What is the status of your garden ? ?

I live in the south-west of the Netherlands. I have just finished building all my boxes but they still need a bit of paint. I hope to have them ready by next weekend to get some peas, broad beans, carrots, and different kind of herbs in the ground.
I do have some tomatoes in a little window green house since last wednesday. No sign of green yet....

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I was wondering what the status is of anyone else in Europe, or the rest of the world for that matter...?

In the regional section of the board, if you look at the Pacific Northwest, I am doing a running thread on my first SFG. I tend to write about more then that due to spring time enthusiasm. The thread is called, "The Toy Box" I wish more people were doing that so I could spy on their gardens progress too.

I put up pic's of what was happening out in the sun this morning.

My Tomatoes



1. Black Plum (heriloom) 2. Seiltz (extra early, Potato leaf Heirloom) 3. Persimmon (Heirloom orange)

Each of them were selected for our Maritime Northwest climate. This REALLY is not Tomato country.



These are the same type of tomato, Black Plum, both started on the same day (March 1, 2010) in the same conditions. The smaller one is one of those expanding peat pots. The other is just (Jiffy 7) starting medium in a clean yogurt cup. The yogurt cup tomatoes sprouted three full days before the peat tomato. Once the peat tomato finally did sprout, it seems to have much slower growth. Before I write this of as a "never do this again" I am going to see how well they transplant. It may be possible that expand-o-peat will still have less transplant shock because of how difficult it has been to get going. I doubt it but am trying to keep an open mind.

Those are onion sprout in the other trays.

Deborah ...missing her extra hour.

Hi, Peter -- don't know if you saw my post yesterday -- but I just started my seeds indoors yesterday afternoon. It's taking all my energy to not run downstairs every 10 minutes to see if anything has begun to sprout. (I'm lucky, I have big windows in the cellar that face east, and somewhere to set my starting trays!)

I'm starting bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, basil, pumpkin, and some flowers for my beds...and as soon as I get time to build my boxes (Wednesday, maybe) I'll start early lettuce and carrots and radishes. Have to go buy my soil mix, too. I've been pricing things, now I can go buy!

Good to see so many other folks in Europe finding the forums -- there's another Dutch lady has joined today, as well as a fellow from England.

I've also seen some potagers for sale in the garden centers -- raised boxes all ready to take home and build, but yikes, they're expensive!

Status report from my SFG north of Dallas, Texas - USDA Zone 8
Lettuce (4 varieties) - sprouting
Spinach (2 varieties) - sprouting
Onions (large, sweet, white) - planted from sets so I guess you can say sprouting
Potato (3 varieties) - all the adirondack blues are sprouting, no sign yet of the red or white potatoes
Strawberries - survived all the snow and are looking good

Glad you're garden's doing well, Tim -- I'm the warmest at (I think) zone 6, and the folks in the Netherlands are 5....so we'd be happy to have anything but frost and grey skies in the morning, let alone a green leaf!

Although local farmers and gardeners say that Good Friday (this year April 2) is the start date for their gardens, I've already got my second round of sprouts in boxes.

This year I started my seeds in a seed sprouter (like for alfalfa sprouts), and transplanted them to the garden when they showed a bit of root. So far this is looking good, and ensures that the ones I actually plant have already germinated. First round of sprouts went in a week ago, 4 squares of peas ("english" or garden peas, snow peas and sugar snaps), 5 squares of collard greens, 2 of radishes, two of carrot seeds (no sprouts for these). And 2 boxes of sweet onions. All of these are already into the seed leaf stage, and some of the peas are growing their 2nd and 3rd sets of leaves. A few of the onions are poking up also.

Yesterday I planted 5 squares of corn (already sprouted), 6 of chard sprouts, 2 more of carrots, and 5 more squares of pea sprouts. And some flower borders - sweet allysum, cosmos and 2 types of marigolds.

I'm keeping an eye on the 10-day forecast here in mid-South Carolina, and it looks very good to me. If we get frost and the corn is above ground I may lose it, but if no frost the early season corn seems to get ahead of the pests.

I also have some seedlings started indoors that can't go out yet, mostly herbs. Parsley, lots of basil, borage, summer savory, cilantro and tarragon. I started some sunflowers and morning glory, but it was too early and they just weren't getting enough light, so lost them.

...keeping my fingers crossed and watching the forecast!
MM

mmdobson wrote:Although local farmers and gardeners say that Good Friday (this year April 2) is the start date for their gardens, I've already got my second round of sprouts in boxes.

This year I started my seeds in a seed sprouter (like for alfalfa sprouts), and transplanted them to the garden when they showed a bit of root. ....MM

Fantastic idea!

I think the "Good Friday" idea came from the old idea of moon planting. Good Friday springs from the Jewish Feast of Passover which is on a solar calendar. The moon phases dictate the 1st of the month. That is cool that you are pushing the envelope with success, unafraid of failure. I like that.

Deborah ....values the "old advice" but doesn't live by it.

Wow, you are all way earlier with sowing and planting than I am. But.... this week warmer weather is coming. Temperatures up to 12-15°C (54-59°) are expected. So I gotta get my boxes ready this week.
The first tomatoes have surfaced the window greenhouses ! ! ! To think that they probably won't go in the ground before May is a little frustrating, but it's the first green I've ever grown.
I am looking forward to plant peas and broad beans. They are the ultimate spring veggies for me. And Turnip tops (Turnip greens - for the Dutch readers: Raapstelen). I really love them mixed with mashed potatoes and bacon. (stamppot raapstelen...heerlijk !!). And parisian carrots, sugar peas, and mixed leaf lettuce with radishes ..... I can't wait.

Looking forward to a first veggie garden year!

Peter

Don't feel too bad, Peter -- most of them are in much warmer climates than we are, too!

Tim is in the southern US -- as warm or warmer than Provence. Lavender Debs is in Washington State (wayyyy over there on the west coast of the US) -- she's probably the closest to our weather here in Europe, and she's close to the coast, so it's humid like Holland, too. MmDobson is a little warmer than the Paris region -- not a lot, but enough to make a difference.

We managed 12 here today, with lots of sun...I'm holding my breath that it's here to stay -- I have a lot of work to do!

Hi all,

I planted my first potatoes yesterday! All the wheaterpeople agreed on the fact that winter would be officially over this week, so I thought, why wait any longer? (okay, the decision wasn't completely rational, I'm soooo impatient...)

I had already planted broad beans, spinach, sugarsnaps and peas (protected under fleece), and last weekend I sowed carrots, spring onions, shizo, saltworth, parsnip and turnips (brassica rapa). My broccoli and lettuce (and only one remaining cauliflower) are hardening off in my cold frame, and inside I have bellpeppers growing, and tomatoes that have just started to sprout. Also I started some flowers, Afrikaantjes(marigold) and Oostindische kers (Tropaeolum, no idea what they're called in "common" english). I'm planning to plant those around the boxes to add some colour and "integrate" the kitchen garden-part a bit with the rest of the garden.

Even thought it seems like I have a lot going on in the garden already, there isn't much to see yet, because with the low temperatures stuff doesn't sprout as soon as it would do inside. But you can't start everything inside, I guess, some crops need to be sowed directly in place. Just takes a little more patience...

Hi! don't have much time, but today I took a picture of my large (well...my largest anyway) box and it's starting to look like something... Thought I'd share my progress
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hmm. don't think that does the trick... gonna find out how to upload a photo first...be right back


Ok, got it now

In the back from left to right very small swiss chard, empty square, broad beans, beets (yellow),
Than peas and sugarsnaps that you can't see yet, garlic, spinach
peas and sugarsnaps that I pre-grew a bit indoors, parsnips, mixed lettuce
parsnips & radishes, lettuce "lollo bionda", purple carrots, broccoli
some empty squares, "normal" carrots
in the front corner strawberry plants

I just moved into my house in october and there were no gardens here from the folks who lived here for 50 years, although there are some lilies and crocus trying to make an appearance. I have built four 4'X4' boxes and mix is all in. Peas are in, spinach and chard will go in later today. Next week, beets, carrots, parsnips go in. Just sowed a bunch of stuff in the house today. Next on the agenda, starting a hot compost pile, probably sometime next week. Of course the house needs work too...Boy have I got a lot to do... I need a maid.

Mirjam wrote:Hi! don't have much time, but today I took a picture of my large (well...my largest anyway) box and it's starting to look like something... Thought I'd share my progress

Looking good! Isn't it nice to see things sprouting?

Wow, that box looks good, Mirjam. You make me jealous. Nothing sprouting in my boxes yet. But that might be because I only started sowing last week..........

Yeah, I get so excited each time I see something green (or pink or yellow, every little chard -seedling has its own colour, they're so cute!)

@peevee: don't you think it's hard waiting for those seeds to sprout? I always get so impatient... I have three different tomatoes sprouting inside, that is, the tiny tom (or tim, I forget) are alreday 2 cm high, the red pears aren't in sight yet, and the flesh tomatoes have been sown later than the other two, so nothing to see there either. I'm getting a bit worried about the red pears though, but I don't know how long they should take, so who knows...it might just be normal.

Yippee yippee yippee -- my lettuce tray is chock full of skinny little sprouts. Nothing else yet, but makes me happy.

My daffodils finally decided to bloom today, and the primeveres that grow wild in the back yard are covering the whole yard in lavender and yellow and white blossoms.

Won't be mowing until they're done blooming!

Finally things are beginning to sprout: radishes, cress, little gem (in this state the littelest gems I've ever seen), mesclun (mixed leaf salads), snow peas and turnip tops are all showing themselfs above the soil. My tomatoes in the window green house are also doing well. I gives a bit of confidence to see al these small sprouts.

Everything is doing really well except for my cucumbers, I transplanted the sprouts and they've withered away, so now I know direct seed for cukes. But, the beans, peas, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe that I transplanted are all doing really well.

the onions, radish, spinach, beets, basil, oregano, dill, romaine are looking good and
I also have corn sprouts, they're about 1/2 - 3/4" tall.

We've had a really cool and wet spring here in southeastern Missouri. This is our first year to try SFG, and we had already planted half the garden row-style to early crops of potatoes, peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, mesclun, and arugula, all of which are up except the potatoes.

We built our box last weekend and filled and planted it this week in spite of mud in the garden. I know it wasn't good to walk on the mud, but we spread a bale of old hay around the box and tried to walk only on that while we planted the 4x4' box. The forecast was for more rain all week, so we felt it was either plant with the mud, or wait another week or two in hopes of drier weather.

We set out eight Early Jersey Wakefield cabbages purchased at Wal-Mart, one per foot, and planted one SF of pansies, one of Red-cored Chantenay carrots, three SF of red onion plants, one SF of kohlrabis, one of Red Sails lettuce, and left one square open for the eight celery root transplants that I'm growing inside.

Inside I'm also growing two Green Grape tomatoes, two Green German Giant tomatoes, two Rosa eggplants, one Ping Tung Long eggplant, and one Cal Wonder pepper. My cayenne peppers didn't germinate, but it was old seed. We also just planted three pots of Moon and Stars watermelons, and two cups of French muskmelons - one was Petit Grais de Rennes, and the other was Charentais.

I was all excited when I saw green sprouts in the melon cups only a few days after planting them. I kept thinking, "Those don't look like melons - they look more like grass." I pulled one up to look at the seed, and realized I should know better than to leave my bucket of potting mix next to the bird seed. My husband isn't too careful when filling up his birdfeeders. I now have millet mixed in with my potting mix. Lesson learned.

We still plan to build 20 feet of 1-foot wide boxes around the fence. Those will have trellises behind them, and the remainder of the garden, for this year, we plan to turn into 4x10' beds, much like in Mel's first book. We hope to add a couple of new boxes each year until we've turned most of the garden into SFG boxes. We think we may still use row-style gardening for the potatoes, however, since we have plenty of room and very good soil in our garden.

After sowing my first seeds some three weeks ago, I am glad to see a lot of sprouts now. Actually, we are enjoying the first harvest already. Since last week we have cress on our cheese sandwiches and mixed in the (supermarket)salad. It tastes great and one square is more than enough for 2.
The peas, snow peas, and broad beans are about 5 cm (2"). I expect them to grow fast now if warmer weather will come. The radishes seem to be doing OK, expected harvest in 3-4 weeks. Turnip tops also doing great and harvest in the next 3-4 weeks. Mesclun, oak leaf lettuce (is that the correct English name...?), little gem is alll above surface, but they will need a few weeks before we can enjoy them.
In the herbs-on-wheels box tarragon, chervil, chives, garlic chives, leaf parsley, leaf celery is all showing some green above mel's mix.
Today I sowed a second square of radishes and turnip tops and a first square with beets is in. I thinned the peas, snow peas and broad beans. Also sowed thyme and sage. Also got my tomato sprouts into bigger pots indoors so they can grow a good set of roots.
Djeez, am I enjoying this gardening.

Middle of May, the lettuce is about 10-15cm tall.
Same for the above ground parts of the carrots and onions.
Herbs are still only 1 or 2 cm tall, sadly, as are most flowering plants I seeded (might have seeded them a bit late, waited until after the last frost, which according to the packaging was over a month late).

Most of the peranuals I planted last autumn survived the winter and are doing well, the few that died have been replaced by new ones that will hopefully root before the end of the growing season.

In all, the garden (freshly planted last autumn) is doing better than expected, even the hibiscus have survived the winter though from the looks of it barely (they only started to sprout leaves in early May, green shoots now about 1cm long 2 weeks later).

I enjoy reading the international posts very much. For me they are lessons in geography the fun way.

What is little gem? I've seen that mentioned in several posts.

little gem are a small variety of lettuce, they make miniature heads of roma-type lettuce.

Thanks. They sound perfect for SFG.

My first post on here, I'm in England so long cold winter/Spring - I'm late sowing seed but I'm sure it will catch up. I have an allotment on a steep slope and having worked it in beds, I have just sent for 4 raised beds, 1mx2m and 8" deep. Cant wait to set them up ang get them planted.
I used to teach in a college for young people with disabilities, we worked wheelchair high beds, we used the square foot system, which meant each student could have their own area - but I never used the method at home.
My fellow allotment people think I'm a bit crazy as I have a lasangne bed last year and I work organic methods - the fact that I haven't dug the whole area over the winter, in fact I have dug nothing, is so strange to them.
The soil in the beds in so loverly and light with few weeds, the garden is on heavy clay, so beds is a good way to go.
I am looking forward to learning more with you as I go. Working on an organic course at the moment, the Square foot teachig course looks good for my next goal.
I promise my post will not always be this long.
Will post pics as I go, if I can work it out how to do it.