Better Be Planting This Year. 2022+ And Up MEGATHREAD

[enbloc]

Good to know! I'm adding Chioggia beets this year in addition to Detroit Red.

 

[MGnoob]

The big thing we’re doing this year is compost and all the nesting from the ducks… If they will let me start the farm it would be so much easier..

We’re only doing a few small things. Next year is gonna be the year for the big planting

 

[daveyburt]

-Been doing square foot gardening for years. Deep, nutrient rich soil. For example, 4-5 heads of lettuce in a square foot. I've had 90+ bean plants in a 6' x 2' bed - Bean hedges 5-6 feet high and three feet thick!

I try to make my beds a foot deep but, I might not need all that. At the end of the season, I've never pulled a full grown plant that had roots that went down further than ~8" so, I work with that.

Compost (nice loamy stuff), peat and manure make up my rows. Any time of year (besides frozen solid) I can stick my bare hand into the soil up to my lower forearm. No need for tools/tilling. I can turn my rows with my hand. Zero rocks. Weeds come right out.

Speaking of weeds - when planing so close together the weeds are drastically minimized. I get some near the edges of my rows (I do rows now - no boxes) but, very minimal. I weed twice a year. Also, all that foliage shade helps keep the roots cool and damp.

To save even more space, you can plant things under things. Example: I'll plant my peas near in one side of the row, then stick some onions right in front of them (trying that this year). Or pole beans over bush beans, onion sets and onions seeds mixed in the same planting, etc.

Current status: Broccoli/cauli/sprouts have germinated (indoors). Depending on the weather. I hope to have those in the garden in 3 weeks. Seed crops almost went in this weekend (damn snow) - Carrots, Beets, Parsnips, Spinach, Lettuce, Peas will go in very soon.
Will be indoor starting Peppers, Eggplant, Cukes, and other warmer weather stuff within the next couple weeks. (hopefully not too late)

If your area allows, and you can get some good compost and some peat, a nice loose deep bed is hard to beat. + plenty of available nutrients. Peat make spoil more acidic, compost the opposite. So, I try to go with more compost than peat. Too much peat may become an issue if the season is very wet. (had no issue last year tho)

I've seen a farmer brag about a farming method that replenishes and maintains the soil. Instead of pulling the plants when they're done, cut the stems and leave the roots in the ground. Lime over them and replant that same row in a couple weeks with opposite plant spacing. He also noted tilling is the worst thing you can do to soil as it interferes with the breakdown process and regeneration of all the little cooties that make the soil fertile.

So, there's some stuff to get creative with.

 

[APFSDS]

I bought this seed assortment (sold out now, got it just in time!):

Granny's Garden Heirloom Seeds Collection | Non-GMO Heirloom Seeds

If I end up not using some of the seeds, what is the best way to store the leftovers? In the deep freezer?

 

[Knob Creek]

Anyone plant Jerusalem Artichokes? I hear they can get invasive but I have several acres of land so I have an area to plant them away from my garden and berrys.

 

[APFSDS]

I missed this! Thanks.

 

[Uzi2]

Good tips and without all the fller BS, this guy's video could have been about 3 minutes instead of 14 minutes long.

Bins, jars, envelopes and prescription bottles are exactly how I store most of my garden seeds.

 

[mousegunguy]

Anyone plant Jerusalem Artichokes? I hear they can get invasive but I have several acres of land so I have an area to plant them away from my garden and berrys.

I grow Russian mammoth and copper lightbulb.
They’ll grow just about anywhere and can be hard to eradicate.
I think they are best left in the ground for the winter and are much sweeter in the spring. They make yummy hash browns cooked in bacon grease.
They are easy to harvest in large pots and don’t spread.

 

[enbloc]

Good tips and without all the fller BS, this guy's video could have been about 3 minutes instead of 14 minutes long.

Bins, jars, envelopes and prescription bottles are exactly how I store most of my garden seeds.

Yeah. Youtube is a crapshoot. I've trained my ears to pick up on key words and phrases...

 

[Uzi2]

Yeah. Youtube is a crapshoot. I've trained my ears to pick up on key words and phrases...

Yes, key words.......Sometimes I just play it back at 2 times normal speed, it filters out the minutia.

 

[enbloc]

I grow Russian mammoth and copper lightbulb.
They’ll grow just about anywhere and can be hard to eradicate.
I think they are best left in the ground for the winter and are much sweeter in the spring. They make yummy hash browns cooked in bacon grease.
They are easy to harvest in large pots and don’t spread.

Wow. Look at that Potassium!

Jerusalem artichokes
109 Calories
- 1 cup slices (150 g)

Nutrient	Amount(g)	DV(%)
Total Fat	0 g	0%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Sodium	6 mg	0%
Potassium	644 mg	18%
Total Carbohydrate	26 g	8%
Protein	3 g	6%

 

[SpaceCritter]

First sprouts: lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson)

 

[SpaceCritter]

My first little guys transplanted into Cowpots:


Next batches of pellets ready to hydrate:

 

[APFSDS]

What are youall doing to keep critters out of the garden? There are a ton of resident turkeys and rabbits I am going to have to contend with. I was going to use this and steel fence posts, but will rabbits chew through it?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dalen-7-ft-x-100-ft-Deer-X-Temporary-Protective-Netting-DX-7/202871745

 

[flippinfleck]

What are youall doing to keep critters out of the garden? There are a ton of resident turkeys and rabbits I am going to have to contend with. I was going to use this and steel fence posts, but will rabbits chew through it?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dalen-7-ft-x-100-ft-Deer-X-Temporary-Protective-Netting-DX-7/202871745

For the smaller critters, I use chicken wire and u-posts. Keeps out the groundhogs and rabbits. Though if you have a pup that may chase the rabbits, I suggest flagging the chicken wire with something they'll see in the dark lest the pup takes out a corner trying to cut the critter off. Lesson learned after our pup cut up his nose a bit. Just glad he didn't get caught up in the wire.

No deer to speak of in my yard.

u-post : https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/garden-zone-light-duty-fence-post-4-ft

chicken wire : https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/poultry-netting-36-in-x-150-ft

Use something like this on the ground side of the chicken wire between posts : https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/hanes-geo-components-landscape-fabric-pins

(TSC links because they're closer to me than HD)

 

[APFSDS]

ok, thanks. We do have deer but I'm more worried about the rabbits and turkeys. I think the chicken wire is a winner, I have a feeling the rabbits will make short work of plastic netting.

 

[enbloc]

I like that your grow area is in a window. Supplemental light from both sources...

 

[mac1911]

Anyone here handy with soil test results.
Trying to rejuvenate a old garden.
PH was 5.2 last year up to 6.5 after a fall dose of lime.
Typical garden - Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, some lettuce and peas.

 

[mac1911]

Good source on south shore for organic material , 400 sqft garden. Or should I just buy bags of material?

 

[Knob Creek]

Anyone planting Dried Beans?

 

[Uzi2]

Anyone planting Dried Beans?

As in planting a bag of store-bought beans like pintos or such?

I've planted pintos and they all germinated and grew just fine.

Test the viability of them by soaking a handful in water overnight then drain the water and cover with a towel.

If they are viable, they'll sprout pretty quickly.

 

[Knob Creek]

Just growing cranberry beans or red beans etc.

 

[enbloc]

Good source on south shore for organic material , 400 sqft garden. Or should I just buy bags of material?

Can't help with the South Shore, but when you find a source, grab 5 or 6 large bags of peat and mix in with the compost/soil it will stretch the beds a bit for short dollars.
Also, have you tried your town for compost? If they take collected leaves, they may offer free compost to residents...

So, you know, peat has a PH of 4.4 generally. Lime again and retest PH.

Here's some data:

Vegetables for Alkaline Soils

1. Asparagus (6.0-8.0)
2. Beans, pole (6.0-7.5)
3. Beet (6.0-7.5)
4. Brussels Sprouts (6.0-7.5)
5. Cauliflower (5.5-7.5)
6. Garlic (5.5-8.0)
7. Kale (6.0-7.5)
8. Pea, sweat (6.0-7.5)
9. Pumpkin (5.5-7.5)
10. Spinach (6.0-7.5)
11. Crookneck Squash (6.0-7.5)
12. Tomato (5.5-7.5)

Moderately Alkaline Soil Plants: The following crops will tolerate a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 or greater:

• Artichoke (6.5-7.5)
• Arugula (6.5-7.5)
• Asparagus (6.0-8.0)
• Bean, pole (6.0-7.5)
• Bean, lima (6.0-7.0)
• Beet (6.0-7.5)
• Broccoli (6.0-7.0)
• Broccoli rabe (6.5-7.5)

Vegetable plants that do best in mildly acidic soil include carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, garlic, sweet peppers, pumpkins, winter squash and tomatoes.

 

[enbloc]

Test the viability of them by soaking a handful in water overnight then drain the water and cover with a towel.

If they are viable, they'll sprout pretty quickly.

Yep, and eat the sprouts. Very good for you...

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Apple seeds from the abandoned orchards of abandoned local farms. Stratified the seeds for 4 months. They are in soil now. Waiting for warmer weather for the trip outside.

 

[edin508]

View attachment 599923
Apple seeds from the abandoned orchards of abandoned local farms. Stratified the seeds for 4 months. They are in soil now. Waiting for warmer weather for the trip outside.

3 apple trees in my yard, all grown this way by myself. No fruit yet though, taking forever it seems.

 

[enbloc]

abandoned orchards of abandoned local farms.

Strong roots make great apple trees. Sad to see the word abandoned though...

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Sad, indeed. The farms and trees were neglected before being abandoned. I went and talked with the new owners of the properties and they allowed me to take the ripe windfalls for seed propagation
. These are farms i would work on as a teen. Different trees in the orchard would ripen at different times of the season and were used for snacking, pies, cider, or horses depending on the sugar content. If this year is successful i will likely start potting and selling Appalachian Apple trees. The original edible ornamental.

Strong roots make great apple trees. Sad to see the word abandoned though...

 

[kiver]

This should be fun. I’m doing potatoes,peppers,tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and squash

 

[Fritz the Cat]

That'll spice things up! I've never had good luck with peppers. Not sure why.