The Gardening Thread.

[Nes]

ours are all in pots this year.

[Scarecrow2.0]

Originally Posted by Nes

All my tomato plants in pots have blooms all over them. Looks like going to be good this year. The cherry ones really look good. The grandkids will have A ball picking and eating them.

oh I am jealous. my potted tomatoes are dying. thanks to the new rules here of not having plants on the balcony... but my peppers are all doing well. lots of habaneros, lots of cayennes now, and starting to get some california wonder peppers blooming.

[Nes]

Hate to hear about your tomatoes. Thats A shame. Glad the other things are doing good.

[Scarecrow2.0]

thanks nes...

so I found a community garden pretty close to home this week. signed up the day I found it and already been planting. it's not going to be the biggest garden in the world or anything but so much better than nothing at all. I'll have 10 rows of veges when it's all done.

and the "long red cayenne" plant I have at home is producing much more than I expected from a small short plant. there are about 20 peppers on it right now and more flowers blooming everyday.

[Nes]

Our cherry tomatoes in pots went crazy. We have lots of them. Good thing our kids and neighbors like them.

[Scarecrow2.0]

I just harvested a boat load of green beans today. also a good amount of cherry tomatoes on 4 plants that were planted in the ground probably when they should have been... my othe rtomato plants were put in late. but many also have tomatoes on them and the rest have some flowers blooming.

everything I planted is doing really well. and they are mostly heirloom veges which I will have a huge amount of seeds from this harvest. that makes me happy

[KathleenElsie]

Right now we have big red juicy tomatoes. Other stuff is still just blossoming.

[Scarecrow2.0]

I'm still getting a huge harvest on green beans. also I picked 70 cherry tomatoes the other day from 4 plants. and I still have 16 tomato plants besides those! all different kinds/shapes/colors/flavors... I love it!

[Popeye]

Grapes are coming in. Plums have most all been harvested.

[She Who Must Be Obeyed]

I have hornworms in my tomatoes. Big ugly nasty buggers.

But the tomatoes are starting to come in. I'll be getting slammed just as school starts.

[LadyFaire]

My tomatoes are all done, and I've started pulling up the plants to make way for the next set of crops. I'm going to plant broccoli, I've already put in the radishes and mustard/spinach, the new crop of lettuce is JUST starting to peek up, the 2nd batch of potatoes is going well, my bell peppers are starting to put out again, I'm starting a second batch of 'summer squash' and cukes... What else?

Amazing just what you can do in pots on the deck!!

[Scarecrow2.0]

Originally Posted by LadyFaire

My tomatoes are all done, and I've started pulling up the plants to make way for the next set of crops. I'm going to plant broccoli, I've already put in the radishes and mustard/spinach, the new crop of lettuce is JUST starting to peek up, the 2nd batch of potatoes is going well, my bell peppers are starting to put out again, I'm starting a second batch of 'summer squash' and cukes... What else?

Amazing just what you can do in pots on the deck!!

wow that sounds like quite the container garden!!!
my bell peppers are HUGE.. but waiting still for them to turn red. I should be getting very close with some unique heirloom tomatoes ripening. all are indeterminates so they will produce until the frost kills them. got a few good size cucumbers the othe rday too.

oh and how big of pots are you using?

[KathleenElsie]

Originally Posted by She Who Must Be Obeyed

I have hornworms in my tomatoes. Big ugly nasty buggers.

But the tomatoes are starting to come in. I'll be getting slammed just as school starts.

Well around here we have fall subjects LOL. Animal husbandry (feeding, cleaning and butchering for canning and freezing), horticulture (weeding, hoeing, picking and cleaning), home management (canning prep, measuring, equipment care, science of cooking, etc). As well as the math, history etc. Reading, religious studies and self respect as well as respect for others.

[LadyFaire]

Attachment 17426



My containers run everywhere from standard 'large' houseplant - about 18" tall and about that wide (you know, the kind that you put on a roll-around stand, because when full they are just TOO heavy to pick up?

Attachment 17430

Take the better part of a large bag of potting soil?) to utility tubs (oil changes, parts bins, etc - come in black and grey) - rectangular about 2' long by 8 - 10" deep, to 'totes' kind of bins (the ones with lids?) at about 18" deep, that much wide by 2' long, some 'deck rail planter boxes' - 2' long, 8" wide by 6-8" deep (herbs).
Here are 2 of my 'herb gardens' - each tray has 4 different herbs, and they all seem quite happy.

Attachment 17427 Attachment 17431

I have 2 benches on the deck with 2 containers on each,

Attachment 17432

5 of the lower, rectangular ones on the deck surface, 4 large houseplant (round or square) on roll around stands (about 4" tall, 4 wheels underneath, either wood plank or wire scrolls),

Attachment 17429
(My latest potato planting)

planted 4 watermelon plants UNDER the deck (we'll see if the deer leave them alone or not - they ate my strawberry plants in the same place).
My new crop of cukes are in this tray:

Attachment 17423

This is the pot of green onions - they really need to be cut back (I cut and chop them, dry them for later. The plants grow back nicely and seem stronger for it. As long as you cut and not pull, they will continue to produce):

Attachment 17424

Here is my newest batch of lettuce, just peeking up and not ready for thinning out:

Attachment 17425

This is my little coffee tree. It is about 3 yrs old, and should start producing beans within the next year.

Attachment 17428

Barkley calls the deck my 'jungle'.

[LadyFaire]

Originally Posted by KathleenElsie

Well around here we have fall subjects LOL. Animal husbandry (feeding, cleaning and butchering for canning and freezing), horticulture (weeding, hoeing, picking and cleaning), home management (canning prep, measuring, equipment care, science of cooking, etc). As well as the math, history etc. Reading, religious studies and self respect as well as respect for others.

No animal husbandry here, as we are not yet allowed to have any livestock in our area - they are promising to change that to allow chickens and goats. Have been doing a LOT of dehydrating of veggies and fruits, some canning, don't need to weed, using a container garden (thankfully!), picking peppers and herbs, fertilizing the plants, etc.

Also have most of my houseplants on the deck for the renewal, strengthen and growth part of summer - our deck has a canopy of greenhouse fabric, and I've hung side 'curtains' of mesh to keep the sun from being overpowering. Still have to water every day, and twice daily on the triple digit days. Use my Miracle-Gro about once a month to keep them healthy and happy in their little pots - they go through the nutrients quickly in the small containers. Keep 'em fed and watered, though, and they don't even mind the crowding - because I have about double what SHOULD be in the same space.

At the same time, I am proof-reading and critiquing a friend's first novel, sewing on 5 different projects, and keeping busy.

[LadyFaire]

The planter I grow my potatoes in is one that I have a tendency to toss other seeds in, just in case they might grow (cherry pits, peach pits, etc) and strangely enough, one DID sprout. I'll have to repot it fairly soon, so it doesn't interfere with the potatoes - but WHAT it is kind of surprised me. Barkley brought me home some mangos - knows that I adore them. I tossed the seed into the pot a couple of weeks ago. I now have a mango seedling!! It is a couple of inches tall, and depending upon the variety, could grow too big to get in and out of the house!!

You CAN grow mangos in pots, but you won't get any fruit if you keep the pot inside all year. After the last frost, move it outside to a sheltered spot (indoors is 'shady' and they don't adjust very well to abrupt lighting changes) and bring back in before 1st frost. Prune as necessary to keep to a manageable size. From seed to fruit can be 8 years!! (all of that from a blog on growing mangos...)

I just thought it was neat, having the mango seed sprout!

[Scarecrow2.0]

congrats LadyFaire that's gotta be pretty exciting. let us know how your mango does

[LadyFaire]

I have one other seedling in the pot that I'm not sure WHAT it is. I've moved it over to a corner, so it is out of the way, but we will just have to wait and see. As I said, I just dump seeds from whatever I'm munching on at the moment, and see if anything comes up. Problem is, I never know WHAT they are (the mango I dug down to see).

I will keep everyone posted on the mango and it's growth. According to what I read, it SHOULD reach several inches height before winter moves in and I have to bring it indoors. I'm running out of places to put the 'winter indoors' plants!

I have 2 schefflera plants - one I've had for YEARS and the other was given to me by Mom last year. Both were doing OK, but nothing to write home about. I put them out on the deck (remember, greenhouse/shade cloth canopy) and after a little shock at the "LIGHT!!" they both started growing like boogity! There is fresh growth all up and down the existing stems - to where they almost look fuzzy! I cut one LONG stem off at a joint and just stuffed it back into the soil - and it is still growing like crazy - plus where I cut it off has sprouted new growth! I'm thinking about starting new plants with some of the stems and giving them away on FreeCycle - I certainly don't have room for them! I never realized they could get so THICK!

Anyone want a schefflera plant??????

[LadyFaire]

Posted pictures of the new cucumber plants and set up, the potato plant and the mango - they are in the photo section.

[Scarecrow2.0]

got my first red bell pepper today. I picked some green one's before but this was the first fully ripe one. I Prefer them ripe because they have more nutrition and the seeds can be saved for future use. oh yeah... and they taste better too!