The 2018 Garden Thread

[Road Guy]

I also am not sure if I bought different jalapenos this year or what but ours too are hot as F!

We ended up doing containers for our maters. some hippy lady at a local gardening shop sold me on these $60 container systems - they have been out of this world spot on for the year, have more maters than I ever have here & getting them mid July - usually mine wouldn't be edible till August - its been a mater sandwich couple of weeks!

Also I have a ton of apples on an apple tree that I didn't know I had (which is odd since I have a 1/4 acre lot) not quite ready to eat yet but if the worms don't find them we may very seriously have a couple bushels of apples in a month or so

 

[Supe]

Any details on the mater-tainers?

 

[Road Guy]

Similar to this

Each one holds two plants


https://www.hsn.com/products/earthbox-container-garden-kit/8627983?sz=6704&sf=HO0277&ac=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping%20engine&utm_term=&utm_campaign=GShopping%7CL%7CBrandProduct%7CHome&utm_content=56366492540_450754215559_8627986&gclid=CjwKCAjwhqXbBRAREiwAucoo-1ib422dyxneDYHw8uoROpz3gkh67e-Soa13TXhuo6btXC0-evsIXhoCQqcQAvD_BwE&akamai-feo=off

 

[mudpuppy]

We've been harvesting green/wax/purple beans like crazy.  Every day there's another harvest to blanch & freeze.  Tomatoes are about ready to explode and we'll probably be canning those next week.  We've had a few jalepenos, but otherwise we're doing something wrong as far as peppers go.  Similar bad results with corn.  And our celery didn't grow at all.

We have more cucumbers than we know what to do with, but we made too many pickles last year so may not be canning more.

Last year the okra did great and this year it did not.  Not sure what changed there.

Zucchini and squash are doing well (no surprise) and it looks like we're going to have some big-ass pumpkins.  Also lots of onions ready to harvest.  Probably will have some cauliflower soon as well.

Almost ready to plant our second batch of peas, and our collards got eaten up so we might go for a second round of those as well.  And our strawberries are blooming again--I had no idea they would do a second crop.

 

[Road Guy]

What’s weird is something ate our cucumber plants down to the nub (damn dog is going blind) assume its either rabbits or squirrels but they leave the green peppers and hot peppers alone for some reason ☹

 

[Supe]

Similar to this

Each one holds two plants


https://www.hsn.com/products/earthbox-container-garden-kit/8627983?sz=6704&sf=HO0277&ac=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping%20engine&utm_term=&utm_campaign=GShopping%7CL%7CBrandProduct%7CHome&utm_content=56366492540_450754215559_8627986&gclid=CjwKCAjwhqXbBRAREiwAucoo-1ib422dyxneDYHw8uoROpz3gkh67e-Soa13TXhuo6btXC0-evsIXhoCQqcQAvD_BwE&akamai-feo=off

Interesting - looks like it's self watering with some sort of air gap?

 

[Road Guy]

The pipe you see is where you add water –

The container set up leaves the bottom couple of inches open, then a geogrid type plastic where you add the soil and fertilizer, once you plant the maters you cut holes and pull the black cove over it – I assume this makes like a greenhouse effect, but it also causes the need to fill up the container every 2-3 days.

I ran a line from our sprinkler into the pipe so it was always getting some water daily

Ill grab a pic when I get home of our set up.

 

[ktulu]

Overall, our garden had mixed results. Cukes were disappointing, but I just sowed a second planting so maybe a little better weather consistency will help. One type tomato exploded, but a second type did not. Squash and zukes were so/so, but I also just planted a second crop. Peppers were crowded by the cukes, so since I removed the cukes, the peppers have taken off. I had extra peppers and tomato transplants, so I threw them in my neighbor's garden - they are taking off. 

Thinking of starting some broccoli and cauliflower seedlings to plant in about a month. Lettuce and spinach when temps fall a bit.