2010 Garden Plans

[farmerlor]

My garden is on a spreadsheet. So I know year to year what I grew, how it grew and how we liked it. Like a couple years ago I had a hybrid paste tomato that I grew and oh my goodness, I was inundated with these tomatoes. There was more tomato than bush and they just kept producing day after day after day. Problem was they tasted awful and were worthless for cooking. OUT of the running. On the other hand I had a tomato plant that didn't produce all that well one of the first years we were here but the taste was so over the top good that I felt like now that I've made some soil improvements it needed a second chance. I was right, second year's performance was MUCH improved and we enjoyed Thessaloniki Oxhearts last year so much that I believe we'll have them in the garden from now on.

 

[Wifezilla]

I don't think hubby is totally aware of how little lawn we will have left by the time I am through... bwaa haa haa!

I have 3 plants (1 basil, 2 varieties of hot pepper) that have over wintered in our spare bedroom just great. I can't wait to get them outside again.

I have starters going already under CFLs.

Black cherry tomato
Roma tomato
Climbing tomato
(all the maters are about 1" tall right now )

Celtuce
Bok Choy
Red Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts
(under light and also in the kitchen window - about 1" tall as well)

Still need jiffy pots for about 6 varieties of hot pepper, 2 different melons, zucchini, and beans. I will start the peppers tomorrow. The others in a couple of weeks.

Back yard stuff to do...
Turn dog kennel in to a quail pen. This can also double as a greenhouse if I get some clear plastic to go over the netting in bad weather.

Add more growing trays to my pond grow system. I have 2 now, but I want at least 6.

Kill all the darn weeds in the raised bed on the north side of the house. (I tried covering them with a tarp, I tried vinegar, I dug...now I am pouring boiling water on them. DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!)

Use the stone blocks we already have to build a small bed against the north fence on the front yard. I think this will be where I put the peas.

Set up a wick system for some containers I have. If I don't use a wick, it never fails that I will forget to water them one day and find them crispy the next.

Get more 2 liter bottles to use for my red neck wall-o-waters for my maters.

Set up a place against the south fence in the front yard to grow sweet potatoes in containers. I already have some nice wood containers that will hide the plastic buckets. I need to start slips and punch some holes in the rubbermaid containers I already have.

See if I can do another pond grow system with the duck's pool in the duck run. This one will depend on money. I would need another pump, a large plastic planter, etc... I wont even attempt this until the other projects are done.

 

[keljonma]

I've always mapped out our gardens and listed what has been planted on an excel spreadsheet. I color code the perennials (berries, fruit trees, asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish) for the year they were planted. This makes a great garden diary for me, as I can see at a glance what did well in what spots over the years.



This place we just moved to in November has apples, pears, and cherry trees. They haven't been taken care of at all, so I have no idea what they will do this coming year.

I have Swiss chard and burgandy beans started in the house. We are still getting snow but I have spring fever bad! I'm planting nasturtiums today and am ready to start more greens this coming week.

We usually plant 4 to 6 varieties of tomatoes plus 2 or 3 paste types of tomatoes, a number of bell and hot peppers, various beans, English peas, garlic, onions, sweet corn, beets, radishes, kohlrabi, cabbage, and lots of herbs. I can't wait for warmer weather!

 

[Dace]

Hey Wifey, I have used plastic bottle in the ground for my maters in the past but have recently wondered about the safety of that PCBs (?) and all.

Any thoughts on that?

 

[old fashioned]

old fashioned,

I thought I was the only one with an endless mountain of chores like that....

We are just roughing in the seed selection yet.

3 varieties of tomato
2 varieties of summer squash
cucumbers
eggplant
pole beans
onions
garlic
carrots
kale
spinach
4 + types of loose leaf lettuce
basil
swiss chard
pumpkin
winter squash
test bed of quinoa

At a minimum build removable panels for the 16x8 cold frame. Improve the squash bed. Would like to make another 16x8 raised bed and cold frame. Also clear some forest and create a field for growing grains.. Also would like to get the water holding tank higher in the air so I can water with gravity instead of buckets.
on

Heck no, you're not the only one and just think, that's all I could think of at 1am. Cause I know for every job I finish 3 more pop up! and don't forget the maintaining of all that stuff. sheesh

eta----Keljonma, try heavily pruning those fruit trees back. Older established trees can usually handle severe pruning, kinda like a boost for better growth & production. I've seen some people cut theirs back to where there is only a foot or two of major branches from the main trunk and have grown back and produced tons of fruit. We've even done that to a couple of ours that are only 10 years old.

also adding that last year I started keeping records of garden productivity (journal, lists, notes and some pics) so that I didn't have to rely on my memory-but have it documented. I'm finding it is priceless as I'm getting ready for this seasons plantings-I can look at a glance of what is a keeper, what's not, and what I want to try and would suggest it to all gardeners-big and small alike!

 

[old fashioned]

Hey Wifey, I have used plastic bottle in the ground for my maters in the past but have recently wondered about the safety of that PCBs (?) and all.

Any thoughts on that?

 

[big brown horse]

Wow, everyone's list looks great!!! Woot to gardening!!!

Herbs:
Stevia
Basil
3 types of mint
oregano
sage
parsley
rosemary
thyme
lemon balm
still adding

Veggies:
Tomatoes!!! All heirlooms this year...chocolate cherry, yellow pear cherry, brandywine, gold ball cherry, sun gold, black plum roma and more...
Other heirloom veggies:
purple kohlrabi
2 types of lettuce: sanguine ameliore and lollo rossa
Chinese pak choy
Eggplant: pandora stripped rose and thai long purple
Cucumbers: marketmore and Mexican sour gherkins
Carrots: little finger and some rainbow seeds given to me by a friend
Cabbage: "couer de boeuf des vertus"
Beets: chioggia (bassano) white on the inside with red stripes
Purple podded pole beans
Asparagus: precoce d'argenteuil (purple headed)
5 color silverbeet swiss chard
Spinach: red malabar (frilly) and merlo nero (red stem-climbing)


organic red onions
organic potatoes, not sure what type yet

and last but not least
"Thelma Sander's Sweet Potato Squash" thank you very much me&thegals!

Fruit:
Huckleberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Gooseberries
Figs

Fruit trees: (already established and fruit bearing)
8-10 different heirloom apple trees
2 different pear trees (bosc and one anjenu (sp?) )
2 cherry trees
2 plum trees (one yellow and one red)


I think that is about it. Blackbird is sending me some yummy herb seeds...I'll have to check my list again and add those in a bit.

In a few months I will be adding my garden photos to modern_pioneer's 2010 garden photo thread.

 

[old fashioned]

oops!

 

[tommywalnuts]

This years plan is for cucumbers, tomatoes, jalepenos, chili peppers, mustard greens, spinach, red onions, garlic. I may also do green beans and lettuce. As for flowers, marigolds in a perimeter around the garden, zinnias, cannas, iris, and some ornamental sweet potatoes in an old hollow stump.

 

[kcsunshine]

This year we'll have lots of garlic, onions, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, other greens (turnip, kale, mustard, collards), okra, corn, corn, corn (did I mention corn?), green beans, potatoes (red pontiac, yukon gold, and kennebac), eggplant, squash (zuccinni (?), yello crookneck, pattypan), sweet potatoes, and peanuts. And we have several thornless blackberry vines. We sell at our local farmer's market and these are all tried and true sellers.

We save garden space by planting our green beans in one long row on our barb wire fence between our place and our neighbors. Just have to be careful not to get stuck when you reach through the fence. Course it helps to have neighbors who'll let you pick from their side. (We share, of course).

I have a small herb garden beside the house and they get sold in bunches too. Last year I grew a small zinnia flower bed and they sold like hotcakes.