Planning gardens?

**tbs727** · 12-28-2005, 04:44 PM

This is about the time of year that I start planning my garden. So far, I have made a list of what I want to grow. I am so ready to eat some home grown tomatoes. Who else is excited about gardening this spring???

**forestdale** · 12-28-2005, 04:53 PM

tiffany, I'm in the sub tropics of Australia so I'm growing things now, although this isn't really my peak time. It's summer here so that means a lot of bugs. Generally I don't grow much in summer, usually only pumpkins and I try to grow as many as I can and store them for the year. If I have too many, I give them away. This year during summer I'm also growing tomatoes and peppers. I tried a different variety and they seem to be bug-free so far.

I'll start my main planting in March and this year I'm trying for continuous planting of most of my vegies. I've scrapped onions as they take too long, but everything else I'll try to grow.

Good luck with your tomatoes when you start them.

**Pepper** · 12-28-2005, 04:57 PM

I'm getting excited too. I have never done container gardening, but want to give it a try this year!!

I have been doing alot of research....LOL!

**tbs727** · 12-28-2005, 04:58 PM

Thanks

I think I read on another post that you grow your items organically. What kind of bug deterent do you use? last year I used a combination of (a little) liquid dish soap and garlic. It didn't really work all that well.

**forestdale** · 12-28-2005, 05:09 PM

I use a lot of different things for bugs and diseases. My favourite one at the moment is to spray ordinary milk onto my pumpkin leaves. It's the first year I haven't had powdery mildew.

I also use chillie spray for any bug that bites into vegies or fruit. I pick off caterpillars and grasshoppers and feed them to the chickens. I use white oil - cooking oil + water - for scale.

Generally, with organic sprays, you need to know what the bug does - suck, bite, lay eggs etc - and then use the treatment that will stop them doing that.

I also sacrifice a couple of plants to the natural world. Birds and bats get some of my tomatoes and mangoes. They usually go for one section of the garden and leave the rest alone, so I don't mind that. It's a nice trade off.

**Mamaw** · 12-28-2005, 06:00 PM

I am getting a bit excited. It is a long way to planting season here but I am starting to get catalogs and am beginning to dream of home grown veggies and beautiful flowers. Now if I could just get my rose bush to grow and produce....

**owiebrain** · 12-28-2005, 11:47 PM

I'm so stinkin' excited, I could pee my pants! ROFL! I get to start the first of the seeds in less than a month now. Woo hoo! Between seed saving and seed trading, I have most everything I need. I do need to order some herbs, though, as I'm expanding that area this year.

I'm trying to hold myself back this year. I'm determined to not bury myself fully into planning mode until January. Of course, I've been planning in my mind but I won't break out the graph paper and my seed lists for a few more days. I'm a graph paper geek with my gardening.

**catzz64** · 12-29-2005, 12:06 AM

I am looking forward to gardening...I haven't done any for about 10 years for various reasons....we have NO land tho..and it is going to have to be container gardening on the back patio and inside if I am to do any....I certainly won't can or freeze much but it will be nice to eat some home grown veggies this summer!

wish me luck

**Darlene** · 12-29-2005, 07:37 AM

Around February, especially on a dreary nasty day, I'll sit around and look at seed catalogs & dream.
I too am looking forward to good tomatoes, not the icky ones you get now from the market.

**dwallyfam** · 12-29-2005, 08:57 AM

Kathi, if you get the right variety you can put up your produce from cpntainer gardening.

I am ready to plant onion and peas in Feb. I just can't wait.

Kellie

**Exiled2FL** · 12-29-2005, 12:23 PM

I missed planting time here in South Florida! I wonder if it is indeed too late for things like peppers, zucchini and green beans? The seed packets I've got all say to plant through November in my zone. I'm a total novice and I don't want to dig up the back yard for nothing!

I'm interested in this "edible landscaping" concept that my neighbor has bought into in a big way. Her yard looks great and almost everything is food! I bought a banana tree to get me started. I hope I don't kill it! Such a shame our county is under citrus quarrantine due to canker-- I'd love to plant a few lemon trees!

Heather

**tbs727** · 12-29-2005, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by owiebrain
I'm so stinkin' excited, I could pee my pants! ROFL!

Ha! Too funny! My planting schedule will be much like yours. I am in NW Arkansas.

**owiebrain** · 12-29-2005, 05:06 PM

Originally posted by tbs727
Ha! Too funny! My planting schedule will be much like yours. I am in NW Arkansas.

Howdy, neighbor!

**Kimberlina** · 12-29-2005, 05:37 PM

I was just going to ask this question. I've been getting seed catalogs in the mail. I know I will spend too much on them and may see if I can interest someone in splittling seeds and cost with me. I found a lot of interesting organic seeds in the Seeds of Change catalog that I want- a couple things that may not grow well here but that I would like to experiment with.

I've got to read up some more on winter-sowing too and see what I can learn about it. I plan on expanding my garden this year, and I also need to get a rain barrel set up- I have the barrel, now I just need to get to the hardware store and outfit it with a spigot and get soaker hoses etc to get a nice set-up.

And I have a nice gardening journal now to help me with it. Thanks, Rhonda!!!