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I'm planning to have a small garden this year and so far I'm planning heirloom tomatoes, beets, spinach, peppers and some citrus trees.
What are you planting in your garden this year?
Every year I plant a garden since we tend to spend alot of time at home.
Normally I plant cuccumbers, tomatoes (both beefeaters and cherry), zucchini, squash, peppers, corn, and strawberries. Hopefully this yr since it is my third year, I will actually get corn for my husband. I am also planning on planting 1-2 apple trees near our veggie garden for our children.
Ooh I love this thread! Usually I just plant cilantro ... so this will be my first year branching out (pun intended!). I'm thinkin purple carrots, maybe yellow tomatoes, and some lettuce, along with cilantro. I would looove to try tomatoes, but I hear they are kind of difficult to grow? Any tips would be so appreciated. :)
Peppers...great idea Karen, might steal that one!
Jane - I've heard just the opposite about tomatoes; that they are the easiest thing to grow. I don't know though; maybe it all depends on where you are located? I'm so new to gardening that I couldn't say for sure at all.
I'm also going to grow some daikon (found some heirloom seeds on etsy!) and a nice bed of mixed greens.
I'm so excited... but nervous that I'll kill everything too!
My guy and I are planting tomatoes, potatoes, parsnips, bush beans, okra, herbs-basil, oregano, italian parsley, chives, and several other items. I did one garden years ago but that's it. Anyone recommend any garden green websites and/or books?? Thanks! I just signed on today and am BRAND NEW.
I'm planting more this year than ever before. I went to a class at my local extension office for just $7 about starting a veggie garden. I'm so excited that he said that home gardening is absolutely exploding and that we need to buy our seeds early because last year they more or less ran out. I've had a very small garden in the past, this year I'm expanding tomatoes, basil, cilantro, italian parsely, chives, rosemary, thyme, potatoes, kale, collards, carrots, lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, jalepenos, strawberries, beans, snap peas, peas... that may have to be it for now. I don't want to get too ambitious. I would recommend anyone who wants to know more take a soil sample to their local extension office to have it tested (only $12 then they'll tell you how to make it good soil) and look into classes. They have them all the time and are such a good deal and so affordable. good luck everyone, I know I need it.
I was super inspired by the Super Chef Battle on Iron Chef, where they visited the white house garden. I've bought seeds for eggplant, onions, tomatos, 3 kinds of squash, and tons of herbs. that's just the beginning! last year i only had onions, tomato and basil. Tomatos are easy, and the ones you grow at home will have much more flavor than most you would buy at a store.
It is great to see so many people are doing there own vegetable gardens. I myself did one last year for the 1st time. I am always stuck on when to plant but I will try harder this time. I planted 2 different tomatoe plants last year 1 was the beefsteak tomatoes (well they werent beafy) but they were good. Tomatoes are easy but remember lots and lots of water. I planted 1 of each Bell Pepper and zuccini only because this was my 1st time ever. I cant wait to get out there and till the ground and plant - although I buy seedling plants - wow it would be harder to start from a seed if I cant even remember when to start planting. I still wont miss out on visiting my local farmers market every weekend though.
As one who has gardened for some 40 years (including growing tomatoes in pots on my balcony when I lived in an apartment), just a few tips regarding tomatoes: The more sun the better. Lots of water--preferably watered at the root level. Lots of organic matter--compost/composted manure, etc.--dug into the soil. Prune the little side shoots. If you want to start from seed, start indoors about 10 weeks before last spring frost. I plant mostly hybrids bred for disease resistance because I have a limited garden space and connot rotate crops, but may try an heirloom variety this year. Allow enough space between plants and use towers or stakes to keep the fruit off the ground. Determinate varieties do not sprawl as much as indeterminate and are quite good for pots; so are Sweet Million (VERY sweet cherry variety).
I can hardly control myself when my seed catalogues come! I grow every heirloom veggie I can get my hands on. Every year I try something new and unusual. I love to grow unusual colored veggies. Seeds of Change, Seed Savers Exchange and Baker Creek are my 3 favorites. They have organic, heirloom varieties. I just moved into a new house last year and this will be my first year to garden, although I threw in a bunch of garlic in a little bed by my kitchen door. I can't wait until the scapes are ripe and I can make garlicy pesto! So yum! I'm also going to raise worms for "worm wine" fantastic organic fertilizer!
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