Gardening 2023

I started a dozen or so tomatos from seeds back in January.I only had to bring them in several times. We had very few nights of freezing weather this year so I didn't have to put them inside the back porch too often. But even those little containers are alot on a bad back back. I noticed that 1 or 2 of the very small plants are "yellowy".I normally water after they are put in the ground.The dirt/potting soil mixture looked dry so a put in a little water. I'm trying a new "mixture" of dirt/potting soil as a starter this year.Do y'all normally water in this early stage?

@Eutycus, I’ve started my tomato’s from seed on and off over the years. My rule of thumb for containers is the cooler the temperature, the less I water.

Like I stated I normally don't water much but I'm experimenting with a new mixture of soil this year.

I'm definitely going to be behind schedule this spring on the garden. I'm in the process of having my kitchen renovated which is going to put me back at least 3 weeks.

Eutycus said:

If I waited until March to start seeds they'd burn up by the time the plants mature.Alot of y'all have your winter cold but we have the summer heat to contend with as well.

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I have beans and tomatoes going. Picked tomatoes since Feb 1. I plant lettuce, broccoli, and greens in Nov. To hot before then. I will have a few blueberries to pick soon.

EUTYCUS. tomatoes go good with chicken

We plant started tomatoes from Home Depot in straw bales. The straw holds moisture and really feeds the tomatoes as the straw decomposes. Have to have tomatoe wire cages as they usually grow 6 to 7 feet tall.

tom mesa said:

We plant started tomatoes from Home Depot in straw bales. The straw holds moisture and really feeds the tomatoes as the straw decomposes. Have to have tomatoe wire cages as they usually grow 6 to 7 feet tall.

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I’ve heard that folks have success with that. Haven’t tried it yet.

Eutycus said:

Well it's getting to be close to that time of year again. Are we going to discuss gardening like last year? I started several varieties of heirloom tomatoes from seed some weeks back.They are still not quite big enough for transplanting, but getting there. Plus it's not officially spring yet.(March 20). But it is creeping up on us.

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GOSH I HOPE SO...,
I had a LARGE monkey wrench tossed into my plans last year.
I only got some heirloom tomatoes and onions and some hot peppers, plus a couple mild peppers last year.

This year shall be better...,
I shall pick out some type of heirloom tomato(s) again.., thinking Cherokee Purple, and Yellow Pear...
Peppers, Wiri Wiri from the Caribbean for my wife, and some Thai peppers....,
Kentucky Wonder bush string beans
I wanted to do some potatoes last year, but that plan got messed with, but will try again this year...., not heirlooms since my area tends to need well developed disease resistance for 'taters
Green Onions...
I might try Jerusalem Artichokes along the back edge of my flower bed as they are a sunflower and grow pretty tall...


LD

We do 1 1/2 - 2 acres most years. Last year "Management" (wife) fell off porch, broke her arm at the shoulder. Two weeks ago, she got a pacemaker. Then, in July, rains stopped. 48 hills of punkins & gourds dried up & died - as did most everything else. Oh well.

Our chickens are the "free-est" possible. Automatic chicken door opens in the morning, closes at night. In between, They go do what they want, where ever they choose. We have no ground-dwelling bugs, but poop 'most everywhere. If you can't keep 'em out of tomatoes, strawberries, other reachable stuff ..uh ..well, you know. Electric fencer will do it, but also kills rabbits, tweety birds, possums, and an occasional hen. They can fly over chicken wire, once one does so.

Once a year, in the late winter, I shovel out their house & spread thinly over the garden before plowing & tilling. My secret is the word "thinly". Too thick, it will burn some things. Asparagus likes chicken poop, watermelons do not. We're a long way from planting live plants - too cold.

I am still of the opinion that poultry manure is one of the best fertilizers. You just got to spread it lightly or as Sheriff John says "thinly".A county agent explained it simply. It's almost twice as strong because Poultry urinates and poops at the same time. Birds don't have a bladder to urinate with. It gets eliminated as waste combined with poop in just one procedure. The urine/ manure is therefore higher in nitrogen.

Eutycus said:

A got myself another possible "challenge" this year. My neighbor have chickens and I've been letting them run free in my back yard.(like I could stop them) . I figured it's a good way to get rid of bugs. But lately I noticed they took a liking to my garden spot. I know they like tomatoes so do you think that could be a problem in a few months?Don't you love it when some varmint takes a bite out of one of you big juicy almost-ripe tomatoes that you are just about to pick? Would an electric fence work on chickens?

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I had some nice Heirloom tomatoes getting close to harvest and found them ate up by a damned deer one day. SOB got the best ones too, man I was PO. My fault, I should of had a fence.

It's March in Indiana. that means up and down weather. The wild onions are coming up so I planted a few onion bulbs to see what will happen. Just saw a Robin, but they don't all fly south anymore. Been seeing them all winter ,but way not say spring is here? Put down some clover seeds for the wild life and the bees, I'm pretty sure will take off and grow. Lot of rain and may be snow forecast tomorrow.

Gold Grizzly said:

I had some nice Heirloom tomatoes getting close to harvest and found them ate up by a damned deer one day. SOB got the best ones too, man I was PO. My fault, I should of had a fence.

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I have deer trouble too in the garden. I put bars of Irish spring out and around . Hang them close to plants and lay them on the ground. Works most of the time. Had one doe that it only slowed her down, then finally stopped

johnraleksa said:

It's March in Indiana. that means up and down weather. The wild onions are coming up so I planted a few onion bulbs to see what will happen. Just saw a Robin, but they don't all fly south anymore. Been seeing them all winter ,but way not say spring is here? Put down some clover seeds for the wild life and the bees, I'm pretty sure will take off and grow. Lot of rain and may be snow forecast tomorrow.

I have deer trouble too in the garden. I put bars of Irish spring out and around . Hang them close to plants and lay them on the ground. Works most of the time. Had one doe that it only slowed her down, then finally stopped

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I read about using bars of soap in The Farmers Almanac and I think deer don't like Rosemary, supposed to keep bugs away too. I even read that you can use a sweaty sock and even urine keeps deer away.

Eutycus said:

A got myself another possible "challenge" this year. My neighbor have chickens and I've been letting them run free in my back yard.(like I could stop them) . I figured it's a good way to get rid of bugs. But lately I noticed they took a liking to my garden spot. I know they like tomatoes so do you think that could be a problem in a few months?Don't you love it when some varmint takes a bite out of one of you big juicy almost-ripe tomatoes that you are just about to pick? Would an electric fence work on chickens?

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Unless they are flightless a fence is a waste of time. A friend fences the raised bed where her tomatoes live. Thank God the deer don't show interest in tomatoes. You can not fence them out, Deer here look like mules. Very frustrating trying to grow chard and such with our deer population.

Eutycus said:

In addition to the coyotes there is a Great Horned Owl that hangs around occasionally. Maybe they will take care of "varmint matters" for me?

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That owl is your garden's friend.

SOLANCO said:

That owl is your garden's friend.

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I think that owl is on the Endangered Species list too so don't go blasting at him (or her).

I am deep in the rural, southern half of the county. It seems like every Amish farm has a green house operation. Some small. Some huge. It will not be long now before the head gardener has our enclosed porch filled with Amish started plants of all sorts waiting for last frost date. If I put any value on our own time, we could not start seeds as cheaply as we can buy these plants.

Green houses are wonderful. I had a fair sized one that I built many years ago, don't remember the exact size but large enough to walk in with slatted work shelves on both sides. It was easy to get an early jump on seedlings. I miss having it, but doubt I'll fool with building another.

SOLANCO said:

I am deep in the rural, southern half of the county. It seems like every Amish farm has a green house operation. Some small. Some huge. It will not be long now before the head gardener has our enclosed porch filled with Amish started plants of all sorts waiting for last frost date. If I put any value on our own time, we could not start seeds as cheaply as we can buy these plants.

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We have lots of greenhouses around here too, they don't grow vegetables though. They grow the Happy Smoke.