What are you planting this year?

[horseymama2]

I must have spring fever, because all I can think about right now is what to plant. I am still at the shallow end of the self sufficient pool, all I am doing at this point is growing most of my veggies in my garden, and raising a flock of DP chickens. I am trying to decide how to use what little garden space I have. We live in the woods, and have limited areas of clear land which get enough sun to grow a garden. I am trying to get the most bang for my buck so to speak. Should I plant sunflower seeds or something for the chickens? My family only likes a limited number of veggies, so some things aren't worth much space since I am the only one who will eat them. Some veggies are good for seasoning and I will plant a few like bell peppers. I have not had very good luck in the past with onions, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and potatoes. I am trying to decide if I should try them again. I am definitely planting butternut squash, pole beans, cucumbers, corn, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, bell peppers.... What does everyone else plant?

 

[moolie]

Totally with you on itching to get back into the garden!

We plant what we eat, don't feel pressure to plant things your family doesn't like.

If you like things they don't, plant a few just for you if you would like--it's nice to have treats no one else will eat

My local nurseries have their seeds in now as does the site where I buy organic, open pollinated/heirloom seeds (www.saltspringseeds.com/) so I'm making my list and getting ready to purchase. Where I live (zone 4) I have to start a few things indoors before setting out in the garden, so I'll be starting seeds for a few things (brassicas, tomatoes, peppers, a few herbs) in Feb and March.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Practice companion planting to get the most for your space. Like you wrote corn, pole beans, and butternut squash so plant them together as the "3 sisters" ... the beans use the corn as a "trellis" and fixes nitrogen into the soil that teh corn needs, and the winter squash will provide a living mulch and help prevent critter invasion (raccoons, etc).

Along the same vein, mammoth sunflowers, vining cucumbers and melons (although you don't have watermelon or cantaloupe on your list, frozen watermelon balls are very refreshing in the summer PLUS chickens love to dig into watermelons!

We planted eggplant and okra in the past but as we only like it sporadically, we're not doing it this year. Concentrating on staples like potatoes, onions, salad fixin's, and my kid's favorite things PLUS tomatoes to finally make my own sauces.

Yeah, I'm excited about my garden this year too. The first year that I've actually built the raised beds before mid-summer. Filling with goat-pen-muck then in the Spring I'll add top soil. Have it mapped out what goes where and am calculating how many seeds to start and transplant. And planning the berry bushes and brambles, and fruit and nut trees. How many can I fit around the new goat pens and tiny grain fields?!?

I love this part of gardening!

 

[Marianne]

I pared back last year, and will again this year. I'm planting only what grows well here (most years....), plus things that I can preserve. Most of what I use is tomato based, so plenty of my fav Celebrity tomatoes. They seem to be the only ones that perform every year. Started a garlic bed a few months ago, still working on edible landscaping - raspberries, now have blackberries, and the grapes finally produced 10 grapes last year! I'll do more peppers this next year and chuck the green beans. I fight to get a bowlful every year and I'm throwin' in the towel.

Ya, compact gardening is the way to go! I always do onions in between potato plants just out of habit even though I have plenty of space now. I also plant extra cucumbers for the hens. You can slice them lengthwise, put them in plastic grocery sacks and freeze if you have room in the freezer. Then in the winter, thaw them in the sink to take out to the hens when they're locked in the coop.

 

[Theo]

I started gardening in earnest three years ago. Every year I try to become self sufficient in a new vegetable: I try to learn how to grow it and then grow enough to store or preserve until the next growing season. The first year, I grew a huge batch of onions. The next year, I grew tons of garlic, and last year I grew enough potatoes to last through winter. My goal for this year is to learn to grow really good cabbages, and try to grow them all year around. I figure if you have potatoes, cabbage, garlic and onions, plus eggs from your own chickens, you can survive anything coming your way.

I am starting seeds myself this year for the first time. I'll also try growing some super tomatoes, broccoli and brussels sprouts, and squash.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I'm in CO, the eastern plains. Zone 5. Woke up to 6 degrees F this morning. Winters can get negative 35 (like last year) and summer can get up to 100.

Is it too late to start garlic bulbs? Say, in containers with potting soil, with bulbs from the health food store?

 

[Mattemma]

I want way more gound cherries and tomatillos this year. I also want to plant more fruit bushes and trees. Maybe try more greens.Stuff that grows fast and is nutrient dense.

I have garlic cloves on the counter that are starting to grow. Maybe I will pop some in worm soil and see how they do in the kitchen.

 

[Wannabefree]

I'm not growing grass...everything else is gonna get planted

 

[horseymama2]

Practice companion planting to get the most for your space. Like you wrote corn, pole beans, and butternut squash so plant them together as the "3 sisters" ... the beans use the corn as a "trellis" and fixes nitrogen into the soil that teh corn needs, and the winter squash will provide a living mulch and help prevent critter invasion (raccoons, etc).

Along the same vein, mammoth sunflowers, vining cucumbers and melons (although you don't have watermelon or cantaloupe on your list, frozen watermelon balls are very refreshing in the summer PLUS chickens love to dig into watermelons!

We planted eggplant and okra in the past but as we only like it sporadically, we're not doing it this year. Concentrating on staples like potatoes, onions, salad fixin's, and my kid's favorite things PLUS tomatoes to finally make my own sauces.

Yeah, I'm excited about my garden this year too. The first year that I've actually built the raised beds before mid-summer. Filling with goat-pen-muck then in the Spring I'll add top soil. Have it mapped out what goes where and am calculating how many seeds to start and transplant. And planning the berry bushes and brambles, and fruit and nut trees. How many can I fit around the new goat pens and tiny grain fields?!?

I love this part of gardening!

Last year I planted pole beans for the first time as a second planting, so they are new for me. I have been thinking alot about what kind of trellises to put up, so I like the idea of planting the beans with the corn. How does the corn do if it acts as the poles for the beans? How much earlier do you plant it so that it can be tall/strong enough? This would allow me to plant a lot more of both, which is good since they are the only two veggies my hubby really likes (yeah, it gets old eating only 2 veggies). Have you done this? Do you have any pictures? Thanks!!

 

[Denim Deb]

I normally wait at least 2 weeks after my corn has come up B4 planting my beans.