Vegetable Gardening

[tulip]

If you don't have direct sun, you'll probably have better luck growing things that don't require it. Lettuces, in particular, will grow in a bit of shade. If you have lots of shade, you might do better with ornamentals that do well in the shade, of which there are many.

[deeaimond]

Hi Tulip,

well my situation is this, i live in a ground floor apartment, so I have some green space in front of my apartment, but its public space. So we can grow potted plants but not directly in the soil. We also cannot fence up any area.
Its tall apartment blocks, so we get sun on the 'garden' for half the year then the sun moves to the other block. Also, there are two really big trees growing right on the perimeter of my 'garden'. But because they're state property we can't cut them. So they're blocking alot of the sunlight as well. But half the year there is some direct sun. so i might try to time tomatoes for that next year.

the public has itchy fingers and things get taken, including leaves torn off plants (I have some huge pots of pandanus leaves, and they're used here in making desserts so people always tear leaves off to use. without permission if i might add). I've also had small potted orchids get carried off... Mostly we just let the greenery be, we being my mum and me and the rest of the family. if they die, they die. if they thrive, great. Most are local plants. Snails are a big problem. They eat all the succulents and are everywhere. So lettuces are out, no space and snails. The tomato plant existed coz it just grew. I tried to give it what i could, but then now the sun's gone so... i guess i'll just let it grow.

I started a herb garden a few years back, but then i moved to college and only came back once a week or so, and it got infested and no one could keep up with the treatments. And my neighbour recently told me she came back one day and saw some of the plants had been yanked out of the soil... but these were non-local herbs like basil, rosemary and dill. The local herbs do great, kaffir lime leaves, pandanus, local aloe.

so i guess my garden should just stay... au naturel. and let nature be nature.

just add worm castings when i can i guess. which reminds me... i think its time to feed my worms... oh and the banana plant is bearing 2 small fruit...

I guess to have a vegetable garden one needs to plan carefully and be aware of the conditions on the plot throughout the year.

this thread is great for information! thanks everyone!! I'm still gonna keep reading it and look at everyone elses bounty!

[OakLeaf]

If I'd been more diligent about thinning, I might not have got these lovebirds:

[deeaimond]

If I'd been more diligent about thinning, I might not have got these lovebirds:

aww!! they're so cute!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Things are winding down for sure here in New York state.
days in the 40's and low 50's, nights in the 30's or so.

I weeded and hoed up my old little side vegetable garden so that it would be easy to turn it into our raspberry patch in the Spring.

As for the big veggie garden, there are still some patches of carrots, turnips, scallions, and some lettuces all hanging in there. And a few radishes. the lettuces are getting a bit strong tasting and the ones that have bolted I have pulled out. But some are still going ok, the little mesclun especially, and some dark red frilly leaf lettuce. I am still leaving the little patch of bok choy because they have yellow flowers which my honey bees seem to be really loving right now. I'm surprised the bok choy hasn't succumbed to the frosts already- we've had a few!

Next day in the 50's I will pull out all the little beets and hoe those spots. It's so much easier hoeing the fluffy dry autumn earth now rather than the icy heavy wet Spring soil.

I have to sit down and order the blueberry and raspberry bushes soon. I hear you should order early to get the selection you want held for you.

[smilingcat]

Watermellon vine finally gave up so brought in the watermellon. Looks yummy. It cracked open when I was cutting.

I think I would like to try the orange kind next year and this yellow tasted shweeeettt. Bit small but that's okay.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Nice looking watermelon!
Of course here we are going into winter...only some hardy things left from the veggie garden- a few turnips, scallions, some mesclun, a few small beets...and LOTS of lovely little carrots! I pulled a nice large bunch for my daughter today and still have plenty left. The early frosts don't bother them much since they are underground. Carrots are a winner.

[bambu101]

+1 on the carrots. This was the first year I tried growing them, as I always thought they were these tiny, finicky little things that were hard to get started outdoors-wrong! I grew an heirloom variety called Purple Dragon, and they have a lovely outer purple layer and deep orange inside. They are small, and got to be about 3 inches long. But they are very sweet.

I still have some in the ground, and have been pulling them up every few days. They will last until the ground freezes (or I eat them all).

[OakLeaf]

I always thought they were these tiny, finicky little things that were hard to get started outdoors-wrong!

I've had years where my carrots did very poorly just because they take so long to germinate. There's only so much watering you can do if you're in a drought.

And it took four or five years of pulling successively smaller rocks out of my plot before the soil was clean enough to grow carrots. Remembering just how long it took to build the soil, is a big reason why I'm hesitating to move my patch out of the shade of that cherry tree that's grown so tall...

All I've got left now is carrots and kale and parsley. And plenty in the freezer and jars.

[smilingcat]

Carrots and Parsnips will be sweeter in the cold. And same with spinach in a cold frame. As long as it doesn't freeze, spinach will be much sweeter in the winter time. We are adding more spinach and adding sorrel again. And yes we do have parsnips and carrots growing. Also we have turnips.

today my partner decided that she can no longer wait for her beets.

[tulip]

Here are some photos of my garden from today (March 17, 2010).

Veggies that somehow managed to overwinter despite our three rather large snowstorms and very cold winter are mustard greens, collards, Swiss chard, leeks, garlic, and some volunteer onions from last year's patch.

My herbs and strawberries have pulled through nicely.

Today I planted lettuce, more collards, kale, spinach seeds, and mesclun mix (seeds). Tomorrow I'll plant potatoes (Red Pontiac and Yukon Gold) in separate wire bins with compost. I need to plant peas and broccoli, but I'm running out of room! I may have to build a few more beds this year.

And carrots!! Where am I going to plant carrots? Need more room...

It's Spring!!

[kmehrzad]

Tulip, you've got quite a garden going there - it's very nice. What's even better is the reward you get in the summer when the harvest comes in.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Definitely no winter veggie survivors here!
But I've got my seeds ready!:

[badger]

my kale has shrugged off the copious amounts of aphids late fall and amazingly still growing all spindly. I should chop off the top to see if they'll grower bigger leaves?? my brussel sprouts are starting to bloom now, too.

Any suggestions whether I should let them bloom and harvest the seeds?? Are the little kale leaves and the spindly stem edible? (may sound silly, but never know!)

[tulip]

If you need the space for something else now, then take them out. Otherwise, you might consider letting them bloom. Brassica flowers attract beneficial wasps. If the variety you planted is open pollinated, you can use the seeds. But if it's a hybrid, you'll need to buy new seeds or plants.

Lisa, you must be chomping at the bit to start your big garden! I've decided to forgo the seed starting process this year, except for direct seeded crops. Instead I will buy seedlings from the local community garden organization. They have a greenhhouse and every spring sell a nice variety of plants, inclding heirlooms that hard to find elsewhere.