2009 Zones 3-5 Gardeners - Page 2

[Teenytoona]

So I found a few great links (actually given me by someone at another message board) and I'm so excited about them. I thought I'd share.

I'm always unsure of when to do things, so here's a garden calculator where you input your spring fost date and it tells you when to do various garden tasks based on that. Really cool!

And this site tells you how to make newspaper pots! I'm so excited because I'm always worried that when I transplant my starts I'm going to damage the plant and root. With these, I can just plant the whole darn pot since it will decompose. And it's free! Can't beat that with a stick.

I'm so itching to start, but I haven't ordered all my seeds yet. And it's still cold and snowy, so, I must learn patience.

[Sustainer]

Originally Posted by Teenytoona

I'm always unsure of when to do things, so here's a garden calculator where you input your spring fost date and it tells you when to do various garden tasks based on that. Really cool!

Thank you so much for that!

[Teenytoona]

No problem! I figure share the joy!

[tayndrewsmama]

That garden calculator is awesome! Thanks! According to that, I should have waited about a week and a half longer to plant my onion seeds. Will that be a problem?

[my3monkees]

I love that calender!! Thanks!!
I'm hoping to have a garden this year. Last years was a complete disaster. I am going to have to find someone to rotatill(sp) it again this year.:
I have a huge yard, but apparently the only good spot to plant a garden is going to be in my side yard closer to the road. Which I didn't want to do.
Only good thing is at least I can place it on the far side of the dogs electric fence, so it will keep her out of it!
Look forward to following along!

[tayndrewsmama]

Aww, what happened last year? At least you know what not to do this year.

[Juvysen]

Hi all. I'm in warm zone four or cool zone 5, ish. Well, on the map it says zone 5 but we're on the north side of a hill and way up the hill, so it's more zone 4-ish really. I've bought a bunch of seeds, but have yet to test our soil so I'm tenative to grow root vegetables on it. Our neighbors (we're in a suburban area) all dump stuff on their lawns, so there's that concern, too... *sigh* We may do raised beds, or I might just grow root vegetables in pots this year. In past years we've grown tomatoes with great success, but it's time to double dig, I think, because just dumping the compost on was not doing it anymore. The past couple years have been sort of mediocre yields on the tomatoes, although our herbs still are doing well in those areas. We double dug and worked our compost into one area of our garden last year and got a bunch of volunteer tomatoes!! It was great, but because they self-seeded outside, we didn't have much of a harvest until October. The tomato plants I planted didin't do as well because they were in a different area that we only dumped compost on top

I'm interested in doing edible landscaping, but I'm wondering how well that works in cooler climates, and also how hard selling our house would be if we do something more permanant like that...

ETA... anyone have good suggestions for cloches that don't cost a fortune and are reusable? I love the martha style ones, but I'm not seeing that working for me. I really want to get some plants going early this year so I can extend the harvest season...

[tayndrewsmama]

What is a cloche?

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama

What is a cloche?

they're bell shaped glass pieces that go over plants in the early season to help keep them warmer...

http://www.englishcreekgardens.com/Cloche1.htm

[Violet2]

Teenytoona--Thanks for the links!

With regards to the cloches, do they have to be bell shaped or can I just use any old glass jar?

As for netting my cherry trees, they are in the front yard so I don't feel that is practical. But we may try it as when we did get a crop they were the best cherries I had ever had in my life.:

And I have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! We're getting a GREEN HOUSE! For FREE! : Here's a link that is like what we are getting: http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/ear...ses-p-171.html

But I have no idea what to do with it. Anyone use one? Any good links I should read?

V

[Sustainer]

Originally Posted by Violet2

We're getting a GREEN HOUSE! For FREE! :

Wow! That's fabulous!

[limette]

I can't stop thinking about gardening despite the fact that my yard is under 5 feet of snow.

Last year we completely renovated the front. Dh built a picket fence, arbor, porch, brick path, shutters and dug new beds for a cottage garden. We planted some flowers and bulbs which I am looking forward to seeing fill in this spring.

My plan for the front this year is to fill in the blank spots with flowers I'm growing from seed. The other project there is to remove what's left of the lawn and put in a herb bed.

Out back I'd like to start planting apple trees along the fence for espaliering. I wanted uni of sask cherry tress but can't seem to find a place to order them from. Hopefully our hill will be terraced as well. It all depends on dh's schedule and motivation...lol.

Here's some pics.

Front yard before

Front Yard After

Backyard (fence has since been painted white)

Summer Veg Garden

[Juvysen]

limette - I LOVE your veg. garden pics! They're gorgeous.

our front yard is a crazy hill. like probably a 30? degree slope. AND, it's fairly big... like 25-30 feet? So, I have no idea what to do with it other than terracing? But that's probably too big of a project ($$-wise) right now. I'd love to figure out something that's not going to be. Lemme see if I can scrape up a pic.


here's from the street: http://likeabluecandy.com/gallery/sl...do?id=00000DA7

another angle (spring): http://likeabluecandy.com/pictures//...e/house085.jpg

[tayndrewsmama]

Originally Posted by Violet2

And I have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! We're getting a GREEN HOUSE! For FREE! : Here's a link that is like what we are getting: http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/ear...ses-p-171.html

:: That's wonderful!

Maybe this site will help get started.

Originally Posted by Juvysen

they're bell shaped glass pieces that go over plants in the early season to help keep them warmer...

http://www.englishcreekgardens.com/Cloche1.htm

Thanks! I guess I knew of them but I just didn't know what they were called.

[guestmama9911]

Originally Posted by my3monkees

I love that calender!! Thanks!!
I'm hoping to have a garden this year. Last years was a complete disaster. I am going to have to find someone to rotatill(sp) it again this year.:
I have a huge yard, but apparently the only good spot to plant a garden is going to be in my side yard closer to the road. Which I didn't want to do.
Only good thing is at least I can place it on the far side of the dogs electric fence, so it will keep her out of it!
Look forward to following along!

Can you amend the soil or set up raised beds on the bad soil? The Square Foot Gardener has great advice on what to do if your soil is poor!

[guestmama9911]

Originally Posted by limette

Here's some pics.

Front yard before

Front Yard After

Backyard (fence has since been painted white)

Summer Veg Garden

I'm so jealous of all the space you have. It looks great!

[my3monkees]

Originally Posted by limette

Here's some pics.

Front yard before

Front Yard After

Backyard (fence has since been painted white)

Summer Veg Garden

Your garden was beautiful!!!!
Thats the garden I dream of! LOL

This is my last attempt of dong my garden straight in the ground. If it doesn't work this year, I'm switching to raised beds. I've just been trying to avoid the expensive of building them and then filling them.

My problem is that I have wetlands behind me and live very close to a great lake, consequently we have a very high water table, only have to dig around 3ft and you get water. Then again because of the area, we also have a lot of shale in our dirt. The area I originally wanted to put a garden is just impossibly rocky, it would never work. I'm grateful to grow grass (weeds) there! last year I put it in a area that I know gets very swampy in spring and fall, I thought it would be fine during the summer. BIG mistake, it was a wet rainy summer the garden was completly drowned out, literally nothing grew. Two years ago we tried a small garden near our garage, but didn't take into account the large weeping willow nearby and its tendency to take all the water and nutrients for itself! LOL So that leaves me with the main area of the back where the kids play and the pool is or toward the front far enough away from the willow tree.

Over an acre of land and no good place to plant a garden! LOL:

We are headed to library tomorrow, I am going to see if they have The Square Food Gardener.

[Dabble]

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama

We are going to attempt this chicken coop garden. I got the link from another thread here.

Wow, I just LOVE that idea. I don't have chickens yet, but I hope to some day, and I think that is simply brilliant. I hope in the future when I do get my chickens and have the land to spread out on a bit, I will be able to recall that idea. I have it bookmarked, but you know how bookmarks get forgotten... I think this one has left a lasting impression, though!

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama

I just found this Gardener's Calendar and am wondering what you gals think of it. It looks really neat!

I can definitely tell that calendar isn't for my area. March is no time to be planting anything outdoors here - the ground is still almost entirely frozen.

Originally Posted by Teenytoona

I'm always unsure of when to do things, so here's a garden calculator where you input your spring fost date and it tells you when to do various garden tasks based on that. Really cool!

Now that's more like it! I can put in our ridiculously late date of last frost (early June!!!!) and get a good guideline as to when I should be getting things started. That is very helpful, thanks for sharing. BOOKMARKED!

Gee whiz, why do I start looking at these threads so early and getting myself all excited? We are supposed to get at least half a foot of snow tomorrow, and maybe up to a foot. That's going to be downright depressing after all the lovely sunshine and seed catalogs of today.

[guestmama9911]

Originally Posted by my3monkees

Over an acre of land and no good place to plant a garden! LOL:

We are headed to library tomorrow, I am going to see if they have The Square Food Gardener.

Do you have a compost bin? I think making your own compost would really help! We just nailed four pallets together. Making our own compost saves us a lot of money and recycles our food scraps.

Then if you follow the more current printing of the square foot gardener, he demonstrates how you only need a raised bed about 6 inches deep, and shows you how to make them inexpensively.

I'm just finally getting accustomed to growing here in Utah, and soon we'll be moving for grad school, and who knows what zone I'll end up in! Wherever it is, I hope we can rent a home with a yard like this one.

[PassionateWriter]

joining here. i have to go back and catch up. my garden has been a disaster for the last few years (b/w the moles, deer and birds). im determined to make it work this year.

im thinking of raised beds though. but not sure its necessary. how do you tell? can you get your soil tested?