What's growing? The garden thread.

JEFF420

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Bump time! We got moved to zone 5A by the USDA and even though the frost date is now 5/7, I actually don't see frost in our forecast. Highs are still normal but lows are looking mild.

I started 50 milk jugs outdoors with annual seeds end of March to last weekend and with the warmer temps this week, many are sprouting which is fun! I spend a small fortune in annuals each year so this is a low cost experiment to see if I can do some on my own.

Planted the first of the garden yesterday -multiple spinach types, carrot types, one lettuce, arugula, snap peas, and trying out green onions and radishes this year. Need to do potatoes yet and the spring garden planting should be set.
what about tomatoes, peppers and watermelons?!
 
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cowgirl836

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Last year I had some radishes left from storebought that we didnt use so I tossed them in the garden to see what happens. Well.... they grew and got big green and bushy/flowery. The bugs loved the flowers that eventually turned in to seed pods. Read that you could eat the seadpods so tried that out. DELICIOUS. Not even a huge radish fan but the pods were amazing (milder radish flavor if you havent tried) Anyway, waited till the rest of the pods browned out and now this year I started those seeds and they are growing so looks like Ill have a radish patch this summer. Typically do this kind of stuff with store bought veggies especially celery. Fun project and dont have to buy seeds and partially growns from the garden center.

how long did it take to go to seed? may try this.
 

bos

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how long did it take to go to seed? may try this.
Honestly dont remember. Dont feel like it took super long, let the bees and butterflies do their thing with the flowers for awhile. I just know that off of 3 radishes plants, we got a shload of sead pods, enough that we couldnt eat them fast enough. Gave up mid-summer I believe, and then let them dry out and stored them for planting.
 

JP4CY

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Seed tape for small seeds are amazing.
Its the only way I do lettuce seeds now.

I've seen some carrot seed tapes but I like the color/hybrid carrot varieties and haven't seen as many seed tapes for that, usually just the orange.
 

JP4CY

I'm Mike Jones
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Both times I tried, I believe part of the issue was them being crowded by other plants. However, the second time, they weren't that crowded and they never produced hardly anything. Do they transfer easily? I may try that bush variety.
I sowed peas last week for my trellis. I space them about 2 to 3 apart. They vine well.

Did edamame hybrid a couple years back, work great.
 
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bos

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Seed tape for small seeds are amazing.
Its the only way I do lettuce seeds now.

I've seen some carrot seed tapes but I like the color/hybrid carrot varieties and haven't seen as many seed tapes for that, usually just the orange.


Witchcraft! I had never heard of these before and just looked them up. Awesome!
 

JP4CY

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Witchcraft! I had never heard of these before and just looked them up. Awesome!
Oh yeah. Game changer for tiny seeds! And so many times with those tiny seeds like lettuce and carrots I overplant and then thin later.
 
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WartburgClone

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The usual cool season stuff: carrots, radishes, peas, onion seeds and sets.
Last year I had some radishes left from storebought that we didnt use so I tossed them in the garden to see what happens. Well.... they grew and got big green and bushy/flowery. The bugs loved the flowers that eventually turned in to seed pods. Read that you could eat the seadpods so tried that out. DELICIOUS. Not even a huge radish fan but the pods were amazing (milder radish flavor if you havent tried) Anyway, waited till the rest of the pods browned out and now this year I started those seeds and they are growing so looks like Ill have a radish patch this summer. Typically do this kind of stuff with store bought veggies especially celery. Fun project and dont have to buy seeds and partially growns from the garden center.
I let two go to seed last year and was surprised at how big they get and how many god damn seedpods one plant can produce.
 
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mkadl

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2' x 2' plot broadcast of spinach and first row of radishes are in. I will plant lettuce (black seeded simpson) this weekend and a row of each every week of radishes (cherry bell and german giant) until the middle of May. Rows are about 6' long. I then set my tomato plants among the rows when I feel we will be fost free. The radishes and lettuce will go to seed and I pull them for compost. I started my tomatoes in January. One of the 8 plants has blooms already. I am trying english cucumbers this year, along with my tried and true straight eights.
 

Big Daddy Kang

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I can keep the pothos, ficus, and moss roses (potted) alive and once won a tomato growing contest (field of two) but I recently signed up for a small plot at the community garden and realize I don't know anything about planting things in the actual ground. Are there can't fail vegetables? Best tools? This plot might be on the wet side. Thanks for any suggestions or youtube videos you can point me to!
 

cycloner29

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Guy bought tomato plants and plans on putting them in tomorrow. Seems a tad early for central Iowa.
 

mkadl

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Guy bought tomato plants and plans on putting them in tomorrow. Seems a tad early for central Iowa.
If you feel like you can tend them
I can keep the pothos, ficus, and moss roses (potted) alive and once won a tomato growing contest (field of two) but I recently signed up for a small plot at the community garden and realize I don't know anything about planting things in the actual ground. Are there can't fail vegetables? Best tools? This plot might be on the wet side. Thanks for any suggestions or youtube videos you can point me to!
Being raised on a farm and 100% self taught. If the ground is always wettish. You may want to read on line or on the seed packet and see if it says well drained soil. If it does plant in hills. Pull up the soil in mounds with a hoe and garden rake, so that the roots are not always wet. Cucumbers are this way, they like water but they dont want their roots to be wet. Green beans are really easy, beets are also. Radishes are finicky at least that is my experience but I plant a lot of them so it turns into a numbers game. Cabbage and onions are easy if you buy plants. I have a well drained garden that takes a lot of water. Learning a garden plot and how it is situated for sun-shade-drainage-soil type is part of the art of gardening. We lost a couple of ash trees to the west of our garden to ash borers, last sumer the evening sun really dried out the garden with the extra sunlight. The tomatoes and cumbuers loved it best crop ever.