Crimson Red Sports

Me and dad started one about two weeks ago. Corn, Purple Hull Peas, Mators, Broccoli, Cabbage, Bell Pepper and Carrots.

I'm gonna start a herb garden @ my house tomorrow.

My wife, works for the school system here in Phenix City-Al, and said that next year...the cafeteria will DOUBLE the prices on the kids!

I also heard a big 'spike' in groceries this/next year were increasing...

Wouldn't be a bad time to start planning ahead folks...

Here is a link to the 'Farmers Almanac' plantin an veggie guide...Good Luck!

http://www.almanac.com/plants/type/vegetable?utm_source=Almanac+Companion&utm_campaign=b8daf52e85-Almanac+Companion_March_10_2011&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=b8daf52e85&mc_eid=e1a45d883c

I use to have one every year till my back went out and I had to quit. My wife had some bucket stuff last year but this year we have quit. We will be going to the Farmers Market @ Montgomery probably. RTR!

I hate to hear that ricky. I hope I didn't start to Early...
I do have some of that grass netting that I put over the garden tonight...hopefully, I can get through the chill factor of march/april and on to some warm rays of spring SOON.

Not started, it'll freeze again before april

Usually have some corn that I raise to sell to friends, family, co-workers, etc.  Didn't do well last year at all so I'm thinking about not doing it this year.  Problem is, I've already had folks asking about it so I might do some anyways.  Maybe some tomatos and peppers and okra...

This thread seems like a good one for a tiller review.

I do not have a tiller but I was looking at a pretty cheap one in sears the other day, the mini or whatever for 200 bucks.  I know tillers can get really expensive and in general you get what you pay for....

Discuss.

If I had a tractor with a 3-pt hitch, I'd get a roto-tiller attachment to use.  Those things are great for preparing the soil. 

I am in tractor limbo, fix old one (again) or buck up and buy one.  Waiting to see how my next contract looks...

I was looking at the little walk behinds, I dont have that big of a garden, 10-12 tomato plants and various other veggies.

Yeah, my parents and I usually put in about 1/2 acre of veggies.  Probably won't do much this year since they are experiencing deteriorating health...

I'll set out some tomato plants but not 'til after the middle of April.

(http://www.landpride.com/images/images_rt/main_rt.jpg)

My frost free date is not until June 1, but we can plant "cold weather crops" in May that are not killed by frost. Cabbage, broccoli, carrots, onions, etc. We can maybe 100 qts of tomatos, 100 qts corn, 100 qts half runners. Now is the time to start plants indoors from seed in warmer climates.

Yep we are, we've put onions out already. But we're waiting on everything else

I know I'm takin a high risk at planting early, but I found some of that fiberglass mesh screen that they use when planting grass. I put that stuff over the garden, so hopefully it will soak up some sun,whist,protecting the young seedlings...I hope.

Hope so too. fresh garden vegetables can't be beat

 :pray:X2

Eventually, we'll plant a small one.  A few tomato plants, peppers and a few Japanese eggplants.  These eggplants are small and slender - great for slicing in half, layering Parmesan cheese (or whatever kind you like) on the sliced side and baking. 

We don't really have a good space in the yard for a garden because of all the trees so we use a small plot of our neighbor's field.  Since he died, neither his wife nor us wants to fool with hooking up the garden plow so we all have greatly reduced our gardens.

Not being argumentative but hooking a plow or tiller to a tractor only takes maybe 10 minutes.

Three reasons prevent me from having a garden.

1.  Not allowed where I live.
2.  I have a black thumb, I cannot grow anything.
3.  I'm a teacher and am gone for weeks at a time during the summer.

But I love fresh vegetables from the garden.  Luckily, there are several farmers markets close to me.

The ground is plowed but is currently underwater from all the rain.  :-(
There are about 50 tomato plants currently growing in the hot house.

Well my best advice is use a set of Harrows with a tractor and cut it up good. Then take a set of All-Purpose plows and cut it up really fine and as deep as you can go. If you have never fertilized, I like to put Cow Manure or Horse and plow that in real good then you won't have to buy so much fertilizer. You should already have your Cabbage and Onions out if your planting them. I have always from a tot planted my Garden on Good Friday. Good Friday has the Moon right and shouldn't be no more Frost hopefully. I hope I was of help. RTR!

I've seen your garden in the past. If it's anything like it was last year, you would probably win this years garden/veggie patch, hands down!

I'll give ya a + to get you started...

Last year, I had my first garden in a long time. But I HATE weeding so I did gardening different. I bought 2 of the hard plastic swimming pools at walmart and about 4 bags of garden soil. In one pool, I planted all my tomatoes (5 plants I think) and bell peppers. In the other pool, I planted okra, cucumbers and 2 watermelon plants. In a separate pot, I planted 1 red pepper plant. Everything grew well except the cucumbers and watermelons.  My red pepper plant bloomed and lived until about 3 weeks ago!!
I know that's the lazy way to garden but besides the fact that I hate weeding - we are also renting this house so really couldn't till the yard.  It was plenty for us. I'm tempted this year to buy a 3rd pool and plant a little corn.  There are just the 2 of us here so we don't need a lot.

That is called raised bed gardening. Watermelon vines run all over the place and would have been "out of the pool" in no time, had they flourished. Seems it would've taken a lot more bags of top soil to fill up a pool?

They were the small blue pools at walmart and I bought 5 bags total of garden soil. The watermelons and cucumbers did run but i directed them over the pool and to the ground. Well, the cucumbers I also directed towards the fence so they could climb there.
It was well worth it for us though.

Lord, if I had ya'lls growing season I could feed a third world country. The key to gardening is soil preparation and it is an ongoing process. Basic clay, found below your layer of top soil is loaded with vitamins and minerals. The trouble is, it compacts and causes drainage issues.
  Plow your garden area as deep as possible, turning over 12-20 inches  even if with only a shovel. Chop up and blend the clay/topsoil mix. Sand can be added to help break up the clay and keep it from cloying.  Next is compost. It comes in many forms, but basically you want enough to cover your garden in a 4-6 inch layer. I would till that up and then layer again with compost--the more the merrier.
  Composted manure is what you are looking for to enhance your soil. Raw, straight manure is chock full of weed seed and smells bad. You want manure that has baked under a tarp for a year. You can tell when manure is properly composted because it stops stinking when cooked (by the sun dummie). Of course yard waste is beneficial but also needs composting. Grass cuttings, leaves, and kitchen waste (no meat) can be recycled into your gardens. Coffee grounds, egg shells (rinsed), and other scraps all have benefit.

When breaking sod for a new garden, remove the sod (grass) and move to (maybe) other problem areas of your yard.

Each year add more composted manure to your garden, preferably in the fall. I like to use my tractor post hole digger to dig about a million holes about 15" deep in my garden. I then fill the holes with composted manure (I buy it by the trailer load) and allow to "percolate" over the winter. The idea is to create a nice aerated, well draining soil. Your soil is the backbone of your garden, and proper preparation will make you look like a superstar, come harvest time.

Mushroom compost is sold at garden stores and is GOLD for your soil.

More later.


 

What a great idea.  I have a friend who loves to garden, but can't because she rents.  I'm going to pass this on to her, it's perfect.

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRsSNfTqdH3mOyCSz842mRBmpmOqikypaoNLueeXzlUMxMMlt0N)

Poor ol' BAMAWV's choice of tomato plants. I buy my plants at a farmers market and always try to get the biggest, healthiest ones. You can save money with the little 8 pack plants, but if you want to save bucks, you may as well buy from the farmers market as one poster previously noted. If you do buy the 6 pack/8-pack take them home and immediately repot them into larger containers. Sellers of plants want them as big as possible for the container, and the plants are typically on the verge of being root bound.

My preference is the MORTGAGE LIFTER. I posted a picture above. The picture looks like the plants are half dead. Wrong. Healthy plants quit worrying about foliage later in the growing season and concentrate their efforts to developing great big, juicy, flavorful tomatoes. The MORTGAGE LIFTER is a large, meaty, flavor packed tomato that has fewer seeds which makes it ideal for eating OR canning. They do not ship well which explains why they are not prevalent in your grocer's produce section. The down side is that they take a long time to vine ripen.

We normally plant a few different varieties to tide (ROLL) us over until the MORTGAGE LIFTERS mature. The Goliath is a flavorful tomato, but more importantly, it will bear fruit way before other varieties. The Ox Heart is a good tomato. I've found a stripee that is good but the name escapes me. BeefSteaks sound big and delicious but we rate those with hydroponic tomatoes. Look great, but no flavor.

I use 1"x2"x6' tomato stakes. I drive them 20" deep and sometimes the woman makes me put in 2 per plant. The Volkswagon size Mortgage Lifter plants act as a sail in heavy winds, so if you don't want them on the ground, secure properly. She reties the tomato plant all summer as the plants grow., usually using cut up old bed sheets, but there are many ideas of what to use. I made cages out of welded wire fence once, but they blew over, every time it stormed. Trust me, even though I picked UGA yesterday over Bama, --the two stake method is the best. It is game time now, UK-Bama, so I have to take off my Farmer hat and put on the Hoops hat. BTW, this is really the same thread worn Crimson hat. RTR      

With any above ground planting container, I would recommend drilling drainage holes. The obvious is that it'll prevent root rot. Less obvious is that a huge rain storms may wash your plants and soil onto your patio.

Oh yeah, I forgot that part. I took the power drill and drilled holes into the bottoms of both pools.  Thanks for reminding me.   I'm thinking of somehow making a little platform for the pools this year.. to keep the off the grass. Not sure yet if I'll do it or not. Grass doesn't seem to grow much at this place so there are several spots I can put the pools that doesn't kill grass since it's not there anyway. I'm thinking just about 5-6 inches off the ground.

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRDN8wE2Gu8LOSWQu5PN2np4-SY4LIys_wtstdRmNXHj5QzepbaEg)

Great pictures. My garden was much smaller.  Here are a couple of pictures. We had to keep cleaning out those leaves.. darn tree wouldn't stop dropping

(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee95/braves4me1/2010-04-19182025-1.jpg)

(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee95/braves4me1/1273699210865.jpg)

HALF RUNNER GREEN BEANS: You have to string 'em before cooking but that is really not my problem. It is worth the extra effort in flavor. Above is the closest picture I could find like my green bean teepee. By time to pick, you can take two 5 gallon bucket inside the teepee and pick in the shade. The beans dangle straight down from the foliage at eye level for easy picking. Sit on one bucket and fill the other with God's bounty.

There are other techniques, but years ago I dug a post hole, and sank a 4"x4"x8' treated post. I drove a large nail on top of the post. Each year I tie a 5-6' string to the post and draw a circle about 5' from the post. I then drive stakes, 1 per 12"-16", around the circumference.  I then plant HALF RUNNER BEAN seeds about every 6" to 8" around the circle. As the plants begin to grow tendrils (for climbing), I run a teepee of string. Start from the top of the post, pull your string to the stake, wrap and back to the nail on top. Keep repeating, but leave youself a "door".

Easy, convenient, space conserving, and "yard art" for the garden. Mine looks far more attractive than the picture above (to the gardeners eye). I also plant cucumbers (from plants) and zuchini inside the circle. The cucumbers will mature before the beans, and the shade from the growing bean climbers, will maybe extend your cucumber/zuchini season. Yields 100 qts. of HALF RUNNER green beans. Again, trust me. 

Thanks for this. We may try to do this also.  Would be enough to can for us to last a while.
# to you

Horse trough for watering the garden.

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpgfBYvg7-I9j4X1A6IG7SsjFkBdFVpS3j1HnxjRw_5DI5HSFKlg)

I put a couple of these in the garden. I fill them with the hose, but not before adding a 5 gallon bucket or two of rabbit manure. The water warms in the sun, which is much better than shocking plants with cold well water. The rabbit manure in the trough allows you to feed as you water. I use five gallon buckets to water the garden plants. Allows you to water deeply to assure the roots get saturated. Manure tea. Trust me--huge tip.

(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCmyorskVE2RXcGNfmHn-jAwB3hiqfvscr5-t6QZC77d_TLYry)Thanks for noticing me. #

This is where the garden will be....

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/allieodd/March%2009/DSCF0954.jpg)

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/allieodd/March%2009/DSCF0948.jpg)

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/allieodd/March%2009/DSCF0966-1.jpg)

Right now it is a better spot for a pool than a garden. :D

Good luck with your garden this year. RTR!

That is where I keep telling them we should put the cement pond.  :
 8)

Last year we had close to 14o tomatoes, 10 or 12 rows of corn, 4 rows of okra, waayyyy too many squash and cucumbers, peas, butterbeans, string beans, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, orange bell peppers, hot peppers, banana peppers...

I'm sure I'm leaving something out.

Confession:  "they" had all that.  Since a 5'8'' rattlesnake was killed a few feet from the garden I don't get it it once the plants are too big for me to see the ground.
I'm only 5'3'' ...  scared me too death.

I wouldn't enter it either. No way, no how! me + snakes = panic

You guys have a huge garden.  that'd be too much for us to do.

I'm jealous of the corn and butterbeans!! Our purple bell peppers didn't grow very big at all. they weren't even baseball size. I tried red, green and purple. only the green grew even close to normal size.

California Wonders

[/quote] California Wonders
[/quote]

where would I find them?

California Wonders
[/quote]

where would I find them?
[/quote] Lowe's, Wal Mart, garden centers.

Thanks BAMAWV

De nada

We freeze and can lots of it.
We normally have about 150 tomato plants...  salsa, tomatoe sauce, homemade spaghetti sauce, etc- all in the freezer.

My 'colored' bell peppers aren't ever as big as the ones in the store but theyre good and much better than paying $2-$3 for a red bell pepper.

Sidenote:  The guy who killed the snake used a hoe..  There is no way in hell I'd get close enough to do that.  I would've called 911 and put up with the grief everyone would've given me for doing it. 

Wow this garden has gotten big now with all these pages. RTR!

I never thought it would have gotten this far...lol

Kudos for the great insights & tips from our members on here.

Thanks!

If you knew what I knew you probably wouldn't let your kids play in that mud like that, by the looks of that barn, that is a farm historically. 

It is a process. What is wrong with mud, Smitty?

Alabama has naturally high arsenic and lead.  Plus, if it's a historical farm, you have pesticides and unique bacteria to children.  Also wouldn't be surprised if there is old cow dip or two.  

In particular, it looks like they are playing in the low spot.  That would be like getting in a farm pond.

Could it be why my youngest child and my brothers oldest child are so hardheaded and stubborn???

That's actually in the back-back of my yard.  (toward the very back of the field behind my house)  There's been a garden there all the 29 years of my life.   :o
I played in that mud when I was little.
(might explain a lot) 

We have had the soil tested but I don't know if they'd check for things like that.  We were more interested in the acidity and where the best spot for the tomatoes would be. 

The mud pics were year before last... maybe they've outgrown it. 

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/allieodd/DSC00063.jpg)

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/allieodd/March%2009/DSCF1019.jpg)

(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/allieodd/March%2009/DSCF0959.jpg)

BTW- I hate that barn but my dad won't let me destroy it,,, he had my property line drawn up around the barn and the fig tree so I don't technically own either.
I've told him when he's gone both of those will be  soon to follow. 

And exactly what is wrong with fig trees? ???

Ricky-

If you like tomatoes buy a couple of Topsy Turvy Tomato holders and plant your favorite types in them and hang them from a tall bird feeder.  I love the yellow pear tomato so I planted that in a Topsy Turvy so I wouldn't have to bend over.  It had so many tomatoes and the vine got so long I draped it over an ornamental metal stand I had.  I took a sucker from it and planted it in a large pot and let it run up the basketball pole.  It got too high for me to reach.  I picked my tomatoes without bending over while Hedduk planted some in the field that did okay but not as well as mine.  This year we are planting 2 topsy turvy's - reusing ours and one we got from his son's house when he moved.  I plan to dump out the soil and replace it with fresh potting soil.  (I have back trouble too).

I have a friend who made their own topsy turvy holders using 5 gallon buckets. If you google, I bet you can find instructions on how to make your own.

Kids are a dime a dozen but what got my attention is planting in an area with poor drainage. It could be a recipe for disaster. BTW, I don't even watch the Topsy Turvy commercials on TV for fear of being laughed at by the entire gardening world.

Plants vs. Seeds:

I am climatically challenged in this area of WV (mtns). My frost free date is not until June 1. By September 1 the threat of a freeze returns. We start our own plants, from time to time, from seed but for the most part buy plants. But with the short growing season, every move has to be calculated.

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zuchini, brocholi, watermelon, cantelope, are all started with plants. I have even started my onions from plants, instead of sets, but they are hard to find. Corn, beans, carrots, radishes, pumpkins, etc. started by seed. But I have more than once started my corn indoors to try to get a jump (I'll start a corn comment next).

This is a big house (7bdrm) but there is really no suitable window for starting seedlings. I wanted to make the girls sleep with the boys to use the empty beds for seed starting, but it seems child protective services gets crappy about that stuff.

But even buying plants is a challenge in itself. Your garden centers, and most definitely my garden center, put plants out way too early. They hope you will kill those, and come back for more. But if you wait to buy them, all the nice plants (and seed racks) will be gone. We end up moving plants in and out of the garage each day until planting time, which gets tedious.

Saving the seeds from your produce at the end of the season will provide seeds for next year. Starting seeds indoors will save money. But gardening is in itself a escape from the drudgeries of day to day life and if you get in it to save money...

 

 

That was after a 2 inch rain..  everything had drainage issues.  Since then there has been a drainage ditch built...

The fig tree is huge and takes up a huge part of my yard.,.  my dad doesn't prune it and I'm allergic to it.

The kids love it though...  climbing thru it during the off season is a treat, apparently.  Id add pics but Ive consumed this thread with enough pics already.

Everyone has their personal favorite variety of corn. Mine is PEACHES AND CREAM. A 70 day corn, it yields large, full ears and the flavor is the best I have found.

Put a drop or two of cooking oil on your silks and you will never see worms again. Sucker your corn as you do your tomatoes, or not. Start your seed on substantial, well tilled rows to allow for deep roots. Always plant several rows (not one long row) to assure proper cross pollination. I use bird netting to keep crows and squirrels from eating my seed or starters.

BAMA - just wanted to let you know that I did find seeds for California Wonder Bell Peppers. I'm going to plant those and see if I have better luck this year. Thank you :)

Our onions seem to be coming along nicely so far

Too late for this season, but does anyone have asparagus beds. Heirloom.

So far...so good at the farm. No problems with the seedlings that have come up. We are blessed with the warmth we have had, and everything looks great!......:crossingfingers:

Thanks for all the gardening tips and discussion everyone.  It's a great way for beginning gardeners to learn. BAMAWV....I am copying everything you said about soil preparation and growing plants.  Tidefan....thanks for the Farmer's Almanac link....everyone else's input too.


I have grown a few vegetables in the backyard before....but not really much of a garden.  Just spots of some things. This year, I plan to do a little more.


QUESTION: :-\
How did the farmers of old times grow fields of vegetables by just plowing up the soil using mules and dropping seeds? Will vegetables grow in decent backyard soil without all the fertilizer and bother?   Why is soil preparation more important today?

Thanks.  

Soil prepararation was as important then as it is now. I imagine early farmers used compost and composted manure. Also they added nails to planting holes for iron or fish for potassium. BTW, I've tried plowing using a draft horse and it would be an extremely long day.

Thanks BAMAWV.  Good information.  I have wondered about that for quite a while.

The Older farmers fertilize at a proper time wehn planting. You plow a furough strow fertilizer down the row. Drop in your seeds. Cover with 1/4" dirt. Make sure you don't have birds and crows bothering your spot. If you put plants in the ground make sure to put in water first bury down next to the 1 set of leaves. Cover the hole good, and break off a little piece of stub like a mtach stem and put down beside your Mater plants. Reason you ask: To keep the cut worms from cutting down your plants. Good luck. RTR!

Thanks Ricky.  I'm learning more about gardening here than from reading books and web articles.

One thing for sure.....FARMERS WORK HARD.  I just hope to find the energy to make a successful small garden.

Well Crimson I grew up on a Farm with my Dad and Grandma and I learned to plow a mule at the age of 13. Feeding chickens in chicken houses and raising cattle. RTR!

FIFY

You can call me CP Ricky. ;)  Everyone else does.

I grew up on a pretend farm about six blocks from town.  I guess this would be outlawed today.  We lived on 15 fenced-in acres with two large ponds (with row boats) and a barn.    I was usually outside with my brother and two sisters.

We had white faced Hereford cows and a prize bull, Tennessee walking horses, a few Shetland ponies, fish (bass and bream), turtles, wild ducks that spent the winters on the ponds, a pen full of birddogs, bantam chickens that went anywhere they pleased, a goat, several geese, lots of dogs and cats, and a wonderful peacock that paraded around the yard and slept in the oak tree in our front yard.  Peacocks are very loud sometimes, and it had a yell that sounded like a child screaming for help.  My mother never could tell the difference and finally made my father get rid of the peacock.

Cattle, farming, and hunting were some of my dad’s hobbies.  He rented a farm in Fairview (12 miles down the road) and grew some things.  Other than that, he had a business in town that supported us.



****I realize now how blessed I was to have been given such a wholesome and protected childhood.  Of course, we had our share of tragedies the same as other families.

Mine is growing like weeds

(http://www.cannabis-pictures.com/commersial-cannabis-growing.jpg)

You need to buy a hoe--no, not ho. I have seven or eight hoes--not hos. Different shapes for different uses. Big hoes, little hoes, pointed hoes. Ho Ho Ho.

Several years ago I moved the vegetable garden closer to the house-- it has kept the deer away. For those with deer problems, there are many tricks that people swear upon. Some hang bars of soap, some use human hair or coyote urine. Others use electric fences or even aluminum pans, plastic bags, and scarecrows banging in the wind. The only solution I know of that is 100% fool proof is a 11' electric fence with razor wire and guards in towers armed with high powered rifles. This may work.

Deer solution: 
Child #1 opens the window
Child #2 holds the spotlight
Child #1 zings them with pellet gun.

The next time they swap positions.

The deer aren't hurt, the neighbors don't complain about the noise, my dog doesn't go nuts and chase the deer... (he sleeps right thru it)

I seriously doubt the deer have been hit that often.

Coyote urine?  Now that should be easy to find. ;)

They are hard to corner. No, it is on the shelf at Southern States.

Our dogs go nuts by the scent of deer in the air. But don't go out of town for a few days. The deer see the newspapers piling up on your porcch...

I'm trying tomatoes, bell peppers, and strawberries again.  I have bird issues.  We also go out of town 2 weeks every July and stuff just gets burned up in the Houston heat right as it is ready to plant.  The thing I can grow well is herbs EXCEPT cilantro.  I'm on my 4th try.  This one I decided to keep indoors on my kitchen window because I was told by a good gardener that it is a cold weather plant here.  Well, it turned yellow and died.  The girl at Kroger said it likes to be dry so I am thinking of giving it one more shot...I sure need some for the tex-mex we eat around here. 

We plant strawberries in the fall?

Well I dunno...the local strawberry picking place is selling plants now as is my nursery.  The nursery usually closes out non-seasonal small stuff like that so who knows. 

Any ideas about cilantro?

lmao...only you Bill, could have this many weeds man...LOL #

Actually, it looks like you're growin a Christmas Tree farm in the middle of your garden bro. 8)

That's not pine you smell!   :)

This was real living my compliments. RTR!

Well...........the gardens trashed after that storm. Looks like a herd of cattle went through the place. >:( :(

I'm just gonna bucket some mator plants for now.

Anyone else have any major damages?

Yeah that'll getcha arrested a hoe won't

Well sometimes if you start over it is better the 2nd time around than the first. RTR!

Well?...no one has any problems? Good. Right now, the price of mators, Veggies...and Food in general is SOARING. If I could grow Beef out of the ground I would. It's up too...

Get with it America. I'm startin over again. I will NOT pay what they are askin at the markets right now... Me and Dad are scheming at makin another run at it.

What say ye?

If you think you will grow a garden to save money, you need to work on your math skills, with all due respect.

Math has nothing to do with it. Nature plays a tremendous part, on how we interact with life...I'm going with the odds, and so are my family members...with all do respect.

Now I have a good idea of what you are planning to grow, to make money to buy produce...with all due respect.  Please tell me you didn't get suckered into buying the "Heirloom Seeds Doomsday Survival Kit". Even raiding your neighbors garden in the dead of night has costs involved, hence the math skills necessary to add them all up.  But being the #1Tide fan I am sure you have all that figured out. RTR

How does your garden grow?

Now that we are getting some rain my 6 tomato plants are doing good. I expect to start reaping my harest in mid-July.

I have watered from the garden hose and it helps but it is amazing the growth right after a rain shower.

I have a small vegetable garden in the backyard.  It is doing beautifully right now.  I am growing squash, tomotoes, okra, cucumbers, and bush beans.  It will be fun to harvest and cook it.

I didn't put much money into it, and basically worked on a little section every day until I got it done.  I enjoyed the physical exercise and sunshine. The seeds and fertilizer didn't cost much at all.   

I downsized this year, just 3 tomato plants in pots, 2 tomatoes in hanging baskets, 1 pepper and 1 eggplant. Got them in late but they are really doing well. Maybe I can buy some okra and squash from CP.

About the only thing that will grow in my area right now is a cactus. It is so dry, we haven't had very much of the rain that has been happening each day.

It looks like I will have tons of squash. ;D  It looks like every seed I planted came up and thrived.  Lots of okra too.  The tomato plants are coming up but still young.  Same with the beans.

Other vegetable news....I transplanted a tomato plant near my large bird feeder among the flowers a couple of months ago.  It was growing great and had several large tomatoes almost ready to harvest.   But my cat must have gone crazy over a bird or chipmunk and wrecked the place. My heirloom tomato plant is no more. :'(   

I noticed a lone hummingbird recently looking for food.  It was the first one all season.  So yesterday, I attached a hummingbird feeder to the branch of a small maple tree and set some flower pots with red flowers underneath.  By late afternoon, hummingbirds were zooming all over the yard and liking the feeder.  :D

It seems that every year we are overrun with zuchini and of course, cucumbers. The cucs make bread and butter pickles so few are wasted, but the squash and egg plant sometimes get too big before we pick and they get mealy.

Your tomato plant is history if the main stalk was broken this late in the season. :(


Hummingbirds are too cool for school. I'm not sure if the color red has anything to do with attracting them, but we always use red food coloring, red planter, etc. Why take a chance.

Now is the time (I'm guessing by your post) for suckering. This, for others unfamiliar, is the trimming of unnecessary branches to focus the plants energy onto the fruit and not the folage. Also important is to keep up your watering regimen on plants, particularly tomatos, because inconsistant watering is what causes cracked tomatoes.

I forgot about cucumbers.  Runners are going everywhere.  Maybe I can learn to make pickles. ???

BAMAWV....No need to put red dye food coloring in your hummingbird sugar water.  Most bird experts advise against it.  Just use four parts water to one part white sugar.  I boil my water first, but some people don't.  Most hummingbird feeders are red so that attracts the birds along with bright colored flowers.  I think hummingbirds like all bright colors....just especially red.

Thanks for the tip on trimming up the plants to have more fruit.
   

Since the Alabama climate is more suitable, I'm guessing a lot of you have peach trees and peach growing experience. My problem/question is this:

My growing season is short due to climate. So my peaches mature at the end of the growing season much smaller than the nice ones in the stores. This year the trees are loaded. Sometims 6-8 peaches forming on one branch. If I thin the # of peaches per branch, will that make the ones left alone grow larger before ripening? I've had this idea for some time, but never tried it until I saw someone say it was a common practice. Anyone?

(BTW, the same with my watermelons, my peaches may be small, but maybe due to the lack of size have twice the sugar concentration making them the sweetest you've ever eaten.JMO)