I'm back!

Well, for those who remember me after six or so months off, I'm back. I moved out of my rental house in NJ to a new rental house in PA. The hassle of removing all the Mel's Mix and re-seeding the area I'd gardened in with grass has convinced me that I won't be doing that again this year. I'm hoping to buy a house at some point in the next year, so I can put off a full-blown garden until I own.

In the meantime, my current backyard is half shade (no grass really at all) and half sun. There's an interesting little circle of bricks with dirt in the middle in the sunny part that I've asked my landlord about. If there's nothing major growing there, I'm planning on using that to do some SFG. Since the grass is already gone from that area, I shouldn't need to re-seed when I leave. Between that and the two 1x4 boxes I scavenged a year or so ago, I ought to be able to do the stuff I like the most: tomatoes, peas, peppers, and herbs. I'll hold off on my other favs, onions and shallots, until I have my own place.

While I didn't bring the Mel's Mix from my last place (too much of a hassle), I did manage to convince the movers to move my half-bag of vermiculite and a lot of mixed compost for me, so making a small amount of mix shouldn't be too bad. Phew!

Now the only question is: do I take a trip up to Rutgers Gardens in May to pick up the tomatoes I liked last year, or should I find someone online to buy them from?

Welcome back Moswell.

I guess it was just as well that you did not move the main part of your SFG as you would have to move it again when you do finally move.
So just relax and enjoy what you can do.

Welcome back Moswell.
It's great you are trying to have a SFG while you are renting. I know that once you have one you always want one!
Last yr I bought most of my tomatoes and peppers online at Burpee.com. I did go to the Rutgers AG day fair a bought another tomato (Rutgers) along with some parsley, etc.
The rest of my garden is grown from seed.
Good luck with your garden this yr.

Thanks guys! Right now I just can't imagine going a summer without home grown vegetables. Fortunately, the landlord said it was fine to use the space I had in mind. Since it's a smallish circle, I should be able to protect it from rabbits and at the same time use the protection as a trellis.Though if my new puppy hadhas her way, the rabbits won't last the spring!


ever seen to have luck growing from seed. SFG does a good job of preventing my terrible ability to grow things since I don't actually have to do much to it for things to grow. Indoor seeds on the other hand, require much more attention and care than I seen to be able to provide.


I prefer the Rutgers Gardens sale to Ag day myself. Maybe I'll check out burpee to see if I can get those black krim tomatoes along with the Moreton Tomatoes I loved so much.

Moswell,
When is the Rutgers Gardens Sale Day and where?

Dunkinjean wrote:Moswell,
When is the Rutgers Gardens Sale Day and where?

http://rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu/springflowerfair.html - May 10-12 (preview sale for members on the 9th). Rutgers Gardens is just up Ryders Lane from where the Ag Day usually is (right near all the farms on Cook Campus). It was the best thing about Rutgers to me. Well worth a trip at any time, not just during the sale (which is insanely popular). Closer to the event they'll put up this year's list of plants for sale.

Now that I'm working down in Philadelphia and living in PA, it's unfortunately not so convenient, alas. But I may go anyway, just for a trip and to show off the new pup to some people I know in New Brunswick!

Well, I started my limited garden for the year. I've got a 1x4 section of my 4x4 box filled with MM and put some stuff in there.


I put a bottom on the box - here's hoping I did it okay. Just five 1/4 inch holes per square doesn't seem like a lot of room for drainage, but that's what the book said. Hmmm. I'm holding in the MM with a 2x6 cut to size, braced against the mix, and then held in place with bricks.

I've got two squares of peas on the left, spinach then romaine lettuce. Once it gets warmer I'll remove the lettuce and spinach, add another 1x4 row, and plant peppers and tomatoes. I've got a separate herb box in another part of the yard.

Welcome back. I'm glad to see you have the start of a new garden. Small, maybe, but how thrilling to be able to still grow your own. It gets in our blood, I think, so even if we had to do it in pots, we'd SFG.
Good luck.

quiltbea wrote:Welcome back. I'm glad to see you have the start of a new garden. Small, maybe, but how thrilling to be able to still grow your own. It gets in our blood, I think, so even if we had to do it in pots, we'd SFG.
Good luck.

Thanks! It does get into one's blood, doesn't it? The idea of going a whole year without homegrown tomatoes and peas was just too much to bear. As it is, it's killing me that I'm not growing onions and shallots too. One more year, one more year (that is, if I can find a house to buy and find the money for a downpayment!).

Good idea corralling your MM into an area you can grow in!

Moswell,
I misquoted when I stated I do mostly seeds.
Basically I direct sow seeds - no indoor growing for me. (lol)
I do buy my Pepper and Tomato plants.

Dunkinjean wrote:Moswell,
I misquoted when I stated I do mostly seeds.
Basically I direct sow seeds - no indoor growing for me. (lol)
I do buy my Pepper and Tomato plants.

Another one who can't grow indoors to save her life?

Anyway, walked out to the garden today and saw a few of my pea shoots popping through! Hooray!

Moswell,
Yeah, I don't do seeds indoor well.
But direct sow works for me.
That is so awesome that your peas are up!
My peas are almost reaching my trellis!! I planted a bit early since I was going away for about 2 wks. Lost a little bit of this and that to the squirrels. I did cover the boxes but one end blew off. Oh, well just planted more to replace.
The temps are going down already tonight.
Tomorrow I believe with be in the high 50's.
Next planting with be my Kaleidoscope carrots for Carrot week!

Argh. My puppy got under my netting and attacked two lettuce plants. The little bugger!

I was at Home Depot today and saw some seed potatoes, so I picked them up. Since I fell and hurt my shoulder last night, I'll wait until the weekend to plant them. I've got some five gallon buckets I'll use for them and might buy a few grow bags online to take maximum advantage.

The peas are all coming up nicely - I think I'll put up the trellis this weekend as well. Hooray for gardening season.

I guess the cold April really affected my garden. I was looking at pictures from the last two years and by this point I had peas. This year they're still working on climbing the darn trellis, let alone producing flowers and peas! I put them in only a week later than last year I think. Oh well, they'll come eventually I guess.

moswell.....I tried a bucket of potatoes this year to see how that works. They're looking good so far.

This was taken on 4/28 and they've grown a bit and I've added a bit more compost since. Planted 3 red poatoes 3/21.

quiltbea wrote:moswell.....I tried a bucket of potatoes this year to see how that works. They're looking good so far.

This was taken on 4/28 and they've grown a bit and I've added a bit more compost since. Planted 3 red poatoes 3/21.

Yum! I've got some potatoes that I just finally got around to planting this past weekend. I've got my hopes up for good things. Last year I don't think I provided enough ventilation and openings for aeration and I ended up with fewer potatoes than I was hoping for. This year I'm using ten-gallon grow bags to see what they're like.