gardening Adventures

Following GG's suggestion to start a new thread, asking how you'd proceed were this your situation: You aren't quite up to speed physically & therefore financially, & waited on family to dream up some kind of Greenhouse thingie, which failed to materialize in March. - Now it's JUNE & everyone else's plants past Sprouted, are doing their thing growing into happy plants weather-permitting.
MM isn't done, & grow-area just starting. BUT you have oodles of seeds, & eagerly wanna grow some goodies too. - Since nighttime temps still are not 55 (more like 49), what Cold+Warm weather plants would you try sprouting to grow at this point?

Were it I, this first season I would buy plants or try to score excess plants from others. If that is not possible, just go get some seeds and read the backs. Figure out what still has time to grow from seed. Not that the times they give are accurate, but hey, gotta go by something.

Quick growers include peas, green/yellow beans, and radishes. I think your guide said you were Pacific NW, so since you're probably not going to get alarmingly hot. Try a spinach, maybe?

Chopper wrote:Were it I, this first season I would buy plants or try to score excess plants from others. If that is not possible, just go get some seeds and read the backs. Figure out what still has time to grow from seed. Not that the times they give are accurate, but hey, gotta go by something.

Hi Chopper,
Well, I was about to mention the 13+ plants from previous thread, I already have. But hesitated as I can't find on the www which of these are
(known gmo plants: broccoli (6), pole beans (3), & Butternut squash (3)). Since I took good care of the 3 unknown types not yet planted, the store I got them from said I could return them for a store-Credit).
-
My known Nongmo plants are: 2 Parsley, 2 English cucumbers, 2 watermelons, & 3 cherry Tomatoes. Plus this weekend at the MotherEarthNews sustainability Fair I squirreled-up 30 non-gmo Seed-packets, at only $1 each:
Cold-season seeds: beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, corn, kale, kohlrabi, onions, parsley, sugar-snap peas, poppies, quinoa, radish, & scallions.
and
Warm-season seeds: bush beans, dill, Sweet peppers (orange & yellow), pumpkin, radicchio, straightneck squash, & 2 more cherry tomatoes.

Given the plants I already have, which of these above seeds would you also start, & transplant into currently half composted soil, hopeful of some success!

GMO is almost exclusively for farmed crops, not small gardens. So I would not sweat it. Unless you are growing only one crop and eating that exclusively for the next 12 months it should not be a problem. It is unlikely anyway that any of the plants you have are GMO. One reason is b/c the GMO makers do not allow seed saving and the farmers they deal with have to agree to that. Since there is no way to control that with home gardeners it is not as much worth their effort.

I would say try all your cold weather seeds and see how it goes. OR plant want you want and see how they fair. If they are almost done by the time your first freeze comes along my you could get a cold frame to help extend the season a bit so that you can get your harvest. That way next year you will know when to plant stuff and be more prepared.

Thanks! to you 3 for sharing your kind thoughts.

This situation is unsettling because I'm out :scratch: of my usual *well-prepared* element. Normally I proceed from necessary resources...well in hand. But I'm willing to try things anyway, lol
Soo -
cold ROOT crops: I can't obviously see how Beets, carrots, kohlrabi, onions, radishes, & scallions are doing, so I might store them in the fridge for next year.
Next, cold Short crops like Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale & Parsley I'm giving a GO! especially since already have the Broccoli & Parsley as plants...
Then, cold TALLer crops like poppy, Sweet peas, corn & Quinoa - would they be okay to try, or could it be too late?
and
am I right thinking that WARM-season plants like bush-Beans, Dill, sweet Bell-peppers, straightneck-Squash & cherry-Tomatoes are all good to start now? - the Tomatoes have grown leggy... inside the house & wondering IF they will ever gain their freedom outa those tiny posts into soil where they can grow to their designed potential

What do you all think?

I would wait until the fall and than plant your cold root crops to harvest in the spring. As for the taller cold crop if growing from seeds see about getting a fall crop out of them by planting them soon. Check your frost dates that way you can be on time to sow them. And go ahead and put your warm crops out it is getting warmer. Good luck to you!!!

After hardening off the plants that are in the house, get them in the ground. You have already paid for them and might just as well try to get something from them. As to seeds, I think Boffer is your best guide. Hope he steps in.

Kay

Kay, the plants got already hardened at the store, where their baby toes cried outside in 40-degree nights. At home I took them outside during days too. So today (provided I get the 30 bricks in place with soil holding them in), I'm hopeful to get them into the ground. Wish us all well
Yesterday I had to deal with maples.

oh boy, nearly everything's changed... yet again! & I haz a bazillion new questions hopefully you all will kindly help with:
1. Before calamity struck, I just sowed seeds right into the rows, & nearly all popped up, & did their thing Happily... so gardening for us was mostly pleasure.
But now I read in several threads here how much trouble there is with Broccoli, cucumbers, Tomatoes, no heat, too much heat, problems forever, so now I'm anxious... are you suggesting that my former gardening-Adventure fun... ain't no more?
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2. Since too am trying this method: (https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t11600-construction-block-and-cattle-panel-sfg?highlight=construction+blocks), and put-down black plastic liner on the weeds, before arranging the blocks on top (just like his), am I supposed to 'puncture holes' in that plastic for the watering to run thru? - Hadn't done that yet, because wanting to prevent weeds from infesting my wonderful composted soil.
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To shield food plants, from whatever chemicals blocks are made of, is it helpful lining the 4x4 ft. inside with plastic grocery-bags, & also the perimeter holes?
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4. One single Compost pile, has now morphed into 3 am soo happy with this progression, as for one thing they're located only 6 feet away from main bed, so it's easier for me to shovel more soil into the beds.
1st. pile: raw new ingredients: grass, leaves, produce scraps, moss, clover, bunny gifts, coffee-grounds, etc.
2nd. pile: can't distinguish the above anymore, it's black, but still in process...
3rd. pile: finished with worms seen, or (nearly finished compost, with some grass mats) useful for mulch in the boxes.
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Too most here now know that the most cost-saving ways are our necessity. So the main (of 2 like beds) is right next to a shed, intentionally: the intent is to nail thin 1-inch strips of wood 1-foot up on the (very weathered) walls of the shed, & string-up string for climbers to make their way up. is this idea doable?
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Um, maybe I better stop, for now LOL Thanks so much for aiding however you can. Enjoy a safe & happy & healthy week everyone!

1. I say don't get work up until you have a problem. Everyone's garden is different. 2 & 3. I would just make sure that the water can drain through you material so that it can drain properly. 4. I don't see what the question is, are you wondering if you can use the compost in your 3rd pile that still have visible grass clipping still in it? 5. I think that what you want to do is doable I would just be concern with ventilation and being able to harvest. But I say give it a try and if it doesn't work the way you want than change it up next year.

Hope this helps!!!

Ditto what mschaef said about not worrying about problems with the tomatoes, etc, until you get there; but then I am new to this too!

I think your plan for a trellis is doable as long as you can reach in to harvest. For my peas I used 4 pieces of 1x2 fence boards I had laying around and some 2x4 scraps. I made a frame with the fence boards, supports with the 2x4's and strung some twine I had for them to climb on. So, essentially the same thing you are talking about.

Um, the Reply-box thingie changed, so now how do we reply with a Quote, where we can add our response below?
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To mschaef:
So far (waiting an entire month to be planted): 3 watermelon starters, & 1 cuke plant died. But
they were replaced with sweet peppers, & more! tomatoes.. If they all bear fruit (like our first one did 30 years ago), the neighbors will drown    in tomatoes, lol
My main question was: Where? do i plant all these friends:
iow using the cement-blocks, now there's (24 3x4x8 inch deep spaces, plus
two 4x4 feet x 8 inch deep growing spaces).
Vining plants: 6 indeterminate cherry tomatoes, & 3 pole beans, obviously need a Trellis, right?
Each of these 9 plants is currently 2-3 feet tall, each camping out in one of the 3x4x8-inch deep spaces, waiting for their rightful home.

The 2 parsley plants got enuf growing room in each of the (3x4x8-inch deep) spaces, yes?
--> Since there's 24 3x4x8-inch deep spaces, (aside pretty   flowers) what other of our mentioned veggies can grow/mature in them?

Do I plant each of the 6 Broccoli plants, and 4 sweet Bell peppers, in the two (4x4 feet growing spaces?; not divided into 1 foot squares)

--> ground-Huggers: 6 Butternut squash, & 2 cucumber plants. How about planting them in the 3 Compost-piles? How much room do they each need?, as those piles are right next to the fence on the south, & the Shed on the west, & the 2 beds on the north. So they can only spread out unlimited to the East... should this work?

Basically the question is: were these your current established resources, where would you plant the above plants? Thanks for your kind suggestions.

To nurzemjd -
See, you all have useful things "already laying around", making it easy to rig up something.

Beyond the $30 blocks already bought, further resources for vining veggies currently: 5 gallon buckets, Tomato-cages, & Twine/string.
Buying 1x2 inch pieces of wood; for next 2-3 months no money for, sad to say)

How about hammering nails into the shed, & coax 4 (of the 6) tomatoes UP with string/Twine I have, would that work?
And how can I support the other 2 vining... tomato plants, plus 3 pole bean plants, pray tell?

LittleGardener wrote:How about hammering nails into the shed, & coax 4 (of the 6) tomatoes UP with string/Twine I have, would that work?
And how can I support the other 2 vining... tomato plants, plus 3 pole bean plants, pray tell?

The shed thing would work although I would personally think it a shame to nail holes all over it, unless it's a junker already. About the remaining vining plants, you don't technically have to do anything about them at all; they can vine across the ground just fine. That's what my mother-in-law does.

okay, I wish someone would answer the question I asked previously, re How to Quote someone in this new Reply-setup now. When I write, it goes into the same box as the previous responder, so now I'm writing 2 posts. Sigh.
Anyway,
I said "Hi
Shed is like 15 yrs. old, built of rough particle board, never painted, been peeling, & ANYthing covering it like   Nutritious   plants will be a vast  improvement!
and
re "vine across the ground": How does she prevent bugs from eating the food as it grows: lay a tarp down?

Did your question get answered here?
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t16012p45-new-forum-editor#167336

For vining plants on the ground, it's often recommended to set the fruits on something like old wood, shingles, plates, whatever, to keep the fruit from laying on the ground and rotting where it touches.

LG, check on Craigslist at the free stuff.  If you look under "For Sale/Wanted" on the main page there is a seperate section for "Free" stuff.  Once you click on that you can further check in specific areas, such as Tacoma or Olympia, by clicking on the tabs at the top of the page.  Here is the Seattle/Tacoma CL link: http://seattle.craigslist.org/
There is always something interesting on there, lol.

Quote thing isn't currently working.  Some of us talked about it in the thread boffer posted.  There's a workaround, but eh, I'm just going to not quote for a while.  

My mother-in-law doesn't do anything at all.  She still manages to get tons of tomatoes that haven't been nibbled on and aren't rotten.  But here's an idea: Do you still have enough money to buy groceries occasionally?  Bag them in paper instead of plastic and use the paper bags under the tomatoes.

boffer wrote:Did your question get answered here?
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t16012p45-new-forum-editor#167336

Yes, followed that thread, & still cant quite decipher rooster's suggestions. But - I can quote now too

boffer wrote:
For vining plants on the ground, set the fruits on something like old wood, shingles, plates, whatever, to keep the fruit from laying on the ground and rotting where it touches.

ok; and Thank  you for offering that nice Bunk-bed frame. However, in the meantime I was told (tho there's lots! of space), it's all interrupted with underground, zig-zagging utility lines like water+sewer+electricity+phone, etc. - and then supposedly a greenhouse will be added at some point, so any available growing spaces are actually few & far between, sad to say. However, surrounded by chainlink fencing, I've wondered about the possibility of growing some Vining-veggies several feet off the ground in an attached Gutter-set-up like I've seen here, & around the web. If I could find some cheap, How  could I fasten those to the fences... ?
Also
I wanted to share in your Tomato-Tuesday thread, but seeing as how I got started like 2 months after you all, & in the meantime the poor plants stayed stuck in their tiny store containers, they're behind, so I don't have all the many Clusters you all are cheering... But after watering them with Compost-tea, by golly each of the 6 tomato plants are showing more blossoms, & today I counted EIGHT cute 1/3 inch cherry tomatoes, a start anyway. - Even the one that looked to sadly tattered, this SugarLump actually grew 6 inches above the point where I have it secured with netting to a stick, leaning against the shed. Don't laugh now but I talk... to plants as it's been scientifically-proven that plants do experience plus communicate basic emotions. I know they know, handed sad-circumstances, yet I'm giving them the best care as I'm able, & they too do their best to succeed...  
Our indeterminate cherry plants are: 2 Sweet-Millions, 1 LemonBoy, 1 YellowPear, &
2 SugarLumps. Thank you for your kind suggestions, Boffer

nurzemjd wrote:LG, check on Craigslist at the free stuff. There is always something interesting on there, lol.

Hi nurzemjd,
Yes, so many suggestions like yours, were already offered in my former thread. - Alas we live in an unpredictably-violent world where increasingly others shed basic morality, internal-controls, & seriously harm themselves & others. Iow, tho I've seen so many wonderful things I too would either barter for, or just have, (particularly after being harmed by medical malpractice) I'm too concerned about who or what I could encounter next. - So unless easily affordable (not), or can make it myself, I simply make do. - But Thank you for your suggestion. Enjoy a wonderful  week

gwennifer wrote:
My mother-in-law doesn't do anything at all.  She still manages to get tons of tomatoes that haven't been nibbled on and aren't rotten.  Do you still buy groceries occasionally?  Bag them in paper instead of plastic and use the paper bags under the tomatoes.

Hi gwennifer,
guess what: This week I found several Tomato-cages in our shed... I need to seriously clean it out, & move zillions of planting pots now cluttering house, out there to organize it. Aside critter pooh, who knows what of good use I might find...
Also using heavy grocery-produce boxes to directly plant in for only a season seems like a good idea.
(I know Kohlrabi, & radishes as root-crops need greater depth). But too
six 3 feet long un-attached window-boxes are camped out on one porch. Is 4-5 inches deep enuf to grow Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale & Spinach in?

I notice, only a few neighbors are now sporting ornamentally beautiful plants anymore, so our window-box flowers are cheering-up the neighborhood. Let's hope & pray that in 3 more years the USA is still in salvageable existence

I didn't want to derail the Newbie's thread, with my response to Rose's comment: "rose....who is gardening on the puter cause its POURing out side ", but I had my 2nd. experience tonight with stopped rain. See, a neighbors' electricity's been off for over 10 days. So I made them supper, added some pumpkin pie & other goodies, & just as I went to deliver it all in their driveway, the DOWNPOUR became more furious! Undaunted, I commanded the rain to Stop! - Honest engine, it did much to my neighbor's complete surprise! asking how is that possible?

guess what! on dem spindly set-back vines, I see more baby-maters, and today also one itsy-bitsy Bell pepper. How exciting!
How about I bring half of the portable window-boxes inside, to sprout some more seeds (with nary an idea where to plant once outside ) Hopefully gonna figure this out soon. - Also wondering about planting veggie-Vines, suspended from pots on the South chainlink fence. So they don't fall down, how could I fasten them, you think?  
IF such pictures are already posted here, please share the link. Thanks so much! and enjoy an Awesome :bounce:productive week everyone!