March 3, 2009

[Darla Shine]

Spring is just a few weeks away. This is the season I believe when you really appreciate mother nature. I love watching my Iris' bloom. It is my favorite flower.

My big goal for spring is to plant a garden. I am talking about a real garden. Today I went to the grocery store and all the lettuce was soft and wilted. Grant you I will not have fresh lettuce from my garden in February or early March, but you get the idea. I want to go outside and see my lettuce, fresh and crisp, growing in my yard.

Lately I notice the tomatoes are all from Mexico and the apples, I can't believe are from New Zealand. How fresh can our fruit and veggies be if they are flown half way around the world.

If grocery stores can fly in food from other countries why can't we start our own food swap? Who has a lemon tree? I will gladly buy your fresh lemons? I always have way too much mint and rosemary.

I am excited. I think it is an important lesson for our children. For them to get their hands in the earth. To be outside in the sun, watching their little seedling turn into a bush full of blueberries. I know last year the children were thrilled to see their sunflower seeds that were less than a half in big grow into a flower larger than their head.

Plus it is good for us. To be outside in the sun. One on one with the earth. I believe it is very spiritual.

So on my list, zucchini, tomato, green peppers, lettuce, cucumber, strawberry, blueberry, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, mint, thyme, oregano and chives.

What am I missing. What have you had success with? I live in the north east.

[fletchmom2]

In Pa I've had lots of luck with broccoli and cauliflower as well as beans.

[Darla Shine]

Okay great broccoli and cauliflower sound easy.

[shoppingmamma]

I am in Iowa so have the cold weather you do and had TONS of success last year with zucchini - they grew and grew - couldn't kill em! LOL I did lots of stuffed zucchini as well as muffins, bread even brownies - as well as raw! YUMMY!!!

Another great thing I tried just because the kids were curious was Lemon cucumbers....OMG! SO GOOD!!! They were Burpee seeds. I planted and thought we'll see what happened - oh golly they grew and grew - we'd pick 10 in a day and by the next day or two have like 10 more! They grow like cucumbers and look like little lemons - they taste like cucumbers with a twist of lemon on them! I couldn't think of anything to do but raw so we ate that way and with dip and in salads and gave away alot to neighbors who LOVED them too!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

[shoppingmamma]

you said blueberry ~ I am looking into planting some too! I read the berries - blueberry, raspberry, etc take a couple years to get fruit ...just an FYI.

I am looking at gardening too as well as just going local. Since I wouldn't get berries this year I am going to pick my own locally and can or freeze! :) This site lists them all (farms by you!) www.pickyourown.org (http://www.pickyourown.org)

[Brittanie]

I was wondering about potatoes? I have no idea how to grow em? Anyone tried to?

[dawn]

basil, carrots, pumpkins, sunflowers, banana peppers...lettuce is really good..fresh picked every night right before dinner..salad never tastes so good. One of my favorite things to grow next to tomatoes.

[dawn]

oh and garlic..real easy to grow. If you plant a border of it around your garden it helps to keep critters out. Marigolds also help to keep critters out.

[shoppingmamma]

Brittanie - I have not done potatoes but have thought about it - heard it was good for like fall? Maybe someone else has more info ;)

Dawn - I will have to try garlic! Thanks! It will keep everything out??? Last year I lost ALL my peas, beans and cucumbers that I planted from seeds :( We live in a development but we are the LAST street - our backyard backs up to this HUGE field - way back is a bean/corn field - we get alot of critters from the field - way more than my neighbors across the street so something ate all my littled sprouted plants! :(

On the same note - TOMATOES - help please!!! Last year not sure if critters or bugs or what but I planted alot of plants and had not so great of a crop - alot had black spots/holes in them...not sure what that was from or how to fix it - wanted to rememdy it this year!

[Theresa]

Darla, I'm so happy spring is almost here too. I can't wait to hear how your garden turns out. My backyard is mostly pool and patio but I'm going to try and plant in some containers this year.

[dippidy]

I'm completely intimidated by this. In the past I have gotten all excited in the Spring and tried to start a garden, but have never made it all the way to harvest w/more than some pumpkins. With the economy the way it is and the drought in CA, DH has decided we should make a real go of it....canning and all. I feel like I just figured out how to keep the house in shape (for the most part!) and worry the garden will throw me back to where things were before. He's even talking fruit trees. Apples mostly, I think.

On the other side of things. Darla, you're right...the kids will love it....I just need to get into the can-do attitude somehow.

[lamairs81]

Marigolds also help to keep critters out.

And you can eat them, too.:4:

[lauramt]

Green peppers are pretty easy to grow. I'm so lucky. I live off a country road, in town, and I have three neighbors. We all have at least 1 acre of property. My next door neighbor has pear trees, blueberries, and kiwi. My other neighbor has apples and herbs. My third neighbors has a great compost pile. We all plan gardens, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. We all share what we have depending on who's veggies and fruits are ready to harvest first. I can't tell you how wonderful it is. I do live in a big Navy town, but I'm so lucky to have my little house with property.

If I can make one recommendation. Buy some compost and work it into your soil before you start. It will make a huge difference. It's worth the extra money. You invest in your soil first, your harvest will be 10X better.

[momofteens]

Blueberries do take 2 years to produce. My DH loves to garden and we use raised beds.They work perfectly. My DH and my best friend (who is also our neighbor) plan each year who will grow what and then we share. Between us we always grow potatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, pumpkins,squash, lettuce , tomatoes, spinach and basil, cilantro, dill, chives ...I think that is it. When our kids were little DH always gave them their own raised bed and they could plant whatever veggie they wanted and it was a great lesson for them about how food grows and responsibility and enjoying what you have planted.

[Misfitmom]

I was wondering about potatoes? I have no idea how to grow em? Anyone tried to?

Dh said that with potatoes you have to plant them and then add soil on top every so often because they grow up but need to stay underground. He said that some people will put a tire down and fill it with soil and plant them and then when you need to you add another tire on top and fill with soil and so on. Or you could use a deep container and do it that way.

About compost- we compost and it is AWESOME- he even has worms in there ( he calls them his girls lol) because worm castings (uh their poop but don't worry- when done right compost doesn't smell at all) are the best for the garden- my mom was not a believe until he gave her some for her avocado tree and now she is always asking for a bucket full! In San Diego you can get a composter (family size) from the city (the trash and recycling people) for 20 bucks but you could also make one at home. If anyone is interested I could have him put together a how to and I can copy it into a thread. Plus if I ever burn the toast :oops: I just say it is something I made special for his girls lol!

[momofteens]

My Dh gets seed potatoes which are basically really small potatoes and we get ours at the hardware store or you can go to a nursery. He just quarters them.. plants them eyes up..and covers them in dirt. Here in Pa they are really easy to grow. We grow onions too.. I forgot that before. DH said he was reading an article saying how big gardening is going to be this year.. kind of like a Victory Garden used to be.

[fletchmom2]

Dh said that with potatoes you have to plant them and then add soil on top every so often because they grow up but need to stay underground. He said that some people will put a tire down and fill it with soil and plant them and then when you need to you add another tire on top and fill with soil and so on. Or you could use a deep container and do it that way.

About compost- we compost and it is AWESOME- he even has worms in there ( he calls them his girls lol) because worm castings (uh their poop but don't worry- when done right compost doesn't smell at all) are the best for the garden- my mom was not a believe until he gave her some for her avocado tree and now she is always asking for a bucket full! In San Diego you can get a composter (family size) from the city (the trash and recycling people) for 20 bucks but you could also make one at home. If anyone is interested I could have him put together a how to and I can copy it into a thread. Plus if I ever burn the toast :oops: I just say it is something I made special for his girls lol!

I would love to know how to make a composter! If you have the info, I'd love to have it!

[fletchmom2]

On the same note - TOMATOES - help please!!! Last year not sure if critters or bugs or what but I planted alot of plants and had not so great of a crop - alot had black spots/holes in them...not sure what that was from or how to fix it - wanted to rememdy it this year!


This is known as blossom rot. You can fix it by adding something with calcium to the bottoms of the plants or in the soil where the plants will be. Some use a lime powder. Tomatoes thrive off of magnesium and calcium. Lack of calcium harbors blossom rot and lack of magnesium causes small tomatoes. We put lime in the soil before we plant and also put epsom salts at the base of each plant. Hope this helps!

[lyndap]

I'm going to try container gardening (we're in a rental and I want to be able to take the garden with me). I'm not sure what grows well in container (not to mention we're vegetable challenged).

[shoppingmamma]

This is known as blossom rot. You can fix it by adding something with calcium to the bottoms of the plants or in the soil where the plants will be. Some use a lime powder. Tomatoes thrive off of magnesium and calcium. Lack of calcium harbors blossom rot and lack of magnesium causes small tomatoes. We put lime in the soil before we plant and also put epsom salts at the base of each plant. Hope this helps!

YES it does - thank you very much!!!!

[momofteens]

My DH made our compost bin out of pallets. We love it and it makes the soil so rich for the garden. Here are some directions that may help.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2039585_build-compost-bin.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

[fletchmom2]

Thank you!!