Amen! That’s why I over plant them each year.
That‘s really what decides what gets planted, how much better than grocery store veggies is it?
Gardening
That‘s really what decides what gets planted, how much better than grocery store veggies is it?
Buckeyegolfnut
Well-known member
My Sis has e-mailed me twice about how good my homegrown tomatoes are. I gave them a bunch a week ago Saturday when we got together for a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant we all like. She cut some slices off the last one for a BLT today, and saran wrapped the rest for her burger tonight! If they didn't live so doggone far away, I'd run some more up to them. God knows I have them. Am planning to drop more off at my hairdressers as well. My Sis gets off work late, maybe I should call my BIL, he gets off work a lot earlier and make arrangements to meet somewhere in between, and give them more stuff. And I just leave stuff on my next door neighbor lady's picnic table that is right outside her back door, and still have more than I can use! And she gives some of it to her folks!
And you know what I did this year? I limed! I'm on another webforum where the gardening page features some posts from a guy who grows corn for sale. He has a roadside stand, and makes a lot of money every year growing 7 acres of corn. In one thread he announced that he had hired some outfit to lime his fields for him. I asked him what his liming rate was and he told me 2 Tons per Acre. Okay, so 4,000 lbs per 43, 560 sq ft. I did the math and multiplied by the square footage of my garden. Turned out I needed almost 35 lbs of lime. And here I was wondering why they only sold lime in 40 lb bags!
This Fall, when the garden is completely done, I plan to till in some garden gypsum. I have a lot of clay soil out there, and gypsum is advertised as helping to break up clay soil. And I've been advised to sprinkle what lime I have left over the top of the tilled garden, and let the Winter, and Spring thaw, take it down into the ground! Then till again in the Spring. I don't know why it took me so long to get the message. My buddy has a big, well aged, pile of horse manure out behind his horse barn. He told me to come and get any time I wanted. So, I did that a couple years in a row. I know cow is better, but this is free. Well, my yields fell! When I told my buddy about it he asked if I had limed, since every time you put manure in a garden, you acidify the soil! I did not, and kind of forgot about it, until last year, which was a disaster!
Thus my change of attitude.
And you know what I did this year? I limed! I'm on another webforum where the gardening page features some posts from a guy who grows corn for sale. He has a roadside stand, and makes a lot of money every year growing 7 acres of corn. In one thread he announced that he had hired some outfit to lime his fields for him. I asked him what his liming rate was and he told me 2 Tons per Acre. Okay, so 4,000 lbs per 43, 560 sq ft. I did the math and multiplied by the square footage of my garden. Turned out I needed almost 35 lbs of lime. And here I was wondering why they only sold lime in 40 lb bags!
This Fall, when the garden is completely done, I plan to till in some garden gypsum. I have a lot of clay soil out there, and gypsum is advertised as helping to break up clay soil. And I've been advised to sprinkle what lime I have left over the top of the tilled garden, and let the Winter, and Spring thaw, take it down into the ground! Then till again in the Spring. I don't know why it took me so long to get the message. My buddy has a big, well aged, pile of horse manure out behind his horse barn. He told me to come and get any time I wanted. So, I did that a couple years in a row. I know cow is better, but this is free. Well, my yields fell! When I told my buddy about it he asked if I had limed, since every time you put manure in a garden, you acidify the soil! I did not, and kind of forgot about it, until last year, which was a disaster!
Thus my change of attitude.
Just ordered some garlic for fall planting. Should have between 25-30 cloves to plant, which means 25-30 heads of garlic, hopefully, but summer of 2022. If you've never tried heirloom garlic, you need to do yourself a favor and find some. The flavor is so much better than typical grocery store garlic!
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I finally took down my vegetable garden for the year, and I was amazed that I still have tomatoes and peppers thriving. I still got rid of everything, but just amazed to see them doing so well still.
The only thing I kept was my Rosemary because it was super strong still, and I think will last a little longer before it gets too cold.
The only thing I kept was my Rosemary because it was super strong still, and I think will last a little longer before it gets too cold.
We're amazed here, 150 miles of New York City, that our first frost was last night, October 23, and it wasn't even a killing frost where we are. That's at least three weeks later than normal.
I'm intrigued. Any good sources for that?
This will be me next weekend, still have some going strong but it needs to be cleaned. (If nothing else I let it get overgrown a bit over the late summer. Morgan Cup prep took priority over keeping the garden looking respectable, I only put in the time needed to get a good yield, not also keep it looking tidy for the neighbors.
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I did the same thing, I was pretty mad at myself for letting it get out of hand too.
Me too, especially because it was the first year in our new home with it. And I let the tomatoes overtake the peas and beans which was disappointing. Great if you like tomatoes, not so much if you wanted a bigger yield of peas and beans.
I think next year the tomatoes will stay in the big pots while the two larger raised beds (~3'x4') will get the others.
I think next year the tomatoes will stay in the big pots while the two larger raised beds (~3'x4') will get the others.
I went with Keene Garlic this year, but have gone with Filaree Farm before also. Keene had a bit better pricing. Both places the garlic that I got to plant looked good. Large, healthy looking cloves.
This year I am trying a 4 varieties: Chesnok Red, Romanian Red, Ivan, and Persian Star. If you cook with garlic a lot, I suggest trying to grow your own heirloom variety. The flavor and aroma are miles better than what you get at a typical grocery. Plus, you can store them for 6-10 months after curing, and you can also plant your best cloves for new garlic, so it could be a never ending supply if you plan well.
Keene Garlic-Certified organic garlic for sale and exceptional quality garlic bulbs to eat or grow. Heirloom Varieties, Culinary, and Bulk
Our passion is to bring garlic lovers together to cooperate in growing, eating, and sharing the best US grown garlic. We grow and collaborate with other small family farms to provide premium garlic and garlic products to our customers that they ordinarily could not get at the grocery store or...
keeneorganics.com
Filaree Garlic Farm
Filaree Garlic Farm has been an independently owned grower and supplier of premium quality garlic seed. Filaree Garlic Farm serve organic gardeners, plant nurseries, and small-scale commercial growers. Our garlic is heirloom, non-GMO, certified organic!
filareefarm.com
Buckeyegolfnut
Well-known member
As gkeller replied, those are all what are called "hard neck" garlics. The kind you buy in the store are "soft neck" garlics. I love the hard neck varieties. Many different flavors, heat levels, and intensities. I'm lucky in that I have several places locally where I can get them. Besides, a lot of the grocery store garlic is grown in China, and with so much heavy metal pollution in their soils I don't trust anything grown there!
Started the 2022 garden over the weekend. It's really early for Ohio but my young daughter was adamant she wanted to start the seedlings now. We chose Kale for now as it can stand up best to cold temps if/when we shift the seedlings outside in March. Will start the rest of the items a bit later this year.
Did you get these in the ground? I know with the temps and rain we've been having, I had good growth before the cold settled in.
Always helps during the winter if you can do something to remind yourself of spring!
I did. I need to check on them as a few other plants started to pop up early. any concerns if they are starting to pop up?
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Wife was counting "Good" Dahlia Tubers yesterday - Spring is in the "Air"
The Bestest half started seeding the green house this weekend also. Now she wants to change the beds for spring with means i will be building new beds. She wants a U shape layout so she can get in the "U" and reach most of the plants from one area. Also wants them taller with a frame that she can flip up to keep the rabbits out.
Back to the drawing board but it keeps life interesting for sure
Back to the drawing board but it keeps life interesting for sure
Based on my experience, which isn't much, it should be ok. Typically they grow a bit after fall planting anyway, before winter sets in. I have some with a good 4 inches of green growth sticking out. Mulching helped me in the past, which is why I'm doing it now. I always plant a variety, since the weather is so variable, to hopefully improve my yield.
what is your mulch of choice? I've currently got a straw layer (or hay) (whichever doesn't have the grains that may germinate...)
I typically use mulched leaves, because I have a bunch of them each fall. I cover all my beds in in, garlic included. For beds that have nothing planted, I turn the leaves into the soil. It has done well for me adding organic material.
I've used straw before for my strawberries, just have to make sure to pick it all up come spring because the slugs like to get under it and eat the berries.
I've catalogued the seed packets and will be ordering more soon. More herbs this year since drying them made for some good recipes this past year. Seeing the seedlings sprout does warm the heart even if the ground is not.
End of an era. These three plants over produced!
Tonight was the final harvest. From the same plants. I culled to one earlier.
what’s shown just tonight’s haul.
Fresh for fire roasting tomorrow.
Starting to naturally dehydrate for chile flake / power.
Some of the frozen fresh roasted that I’ve preserved the last two years. Not shown the other 10 or so quart bags I’ve eaten or given away.
yes they got HOT asthe plant aged.