This is the garden area I have.
This is one of the ailing pepper plants.
This is the blueberry bush I planted about a month ago. Does anyone know if I will actually get berries this year?
Posted on 05/15/2009 4:19:04 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232
Nothing tastes better than vegetables and herbs picked fresh from your own garden.
It is now the middle of May and many Freepers are starting gardens for the first time this year. And there are those lucky Freepers whose gardens are well established at this time.
Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying skill levels from Master Gardener to novice and I hope all of you will stop by this thread each week and share your experiences.
So, my question is what do I do with the baby asparagus plants? When do they become 'crowns'?
This is a good question for HiramQuick.
We bought several varieties of heirloom seeds, just so we would be able to save the seeds from our various plants. I will probably buy some pepper plants, as the ones we started were very slow in coming up. Next year we will wait a bit longer before starting the seeds. I also learned (a little late) that the pepper seeds need warmth to get going.
Thanks!
I just got done with planting beans, carrots, some cataloupe and brussel sprouts.
I took some pics that I will put up later. I have something strange going on with 2 of my pepper plants that were doing good as I didn’t start them from seed, but it seems to be the same thing that happened to most of my seedlings that died. The 2 plants were fine when I planted them, and the next day, the leaves look almost burned. I took a photo and will post that one too.
I got the inspiration to try gardening here after looking at pictures of your garden. I had a garden when I lived in Florida, but the soil here is not very good. I was making compost to use to plant a few apple trees, but ended up with enough to plant a garden.
This is the garden area I have.
This is one of the ailing pepper plants.
This is the blueberry bush I planted about a month ago. Does anyone know if I will actually get berries this year?
One question I have is, are you using a fertilizer? And if you are what kind?
Miracle Gro.
Technically a crown is a one year old plant started from seed. I have 3 beds, and I have had the best luck with 2 year old crowns. For best luck, select all male hybrids such as Jersey Giant or Jersey Knight. My one bed of 20 crowns, 5 years old will produce enough 1/2’ spears to feed 2 voracious asparagus eaters a meal a day for about 4 weeks. Best in flavor in my view.
The main issue with your seed started asparagus is that in a year the crowns will have to be dug and spaced (aprox 1 - 1 1/2 ft apart) and then you will wait until the following year before even starting to lightly harvest. (no more than 30%)
two year crowns from a reputable grower will save you time and money in the long run. You can start harvesting the very next spring. The following year a full harvest is available.
Do not fall into the old wives tale of planting crowns deep. In southern Ohio, we can plant crowns from April to late May .. no advantage of planting earlier. The crowns will lay in cold wet soil and rot. 50 plus degree soil temp will have the crown's roots happy and establishing themselves. My best luck is to double dig a 12” inch deep furrow, line that furrow with composted manure and then a layer of rich organic compost such as mushroom compost. Apply a super high phospahate fertilizer (0-20-0) and throw the crowns directly on top of the fertilize no more than 5-6’ deep. Water .. let the Fern's develop(do not cut) the first year.
Enjoy up to 20 years later. It is one vegetable I could not do without in the garden! Harvest in the morning in the cool of the day, let stalks rest standing in an inch of water in the fridge during the day. Steamed with a little butter and salt that evening, just to the tender stage. Oh my ... !!! Live Well. yum.
Your question about asparagus is answered in post 130 above!
oops ... my bad ... please don’t plant asparagus 5 - 6’ deep. plant it 5 = 6” deep. Save your back.
I may be wrong, but where there are flowers, there should be fruit.
Thanks for the great information.
I think I will plant what I have outside and see what happens. If they live, I will take care of them and replant them next year. If they don’t, next year I will buy crowns.
Thank you Red_Devil.
I love this gardening thread, although I haven’t been able to participate much lately.
I have seen SO many newbies to gardening on here learn so much. Heck, I have learned so much.
The heavy gardeners are busy right now gardening. I, unfortunately, can’t be at home right now to tend my veggie garden, which is doing great. I did get to run home yesterday and pick a few huge bags of two kinds of lettuce and some green onions for my Mom’s neighbors.
I miss GG (hope she is okay). For all you in the know — my gardening skills have made my Mom (the ostricized one at one time) the Belle of the Ball. Her neighbors love her, and look forward to my bringing them flower cuttings, and fresh veggies.
Hope you all are okay, and have a great harvest.
I bought a two burner wood cookstove a few weeks ago at a yard sale for $85, and the piping cost about $40.
Since I live in the woods (no shortage of wood to burn) I have the means now to warm a greenhouse.
I plan to have one built by fall. I am serious about having year round food and enough flowers for my home to be a showplace.
I started my asparagus with crowns, and it has been so slow to produce.
This year, when they flowered, I cut them and dried the seed over a big washtub. I am DETERMINED to have some significant plants someday. Maybe when I’m 90!!!
Anyway, it didn’t cost anything to try. Appreciate your advice, and I NEED it!! I have this dream of someday eating my own asparagus without Mexican or Guatamalian pee on it (me bad).
Howdy Freepers, I am a commercial greenhouse grower. I am in the midst of the spring busy season. In about 2 weeks I should be sold out of plants. I grow a lot of geraniums in several container sizes, and many other plants in hanging baskets and in small (4.5 inch) containers. I’d say I grow about 8000 geraniums every winter/spring.
Been in the biz since birth. Gramps had a place in Lombard,Illinois and I got my start there. Lived above the garden center until age 5. Then Dad got our own place here in WI and now I have my own place. I count every one of my 46 years as part of my greenhouse experience.
Gramps was a florist as well as a grower. He had glass houses and of course now most greenhouses are plastic covered. The glass houses were so nice but not practical. I do like my old pictures of Gramps’ place. He started in 1933, so we had our family’s 75th continuous year in the business last year.
My Dad’s 73 and still works year around. I take winters off, since fuel is so expensive and I need a break too. The rest of the year I do the spring stuff in the greenhouse, and at the end of May the mum cuttings get here and I grow those all summer. It’s exhausting, but I do get to be in the fresh air and sunshine. In my spare time I like to be with my horses.
I will try to help anyone who sends me any questions on plants. You guys no doubt spend more time actually gardening than I do though. I only have 2 small flower gardens and they have to wait until all my spring plants are sold. I work alone, so it’s a 7 day a week job until all the stuff is gone in October when the last mum is gone! I love when that happens! Then I get time with the horses, and take a driving trip to the mountains in Colorado to see relatives. I can see Pike’s Peak from Auntie’s front porch. Have fun in the dirt everyone! FreeGards, TheConservativeParty
IF you bury the greenhouse say 80-90% or so . . .
It can take advantage of the 55 degree ground temp year around. You could bury it completely except for the overhead lights.
Raising temp from 55 degrees is a lot easier and less fuel than from 0 degrees.
If you had say 4 layers of poly carbonate glazing . . . that would be well insulated on top. And 4-6” of rigid foam insulation down at least 3-4 feet from the surface should handle the frostline quite well, I’d think. Of course, full rigid foam insulation on the walls would be probably preferred but would be more expensive.
I’d love to do such a one with cinderblock or river-rocks & cement. Will see if that happens this summer or not. Would have to find the $$$ somewhere. The raised tomato bed was much more expensive than I expected. Could have probably bought a cheap prefab small greenhouse for that amount. Maybe 2! LOL.
But it was nice to see that the design worked in terms of preventing freezing.
IF you bury the greenhouse say 80-90% or so . . .
It can take advantage of the 55 degree ground temp year around. You could bury it completely except for the overhead lights.
Raising temp from 55 degrees is a lot easier and less fuel than from 0 degrees.
If you had say 4 layers of poly carbonate glazing . . . that would be well insulated on top. And 4-6” of rigid foam insulation down at least 3-4 feet from the surface should handle the frostline quite well, I’d think. Of course, full rigid foam insulation on the walls would be probably preferred but would be more expensive.
I’d love to do such a one with cinderblock or river-rocks & cement. Will see if that happens this summer or not. Would have to find the $$$ somewhere. The raised tomato bed was much more expensive than I expected. Could have probably bought a cheap prefab small greenhouse for that amount. Maybe 2! LOL.
But it was nice to see that the design worked in terms of preventing freezing.
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