A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Veggie garden 2016...

So, what are the plans for everyone this year?

I will be expanding dramatically...we will have no choice. I pray the weather cooperates for a bountiful harvest for freezing and preserving.

Well, as for me, my half sized garden got cut back to just my herb bed last year...
Recovering from surgery, while your DH is home alone will do that.

So, this year I think I will buy a raised bed and see how that goes. Then the next year if I need more I could add another.

If I could have but tomatoes and asparagus I would be happy..well, since I have my 2 rectangle flower bed containers that I use for green onions, radishes & lettuces.

Sunny you're upsizing and we're downsizing. I'm going to add one more raised bed for a total of 3 plus my squash straw bales and I think that's gonna be it. I'm not planning on putting anything directly in the ground this year. Vegetables are very inexpensive at the local farmers market so it costs more to plant, water, fertilize than to just buy them. We don't eat that many potatoes so I think that will be one of the crops I won't plant this year. Right now I'm planning on tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, squash.

junie, I've never planted asparagus but I think it stays in the same bed forever and keeps producing - or something like that.

PS I'm going to plant some green peas this week on a trellis and carrots in my window boxes. Might also start some lettuce in my little green house. I'm adding on already. :)

New plan. Since Lightening McQueen and the John D are parked in my pretend greenhouse the plan is to go to Tractor Supply and spend $60.00 on a tiny real greenhouse and plant lettuce in there. My friend has already started her seeds. Seems a tad early to me. I think I'll make 2 more raised beds for a total of 4. Might put 1 row of potatoes in the ground.

Yep, with just feeding the 2 of us, much is not worth it to me either...but if all goes well I may add a second raised bed & plant only potatoes in it next year. I have kept them until January many a years...I dry them well out on my picnic table then put them in open weave containers in the basement where it is cool & dry.

Yes, Sheri, that is how asparagus works.

I had a fantastic bed at "the farm". The new owners let it go to weeds.

They also let my black berry plants go.

When I got hurt last year the weeds took over my new bed here & then as I have said My DH mowed over all but my Herb bed.

I wish I had a hand tiller....then you'd really see some expansion here

Can you rent or borrow a tiller, sunny??

My Dad gave Rod a small gas operated tiller. Cute little thing, perfect for us. Since Dad gave it to Rod he got rid of it, & I could do nothing about it. he gave it to my youngest DD, Emily. And if you remember, she is just a female version of her Daddy, & so it was gone fairly soon after she received it, I am sure.

BUT then with using the raised beds, all I really need is some round up for first, then a shovel to remove the grass after a week or so, then I can/will need to do it all by hand anyway.


Gee, all of this gardening talk has me excited.

Sunny around here unless you have a heavy weight tiller it won't turn the dirt. My step dad got one of the smaller light weight tillers but it doesn't work and I can't handle our heavy tiller. Well I can but I have a hard time making straight rows.

Junie have you planted potatoes in a raised bed before? I can't imagine my raised beds will be deep enough for potatoes.

I have not..my big plan is to scrape the grass off of the bottom of my yard, then loosen it up some--then put the raised bed up.

just barely cover the potato, then when it comes thru, cover it up again..until I have the dirt at the correct level..
will it work ?? we shall see.

Well, we shall see if I am even home to plant any gardens this year

I guess it depends how deep your raised bed is. I usually plant my potatoes 2 feet deep then cover as needed. I need to measure my beds. It's a good idea. Got 14 straw bales out yesterday for the squash and got the trellis's up for the peas.

Went to Tractor Supply, spent $60.00, and got my tiny green house. The million parts are laying in the driveway. Hope Johnny will put it together tomorrow. I lined up and started fertilizing 14 straw bales. I planted green peas around my trellis. I've decided to get 4 more straw bales and plant cucumbers in them. Still trying to get Johnny to bring up the stuff to build 2 more raised beds. I didn't know carrots reseeded but some of mine have and I have teeny, tiny carrots already forming.

I am jealous

Awesome, Sheri!

Sheri: I echo what Tina & Sunny have both said...
AND I am jealous that you are already getting ready for the gardening season !!!

wondering why my tiny greenhouse comment (in the above post) is a link? I didn't intentionally do that. Anyway, we still don't have it put together. Since Johnny started pastoring this church our time is spent doing church stuff. Takes a LOT of time. I did get 4 more straw bales put out and the holes in them for cucumbers. Haven't put in fertilizer yet. I'm not sure if we'll actually get the other raised beds built this year. As I said we have no time these days and we have choir practice tonight and maybe a funeral this week. One of us is going to have to quit work.

I've noticed a lot of linked words lately...must be an advertising feature for us now.

Got my seed potatoes today. I always say I'm not going to plant in the ground but I always do.

What variety did you buy?

Pontiac red

I love the flavor and texture of Red potatoes.
BUT when I plant potatoes I usually plant Kennebec potatoes.
Mainly because that is what my daddy always grew.

I have never heard of Kennebec but I do plant Pontiac as well.

The green peas are coming up and I'm excited. They never make it into the freezer because I eat them raw. They're always so fresh.

there is a raised bed and 4 more straw bales to the left. You can see part of the raised bed. The peas are planted in the box with the trellis's and then there are 14 bales for squash. Behind the blackberry vines behind the bales is a tilled up garden where I'll plant potatoes and green beans.

Kennabec is a white potato, Sunny. But IMO it is not mealy like a Idaho potato is.

That set up looks real good, Sheri.

I have to ask. What do you do to keep the Japanese beetles from destroying your blackberry bushes.
IN the last years at "the farm", I had a terrible time with them.

We've never had a problem with the beetles on the blackberries. Not sure why. They will devour my rose bushes though. Maybe they act differently in different climates.

Yes, you are probably right, Sheri. I would try the blackberry vines again but I am afraid if I draw the Beetles to my yard, they will come back & get into my other plants...

I haven't planted more roses because of the beetles. If there's a chance blackberries will bring them to your yard I wouldn't plant them either. Buy your berries at the farmers market :)

Yes, that is what I do for the berries. I just miss having gallons of them frozen in my freezer.
(I would freeze them loose on a sheet & then put them into bags. That way I could take out what I needed each time.

Not sure about your area but they are inexpensive at the farmers market here. Other than eating them straight off the vine it's easier and probably cheaper to buy them.

well most probably easier, given the problems I had with the beetles.

And truthfully now, with just the 2 of us probably the best option. Well, except for making of Blackberry jelly.
and I could just go ahead & buy some berries for that too.

I hope I haven't jixed myself. One year the squash bugs were so bad here that it was like a Biblical plague.

Hush, Child...Do NOT even think like that !

I am going to start picking up my seeds this month, I won't be planting for months but they get scarce if I wait too long.

Sunny, do you start your seeds indoors?

Sheri, I used to but with little hands digging in them I haven't in the past few years. The only place I have for a good set up is in my bedroom in front of a large South facing window..in reach of GG. I buy seedlings now for tomatoes, peppers and squash/pumpkins. The rest go in as seed.

Johnny put together my tiny greenhouse today. It had a million pieces and took him 2 hours and it's teeny tiny. Would hate to tackle a big one.

Planted potatoes.

Supposed to rain tomorrow. Good for the straw bales.

I picked up all my bean seeds....it is a start.