The gardening thread

[opa]

I love growing crops every summer. There's nothing better than fresh greens straight out of the field. This year we've grown a little bit of everything. I even grew some tobacco from seed just to have something pretty to look at. I'll have to share some pics when everything starts coming in. I planted everything a bit late this year. My dry bush beans are starting to flower now. I just wish my chili peppers would hurry up. I love fresh peppers.

Any other green thumbs on the board?

[Nemoide]

I used to love gardening when I lived with my parents, who had a large yard. I really felt like digging in the soil kept me connected to the earth. And there's nothing as good as a home-grown heirloom tomato.

Unfortunately, since I moved into an apartment a while back, I have no space for a garden. I considered renting a plot in a community garden, but I'd have to put up my own fence, which I'm not wild about. I had enough bad experiences with critters eating my stuff to make me wary of trying again without adequate fencing.

[opa]

With the exception of squash bugs, I have been fortunate that the ne'er-do-wells mostly leave my crops alone. I do see new deer prints every day in the ground but I don't think they're too interested in anything. They'll probably attack the watermelon when they come in but we'll see.

I had an old gentleman tell me that marigolds help keep the deer away. I have no clue if that's true or not but I had about thirty or so marigolds that I grew left over so they are now nestled in the edge of the garden.

[prfsnl_gmr]

In what part of the country do you live, opa? I do and have done a good bit of gardening in the Midwest (where I grew up) and the Southeast (where I live now), and I’d be happy to share some tips.

Growing up, we grew tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, field peas, collard greens, and corn, among other crops. Where I live now, we’ve grown tomatoes, eggplants, and salad greens. A few years ago, however, we moved into a house with a wooded lot, which has brought a new set of challenges. We’ve grown a few things by our house, but we haven’t yet re-established a sizable garden. We’d like to in the relatively near future, though.

[Ack]

Marigolds have a bitter taste and smell that rabbits and deer don't find pleasant, but they will just jump over or walk through them, so no, they don't stop them. That said, deer and rabbits will only eat Marigolds when desperate and starving, so you have some gorgeous flowers that are unlikely to get destroyed.

[marurun]

Marigolds also keep away some kinds of harmful nematodes.

[opa]

In what part of the country do you live, opa? I do and have done a good bit of gardening in the Midwest (where I grew up) and the Southeast (where I live now), and I’d be happy to share some tips.

Growing up, we grew tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, field peas, collard greens, and corn, among other crops. Where I live now, we’ve grown tomatoes, eggplants, and salad greens. A few years ago, however, we moved into a house with a wooded lot, which has brought a new set of challenges. We’ve grown a few things by our house, but we haven’t yet re-established a sizable garden. We’d like to in the relatively near future, though.

I'm in the Southeast as well. South enough to start planting on time but far enough from the equator to tolerate the summer heat.

Thankfully there's enough space here to not worry about a treeline. Really my biggest concern is wind. I'd love to build a greenhouse but I don't want it to fly away.

[Anapan]

I grow a lot of herbs, and recently planted a couple of pot plants (legal here now, so even tho I don't smoke anymore, I think it's my civic duty now).

No matter which type of Oregano I grow, they don't taste or smell right, but the rest are awesome.
5 varieties of Thyme inc Lemon, 3 types of Basil (excited about the new thai one for my Pho), Standard & Garlic Chive, a huge crop of Dill, Lemongrass, Bay (the most drastic difference from dried leaves), Savory, 4 types of Parsley (Chervil too?), some sort of leeks I never saw before I grew them, Spear, Pepper and English Mint, a few types of Rosemary, Stevia, and I think Lavender counts - I throw some dried in my earl-grey tea sometimes.

I have some ornamental peppers, I gave up on any spicy ones as the neighborhood apparently has enough other varieties that the bees turn them all into sweet bell flavor.

I also help my parents out with their garden & canning in trade for my fresh produce. I love the berry varieties of tomato I have growing in their garden, but I only get 1-2 meals out of the lot of them. Awesome salad from them and a whipped cream dressing.

I put a kibosh on marigold a long time ago as the fowl odour can make me nauseous from a distance. I put a pile of chive seeds in front of all the roses and other aphid attracting plants and since they're perennial they almost perfectly protect the plants in my parents garden that were plagued before. One of my varieties of parsley will need to be transplanted closer to the chive section soon.

[marurun]

I like growing plants that are otherwise expensive to buy (chard, herbs) or are hard to find in good form (tomatoes). That way I get the best results from integrating my garden into regular shopping and cooking.

[opa]

Garden 2020: Planted sweet corn, green beans (roma II), and okra today. Still need to plant peppers and have lettuce to transplant.
Anyone else planted their garden yet?