Filled my first new sfg box today!

Can I get a "whooohoooo?" I mixed my Mel's Mix for one of my new beds today! I have 2 more to go - hope to get that done tomorrow.

I don't think I got the Mel's Mix quite right for my first 2 beds, so really made an effort to get 5 different kinds of compost this time. I think I may have mistaken some kind of potting soil mix for one of the composts the first time around - didn't save the bags, but I think I did.

So I traveled in several different directions around my home town for 20 miles or so to be sure I bought 5 kinds this time. I carefully measured out & mixed equal portions of my 5 composts, then mixed equal shares of the mixed compost, vermiculite and peat moss. Quite a workout, but I feel so good to get that much done.

I can't wait to get something planted for my fall garden! I found today that they have some collard plants at my local Walmart, so will probably get a few of those to plant, along with the other things I have planned. Can't wait!!

Yay Sherryeo! You're ahead of me, but things are looking up financially, hubby has picked up some work and my boss has promised me a gift card as a reward for an email from one of my student's parents, full of great compliments. I plan on using this unexpected $ to finally get my SFG box filled.

Good luck and happy gardening!

That is the hardest part for sure. I'm looking forward to the fall garden the only problem I have right now is leaf miners. What are you planting aside from collard?

Hi Shannon,

I guess it kinda depends on how much I can fit into my 5 beds. I hope to do snow peas, English peas, broccoli, lettuce, kohlrabi, green onions, spinach, carrots, garlic, turnips, radishes and collards. We'll see how much of that I can actually accomplish, though! I must admit to getting carried away with planting plans, but it's so much fun!

I read in one book about coastal gardening that you should plant peas around Christmas time, but another says September, so I hope to test the fall planting time just to see what happens. Who knows until you try, right? I can always try again around Christmas. As I think I've heard a few folks on here declare - "it's just seeds." I've learned to loosen up and have fun with gardening!

Sounds like a good plan. When I get my little 2x6 bow put together I plan on planting sugar snaps ASAP. I have only cooked them once and there are just yummy. They never made it as far as the kitchen before:lol:

sherryeo wrote:Hi Shannon,

I guess it kinda depends on how much I can fit into my 5 beds. I hope to do snow peas, English peas, broccoli, lettuce, kohlrabi, green onions, spinach, carrots, garlic, turnips, radishes and collards. We'll see how much of that I can actually accomplish, though! I must admit to getting carried away with planting plans, but it's so much fun!

I read in one book about coastal gardening that you should plant peas around Christmas time, but another says September, so I hope to test the fall planting time just to see what happens. Who knows until you try, right? I can always try again around Christmas. As I think I've heard a few folks on here declare - "it's just seeds." I've learned to loosen up and have fun with gardening!

Cannot wait til Christmas time (that's for spring planting!) My peas, snow and English, are up about an inch. The thing with over planting, you can always eat the thinnings! Jo

I have now filled all 3 boxes, but the Mel's Mix has settled, so I'm going to have to top them off a bit. I got one topped off this afternoon when I got home from work and have a good idea now how much MM it will take to top the other 2, so can mix that all in one batch.

I just HAD to plant something, so I went out right before dark and planted a square each of turnip, carrot and Mesclun Mix seeds. I would like to have planted more, but it just got dark too quick. It is so much fun to run out and check every day to see if something's sprouted, don't you think?

I'll still have to get some kind of trellis set up. I think I'll probably try the ones Mel does in the book - with rebar and pvc.

This is FUN!!!

WTG sherrye!

Very excited for you.

Thanks, capatl, Shannon, littlejo & April! I have high hopes for my fall garden. I've never really tried one in the fall before & I'm hoping it will be easier in some ways than the hot summers here. And, of course, I can try some veggies I've never grown before - and some I've never even tasted before!

I am very excited about trying the peas! I grew sugar snap peas way back when they first were introduced. I looked it up & they were introduced in 1979! Uh-oh, telling on my age, huh? I don't have sugar snaps now, but will surely try to get some to try planting around Christmas. I have snow peas and English peas now and can't wait to get them planted!

Congrats, still trying to get the last bits together for mine, need to drill the wood box, and then put together the last few bits for the MM, did see it in Lowes today (prepackaged) but decided since I already had vermiculite, I'd just go with making myself.

Thanks, arla! I hope things go smoothly for you with setting your boxes up! It is a lot of work mixing the Mel's Mix, but I think that's the most important thing to try to get right, for sure! Keep us updated as to how you progress with yours, ok?

Sounds fun... I built two more of my portable 4x4's this past weekend for my mother-in-law, and this weekend I'm going to help her mix up MM and fill them.

I had a sad day today, I decided to chop down and remove my 2 cucumber plants that I planted in early August.... Some sort of small worm destroyed the leaves and they were in very bad shape, so I figured it's still early enough that I can start all over from scratch again and hopefully do a better job of pest management this time. In the short time I had them I pulled about 15 nice big cukes off of them though so I'm looking forward to having similar production from my next round of plants.

What a good so-in-law you are, jersh! That should win you some points with your mum-in-law, hmm?

I've pulled some of my summer garden plants recently, too. I know it's a little sad, but I just try to think about how exciting it is to be able to try again - a fresh start. That's one thing about gardening - if a crop doesn't do well one season, there's always a possibiity it will do better the next time you try.

I planted some turnip, carrot and Mesclun Mix this past Tuesday, after I got my first new box topped off. The turnips are peaking their cute little heads up through the MM this morning! Whoo hoo, I love it.

I planted some collard transplants yesterday. I'm a Southern girl through and through and I love my collards! I also seeded kohlrabi, beets and broccoli yesterday.

Will get out there and plant some more later this evening - English peas, snow peas, radishes, green onions, spinach and cabbage & more Collard transplants! I'm finishing topping off the other 2 new boxes with MM and planting them this afternoon.

What are you guys planting for fall?

CAN'T WAIT TO START MY WINTER GARDEN. BEEN BREWING COMPOST ALL SUMMER.! In hard times, this seems like a great idea.

Hi Jenny,

Do tell us when you start your planting! I love hearing what everyone else is doing!

I had a little glitch in my plans to finish topping off my last 2 new beds today. I ran out of vermiculite! DH has offered to go get some while I'm at work tomorrow, so it's just a temporary glitch, but I sure wanted to finish them up today! I did plant more in the first new box I finished - lettuce, snow peas, spinach, green onions and cabbage.

I'll finish them up either Saturday evening or Sunday. Then I'll replenish the squares in my two older beds with compost and plant them. Yeaa!