Hello from Ohio

MasonGarden wrote:Hello All!

I connected with Glendale-Gardener this evening, and she directed me to this thread (Thanks!). As a newbie it is great to see so many people from the Cincinnati-area involved in SFG! I live just north of Cincinnati in Mason, and would be very interested in joining you at a meet-n-greet. I joined the forum a year ago after running across Mel's book, and thought that I would have a garden in no time, but I got paralyzed by the effort to get all of the materials together, and ended up missing the season altogether - Sigh! I've recently logged back in and now I have the materials for building my boxes. I planning to set up my first SFG next week if the cold, rain and snow (today in Mason!) would let up. Hopefully by the time we meet, I'll be a legitimate SFG'er!


Renee

Renee, Sorry you were not able to get started last spring, but now that you have your materials, just take it one step at a time and you will get it done.

Let us know how your garden is progressing. Also, let us know if you have questions.

Wasn't sure where else to put this, so I'll put it here. I saw in the Sunday ad of Big Lots, a 4'x4' raised bed for $25 if anyone is wanting another!

Hi everyone
I just joined the forum today and I live in Morrow Ohio. I am a beginner Square Foot Gardener and can't wait to get started. Looks like there are quite a few of us in the Cincy area..... looking forward to getting to know you all!
Tammy

Trubly

It great to have you join us. If questions come up while you are setting up, or later, please ask.
Congratulations on getting started.

Please keep us updated on your progress and just so you know, we pictures.

Again, Welcome!

Welcome Trubly! Great to have you!

To all southwestern Ohioans (and northern Kentuckians), I went out to Burger Farm (Rt. 32) yesterday and they have plenty of vermiculite. I didn't see a price, tho'. They also have onion sets, seed potatoes, and asparagus roots. The only flowers they have right now are pansies.

Since I was looking for lettuce, I then drove over to A.J. Rahn's (Gray Road across from Spring Grove). I bought four different kinds of lettuce, some broccoli starts (the package has 9!), some strawberries for a bare corner of that bed, and a lenten rose for my front yard. Their selection of pansies is amazing! They have a huge selection of flowers already, too! I didn't even ask about vermiculite because I was just giddy with everything else I found! There is a place just up the road from them that has all kinds of dirt, soil, and compost - they might have vermiculite, too.

Sitting here looking out at a beautiful blue sky and wishing I was playing in the garden. Happy Monday!

A.J.Rahn's is the only place my MIL will go to. They have good quality plants. Thanks for the reminder. altho' is a drive for me.

It's not terribly convenient for me either, but I find it's worth the drive.

dern you two! I've never been to Rahn's but now I "have" to check it out!

I did get some lettuce starts and brussel sprout starts at Reading Feed last week and I was at Butlers Better Blooms and they have a ton of starts! I was only there with my sis so she could get asparagus roots and seed onions but I did get a rhubarb plant, anyone tried one before?

WOW! GG, thanks for the memory flashback. The only thing I can say about Rheubarb is - I watched my grandparents grow it behind the dog house and remember them saying "stay out of it" since it was a great place for hiding during 'hid n seek' with my cousins. LOL!!!

I have no experience with rheubarb, so I'm anxious to hear how it does for you and what you do with it.

Oh, and GG - one of the things I love best about Rahn's is they grow almost everything from seed. They do an amazing job and I love patronizing local, family places.

madnicmom wrote:WOW! GG, thanks for the memory flashback. The only thing I can say about Rheubarb is - I watched my grandparents grow it behind the dog house and remember them saying "stay out of it" since it was a great place for hiding during 'hid n seek' with my cousins. LOL!!!

omg, does it get really high?! haha! the guy at BBB said to give it full sun so I was just going to stick it in my front landscaping bed. I haven't even looked it up online yet.

Also, I asked if it did well in containers and he said no, it needed to be in the ground, thoughts? Is this another, "because that's how we've always done it" thing, do you think or does it have merit?

Yeah, i remember them being really tall but then again, i was in elementary school. Didn't pay much attention to them as I got older since I quit playing Hide n seek. LOL.

Here's what I found:

Rhubarb's good looks make it a great addition to a deck or patio. Use a container at least 24 inches wide and deep and with good drainage. (A half whiskey barrel with holes drilled in the bottom is ideal.) Fill it with a half-and-half mixture of high-quality potting soil and compost or well-rotted manure. Water often and feed every two weeks with compost or manure tea.

some varieties get to 4 ft diameter and 3 ft tall, so It really depends on your variety I guess.

I have several rhubarb in a flower bed in full sun; they totally thrive on neglect! I wouldn't use valuable MM for them.

It's my understanding that eating the leaves can make you sick. However, they are not harmful after they have been composted. Personally, I throw them away.

Thanks Boffer, good to know!

I googled them too to see what they look like, I was surprised and impressed, those leaves are beautiful!

Oh, and I swung by Rahn's today to check them out, I could stay in there all day it smells so good! I got some phlox and one of the jasmine that was making the place smell so good. I also got some compost and a lettuce type I don't already have!

OK, now I'm going to have to check out Rahn's too! The mention of jasmine got me! :drunken: I went to Marvin's Organic Garden yesterday, and the plants looked good and healthy (they start with seed too), but since I don't have my beds in yet, I didn't buy anything. Just window shopping until my beds get set up next week (I hope!)

Is Marvin's the one that makes the Zoo Doo? I want to get some of that!

If you go to Rahn's, there are 2 other smaller greenhouses on the same street between Rahn's and Winton Rd. I, of course, went to all 3. The middle one had a ton of seed starts but mostly flowers. the one closest to Winton didn't have much of anything yet but they did have a type of compost I don't have so I was going to get a bag but alas, I had no cash and they couldn't take a card for $4!

Yes, Marvin's has the "Zoo Doo"! They have a nice video at the bottom of the first page of their website (www.marvinsorganicgardens.com) describing the partnership they have with the Cincinnati Zoo to collect and compost both their plant-eating animal waste and their plant waste as well. I've been in contact with the guy there responsible for the composting program and he says it includes: "food waste, manure from over 3 dozen vegetarian animal species, yard waste such as leaves and chips, and a small amount of local 'Excellent' rated topsoil, to add to the microbial and mineral diversity." Sounds good to me!

WHERE IS MARVINS AND WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD OF IT BEFORE????

I totally want zoo compost!

(which lettuce did you get)

I have a fun story for my Cincinnati friends - and this is the long version.

Tomorrow is Opening Day and we attend a party on the west side every year. My friends raise Belgians and the party is at their farm. It used to be that Budwieser brought the Clydesdales for the parade. My friends would move the Belgians to the lower barn and let Budweiser house the Clydesdales in the big barn for the night. In exchange for the barn space, Budweiser would open a keg or 2 and throw a party. Budweiser no longers comes to Opening Day, but the friends still have their party - the Belgians and the tally-ho enter the parade every year. So at the St. Patrick's Day party, I asked the matriarch of the farm if on Opening Day could I bring some buckets and collect some chicken and goat poop. Once she realized I was serious, she was very agreeable to give some up. So I bought myself a few 5-gallons buckets WITH LIDS and they are already in the car! And I think another friend is going to collect with me. What an absolute hoot. It's springtime, it's Opening Day, it's party season, and it's poop collecting! I'm so excited! :drunken:

Is anyone going to the parade - or the game?

WOW! I'm totally psyched for you! We don't do typical downtown activities just due to the parking. IF I head south, I'm going across the creek. LOL

I always grew up thinking the Clydesdales with the top dogs UNTIL I met a Belgian. They are just beautiful!

Have fun tomorrow. If anyone goes to the parade, please cheer on Queen City Greyhounds organization. They are wonderful folks who really want the best for own 4 legged retired athletes.

MasonGarden wrote:Yes, Marvin's has the "Zoo Doo"! They have a nice video at the bottom of the first page of their website (www.marvinsorganicgardens.com) describing the partnership they have with the Cincinnati Zoo to collect and compost both their plant-eating animal waste and their plant waste as well. I've been in contact with the guy there responsible for the composting program and he says it includes: "food waste, manure from over 3 dozen vegetarian animal species, yard waste such as leaves and chips, and a small amount of local 'Excellent' rated topsoil, to add to the microbial and mineral diversity." Sounds good to me!

If they put top soil in the compost won't there be weed seeds? Sorry if this is an obvious answer I am very new to all of this. thanks

If it has been composted, the weed seeds will have been "cooked" and they'll be fine.

I've never been to opening day but I've always wanted to! Your party sounds fun. My husband usually goes to opening day with his work, he works for a company that armors for the military, so they take a group of Wounded Warriors out to dinner then to the parade and game the next day and I can't remember the last time they had a warm day for it!!

Did anyone else have some F":?*&!% snow today!?

I have snow spitter spattering in mason! LOL

marvinorganics - anyone want to join me at that Green event on 04/23/2011. That looks interesting to me.! Thanks for the lead on him!