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Any vegetable gardeners out there?

Well I live in an apartment so I grow everything indoors. This summer I'll be growing herbs and salad greens. Total of 7 plants of each via The Aerogarden. It's a nice way to have quality fresh herbs/salad greens year round with minimal work (5 minutes a week roughly). It's possible to grow tomatoes, peppers, and flowers as well.

Steven
 
You guys have inspired me to start a small garden here at my house. I don't know if it is too late or not, but I am going to try. Since I don't have a job, I have nothing but time.
 
Well, the flatlander is gardening. :laugh: Check and ajust the Ph of your soil. Soil test kits are available at the local feed store. Farm and Garden to you flatlanders. Trust me on this, it's the most important thing you can do.

Doc.

Yep, next is the daily vitamin container and I'll be all set in my old age, LOL.

I'll definitely check into the Ph and see what it should be, much appreciated. We also started a compost behind the shed, which we're already contributing to and looking forward to using once it's ready.

Check with your state extension office they will do a basic soil test for free. The reason it's free they trace heavy metals and keep a database, it's one of the things a Master Gardener would do prior to getting his Certificate. In Ct. anyway!
The compost is without a doubt the most important ingredient in any garden. The more the better. You could even use a green manure this fall and plow it under to fix nitrogen to the soil and add organic matter..
Check out this website www.gardenweb.com go to the forums have a blast.. They have a seed saving forum and a swap or used to, for hard to get heirloom seeds.
Lot of knowledgeable gardeners.

Don't (personal belief) use chemicals, you can always find a organic alternative for every application.
Happy growing
Frank
PS, 3-4 different Tom, thai bird peppers, 2 pole beans, basil (Thai and Italian), Kitchen garden for the wife (rosemary, thyme, etc..) Boc Choy, (sp) other misc stuff !

Those rat bastids at the State Extension office looked at me like I had two heads when I first came in to seek advice like Brandon did. They acted like I was truly bothering them. I ended up leaving with a couple of pamphlets and a bad attitude...
 
Those rat bastids at the State Extension office looked at me like I had two heads when I first came in to seek advice like Brandon did. They acted like I was truly bothering them. I ended up leaving with a couple of pamphlets and a bad attitude...

Need me to break a leg, George?
 
Brandon, first off, hope all is well with you and the family. Wife and I are going to do the same this year, mainly tomatoes, some lettuce and herbs. Good luck with it, post some pics now and when you harvest to show your green thumb progress.
Rob
 
I'm not sure what's all in the ground right now, as I won't be home for another 2 weeks, but it's usually watermelons, pumpkins, tomatos, peppers, cucumbers, raspberries, and grapes. Maybe next year there will be a few tobacco plants to join them...
 
Those rat bastids at the State Extension office looked at me like I had two heads when I first came in to seek advice like Brandon did. They acted like I was truly bothering them. I ended up leaving with a couple of pamphlets and a bad attitude...

Need me to break a leg, George?


Ahhh... In typical Chicago style, nonetheless!!! :thumbs:

Sorry - but they've already been fitted for a cement overcoat. It didn't clear up my bug problem, but sure did get rid of the rats... :whistling:
 
You guys have inspired me to start a small garden here at my house. I don't know if it is too late or not, but I am going to try. Since I don't have a job, I have nothing but time.

It shouldn't be too late. I grew up in southern Indiana and we never put the garden out until at least the second week of May.

Up where I am now, we put nothing out before Memorial Day. It limits some of what we can grow (unless we start some stuff indoors), but there's plenty of time for most vegetables.

Have fun. Gardening can be a great stress reliever. :)
 
Well, the flatlander is gardening. :laugh: Check and ajust the Ph of your soil. Soil test kits are available at the local feed store. Farm and Garden to you flatlanders. Trust me on this, it's the most important thing you can do.

Doc.

Yep, next is the daily vitamin container and I'll be all set in my old age, LOL.

I'll definitely check into the Ph and see what it should be, much appreciated. We also started a compost behind the shed, which we're already contributing to and looking forward to using once it's ready.

Check with your state extension office they will do a basic soil test for free. The reason it's free they trace heavy metals and keep a database, it's one of the things a Master Gardener would do prior to getting his Certificate. In Ct. anyway!
The compost is without a doubt the most important ingredient in any garden. The more the better. You could even use a green manure this fall and plow it under to fix nitrogen to the soil and add organic matter..
Check out this website www.gardenweb.com go to the forums have a blast.. They have a seed saving forum and a swap or used to, for hard to get heirloom seeds.
Lot of knowledgeable gardeners.

Don't (personal belief) use chemicals, you can always find a organic alternative for every application.
Happy growing
Frank
PS, 3-4 different Tom, thai bird peppers, 2 pole beans, basil (Thai and Italian), Kitchen garden for the wife (rosemary, thyme, etc..) Boc Choy, (sp) other misc stuff !

Those rat bastids at the State Extension office looked at me like I had two heads when I first came in to seek advice like Brandon did. They acted like I was truly bothering them. I ended up leaving with a couple of pamphlets and a bad attitude...

Wow what a difference, in Ct. I received a massage <edit> for being a asshat.
If anyone needs any organic advice pm for email address.
 
It seems like it's a little late in our area for some of the veggies I wanted to plant, but I may give it a shot anyway.

Okra
Peppers
Asparagus

Fruit trees:

Figs
Pears
Peaches
Black berries
 
I have the majority of my vegetable garden planted now. Most of the plants I grow from seed. I have...

6 tomatoes
2 eggplant
2 butternut squash
2 cucumbers
7 peppers
red and white onions
lettuce
beets

Herbs: oregano, chives, basil, thyme, dill, rosemary
Not started yet: Lima Beans, brussel sprouts

I always recommend using "heirloom" vegetable seeds when possible. Modern "hybrid" seeds are usually bred for traits other than best taste.

Also my garden is 100% organic, never using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. It's fertilized only via the compost pile.
 
Ive got 4 habanero and 6 serrano pepper plants going now. I've been doing this for a few years, but I haven't had great success with habaneros, they always turn out to be really small plants. The cayannes I planted a couple years ago grew to 2.5 feet tall and gave me about 30-40 12" peppers per plant.
 
So how's everyone's gardens doing so far? I only did a small spot beside the house, here's a few pics. Course, got some tobacco plants ( :D ). My first attempt at them didn't work out, so I just took seeds and sewed them down the rows. It's taking a long time for them to grow, but growing they are! The big mess of vines are cantaloupe with a couple cucumbers in there. Big running plant is pumpkin (big sucker it is)with a baby punkin' on the very end. Tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, jalapeno, and butter beans.

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My peppers are doing very well, much better than previous years. I'm getting about 50 peppers per cayenne plant right now, the habaneros are at about 10 per plant so far, and the serranos are starting to get up into the 30 per plant. I'm happy with the results. I haven't even harvested any yet though so this is just the first wave. :D

This is a shot of most of my pepper plants, some are hidden behind all the orange buckets:
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Cayenne Peppers:
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Serranos planted in the ground:
DSCN1662.jpg


Caribbean Red Habaneros:
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Scotch Bonnets:
DSCN1667.jpg
 
I have half a dozen tomato plants (just nothing like a fresh slice in the first BLT of the season), couple peppers and a volunteer squash plant. Just planted a couple short rows of lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts for fall harvest. That reminds me, it's time to thin those buggers.

One unsolicited tip to you tomato growers: if you have trouble with varmints eating your crop, try spreading some coffee grounds around the plant. Works like a charm for me with squirrels, though the Starbucks baristas give you a funny look when you beg for used grounds.
 
I'm not a gardener, but I'd seen some good stuff in my favorite publication MAKE Magazine:

Great 'backyard farm' strategies:
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=70
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=72

Timed drip irrigation:
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=74
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=76
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=78

Portable wormy composting bin:
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=80
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol18/?pg=82

Composting bin:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Pallet_Compost_Bin

Sadly I have to link to each page individually, if you want to 'flip' through the mag just change the page numbers at the end of the URL.
I'd share my login, but really, shouldn't you just subscribe? =)

Enjoy.
~R
 
I've gotten leaf lettuce, banana peppers, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes so far. We have jalapenos, but they aren't long enough to pick yet.

We tried brocolli, but it bolted with the heat and never turned out. Just waiting on the onions to get bigger as well.

Great first year.
 
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