BYC gardening thread!!

[tarahtt]

I have melons, cucumbers, lemon basil, peppers, squash...and plenty of bugs! I don't use pesticides. My hubby keeps his chemicals out of my garden fence. And there are plenty of cherry tomatoes that fall to the ground I wouldn't mind them cleaning up for me. I don't mind losing a couple tomatoes if they can combat the dreaded squash beetle. And those little bugs that look similar to skinny lady bugs with orange or yellow color who seem to love the cucumber plant

 

[hennible]

Maybe cucumber beetle...
Let the girls in! Oh my bantam did some amazing damage digging just so you know. But the plants where still small then, don't think she could do much to my plants now.

 

[tarahtt]

The plants are pretty overgrown right now, and my girls (possibly guys) will be only a few weeks old when i bring them home Saturday. I will have to figure a way of protecting small plants next spring though

But hey, i get chickens! I'm so excited!

 

[hennible]

Keep baby plants fenced! Haha
One year my birds ate all my broccoli starters and got to garlic before it even sprouted. Blasted birds

 

[tarahtt]

I think i may have lost all my garlic this year. The tops all died off way early this year one by one. I don't know if i should go digging to see if i have survivors. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check under there. I also have a makeshift fence around each raised bed. I'm not sure if it will keep the chickens out of the beds or not. They were made to keep the baby wild rabbit out that was living back there.

 

[lazy gardener]

When did your garlic tops die? It's normal for them to die. That's when you harvest them. But, I harvest what I need, and leave the rest of it in the ground to continue growing the next year. I can dig clumps of garlic that are at least 6" in diameter.

 

[tarahtt]

They died early. I planted last october and the tops started dying off in the spring. I may have had them overcrowded or maybe they got too much water...I just went digging and found two fully grown, and one clove out of 24 that I planted. I will just have to try again and fix what I think the problem might have been.

 

[lazy gardener]

They don't like it wet.

 

[lazy gardener]

My comfrey that was planted on Saturday is already putting new leaves out. My efforts right now have turned to harvesting seeds for next year's crops, seeding a new lawn. (Been working on the lawn for a week now, and have an other week (at least) to go before it's all done.) NEED to get some pots of lettuce, kale and the like started so i can set them in the hay bale cold frame, when it gets set up. Getting lots of exercise working on that lawn. Also planting Mums, raspberry echinacea, day lilies around a giant rock in the middle of the new lawn.

 

[tarahtt]

I love working in the garden. All my other veggies did great! I need to build something to keep the tomatoes and peppers covered when the first frost comes. SW Missouri weather is a bit unpredictable. I will plant my garlic on the side of the house next year instead of in my raised garden bed. That will take care of the water problem. And my chickens will take care of my squash bug and cucumber beetle problem hopefully And for next year, my efforts will be in increasing my number and knowledge of herbs and their uses.