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Home-gardening

KhaasLadkiKhaasLadki Raw Newbie

Anyone here have their own garden? I just bought my first garden plants (3 tomato plants and 1 cuke) today, and tomorrow I’m going to pick up some squash, jalapenos, and bell peppers.

I was just wondering if anyone had any tips or anything.

Also, on this note, I was on google and I found this really awesome site for purchasing started fruit plants/trees. They seem to have amazing prices!! I want to get a fig tree realllly badly now that I know how cheap they are… and one of everything else haha.

Willis Orchards

Comments

  • Khaas,

    I have a garden that is about 6’x9’ in my backyard with 6 tomato plants (cherry tomatoes are just turning red), 6 giant kale plants (the temptation to pull them early has been nearly unbearable for a kale-lover like me:) 4 green cabbage, 4 purple cabbage, 4 arugula, a jalepeno and a red pepper plant. Up the side of my house I have a zucchini, a cucumber, red lettuce, and some herbs, but I am by no means an expert, and my climate, Ottawa, Canada, is much harsher than your southern one. My only bits of technical advice are to use Safer’s insecticidal soap regularly (especially on the cucumber) and to fertilize with Kelp Man. Both are considered to be organic and safe for your health according to my local health food store. Other than that, make sure you check them daily, give them water, and be in awe of the marvels of sun and soil!

    By the way, we just lost our beautiful 12 year old Golden Retriever, Tessa, last fall (the dog in the photo is her replacement – a 9 month old Apricot Standard Poodle named Fergie who is absolutely adorable!)and I have been considering commissioning a portrait. I checked out your site and was so impressed that I will contact you once I have a chance to show my husband. My 16 year old son misses that dog dearly. :(

    I hope the gardening tips help:)

  • KhaasLadkiKhaasLadki Raw Newbie

    Ooh! I had though about growing some greens, but I’m afraid the summer weather here might kill them. I think my mom used to have spring-mix lettuce, though, and she said it grew fine here.

    I’m so sorry for your puppy – my sister and I have both lost many pets and I know what you’ve been through!

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    rAWngish teechr~ Just a suggestion for you kale plants… Cut the largest leaves off and use them however you prefer… The plant will continue to produce more and more leaves… If you pull the plant, it’s all over for that one… Thought you might like to know how to keep on getting those wonderful kale leaves!!! GRIN

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    I got my garden started late this year. I hope by next year to be on track and have some semblance of of what I am doing. I currently have about 40 heriloom tomato plants. I originally planted 10 seed, 2 of each species, but not of them took. Then I desperately planted them all and they all took. I also have 2 heirloom squash and 2 heirloom cucumbers. We have long hot summers here and no frost until November so I am hoping for a crop despite my delay. Right now, most of these plants are 6 weeks old and appear to be doing fine.

    Perhaps when things cool down I will be better on point. I am going to focus on greens like swiss chard, collards, kale, mustard, etc. Last year I grew some leaf lettuce and it waws tasty. There was something rewarding about walking outside the back door and clipping your dinner straight away.

    RAWNGLISH TEACHER – I might have to check out that insecricidal soap. Something is chewing on one of my cucumbers. Is it organic? I am so sorry about the loss of your dog. Pets are often more reliable in their emotional support than people and we come to love them as much.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    I’ve been eating fresh peas & raspberries for almost a week, & I cut some broccoli yesterday. We are also growing beets, carrots, corn, potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, onions, tomatoes, pumpkins, cantaloupe, strawberries, herbs & watermelon.

    My tips: Plant onions around the tomato plants to keep tomato worms away. Wrap a strip of newspaper around the stems of the tomato plants going just under the dirt and sticking up above it. There is some kind of bug or worm that cuts the plants off at the ground & devours the top part – in the middle of the night! I don’t know if cucumbers need the same, but we did those, too, just to be safe. Another tip is to feed the soil with compost (we’re kind of lazy and just bury our kitchen scraps between the plants or in an unused area, and then dig/till leaves into the soil in fall). Healthy soil makes healthy plants, and we hardly ever have pest problems now that we focus on taking care of the soil and not just how much we can take from it.

    I know what you mean about wanting one of every kind of fruit tree. :) I want an almond tree.

    There is a great book “How to Grow More Vegetables” by John Jeavons. It is a biointensive method that feeds the soil & produces more food in smaller area. The whole system is a lot of work; I do the parts that I can with a goal to take care of the soil & we get lots of food for ourselves.

  • RawVoiceRawVoice Raw Newbie

    I’m surprised some of you are growing off-season things, like broccoli,kale and arugula. I live in a very mild climate, and even still, I was told those things would bolt in the heat. Anyways, here’s what I’m growing. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers (they take forever to ripen!!!) chives, berries (the raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are not producing), swiss chard, parsely, lavendar and most all the herbs. I have a small jalapeno plant in a pot. It’s still a seedling and is growing very slowly.

  • waterbaby12347 – Hey wow! This is me running out to my kale plants to pull off the larger leaves! woohoo Thanks for that:)

    Meditating – as far as I can tell it is, but here is a link that you can look into. http://www.planetnatural.com/site/insecticidal-...

    Thank you for the kind words about my dog – what you say is so wise. I think we humans can learn about forgiveness from dogs.

  • Welcome to the gardening world! You are doing something great for yourself and the planet. It is good you are started small. You might want to research each thing you are going to grow to find out when to plant or transplant and it’s needs. Also you need to find out what growing zone you are in to make a determination of when to plant and what will grow in your area. You can talk to a knowledgeable nurseryman to find this all out. If you need fertilizer you can find organics but beware of those that have bird manure because it is sprayed with a lot of pesticides in the bird houses to kill flies. Over time I am sure you will obtain Master Gardener status. This year I have in about 8 heirloom tomato plants, 1 tomatillo, and I have some herbs that are mature in the flower bed. I took a walk this morning to go down and check some blackberries on the property and found that I had a patch of grapes that I did not know were here and 3 more apple trees and another walnut tree. I have lived here for 5 years and have not been down there so I was excited to see that. It was not an easy walk because it is pretty grown over, I guess that is why I had not walked through there before. There were grapes on the vines and they are so rambunctious that they are even growing up and hanging from the apple tree. Unfortunately I will have no apples or cherries this year because we had a freak frost but crop failures are just a part of nature. I was a disappointed this year because I wanted to plant way more than I did but I got a flair-up of fibromyalgia and so I could not dig the holes to plant but oh well, there is always next year to look forward to. Here is a link to get some of the most awesome seeds for growing greens that I have ever found, they are organic too. They even have chickweed seed.

    http://www.wildgardenseed.com

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    I have an herb container garden going on in my yard/porch area. I’ve got basil and a little tomato plant and some nasturtiums (edible flowers) and pansies (more edible flowers) and dill, oregano, thyme, parsley, sunflowers (i’m hoping to eat the seeds). it’s been fun and a lot easier than my P-patch that was down a hill, several blocks away, and hard to get to.

    We also have a worm bin!

  • KhaasLadkiKhaasLadki Raw Newbie

    Look at this! I’m having SO MUCH FUN with my new dehydrator – as I’m sure most of you know by now if you’ve seen me posting anywhere else ;-p. Anyway I found this and thought it was a good idea:

    from the January 1986 “Drying Times “

    by Barb Moody Idea submitted by Shelley MacManiman This year use your dehydrator to get a head start on your garden. The method is simple:

    Begin about two weeks before you are ready to plant. Fill peat pots with a mixture of two parts vermiculite and three parts potting soil. Tamp down very gently. Place seeds in pots. Cover with a thin layer of soil, patting it down slightly. Place peat pots on a cookie sheet or shallow broiler pan. Moisten thoroughly. Cover entire pan with plastic wrap. Put pan on a heavy duty tray in the dehydrator. Incubate seeds at about 80° for about three days. When seeds have sprouted remove pan from the dryer and place it on a window sill. After a few days, begin to “harden off” seedlings by placing them outside on nice days and bringing them in at night.

  • Wow Khaas, thanks for that idea. That had never occured to me. One more reason I am so glad I got the nine tray Excalibur. I know that peppers and certain other seeds do not like to sprout unless really warm so this will work out well. I think I will buy the smaller trays of peat pellets next year and I will be set.

  • yay for gardening!! I have a smallish (8×16) garden growing tomatoes, peppers, pumkins, asparagus, carrots, what I thought was broccoli but now I’m not sure, beans, peas and lots of weeds. :) oh also basil, cilantro, mint and dill next to the house. I want to grow some spinach and other leafies, but they just haven’t done well in the past. anyone know anything about growing these in containers? I read that they do better in the fall, and I would love to even grow them indoors through the winter. suggestions? :)

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    merwing~ Those leafies like it cool so fall and earily spring is their time…

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    I have 8 basil plants in pots. They’re doing well! My seed starting trays of 10 kinds of herbs all diet… I think lack of moisture and sunlight were the culprits. Who knows. But basil is nice and hearty. I’ll try to keep some herbs alive on my window sills. Next year i’ll just purchase the herb plants instead of seed starting.

  • I’m growing tomatoes that i started from seeds that i collect from organic grape tomatoes and they are doing great, I’ve been eating from them already. I’m also growing cucumbers, red and rainbow swiss chard, peppers, beets, carrots and basil. The basil is the only one is not doing too good. And still getting some late raspberries from one of my plants.

    I’m loving getting up in mornings to water them and take care of them.

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    I have a 60’ by 90’ garden. It is filled with berries and veggies. In it I have also put in a portable 8 by 8’,pop-up green house. I made 3 earth boxes this spring and put 2 tomatoes plants in each box. These are in the green house with 4 pepper plants in 5 gal. containers. Am going to make more earth boxes for next years peppers.I have had a terrible time with worms getting at the radish’s. This year I put them in long large containers and was very proud of them. Not a worm.Spinach and lettuce for low light, will do well in the home, but they do like it cool. Put them in a sunny window and just eat them about3 inch’s high.I have a light set up in the basement, as I can keep it cooler there.I have all kinds of greens for the winter. Most herbs are from the Mediterranean,think on that line when growing them.

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