Any BGP Gardeners This Year?

[lawildcat]

As we approach "fresh" season, I like to hear what others grow and what recipes they use to prepare. At the BirdNest this year, we have:

 

Green Beans (Ky Wonder)

Lima Beans

Pickling Cucumbers

Okra

Banana Peppers

Zuchinni

Yellow Squash

Cayenne Pepper

Pumpkins

 

Our tomatoes are a project as we were late getting them out, so we'll see, but Beefsteak and Rutgers are the plan.

 

So, dinner party at the BirdNest this fall?!

 

Okra, btw, is my absolute favorite green vegetable! It's the southern girl in me!

[BirdBrain]

So, dinner party at the BirdNest this fall?!

 

Okra, btw, is my absolute favorite green vegetable! It's the southern girl in me!

 

Only if it's battered and deep fried or pickled.

[littleluck55]

Weeds

[rockmom]

Work this year has been brutal, so my gardening plans have been scaled back to herbs only. I'm going to do a "tour of farmers markets and Amish farms" this summer and source my veggies that way. Hoping I stumble upon a place that sells cheese and butter.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

As we approach "fresh" season, I like to hear what others grow and what recipes they use to prepare. At the BirdNest this year, we have:

 

Green Beans (Ky Wonder)

Lima Beans

Pickling Cucumbers

Okra

Banana Peppers

Zuchinni

Yellow Squash

Cayenne Pepper

Pumpkins

 

Our tomatoes are a project as we were late getting them out, so we'll see, but Beefsteak and Rutgers are the plan.

 

I'm only able to grow what I can reasonably fit on my balcony...but that includes a couple of Rutgers tomato plants. Never tried them before (although I've grown tons of different types of tomatoes). You had any luck with them in the past, BirdBrain?

 

And if you like beefsteaks, I'd suggest giving brandywines a try as well. GREAT tomatoes...not to different from beefsteak.

[spindoc]

Work this year has been brutal, so my gardening plans have been scaled back to herbs only. I'm going to do a "tour of farmers markets and Amish farms" this summer and source my veggies that way. Hoping I stumble upon a place that sells cheese and butter.

Herbs. Riiiiiight

[BirdBrain]

I'm only able to grow what I can reasonably fit on my balcony...but that includes a couple of Rutgers tomato plants. Never tried them before (although I've grown tons of different types of tomatoes). You had any luck with them in the past, BirdBrain?

 

And if you like beefsteaks, I'd suggest giving brandywines a try as well. GREAT tomatoes...not to different from beefsteak.

 

Rutgers is a great tomato, I would call it durable. I use it for a lot of my tomato juice (which I then use to can venison in the fall). These are eat of the vine tomatoes so keep a salt shaker close. It's also an easy plant to take care of. Good luck !

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I "winterized" the raised garden bed I planted last fall with some humus and manure on the top of it, and I did a little pH balancing back at the beginning of March. Planted my taters about a week ago (red Norlands), and noticed the first few plant buds starting to poke up through the soil yesterday.

 

Also got some late-spring bulbs in the ground around the same time as the potatoes.

 

Now there could be like 4-6" of snow on Saturday. Lovely.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I always raise tomatoes (Rutgers for canning), white half runners, zuchini, and some bell peppers. I try to keep it small enough to tend to what I have. I've found it better to grow less and take care of it. I usually get as much from fewer plants by tending properly as growing more than I can take care of. Works for me.

 

Rutgers is a great tomato, I would call it durable. I use it for a lot of my tomato juice (which I then use to can venison in the fall). These are eat of the vine tomatoes so keep a salt shaker close. It's also an easy plant to take care of. Good luck !

 

Ended up with 8 Rutgers plants in my garden last year, and came away with a boatload of really great tomatoes. Definitely the variety I'm going to stick with this year, and likely from here on out.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

We built two 4 X * raised beds this year. We have a couple of tomatoe plants, watermelon, beans, lettuce, strawberry's, onion, broccoli and turnip greens. Mrs. Doomer picked out the plants, and started the seeds inside...I am just trying to keep them alive now that they are outside.

 

 

I built a raised garden bed in my backyard last year, and ended up really happy with the way it turned out and how well I was able to control the soil conditions.

 

Speaking of which, @formerkywrestler and @rjs4470, any pointers on planting blueberries in containers or raised garden beds? Plant varieties? Soil conditions/types? Fertilizers....etc, etc, etc....

[ThrillVille Cardinal51]

So I caught a let’s just see what happens bug with some gala apple seeds.

 

Three seeds germinated and I put them in a pot.

 

Where I would actually plant them and my expectations regarding whether or not they’d actually ever fruit are Bridges I’d cross later on down the road.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

So I caught a let’s just see what happens bug with some gala apple seeds.

 

Three seeds germinated and I put them in a pot.

 

Where I would actually plant them and my expectations regarding whether or not they’d actually ever fruit are Bridges I’d cross later on down the road.

 

Just curious if you realize or not (because I didn't know it until I started researching what kind of apple trees to plant on my family's farm property a handful of years ago)...planting the seeds out of a gala apple will NOT grow you a gala apple tree. The tree that grows from that seed is a cross between the a gala, and whatever kind of tree it was that pollinated the gala tree that your apple grew on.

[ThrillVille Cardinal51]

Just curious if you realize or not (because I didn't know it until I started researching what kind of apple trees to plant on my family's farm property a handful of years ago)...planting the seeds out of a gala apple will NOT grow you a gala apple tree. The tree that grows from that seed is a cross between the a gala, and whatever kind of tree it was that pollinated the gala tree that your apple grew on.

 

Yup!

 

I’ve been wanting to plant an apple tree(s) for years, but I live in an apartment right now. I have them in pots by the window.

 

My wife and I are looking for a house, and she is aware that we’re going to be planting two types of apple trees somewhere in the yard.

 

As far as the ones in the pot, if they ever come of age I’ll find somewhere worthwhile to plant them.

[TAC]

Want to grow herbs and or spices in a small pot on my deck. What would work?

[rjs4470]

[ATTACH]66091[/ATTACH]

 

I built a raised garden bed in my backyard last year, and ended up really happy with the way it turned out and how well I was able to control the soil conditions.

 

Speaking of which, @formerkywrestler and @rjs4470, any pointers on planting blueberries in containers or raised garden beds? Plant varieties? Soil conditions/types? Fertilizers....etc, etc, etc....

 

I have one blueberry bush in a container and 3 more in slightly raised beds. My container blueberry is doing well. I got about a quart of berries off it last year. The ones in the raised beds (4x8 built out of 2x12’s, so they really aren’t that high) keep getting eaten by rabbits and really haven’t grown. Blueberries like acidic soil. So it’s a good idea to add fertilizer you use for azealas, like holly-tone. I add it in the beginning and middle of the season. Also, I mulch mine with pine bark as that helps retain moisture and adds acidity to the soil. I can’t remember what varieties I have as it’s been 3 or 4 years. I ordered the container variety from Jung Seeds and bought the other from Lowe’s on clearance. I’d stick with high bush varieties as they are very productive, produce nice size berries and work well in our climate. They do get somewhat tall though, around 6-7 feet, so you’ll want to make sure you give them space.