Gardening 2019 Official Thread

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Etownpaul

I grow all the usual culprits, maters,peppers, zucchini, squash,cabbage,peas,beans, rhubarb,garlic,carrots,beets,chard, fennel,dill,tons of cucumbers and potatoes.

I’m trying something new this year called the 3 sisters. You plant a corn stalk along with a pole bean and a ground squash in close proximity. The bean climbs the corn and provides nitrogen, the squash provides ground cover which reduces evaporation and weeds. It also makes good use of limited space since I plant too many plants every year and crowd the garden.

Very interested to see how it works. Peas versus beans may also work?

[Drewski Canuck]

Originally Posted by eagleflyfisher

Close to Calgary, over in dewinton. Is sulfur what is used to reduce ph ? I've got to find that out soon.
Garlic I plant in fall, break apart cloves and plant root down. Have some elephant garlic my mom gave me years back

Odds are your soil is acidic, if you have a "base" soil, you could add sulphur. Our clay soils are base, but if you are near spruce trees, the soil will be acidic.

That is where you add garden lime to bring it back to neutral.

For the peas, try planting a few different varieties. Green Arrow, Laxton's Progress, marble, sugar snap, etc. You will get waves of peas over a number of weeks. if you plant one variety, you get them all coming on at the same week and then its over. Sometimes one variety does better than another in a year, so you are spreading the risk as well.

This year, I am building two planter boxes at the lake each one parallel to the other by 5 feet. the plan is to use 20' sections of rebar to bend an "n" straddling between the two planters. I am planing on 4 spans vertical spaced 3 feet apart, and a couple cross bars wired between horizontal.

Next, i was going to run chicken wire / stucco wire over top from side to side for a trellis. I am going to plant pole beans on this, and it should be good year to year. The beans will hang inside so are easy to pick.

A Friend did a trellis like this with plastic conduit & chicken wire, and planted pumpkins last year.

The pumpkins grew up the mesh, and he soon had hanging small pumpkins. The vines were strong enough to support the hanging pumpkins.

The MANY pumpkins hit about the 10 pound size and the whole thing promptly collapsed. Should have used rebar!!!

But still, a pretty cool idea.

Drewski

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

For you guys looking for something different to plant, have a look at Kohlrabi. We love it fresh and sliced right out of the garden, in a salad or cooked. Not hard to grow and it doesn’t take a lot or room. Pick one up at the grocery store and see if it’s your thing.

You da plant boss Dave.

Really interested in Kohlrabi now.

I wonder if they would fair better than my attempts at radishes.

I need to put that bug netting over radishes I think to eliminate those dam fly maggots.

Everything I read about Kohlrabi looks great. What variety are you planting and also from Vessey?

In the past I have grown multi colored spinach.

My recent attempts at Butternut squash (when not destroyed by hail) has been great.

Corn needs to start really early in my yard.

I have grown some massive sunflowers in the past...may try again this year.

Some pretty decorative yet edible cabbage out there.

[SamSteele]

It looks like this in Central America.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

You da plant boss Dave.

Really interested in Kohlrabi now.

I wonder if they would fair better than my attempts at radishes.

I need to put that bug netting over radishes I think to eliminate those dam fly maggots.

Everything I read about Kohlrabi looks great. What variety are you planting and also from Vessey?

.

Kohlrabi is easy to grow. Always surprised how few people know about it. Green seems to do better than the purple variety.

Radishes are a tough one with the maggots. Seems sandy soil works better. Have also heard sprinkle ash (wood) in with the seed helps. Never tried it though.

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Have also heard sprinkle ash (wood) in with the seed helps. Never tried it though.

I do this with my onion sets and it really helps keep them safe from worms/bugs.

[dodgeboy1979]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Very interested to see how it works. Peas versus beans may also work?

I have been planting my cucumbers beside corn for years and it will climb the corn stalks as well.

[Sundancefisher]

Looks tasty.

[owlhoot]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Looks tasty.

WoW, I've never grown them that big, Steroids?

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Looks tasty.

They will get woody when mature like that. Better off to eat them smaller. Peel them, sprinkle with salt, nothing better....
As I said, mine rarely even make it out of the garden

[pavilion]

I built this garden box last summer to be able start a garden this spring, filled it with dirt yesterday, and excited to get started, I read guys talking about bugs being a problem with certain plants.....with this box being raised off the ground will I still have slugs and such?.....Stupid question I'm sure but I've never gardened before, will be following this thread closely

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Kohlrabi is easy to grow. Always surprised how few people know about it. Green seems to do better than the purple variety.

Radishes are a tough one with the maggots. Seems sandy soil works better. Have also heard sprinkle ash (wood) in with the seed helps. Never tried it though.

That picture is the Kossak variety that Vessey's has and that we grew last season. No, unlike most varieties, it doesn't get woody at all when it grows that big. We didn't let ours grow that big but they weren't much smaller. I kept saying that we had to harvest them before they got too big and woody but they never did. I'll have to see if I have any pictures.

The only problem that we had last year was with cutworms in the cabbage and brussel sprouts. We grew 3 types of radish no problem. Look at these bad boys.....lol.

[HunterDave]

For Pavilion and anyone else that wants to grow potatoes in a limited space......grow them in tires. Supposed to work really good and I’m going to be trying it at home this year. Grow them in tires.....no digging.

https://youtu.be/XUeul0TBFoo

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

For Pavilion and anyone else that wants to grow potatoes in a limited space......grow them in tires. Supposed to work really good and I’m going to be trying it at home this year. Grow them in tires.....no digging.

https://youtu.be/XUeul0TBFoo

I have usually stuck with Yukon Gold however grew a purple/blue potato a while back. Wife was not as fond of so went back to Yukons.

What are people's favorite potato variety?

[Sundancefisher]

Who else has prolific grapes growing in their yard?

I was reading up on them and while I don't know the exact variety they are edible. They are tasty at the end of the year and letting them freeze a few times makes them so much sweeter.

Looks like I may be able to take cuttings of yearling shoots and propagate new plants therefrom.

Anyone do this? Wondering if I took a bunch and put them in a jar with some water and rooting hormone if I could get a mass of them growing and be able to share/swap with others?

Right now I have apples, cherries, two variety of currents, hascops, blueberries are dying off (thermal shock and Ph likely the problem), raspberries, strawberries and Saskatoons. Likely going to replace my blueberries with three new plants. Just not sure what berry to replace it with. Any thoughts?

[Sundancefisher]

[QUOTE=HunterDave;3953831]That picture is the Kossak variety that Vessey's has and that we grew last season. No, unlike most varieties, it doesn't get woody at all when it grows that big. We didn't let ours grow that big but they weren't much smaller. I kept saying that we had to harvest them before they got too big and woody but they never did. I'll have to see if I have any pictures.

The only problem that we had last year was with cutworms in the cabbage and brussel sprouts. We grew 3 types of radish no problem. Look at these bad boys.....lol.

Correct. Kossak

https://www.veseys.com/ca/kossakkohlrabi.html

Good to know they don’t go woody.

Had radishes that went super woody last year. Those that didn’t get munched by bugs.

[LeroyvdH]

[QUOTE=Sundancefisher;3954089]Who else has prolific grapes growing in their yard?

I was reading up on them and while I don't know the exact variety they are edible. They are tasty at the end of the year and letting them freeze a few times makes them so much sweeter.



I grow grapes. In Medicine Hat. It's a Concord variety. Lots of sun. They don't get real sweet till the nights get cool. Awesome jam.

[Sundancefisher]

[QUOTE=LeroyvdH;3954707]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Who else has prolific grapes growing in their yard?

I was reading up on them and while I don't know the exact variety they are edible. They are tasty at the end of the year and letting them freeze a few times makes them so much sweeter.



I grow grapes. In Medicine Hat. It's a Concord variety. Lots of sun. They don't get real sweet till the nights get cool. Awesome jam.

I eat ours also. They get better later so long as they don’t loose too much moisture.

[The moose]

Going to try a couple northern variety watermelon against my better judgement. My daughter is very excited with trying them and that in part is the whole reason why I started gardening again. Pumpkins did great last year.

I run 2 square foot garden setups and they really pump out the volume of produce. Going to try adding a potato Box this yr and see how it does.

Also ready to ditch the blueberries. Last 2 winters have pretty much killed off the lot of em. Disappointing. My haskups are nearing ready to bloom already!

[Lornce]

Although we had a good crop overall last year (tomatoes beans peas peppers etc), I was fighting Moles for the first time.

[threeforthree]

Got the greenhouse done for next weeks transplanting. Going to do the outside in old barn wood.

[Jim Blake]

Originally Posted by threeforthree

Got the greenhouse done for next weeks transplanting. Going to do the outside in old barn wood.

Great job on the greenhouse! We have one of those snap-n-grow ones. Sure can grow a lot of tomatoes and vegetables in very little space.

We also have about ten raised beds I built from rough 6X6's. They are easy to maintain (weeds) and not so hard on the back.

[Moosetalker]

I got a 20' x 36' greenhouse with two raised 4'x8'x 14" beds down east side one 4'x8' x14 and two 2'x8'x14" beds down the west side. grow tomatoes peppers and green and yellow beans in the GH .

3 other 20'x40'remote gardens so I can rotate my plantings peas corn potatoes carrots pole beans Brussels cabbage broccoli cauliflower and 3 var onions. as well as pumpkins now.

also a 10x10 foot asparagus patch

I found best way to deal with cutworms {had a big prob first year} was to show them my turkeys in fall after pulling garden first with commercial miller hatchery birds now Heritage breed Ridley Bronze they tilled over the garden looking for them have not had a problem last 10 years doing this.

[threeforthree]

1412 pepper plants going good


where is the nearest shell station to me

got the barn board on.

[Dale S]

Everything off to a good start. Potatoes and onions are in. I top dressed the strawberries with some manure,there looking good. With no spring rains I've had to irrigate already.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[HunterDave]

Time to put the tomato plants into bigger pots. Four varieties, 8 plants of each, from cherry to beefsteak. We even have some yellow Lemon Boys. One more batch of seedlings to start in peat pots ought to do it.

[threeforthree]

What have you been doing to keep plants warm....moved 2000 pepper plants to the inside of garage , still a -5 tonight

[Erik]

Wow! Love the Greenhouses and seedling starters. Good work! I had a heck of a time finding shelves that fit trays properly and I didn't have time to create my own trays. I got some cheap shelves at Ikea that come with a translucent plastic cover and sat them in front of my glass doors. Link below in case anyone is interested:

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/S99291745/

I drilled some holes in the shelves and mounted my lone grow light from Costco. Been having fun with that. Started all my annuals. Damn, Begonias take forever! Onwards to vegetables next.

[MrDave]

We have a had to cut back our Black Currents this year and might cut the Reds as well. Get things cleaned up. I wasn't able to harvest my currents the last 2 falls, so they are a mess. Might have a few starters to get rid of this fall.
10 by 16 greenhouse is getting built as I can find spare cash to put into it. Roof is next, and it should be ready soon. Looked big when I started it, but the 4 pot plants will fill it fairly quickly. Glad I built it 10' to the high side.

Hoping my golden raspberries come back from the suffering I put them through. Too delicious to lose.

[kenh]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Starting up a 2019 gardening thread.

Last year I planted butternut squash, 3 kinds of peas, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes, peppers, radishes, parsley, celery, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes.

Thunderstorms decimated the squash, zucchini, tomatoes, corn and peppers. Slugs wrecked the Brussel sprouts and cabbage. Maggots took out my radishes. Skunks dug up some potatoes (planted perch under for fertilizer).

So this year I am in preplanning mode. Should do potatoes again for sure. Peas also. May reorganize where I plant.

What are people planning to plant this year? What do you get the best from in Calgary's growing climate?

Let's get some photos as gardens progress.

Cheers

Sun

use row covers for your radishes and you will find this will help with the maggot problem