Garden 2023

[AK47bp]

I’m not expert but be careful overcrowding those planter boxes. Once those things take off they will crowd each other out.

[bfree]

delete

[bfree]

Agree.

cg, have you done squash in those planters before? I'd do squash in the ground and tomatoes in the planters.
Maybe some carrots in front but imo it's getting late for lettuce, it'll be hard to keep from wilting and bolting in July unless maybe you get afternoon shade and water daily.


Edit: adding a pic of mine too. Shit is kind of planted randomly everywhere because I mostly let my 2 y.o. pick where things go. Need to get the cages and trellises in.

[AK47bp]

I’d forget about carrots, not worth it.

Peas grow vertically and have small root footprints, good for planters. Tomatoes too. Green beans need space, they bush out horizontally, like at least 2ft of space. Never had much luck with lettuce here, kale is a better option.

[The AD]

My (potable) water costs about half a cent per gallon in the PNW, it would take a very very long time to pay for any sort of catch system. I'm with californiagrown on that one. Less than $0.30 to completely fill a 55 gal barrel.

All I know is that my water bills are very high in the summer and the only difference is watering outside. I'm not really that interested in how long it's going to take to recoup my investment (around $250). I really just like the idea of using the natural rainwater as effectively or possible.

[californiagrown]

The planter with lettuce gets dappled afternoon sun and did well with lettuce last year, multiple harvests all the way through late summer. I was intending to have the squash climb the trellis so it wouldnt crowd out the rest of the planter, but my squash doesnt seem to want to do that (fuck you pinterest). And yeah, i know i have a problem with overcrowding, its just really hard for me to come to terms with how small the starters are vs. how big they will get despite a year of experience- literally planted peppers yesterday thinking "dont overcrowd, dont overcrowd"... looking at them now, i definitely planted them too close together. Last year the tomatoes in the planter and in-ground went gangbusters so it seems like they should be fine anywhere and everywhere... they have already grown a ton since i planted them as 6" tall starters in early may.

Might go kale or broccoli as suggested in that other planter instead of more lettuce. Its just hard for me to grow it from seed without the little guys getting eaten by bugs and stuff... oh well, here goes nuthin.

[bfree]

Kale is easy around here and I find lettuce easy too. I was 0 for 3 on broccoli before giving up. It was great at producing yellow flowers, but no heads - it's just too warm around here for it in the summer.

[AK47bp]

Good luck man.

I dabbled with the small yard garden for 5 years and finally gave up this year. Lots of failures, some successes but ultimately said fuck it. Green beans, tomatoes, and strawberries were my best crops. Then the slugs arrived and devastated all my strawberries so I went to war, they won, as nature tends to do.

Apple tree and raspberry bush are all I got and those things are awesome! Just water them occasionally.

[bfree]

All I know is that my water bills are very high in the summer and the only difference is watering outside. I'm not really that interested in how long it's going to take to recoup my investment (around $250). I really just like the idea of using the natural rainwater as effectively or possible.

Cool. I get it, I mean growing my own veggies is probably a negative ROI move too. Just don't count how many times it fills up during watering season. Or do, actually, I am interested in how it goes.

[californiagrown]

Good luck man.

I dabbled with the small yard garden for 5 years and finally gave up this year. Lots of failures, some successes but ultimately said fuck it. Green beans, tomatoes, and strawberries were my best crops. Then the slugs arrived and devastated all my strawberries so I went to war, they won, as nature tends to do.

Apple tree and raspberry bush are all I got and those things are awesome! Just water them occasionally.

Ive heard filling tupperware with cheap beer will attract and drown the slugs. Me, I just have a large Sluggo/Corrys budget and spread that shit everywhere, all the time. FUCK SLUGS. It became personal last year when the slugs ate every last starter i had grown from seed. After my weekly sluggo carpet bombing this spring i am happy to say that everything in my garden is the original thing i started from seed.

I actually grew broccoli pretty well in the planters last year. Even ate the leaves like you would collards. It was good.

The automatic irrigation system i put in this spring has really shrunk the amount of time i need to fuck around and think about my landscaping and garden which hopefully means ill keep it going long term.

[skaredshtles]

I have a garden almost strictly for fresh tomatoes. I do grow zukes and yellow squash 'cause they are easy - and I've got some bush beans in this year, because fresh beans are delicious.

I really want to grow fava beans next year - those goddam things are nigh on impossible to find around here.

[AK47bp]

The slugs love beer. Did the traps, they drink beer, catch a buzz, eat some berries, then go tell their friends and more would come.

Some would die, but we’re talking 5 inch long leopard slugs here.

[AK47bp]

Colonies of these guys lived in the retaining wall next to my garden. When they ran out of crops to eat they ate the other slugs as seen here.

[gravitylover]

That Sluggo stuff is awesome. I've given up on food crops in the ground this year. The drought last year taught me that very few plants like our well water and when this year started so dry I figured why fight it. The raspberries came back super strong after I cut them to the ground last fall and the 2 blackberry canes have split and are doing great. I have a couple of strawberries and different herbs in hanging baskets so I don't have to deal with slugs and they're all doing pretty well but not great. Again, I think it's the well water. The potted flowers are doing well but very few of the hundreds of seeds I put out have even sprouted.

[riser4]

I grow beans in 5 gal buckets. I crowd them in too. I'm not looking for huge yield per plant, I just want them where I can reach them. This year I have some variety that said it was good for containers. And I'm crop rotating the buckets with tomatoes. I take a lot of the soil out and replace with compost for that.

[AK47bp]

You grow beans in buckets eh?


Big whoop.

[riser4]

You grow beans in buckets eh?


Big whoop.

I was responding directly to your comment regarding beans needing space. It brings me back to the days of sea of green.

[AK47bp]

I was responding directly to your comment regarding beans needing space. It brings me back to the days of sea of green.

I know. Just liked the sound of “beans in a bucket”

One plant in a 5 gal bucket sounds like perfect spacing.

Or are you planting multiple green bean plants in 1 bucket? Cause that seems ludicrous.

[The AD]

Well, there's also the matter of whether you're growing pole beans versus bush beans. Obviously pole beans are going to use a smaller footprint.

[riser4]

I know. Just liked the sound of “beans in a bucket”

One plant in a 5 gal bucket sounds like perfect spacing.

Or are you planting multiple green bean plants in 1 bucket? Cause that seems ludicrous.

I seed 7 or 8, I cut it back to 5. Its been 10 days and I need to add more seed to a couple buckets.

[skaredshtles]

Well, there's also the matter of whether you're growing pole beans versus bush beans. Obviously pole beans are going to use a smaller footprint.

You said "pole" and "bush."

[AK47bp]

I seed 7 or 8, I cut it back to 5. Its been 10 days and I need to add more seed to a couple buckets.

So, you mean to tell me yer growin 5 bush bean plants in a 5 gallon bean bucket?

Hogwash.

[babybear]

I mostly plant flowers since vegetables don’t do well here generally with our cold nights. However we have not had a frost since mid-late May which is very very unusual for us.
The perennial garden is doing well. I planted some tulip and alliums last fall but it was my first time and I didn’t really nail the placement but will do better grouping next time.
I look forward to reposting a pic in a month or so when the window boxes are overflowing.

[BCMtnHound]

Some gorgeous planting being posted. Our plots are doing well, hope to take and post pics soon.

Woke up to 4C this morning, and the day got to a high of 28C. Folks just down the highway got a nip of frost overnight, some lost a few softer plantings. Frost is traditionally gone a week before the May long weekend. The last good frost we got this year was in mid Apr. Most of the snow up to 2000m has melted on south faces. This weather is crazy.

[shera]

babybear is that Bishop's Weed (Snow on the mountain) in the last pic? Is it giving you any trouble in that bed? I've got a north facing spot under pine trees (worst case scenario for plant life) and I love the way it lights up the shade. Still considering whether to just leave it as forest floor or plant it...

And I love how you've got everything planted close, looks great. I always plant close, for the aesthetics, even for food. No problem with humidity and airflow here though.