Garden time!!!

[slipbob]

Hey Slip, can you give me some tips/directions on how your coldframe works?  I have never used one before...Thanks, OC

I first figured out how big my cold frame would be based on the length of the posts I had and then planted spinach and lettuce in that area in mid September so it would come up and get started good before winter.  Then all I did was take some old posts I had that are in the same shape as railroad ties and stacked them 3 high and made a rectangular shaped box about 2 feet tall on top of which I placed a couple full sheets of plexiglass.  I then piled dirt up pretty high around the sides to insulate it from the cold.  The spinach and lettuce stayed nice and green all winter under there and it just gives you a really early start to the season on some greens.  By early March the temps would get pretty toasty in the cold frame from the sun and the plants started growing again and you can have a nice crop of spinach by mid April.  My cold frame was about 10ft by 4ft but I know realize that I need about 4 times that area to have a big enough crop in the spring for my needs but I'll do that this winter by either making multiple cold frames or just one really big one.  I didn't take a picture of it so I hope my explanation is adequate.  You just have to make the sides high enough above the dirt so the plants have some headroom, at least 2ft or you can dig a recess into the dirt and set them down a little too. 

[ol crawdad]

Cool, thanks sb.  I am going to give it a try next September.  I am jonesin' for some fresh stuff right from the garden.  You might need a fence to keep the deer, the rabbits, and OC out!
PS, my peas are up, and the onions are looking good already! 

[slipbob]

Cool, thanks sb.  I am going to give it a try next September.  I am jonesin' for some fresh stuff right from the garden.  You might need a fence to keep the deer, the rabbits, and OC out!
PS, my peas are up, and the onions are looking good already! 

It's the only way to get a good head start on eatin size greens in April.  Good luck with it and I'll be making a couple jumbo cold frames this fall so I can take some pics then.  I will need a fence for sure at the new house to keep out deer and bunnies but you're welcome in the garden anytime.    

[slipbob]

Bartman loves asparugus 

Me too Bartman me too.  I have a patch of Jersey Giant and also purple asparagus.  It's not doing all that great where it is because the soil is too sandy but I will be starting another large patch at the new house soon.  It takes about 3 or 4 years before asparagus really gets going good and you can harvest a lot.  I LOVE the stuff. 

It's about time to start an herb garden too!  

yes, yes it is.  We had a nice one last year.  My girlfriend is in charge of that stuff.  Cilantro, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, gotta have Basil and some other stuff.  Nothing like fresh herbs. 

[grumpymoe]

looking for some advise from slipbob and anyone else that wants to chip in....we bought a large property over a year ago and one of the nice  things was a very large garden area separated from the main home site by a heavily wooded buffer zone....its approximately 110' x 110' with nice draining soil....pretty much anything will grow well here...except roots veggies (turnips, etc) are prone to worms...last summer we planted a variety of greens such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage that were all a bust due to heavy infestations of canola bugs....potatoes were also a labor intensive with potato beetles that regardless of powdering and spraying were a nightmare.....here's my dilemna....I have more than enough grass that needs mowing at least twice a week at least until the first part of august...(3 hrs each time)....Mountainmama cant garden due to her back and suggested I seed it to grass.....(no way I'll do that...I have enough already)...today I planted corn and yukon gold potatoes....we have to full length rows of onions.....chard is already coming up from last years planting...we have strawberries around the plum tree in the centre of the garden....looking for ideas on some good groundcover veggies etc that will keep maintenance to a minimum.......lots of cucumbers???....watermelon???  canteloupe???   BTW...we have another plot in the front of the property that will be strictly herbs...tomatoes will go into the garden in about 2 weeks or so....open to any great ideas and suggestions....here's some pics looking from the raspberry patch in the foreground......Grump                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

[Hood]

Grump- Dont know if your a fan, but squashes and zucchini can grow huge leaves and provide excellent ground cover...Try some Belgian Giant tomatos if you can get your hands on some....they get huge and tatse better than any tomato I've ever had....Thats a nice hunk of space you got there to grow some of your own freshies 

[crowkiller]

this is one of my prized plants                                                                                      
                                                                                           

[Muskie Matt]

Gotta love garden time....I look forward to this every year slip.  Don't forget it's golf season too!

[CNY Farmer]

Nice pics Slipbob they remind me of when I was younger and the garden my Grandfather had.. I would help him weed and plant but mostly I think I did it so I could ride the lawn tractor Only kind of garden we have now is fields of cow corn and hay

[ol crawdad]

looking for ideas on some good groundcover veggies etc that will keep maintenance to a minimum.......lots of cucumbers???....watermelon???  canteloupe???   BTW...we have another plot in the front of the property that will be strictly herbs...tomatoes will go into the garden in about 2 weeks or so....open to any great ideas and suggestions....here's some pics looking from the raspberry patch in the foreground......Grump                                                                                                                                                                                               

Hi Grump, When I have had enough of planting stuff in my garden, (about 60 x 120) I finish off by planting a bag of "sunflower seeds for birds".  LOW Maintenance, and they look good growing.  Corn can also take up a lot of space.  (After planting corn, overseed with clover - the nitrogen from the roots does wonders).  Cucumbers need to be in a hill by me to grow well around here, so they would be a lot of work.  If you have access to a lot of manure, pumpkins, squash and gourds all take up a lot of space.

[crowkiller]

i dont grow many veggies im more into rare tropicals ill post some more pics as they start to bloom

[grumpymoe]

looking for ideas on some good groundcover veggies etc that will keep maintenance to a minimum.......lots of cucumbers???....watermelon???  canteloupe???   BTW...we have another plot in the front of the property that will be strictly herbs...tomatoes will go into the garden in about 2 weeks or so....open to any great ideas and suggestions....here's some pics looking from the raspberry patch in the foreground......Grump                                                                                                                                                                                               

Hi Grump, When I have had enough of planting stuff in my garden, (about 60 x 120) I finish off by planting a bag of "sunflower seeds for birds".  LOW Maintenance, and they look good growing.  Corn can also take up a lot of space.  (After planting corn, overseed with clover - the nitrogen from the roots does wonders).  Cucumbers need to be in a hill by me to grow well around here, so they would be a lot of work.  If you have access to a lot of manure, pumpkins, squash and gourds all take up a lot of space.

....thanks bud....I had about 3dozen giant sunflowers that were left out for the birds last winter....looks like some good volunteer ground cover in those spots lol.....just read about clover among the corn....will be doing that....likely going to go with tons of cucumbers, cantaloupe I hope....and likely some pumpkins....regards...Grump

[devil-man]

That's a nice Brugmansia there, CK. 

[crowkiller]

That's a nice Brugmansia there, CK. 

nice to see someone knows there plants , it 2 years this season

[Waubay Fisher]

Grump I thought I'd quick throw this in too.. zuchini also takes up lots of space and is EXCELLENT sauteed with other veggies or fried up in batter in the fryer .  We always have a few plants in our garden and if ya let them grow bigger, ya can always shred em up and use them in zuchini muffins or bread - mmm mmm good with coffee!!!