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Anyone else plannng 2013 garden??

16K views 150 replies 98 participants last post by  Dragonid 
#1 ·
I realize its a little early, but hey, why not? Anyone else putting together plans for their garden? Or "other " garden related projects?

I feel like for me the last couple of years has been really bad. If i was dependent on the food... well my family and I would most likely be dead. Or scavenging the forest floor for weeds. :rolleyes:

I seem to be stuck, all my seedlings start out great, I get everything planted, then the critters come. Last year was seriously looking up around midseason. Numerous green tomatoes, then the deer came along. End of story.

This year, well next season, I have some projects in mind that will hopefully re-inspire me and to keep my 2013 gardening thread alive. Shortly after Christmas I plan to install some 8 foot fencing. Hopefully the deer will simply look at and decide its not worth it. Next up, I plan to start growing some early crops in my green house. So that should be interesting as well. Green houses have their own sets of problems to deal with, so that should be something different to look forward to.

Believe it or not, I already started some seeds. 4 kinds of lettuce. As soon as I can, they will go out in the green house. Also, I started 6 kinds of pepper seeds. If yall recall, I have a love hate relationship with peppers. In all my years, my success rate has been less then worthless. I have been watching videos and reading up, looks like its time to start implementing other tactics to get a harvest. Clearly what I have been doing is not working. We will see how that goes.

So how about you? Any projects or plans?
 
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#29 ·
I'm in Texas too. I put my first garden in this past year and did pretty well considering I really didn't know what I was doing. We did install an 8 foot wood fence, as the deer are crazy here. I had tons of tomatoes, squash, green beans, and peppers, along with different herbs. I also installed drip irrigation and think that is why my garden did so well. As far as planning for next year, I am re-designing the drip irrigation, and also changing up my tomato plants. Being new, I had my tomato plants too close together. I also had no clue how much area squash takes. All the hot pepper plants will be in containers this year, and my raised beds will be filled with green beans, squash, and tomatoes.

So yes, I am already planning ! Thanks for this thread...
 
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#30 ·
I've already placed one seed order... and probably will do another one soon. I had fantastic luck with Roma tomatoes this year, and I will definitely do them next year. I have a couple of new varieties I'd like to try, but the Roma will be my main tomato crop.

Never tried growing Kale, but I ordered some seeds to try. I'm also going to do a lot of chard. I planted a few this year for the first time and I like them.

For your deer problem... I had the same problem! I planted 100s of bean plants and about 30 or so squash plants. Deer ate them all. Didn't touch the corn. I was furious! That deer off spray didn't seem to do much. You could soak a leaf in it and they'd still eat it.

I started urinating around the garden. That seemed to have worked (or else by that time in the season they had already lost interest).

A few weeks ago I got a bunch of wheelbarrow loads of almost done compost for the garden. It will finish rotting there. In my *vast* gardening experience of 3 years... I think I've learned that one of the biggest garden planning things is your soil. Do whatever you can to make it rich and full of organic material. The best tomato plant that you babied in the house from seed to seedling will still not do well if your soil sucks.


A tip: Over the winter/early spring when there's nothing growing in the garden, if you have milk that got a little sour... don't dump it down the drain. Pour it on the garden. Extra calcium.
 
#31 ·
I managed to screw up my back a couple of weeks ago, so I'm running behind. I got 3 plantings this year and the garden was really good to us. I opened one end to let the deer get to what was left of the turnip greens.

My goal is to get about 6 loads of cow manure hauled and tilled in soon. The plot is about 50x150'.

Then it's off to the races for another year. I'll be planting as soon as I think I can get away with it.
 
#32 ·
I start planning the next year's garden as soon as I'm done harvesting the current year's garden! Actually, that isn't true...all during the growing season, I start planning where I'll put what for the next year. Once I'm done harvesting, then I start pulling up the "spent" plants, adding organic matter (goat poop, compost, etc.) and doing any repairs or building new garden areas, and otherwise "prepping" the garden for the next year. After that's done, I inventory my seeds, then decide what, if anything I want to order for the next year (I like to test out new varieties, so use mail order for that.) I also have a notebook where I work out my crop rotations for the next season, or decide what to move to a different spot to take advantage of sunlight and/or shade.
 
#33 ·
I am a gardening newbie, this year was my first and I have an entirely different set of challenges than most of you. I live in an apt in the city. No yard, greenhouse, water barrel (I have a stack of 5 gals I set out when it rains) or compost pile. I'm not very good at posting pics but there are a few here. http://www.survivalistboards.com/album.php?albumid=2153 The were taken when I first started it ended up taking over most of the area in front of the door. 56 plants total. The only critters I had to worry about was a cat who liked my grape tomatoes.
I found this great link a couple of months ago http://freebies.about.com/od/homegardenfreebies/tp/seed-catalogs.htm I am already planning for next year and I planted my garlic on halloween. I'm going to try building a vertical garden and a hanging salad garden. The herb section is going to double in size.
Last year I grew Cherokee Purple and Bloody Butcher. This year I am going to try an Ox Heart. A 90 year old guy at the hardware store where I was scooping up 50% off garden tools, told me I should get a tomato tree? Was he pulling my leg? Would this be a good idea for my situation? If I tried this would a #3 wash tub be big/deep enough to grow it in or would I need something like 1/2 of a barrel?
 
#34 ·
JoJo, I have heard about the "tomato tree" plants. I don't recall exactly, but its neither a tree nor a tomato, per se. You may have to google it to determine if it will work for you. I just don't recall the specifics. Then again I may be entirely wrong.

Hanging baskets are always a good choice. I plan to grow lettuce and the similar this year in them. Slugs can't get to the greens that way. Taking advantage of vertical space is wise as well. Even for those folks with a yard. I have always enjoyed growing things such as beans, squash, and cucumbers UP a trellis. Keeps everything tidy that way. But, wind will dry the soil out a little faster. Just have to water a bit more.
 
#35 ·
I stay in the planning stage year round. Right now I have mustard, kale, collards, turnips, bibb and romaine lettuce, cabbage, strawberries, and herbs growing, berries and herbs are in the greenhouse with the citrus and pineapples. We had an early freeze last weekend.

I too am looking to improve my irrigation, thinking soaker hoses for the row crops instead of the water wasting sprinklers. Also thinking soaker hoses for my container tomatoes, with a short piece of 3/4 PVC in between the plants so any water that drips between the plants will be routed to a container on either side, This way all the water goes into the containers. This will require cutting and splicing the hose but it should work pretty well. Anything beats standing around and watering 50 tomato plants by hand.

I plan on a big crop of Romas, they make the best sauce and that's what I use tomatoes for the most. There will probably be some beefsteaks and betterboys in the mix too.

In the rows will be english peas, onions, new potatoes, Kentucky Wonder, Christmas Lima and Florida Speckled pole beans, black turtle beans, jackson wonder bush beans, corn, okra and summer peas. In containers will be tomatoes, squash, cantaloupes, cukes, zukes, herbs, strawberries and bell peppers.

Rick
 
#36 ·
After last season's disaster - drought, raiders and disease - all I have is look forward to next spring.

I'm taking a big step this year, planning to relocate and (hopefully) expand the garden to about 10 times its current size - starting with a few trees scheduled to come down later this month.

Although I'm really looking forward to it, my expectations are low because it will be extremely challenging to say the least. Money is tight, the land slopes and, quite frankly, the soil stinks.

Since I'm not independently wealthy, taking down the trees will blow my budget, leaving me with little to nothing to spend on the garden itself. So, everything will be improvised on a shoe-string budget - assuming I have anything at all left to spend on it.

Right now, I'm torn between building raised beds, using the logs from the downed trees, or just turning and amending the soil with what I have on hand and hoping for the best.

About the only good news so far is the (2) compost bins are full, the existing bed is already full with compost and I still have plenty of leaves to mulch up. In addition, I found a relatively local source to score some horse manure for free.
 
#73 ·
Instead of turning the soil have you considered taking some of those trees and using them with the "back to eden" method of gardening?

Basic theory seems to be in the fall drop down 4-6 inches of wood chips on top of the soil and let it naturally decompose over the winter. Since the chips are on top of the soil they don't tie up the nitrogen and all the weeds and such underneath are cleared out by the thick layer of chips. Ultimately it sounds like a multi-year project, but I'd suggest maybe trying a small area and seeing how it works for you. I'm very curious about it myself and thinking of trying it out as well as an alternate gardening method rather then turning the soil which these folks say isn't as good for it.
 
#37 ·
Chad you silly goose! Of course us gardener types are thinking of gardening. :D: What else would we be thinking of as we overwinter? The BS Fiscal Cliff fight? Ha.

I'm reading some books, ie Square Foot Gardening, Mini Farming, and Companion Planting as I plan my garden expansion. I've already acquired the plastic sides for my raised beds, along with three more containers to add to my deck garden. I saved seeds from everything plus bought a few more so I have all of the seeds I need. I have indoor starter trays so I can get everything started around the end of February for transplant around the middle or end of April. I'm planning to use chicken wire & the side of my garage as a trellis and have acquired a couple of rain barrels that will be installed in Spring. I'm thinking rototiller and new compost because digging these areas manually will kill my nearly 50 year old back and I'd like new soil so I can get rid of useless hosta tubers etc and the Japanese beetle larvae that showed up on my roses this year. I'm keeping the roses, but planning to change the useless hosta hedges for strawberries. If something planted is going to take over my universe it'll be a blackberry hedge but I'm not sure where to fit that in. I'm fussing with the plant arrangements in my head until I get something I feel correct to commit to paper. Thinking about drip irrigation, would no doubt make my job easier re those raised beds. Don't have a greenhouse yet; should be interesting locating my four big grow trays in my house in the sun somewhere.

Is that enough planning for you? :D: :thumb:
 
#38 ·
Oh yeah! My Baker Creek seed catalog just arrived yesterday! My husband brought in the mail as if it was a gift, he knows I've been waiting for it! So far, I'm at about 50 seed varieties...might need to narrow it down a bit :eek::

Also, we moved to our property, which I love, about six months ago, so the husband and I have been busy clearing space for a garden, tilling in some compost, etc. We have red dirt here that isn't the best for growing, but we'll make it work. This is the first year I am planning a big garden - no more having two tomatoes on the side of the house!

I think i'll start some seeds today - it's never too early, right? I have some lettuce that I could get growing inside....
 
#39 ·
I just started 150 Cobra F1 Indeterminate Tomato seeds this week for the Greenhouse.
I will start the eggplant sometime in January. Then other things as we get closer to April. I found some good seeds from Johnny's seed here in Maine. They even have some very cheap Trellising supplies also. I still need to order more Vine reels to train the plants on when it's time. I'm hoping a sale pops up sometime after New Years like some suppliers have to motivate buyers.
 
#46 ·
#41 ·
I am always planning a year in advance.

Each night when I leave work, I swing by the city yard waste drop off & fill my truck up with bags of leaves. After rotting all winter, they are incredible natural fertilizer for the garden.

I already ordered another 40 plants/trees from Willis Orchards. This includes hazlenuts, blue berry, raspberries, paw paw trees, grapes, kiwi, apples. I already have about 50 fruit/nut trees & am always looking to add more.

This year, we tried to harvest as many seeds as we could to see how many will grow next year. We have a good selection of green pepper, tomato, squash, zucchini, etc. Also am keeping the tops of carrots & have them already growing in water in the window sill.

Next year will also be my first year for bee hives! Going to be interesting to see how much they increase my output.
 
#42 ·
Glad to see so many planning ahead. Im starting to look at gardening and raising food as a year round project. So many folks are obsessed with the false idea that you can only grow in the spring and summer. Those folks completely ignore the other half of the year.

Grant it, your not going to walk out in 2 foot deep snow and pick a nice ripe tomato... but plenty of other crops to consider.

In other news, my lettuce sprouted. :thumb:
 
#43 ·
I like to look at seed catalogs. I harvested some seeds from my asparagus plants this fall.
I am looking forward to starting them. My grapes did real well this year and I am looking for a better year in 2013. Growing things is all about learning, trial and error. Those who just gather seeds and figure they will grow stuff when the shtf are in for a rude awakening.
 
#47 ·
got my 2013 seed savers mag in the mail yesterday, already circled some stuff i want to try.

Although i have some cold frames going, looking at the frozen garden makes me sad. I want to do something but besides staring at the garlic shoots, there is nothing really to be done until next year.

I grew all my own plants indoors last year and that was a lot of fun. That is not until late feb mid march though so i have some time.

So ya Chad, i am with ya, dreaming of spring to start planting again
 
#54 ·
Even a greenhouse on my deck, if it would work, would be a nice thing to have. Heaven forbid I hang on to an old idea if I can get ahold of a new and better one!

Also, a poster above mentioned saving carrot tops and rooting them. Please elaborate! How is this done? Is it similar to popping a houseplant with viable nodes into a glass of water?
 
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#55 ·
I am always experimenting on my 2- 32 sq ft raised plots that I intend to eventually extend 16 sq ft once I get enough compost to fill it.

It seems I have the most consistent luck with tomatoes and hot peppers. This year I am going to plant fewer tomato plants with seed of a very high yielding plant that did very well in the high temps of the drought. I planted about 40% fewer tomato plants last year and got the same yield so the tight spacing isn't necessarily the way to go.

I am still struggling on what to do with my bell peppers after a huge yield 2 years ago. Last years idea of planting beets harvesting then planting bell peppers failed because they got in too late.

I also tried to grow tried zucchini but a grey bug always shows up and devours the leaves.

The native soil has not been productive with exception to planting blackberries which I have a prolific crop on the side of my house. I have a small area of 6 inches wide of dirt along the fence line that I have yet to figure out what to do with. I tried tomatoes and a grapevine the yields weren't worth the effort. Maybe rhubarb? The rest of my property is at a 45 or greater angle north facing so for the most part sunless.
 
#58 ·
Sam, thank you for posting that information. I spoke with a local extension agent regarding year-around growing here in WI, and he also said that if I had a greenhouse & wanted to grow anything other than salad I'd have to heat it. Since I'm considering my deck, which is accessed via my patio door, I could just leave that door open and let my forced-air furnace heat the greenhouse. However, I'm having nightmares about what that will do to my heating bill! Even a greenhouse made with 4mm polycarbonate doesn't seem very insulated. What say you on this matter? Did your wood usage go up significantly in order to heat your greenhouse in the brutal cold of winter?

The other thing the extension agent mentioned was having to remove snow from the roof of the greenhouse. Does this mean that the snow would heat up and turn to ice, necessitating a great deal of hard work to remove it from the roof? Or would it be good snow and slide right off of the slanted roof?
 
#61 ·
Hi FarmerChad,

We have a small farm and do a garden every year. The past couple of years haven't been good for me either. In 2011 Hurricane Irene drowned my crops and this year the drought (plus some medical stuff) put me way behind in my gardening. The only thing that I can think of is that an 8 ft. fence won't work for most deer. They will jump in in a heart beat and then look at you like "Is that all you got?" So because fencing is so expensive, and the taller fence you buy the more expensive..you get the picture...anyway what we did is got 8' fencing and cedar poles to attach it to. We stapled the fencing so that it was about 3' off of the ground and then put rabbit fencing (much less expensive) all around the bottom. The deer won't try to craw under the fence and then when they are looking at 11' high fencing they tend to go elsewhere. I read somewhere once that deer don't like marigolds and if you plant them around your garden they will stay away. Lies! All lies, the deer ate the marigolds AND my entire garden! Kind of like when I went turkey hunting and someone told me they don't fly well...apparently I was hunting the elusive "eagle turkey" because they took off into the trees never to be seen again!
Anyway good luck with your garden, I look forward to any tips or hints you might have!
 
#62 ·
Next week my 10 x 12 shed gets moved from our old home to our current residence. I found 65 old wooden barn windows for $1 each earlier this year, and a small greenhouse will be built on the side of the shed.

Compost bins are constructed and filling up with leaves, eggshells, and coffee grounds.

Plans are drawn for a water tower to catch rainwater and pressure feed my new drip irrigation system.
 
#63 ·
I feel like I should have a compost pile. we only had a veggie garden once before and didn't get to see it all the way through because we had to move to take care of my dad. how would i start one? I don't have any trees so no leaves. my neighbor has a huge one. any suggestions?
 
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