Vegetable garden this year?
Posted by dl-bailey on Jan 30, 2010 · Member since Oct 2008 · 286 posts
Hi
I just put in my early spring garden. (I live in CA) Since produce costs are rising, I really want to cut down on my food bill by growing some of my own again this year.
So, who else is putting in a vegetable garden this year?
I just bought a house and am planning on having a garden for the first time. I don't really know a lot about gardening, but my parents do, so they will be helping me out. I'm tired of having to choose between local or organic. I want both.
i am hoping to grow a few things that will grow relatively quickly... but have to learn everything about gardening first. lol.
i want:
melons
tomato
peppers
maybe zuccihni
maybe greens of some type
We will be putting a garden in again this year. Unfortunately I have a long wait until spring.
i live in an apartment in cali and have had not that much luck with veggies... i'll get a few but not that much from my plants (i don't think i have deep enough pots)... i am going to plant more herbs this spring since my parsley and rosemary plants are doing really well... i have started sprouting alfalfa inside which is awesome :) good luck
i am hoping to grow a few things that will grow relatively quickly... but have to learn everything about gardening first. lol.
i want:
melons
tomato
peppers
maybe zuccihni
maybe greens of some type
i know tomatoes and peppers should be easy if u have ground soil (in cali) ... mine grew pretty well even though they were in shallow pots
I'm so excited to start growing things for the garden. I came across this website recently that I think I'm going to use as a guide, along with skill sharing with some of my neighbours who have an entire permaculture veg garden in their backyard! Some things I'd like to grow...
- tomatoes of all kinds
- more zucchini
- peppers (sweet and hot!)
- more herbs
- onions
- leeks
- beets
- carrots
- salad greens like lettuce, chard, etc. and kale
- snap peas!
- nasturtiums
- and more and more and more...!
can't wait :)
Per the homeowner's association, we are not allowed to have a vegetable garden. That being said, we grow things in the flower beds. It's not really my fault if my flowers just happen to turn into tomatoes.
We usually do tomatoes, peppers, herbs, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and one year we did watermelon.
Oh yes! I had to forego the winter growing season because of my surgery and I've already jumped the gun on spring. I've got baby habaneros, limon chiles, black dragon chiles, and hinkelhatz (sp) already popping through the soil. I'm also expecting my Baker Creek seed order to arrive this week, which will be bringing zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, edamame, arugula, eggplant, radishes, and morning glories (okay, not a vegetable, but beautiful). I also have orders filled out for Totally Tomatoes, Seeds of Change and Vermont Bean & Seed.
I'm moving apartments at the end of May and I'm hoping to get a nice sunny balcony at the new place to grow some vegetables in pots. I'm thinking green beans, jalapenos, green peppers and zucchini. Plus anything else that strikes my fancy while I'm picking out seeds.
Ooooh! I got a community garden patch for the first time this summer. I'm so excited. My parents grow tons of veggies, but there isn't enough sun in my tiny yard for much to happen. My daughter has already decided on green beans and tomatoes. I want cukes, lettuce, frise, and chile. I'm super excited. I can't plant until the middle of May, here, though. We have a short growing season.
I can't wait to garden. This year I went on Ebay and did a search for organic seeds and I found some good ones!
Jill
Sigh... I'm in an apartment, so no magical garden for me. I guess I could try rosemary anyways, since that stuff seems to grow like a weed here.
My mom, on the other hand, grows tons of stuff from her apartment. The landlord lets her grow stuff in the courtyard/garden area (cheaper than hiring a gardener...), so she grows tomatoes and chayotes there. She also has pots of basil, cilantro, curly parsley, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, both on her balcony and on the roof (!). Some weird stuff went on with the bell peppers last year... some were like bell peppers, others like Anaheim chiles, and others like jalapeños. On the same plant. She also has weird tomato plants, since they have had 3 seasons now. She also tried kabocha, but the flowers never fertilized.
I can't wait to garden. This year I went on Ebay and did a search for organic seeds and I found some good ones!
Jill
Have you tried Blue Ribbon Tomatoes. They sell 20 seed packets (from previous years) for $10. I did this last year. The service was prompt. Most of the packets were only about 10-15 seeds, but that is more than enough for two or three years.
Most years, I don't even bother to start tomato or pepper seeds indoors. I just through them in the garden under row covers. They grow better this way than starts. The plants are shorter and stockier plants. Also, they grow and develop pretty fast. So, I put out seeds until a few weeks after our last frost - in mid-March. This year I will probably put some plastic bottles on top of the seeds to make mini greenhouses and start some even sooner. (Saw this on a website years ago.)
Just constructed a giant compost pile. I am also drilling in some plastic garbage cans to make some compost bins. Oh, I love the beginning of garden season. Its like Christmas to me.
For those that want a lot of compost for little cost, most municipalities have composting facilities. Ours sell a cubic yard for about $11, but you have to hull it away. A cubic yard is about 27 bags worth of what they sell at the grocery store and Orchard Supply for $4 a bag.
I think that I may try growing some veggies in pots on the patio. They will probably get stolen though by neighbors though as I am on the ground floor.
I have a very large 3 (or 5, not sure) gallon pot and I used it to grow a tomato plant a couple of years ago when I lived in Houston and didn't have much luck. My apartment there was facing the east so I think it didn't get enough sun. My apartment here is facing south, and the balconly is in front of the apartment so I may have better luck. I may also try to grow some herbs as they usually do okay in pots. My son LOVES green beans so I may do that too. I have to get the seeds started!
Great tip on the plastic bottles. About the city compost, I would be concerned about the ingredients in it. Im trying to go all organic. I lan on planting a ton of basil. Then I make a ton of pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen I put them in a baggie in freezer. I can grab one or two at a time. I use it on everything. I also plant a huge variety of tomatoes and dehydrate them, I can enjoy these all year around then. I found if you dip them into white vinegar then submerge into organic olive oil, they are awesome. I have tried it without vinegar and they molded.
You could get growlights and grow indoors.
Great tip on the plastic bottles. About the city compost, I would be concerned about the ingredients in it. Im trying to go all organic. I lan on planting a ton of basil. Then I make a ton of pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen I put them in a baggie in freezer. I can grab one or two at a time. I use it on everything. I also plant a huge variety of tomatoes and dehydrate them, I can enjoy these all year around then. I found if you dip them into white vinegar then submerge into organic olive oil, they are awesome. I have tried it without vinegar and they molded.
There are strict regulationss about what they can and cannot put into compost (no sewage sludge, animal wastes, etc.) and how they maintain the piles. To be called compost, they can only use plant materials. As for chemicals on the plants, properly maintained composts should allow for microorganisms to break down any pesticides or herbicides. So, it shouldn't be a problem for your organic garden.
Thats great to know. Thats for the quick reply.
I should add look for green waste or yard waste, not 'general' compost. Also, check your state's regulations. Here in CA, they have much stricter regulations. If not completely sure, call and ask the facility what they have, what they use, the regulations, etc.
I just looked at the EPAs website. All facilities much regularly summit samples. They are limited about the amount of pathegons, heavy metals, etc in the end product.
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