Forums >Off the Beaten Path>2011 Gardening Thread
Prince of Fatness
You live in NJ and you're starting stuff? Will the broccoli hold up now? I mean, it's probably going to snow this weekend.
Yes. None of the stuff that I will plant is bothered by the cold. And, snow does little harm to the plants. It's frost that you need to be concerned with. Many cole crops such as broccolli can tolerate frost, as can potatoes. For plants that cannot tolerate frost (tomatoes for example), I need to wait until mid May at the earliest.
Not at it at all.
Good to know. I'm planting my broccoli then this weekend!
Jeff
Feeling the growl again
As Spaniel said it's easy. Stick them in the ground. I don't hill dirt, but rather I mulch them with leaves. I have a big double compost bin next to my garden and in the fall I fill one side with shredded leaves. I have about 2 - 3 cubic yards of leaves. I prefer the leaves because they help retain moisture (I rarely water the potatoes) and they are a free soil amendment once the potatoes are dug up. At a minimum you want a little mulch to cover any spuds that break the surface. Whatever is exposed to the sun will turn green. The plants will flower. They are rather attractive, and the color of the flower will match the color of the skin of the potato variety. The plants will die off then you dig them up. If you want to store them wait longer so the skin hardens off more. Don't be afraid to dig up a plant a little early if you want some fresh potatoes with dinner! As for the bugs, I get some, but not enough to spray them. I try to avoid spraying chemicals on the veggie garden. If I don't spray anything then I don't need to worry about what is safe from one day to the next. I've never had enough of a problem to warrant spraying anyway. MTA: I plant in early April and dig them up June - July, depending on the variety. Frost is not an issue. It'll burn the leaves but they'll grow back.
As Spaniel said it's easy. Stick them in the ground. I don't hill dirt, but rather I mulch them with leaves. I have a big double compost bin next to my garden and in the fall I fill one side with shredded leaves. I have about 2 - 3 cubic yards of leaves. I prefer the leaves because they help retain moisture (I rarely water the potatoes) and they are a free soil amendment once the potatoes are dug up. At a minimum you want a little mulch to cover any spuds that break the surface. Whatever is exposed to the sun will turn green.
The plants will flower. They are rather attractive, and the color of the flower will match the color of the skin of the potato variety. The plants will die off then you dig them up. If you want to store them wait longer so the skin hardens off more. Don't be afraid to dig up a plant a little early if you want some fresh potatoes with dinner!
As for the bugs, I get some, but not enough to spray them. I try to avoid spraying chemicals on the veggie garden. If I don't spray anything then I don't need to worry about what is safe from one day to the next. I've never had enough of a problem to warrant spraying anyway.
MTA: I plant in early April and dig them up June - July, depending on the variety. Frost is not an issue. It'll burn the leaves but they'll grow back.
I leave mine in the ground until I am afraid the ground will begin to freeze (early/mid Nov), only digging them a few at a time as we eat them. This way once I put them in my garage (maintained around 45deg all winter), they are edible until about now.
I wish I could avoid chemicals, I use Preen but try to avoid sprays. However the potato bugs and Japanese beetles here cannot be controlled any other way. The potato bugs would strip my plants in a week and the Japanese beetles skeleton every leaf on my grape vines in the same amount of time. With my orchard I took the strategy of planting more fruit trees than we could ever eat from with the hopes that there will be enough for both the bugs AND us, to avoid spraying.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
I am not sure where you are but the Rutgers Coop is a good resource for lawn and garden info in these parts. You want to plant it now because it does not like heat. You'll be ripping up the plants by summer. You can plant a late crop of broccoli in late August, too, once the weather cools.
Rutgers Coop
I don't have a large enough garden to do this, or I would. I do plant the potatoes so that the late varieties are on the edge of the garden, so at least that way I can wait as long as possible. But I need to dig up most of them right away so I can plant other stuff.
Potato bugs are not enough of a problem for me to spray them. Japanese beetles, on the other hand, are. Around here they leave the vegetables alone, but I have seen them completely defoliate trees in a matter of a couple of days. I do put down grub control on the lawn, but not the scorched earth stuff that kills everything. That and I will spot spray weeds with Weed B Gone on the lawn. That's about all I use for chemicals. Honestly I don't spray much anymore because ever since I started cutting the grass high I don't get as many weeds. For fertilizer I rarely use the synthetic stuff. Instead I will go to the feed store and get bags of alfalfa or soy meal and spread that. The lawn seems to like it.
Using chemicals in the yard and garden is a lot like fast food. Everyone says that it is not good for the environment yet it is generally cheaper and more convenient. Just like McDonalds.
Yoda the 4-eared cat
I've got an allotment of over 300 square yards that I've worked with DH since last year, all dug by hand. We're in our 2nd growing season.
I've a few lettuces and spinach that I managed to over winter (the lettuces look superb at the moment). Otherwise, all that is growing at the moment is peas.
I'm waiting on fava beans, carrots, spring onions and parsnips to make an appearance, having been sowed last week.
I also have over 60 tomato seedlings of 12 different varieties growing under cover on our balcony (they won't go in the ground till May), along with broccoli and cabbage seedlings, the next lot of lettuce seedlings and some herbs. The seed potatoes are chitting, probably plant them in a week or two. Being a novice, I watch what all the old men in our allotments are up to to time plantings. They all got their fava beans in weeks before me.
We also get Colorado potato beetles (even in France, we're not safe). I have to hand pick them off, which is a pain but better than spraying. The biggest nasty shock for me was mole crickets. Coming from New Zealand, I had never heard of them before, destructive little blighters!
Over the next month or so, I'll start sowing radishes, leeks, red beets, chard, fennel, runner beans (more May than April), sweet corn...
The eggplant and squash seeds will be sowed in pots next weekend. Despite appearances, it's a very busy time of year !
But I need to dig up most of them right away so I can plant other stuff. Using chemicals in the yard and garden is a lot like fast food. Everyone says that it is not good for the environment yet it is generally cheaper and more convenient. Just like McDonalds.
But I need to dig up most of them right away so I can plant other stuff.
Yeah, I remember your pics from last year's thread regarding your garden size. Space is not a problem I have -- I plant my sweet corn with a 2-row planter on a 70hp tractor. Overkill but efficient. Whenever I prioritize funds for a disc (already have a 3-bottom plow), I'll have about an extra acre of corn on the back-10 for wildlife.
I don't spray my lawn. I don't fertilize it either. Then I just have to mow it more, and this year I will likely begin paying the neighbor kid to mow it for me as I need that time back with my kids getting bigger. I will probably spray it next year, once, to get some weeds back in check, the thistles like to try and spread though it has helped keeping them cut down in the field with the brushhog.
Time is my limitation. I remember hand-picking potato plants when I was a kid and drowning the larva in a mason jar. I just don't have time for it anymore. I think I did not actually spray the potatos last year though, they only got a couple plants. I typically end up with 5-6 milk crates of spuds so I can afford to lose a couple. The Japanese beetles on the grapes need to be sprayed every 2 weeks religiously however, and I HATE having to spray my grapes.
I am not sure where you are but the Rutgers Coop is a good resource for lawn and garden info in these parts. You want to plant it now because it does not like heat. You'll be ripping up the plants by summer. You can plant a late crop of broccoli in late August, too, once the weather cools. Rutgers Coop
Near Cherry Hill. I'll definately check out that site. Thanks.
Potatoes went in yesterday..
Red Pontiac
Yukon Gold
Superior
Russet Norkotah
Potatoes went in yesterday.. Red Pontiac Yukon Gold Superior Russet Norkotah
Do you just put the potatoes in the ground? Ones you bought from the store? or do you buy something "special"?
Do you just put the potatoes in the ground?
Yep, pretty much. About 4 inches deep 16 inches apart is what I do. If the potatoes are big I cut them in half, just making sure that there is an eye on each side. If they are smaller I just throw them in whole.
Ones you bought from the store? or do you buy something "special"?
The ones at the grocery store are generally sprayed with something that prevents them from sprouting. They sprout from the eyes. You need to buy seed potatoes. They are not sprayed. Do you have a local Agway down there? That's where I got mine. Call around different garden centers or nurseries and ask for seed potatoes. I would be surprised if you could not find them.
Good stuff here. I'm a first time gardener this year. I dabbled slightly in some lillies, butterfly bushes, lavender and some other things I just threw in the ground a few years ago, but this year I am going to rip it all out, replace it with ornamental grasses, and attempt veggies somewhere else. Actually, I "attempted" veggies last year by buying the stupid Topsy Turvy, 2 pepper plants, 2 tomato plants and some parsley. I got a couple of flowers on the Topsy Turvey, but nothing held. Zero on the tomato plants in the containers, but I did manage to yield exactly TWO peppers - one red, one green (which mustve been in my compost because I never planted it in that location) . They were utterly pathetic due to our disgusting summer last year in Jersey - so they measured about 4 inches - enough for one small side salad! But I ate it with a smile anyway! The parsley went well until I let a catepillar have a few nibbles and realized this was a bad idea when the entire plant was eaten by the next day. I blame it all on our bad summer and NOT on my lack of watering and poor gardening experience!
So this year I'm expanding - a small raised bed, 7 ftx 3ftx12inches. I'm planning on 2 tomato plants, a couple of cukes, some zucchini, and maybe some beans if I feel adventurous. Other than that, I dont know. I have no idea how to sow from seed so I'll be waiting until I find a good local veggie plant supplier and start purchasing whenever they start putting out the goods. I only just built my raised bed, but I have compost ready to roll (I hope I did it right!)........since I have zero experience, shitty sandy soil, and a black thumb, this should be interesting.
I dont know crap about spraying for anything, nor what bugs to look out for. I was thinking it might be a good investment to find a good gardening book at the local hardware joint. Wish me luck! Any pointers??
Sometimes it is better to find a good nursery or what not, and strike up a conversation with the people there. It's hit or miss, but I have had some luck doing that. The advantage of that is that they should be familiar with how stuff grows in your area. That Rutgers link that I posted before is helpful too since it deals with growing stuff in NJ.
But the main thing is to not stress out over gardening. It should be the opposite. Grab your favorite beverage, walk out to the garden, inspect things, pick anything that is ready, pull some weeds, etc. It can be very relaxing.
Plants are cheap, so if you lose some to pests or whatever it's really not a big deal. Except when it's groundhogs. They are the devil.
Best Present Ever
Isn't that what the extension service is for? Local information about growing stuff in your area? Not that it's not good to talk to the folks at the nursery, but the extension folks ought to have all kinds of information all printed up and ready to go.
That's what the Rutger's link is. It is a cooperative extension, I believe, and they have locations throughout the state (I think). I have never interacted with them directly, but there is lots of documentation online that I have referenced.