Vegetable Gardening Anyone?

[brewerjamie15]

Does anyone here like to do their own gardening? I do, and I've just recently ordered some seeds for my 2008 vegetable garden.
Last spring, I made a raised bed garden which measures approximately 25 feet long by 4 feet wide. The entire garden remained organic throughout the year. I used only compost, straw mulch, and compost tea that I made myself.
The garden was quite successful and produced a massive bounty. I created the garden to mostly encompass Italian type cooking.
Plants grown were:

Tomatoes- cherry tomatoes, romas, amish paste, and beefsteak.
I had to build a trellis system to handle the plants which grew up to about 8 feet tall.

Carrots- orange and purple

Herbs- purple and green basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, chives, and sage.

Zucchini (not terribly successful due to lack of bees for pollinators)

Cukes

Strawberrys (in containers)

Parsley

Pumpkin (again, lack of pollinators)

Radish (grown mostly to loosen soil around carrots)

Sunflowers

At the end of the season, I decided I wanted more space and added a wing onto the raised bed garden, so expanded 25 feet long by about 3 feet wide. I then planted two different kinds of Garlic totaling approximately 24 total plants. I won't have to buy garlic again as it will constantly reproduce. The garlic should be ready this summer.

I started the garden mostly from seed in my basement in a green house I built. I learned that I needed to regulate the temperatures better, and monitor soil moisture more often.
In the past two weeks, I've been solving the temperature issues with styrofoam insulation and heavy duty plastic. I purchased some new flourescent lighting and have decided that I will get some clay based floor tiles to set seedling trays on which should maintain warmth.
I'll take pictures and post them here shortly if you're interested.

My seed order for the 2008 season is rather extensive since I almost doubled my gardens square footage. I will be putting some seed in soil in about two weeks and then almost every week until my projected May 3rd transplant to the garden date. Some cool weather crops such as lettuce will go outside as soon as I can work the soil and then cold frames built around them.

My seed order included:

ITEM# DESCRIPTION QTY TOTAL
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259(OG)APACKET Martino's Roma Tomato 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
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263APACKET Riesentraube Tomato 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
448APACKET Striped Cavern Tomato 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1228(OG)APACKETBlondkopfchen Tomato 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
427APACKET Brandywine Tomato 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
365APACKET Early Fortune Cucumber 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
112APACKET Parade Cucumber 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
360APACKET St. Valery Carrot 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1343APACKET King of the North Pepper 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
44APACKET Marconi Red Pepper 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
809APACKET Globe Basil 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1303APACKET Black Beauty Zucchini Squash 1 $2.75
Ship Via: FIRST CLASS - USPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
277(OG)APACKET Grandma Einck's Dill 1 $2.75


My order was placed with Seed Savers Exchange.
I am going to plant more seedlings than I will actually need and although I'll obviously keep the strongest ones, I will have plants left over. If you live in the Milwaukee area and want to have some vegetables or herbs I am going to work on, let me know. I'll happily give you some stuff for free, but you'd have to come pick it up. I'll even put plants into containers for you so you can have something on a patio or deck.
If you have questions about anything related to this stuff, I'll do my best to answer them.
If you have your own garden and want to share here, that would be great.
I will shortly post those pics and explain my seed station/greenhouse.

[DSFastball55]

Wow, sounds like quite an operation.

I have been thinking about a smallish veggie garden myself. Do you recommend doing it in full sun or a partially shaded area? How often do you water?

[sbrylski]

I've always planned on some type of garden, probably largely potatoes.

 

But first I need a yard...

 

Good luck with yours. However, I've noticed you're missing the one thing that everygarden needs: Sunflowers. Baseball related too!

[fondybrewfan]

Your also missing barley and hopps

 

Back when I lived with my folks in the country we have a huge garden

 

I would estimate it to be about 20 feet wide and 50 feet long. We grew just about everything under the sun, but it took a lot of work to keep it from becoming weed infested. We never did believe in the whole weed barrier garbage, never worked anyways

[rwa12]

Can't wait to see the pictures! We have been planning a garden for some time now, but don't have the ideal conditions, our best bet would probably be raised beds. We had planned on using the middle of our back yard, as it previously held a swing set and had no grass, but the grass seed we planted improbably took, and killed that idea. My wife does pumpkins, cantaloupe, green peppers, tomatoes (I believe cherry), and usually an odd ball or two annually. My contribution is typically a small spice garden of oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil. Would love to hear how the garlic works out. This just seems to be one of the projects that is always left out, stupid pesky roof and siding replacement that stole all of the fun money!

[jcr0nk]

i have a modest organic garden thats been going for a few years. i do strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes(heirlooms and jet star), peppers(many different kinds), sunflowers, basil, onions. this year i am going to start some hops to go with my beer brewing hobby.

organic is the way to go, things are so much tastier and you have the piece of mind knowing exactly the manner in which they were cared for. i give out quite a bit of my goodies and always get the "this is much better than the normal stuff i buy" comment.

[brewerjamie15]

slobberknocker-

 

I'd suggest that you put your garden in as full sun as possible. If you want to grow some plants that require some shade like lettuce, you can grow those crops in and amongst larger plants that would cast a shadow and even keep the soil a bit cooler for you.

Watering would depend largely upon the particular plants you grow.

[burniebrewer]

I always wanted to do some sort of garden like that because I wanted to grow peppers (yellow, red and orange preferably). They cost so much at the store that I'm always reluctant to buy them.

 

Sounds like a nice setup, Jamie.

[fstorm1]

In September of '06. My nice lady friend bought a house in fairly residential Menasha that has 2 acres of land, easily the largest plot in the area. The previous owners planted and maintained 7 apple and 7 pear trees, an approximately 30 yard strip of currants, an equal size strip of grapes, and a 30' by 15' raspberry garden. We were more than happy to continue the maintaining http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Last Spring, I plotted out and created a 35' by 15' garden, sandwiched between the raspberries and some of the apple trees. We trekked to Jung's Gardens in Stevens Point (hour or so drive) and bought $60 worth of seeds. Unfortunately, I was hurt most of last year so the garden didn't get all the attention it probably needed, but we were still overloaded. Ended up with 2 types of sweet corn, 6 types of tomato (the "super sweet" cherries, my all time favorite, were unbelievable-had 'em coming out of our ears), 4 types of cukes (I prefer the pickling to the larger, more common table variety), 3 types of lettuce, 2 onions, 2 carrots, broccoli, spinach, radish (funky ones that were white on the outside and pruple on the inside), 4 types of peppers, peas, and beans. The goofy weather we had screwed up my squash, and pumpkins, but I look forward to trying them again this year.

 

I've got some photos somewhere...try to load some up later or something. But you have quite the set up there, jamie. Good luck this year, let's hope the weather is a little more predictable. Have you tried mushrooms? Dying to give those a try.

[pitchleague]

I wish we could do it here. Plants like that don't do very well in the desert soil, nor under the desert sun. It's possible but way more work than I am committed to try.

 

Sounds delicious though.

[logan82]

I can't believe you don't plant kohlrabi. Good stuff. Peel and eat raw.

[GAME05]

nothing tastier than fresh pea pods. and asparagus pretty much needs no maintenance. rhubarb is also an easy one to grow.

[fstorm1]

Oh, man, I forgot the rhubarb! There's a leaf burning barrel in the back yard, and to the side of it, a "clear" spot where there wasn't any grass growing. Being September, we just figured that that was where the previous owners piled their leaves and twigs for burning. So, we did the same. Only it snowed before we could get all the stuff burnt. Fast forward to about March, lots of the snow is gone and I go out and kick at the leaves, spread 'em to try to get them dried out for burning, and there's a 7' by 7' patch of rhubarb just growing like crazy. Of course, it was all white, not having any sun, but we had rhubarb stuff very early and a ton through the summer.

 

If you want to grow some plants that require some shade like lettuce, you can grow those crops in and amongst larger plants that would cast a shadow and even keep the soil a bit cooler for you.

I'll concur with that. Grew ours in between tomatoes and it worked like a charm.

[brewerjamie15]

http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQPooxQ00xaaGxv8uOc5xQQQGGllGaonPGqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPJn%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442
Above: My basement tool area. I use it as a combination storage shelf for power tools and a seed station/green house. The plastic door folds or falls downward and when in the up position, is secured
by spring clamps. Plastic was approx. $15, four spring clamps were $1 each. The thing you don't see is the styrofoam insulation. It is that 1.5" white stuff sith an R value of 7. Sheet was approx. $8.00 Seams are taped with duct tape I already had. 2 flouro light fixtures were from another location in the basement I use for wood working. Otherwise, they run about $8 each for a lower end model.
I use "daylight" bulbs.

http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQPooxQ00xaaGxv8uOc5xQQQGGllGaGl0oqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPJn%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442
Above: This is a picture of the seedling station with the 5 mil gloss white plastic door down. The colored paper you see is just some paint samples I recycled as stoppers so staples would not
tear through the plastic. The stand that one tray is on is more styrofoam. I just used it to elevate the tray, but I will eventually use it as an insulator for a small heater. Soil temperatures for the pepper and tomato plants needs to be around 78 degrees for germination I think. (I'll look it up later)
The sheet of plastic on the top of the flouro lights is the same 5 mil stuff lining the entire green house and making the door. I use it to reflect light downward to the plants, as light up above is lost light.

http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQPooxQ00xaaGxv8uOc5xQQQGGllGaGl0lqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPG0%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442
Above: my power station is securely attached to a wall under this plastic and elevated in case of spills or other moisture.

http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQPooxQ00xaaGxv8uOc5xQQQGGllGaonoPqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPGQ%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442
Above: a pic of the interior of the green house with door closed. Remember- I'd normally have a plastic baffle above the light fixtures to reflect light downward.

http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQPooxQ00xaaGxv8uOc5xQQQGGllGaGlJ0qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPJn%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442
Above: Power station exposed for viewing. All lights are hooked up to a timer system. Lights are going to be on for 20 hours a day at first, and then down to 16, eventually 12 hours per day. It is all flourescent or compact flourescent lighting so temperature and cost issues are virtually non existent.

[brewerjamie15]

If you have questions about this setup, feel free to post here or PM me or email me at my jamie@brewerfan.net addtess.

I start my first round of seeds around March 8th. Once seedlings have popped up, I'll post more pics.

 

I have several more things for the garden to go in, but those things are all "direct sew" and don't start indoors.

 

And to answer your question, no. I'm not growing "that" stuff. I don't want to go to prison.

[burniebrewer]

And to answer your question, no. I'm not growing "that" stuff. I don't want to go to prison.

 

Yeah, it's a little early to be growing Cuban cigar tobacco....Castro just stepped down.

[ewizabeff]

Yes. I'm so bored I'm on page 16 of the threads.

 

That being said, I wish I had your motivation! I dug up a 300 square foot (ish) horseshoe in front of my house last year intending to plant some flowers. I think I started killing the grass on memorial day weekend. I didn't get all of the grass out until labor day. It's still an empty pile of dirt today. Here's hoping for flowers this spring....but I'm not keeping my hopes up.

[aracko]

Wow - I love gardening but looking at that basement setup I feel like I am reading an issue of High Times.

[Katuluu]

So how long till we get a thread devoted to your growing bunny scourge?

[brewerjamie15]

I don't know. I didn't have a rabbit problem last year. I put a bunch of hair clippings around the garden and sprinkle cayenne pepper around the fence line. They seem to stay away.

Stay tuned for pics of the current progress.

[jcr0nk]

hows the garden going? here are a couple of pics from my strawberry patch.

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/bb93548f9df77b7de3e3e88320aa90e20d72c22.pjpghttp://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/d7635f069da07634efb1edd82fb5e32abe93b52.pjpg

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/ab925429277e5e28e772461f13baaa4c2bf0e8c.pjpg

 

mmm organic strawberries.

[Weirdos19]

My garden is 20x20.

 

Red Onions

Yellow Onions

Cucumbers (one row regular and one burpless)

Bell Peppers

Jalapeno Peppers

Habenero Peppers

German Giant Radishes

Regular Radishes

Leaf Lettuce

 

Pretty basic.