are you raising a garden this year?

[markio26]

i was reading an article about trends and noticed the statistics on the decline of the last 3 years... baby boomers are not gardening, it seems to have hit a rough patch... nursery sales have been slower the past 3 years.
it said experts put some of the blame on the aching backs of boomers, who cannot bend or kneel the way they used to.
so, i got to thinking... i can tell you i know one farmer who has quit due to hip surgery and he needs knee surgery for both knees...
another neighbor friend, her spouse died and she grows herbs, and pot gardens now off her back porch. and i thought of a cpl. other pppl. who have stopped... i am growing my garden in pots this year and it is going great from seedlings.... i purchased the long containers that drain and are very attractive along my veranda....

[getforfree]

I grow garden since we bought the house. I noticed that onion grows good. you plant it once and it grows all year round forever. So, my salads and soups have lots of green onion in it. I add green onion to anything wherever it's possible.

Also carrots and beets grow good.

I have trouble with tomatoes and cucumbers. They require only really warm weather, and our nights are cold here. Snails always eat the cucumbers. I use the powder against them, but it works only for a week, and then I have to buy it again, then its cheaper to buy the cucumbers at the store.

[elcheapo]

yes, I love homegrown fruits and veggies

[PrincessPerky]

I have an antin green thumb, I can kill the hardiest plants!

But that doesn't mean we don't try, just that nothing works!

[sakigt]

I dont move into my condo for a month...

Is it too late to start growing seedlings for my tomatoes yet? I know I missed the ideal time of March-April

I can transplant to larger pots oonce I move in. Im such a newb

[markio26]

i am container gardening this year and i read an article where it said to use frugal containers and poke holes in the bottom or side.. plastic milk cartons, old boots, anything... it sounds like a great way to recycle.. if it is a black container it will receive more sun heat... one guy uses old tires and adds more tires as the plants grow higher... i am thinking i will use old bucket, for paint... they are white plastic......

[boefixepa]

I'm doing a bucket garden - 15 - 2 gallon buckets and 3 - 1 gallon buckets. Picked up the 2 gallon buckets at the nursery for .50 each and had the 1 gallon buckets I already had from earlier. I screwed them to the top rail of my half fence - the only place that gets direct sun to make it work. Half the buckets are herbs and then I have onions, a few kinds of peppers, tomatoes, lettuce (trying that for the first time) and strawberries. I've never done buckets before and I might have to move a few of them over to 5 gallon buckets, but I'm hoping some extra plant food and lots of water will work.

If I wasn't applying the 'tightwad' theory I would have spent more $$ for nicer looking buckets or the built nice planting boxes...but I spent my 'budget' on the shade bed plants...so I had to go the 'tightwad' way to get it done this year...or wait until next year.

With the buckets, soil, starter plants it totaled less than $30. I was happy with that and I can move the herbs into the house over winter. So I'm hopeful it will all work out. Time will tell.

I water them and look each day for new leaves....patience can be hard when watching plants grow!!!

[markio26]

btw.. those bakery plastic containers that you bring home from the grocery with the lids attached... the clear see thru ones........ they make wonderful planters for seedlings....... they are like a minature greenhouse.... i used one and it worked out great..........

[abowers]

I'm in an apartment... so no garden, just some plants inside. you can use a small plot of garden in our apartment complex, but we were dealing with a lot of other things when we moved here, like switching our residency, and looking for jobs, so garden was not a top priority.

When I lived with my parents (as a kid) we grew lots of vegetables and berries. My parents have a nice garden now, but no veggies.

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by markio26

btw.. those bakery plastic containers that you bring home from the grocery with the lids attached... the clear see thru ones........ they make wonderful planters for seedlings....... they are like a minature greenhouse.... i used one and it worked out great..........

What a great idea! You can get strawberries and such in those types of plastic containers too. Love it!

I've got all kinds of seeds sprouting from the planting DD and I did a week ago - green beans, sugar snap peas, chamomile. Still waiting for our chives, spearmint and basil. I've got some bell peppers, basil, cilantro and strawberries that I'm trying to save from the snails. And I have raspberries and tomatoes that are green and leafy and have the barest beginnings of buds starting to appear.

So if I can keep watering regularly and keep the snails away, it should be a decent array of goodies this year.

[David]

I've got a garden here in Louisiana. I have two large boxes 16' x 8'. Today, I dug up the potatoes I had. About 20 lbs or so. I was going to use paw in laws tractor and row builder and have a large garden, but finally decided it would just be work then and not fun. I like the idea of growing all of my food but it just does not save much money, so I just do it as a hobby.
Tonight for supper I fixed speckled butter beans and corn bread for the family. A very cheap meal and everyone loves them.

[markio26]

on the island, we have daffodils, mint, 3 types of garlic, ground cover from switzerland, and lots of unknown flowers the caretaker planted in my two huge planters on the veranda from seedlings.. my hens and chicks are growing in the planters from last year all around the house, and in the antique boot.. they are huge... i was amazed.. my dad's windmill i inherited is up, once again in the front yard and working smoothly.. (thanks to spouse).. ground cover and flowers are blooming beneath it.

[Tree0164]

We garden each year. We plant the typical veggies such as tomatos, peppers. cumcumbers and zuchini. Always alot of fun!

[markio26]

Garden's Alive catalog in the mail and was pleased to see a $25 savings coupon on the front.
request a catalog at:
www.gardensalive.com

[markio26]

does anyone keep a garden diary?? i was thinking about doing this....

[nanamom]

We rent and aren't allowed a garden. We did plant some container stuff but am not sure how it will go.

[markio26]

In September, October, and November, nurseries and garden centers typically reduce prices by 50% or more. They need to make room for Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees.

[PrincessPerky]

My zuccinni is popping up!!!!
err umm hope you'all have a clue what that mangled mispelled vegetable is !

[flash]

Yes, fruit trees are doing well, 13 blueberry plants are great. Veggie garden is still a patch of weeds.

If you want some frugal gardening tips, savingadvice has a sister site

www.frugalgardening.com

contrary1 writes for it, and has a great suggestions!

[markio26]

Fertilizer -- Homemade



Add to 1 gallon of water, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon Epsom salts and 1/2 teaspoon ammonia. I use this on all my flowers and vegetables once a week.