The Official ConCen 2010/2011/2012 Gardening Thread

[SiLVa]

Great job April. Way to go for it! I miss having a yard to grow things. We're in a 2 family house, in an apartment, and the yard is all landscaped so I have no place to grow anything
I help my mom with her garden when I can but I do miss the whole process and the beautiful reward of actual chemical free, non GMO produce. My uncle has a huge greenhouse on his property thats being used as a storage shed for junk and scrap wood, such a shame.
I gotta go over there and talk some sense into him. These threads always inspire me.
Good going, best of luck with all of it.

[rockclimber]

(06-29-2011 05:52 AM)April Wrote:  I am companion planting everywhere this year according to this chart. Also... I was using straw before in all the beds... but the ants seem to like it too much. They have practically decimated my strawberries... and were having away at my broccoli and snow peas. So we replaced all the straw with mulch and a bunch of my plants are in rehab but coming along much better already.

Took all but one of these shots this afternoon...

First off... here's that dog I've been growing!




This is a Red Garnet

Amaranthus




I wanted a lot of broccoli this year. Here's a photo of my largest and smallest ones.





Our mulberries are ripe right now. They'll all be gone in 2 weeks though.



My young cucumbers



Snow peas... They are about 5 feet tall already.



This bed has lettuce, carrots, chives, and leeks



And some pole beans..





I have three varieties of tomatoes... all which are about two feet high... with peppers growing in between them. I'm also growing basil, rosemary, parsley, ground cherries, cantaloupe, watermelon, peach vines, and some of hilly7's banana melons. ( I'm sure I'm leaving out a few things )

I already harvested my first set of radishes and the second set is just coming up. I tried arugula for the first time, and disliked it so much, I ripped it all out and composted it already.

I planted some trees also... but don't expect them to do any fruiting for a year or two. Got a goji berry, a jostaberry, two gooseberries, two cherry trees, two pear trees, and a blueberry tree... all dwarf.

Because of how I planted my morning glories last year... they are coming up all over the place, and I'm letting most them. I put cosmos all over the yard also, in hopes that I'll have a serious turn out of butterflies. I'll post more photos soon.

Good God those pics are making me hungry. You have quite a green thumb there...I haven't had mulberries in years, love those things).

[April]

Thanks Silva.... Happy belated birthday BTW !!

[April]

(06-29-2011 03:57 PM)jeunose Wrote:  Good God those pics are making me hungry. You have quite a green thumb there...I haven't had mulberries in years, love those things).

Thanks jeunose. This is my 4th year organic gardening, thanks to ConCen. Mulberries rock.

[SiLVa]

Thanks for the bday wishes April.
Those mulberries look yummy. I dont think I ever had that before.

[al_uh_looyah]

the dumbass down the street cut down the mulberry tree that used to hang over his fence. every year we'd raid the public side of his tree, sad to see it gone. my kids can't understand why someone would do that, we love those berries!

[April]

Just a short photo update...
These are some shots from earlier this evening.

My peach vines have went crazy in the last two weeks. The plants are getting huge, and they are filled with tiny little fruits. (Last photo is the peach vine)
The Amaranthus's are doing great... Kinda looks like I should smoke it.

I underestimated the cucumbers... been eating them all week!

The morning glories are filling out... and the cosmos just started blooming. The first hibiscus will probably be open in the morning.... can't wait to eat them. More soon... show us yours.

[yeti]

I'm so jealous of you people!

I have some mold in my fridge. Does that count?

[Dunamis]

I love the gardening thread, and once we actually have one, of course, I will be posting, lol. If only more people would post...we know you growers are out there

[Mike_Smith]

Damn April, your thumb is as green with veggies as it is with art. Well done!

So when are you having me over for a "garden feast"? I'll bring the best wine...

[April]

(08-23-2011 01:22 AM)Mike_Smith Wrote:  Damn April, your thumb is as green with veggies as it is with art. Well done!

Not true Mike....

Gardening and growing food ISN'T EASY..... I'm not a green thumb..... I struggle, run into problems, and fail......

*example....

My cucumbers are suffering because they are planted too close to my pole beans.... they aren't getting enough air circulation or sun.... the only thing I can do is KILL the pole beans... but they are about to fruit.... so I'm making the sacrifice, and will note the lesson learned.... among constant others....

Thank you though.... I've been eating raw fruits and veg for lunch and breakfast for a couple months now, which means money in my pocket and good life in my body!

It's been immensely helping my grocery bill.

Delivered a bunch of cherry tomatoes to some neighbors today...... they were elated, and waiting for me to stop by!

Quote:So when are you having me over for a "garden feast"? I'll bring the best wine...

Are you "allowed" to enter the states yet ?
When you are.... I'll be ready! *winks

Haven't even showed any of you our new fruit trees yet....
My mom brought us a black mulberry tree, another cherry tree, and another plum tree this weekend.

*next year we are going to build a CHICKEN TRACTOR !! (Youtube, chicken tractor)

The state says it's ok.... but the city doesn't...... could get interesting..... as long as the dogs or CAT doesn't mess things up first. I'm sick of having to buy and pay for organic, cage free, free range hen eggs that come from across the country.

*more photo's soon.....

[ToddTraf]

Its 2012 and I've updated the seed trading thread. I look forward to a few trades.

[April]

This year... I'm manually digging, (by myself) a natural pool. I started Saturday.
Daniel says I won't finish before the winter... but my goal is to have it done by july.

Natural pools or ponds, if built correctly... do not require any chemicals to stay clean, and they enhance your garden in countless ways.

I plan to fill the edges, borders, and shallow end with edible water vegetation.

Before the 2012 gardening season is over... I'll show you before and after photos, but in the meantime... I'll be digging.

This is the basic idea...





and

[yeti]

(04-03-2012 04:17 PM)April Wrote:  This year... I'm manually digging, (by myself) a natural pool. I started Saturday.

Bonus! Water features are always great in a garden. Rock on April!

[Zammo]

Your garden looks amazing April, fantastic work!

My garden is not very big but I managed to grow some potatoes and carrots last year. It was the first time I tried growing vegetables and as you can see, the results were far from impressive lol





I am growing more this year, hopefully with better results after the experience I gained last year