We have a year round garden here in AZ. We have bell peppers, poblanos, California Anaheims, Cilantro, Basil, and jalepenos.
We have tried tomatoes but have not had good luck, my Mom lives abouta mile from me and hers grow like crazy. Go figure?
We have a year round garden here in AZ. We have bell peppers, poblanos, California Anaheims, Cilantro, Basil, and jalepenos.
We have tried tomatoes but have not had good luck, my Mom lives abouta mile from me and hers grow like crazy. Go figure?
I'm in Iowa and we're going to do a small garden this year for the first time in many years. We got some seeds from Seed Savers Exchange but they shipped very late and just got here yesterday. I think it is too late for us to do tomatoes from seed so we're going to order a few tomato plants and maybe peppers and some herbs from a local co-op, that we can pick up in early May. We got some seed potatoes which we will start now, and also lettuce (cut and come again lettuce is very easy to grow), onions and winter squash. We already have some fruit trees including peach, pear, cherry and apple, and we have some wild mulberry bushes on our property which we will harvest this year. We also got 15 chicks earlier this week (10 female and 5 male). We haven't had chickens in many years either, but figure it is a good idea this year to try them again. We'll have 10 for eggs, 1 rooster for hopefully some baby chicks in the future, and 4 for cooking.
If I remember correctly you have a large house. You could try one of the hydroponic lettuce systems for homeowners, I have see some at Ag fairs and they seem very cool. We don't have space, but if you have space, I would do this. No pests.
You probably have a local hydroponics grower you can call and do curb side pick up. Word of caution, make it very clear you are not trying to grow pot with it. Kale is the code word for pot, the nutrients are different. We had this issue when we were buying for a student project.
I always learn the most interesting things here!Quote:
Originally Posted by trales
Sent from my iPad using Baby Bargains
I've always wanted to try hydroponics! One of our neighbors built their own system, it is very cool.
We weren't planning on planting a garden this year because we'd be gone for several weeks over the summer, but since travel this summer is up in the air, the kids and I decided to plant. Lettuce, carrots, radishes, beets, snap peas and kale went in now. We plant another row of carrots every week or two so we always have more on the way. We all love 'em.
My mom plants everything in pots - lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, herbs... It's a great way to start.
ETA: As far as wildlife goes, I wonder if you'd be better off with pots that are off the ground close to the house. We have chicken wire around our garden, it's ugly and a big pain. Rabbits can't seem to get into our pots, we don't have deer (fenced suburban lot). Squirrels occasionally make a mess but they're jerks.
This sounds very cool! I’m going to look into this. Thanks for the heads up about kale!Quote:
Originally Posted by trales
Are you in Wisconsin? Did you already plant seeds?Quote:
Originally Posted by gobadgers
If you can find seeds, you could try growing something for the fun of it. I've heard people have been panic and hoard buying seeds, too. Seed companies are overwhelmed. For me, I have way too many pests that I'd have to deal with, and don't have the time or inclination to find ways to naturally ward them off. I would love to, one day, when I have time, and not during this current crisis. I might check out the hydroponic thing.
While I have no concerns about fresh produce, I've had a container garden for several seasons now, because I enjoy having my hands in the dirt.
Unless we build a terraced raised-bed garden, we don't have nearly enough space to sustain a garden that would feed our family without regular trips to the grocery store.
Usually, this is the time of year when I'm deciding which tomato seedlings to purchase and whether or not I need to get more strawberry plants. The strawberry plants have managed to survive the winter (for the first time ever - we usually put them in pots, but last year, I put them directly into the ground) and the plant sale where I usually buy my tomato seedlings has been canceled.
We may explore other options, but short of leasing a plot at the community garden (which I'd rather not do), I just don't have the space or energy this year. Maybe next year we'll finally do the terraced beds.
So I found a bunch of seed packets (mostly flowers but some veggies) from several years ago, I told the kids we can try to plant them and see if anything grows but not to hope too much since the seeds are old. A searched and a local garden center is selling tomato, pepper, etc. plants, call and order over the phone and then drive through pick up, we might try that. We are also registered for a local Csa, so hopefully that will happen starting in June. We get plenty of lettuce and spinach from them, but the girls would like to grow other stuff too.
Any recommendations for terraced planters or anything that we can set on our patio? We have a few large potters but I want something a bit more organized this year. And being on the patio is easier to water and also keeps the plants away from critters.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You would think so from my screen name, but I'm in the Chicago suburbs :)Quote:
Originally Posted by gatorsmom
Yes we put seeds in the ground. It's too early for anything not frost tolerant, but from what I understand, peas lettuce and spinach do particularly well in the cooler spring (and fall) weather around here. They will get tougher and/or bitter when the weather gets hot, so now is the time!