anyone grow their own veg?

[NonnasBabies]

I love to garden! I have 16 4x8 raised beds. I also have a 3x20 bed that's not finished yet and I want to make another one that size. One will be for corn and the other for melons. This way I can switch them up each year.

I usually grow tomatos, beans, squash, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, & lettuce. I also have asparagus, blackberries, raspberries & bluberries in there. Want to try a few new things this year!! Can't wait to get started!!

 

[Junkmanme]

Royd,

I grow Tomatillos here in my garden to use to "thicken" my Green Chile "stew".....Interestingly, the tomatillos OFTEN "re-seed" themselves in the garden the following year.

Dill seed does too. ( I just used the dill-seed that you buy in the grocery store for seasoning...worked fine.....)

-Junkmanme-

 

[Junkmanme]

Barred Babies,

SOME things I only grow "token amounts" to keep my seed-bank in shape......

Corn, Big Jim Anaheim Peppers, carrots.......

because I can BUY these items MUCH cheaper than grow them.... saves room for the veggies that I can't get reasonably at the Store or Roadside.....

But, I LIKE the ones I grow a bit better !!!

Like You, I can't WAIT to get out into the Garden !!!

(I'm starting seeds on my indoor homemade "Seed-Starting Racks" this month !!! )

-Junkmanme-

 

[Royd]

Quote:
How do you have any luck with Asparagus?....I tried for several years, and this far south, you have to fertilize it, heavily, and then, due to the fact that there's no real dormancy, you get pencil thin stalks....It just wasn't worth the space it was occupying.

 

[Junior]

i plant about 6 acres a year. okra,peppers,watermelons.bush green beans,southern peas, & a couple of other things.

this year i want to plant some herbs.i also want to put up a 12' x 20' greenhouse.a friend of mine has a jig that you can bend a 21' long chain link fence top rail to make a 12' wide x 7' tall hoop.

i sell to several produce stands and plan to try and sell at the local farmers market this year.

last year on here there was a seed swap maybe we can get one going this year?

Junior

 

[newfoundland]

Every year I try to grow a few more veggies. Have not tried watermelon as I think our climate is a bit too cool for that. Might try indoors though. Last year I grew lettuce, tomatoes, beetroots, carrots, broad beans, spinach and turnips. My courgettes were hopeless and I only got one pumpkin! Excitedly planning for the spring planting.

 

[Junkmanme]

Newfoundland,

A "Row-Cover" (small hoop-house) over top of your melons, pumpkins, etc. might be a help. Also use "short-season" varieties.

I've got similar problems in the "High-Altitude" Desert here in New Mexico. Generally COOL (or cold) with a 3-4 month "growing season". It takes a bit of "creativity" to extend the growing season long enough to enjoy some of the produce types.

-Junkmanme-

 

[booker81]

I love gardening. I need to plan out my attack this year, I'm going to "cheat" and order a lot of started plants from E&R Seed.

I have a permanent patch of strawberries, asparagus and raspberries as well. I want to get some blueberry bushes eventually to line the other side of the shed (the raspberries have one side).

I always do tomatoes, pickling cukes, and green peppers. I've been doing onions and potatoes, and those do well, but have found a source for REALLY inexpensive good potatoes and onions, so I'll free up my garden for something else. Our neighbor gives us butternut squash, and I found DH likes the way I cook that, so I'll put that in. I'll put sunflowers in again this year. I did some peas last year from a different set of seed from the nursery and wasn't pleased, so I'll order seed again from E&R for that, I like shelling type peas. Not sure what else I want to try

My garden is 30'X40'. Usually I get a load of horse manure from the farm, but this year I'm going to just clean out the coop early (deep litter method), and till that in. I might let the chickens roam in the garden for a bit too, to help "till" and clean it up.

 

[Junkmanme]

Booker81,

That sounds like a GREAT Garden !

2 things to keep in mind:

1.) Blueberries LIKE an "acid-soil". You can add Sulphur to lower the PH.

2.) Chicken Manure is a LOT "hotter" than Horse Manure. You might consider "composting" it BEFORE you put it in the Garden....to avoid "burning" your seedlings.

Like you, I can't WAIT for the Weather to get good enough to PLAY in the Garden !!!

-Junkmanme-

 

[booker81]

Quote:
Yup, the plan is to clean out the coop in late Feb, spread it out, and till down in late April, and till again in May. I usually don't plant until late May (yay Michigan LOL). The chickens have been doing a good job of mixing the litter, of course, I help by throwing their BOSS down on it every few days so they really scratch it all up. I can't even tell where the roosting poo area is, because they till it down so nice! I started the litter in April, and it's doing VERY nicely, no smell, and nice and warm for them

Here's from a couple years ago