[smeisnotapirate]

What did you guys use to make your raised beds?

 

[Jennisee]

Hi, all.

I'm not on MDC much these days, but I had to pop in and say hi to my food-growing peeps.

I'm trying really, really hard to not bite off more than I can chew this year. I know so many people with big gardens and orchards that I should be able to get as much produce as I want, so I'm just planting stuff that I seem to be the only person who grows it:

• hot peppers--habanero, jalapeno, Long Thin Red Chile, Fish, Tobasco, & Pasilla Bajio
• tomatillos
• popcorn
• salad greens--leaf lettuce mix, beets, spinach

Oh, and we planted 25 raspberry plants last week!

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmonter I have teeny asparagus shoots!!! So I'm in the midst of weeding and all that. What do you guys use to mulch asparagus? Because all I've got in my little head is throwing down some compost, and getting little (I'm talking little) bark chips/shreds or something. I hate weeds. I hate bermuda grass. I hate them. And I only want to weed once, thankyouverymuch.

I was just thinking about you the other day and your millions of asparagus.

For the mulch, do you have any piles of leaves in corner of the yard from last fall? Or will you have grass clippings soon? I'm with you--I do everything in my power to only weed once because I hate it so much.

 

[lmonter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jennisee I was just thinking about you the other day and your millions of asparagus. For the mulch, do you have any piles of leaves in corner of the yard from last fall? Or will you have grass clippings soon? I'm with you--I do everything in my power to only weed once because I hate it so much.

Not millions.

Success! I weeded the big asparagus bed. Yes, all 96 square feet. Holy moly. Took 3 days in part because of kids, but, success! Even got about 3/4 of it mulched with compost until I ran out of it. Hubby will be off getting a yard or two of compost very soon (like the next day or two?). Then once I get the truck cleared of that, I'm just getting the small, small bark/wood pellet whatever stuff to mulch. Now to figure out what to mulch the strawberries with... I'm planning to transplant one of my 48sf beds of berries to another one so I can clear out the crazy weeds that happened from last year's newborn days. *sigh* I hate weeds.

:

Oh, no, not lots of leaves. We have a lone maple tree. So now we have little tree sprouts everywhere in the yard. Darn spinners. Grass clippings would involve green grass. Got another week or three before hubby needs to haul out the mower. I think.

And a friend of mine came over and dug fruit tree holes for me! She's awesome. So I got 5 of the 6 trees in the ground, and a not-yet-budded peach tree hanging out in a hole waiting for the tree 2 feet away from it to be taken out by hubby and the chainsaw (I don't want the sucky tree taking out my peach tree when it comes down),

 

[AllisonK]

Not sure where I am going to find room but I am going to order some ground cherries and hope I get them in time to plant.

Not sure what kind to get though anyone have any thoughts on these:

http://www.seedsavers.org/Items.aspx...round%20cherry

http://www.localharvest.org/ground-c...-organic-C3869

http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Garden-Be...ry-Husk-Tomato

Are these different kinds? I am leaning toward the second link as the description makes them sound so yummy. Not sure if I want a tart berry like the third description says. Thoughts? Are these all okay companies I've never ordered seeds online before. Thanks!

 

[Aubergine68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllisonK Anyone have any extra ground cherry seeds they want to part with? Just a few as I don't have much space left. (I'd pay shipping) A packet is way more seeds than I need and its $7.50!! I really want to try some but not for that much.

What i have are a bunch of dried up ground cherries that dried up on the vines and I stuck them in a yogurt container and put them in our shed. I'd be happy to mail you some if you pm me your address. I don't know for 100% sure that they will sprout, but I assume they will, since from everything I've heard and experienced, they are borderline invasive. (my kinda plant

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllisonK Not sure where I am going to find room but I am going to order some ground cherries and hope I get them in time to plant. Not sure what kind to get though anyone have any thoughts on these: http://www.seedsavers.org/Items.aspx...round%20cherry http://www.localharvest.org/ground-c...-organic-C3869 http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Garden-Be...ry-Husk-Tomato Are these different kinds? I am leaning toward the second link as the description makes them sound so yummy. Not sure if I want a tart berry like the third description says. Thoughts? Are these all okay companies I've never ordered seeds online before. Thanks!

The ones I have are from a pack of Aunt Molly's (the first link) that I found on a rack in our supermarket. They are pineapply-citrusy and sweet. The second sound similar, maybe the same thing? The third sound different -- maybe they are the same as the ones known as cape gooseberries? I didn't find Aunt Molly's to be tart.

 

[p1gg1e]

My ground cherries are from seed savers.

 

[AllisonK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aubergine68 What i have are a bunch of dried up ground cherries that dried up on the vines and I stuck them in a yogurt container and put them in our shed. I'd be happy to mail you some if you pm me your address. I don't know for 100% sure that they will sprout, but I assume they will, since from everything I've heard and experienced, they are borderline invasive. (my kinda plant ) The ones I have are from a pack of Aunt Molly's (the first link) that I found on a rack in our supermarket. They are pineapply-citrusy and sweet. The second sound similar, maybe the same thing? The third sound different -- maybe they are the same as the ones known as cape gooseberries? I didn't find Aunt Molly's to be tart.

Quote:

Originally Posted by p1gg1e My ground cherries are from seed savers.

Thanks!

 

[FarmerCathy]

: I have pumpkins, sunflowers, watermelons, corn, beans and cucumbers coming up!

: Will take pics tomorrow and upload them tom. night to my blog.

:

Oh, and tomatoes are going in this week when the wind dies down.

 

[FarmerCathy]

Got fish parts for tomatoes today too.

Here are the tomato planting directions if anyone wants them.
http://loveapplefarm.typepad.com/gro...plant-a-t.html

 

[Toolip]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy Got fish parts for tomatoes today too. Here are the tomato planting directions if anyone wants them. http://loveapplefarm.typepad.com/gro...plant-a-t.html

Thank you!!

 

[lmonter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aubergine68 I don't know for 100% sure that they will sprout, but I assume they will, since from everything I've heard and experienced, they are borderline invasive. (my kinda plant )

Mine too! I have day lilies that are multiplying like bunnies.

Cathy ~ Are you doing the whole planting thing or just the fish heads? Totally curious now.

 

[FarmerCathy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmonter Mine too! I have day lilies that are multiplying like bunnies. Cathy ~ Are you doing the whole planting thing or just the fish heads? Totally curious now.

I'm doing fish parts (that's all they had

), root stuff (root zone brand or whatever they have at your local nursery, I got the organic stuff today at www.groworganic.com), bone meal (my dad already has some so that's easy), egg shells, organic fertilizer (have that already for the artichokes), and maybe the aspirin if I remember to pick some up. I guess that's all of it. I really need these to grow for Farmers' without BER so I'm biting the bullet and hopefully I will be rewarded with lots of tomatoes.

 

[FarmerCathy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toolip Thank you!!

Your welcome! Sorry for not posting it sooner. Totally forgot about it.

I will really get to see if this method really works. I'm sure if it does for her that it will. So excited!

: Hubby is kinda letting me get all my stuff I need to get me started making money so I can live on my own. He's really being a sport since its been his decision to do this. It definately helps.

 

[Toolip]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy ... Sorry for not posting it sooner. Totally forgot about it. ...

Yeah, really...

I had just planted my tomatoes 3 days ago and now I have to dig them up and find some fish heads...

I'm REALLY excited to see if I get better tomatoes this year!

:

 

[mamafish9]

Hi mamas - I can't tell you how excited I am to be gardening this year. We moved to Eugene (Willamette Valley in Oregon, GREAT growing season), a year and a half ago, but lived in a rental with no garden spot. We container gardened on the driveway, but it's just not the same... We tried to get a community garden plot, but in this town, there's a lottery, and we didn't win.

So we just bought a little 1100 sq foot house with a very sunny yard

. The back yard is getting a few shade trees (delivered this morning!), and has a small 12' circle that I think used to have flowers, that we are using for our makeshift garden this year - it has tomatoes, chard, sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrots, and eggplant. Everything except the carrots I bought starts from the market, hoping DS wouldn't dig them all up

.

The front yard has a big ornamental cherry tree (who does that, makes fruit trees that don't bear fruit!!!

, and the rest of the front yard is going to turn into garden. It will be a bit of a process - the cherry tree's roots are everywhere, I have discovered, so we will plant between/around them, and won't be able to till. The plan is to turn it to garden for next year, but I have not been able to resist planting a few things, so there is a rhubarb plant in the middle of my lawn

. And raspberries, blueberries, and the beginnings of an herb patch. Oh, and I just ordered some ground cherry seeds - cuz yum, those sound good!!!

 

[Sustainer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamafish9 The front yard has a big ornamental cherry tree (who does that, makes fruit trees that don't bear fruit!!!

Ooh, that's an idea for me, actually. I love cherry blossoms but I don't like cherries. Maybe I should get an ornamental cherry tree. I've been avoiding cherry trees because I can't stand cherries!

 

[mamafish9]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sustainer Ooh, that's an idea for me, actually. I love cherry blossoms but I don't like cherries. Maybe I should get an ornamental cherry tree. I've been avoiding cherry trees because I can't stand cherries!

I have 10,000 cherry blossoms and no freakin' cherries - you'd be set

.

 

[FarmerCathy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toolip Yeah, really... I had just planted my tomatoes 3 days ago and now I have to dig them up and find some fish heads... I'm REALLY excited to see if I get better tomatoes this year! :

You can always add fish emulsion pellets a couple days after transplant and when they start to bloom. I think that's what Lanna's tomato guy said.

 

[Toolip]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy You can always add fish emulsion pellets a couple days after transplant and when they start to bloom. I think that's what Lanna's tomato guy said.

Oh man! I hit the mother-load of fish heads today! They guy at the fish shop had been saving them for his garden and had just taken all he needed yesterday so he gave me everything else that was in the freezer... about TEN GALLONS of fish heads!!! I just fished burying them all over my garden

:

I couldn't get my hands on enough egg shells but I added some crushed oyster shells.

I stink but I'm very happy about my tomatoes

:

 

[FarmerCathy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toolip Oh man! I hit the mother-load of fish heads today! They guy at the fish shop had been saving them for his garden and had just taken all he needed yesterday so he gave me everything else that was in the freezer... about TEN GALLONS of fish heads!!! I just fished burying them all over my garden : I couldn't get my hands on enough egg shells but I added some crushed oyster shells. I stink but I'm very happy about my tomatoes :

That is awesome!

: