The 2010 Official Vegetable Garden thread!

[Henry Hefner]

My wife always gets frustrated with her garden. She tries growing tomatoes and peppers, and as soon as they start to ripen, the birds come along and peck one hole in each of them, as if they are making fun of her. When she grows cantaloupe or squash, she gets fire-ant bit when harvesting. She will not eat anything that has had poison around it, so I couldn't keep the ants out. Netting on tomatoes, meant holes poked in every tomato that touched the netting. This year I decided was going to be her year, so I built her an anti-bird cage, with everything raised up to "no-bending" height for comfort AND so I can keep the ants poisoned away from the growing soil. While building it, she decided that she might want more than it would hold, so I raised some containers for plants the birds tend to ignore outside the cage.

Door is on the back side of this picture, shelves are slanted away from the walkway so watering doesn't leave you with wet feet.

This cage is 8'x8'x8', and I used one 16' cattle panel cut in half to make tomato supports. These panels hang in notches cut in 2x4's, and can be pushed back against the wall if not needed. I put removable "windows" behind the tomato trellis to harvest the hard-to-reach beauties. This year, if we fail to have a good harvest, it will be because of my black thumbs or the weather, birds and ants will not be an excuse! Tomatoes are on the south wall so they don't shade the other plants. There is room for smaller plants on the shelf in front of them. All wood is pressure treated, and bird wire is 1" galvanized. The cost for everything(except plants and containers) was between $200 and $250.

 

[Brine]

I knew we'd have a mod before this was over.... :LMFAO:

Great job man! Sounds like alot of experience went into that build. =D>

 

[Henry Hefner]

I knew we'd have a mod before this was over.... :LMFAO:

Great job man! Sounds like alot of experience went into that build. =D>

Thanks Brine! I think for it to be a mod, it has to be built first... but I am actually considering modding it! I told my wife that if she likes it and gets a good harvest out of it, maybe next year I would add [strike]an aerator[/strike] a sprinkler system, or drip irrigation. Also considering a clear pvc [strike]deck[/strike] roof, to avoid damage from heavy rains and hail. Also, maybe a fine mister to hold extreme temps down in our hotter Texas months. When it gets too hot, the tomatoes quit producing.

 

[Brine]

well....you modified last year's garden. :wink:

.....and the current mod list sounds good. Might as well get in there with your fishing pole and have someone take some pics. :mrgreen:

 

[1448Tom]

Here in Southwest, Ohio, I'm blessed with some pretty good soil. Each season prior to planting, I till my garden a minimum of two times, sometimes three. After the first time, I spread pellet lime to neutralize the acid in the soil, and a good all-around fertilizer, by hand. Then I till it into the soil. I rarely use another fertilizer throughout the growing season, unless I experience a long, dry spell.

I also rotate my crops, like the industrial farmers do. I rotate green beans & corn, onions & radishes, and so on. Seems to work pretty good.

I place a couple inches thick or more of loose straw around the base of my tomato plants. This helps retain the moisture. Tomatoes like, and need plenty water.

Best of luck to all of you who take-on your first gardening experience this season. Like some of the others said, I would start small, a few of your favorites, and go from there.

As far a railroad ties go, I don't think creosote leaching into the soil would be a good thing.

 

[Jim]

Neat setup! :beer:

 

[Specknreds]

OK!! Whos bright idea was this to plant a big garden this year????? :? I've got 2 weekends and about 7 or 8 afternoons into mine so far and still have 2 more 150' rows to mound and plant. I already have weeds growing where I started. ](*,) #-o

I QUIT!!! I'm going fishing!! I've got too much into it to quit now.

Nice work HH. I hope my wife doesn't see it. If she does, there goes another weekend with no fishing.

 

[Henry Hefner]

OK!! Whos bright idea was this to plant a big garden this year????? :? I've got 2 weekends and about 7 or 8 afternoons into mine so far and still have 2 more 150' rows to mound and plant. I already have weeds growing where I started. ](*,) #-o

I QUIT!!! I'm going fishing!! I've got too much into it to quit now.

Nice work HH. I hope my wife doesn't see it. If she does, there goes another weekend with no fishing.

150 foot rows?! I am on a lot that is just shy of an acre, I have room for a huge garden, but they are just too much work! In the springtime when we have been looking forward to good weather, a big garden sounds very nice, but when the highs are in the triple digits, who wants to weed? I am in commercial refrigeration, and when the temps go up, so do my hours. Maybe you need to ask your wife to plan next year's garden in the middle of this August. We decided years ago to give up on big gardens, and concentrate on containers. She has been content the last few years with a couple of containers on the patio, but wanted something bigger. I wanted something easy to care for. Building it was a lot of work, but if it works out, the rest is easy, this year and years to come.

Keep your wife away from the computer, tell her it got infected with porn or something...

 

[Jim]

Decided to check the little seed starting greenhouse I purchased for $7 and....I Got Cucumber plants already growing! \/

The miracle of science! :LOL2:

This is the one I got:

And I put it on the kitchen counter above the dishwasher. The counter gets a little warm after washing the dishes(hopefully this is normal). So it makes for a nice little greenhouse.

 

[Hanr3]

you guys have been busy.

The wife and I argue over a garden every spring. I want one, she dont, however come harvest season she wants one. Go figure.

I'd love to put in a big garden this year. Propble do my little one again this year.

 

[teamhoytpa]

go on line and do a search for fox (urine) scent, it comes in a pellet form and u sprinkle around your yard, no more bunnies. works on skunks and possums too!
Or a 4 ft chicken wire fence!

hmmmm.....i doubt that fox urine works on skunks and possums. I can honestly say that because i've trapped a couple years now and i can not so proudly say i've caught my fair share of both of them boogers in fox sets. It sure will ATTRACT them...but i highly doubt it repels.

 

[Hanr3]

Does anyone have any suggestions on keeping rabbits out of my garden. I'm being overrun with them. My wife doesn't want me to shoot them. They destroyed my garden last year. I leave for work at 3:30 AM every morning for work and there is usually 5 or 6 in the back yard and 5 or 6 more in the front yard. I have two dogs in the back yard and the rabbits will walk all around them :? . My dogs are old and to lazy to chase a rabbit!!!

Cats are the next best natural predator and they can live outside. Although outside cats can run up the Vet bill.

The best option to keep most critters out o fthe garden is a chicken wire fence. Fairly inexpensive too.

 

[SirLancelot]

First garden in several years going in this year, but we need all the fresh stuff we can get. Well besides Roma and cherry tomatoes, we got cucumbers, silver queen sweet corn, crimson sweet watermelon, pumpkins, carrots, green, red, yellow peppers, habaneros, jalapenos, peas, and gorgeous soil to put it all in. Can't wait, store bought produce cannot duplicate what you do with your own hands.

 

[Jim]

Scored the First zucchini a couple of days ago and it was Awesome on the grill. :lol:

All the other Veggies are coming in great and should have peppers, tomatoes and cukes within the next couple of weeks.

 

[bobberboy]

Last year we got a spot in the community garden near our house. Next to Boston's ours is the oldest continually running victory garden in the states. We were on a waiting list for six years but it was worth it. We've worked hard to improve the soil and it's paying off.

We scored our first zucchini a few days ago too. We've planted tomatoes - Roma, Big Boy and Grape tomatoes. Last year we had hundreds of tomatoes. We washed, cut in half and froze the biggies. The Romas we cut in half lengthwise, scooped out the seedy-watery stuff, put garlic and basil inside and slow roasted for about 45 minures. We bagged and froze them and were we happy about that.

We plant a lot of basil to make pesto. We grind the basil, pine nuts and olive oil together and put into ice cube trays. Once frozen we bag and put back in the freezer. Later heat/thaw in the microwave and add parmesian and can you say OH BABY? Oh baby that's good!

We have some squash and melons and lots of beets and onions. Last year my partner T grew sunflowers that became landmarks for others in the garden. One got to be 22" in diameter and was referred to as "that" sunflower by the other gardeners. It was like when the old surveyors used a giant oak or rock as a landmark. Everyone knew which sunflower was "that" one.

If I can't be fishing I'm in the garden.

 

[bassboy1]

I've got one thing to say. Y'all ALL need to start growing heirloom 'maters (tomatoes, for you yankee folk). We happened into a guy whose hobby is finding different heirloom tomotoes from around the world, and trying to find the best. He had something like 40 or 50 different kinds, and he continuously breeds them in his backyard and in pots on his driveway. We planted them this year, and holy crap, what a difference. If you think home grown better boys, Romas and all are good, you ain't seen nothin'. We only got about 10 different types, (some of the ones he had stay green when they ripen, some turn yellow, some have ribs, like a pumpkin, some turn purple), and all I've got to say, is there's no turning back now.

 

[Jim]

I've got one thing to say. Y'all ALL need to start growing heirloom 'maters (tomatoes, for you yankee folk). We happened into a guy whose hobby is finding different heirloom tomotoes from around the world, and trying to find the best. He had something like 40 or 50 different kinds, and he continuously breeds them in his backyard and in pots on his driveway. We planted them this year, and holy crap, what a difference. If you think home grown better boys, Romas and all are good, you ain't seen nothin'. We only got about 10 different types, (some of the ones he had stay green when they ripen, some turn yellow, some have ribs, like a pumpkin, some turn purple), and all I've got to say, is there's no turning back now.

I think your fibbing!
ostpics:

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

go on line and do a search for fox (urine) scent, it comes in a pellet form and u sprinkle around your yard, no more bunnies. works on skunks and possums too!
Or a 4 ft chicken wire fence!

hmmmm.....i doubt that fox urine works on skunks and possums. I can honestly say that because i've trapped a couple years now and i can not so proudly say i've caught my fair share of both of them boogers in fox sets. It sure will ATTRACT them...but i highly doubt it repels.

Skunk, Fox Urine are the best attractors for setting traps for land critters, gets them every time. That and a honeybun for the coons. Owls work though.

 

[bearsphan3.14]

Pulled a zucchini and a squash out of our little box (Earth Box) last weekend. Grilled some steak kabobs with them on sunday and they were darn tasty.

 

[Jim]

Pulled a zucchini and a squash out of our little box (Earth Box) last weekend. Grilled some steak kabobs with them on sunday and they were darn tasty.

That is what I cooked with the zucchini also! :beer: