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Gardening Tips, Advice, Successes...

I have to admit, I inherited a green thumb, my dad was an arborist/horticulturist. This year I expanded my garden about 25x4ft, we'll see how it goes.

I'm growing most of my garden from seed in a little greenhouse tray with pods, it has been working really well thus far. The things I bought as starters are tomatoes and peppers however FARM n FLEET (we've named Farm n Flirt because there is always hot country boys in there LOL) by far has the best pricing. $1.99 a starter plant and they're really nice sized.

When buying tomato plants, remember that they can vine into a bush and the neighbors yard if they are "Indeterminate" so unless you have a large area, either trim them back or buy "Determinate" types.

Last year I found that w/cucumbers, if you let them vine up a trellis... you'll have a bumper crop come in!

As for pest control, someone told me over the weekend to make a mixture of tobacco and tea, steep it for a while then put it in a spray bottle and mist the plants. It doesn't hurt them and keeps the bugs away apparently. I haven't tried it yet but plan on it once things go in the ground.

I was also told that if you take a bar of fragrant soap, hang it in a sock, it will repel deer. (I hope so because a deer laid down and killed my bumper crop of cukes last year)

I appreciate all these ideas, learning alot! I'm ready to get everything in the ground but am waiting on this bipolar weather to decide what it's doing :(
 
My garden is smaller this year. It's 30 ft by 14 ft. Last year it was 50 x 14. Thank you, redhdgrl, for the tobacco tea recipe... I am hoping this may repel the japanese beetles.
 
Well, it was larger last year. But decided I grew more weeds than anything so scaling it back. :)
 
mama22angels said:
Well, it was larger last year. But decided I grew more weeds than anything so scaling it back. :)
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I'm telling you... Square Foot Gardening.
I had a giant weed patch, er, I mean, garden for years until I got on board with this concept - now it's a painless AND enjoyable experience.
My old garden was ~20x10 and then I upsized it to ~30x15 at one point. I now do a total of 50 total sq ft (2 raised boxes at 4x4 and 2 raised boxes at 3x3) and I swear I spend a fraction of the time in maintaining it and still get roughly 3/4 of the yield from the 30x15 nightmare.
 
Any tips for growing garlic? Everything I have read says it should be planted in fall and some say you can plant in spring? Do you have to hang it to dry first or can you use it right away? Also, what herbs can you leave in your garden for the winter and will come back next year?
TIA
 
i haven't grown garlic, but as for perennial herbs..... are you in Illinois?
 
I bought garlic to plant this year. I am not kidding, it came in a net bag, but looked **** identical to a regular head of garlic sold in any grocery store. When I planted it, it looked like a clove that you would peel and chop to throw in with some onions or sauce. So I planted it in a pot with some seed starter dirt and it is about 6 inches tall now. Whether I planted it in the wrong season, I don't know. I am planning/hoping to put my plants into the garden sometime next week, as it's supposed to get down to 35 degrees here tomorrow night. My stuff is still in the green house, because of cold weather.
 
they say not to plant the ones that you buy from the store because of the chemicals they use on them but to buy them from a garden store or feed store. Mine came in a net bag too, I am going to try it and see..if it doesn't work then I will plant some in the fall.
 
I hadn't heard about the chemicals on garlic. I figured it was $1.75 for the garlic, so if I kill it, at least this one is a small loss. I did not read the package in the store to realize you break the head up and plant each clove seperately. I did plant them seperately but when there are 5 heads in a net bag, good lord that's alot of garlic!! Even if only 1/2 of it came up! I planted 1 head (6 cloves) just to see what would happen. I do NOT want 42 garlic plants, I mean can ya see it?!?! :giggles:
 
Looks like we're in the same hardiness zone :)

The perennial herbs that do great for me are mint, oregano, sage, thyme, chives, tarragon and lavender. A google search should give you more ideas..... of course, it depends on what you specifically want to do with them too.....

and don't forget... there are MANY types of thymes, MANY types of mints, MANY types of sages..... you'll want to go to a more extensive greenhouse if you're looking for something other than the norm
 
I have googled most of the herbs and other things that I haven't ever planted before and really, they all are pretty much standard in giving info more so about planting, not so much about the winters or anything.
 
maybe try a search on "perennial herbs"... that might help a bit

of course, an herb that is perennial in Florida may not be perennial here.

a good source should give you some idea of the hardiness zone

or of course, ask here or at the greenhouse :bliss:
 
Thanks. If I get to many peaches this year would you like some?? :lol: I really like growing just about everything.. but I don't eat everything :lol:.
I grow a bunch of tomato's (that I can for the winter) and peppers that I freeze, cucumbers I love, but I give quite a bit of what I grow away.
 
awwwwwww that'd be nice, TQ :huggy:

i'd say as you learn more about different herbs and what you can use them for, you'll decide on some favorites.... like i won't make tomato sauce without fresh oregano, basil, parsley and thyme... that kind of thing.

oh, and some of them, the thymes in particular, look great out in the regular landscaped areas... i've got several different kinds out in front... they look decorative out there, but i can use them for cooking too..... :bliss:
 
Maybe that's what I should do..use them for landscape. DH and I were going to put in a raised bed this weekend and put up a trellis for the grapes. I bought 2 grapes at Lowes yesterday that are about 2ft high already and am looking for more... they were a little pricey though! I purchased some cinnamon basil (ohhh... that smells so good!) I really wish the rain would stop now..ugh!
 
Trellis' are on sale at Menards, but even cheaper still at Farm N Fleet.

We should all do some veggie and herb swaps once everything is growin!!
 
redhdgrl said:
Trellis' are on sale at Menards, but even cheaper still at Farm N Fleet.

We should all do some veggie and herb swaps once everything is growin!!
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Thanks, I will have to check Menards. Do you know if the price is better at Farm n Fleet? It is a little bit of a drive for me. I would love to swap/trade clippings, veggies, whatever. Count me in.
 
sprintc22 said:
Maybe that's what I should do..use them for landscape. DH and I were going to put in a raised bed this weekend and put up a trellis for the grapes. I bought 2 grapes at Lowes yesterday that are about 2ft high already and am looking for more... they were a little pricey though! I purchased some cinnamon basil (ohhh... that smells so good!) I really wish the rain would stop now..ugh!
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OMGosh!!! that is my FAVORITE basil! ♥♥♥

redhdgrl said:
Trellis' are on sale at Menards, but even cheaper still at Farm N Fleet.

We should all do some veggie and herb swaps once everything is growin!!
Click to expand...

that would be fun :bliss:
 
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