Ending the garden season. On to next year!

[Bodofish]

Well I've been going through the garden and cleaning out the spent plants. Yesterday it was the beans.... We had so many beans off of a dozen plants I think I'm about to turn green. Put a lot in the freezer too, just wash them and Vac-Pac, then put the pack in boiling water and dump out perfect beans every time. Last weekend all the green onions came out and were chopped and IQFed for use over the winter, got 8qtrs. of them! Today the remaining carrots will be cleaned and put in that cool dry spot. The tomato plants are still going as are the peppers. What a banner year for peppers after a really rough start! I've got a bunch of goat horns, the green bells and some purple ones have been outstanding and just waiting out the last bit of sun are the jalapeños and the cayenne’s. All the plants are just stuffed with them!! I have a last ditch crop (second) of snow peas. For some reason this year’s just peaked for about two weeks and died. They always produced throughout the summer when you keep the fruit picked. It's always sad coming to the end, the fresh veggies are always so good when they're here..... next year....

So I have the garden patch on the south side of the house, 8' X 20' and we planted pole beans this year (I have a tough time bending over) and a few stocks of corn for my Granddaughter. The tall stuff was a real detriment to the rest of the garden and with the rain at the start of the summer the tomatoes were just hammered, two set of plants worth. So next summer I'm making some changes. In the plot, I'll only be planting low plants and ground bound veggies. For the tall stuff I've started to make planters to go around the back yard, I have about a 5' ring of river rock around the lawn for them with good drainage. The drip system will be going in!!! My waife wanted to use a sprinkler but she's finally coming around. The south and western edges of the yard have sun all day from sun up to an hour before sun down. I don't like to rake leaves, no trees.... The tomatoes, they are going in movable pots and I'm going to rig a tent of clear plastic of some sort, maybe clear vinyl like for boat canvas so I can get them out of the rain. I can give them a good start with the other plants as we have access to a huge green house for germination and babies. I'm already looking forward to next year and the enjoyment the garden brings not to mention my wife has finally decided to go with the no weeding approach to vegetable gardening. When the plants come up, weed right up to the stalks and then put down three layers of newspaper and cover with straw. It holds in the moisture for less watering, keeps the small roots warm in the early season, three layers of news print keeps any weeds from growing and you only have to weed the garden once all summer!!! Winner!!!!
So we didn’t have a garden thread going this year because for some reason RAC decided to go and have some surgery on his knee, selfish, I know but I’m glad he did, we need to treat ourselves right once in a while…. So what did everyone else do for a garden this summer and plans and things you learned for next year?

[Bodofish]

Wow, nobody had a garden this year?

[oneshot]

haha!! I meant to reply yesterday but time was not on my side..

our garden did a LOT better this yr than last.. for some reason the lettuce i planted last season never came up,. but when this spring hit is started sprouting. we ate our OWN HOME GROWN lettuce for a good 6 weeks.. then everything else started popping up.. we didn't get as many green beans as i would like. one large bowl that we had with dinner one night.. the pees really never took off.. we grew about 7 ears of corn. 3 of which the boy plucked way to early!! our squash! now we're talking. we have several nice size squash this yr! we gave a good sum to neighbors.. we are done pretty much, the sun has shifted behind our HUGE maple tree and nothing is growing anymore.. :(

our garden is in the back yard and its really hard to get the light it needs for proper growth.. the best place to plant is in our front yard.. and damn me if i'm gonna grow a garden in my front yard for people to piss on..

[Gringo Pescador]

Garden.. uh, well.. by the time I was ready, I was late. 1 tomato plant that did very well this year. Got a bunch of grapes still on the vine if anybody want em for jam (trade ya all the grape for one jar).

The best place for us to have a garden is the paved side driveway (we live on a corner). South facing, protected from the wind, up against the house. The plan is to pick up some oval stock tanks over the winter and make "city garden" as a spring project for the kid next year.

I am pretty excited that the tomato did so well, I only did the one as a test, my old place had a GREAT place to grow tomatoes and peppers. I'll be growing a bunch next year, nothing like like fresh salsa with a kick

[oneshot]

100% agree!!!

making fresh salsa with homegrown tomatoes and cilantro is the best! we used up all our cilantro a month ago..

[tnj8222]

I moved and didnt have time todo a garden. Will be starting indoors this winter, hoping to have a huge garden next year.

[renpeg]

Im trying to get my nephew (8) to enjoy the things that I do. Along with fishing Organic gardening is one of my passions. Normally I just grow tomato's, bean, and peppers in pots on the porch and or deck. Then maybe some pumpkins or sun flowers. during fall 3 years ago I finally got the back yard figured out and a garden area set up. last year I was in school taking 26 credits so it didnt leave much time for anything, so planted lots of red potato. The flavor of summer potato is amazing! the skin is thin and just washes off..


Then this year I got Mini me helping me. We cleared out and worked the soil in a 7' x 25' area. half was again red potato. Once again turning out fantastic! Lil man decided he wanted 3 types of cucumbers, corn red and sweet yellow, onions, garlic, and zucchini.

We planted super early right after the fear of the last frost went away. covered with a good layer of med bark mulch. It took a while for the plants to really take hold. I was kinda fearing that we planted too early but next thing we knew heat streak and the garden took off!!! We used a home brew garden tea.as well as fish fertilizer. and man. we have gotten several good harvests.

cucumbers all 2 variety flourishes. had them coming out our ears and sense lil man and grandma loooove them. there were disappearing as fast as I could fill the fridge drawer.

Zucchini: Only two plants out of the whole packet grew but man they also produced. see picture of one of the. Dad kept saying when he was a kid the used to grow huge ones . So We decided to show him u! and man we did! Need to bake more zucchini bread!

Corn: sweet yellow and red. Both really haven't produced. only 3 plants got 4' and I have get to have fully developed ears.

onions: small but great flavor. Garlic: small but great flavor
I have built a make shift green house around the garden to try and keep the garden going just a lil bit longer.

So in the end great year for the garden cant wait for next year! Oh and with the compost tea and fish fertilizer. I havent watered the law in over 2 months. only have one area that I walk on to tend to the garden that went into dormant. the rest is still health and green, Deep roots!!!

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[racfish]

Im still picking tomatoes,jalapenos,dill,basil,. My veggies just wont all die. Ive made 3 batches of pesto off 6 plants. My quince tree had a banner year. I am making Membrillo this weekend. It was a banner year. Im still picking beets and carrotts. Ive yanked out the cukes squash,zuchinis, . Its a real strange year. My Raspberries are kicking out a whole new crop of berries. This drought has been great for growing unfortunately is real bad for salmon.Im picking fruits and veggies and chopping wood. The aphids are killing the Brussel sprouts. Ive thrown most away . My cranberry or Italian shelling beans put out alot. I already am looking forward to next years garden.Im hauling horse manure home from the stables.

[edge540]

Ours is about done for the year, were yanking out the last of the plants. My potatoes look good but still have not flowered and my understanding is that they have to flower before I can harvest them

Thinking I will till the whole thing in and call it a year. Anyone have any ideas for winter crops or anything I can plant now for next year?

[Rich McVey]

Tomatoes and peppers, still picking them as we use them. Most of the herbs havd been cut and dried. We didnt even touch the main garden this year. We did set up a small greenhouse on the back deck. We had fresh salad nightly, that rocked!

[dicinu]

I have a lot I mean a lot of cukes I am making Pickles out of 90% of them Tomatoes are doing great peppers also I have a bunck of different kinds from Japs, to habs. thai, pequiens, sweet, bells, New mexicos and serranos I may be missing a few different ones there. Some of my herbs been great some still growing in the garage sweet basil, lemon thyme ( great on salmon), rosemary, and a few others. Collards and Mustard greens My mustards have been eaten a while a go only able to make 2 meals out of them myself my son and my pops go through them like water. collards are still growing. my Pumpkin is getting bigger hoping it will be done for Halloween if not thanks giving...

winter crops will be Onions and More Leafy veggies. I am growing in 3 different systems Hyrdo aqua and traditional soil soil was taking forever but did put out a great crop. I will be moving most in the garage this weekend my hydro system and Toms at a minimum.

[renpeg]

edge540 : potatos can be dug up at any times. no need to flower. the earlier in the year you dig them up the softer the skin. so they wont store well. But the flavor is amazing compared to potatos dug up in the fall or even winter.

[racfish]

Dicinu Im with you on the cukes. I made two full batches of pickles from my garden. My plants really kicked out the cukes. I was giving cukes away. Neighbors shut their doors on me watching me carry cukes around the hood. My fruit trees kicked out fruit but only the apples really put out. I planted 2 Honeycrisp trees and got 4 apples. They were excellent. I gave them to my parents. I miss eating fresh apples and corn. This early spring I'm planting more Honeycrisp and some Colonade apple trees. Now its time to haul the horse maure home. Getting ready for next season.
Last winter I planted parsley,fava beans,beets,turnips. They grew pretty decent all through the winter months.

[dicinu]

hmmm Rac i like the Apples Idea I think i will givem a go next season. I will get some starters going now. I have a 3 car tandum garage so the back section is for my reloading and indoor garden. until I get my green house built then it will all be out back with Halides I have left over from my reef tanks. to get a strong lighting on the plants for the winter months.

[racfish]

It got to a point where my 12 yo fuji apple tree got some fungus I couldnt get rid of so I cut the tree down. I got great smoking wood out of it. I thought to myself What should I replace it with. I figured at 3.00 a pound I'll plant Honeycrisp trees. I did get 4 apples this year out of my two sapplings. At $12.00 a tree at Lowes you just cant go wrong. The other trees I saw were Colonade (sp) apple trees which take very lil space. I like trying new things in the yard. After eating the new apples I thought this is really the way to go. Also Ive ordered 3 banana trees as well. They said they will grow in our area. They are supposed to bear fruit. We'll see. If I dont get fruit I'll have excellent leaves for the BBQ.