Thinking about my 2020 garden

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Up here in the upper great plains the days are getting longer, the snows melt fast and a lot of talk at work lately about our gardens this year. Saturday is actually the day we start our tomato seeds. Other than a good final clean up and I'm ready to go and very anxious. The babe and I get a lot of fun and bounty from our garden each year.
Any other vegetable gardeners in here?
 
Got 7 inches snow last night, will be next week before can finish rototilling. We plant peas corn swiss chard and several other veggies. We don`t start seeds but buy sets for tomatoes, peppers etc.
 
Haven't gardened in a few years. But in light of current events wife wants me to start a garden, and get chickens and goats.
 
We try, I found a large wooden shipping box that we converted to a small planter for my 2 year old, had a small tomato, pea, pepper garden going. Now that we have more time, definitely going to expand it. Also had plenty of sunflowers and native wildflower patches. I like the native wild flowers since they bloom later in nj, many went through september.
 
Originally Posted by walterjay
Haven't gardened in a few years. But in light of current events wife wants me to start a garden, and get chickens and goats.

^ Exactly, we have been talking about turning one of the flower gardens into vegetables and do even more canning and freezing than we currently do. I would like to make me a spot to grow sweet corn this year as well. One of our engineers has been growing true old world sweet corn and he swears by it as being the best flavor corn that you can get. I'm at just under 5000' and have never been able to grow peppers of any variety very well.... I want to try to focus some on rectifying this problem as well.
 
Vegetables yes but I'm not in a hurry, hard to predict temperatures this season but normally there's a fair chance of frost for at least 5 more weeks, and in more recent years I've minimized the time indoors with grow lights because the benefit:cost ratio isn't that much.

I may seed a handful of tomatoes in the next week to start indoors but most things I'll just direct sew in about a month. Other invasive herbs/etc will start on their own in about 3 weeks. Okra, soil is too cold for a good sprout survival rate till almost June, unless summer temps come early which wouldn't be surprising this season. Peppers, some I'll sew indoors (especially long germination types like very hot peppers) but time it so the sprouts get put outside from the start.
 
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Yeah. Here in the southern Rockies.

Tomatoes in large containers. Lately some cucumbers. Some stone fruit trees that produce sporadically.

At least I've gotten to the point where I can grow a tomato plant by seed.
 
Originally Posted by Dave9
Vegetables yes but I'm not in a hurry, hard to predict temperatures this season but normally there's a fair chance of frost for at least 5 more weeks, and in more recent years I've minimized the time indoors with grow lights because the benefit:cost ratio isn't that much.

I may seed a handful of tomatoes in the next week to start indoors but most things I'll just direct sew in about a month. Other invasive herbs/etc will start on their own in about 3 weeks. Okra, soil is too cold for a good sprout survival rate till almost June, unless summer temps come early which wouldn't be surprising this season.

I agree last year it wasn't safe to plant the garden till memorial weekend
 
Last weekend we put in peas, kale, arugula, red and green leaf lettuce...

Need to start watermelon and radishes from seed soon.

Haven't thought about tomatoes or bell peppers yet.
 
I grow tomatoes and peppers mainly with some cucumbers thrown in. Start all plants from seed and plants already about a foot tall. Upper 80's yesterday.
 
Have 61 each 8+ weeks old heirloom tomatoes learning to swim, 2-1/2 weeks planted in the backyard. Some cucumbers are next, but thats it.
 
Got mine in a couple weeks ago. Black eyes peas, okra, yellow squash, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, green beans, pole beans. I think it's the earliest I've ever got going on the summer garden.
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I'm at about 3500 ft in elevation up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our average last frost is somewhere around May 15-20. All those corn, bean, tomatoes, squash, etc plants are very susceptible to frost. My dad years ago would start some of these tender plants a little earlier by cutting out the bottom of a milk jug and covering the plant, providing a greenhouse effect. Worked like a charm and will get you a little earlier start, plus the jug holds in moisture and excels growing. I've even used this on cabbage to get them off to a fast start. As far as the big root crop, potatoes I usually try to plant mid to late April.
 
I built 2 4'x8' cedar boxes to make raised beds for a garden this year. My oldest is 5 and figured this would be a good project for the summer. I am still waiting on some grade work to be finished before I set them and fill them with soil. Hopefully I'll have them ready to go in the next week or two.
 
Originally Posted by RhondaHonda
I built 2 4'x8' cedar boxes to make raised beds for a garden this year. My oldest is 5 and figured this would be a good project for the summer. I am still waiting on some grade work to be finished before I set them and fill them with soil. Hopefully I'll have them ready to go in the next week or two.

When my grand kids come up to visit that's the first place they want to go. We always make sure they are here on planting day then all summer long every time they show up they want check out their handy work and oh man when they get to help pick the smiles are on.
I hope it's something they remember.
 
Originally Posted by P10crew
Up here in the upper great plains the days are getting longer, the snows melt fast and a lot of talk at work lately about our gardens this year. Saturday is actually the day we start our tomato seeds. Other than a good final clean up and I'm ready to go and very anxious. The babe and I get a lot of fun and bounty from our garden each year.
Any other vegetable gardeners in here?

Just tossed some lime pellits in the garden today to get the calcium up and hopefully no blossom end rot on the tomatoes. Works every year.
 
I have 360 garlic plants in the ground since November and they are looking great. Planted 20' of potatoes in the garden yesterday, and 360 onion plants went out today. In the cellar under lights are sweet peppers (7), hot peppers (7), broccoli (12), cauliflower (12), and romaine lettuce (6). Next to start under lights will be tomatoes (26), eggplant (7), and basil (12). Next to sow outdoors are snap peas (10'), beets (10'), corn (120), beans (20'), cucumbers (5'), squash (4), and cantaloupe (8).
 
Originally Posted by P10crew
Now that is a big garden Tom.
Do you do the farmers market thing?

Search "Tony NJ and garlic" on BITOg ... :p You are in for a treat. He is the flavor expert!
 
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