2014 Gardening Grow Log

[LivioRazlo]

The purpose of this thread is for everyone to post pictures, tips, suggestions of their plants and flowers that they may be growing this year. I would also like to harvest seeds to be able to trade or give away to other potential and experienced gardeners as a way of spreading good genetics and overthrowing the GMO empire. I'm sure this thread will be edited various times as more thoughts come to mind, but for now, this is just something to gauge the interest of the members here at Avalon.

So far, this is a list which I have compiled of all the vegetables I am currently growing in my little 72 cell trays (all of my seeds are guaranteed non-GMO and heirloom variety):

- Clemson Spineless Okra
- Spicy Salad Mix Lettuce
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Red Acre Cabbage
- Spacemaster Cucumber
- Beefsteak Tomato
- Royal Chatenay Carrots
- White Lisbon Onion
- Tabasco Pepper
- Red Pepper
- Cherry Belle Radish
- Long Island Improved Brusselsprouts
- Indian Tobacco from My Patriot Supply (didn't realize they were located in my city)
- Habenero Pepper
- Trinidad Ghost Scorpion Pepper
- Jalapeno Pepper
- Chili Pepper
- Red Russian Kale
- Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach

Things I have yet to plant:

- Blue Lake Green Beans
- Sweet Spanish Onions
- Broad Fava Windsor Beans
- Royal Burgandy Beans
- Idaho Potatos (got to still build my potato box from the pallets I have been collecting from work)


I don't know if I'm going to have enough space for all of this in my backyard garden, that's why I intend on planting vegetables which are fast growers and harvesters first so that I can make room for some of the lengthy vegetables.

I started planting everything in my trays on 06/03/2014 and I'm already seeing some of the lettuces and smaller plants beginning to sprout up. I have been saving all of my styrofoam Ramen noodles cups because I would like to transplant all of my smaller plants to them in the hopes of freeing up much needed space in my garden for the bigger and space hogging vegetables. My planting soil mix consists of organic topsoil and horse manure that has been dried out in the sun for 2 weeks. I then took the horse manure and placed it into a food processor to grind it up and mix with the topsoil - about a 60% manure to 40% topsoil mix. The garden itself will consist of 30% manure and 70% topsoil. The dimensions of my backyard garden space is 10.5 ft. by 16 ft.

[Zaya]

Thanks for the thread! I am a NOVICE gardener who is attempting to get started growing. Luckily my boyfriend knows more than I do. May I ask your advice on something?

Where should I attempt to acquire some quality seeds?

[LivioRazlo]

Zaya, I know that from experience, you can find a lot of good organic/non-GMO/heirloom seeds from eBay - but, in all honesty, I would recommend the seeds I have got from my local nursery by Lake Valley Seed. They are the company which I used last year and got great results - just over planted the garden and didn't get as much as I wanted.

On a side note, I am a novice at this as well, but I'm ready to start relying on myself and have a perpetual garden year round if I can.

It's funny, as a child, I used to hate gardening with my parents - but I've learned that all the things I hated as a child, I'm learning to love now.

[Pam]

Welcome to the wonderful world of gardening!!!!! I was looking at your list and trying to figure out what kind of room you will need. How many of each plant do you expect to grow? Some of your selection could be grown in container potting if you need extra space. I thought you probably lived in the south, with the selection of okra and peppers, but I see you are in Indiana. It will be interesting to see if you can get productive growth from them. I tried to grow okra here in Western washington state and did not have good results. The plants also take up a fair amount of room. Gardening is a lot of trial and error. Each year you modify what didn't work so well in the past year. Eventually you will learn to get maximum use out of your garden space.


Growing my own food is one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. It gives me a respectful connection to mother earth and sincere gratitude for the food that I eat. Also, you will begin to notice that when you are eating a lot of your fresh, vital veggies you will feel more energy and more alive. Good luck!!! I hope you use this thread as a sort of online gardening journal.

[Cara]

Hello Zaya and all others interested,

Barbara H. Petersen runs a website called Farms Wars which represents the interests of small farmers. She has a list on her site called Safe Seeds:

http://farmwars.info/?p=8158

I see it was last updated in April 2012, but if you write to her she may have more up to date information.

Farm Wars Safe Seed Company List Updated Ap. 08, 2012
Barbara H. Peterson

The following is a list of seed companies that provide organic and heirloom seed varieties. These companies have no ties to biotech interests, and do not get their seeds from Monsanto. This list is a work in progress. If you find that any information on this list is outdated or just plain wrong, please let me know so that I can update it.

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE: FARMWARS SAFE SEED COMPANY LIST Ap082012
________________
FARMWARS SAFE SEED COMPANY LIST
The following companies have determined to NOT have any association with biotech interests, and DO NOT sell seeds sourced from companies owned by Monsanto.
Please help us keep this list up-to-date. Last update: April 08, 2012

SEED COMPANY
WEBSITE
Horizon Herbs
http://www.horizonherbs.com

Seed Site
http://www.seedsite.eu
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
http://rareseeds.com
Amishland Heirloom Seeds
http://amishlandseeds.com/
Hudson Valley Seed Library
http://www.seedlibrary.org
D. Landreth Seed Company
http://www.landrethseeds.com
Seeds Trust
http://www.seedstrust.com
High Mowing Organic Seeds
http://highmowingseeds.com
Uprising Seeds
http://uprisingorganics.com
Wood Prairie Farm
http://woodprairie.com
Organica Seed
http://www.organicaseed.com
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
http://www.southernexposure.com
Fedco Seeds
http://www.fedcoseeds.com
Family Farmers Seed Cooperative
http://www.organicseedcoop.com
White Harvest Seed Company
http://whiteharvestseed.com/
Heirloom Organics
http://www.non-hybrid-seeds.com/
Seed for Security
http://www.seedforsecurity.com
The Living Seed Company
http://www.livingseedcompany.com
Sow True Seed
http://www.sowtrueseed.com
Adaptive Seeds
http://www.adaptiveseeds.com
Seeds Now
http://www.seedsnow.com
Livingston Seed
http://livingstonseed.info
Sustainable Seed Co.
http://sustainableseedco.com
Grow Organic
http://groworganic.com
Victory Seeds
http://www.victoryseeds.com
Botanical Interests
http://www.botanicalinterests.com
The Ark Institute
http://arkinstitute.com
My Patriot Supply
http://mypatriotsupply.com
Underwood Gardens
http://www.underwoodgardens.com
Heirloom Seeds
http://www.heirloomseeds.com
Wild Garden Seed
http://www.wildgardenseed.com

[Zaya]

Posted by peterpam (here)
Growing my own food is one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. It gives me a respectful connection to mother earth and sincere gratitude for the food that I eat.

Love this sentiment, Peterpam

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Posted by LivioRazlo (here)
On a side note, I am a novice at this as well, but I'm ready to start relying on myself and have a perpetual garden year round if I can.

It's funny, as a child, I used to hate gardening with my parents - but I've learned that all the things I hated as a child, I'm learning to love now.

Ha! So true about becoming an adult. I love allll the foods I hated then, for instance ha. In regards to relying on oneself and having a garden year round, YES. That is a lot of the reason I want to go on this venture. I really want to be able to provide for myself and also to bond with mother nature as dear peterpam said.

[sheme]

My neighbour and I have started late this year- I have the plot and he has the energy so we agreed to combine efforts and get digging /planting- loads of stuff going in but nothing comes from seeds so far, but I have treated myself to a cabbage cage this year as I don't like meat or poop of cabbage butterfly with my veg.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...&sz=w1168-h538

[thunder24]

so far I'v planted:

10 pounds of golden potatoes, 10 pounds of red potatoes, garlic, mustard greens, onions, white bush squash, butter nut squash, zucini, pole beans, 30 some tomatoes about 10 varieties, cucumbers, basil, lemon basil, red bell peppers, thai peppers, collard greens, kohrahbi, cabbage, beets, turnips, carrots, brussel sprouts, sugar snap peas and eggplant...

ill try and get some pics

[Ron Mauer Sr]

My 2014 garden. More to come, a 4' x 12' raised bed.





The 5 gallon bucket containers are made similar to this video.

[LivioRazlo]

Wow Ron! That is really beautiful and at the same time, ingenious. I love the way you have built those trellis' over what I am assuming are to be tomatoes. Great work and thanks for the ideas.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Here is an instructional video of how to construct a similar trellis/greenhouse.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gd9mNKuRtSE

[Krist]

Just a note to all the gardeners and something to work towards as you practice.It takes approximately 1000 square feet of traditional garden space per person to sustain vegetables for a year.Most of us don't have that kind of space or energy at the end of the day so there are lots of space saving techniques and easy low cost watering applications these days.With the help of the web its never been easier to get started,good stuff here.Thanks all we can turn it green again.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

NYC's backyard farms. Growing more than just produce.

"Two hundred and fifty square feet will feed maybe four to six people seasonally, for six months, so this site [600 square feet] can feed six to ten people for six months of the growing season", says Stacy Murphy of BK Farmyards.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BuogTqasSmU

Growing vegetables vertically on a trellis, as much as possible, is probably the best way to reduce the square foot garden space needed to grow any specific amount of produce.

[Krist]

Yeah Ron that's it ,thank you .Don't know how to post the links yet but that's what I'm talk'n about.

[Ahnung-quay]

I've been working hard in the garden making some beds that I plan to enclose with boards. I planted carrots two days ago and have a lot of other things in. Today, going to get some onion sets, garlic, and kale.

Anyone done bush cucumbers? How high of a cage do I need around them? Put'em in a few days ago and now have to get them caged.

[Krist]

My experience with bush cucumbers has required something the size of a tomato cage.Soil conditions ,light ,water and you factor in to that equation as well.Plants feel vibration,standing bare foot watering by hand have wonderful results even with poor soil and very little water.In the right conditions the cucumbers can overwhelm a typical cage,if it does just add on.my 2 cents.

[sheme]

Got the bulk of our neglected veg plot dug over today set out the corn on the cob structure- I joked to my friend - I just realised that looks like a harp station-LOL

We had a home brew and a cider to celebrate- cheers

[blufire]

Posted by Ahnung-quay (here)
I've been working hard in the garden making some beds that I plan to enclose with boards. I planted carrots two days ago and have a lot of other things in. Today, going to get some onion sets, garlic, and kale.

Anyone done bush cucumbers? How high of a cage do I need around them? Put'em in a few days ago and now have to get them caged.

I have grown many cucumbers both the ‘bush ‘type and the ‘vine’ type.

Bush cucumbers (as well as bush beans) require no type of support, cage or trellis. That is the beauty of bush beans and cucumbers . . . they are compact, neat and tidy.

I do however always place 6 to 8 inches of hay or straw around the plants (mulch) to hold in moisture and to keep the soil off the fruit and lower leaves.

The straw and hay I use is always left out in the weather for several months (in the bale) so any seeds in the hay will rot or germinate, so my garden doesn't end up with a beautiful crop of grass or oats!

[thunder24]

edited/removed

[Earth Angel]

so exciting! having lived in our house for 17 years we have planted a garden for the first time in our lives....no idea what we are doing but we have planted about 23 different things from non GMO seeds....I am amazed at the number of people like myself who have never had a vegetable garden but are doing it this year.....a planetary shift!
We planted a week ago and today we have several rows of things growing.....this is so exciting!