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It's almost May goons. April has come and gone and planting for summer is right around the corner (already here for you southern goons). So let's talk about gardening! This is the place to talk about what you grow, how you grow it, and also a place to ask questions and get a bunch of contrasting opinions because goons can't agree on poo poo. I'll use the OP to just go over some organic gardening basics and some dire warnings about being a lazy person and not getting your plants into the ground on time. Organic Gardening: An extremely dumb and gay pursuit The name kind of says it all. It's gardening without using chemical fertilizers. There are sixteen million ways to organic garden, stuff like french intensive, hügelkultur, and the stuff I personally get down on which is just crop rotation and old school farming. They are all good for different spaces and different climates and at the end of the day put delicious produce on your plate for literal pennies per pound without BIG AGRO getting their grubby hands all over it. Why would I rotate crops that sounds tedious and dumb? Each type of crop (leaf, root, flower/legume, fruit) uses certain nutrients in your soil. Some even put goodies back in. By planting in sucession year after year or season after season you can keep your soil healthy and fertile with very little outside additives. If you are a soil dork you love watching your soil become richer and more bio-diverse. Basically it makes your garden run on near nothing which in the end makes your investment go further. There is also the whole environmental aspect as well. Good soil is in incredibly short supply and places that have soil that is well rated for agriculture also happen to be the kinds of places that are being bought up for housing developments. Making fertile soil is a cool guy's pursuit and the more we make the more we support a thriving ecosystem both above the ground and beneath it. Okay, I'm naked in my yard. What am I getting out of this? Isn't the nudity enough, dude?  But really, you can have access to foods that most people will never even have the chance to try. You will be able to choose from near limitless varieties of each crop and you can totally show off with your fancy purple tomatoes and know you paid $0.16 to grow them. It's beautiful. I mean who doesn't love to be surrounded by plants and flowers and fruits. There is smells and colors and tastes. It's pretty sweet in that aspect. It's easy to get lost inspecting each leaf and stem. Quite zen. Lastly, it is a dying skill. Fewer and fewer people as time go on have the ability to raise a vegetable to fruition. I know it sounds silly but it's true. If we let these kinds of skills die then we basically are just giving away the right to really know what is in our food. I mean, whether you're a conspiracy theorist thinking Monsanto is creeping outside your window gassing you secretly in your sleep to test their new potato mind control powder or just someone who thinks each person should have access to food that hasn't been covered in wax, sprayed in pesticide, or generally rogered about. A couple reminders If you're in the Northwest U.S. May 15th is when you want to start getting summer fruit into the ground. If you are planning on starting plants indoors you are pretty late. Need seeds? There are all kinds of regional seed houses but when it comes to heirloom and rares the best I have found is right here in Oregon: Victory Seeds. Goons, please feel free to suggest seed houses and I'll add them to the OP. Mulch the poo poo out of your garden. I cannot stress this enough. Wonder why some people have beautiful gardens and it seems like they never have to deal with weeds. It is because they use mulch. Good mulch can be nearly anything including grass clippings, hay, bark chip, and even some fabrics. An easy fertilizer for your indoor starts: Fill a five gallon bucket halfway with tightly packed grass clippings from your yard. Fill to the top with water. Let sit covered for 48 hours. Strain and dilute 1:1 with water. 5-10 squirts with a spray bottle after watering. Literally A Person fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Apr 28, 2018 |
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Apr 28, 2018 04:34
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Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:I got some San Marzano tomato and okra seeds a couple weeks ago that I still need to plant. Starting indoors or straight into the ground?
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Apr 28, 2018 04:39
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or the thread moved faster than I thought it would.
Literally A Person fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Apr 29, 2018 |
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Apr 28, 2018 04:41
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Pick posted:I transplanted a gently caress loude of rasp berries We were thinking about using some to compete against a patch of Himalayan blackberry we have rockin' out back.
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Apr 28, 2018 04:48
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Pick posted:if you want some golden raspberries there are a lot you can come get, some red too i think also I'll send you an e-mail. Short answer: yes.
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Apr 28, 2018 04:53
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So...what are you people planting/spring harvesting? I got some fava beans that are almost ready to pick!!! Pretty jazzed.
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Apr 28, 2018 15:57
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EorayMel posted:One day I hope my garden will be like this: Printing this now to hang on my fridge. Thank you.
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Apr 28, 2018 16:04
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Hardawn posted:I have green toes, cause I like to mow my grass in flip-flops Sure, that's why... 
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Apr 28, 2018 16:06
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Speaking of the fava beans, I know few people in the states grow these bad boys so I'll show you guys what they look like: Check out this extremely pretty flower it makes: 
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Apr 28, 2018 19:24
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cannot pake posted:I put some grass seed and the rain washed it away. Next move? Look at the lowest point in you yard. It will have lots of grass. Everywhere else? ...
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Apr 28, 2018 19:38
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Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:Indoors. So I can start them off right and make sure they don’t get destroyed by pests.  We finally invested in a light set up this year. It's fab. An easy fertilizer for your indoor starts: Fill a five gallon bucket halfway with tightly packed grass clippings from your yard. Fill to the top with water. Let sit covered for 48 hours. Strain and dilute 1:1 with water. 5-10 squirts with a spray bottle after watering.
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Apr 28, 2018 19:44
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Pawn 17 posted:Growing your own food and/or herbs owns. Learning how to put them all in the same garden is a godly pursuit. I usually grow herbs from clones though so I wait to get them into the ground until later in the season.
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Apr 28, 2018 19:52
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What kind of stuff do you grow Lacey?
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Apr 28, 2018 20:06
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Hell Yeah posted:I have 4 cucumber plants started as well as 10 lacinato kale, 20 red leaf lettuces, 5 parsleys, 2 jalapeno and 2 anaheim peppers. The leaf lettuces and kales are getting too big for the cells i have them in so i think i'm going to plant them this week. I'm in michigan zone 6 and it's cold here right now so i'm probably going to harden my peppers and cucumbers off in a cold frame next week then plant them. Not sure why a skeleton needs veg... But, noice. My lettuce all keeled over this year but my spinach planted in February is starting to take off.
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Apr 28, 2018 20:08
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1500quidporsche posted:I don't garden but I have a little rubber tree I bought last year that's shot up pretty quick. The soil seems to have small outbreaks of fruit flies. Anything to stop that OP? Is it usually a day or two after watering?
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Apr 28, 2018 20:09
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1500quidporsche posted:I water it every three days so tough to track. I'm assuming it's moisture related though It totally is. They get in there because it is wet. You could try a layer of mulch over the soil. It might solve your problem. Hey look, it's spinach:  gotta thin them out before they get much bigger.
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Apr 28, 2018 20:16
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Jon Joe posted:This sound cool as gently caress and I want to try it now. Where do I start? Well what kind of space do you have?
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Apr 28, 2018 20:19
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Jon Joe posted:A porch outdoors; no growing area but this works with planters, right? I'd need to buy some but the porch is otherwise unused except for a grill. Starting in pots is a great way to start. Well, first you'll need containers. Craigslist is a great place to get free five gallon buckets and the like. You'll need seeds or starts. You could try the seed house in the OP or you can go to a local nursery. For a first timer I would recommend trying from starts as it tends to be a bit easier. Find a store that sells organic soil (which is always cheaper in bulk than in a bag) and go to work. Follow directions and after some time you'll be eating home grown veg. Alternatively, build a box and create a raised bed. Look at the "french intensive" link in the OP to get an idea of how to make box planting successful.
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Apr 28, 2018 20:29
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Hell Yeah posted:also just grow whatever you are interested in growing from nursery starts. it's not that hard and it's a good way to build confidence. Kind of the most important thing. Hell Yeah is talking about multi-season planting. If you want to maximize your yield per year this is super important. By picking the right varieties you can grow a garden four seasons of the year. Thanks, Hell Yeah.
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Apr 28, 2018 20:51
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Zeluth posted:Bugs off of heirloom tomatoes without pesticide? There is always good old fashion by hand removal. You can do a mixture of diluted dish soap and capsicum (though I have heard this is incredibly hit or miss). You can also do a mix of clove oil and water. If it is a problem every growing season, stay away from that genus for a year or two and the bugs will typically move on to greener pastures. Pest control on an organic garden isn't particularly easy . Also, and I've had luck with this, undersow basil with your tomatoes. It discourages pests and you get to eat the basil!
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Apr 29, 2018 14:59
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notanarsonist posted:I enjoy attempting to garden, but i kill everything i come in contact with. The only curse i have that emits a stronger negative effect is fishing. Grow radishes. They will grow even if you try to kill them.
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Apr 29, 2018 15:00
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Lacey posted:Zucchini is also good because even if only a plant or two make it you will have so much zucchini you'll be whipping it at your neighbours So much hate for the zucchini growers of the world. You grow a gnar veggie and then when you can't eat the twenty-four tons of it your one plant produced you foist it off on any dolt that will take it. Seriously though we started just blasting tons of it through the food processor and freezing it into little 1-cup portions. They are perfect for throwing together quick zucchini breads!
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Apr 29, 2018 15:10
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notanarsonist posted:I don't know. You sound confident but i'm already in trouble for whipping things out around my neighbors. :lmdbo:
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Apr 29, 2018 15:10
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Hell Yeah posted:also to the guy who is afraid to grow anything op is right about radishes. just plant them in the plain dirt in your yard and they will grow with no nutrients or anything and you'll have actual food that you grew in like a month. i like to take radishes and ferment them like a traditional sauerkraut or kimchi. Thinly sliced, on pumpernickel with cream cheese and thinly sliced red onion. Sooooo very good.
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Apr 29, 2018 15:21
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Hell Yeah posted:my mom asked for some squash plants this year and i was like you mean one squash plant mom. one squash only. What variety are you thinking?
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Apr 29, 2018 15:27
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Spinster posted:I'm pretty sure I'm growing stuff in the carpet in the back of my car under the seats, is there a specific herb you recommend that doesn't get too tall or need much light? Have you thought about growing mushrooms?  guri posted:Last year I was passing off fennel fronds, pollen, flowers, and seeds to everyone around me when the drat things started towering over me. I dug that whole mess up and now have just a bit tucked away at a more contained part of the garden. Please tell me you used the bulb!?
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Apr 29, 2018 15:53
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Hell Yeah posted:i have some fennel seeds how long does that take to grow. does it bolt in hot weather? i've never grown it. Up to 100 days to harvest. Not sure about bolting though.
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Apr 29, 2018 15:57
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My starts: Two rows of katinka cherry tomatoes on the left, two rows of lillian's yellow heirloom, and a row of pink accordian. They are putting on their first adult leaves and out to be ready to hit the ground in two weeks  Can't really see them in there but the pots furthest from the camera are celery. They are tiny little starts. One melon, arikara watermelon to be exact. Then it's hungarian sweet peppers which are just getting their first little adult leaves and finally, closest to the camera early bird tomatoes. Sometime today I'll get a couple pictures of my gardening space.
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Apr 29, 2018 16:09
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Also planted some strange seeds that i found, got this:
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Apr 29, 2018 16:15
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Piggy Smalls posted:I have a patch of dirt roughly 5 foot by 3 foot. The dirt has dead plants in it from when I tried to beautify the patch. The dirt is dry as poo poo and hard. I will try to provide a picture when I get home. Home depot is a toughy but look for some kind of organic fertalizer. That could be compost or manure. Manure has always worked for me in the past. Cover the plot with the poop'n'stuff and cultivate it together (dig it all up and mix it) pull the now exposed and easy to grab weeds. Mulch the sweet gently caress out of it. Mulch should be at least a couple of inches deep all the way up to four inches deep. Let it sit for a week or two so the nitrogen won't hurt your baby plants. Boom, done. I know nothing about citrus, sorry. I live in a place where it doesn't really grow.
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Apr 29, 2018 16:54
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Cultivation can be done with all kinds of tools but this is where the hoe is applicable.
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Apr 29, 2018 16:55
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Piggy Smalls posted:Gonna sound stupid but is mulch sold? What is it? I’m a city folk Mulch is sold and it can take a ton of different forms. I personally prefer bark chip because it makes my garden look nice but you can use grass clippings, straw, and even some fabrics.
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Apr 29, 2018 17:00
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If you're dead set on going to the depot: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors-Garden-Center-Landscaping-Mulch/N-5yc1vZbx4a But consider looking at nurseries. They usually have better selections of organic fertilizers and a lot of times have staff that have a fair amount of knowledge.
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Apr 29, 2018 17:05
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RE: cat poo It's really not the best fertilizer. It has some chemical content that is no bueno if the cat eats commercial food and it can carry some bacterias that could (however unlikely) make you kinda sick. I would suggest picking it up with a shovel and throwing it into your neighbors field like I do.
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Apr 29, 2018 18:07
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To be fair though any poo you use should be mixed or sit for a while to cure anyway.
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Apr 29, 2018 18:09
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Hell Yeah posted:he def would not want to accidentally get the small bag of fertilizer if he is just trying to ammend a garden bed that may give too much fertilizer somehow and it wouldn't improve the texture and moisture retention of the soil. otherwise your recommendations are good. Good point! I tend to use the terms interchangeably since I never really technically use "fertilizer."
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Apr 29, 2018 19:47
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Raere posted:Just planted some jalapeño plants. I worry that I might’ve twisted the main stem a bit and cut it off a bit from the roots. Is it ok if the stem gets damaged a bit? Most of the time, yeah. I mean, I've had tomatoes get their entire stalk eaten by cutworms and magically come back later in the season. As long as it isn't too cold, plants are pretty tough.
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Apr 29, 2018 23:20
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A Bakers Cousin posted:Hi I just have a small Japanese Maple I grow in a pot can I join the garden goon gang. Hell yeah! Got a pic?
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Apr 29, 2018 23:25
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Luminous Cow posted:I planted trees in my back yard last year. I used wood chips for mulch. How often does that need to be replaced? For the first couple years, probably once a year. But don't replace it. Rake it back, weed and put it back with the new mulch. As the bark decomposes it's feeding your tree! After a few years the mulch will most likely win the fight against the grass and weeds. From then on it's just when you think it needs it.
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Apr 30, 2018 00:20
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I decided I want to put a kind of greenway down the center of my garden this year. I have some roman chamomile already established and yesterday saw little tiny germans germanating. Planting flowers in your vegetable garden encourages pollinating insects to come and make your plants have sex. Plus it looks nice.
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Apr 30, 2018 17:12
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