The Official ConCen 2010/2011/2012 Gardening Thread

[April]

Hey Zammo... Glad to see that your putting in an effort to try and grow some food. Good for you. It's been a continual learning experience every year for me.... I wouldn't be surprised if you end up feeling the same way. Carrots and Potatoes aren't the easiest to get satisfactory results with either. Maybe try some tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, or pole beans. I found them all to be really simple to grow, with an abundant output. Good luck this year...

Hope to see more from you all, over the next 5 or so months.... I'll post new photo's soon also.

[Zammo]

After being inspired by your work, I got out in my garden and planted some more potatoes, green beans and tomatoes. I need to prepare some ground before I can plant more stuff. I also bought a few chilli plants for my house lol.

I was thinking about trying to grow Onions? Do you know is they are easy to do?

[ToddTraf]

Zammo
Great stuff

Potatoes- Add a lot of straw to your dirt and you'll get more potatoes.

Carrots- Should not be harvested at same time as potatoes. Always one of the last things I harvest. Use as much growing season as you can. A few frosts/ freezes make them sweeter as they begin to store sugars for winter.

Onions- Get starter bulbs and Get them in early. Bury them deep enough they don't force themselves out of the ground when they start to root. Once they are rooted you can brush some dirt off of them to expose some bulb. They grow best this way for me anyway. Also be sure to keep them weed free, they hate competition. Pinch off any flower stalks if they bolt on you.

Good luck

[Zammo]

Thanks, ToddTraf

Great tips, I really appreciate it

[April]

So here are my early April growth photos...
I bought a bunch of fruit trees for my birthday last year... their coming along nicely.

My raspberry bush....


Red Gooseberry....


Goji berry....


Pear Tree...


Flowers on the blueberry bush...


Cherry tree... donated by my mother. It's about two feet taller then me right now.


Another cherry tree... about 5 feet tall...


Stinging Nettle... *eating it raw totally stings your mouth... in a strange good-ish way. Try it.


Baby Lettuce...


Last year I planted this red clover along the length of my shaded garden box... this year it's totally thriving. The winter hardly phased it either. Tastier then lettuce IMO.



Strawberry patch... doing swell.

[yeti]

Be careful April - cherry trees are known to attract yetis...

[April]

(04-18-2012 09:27 AM)yeti Wrote:  Be careful April - cherry trees are known to attract yetis...

Well as long as they don't get a hunger for dogs, there will be peace.

[April]

Some updated photos...



Hibiscus flowers just starting to open up on the right. 2 of my 4 cucumber plants in the middle... and bell peppers on the end.



Growing along nicely...



My section of pole beans, and one of my rain barrels....



Cherry tomatoes.



Tiger melons... never eaten or grown them before... but I hear they're pretty good. Trying a couple plants this year...



Some "ready" ears of corn...

more photo's soon, and a pool/pond update on the way...

[yeti]

Looks like you're not affected by the drought. Here in Ottawa all the grass is dead. We haven't had decent rain in a very long time.

[April]

(07-29-2012 11:22 PM)yeti Wrote:  Looks like you're not affected by the drought. Here in Ottawa all the grass is dead. We haven't had decent rain in a very long time.

I think it's considered a "moderate" drought here now... we definitely were effected. Since I can collect around 150 gallons of rainwater though... the garden made out just fine.