Your 2024 Garden

[saysfaa]

We have two huge south windows that last winter I grew nearly 100 marigolds in to try keep the Japanese beetles out of the raspberries and our trees. It sort of worked

You might try four o'clocks. Just don't expect them to make any difference the first year.

We went from picking 100's of JB per session many times a day (we counted sometimes) for the whole season before planting the four o'clocks and the first year we planted them to seeing a dozen or so over the entire season - but it wasn't all the flowers. Dh wasn't willing to face a third such year and didn't trust the four o'clocks to help enough. He put grub killer chemicals across the lawn around the garden.

Either way, four o'clocks are pretty, easy to grow, and the deer don't bother them.

 

[Debbie292d]

It was actually really easy. This is the first year I'm doing it so I don't know how successful it will be come spring. But right now they are doing great. In the fall, before the hard frosts hit, harvest all the peppers off the plant. Then cut it down to just a few branches or sprigs. All the leaves come off too. Then you dig out the plant around the root ball. Shake off as much dirt from the roots as you can, use a hose to wash all the dirt off, and cut the roots down if needed(I didn't. I was afraid to cut too much). Then make a mix of neem oil, water, and castile soap(have to look online for the ratios) and dunk the root end in it for a few minutes. Flip the plant around and dunk the top in for a few minutes. That is to prevent any bugs and eggs from coming inside. Plant the plant in a clean pot or tote, filled with a new bag of quality dirt. Put it somewhere cool, like a basement. You don't want the plant to freeze but you want it cooler than room temp. Don't worry about a light, any light coming in through a window is fine. Only water it every few weeks. The goal is to put the plant in a hibernation state. I have to reread how to start it again in the spring but here are my plants right now. I also saved some seeds from these plants, in case this doesn't work. The two plants together are bell peppers and the single plant is a jalapeño. I have to remove those little leaves that are growing
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Thank you so much!

I never knew I could have been doing this with peppers. Awesome!!

 

[Debbie292d]

You might try four o'clocks. Just don't expect them to make any difference the first year.

We went from picking 100's of JB per session many times a day (we counted sometimes) for the whole season before planting the four o'clocks and the first year we planted them to seeing a dozen or so over the entire season - but it wasn't all the flowers. Dh wasn't willing to face a third such year and didn't trust the four o'clocks to help enough. He put grub killer chemicals across the lawn around the garden.

Either way, four o'clocks are pretty, easy to grow, and the deer don't bother them.

I wondered why I hadn't heard of them as I went searching -- it's rare to find any hardy for up north in Zone 4. There are some though, but then I read the foliage is poisonous to chickens. We have a fenced garden we could plant them in so I'll see about getting some seeds. Thank you!

 

[saysfaa]

They (four o'clocks) are not hardy here. I start them inside when I start tomatoes.

I think they taste bad to most species. My chickens scratch around under them quite often but do not eat them.

 

[Cammo77]

How many folks here have started planning their garden for next year. I'm in the early stages of planning based on how much of what we need to use fresh and preseve by drying, freezing, canning, and pickling.

I'm lucky enough to be able to grow all year round. Frost is my biggest determining factor in planning what to plant when. This year I'm going to start keeping a diary of my vegetable garden. Rainfall, Temperature, Sowing/Planting dates etc. I've finished all the bed building so now it's all about building soil and soil biology.

 

[Iluveggers]

I had a neighbor once who mixed carrot seed and fine sand together and seeded his carrots that way. I think celery seed are as bad as carrots. I want to plant some of both this year. Love my peanut butter stuff celery stalks.

Celery takes FOREVER to start. First time I thought my seeds were bad. Took 3 weeks to sprout! Now I start it indoors with a heat mat. Once they get decently big and weather is right, I transplant outside. Stalks have much more flavor and are less watery than grocery celery. I juice my celery, have never been a fan of it raw otherwise. Also chop up a bit at end of season to freeze and add to soups & stews during winter.

 

[Sally PB]

We have two huge south windows that last winter I grew nearly 100 marigolds in to try keep the Japanese beetles out of the raspberries and our trees. It sort of worked but neem oil works better so I'll not be doing that this year.

Here's my experience with marigolds.

I think they have kept soldier beetles off my tomatoes. Before I had them in the tomato garden, I'd find soldier beetles on the 'maters every day. After I planted marigolds around the garden, I think I've seen one or two in two years.

As far as marigolds and Japanese Beetles, the JBs LOVE the marigolds. Which is ok, because I hunt them down, gather them up, and feed them to the chickens. Free chickie snack.

 

[NanaK]

They (four o'clocks) are not hardy here. I start them inside when I start tomatoes.

Four o'clocks are so pretty. I did not know they helped with Japanese beetles. I grew my first ones from seed. They are hardy here and the deer and rabbits don't eat them.

They form a tuber that looks similar to a dark carrot. In areas they are not hardy you can dig these like dahlias in fall and replant in spring. They will give you larger plants with earlier bloom. They make lots of seed. It's easy to save seed from them too.

 

[NanaK]

One thing I am planning on for 2024 if more marigolds and zinnias.

Last few years I've seen evidence of root knot nematodes trying to invade my garden. Not at all happy about this. French marigold and zinnia roots are supposed to have a substance that can interrupt their life cycle.

I've been planting them around my tomatoes and cucumbers. It seemed to help a lot this year. So far they don't seem to bother my beans and peas.

So lots of zinnias and marigolds will be scattered through the garden. The bees will be happy about that!

 

[fuzzi]

Interesting. Probably wouldn't do well here then we typically get sudden heat rises in the summer out here

My mother used to snap off the top of any plant that was starting to bolt. It was supposed to slow down the process.

I like looseleaf lettuce, and some of the varieties are slower to bolt. I just pull them up when the weather gets warm and they begin to bolt.