Gardening Tips, Advice, Successes...
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I'm collecting rain water now for the garden! :hiphip:
Hmm, I was thinking of using a planter like this:
and letting the zucchini be on the cement patio. It has been a long time since I've grown zucchini so maybe I should try and plant them just in front of the juniper and have them run along the edge of the lawn. I have a little 2'X2' space and Lex isn't even two, so I doubt he'll care whether or not anything comes from the corn, but now that you mention the soil I'll plant two of the zucchini with the corn and bean (I hope I got a pole bean - if not back to the store I go!).
Thanks - I'll be buying the planter tonight so it is good to have an idea of the size. I was thinking about fruit, but I've never had luck with strawberries, but maybe now's the time to try it again.
For anyone with limited space that is looking at planters, one way to go would be square foot gardening. It really opens up the potential for multiple types of plants and is easy to maintain and can be done using very little space. The normal suggested size is 4' x 4', but I've seen them in all kinds of sizes (1'x1', 1'x2', etc) and shapes (think 'L' and 'T' formations)
If you want larger pumpkins, besides planting a variety that isn't a baby one is to not let more than 2 fruit grow per vine [1 is even better]. Pinch off any additional fruit that develop, as they take too much energy from the plant. Pumpkins are heavy feeders too, make sure the soil is nutrient rich.
I live close to a guy that won the world record for pumpkin growing a few years ago. [Letterman has lso purchased & dropped his giant pumpkins]. I'm practically obsessed about spying on his garden through the year. :lol:
You can grow baby corn, like the type used in asian food.Hmm, I was thinking of using a planter like this:
and letting the zucchini be on the cement patio. It has been a long time since I've grown zucchini so maybe I should try and plant them just in front of the juniper and have them run along the edge of the lawn. I have a little 2'X2' space and Lex isn't even two, so I doubt he'll care whether or not anything comes from the corn, but now that you mention the soil I'll plant two of the zucchini with the corn and bean (I hope I got a pole bean - if not back to the store I go!).
Thanks - I'll be buying the planter tonight so it is good to have an idea of the size. I was thinking about fruit, but I've never had luck with strawberries, but maybe now's the time to try it again.
2x2 is very small for corn, just plant in a square or other condensed shape, not a single row. With so few plants, you'll need to gently shake the corn stalks to help pollinate them.
Anyone using the Topsy Turvy thingy?
I have not personally tried it but my DD and my BF did and they said they would not do it again..hth
the yield (size and volume) is drastically reduced IMO, but if you seriously lack the ground space they do work
I would be spying too :lol:. I buy the seeds for the giant pumpkins, can't remember the brand, but it seems like I get a lot of flowers but maybe 3-4 pumpkins and not very big ones at all. The area where I planted them we put in new soil so that shouldn't be the problem. I don't have a green thumb at all and let me tell you I don't even have a houseplant :lol: but I really love gardening, I guess I am that person who has to work extra hard at it.
- #73
Thread Owner
Sprintc22,
Not sure where you are located, but if you are near Gurnee check out the lowes. They clearance (of course nothing yet, but soon) out plants like crazy and for so cheap. Whether they are annuals or perennials, they are great for clearance. regular sales ehhh not so much. Definitely reccommend the clearance stuff. Last year, I picked up roses for 2.00 a bucket. they weren't "perfect" but they sure weren't on deaths door either. I bought blueberry and grape plants for 1.50 a bucket. My best find was 5 hydrangea plants for 1.00 each. They were in the 3 gallon bucket. Again, not perfect but they perked right up. this year they are coming in beautifully. The "perfect ones were being sold for 18.00/bucket EACH!
Not sure where you are located, but if you are near Gurnee check out the lowes. They clearance (of course nothing yet, but soon) out plants like crazy and for so cheap. Whether they are annuals or perennials, they are great for clearance. regular sales ehhh not so much. Definitely reccommend the clearance stuff. Last year, I picked up roses for 2.00 a bucket. they weren't "perfect" but they sure weren't on deaths door either. I bought blueberry and grape plants for 1.50 a bucket. My best find was 5 hydrangea plants for 1.00 each. They were in the 3 gallon bucket. Again, not perfect but they perked right up. this year they are coming in beautifully. The "perfect ones were being sold for 18.00/bucket EACH!
I have looked for the rain barrel's and they are not cheap, maybe I should just buy a garbage can and put a shut off valve on it :lol:
If you want a large pumpkin, definitely only leave one fruit per vine. Don't crowd in too many plants and amend the hell out of your soil.
Pumpkin guy works in 2 truckloads of manure every fall, then grows a green cover crop before the hard freeze. He tills it all in early spring. He starts 5 or 6 plants in the late spring, then thin it down to his 2 strongest plants, each with only 1 fruit. They are babied in the heat of summer, growing under a shade cover. His garden is the size of a small house and he grows nothing but those [eventual] 2 pumpkin plants.
- #76
Thread Owner
Orland Park is very "green"..... they started selling rain barrels last year or two....... maybe check around your local townships and such.
If you've got some sort of community center you can call and ask if they put on workshops. A lot of cities will do them to be able to receycle the containers - all you pay for typically is a handling fee and the hardware (and ofc you do the labor of building it in the workshop)
