Someone had to do it...

I got my 8'x8'x10" raised bed in. All I got for it so far is a pair of southern high bush blueberries. I'm tempted to buy a few packets of the different wildlife/pollinator attractants and just scatter those around, but I'm more interested in picking up native pollinators, at least for the most part.

I have a bunch of different hot pepper plant seeds that should germinate any day now. I don't know if there is any harm or benefit to starting seeds for things like milkweed. I kinda want to plant a butterfly bush or two around the edge of the yard to bring more things in from different directions.

I'm looking forward to spring, that's for sure!

[Edited on January 18, 2018 at 3:23 PM. Reason : I went ahead and fucked up the title, too]

1/18/2018 3:22:39 PM

Working the same 2 4x4' raised beds from last year. Grew lots of crops I won't even bother with again this year (amaranth).

Wife and I have a joke that if we fail at all other aspects of life, we can grow peppers. So, for the past 8+ years I've been growing heirloom varieties based on some hot peppers from Monticello gardens, and jalapenos/poblanos I like from around here. Every year they turn out different, one year they'll be immaculate.

Check out http://rareseeds.com for some cool stuff.

Milkweed is fun to grow. It's one plant that several little societies of insects grow on. Easy to grow, and fun to inspect at after work.

[Edited on January 19, 2018 at 10:18 PM. Reason : ~]

1/19/2018 10:18:31 PM

I have to say, I inherited my appreciation for gardening from my mom. I've described her as the "crazy cat lady" of gardening, mostly due to the tons of plants she has in the yard and no regard for structure in her garden. She puts things wherever, and if it grows, it grows. After noticing more and more wildlife in the yard that I hadn't seen in decades, I stopped giving her shit about it and started just harvesting seed to eventually grow for my own garden.

I knew of milkweeds being important for monarchs, but only since doing wildlife work did I realize the many species of milkweed and I started to grow an appreciation for them, in part due to the species I encounter in the wild.

If anyone knows of any plants in their garden that are especially effective at attracting insects and animals (no pests, though), I'd like to hear suggestions. Natives species are preferred.

1/21/2018 11:32:35 AM

My insectary for the last few years have included the below. The key is patience. The beneficial insects don’t just show up immediately. Sometimes it takes a few seasons. Also keep in mind that beneficial insects need food so don’t put out any insecticide to kill the bad bugs.

Borage. Very key if you are planting tomatoes and anything else the hornworm eats.

Dill. Parsley. Queens Anne’s Lace. Cone flower. Attracts lady bugs which eat aphids.

Yarrow. Fennel. Attract parasitic wasps. My favorite! They sting bugs and lay their eggs. The eggs hatch and the larvae eat their way out of the bad bugs( moths, aphids)

Mint. Butterfly bush. Basil. Attracts pollinators. Plant extra plants and let them flower

There are others but that’s a good start. Oh and plant your mint in a container. It will takeover if you plants it in the ground.


TL;DR

Identify the bad bugs you’ve seen in your garden and plant companion plants to attract their predatory.

[Edited on January 21, 2018 at 12:49 PM. Reason : ,]

1/21/2018 12:39:40 PM

Verbena is good for pollinators too. Tons of varieties that are annuals. Homestead purple is a perennial.

1/21/2018 12:53:23 PM

This year I finally have land to plant a larger garden then I have in the past where I only did a few plants. Looking for some recommendations of how to prep soil, mostly what type of "organic matter" you are putting down before tilling up the beds. Considered raised beds but I think that would end up being too costly for my budget.

Also, for anyone who is interested, Burpee.com is doing a 50% sale on seeds this weekend. Or if anyone has any recommendations of where else to get a variety of seeds from, it would be appreciated.

1/21/2018 3:33:45 PM

I like johnny seeds and gurney

1/21/2018 6:23:45 PM

Got a shitload of flowers planted in the raised bed for pollinators. I got really fortunate that I managed to get the mealybug infestation on my pitcher plants under control. I lost a lot of growth points, but I think I managed not to lose an individual plants, some of which I've been growing 5 years now. Unfortunately, it looks like I possibly lost a few big flowers to the bitter cold this winter
On the upside, it looks like I should have a ton of flowers on my pitcher plants, which should be good for getting some new plants going next year.

[Edited on April 7, 2018 at 10:36 PM. Reason : ^^^^took your advice and got a few of your suggestions. Thx.]

4/7/2018 10:31:02 PM

I have some Azaleas that are way to large (6"+) and way to close (1.5") to the house. I'd love to plant them in our woods. What are the chances they'd survive a move if I were to go to the trouble to try and get them out? The azaleas are located in Western NC. I have like 8-10 to move. Any advice as to how to get them out (outside of elbow grease)?

4/16/2018 9:29:15 PM

You could certainly move them. I'd dig out around them in a large enough area where you don't do much root damage and have lots of soil still attached. Place them on a wagon of some sort to move them and put them in a new hole. They'll need lots of water at the new location as well.

And I assume you meant 6 feet, not 6 inches. ' not "

____________

Got our garden up and running. Its 15' by 40' and has a little bit of everthing from Sweet corn, okra, tomatoes, squash, peas, beans etc. We are also staggering the planting times so we have plenty late into the fall before it gets too cold.

Key now is keeping the weeds out.

4/16/2018 9:40:58 PM

Think it would be ok to do this time of the year or should I wait until the fall?

4/16/2018 10:09:22 PM

you could probably do it now...might fuck up them flowering (if they haven't already and if that's important to you rn) for this season, but as long you water 'em in good and baby 'em a little i think you could pull it off this time of year.

probably gonna get my vegetables planted this weekend. we got down to about 36 this morning/last night...but no other real freeze threats on the horizon. keeping pretty basic this year...pickles, squash, zucchini...trying a new cucumber this year in addition to the pickles. tasty jade...it's the long japanese type. and then experimenting with some different peppers too...some mini bell peppers in addition to jalapenos and cubanelles.

4/17/2018 7:10:06 AM

The freezes have already fucked the flowering. Thanks for the advice guys!

4/17/2018 8:07:26 AM

i'm hoping to get my planted this weekend....

4/17/2018 9:01:06 AM

anybody ever bought a truck load of dirt for a raised bed? where'd you get it? happy with is? anything to be wary of (fungus/disease, etc)?

4/18/2018 9:16:58 AM

I got some from Ken’s Produce on hwy 50 around garner. I picked it up myself though, dunno if they deliver. No issues with it. Not sure about some of the landscape supply places...I know they have mulch and deliver. Not sure about soil or dirt but I assume they carry something you could use. Neuse Plant and Bark out near Smithfield/Four Oaks probably has a mix that would work too. Doubt they’d deliver though.

Looks like there’s a potential frost threat Friday morning and Saturday morning. Hopefully that’s the last of it.

4/18/2018 9:21:49 AM

I get dirt (50/50 dirt/compost mix) every year from Norwood Nursery. Good stuff.

4/18/2018 9:56:10 AM

I picked up 4 tacoma loads (2 Yards) of pure compost from American soil and mulch. Their 50/50 sometimes has way too much clay in it, instead of real topsoil, so I just get the pure stuff (not really sure whats it in, but they said its heated to a standard temperature to kill the bacteria and weed seeds (and that its somehow government mandated). I just till that in to the existing weed free soil at the existing location. If you put a tarp UNDER the dirt when they fill the truck, you can shovel out a half of the load and then drag the rest on the tarp if you need to take it across the garden or just want to save some time of raking/shoveling it out by hand...

I built 4 new 14x3.5 beds this year. Im running irrigation drip right now, but have already started planting into some of the beds. My tomatoes and peppers are ready to be planted ... just need to get the acclimated to the sun for a few days first. Probably planting this weekend. ALready have the spring stuff out there (greens/cabbage family stuff/squashes/cucs) and starting some beans indoors for earlier than usual green beans

4/18/2018 11:05:58 AM

Can my lavender plants survive too much rain or do I need to move them inside?

4/25/2018 7:19:56 PM

it prefers drier conditions...but i wouldn't think leaving it outside in a rain shower is gonna kill it or anything.

4/26/2018 6:48:09 AM

I leave my lavender outside spring-late summer. Just make sure the containers drain well

4/26/2018 10:08:07 AM

Couple of quick questions/comments looking for advice based on my online research...

Should I till in compost to the entire garden or just add compost to each plant hole?

I've seen the advice about beneficial insects but otherwise are you using insecticides on your plants? In years past is has sucked to wake up to plants where the leaves have all been eaten off.

What other fertilizer are you using or do you recommend. in the past I have used the miracle grow mixed with water granulars.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

4/26/2018 10:23:02 AM

KeB, if you're still having trouble with bugs, there are a few things to try.

Insecticidal soap containing pyrethrins is the only thing I use routinely. It's good for aphids and other soft insects. You can either get a large spray bottle or a hose attachment like this, and just spray it on every couple of days

https://www.amazon.com/Ortho-Spray-Multi-Use-Hose-End-Sprayer/dp/B0071D0EZK/


For vegetable plants, try Bt powders or sprays after washing with the insecticidal soap. Large caterpillars may need to be picked by hand.

If you have beetles, lures are most effective. you can try to save individual plants with a stronger pyrethrin spray, removing the beetles physically and then maybe netting the plants.

Early in the season, seedlings can get mowed off by various types of beetles or earwigs. you can do some trapping of earwigs with cardboard, etc, but the basic gist is that you go at night and physically remove them and kill them (try throwing them in a tall jar of rubbing alcohol). They may pinch with their butts.

Grasshoppers are tough to control. The main principle is poison bait. http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/grasshopper-control-in-gardens-small-acreages-5-536/


If you haven't gotten a soil test or you are doing lots of vegetable bed and container gardening, the miracle grow mix-in is usually a suitable fertilizer. you really should get a soil test before using it blindly in areas with permanent plantings, though. Phosphates can accumulate to toxic levels. polymer-coated Slow release granules are superior in areas you won't be watering frequently.

I dunno whether you tilled or not, but no-till methods can be time and labor-saving, even if you have to deal with weeds a little more.

"The garden professors blog" is a fb group that uses science to support their suggestions. I recommend it for a more timely response if you're on the platform, though as you may imagine, it is packed with people that are a little full of themselves.



Hope everyone's gardens are growing well!

6/10/2018 3:25:35 PM

I started a few new raised bed garden this year. The 25% manure soil, direct sun and all this rain has everything BOOMING... I've already gotten a few dozen cucumbers off four plants a dozen or so egg-plants off of four plants, and starting getting zuchini a few days ago. I'm about to have buckets of tomatoes and okra. I've gotten a couple banana peppers, and should have a few jalapenos in the next week, but bell peppers haven't started yet.

6/11/2018 11:32:30 AM

peppers love the hot hot summer so they'll take off real soon. first few years i grew peppers i was trying to give them away...there's no way i could ever use enough jalapenos or cayennes to justify having more than just a couple plants each year.

6/11/2018 11:58:04 AM

We've gotten plenty of lettuce from our hydroponic setup so far, but I'm interested to see how long I can keep growing these plants before they start bolting.

Any recommendations on something to grow with this setup in the summer between the spring and fall lettuce seasons? I'm tempted to try green beans and bell peppers, but I'm afraid green beans may be a pain to clean up afterwards.



[Edited on June 11, 2018 at 2:09 PM. Reason : .]

6/11/2018 2:09:43 PM

that's a pretty cool setup, eleusis. What did you replace the lettuce with, I assume it must have bolted by now? Good picks that might be less messy for a second or even 3rd crop could include some short season stuff like chard, bok choy, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, greek basil, dill, cilantro, mitsuba.

6/27/2018 3:51:06 PM

wow thats pretty cool

6/27/2018 6:36:40 PM

surprisingly, the romaine and broccoli didn't bolt until last week. The buttercrunch continues to grow without being bitter for some reason. Whatever strain we bought appears to be incredibly heat tolerant. The chickens don't seem to mind them turning bitter though, so it's going to good use.

Kale sounds like a good idea for a fall crop, as I love making soups with it and it can be frozen for that purpose. We've got plenty of basil and cilantro growing in some vertical planters.

The ultimate plant is to install a decent greenhouse and then place this vertical hydroponic system in the middle, with other planters lining the outside. I intend to bury a geothermal system for either circulating water or air to even out the temperature inside the greenhouse and/or regulate the water temperature in the hydroponic reservoirs so that I can drastically extend our lettuce growing. I need to build a playground first though, so it's probably a year off at this point.

6/27/2018 7:49:20 PM

Anyone have experience with tomato leaf curling? A bunch of mine in raised beds are doing it...no other symptoms noted.

7/5/2018 4:53:43 PM

Mine have been doing it for a while, but are still producing tomatoes. I'm not sure, but I think it may be because it's so hot, they're having trouble uptaking water fast enough (of course, I'm no expert).

Damn squash vine borers got my zucchini again!

7/6/2018 11:33:26 AM

Yeah I don't understand it. Plants have plenty of moisture. I think they could use fertilization, but I'm not sure a lack of nutrients causes that? We'll see...

7/6/2018 12:20:08 PM

could be one of the wilts, excess moisture, excess nitrogen, virus, or herbicide exposure.

7/9/2018 10:25:19 PM

Some of my peppers, including jalapeno, sweet Italian and bell peppers have end rot. The rest of the pepper seems fine. Through research, of course there are multiple reasons this may be happening (lack of calcium, excess N or K or Na or NH4, irregular watering, etc).

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/pepper-blossom-end-rot.htm



[Edited on July 10, 2018 at 11:13 AM. Reason : ]

7/10/2018 11:11:25 AM

I had a bit of that this year, almost guarantee it was from poor watering routine. Too many days not home during daylight and no feasible way to do a timer or drip irrigation given the location of everything.

7/10/2018 12:31:29 PM

Hey synapse, not sure if this is what you have, but we've been dealing with bacterial wilt in our garden. We've had to move our tomatoes to a raised bed away from the garden, and they seem to be doing better this year. We filled the bed with dirt that was not from our yard.

And the bacteria that cause wilt in tomatoes (and a few other garden veggies) is very hard to get rid of, and it can over-winter. You basically have to cover the garden for a season and "cook" the bacteria out. At least based on some of the reading I've done.

7/11/2018 8:52:49 AM

How did you decide it was bacterial wilt?

7/11/2018 5:08:28 PM

not sure it's bacterial wilt if it's just leaf curling with otherwise normal production. i think i've seen the leaf curling that you're talking about, and i don't know what it is...in my limited experience it doesn't seem to spread from plant to plant and it doesn't significantly reduce the plant's production. i think it's something water/heat related...maybe a stress related response.

as far as blossom end rot, for me it's almost always calcium related...but i've also had it on tomatoes more than peppers when i've had that issue.

7/11/2018 6:33:20 PM

Quote :

"Damn squash vine borers got my zucchini again! "

and squash got a good first harvest off them but that was it

[Edited on July 16, 2018 at 2:21 PM. Reason : cut 18 cups of basil yesterday and made a ridiculous amount of pesto <3]

7/16/2018 2:20:20 PM

A better way to deal with wilt than nuke the soil is to choose varieties that are disease resistant. this should be indicated on the labels of seed packets, though there is a little bit of a cryptic code that needs to be deciphered. sometimes it is on seedling labels, though those are a lot more dodgy.


This page tells about the code and how to figure out what diseases you should look for resistance.

http://www.tomatodirt.com/disease-resistant-tomatoes.html

Too bad the link to the Cornell Vegetable MD website is broken though. here is the updated link for that. There are lists of varieties of tomato and pepper resistant to blossom end rot, too. Nothing for squash borers, though, I'm afraid, but they have powdery mildew-resistant varieties, and tons of other crops.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Tables/TableList.htm

The next thing will be to get the seeds from a reputable supplier. Buying seeds from eBay is not a good idea.

7/16/2018 3:14:48 PM

Has anyone that's ever gotten the squash vine borer been able to grow squash/zucchini again without it coming back? How?

7/16/2018 4:52:04 PM

https://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-vine-borer

7/18/2018 5:01:50 AM

^Thanks, I've done a little research, but that's the most comprehensive thing I've read.

In the past I've made half-assed efforts to prevent them, but they keep coming back.

7/24/2018 9:59:00 AM

Early Summer garden on the decline...time to replant.

My Zucchini, squash, okra, basil and tomatoes really excelled this year. Some of the largest Zucchini I've ever grown.

Corn did horrible, placed it in a spot that a tree inevitably took over and it didnt get enough Sun. Learning curve for next year.

Lime Beans, Dixie Lee Peas and Peppers all did ok, not what I wanted from them. Think I got them planted from pods too late.
_____

Time to start the late summer/fall garden.

I plan to put more Zuc, Squash and Cucumbers...also going to add Radishes, Spinach and some other leafy type...

Any other ideas for good late summer/fall crops?

7/30/2018 3:45:51 PM

what's growing now, folks? some of you must still be getting tomatoes.

10/3/2018 7:26:24 PM

Still have a few tomatoes growing, not many. Cherry tomatoes are still kicking pretty well.

Okra is going downhill as well.

bout time to scrap the summer garden.


Dont think I'll be doing a winter garden this year, I'll just buy from the farmers market.

10/4/2018 10:59:55 AM

Yep - toms and peps still coming in pretty well (had them on a trellis supported, so the storm didnt knock them out).

Swiss chard is coming in fresh now (left it in place all summer and just picked the old summer leaves off). The big roots will likely produce some great fall/winter greens.

Thinking about planting more greens in the beds this week, or transplanting them ... not sure yet.

10/4/2018 1:54:27 PM

What I thought was just a mealybug infestation on my pitcher plants turned out to also be fungus. Struggled to get it under control all summer, and the storms have just ended it all. Most other bog plants survived, but devastating loss of Sarracenia. Pretty sure the entire yard is infected, which kills all chances of rebuilding that plant collection.

Pollinator garden did well, got some cool bugs to look at. Hoping to see how it does in year 2.

10/14/2018 11:38:56 PM

My cherry tomatoes were still coming in, but I went ahead and pulled up all my tomatoes a couple weeks ago. Like the end of every summer, I'm tired of tomatoes. I'm still getting peppers red bells, jalapenos, chili and banana peppers. Egg plants pretty much stopped.

I've got kale, lettuce and collards in small pots, ready to go in the ground, maybe this weekend.

10/15/2018 2:03:46 PM

I see no need to start a new thread... what yall got going on this summer?

I'm getting cucumbers and have been pickling them, as two types of bush green beans (one is purple on the outside), eggplants, I've got two kinds of okra that are starting to produce (regular spineless clemson and some red jing okra), I'm trying 4 new kinds of peppers (fish, bueana mulatto, yellow jalapeno and sweet melrose), five kinds of tomatoes (blue, tommy toe cherries, better boy, amish paste tomatoes and another type of multi-colored cherry- the latter two aren't doing very well)

7/6/2020 5:22:24 PM