. I usually keep them pruned back a bit for airflow & to manage pests but I let them get away from me... 


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## willow_girl




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## Dixie Bee Acres

Today I started a second garden plot, a small one. Main garden is half acre, new plot is only about 18 foot by 40 foot or so. This year I am planting honeydew melon and pumpkins in that plot, but by next spring it will be 100% asparagus.


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## Kasota

Here are some pictures of my raised veggie beds. We generally plant on Memorial Day weekend this far north, so my plants are small and the seeds just got planted. 

I still have some mulch to put down between some of the rows so that it all matches and is chocolate brown. I really cram a lot of things in the beds...make use of every inch. Kind of like square foot gardening, only linear. LOL! I'll plant leaf lettuce and radishes among the tomatoes because I will harvest them before the tomatoes get so big they shade them out. I have peas and beans on the trellises at the ends of the rows. The big pots on the side have taters in them. I'll layer in more compost as the plant grows and I usually get three layers of taters by doing it that way. I have onion sets tucked everywhere. In the beds where I planted more raspberries - because they are bareroot and will take a while to grow I made use of the space for this year anyway by planting broccoli, celeriac, etc. It's going to be fun to see what it all looks like a few weeks from now when all the seeds are up and the plants are getting bigger. I also make use of my garden space by growing things in hanging baskets on shepherd's hooks..usually cherry tomatoes, strawberries, etc. 

I've also tucked dwarf fruit trees here and there. I have apricot, pear, cherry, plum and apple. The one in the picture is a dwarf cherry tree I planted last year.


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## Jersey/guernsey

Well, I'm feeling that this morning. I just finished putting in 100 tomato plants, 280' of potato's and mulching in most of my Cole crops. Then two 50' rows of cucumbers, one 50' row of zucchini. Still have to run the hoses and plant beans, celery, and melons. Then its just fighting the weeds!


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## grandma12703

Just getting started good.


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## nascarwc88

Her are our potatoes.
View attachment 30004


Fred


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## FaithFirst

This is my garden. Yanked all the radishes out yesterday and hoed the corn and bare areas today. Tomorrow the kids and I will plant four or five more rows of corn and a few cucumber plants. A few watermelon later next week. Beans and peas are in bloom and the current crop of corn is over knee high. 

I don't have a lot of variety as I have minimal storage. My kids love sweet corn and its easy to give away to friends, that's why I plant so much.


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## JH-Q

Here's a little update of my garden. The garlic plants have grown really well, reaching about 70-80cm (2 2/3 feet already. I put a standard 1/3 liter (12 ounce) beer can in the picture for size reference. 

I've got 45m (150 feet) of onion row as well as 60m (200 feet) of broadbeans growing. Dill, parsley and chamomile in the herb garden. Rutabagas haven't sprouted yet. I might be trying some Daikon radishes too.

Still a lot of weeding to do, it's the first year on this plot and the amount of roots and seeds from weeds is huge...


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## PrettyPaisley

This is the view from my kitchen window tonight. My garden really grew over the past few days ! We staked cucumbers today, as well as hoed a gazillion peas - which I just learned were planted too early. Seems that's why they aren't "6 week peas" this time ! As you can see....this is not six acres !!


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## Mattie420

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Onions, peppers, potatoes, zucchini, corn. A little more than half of my garden. More coming


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## Jersey/guernsey

Garden is still growing, and the weeds are as well:run:


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## happyhenfarm

The garden is finally taking off


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## Adisiwaya

The misses helped me cut tire tops after we went to the other trailer park to claim some tires we seen before laying up by a trailer that is being scrapped out.. Wasn't hard as I thought but we are excited that we have added tire #2 to the potato tower. All of the crops are growing. The one behind ours is growing a lot faster than the one we have few trailers down. Soil has higher clay content and stays wet more. But few tomato's there are thriving better than behind ours (wrote down the name somewhere)... Forgot to mention keep tilling the soil between tomato's... But happy no more bird problems!!!


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## FaithFirst

My veggies and garden. First picture: tomatoes turning color. Second: the peppers and tomato plant in front of the house. Then peas I picked this morning. And last, the garden as of this morning. Corn in front of beans in front of corn. Can't wait to share what I can't can, freeze or eat fresh


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## organiac

So here are my current garden pics. 
Pic 1 sage chives mint broccoli
Pic 2 eggplant bush winter squash summer squash water melons growing on fence green beans recently planted in the back.
Pic 3 strawberry beds
Pic 4 onions lettuce beets
Pic 5 3 beds of potatoes
Pic 6 2 beds 10 varieties of tomatoes with basil interplanted.
Pic 7 broccoli and peas
Pic 8 new growth on a sapling I cut down and stuck in the dirt to make pea trellis.
Not pictured are peppers celery spinach more herbs and the radish and carrot beds.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

I would be embarassed to post pics of my garden lately, the *&#%@$?&[email protected]! Bermuda grass has been taking over everything. I hauled about a ton of wood chips home today to start mulching as i am clearing rows. I spent about 7 hours on my hands and knees today and only got 4 of my 15, 28 foot rows of green beans weeded. But, that is pulling every weed and bit of grass possible, roots and all. I have a 10 cubic foot wheel barrel, I filled it, 5 or six times heaping at least 10 inches over the top today, just from this 4 rows.
Every bit of it gets dumped in the pig pen, they enjoy it.
Will be back at it first thing in the morning.


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## FarmChix

It could be worse Dixie Bee....I am fighting moles again this year. I'm headed out this morning with a shovel. If I didn't live in town, it would be a shotgun--I'm so mad. Hubs spent a couple hundred dollars on the solar-operated, sound-making, waste of money mole repellers. They have unearthed my beans and peas more than once and are headed toward my tomatoes. Grrrrrrr If I finish my weeding today, I will post pics. Don't be surprised if there is a pile of moles in the front of the pic, though! LOL


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Farmchix, I understand your woes. Moles were constantly tearing up my front yard and garden last year, I haven't noticed as many this year. There are still some here, just not as bad as last year.


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## Hcampbe1

View attachment 30957


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Zinnea's just getting ready to pop


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## henryriverfarms

Garden has taken off. We should be picking green beans in a couple of weeks with peppers and tomatoes to follow.

The green beans are 6' high and full of blooms and small beans. I have two double rows 125' long.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Henryriver, please tell me about your gardens. How many tomato and pepper plants do you have?
All on plastic, so I assume drip tube irrigated? Do you lay the tube and plastic by hand or do you have a machine? How many acres?
Garden looks great.


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## henryriverfarms

This is the first year I have used plastic and yes it is with drip tape. I found a used machine this year and purchased it. I was planning on buying one in the next year or two but could not pass up this deal. We are currently putting all the profits from the Farmers Market back in the farm and this was money well spent.

I currently have on plastic, 325 tomato, 400 different peppers, squash, cucumbers, okra, lima beans, and green beans with the rows 125'. I have 4 empty rows that will be planted later this month.

I also have 2 rows each Athena Cantaloupe and Crimson Sweet Watermelon that are 200 foot long on plastic with drip.

We also have 11 rows of 2 different type of potatoes, 4 rows field peas, 6 rows sweet corn, and 4 rows of pollen-less cut sun flowers 200 foot long

1500 onions, lettuce and garlic.

I work 45 hours at my job per week so I have to find something to help take the labor of the garden down some. The plastic has really helped. I am currently irrigating every other day for one hour since fruit has set and during this hour it gives my time to harvest or take care of a few weeds.

Currently running about 2.5 ac and going to 3-3.5 next year...maybe.

Here is a picture of me laying plastic and drip


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## Adisiwaya

henryriverfarms said:


> This is the first year I have used plastic and yes it is with drip tape. I found a used machine this year and purchased it. I was planning on buying one in the next year or two but could not pass up this deal. We are currently putting all the profits from the Farmers Market back in the farm and this was money well spent.
> 
> I currently have on plastic, 325 tomato, 400 different peppers, squash, cucumbers, okra, lima beans, and green beans with the rows 125'. I have 4 empty rows that will be planted later this month.
> 
> I also have 2 rows each Athena Cantaloupe and Crimson Sweet Watermelon that are 200 foot long on plastic with drip.
> 
> We also have 11 rows of 2 different type of potatoes, 4 rows field peas, 6 rows sweet corn, and 4 rows of pollen-less cut sun flowers 200 foot long
> 
> 1500 onions, lettuce and garlic.
> 
> I work 45 hours at my job per week so I have to find something to help take the labor of the garden down some. The plastic has really helped. I am currently irrigating every other day for one hour since fruit has set and during this hour it gives my time to harvest or take care of a few weeds.
> 
> Currently running about 2.5 ac and going to 3-3.5 next year...maybe.
> 
> Here is a picture of me laying plastic and drip


Wow wow wow wow.... I'm jealous big time. What do you mean by drip Tape I'm curious?


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Your set up sounds close to what I am trying to build up to


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## henryriverfarms

Adisiwaya said:


> Wow wow wow wow.... I'm jealous big time. What do you mean by drip Tape I'm curious?


Drip tape is a thin wall hose laid under the plastic. When the irrigation is running it has a constant drip spaced according to the type of tape (hose) purchased. My tape has a drip every 8 inches. Some tape my be every 12", etc. 

I have a pressure regulator on my mainline that keeps the water pressure around 8-12 psi otherwise the pump would blow holes in the tape. I use a gas powered pump and pump out of the river. They have the regulators to hook to household outside faucets if needed.

I buy most of my irrigation supplies from http://www.berryhilldrip.com/


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## crazyfarm

My garden is coming up just fine!


----------



## Kasota

Here are some pictures I took today. Our growing season is so short up here but I will be making the most of it!


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## Homesteader

Well, here's the latest pics of ours, although it doesn't show the raised beds, which are now planted to a new seeding of cukes and corn. Here are the onions, carrots, melons, chard row #2, potatoes, chard row #1 (hard to see here), dill, cilantro, peppers (120 peppers), tomatoes, bean patch and small corn patch.

]


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## xCSx

about 1/4th of my scapes:










My yard is .15 acres including my house... planted 100 garlics this year


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## PrettyPaisley

View attachment 31819


This was from this morning. We took it into town and sold it so I dodged an "all weekend in the kitchen" bullet. . The pea picking should start Monday and so should several beans. We spent all afternoon fighting the weeds and the last hour or so being rained on. I'm hoping to take pictures by the end of the weekend once we get the weed thing under better control.


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## Kasota

What beautiful baskets of bounty!


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## PrettyPaisley

Thank you ! We took them to town and sold them all at the first place we stopped. There are three other stands in this group and when I got in the car all I could think was I needed a garden three times what I have.


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## belladulcinea

Everyone has such beautiful gardens! I'll have to get some pictures of ours!


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## dodgesmammaw

Kasota can you please tell me what the plant is growing in the first pic? My guess is bok choy. All the gardens are lovely.


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## Kasota

Thank you so much! You are right - it is bok choy. I've never grown it myself before and I'm really pleased with how well it's doing. 

We've had a LOT of rain this year. I haven't had to water my raised beds at all. So all the lettuce is doing great. My heat-loving plants are lagging but that's the way it goes up here in the north.


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## big rockpile

My Garden is doing well even getting it out so late. Went by the Chicken House too. The Lord is providing so well.





big rockpile


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## grandma12703

It is going good now.


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## FarmChix

I found some pics of my garden. We scaled back this year with the house being on the market. We have fought deer and moles...had to re-plant a couple times. Will be a later than normal harvest for us, but that is also attributed to the weather issues we had during our monsoon season. (I am being facetious....we just had so much rain it took forever for the ground to dry to a point where we could plant.) Six different tomatoes, including tomatillos and husk cherries (grape tomatillos), brussel sprouts, pole and bush beans, lima beans, peas, cucumbers, beets, radishes, turnips, carrots, asparagus, strawberries, four different peppers, melons...you get the picture. *pardon the pun* Looks like I need to get out and mow between the rows!


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## grandma12703

This years garden is so exciting. Everything is doing good! Lots of good meals coming from this years harvest. Tonight was stuffed zucchini, cucumber salad and homegrown green beans. It doesn't get much better than that.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Not a picture of the garden itself, but some very nice peppers I just picked from the garden.
A couple purple bell peppers, few green bells, a yellow bell, and some banana peppers.
Have a couple dozen or more jalepenos I could pick, but I want them to get much bigger.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Our peas were a miserable failure this year. Out of 4 28foot rows, we only got enough peas for one meal. The area they were at in the garden is now refine.
I pulled the plants a few weeks ago and tilled the soil, let it sit empty until yesterday. I planted 2 rows of chick peas and 3 rows of beets.
I have never grown chick peas before so I don't know how well they will do, but I think i have plenty of time for the beets to grow before the end of our growing season.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Zucchini anyone?


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## crazyfarm

My garden is growing quickly. Need to add another tire to the potatoes. Asparagus is doing very well. Corn and beans are bigger than any I've ever seen in my area before. I'm finding the straw bale gardening technique to be an utter failure though. While the stuff is growing in it it's not growing well, in spite of my continued fertilization. The pumpkin seeds I planted in it are tiny compared to the ones I planted 2 weeks later in the big raised bed. It's weird.

My other issue is with the onions. In one of the onion plots army ants have taken up residence. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not? I say that because I thought it was awful until I pulled up a weed and unearthed a grub worm in the onions. The army ants attacked it. So that's good right?


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## hercsmama

Here are some pics of mine, going well finally. We had a late blizzard in May and June we got so much rain that I had to replant twice!


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## hercsmama

Zucchini and Lebanese Squash coming out our ears!!


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## Kasota

Oh, that Lebanese Squash just makes me drooooool! Your gardens look heavenly!


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## hercsmama

Posting this to see if the 8th page will show up for me....what on earth is going on with the site lately?


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## Dixie Bee Acres

I am on the 8th page. Only your post, #212, and Kasota's post, #211 are on this page.
Unless there are other posts that aren't showing for me either.


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## Kasota

I am on the 11th page.  More pages for me because my eyesight is not what it used to be and I have the page set to a very large font. LOL!  Last post I see is DixieBee #213


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## postroad

Here is a view of the main area of our market garden.

https://www.facebook.com/6821982018...41828.682198201828698/682208598494325/?type=1


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## henryriverfarms

I have not had time to take a picture of the garden due to harvest. We have a 200% increase in harvest compared to this time last year...it is about to kill me!

I can attribute most of the increase to the plastic and drip irrigation. Here is a picture of our stand at the Farmers Market. We are considering going to two tents.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Wow! That is fantastic!
I picked another 1 1/2 five gallon buckets of cucumbers this morning. We picked all of our onions last night.
Green beans have been slowing down, peppers are all doing good, but tomatoes are still in limbo. Able to pick 2 or 3 every other day or so. The rest of the week it is supposed to get up to 80, I hope that helps them.


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## Osiris

Big disappointment this year for me. Nothing grew. Onions dies off, tomatoes are still 10 inches tall. Cukes finally took off. Peppers didn't take at all. Only got about a dozen corn. All in all a failed crop this year. Sure glad I ain't doin this for a living. 
But the taters did good! I pulled a few to see what was goin on down there! Red Norlands, purple majesty, all blue, kennebecs and yellow finn. 
Of course, next year I can't grow them in the same spot so my tater crop will be considerably smaller. 
For me it's just fun. Wish I had the land to do more.


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## mathieu1881

Been picking beans for the last few weeks and got this amount every week. Considering the row is only 15 feet long, i think it's great. A little bonus this week with two cukes brought back in the home. They usually disapear before i get back in the house. Tomatoes are starting to ripen but up here in quebec, Canada it takes forever. Been eating a few beets here and there. Overall my little 450 sq feet garden is producing good for the little family. Sure would hope to get garden like yours.


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## Kasota

Mathieu1881, I have a smaller garden than most of the folks here but even so I am grateful for the fresh things it puts on the table! I love looking at those big sprawling farm gardens but at my age and with all I have on my plate taking care of my elderly mom I could not likely keep up with them anyway. So I treasure what I have.  

Found a little fledgling robin sitting in a potato plant. Wasn't but 5 minutes later that the rest of the crew flew the nest, too.


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## postroad

Only August the fourth and a few melons are ripe! In Manitoba. First for me having melons ripening the first week in August.

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=687832817931903&id=682198201828698


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Melons for you, pumpkins for me. This one is over 20#. Never had them ripen this soon before, have a couple others starting to turn Orange.


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## postroad

Its a while till October. Who says one has to wait till fall for a pumpkin pie anyway?


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## Dixie Bee Acres

My thoughts as well. I will take this guy to the farmers market Friday. If it sells, it sells. If not, it goes in for surgery.


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## puddlejumper007

beans are coming on and tomatoes ripening...yeah.....


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## Wulfespirit

Took a few photos tonight... and yes I know you guys are way ahead of me but I'm in zone 3 (on a good year)... 

I have about 50 bushes that look just like this - need to do something about it this week!










With the last several weeks of heat and sun my tomatoes have become quite the jungle many of the bushes 5 feet tall and just as wide. Need to start pruning/topping/suckering pronto.










A few blushers..



















The moths have yet to touch any of my kale this year... the below plant is growing amidst beans and chard while the next one is the largest patch I planted (surrounded by carrots and chard).



















Peppers are doing alright.. neither great nor poor, I'll be harvesting some greens soon for various soups and stir fries.



















Chard's been doing great. I've been making chard burritos with the large leaves regularly (yum).


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## Kasota

A few things picked tonight...


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## Homesteader

This morning's haul:


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## haypoint

Bottom half of a broken Shop-Vac I found in the ditch. Straw/compost/dirt filled up most of the way. A short piece of junk fencing wired to the container. Not cherry tomatoes, not beefsteak either. Just a medium variety.

The manure pile has lots of horse manure, oat straw, spoiled hay and sand. I add to the west end and use off the east end. This year, I bought 3 Squash plants and 3 pumpkin plants. Jus shoved them into the manure pile and left them alone. I didn't do any weeding, so there are some weeds, but didn't seem to hurt the squash.


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## haypoint

The "tomato cage" has 2 inch by 4 inch openings, barely big enough for my hand to reach into. No idea how many squash are there, will find out after the first frost. It is in the horse pasture, but the horses aren't interested in it. Smells like horse manure? Squash in picture are 7 or 8 inches long. Leaves are huge.


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## haypoint

--------------------------------


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## Jhn56

Pulled 3 clusters of the Covington's, looks like the sweet taters are ready!


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## Dixie Bee Acres

My 11 year old and 14 year old with some pumpkins


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## potts410

These first two pictures are of part of our garden. About half is my great aunts that her and some of her family members maintain. The other half is mine and my dad's that we maintain.









This one, although I didn't grow these. We're an end if season score when the local garden store was GIVING AWAY their after Halloween pumpkins.


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## MNBobcat

Homesteader said:


> Well, here's the latest pics of ours, although it doesn't show the raised beds, which are now planted to a new seeding of cukes and corn. Here are the onions, carrots, melons, chard row #2, potatoes, chard row #1 (hard to see here), dill, cilantro, peppers (120 peppers), tomatoes, bean patch and small corn patch.
> 
> ]


Looks like our soil. Do you have to use a lot of compost or other amendments to get stuff to grow in the sand?


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## StarofHearts

Just planted my kale and lettuce!


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## Raffo

Alien plant could I D this plant ?t


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## Danaus29

plantsinsights said:


> Can any one guide me what plant is this ?
> View attachment 110404
> View attachment 110404
> View attachment 110404
> View attachment 110404


Castor Bean


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## Danaus29

plantsinsights said:


> *Is Calathea a prayer plant?*


Google says yes.


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## GTX63

Not our garden, but it belongs to a good friend of my wife. She grows it herself and what isn't eaten is canned. Most of our stuff is now grown in greenhouses. What you see is the result of a lot of daily work on her part.


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