I got my cold weather veggies in on Saturday 24 March. From the left, you see 6 broccoli, 6 cauliflower, and 6 beets, all from seedlings. The other end of that row has 3 feet of beets and 3 feet of English peas planted as seed. If it weren't dark outside now, I'd check on the seed, which looked like it was starting to sprout. Not that I didn't think of getting a flashlight out to go check. :-)
I have a greenhouse business. I have 4 hoop houses.
So i do have an upper hand on getting things started alittle early.
Like my tomatoes, peppers, squash, and eggplants.
I use that hoop house in the picture to grow tomatoes in.
Later on the plastic will come off cause it is too hot, or I will put a shade cloth on it.
I use the hoops to tie my tomatoes up in.
Its my tomato garden. 20x96
It all started out as a hobby and turned into a business.
Right now, It pretty much supports my gardening expenses and making the business
bigger so that one day it is our only income.
So , it is a hobby and a business combined.
Wow what a visual image.
CricketsGarden,
What a terrific image! Nicely done.
Finally got rain! The pole beans are 18" and twining! Tomato blossoms on several plants, and on the peppers as well. Feeling like a farmer!
Okra about 2", transplanted (shop light started) tomatoes and peppers about 2 weeks ago and looking good, corn about 6", beets, turnips, and carrots planted a little later than I wanted to but sprouting good, planted carolina cross and crimson sweet watermelons, gurneys giant cantaloupe, and cucumbers yesterday. HELP!!! - I planted everything but my potatoes on raised rows. The taters sat underwater about a week. The ones that had sprouted have wilted. Can I plant more taters above the old ones if I add a couple of inches of more dirt on them or will the drowned ones make the new ones sick? If you do not know for sure, I would still like to hear your opinion. I know this is not the thread for help questions, but I started a thread yesterday and got no response http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/709112 . Thanks, Mike
I'm so impressed with the garden pictures you all post! I'm in the middle of Phoenix, so we have limited agriculture space, lol, but I've tried to encorporate as much edible landscaping into my yard as possible. My main veggie garden is a 30x30ft area.
My Spring garden is in and looking happy! About 3 weeks ago, we planted the tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, peppers, and corn directly into the garden. I started squash varieties (zucchini, crookneck, patty pan & round zucc's) in 4"pots at the same time (they went in pots because the birds make it their mission to seek and destroy my squash babies otherwise). The squash was transplanted this past Friday. I have sunflowers about 8 inchies high in various rows around the garden (to use as a natural screen when the summer sun is hot). The leeks, onions, garlic and shallots I planted in the fall are looking fat and healthy. My artichokes are starting to make their globes, the berries are flowering, and the herbs are looking great. I just picked the last basket of brussels sprouts off my plants this morning and then yanked out the plants (much to my chicken's delight, being the recipients of the bushes) and planted my okra seeds. This afternoon, my son and I will be starting melon seeds in little pots....and I think that's about it for now!
Here's the entry way into my garden....
beans coming up
artichokes peeking out
Gothic Garden,
Did you harvest the leaves from the Brussles Sprouts? They are better than cabbage. DW cut the tops out of our last 4 yesterday and did a mix of potato, carrot and bs leaves - wonderful with the pork chops.
Jkehl,
Your harvest looks great, too. I harvested the last of the winter radishes on New Year's Day. They were French Breakfast Radishes, but look at the size they became. Still were very good and not woody or pithy.
That is a 1 foot ruler in the picture.
This message was edited Apr 10, 2007 2:44 PM
Hey cool. HOw long do you have to wait for artichokes? are they a 2 year old plant, that produces on it's second year?
kathy
Thank you!!
Um...phooey...I had never thought to use the tops of the brussels sprout plants! I kept looking at them thinking they looked like such nice big cabbages, lol...but now it's too late because the chickens have been having their way with them. I am totally going to remember that for next year!
As for the artichokes...they are 6 years old. The didn't really produce the first year they were in, and we only got a handful of small fruits the second year. They've done well for the past 4 years and the last 2 years have been spectacular ones for the artichokes...we harvested easily 30+ softball size globes off each plant last season. I'm looking forward to a very productive yield this year as well!
wow, so their perennial?
Of course, because my fruit trees and strawberries came from Stark Bros. yesterday, it is snowing today. I do sometimes miss my old zone 9b!
Lovely pictures, everyone. I'm very impatiently waiting for winter to completely go away.
I started my gardens too...the above ground first of course and have only put in the cold weather stuff. Since we've had a bit of a cold snap lately, I've made sure to still cover them just to be on the safe side. And it's working....they're lookin good! Figured I'd start planting some of the other stuff I have about the end of this month in the big garden....should be safer temps by then.
Tomato and pepper starts are doing well here in the house.
Mine's still waiting for the "REAL" Spring to arrive!
Real Spring is here in Zone 4A!!! About 2+ weeks ago we had one day into the 70's. I planted a short row of snow peas and a small patch of mixed lettuce in one of my raised beds. I have had volunteer lettuce some other years so expected that to come no matter what. Well, the peas beat the lettuce. I have snow peas sprouting in Western Wisconsin on April 13. Hope they amout to something now.
I have been telling some neighbors and friends about my early-early peas and mentioned that the daffodills were already up and budding. Then just two days ago we had another inch or so of snow. I guess peas are just smarter than daffofills.
Duane
I have to admit that I have some peas up though I'm usually able to plant them in February, and this time of year I'm usually already harvesting early greens. The past few years of mild temps has spoiled me. During the early warm spell, I tore down my old garden fence & put up a taller one before I planted anything since my daughter's dog had suddenly taken to jumping the old fence and digging up my beds. Well so far, the new fence has worked.
We have had a lot of rain (finally the rain that I was praying for last summer has come) that's kept me from doing much lately. We're getting rain mixed with sleet right now. Last summer the Ms. Rr. was dangerously low for barge traffic. (I cross it daily commuting to work.) The river is now at flood stage just north of here in Hannibal, MO, but the river's expected to peak just below flood stage in St. Louis. My garden is pretty waterlogged, but drains quickly with the raised beds.
Only a few miles north folks are under a snow advisory. This is very unusual mid-April weather for these parts. I'm looking out the window at my freeze damaged crap apple tree that's usually very lovely and in full bloom. Even the dogs don't want to go outside today. Temp. 39 F with an expected high of 42 F. I'm using my 1st vacation day of 2007 this Monday. A forecast of sunny tomorrow & Monday & Monday's expected high of 66 F, I have high hopes of getting a lot planted. I'll probably need the linament and plain relievers on Tuesday, but no pain--no gain!
Well, my "daves time" is over. "Little Miss Sunshine" & also my gardening buddy, just got up & is ready for cereal and cartoons. Take care & happy gardening.
Betty : )
This message was edited Apr 14, 2007 3:00 PM
I had one day this week where it was dry enough to plant snap peas. i didn't have my onions till the next day and of course it had rained by then............so much rain in the last six months! It seems that most April, May, and early Junes are a struggle against wet weather here many years.
Indy, how are the tomato seedlings doing?
I have started some seeds and tomorrow is my date to start tomato seeds.
My tomato seedlings are doing great. I wish it was warmer oftener to put them outside during the day......usually it is, but our weather has been on an 11 day chill.
Indy..Are you getting snow? Most of the ground is covered here.
Yeah, it is about half white out there. The wheat that was so green is tinged yellowish and has a lot of pond damage.
The forcast is for warmer days next week.
