What are you planting this year?

[Bettacreek]

I'd like to do spinach, peppers and some watermelon. I have lavender (but would like to grow more), peppermint, spearmint, and I'd like to get another stevia plant (mine last year was over 3' tall, but was put outside by the parents in the middle of winter and froze). Maybe a tomato plant or two. Nothing huge. I know that I can't keep up with a huge garden, so I'm just keeping it small.

 

[FarmerChick]

I know that I can't keep up with a huge garden, so I'm just keeping it small.

that is me also this year. small but everything I love. no waste veggies, experiments or anything else. all into the pantry with the vegs we love to eat.
I want alot of fun this summer, so streamlining my gardening for sure

 

[rhoda_bruce]

What am I planting THIS year? Everything I can. Greenbeans, limas, peas, asparagus, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, stevia, cucumbers, squash(s), mellons, clover, herbs and several other things that haven't made it into the garden yet. Why???? Cuz I'm actually afraid not to. Why??? Cuz I can't see myself working and working and having to make a decision between utilities, food or luxuries. If I have my own, at least I'll eat. My only problem is I don't know if I can increase the garden as fast as I think I need to; or as big.

 

[FarmerChick]

You go rhoda!

yea it is hard work making that garden controllable and bigger and hoping to have the time for tending. I made some big personal gardens and man if you don't keep up with it constantly it is taken over fast with weeds etc.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, "Fear is a great motivator." One fear...or at least concern I have is that if worse comes to worse, this SS lifestyle, might actually become my primary job. So if TSHTF, in whatever form it comes, I might not have any problem at all keeping the weeds down.......at least I'll have something to call a job.
Even without a complete meltdown, every man for himself situation.....it might still be lightly hitting the fan if we can't afford what has normally been accepted as regular expenses and Hello....its sorta here.

 

[FarmerChick]

that is so very true what you said.

my concentration this year is berries/fruit trees. we let our apple trees kinda go along with some berries etc. this season it is replant, prune, landscape control, etc. and make that fruit/berry produce in great numbers. time for some tending cause out of area fruit is so friggin' high and I don't need to buy out of my area fruits, being southern I can grow tons of variety.

right now I am dying for a stupid canteloupe but at $3 each and cruddy blah taste, they aren't getting my money
so you know canteloupe is on my garden list

 

[odd_duck99]

This year we are starting to get smart about things. Finally! lol! We are also in the shallow end of the SS life, as we have only been in our 1st house for 3 years and have just started our family, etc. There is a learning curve for darn near everything! We are figuring out that our mild and fluctuating NW temperatures are the norm... it's not just a weird year every year! Now we are going with it, and getting seeds that do well in cooler climates/early varieties of EVERYTHING from Territorial Seed.

We have onions, garlic, snap peas, and carrots in the ground, and will be adding lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, pickling cukes, all kinds of squash, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, beets, and sunflowers for the girls. We haven't tried the root veggies before, so this year will be experimental with those.

We would like to save the seed from just about everything as a way to save money and in order to create stock that does well in our environment. Does anyone have tips for getting things to go to seed? I am thinking of things like carrots that have never done it on their own. Or was that just a by product of buying super-commercial seed? I am also curious how far apart we need to keep our squashes from each other in order to avoid growing some hybrid zuke-pumpkin-butternut-spaghetti squash next year! lol! Any advice?

 

[Mattemma]

I got my seed packets and bags on the floor ready to go through .I know I will be growing the following for sure: Lettuce,tomatillo,ground cherry,peas,beans,tomatos,turtle beans,corn,zukes,squash,collards,mustard greens,parsley,radish,beets,chives,onions,strawberries.So hard not to be planting outside with the temps in the 70-80's.Might do a few now.Stagger the plantings over the weeks.Get the corn going. I got some 15 footers I want growning asap.Just noticed some black jewel and red corn in the popcorn aisles,so I will be getting those to eat and grow too!

 

[Wannabefree]

You want to do all heirloom varieties in order for the seed to produce the same variety year after year. As far as getting them to go to seed, just leave a few of them be, and they should go to seed on their own, it just takes a while. My onion didn't go to seed until late August. I'd say keep your squash and cukes at least 20 feet apart in order to not cross them and create a hybrid.

 

[HandledWithCare]

We are (insanely) planting tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, several different bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, carrots, beets, radishes, carrots, potatoes, corn, 3 varieties of Squash, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, Japanese Walnut, peach, apricot, lavender, basil, chamomile, mint, dill, catnip, coriander. We will be going organic 100% with the garden and using a sunflower border, companion planting and Lily of the Valley, yarrow and Queen Anne's Lace for pest control. Also 9 insane guineas will be patrolling. This is our first time and we know we're nuts but I wanted a good idea of what plants work for us and what plants don't so we will be more focused next year with higher quantities of fewer plants. Hopefully this pleases the honeybees I'm getting!

Does anyone know if it's possible to get sunflower transplants or will I have to seed them? With the amount I need I would rather have a more certain way of starting them than seeding them outside and hoping.

HWC