What have you done for garden prep so far?

[jayson40]

Unfortunately for me and my family we can't have a garden but, we have plant onions started okra and tomatoes in a flower pot. Onions are doing great started tomatoes and okra today.

 

[Brent S]

Unfortunately for me and my family we can't have a garden but, we have plant onions started okra and tomatoes in a flower pot. Onions are doing great started tomatoes and okra today.

Containers can produce a lot if taken care of. One good thing about having a small garden is it's much easier to give the plants good attention and care than it is to take care of a large area.

 

[Gazrok]

I bought a dwarf variety from home depot. . .heat resistant Sent over from Israel. Cant remember the name as that was 14 years ago, but they have done very well

'Anna' and 'Ein Shemer' varieties come from Israel, and can grow here in Central FL.

'Dorsett Golden' (from the Bahamas) and 'TropicSweet' (Engineered in FL) also do well here.

You pretty much have to have a couple of different types to cross-pollinate. I plan on having pretty much at least one of each of the 4 varieties, if I can get them.

The University of Florida has some great resources for the aspiring Florida grower. I've been studying their stuff (along with other sources) for about a year now, prior to getting going with all of this. I just want to try and do as much right as I can the first time around.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg073

 

[Brent S]

'Anna' and 'Ein Shemer' varieties come from Israel, and can grow here in Central FL.

'Dorsett Golden' (from the Bahamas) and 'TropicSweet' (Engineered in FL) also do well here.

You pretty much have to have a couple of different types to cross-pollinate. I plan on having pretty much at least one of each of the 4 varieties, if I can get them.

The University of Florida has some great resources for the aspiring Florida grower. I've been studying their stuff (along with other sources) for about a year now, prior to getting going with all of this. I just want to try and do as much right as I can the first time around.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg073

You're wise to learn what will grow well there. I rushed out and bought a bunch of stuff, and learned the hard way. The only redeeming factor was I bought almost everything off season and got it all on clearance for about 25% of regular cost. Still, some of it was a lot of wasted time and effort. I'm actually starting to get pretty good at growing things now, but really did just jump into it without knowing anything. This goes back to what I've been telling lots of people, don't wait till shtf to start learning how to feed yourself, begin now as it takes a while to actually get things to eat.

 

[Brent S]

Got some Picts of the gardening. The greenhouse is doing well, I planted just about every square inch. I have blooms on the zuke said and tomatoes allready! The potatoe patch is well established and the kale is hopefully going to seed soon, (nasty rabbit food). And he last picture is about 70 blueberry plants. There three years old now and are covered with berries this year. Yeah!

 

[psalm 7]

My big garden is worked and planted . I have a smaller one that I will get planted but broke a tine off my tiller and will have to replace it . Also we are trying some Asian climbing beans planted along a fence .

 

[Brent S]

My big garden is worked and planted . I have a smaller one that I will get planted but broke a tine off my tiller and will have to replace it . Also we are trying some Asian climbing beans planted along a fence .

I have a stick welder and a wire feed mig that help save on repairs around here. I was planing some walnut boards last weekend when the feed stopped working. I opened up the machine and found a spindle that was ground almost 50% thru on one side. I used the wire feed welder to fill in new metal, ground it down, and with some grease on it, got the planer working and finished the job. Not only did I not have to pay anyone, but I was able to finish the job.
I love fences in the garden. I weave tomatoes in them, peas, beans, whatever. I have the whole outside garden fenced, then I ran two lines of field fencing in the middle of the garden just for that.

 

[psalm 7]

This one could be welded but I can get one for it . Right now we are working 6 days aweek and gardening is on hold for a couple weeks .

 

[Brent S]

This one could be welded but I can get one for it . Right now we are working 6 days aweek and gardening is on hold for a couple weeks .

Work always comes first! I'm allready at the point of needing to weed, yuk!

 

[Danil54grl]

Well I have finally gotten the second half of the garden planted and have started with the mulching process. Still gathering pine needles and leaves for the walkways in the woods, but was wanting real mulch for the beds themselves. When I called down to the city, they said that they would start with mulch 1st weekend in May so today we hitched the big trailer and went to be told that they will not start until July 1st. . . Flat tire on the way home and brakes locked up when right blinker was put on. Apparently Alex (Akita pup) has been chewing thru more wires. Anyhow, hoping that I can get some more rice hulls on Monday when the mill is open again. Weekends they have the gate closed. The last thing I planted was corn which was last Sunday and it has finally made an appearance and is about 2 inches high now. Have 18 rows. Been having trouble with my potato patch though, have a cut worm and even after dusting with lime, just not helping and haven't found it yet. Tomatoes look like I will have a bumper crop they are so full. Ended up making Spicy Kosher pickles this week out of the cucumbers and hot banana peppers.

 

[Danil54grl]

'Anna' and 'Ein Shemer' varieties come from Israel, and can grow here in Central FL.

'Dorsett Golden' (from the Bahamas) and 'TropicSweet' (Engineered in FL) also do well here.

You pretty much have to have a couple of different types to cross-pollinate. I plan on having pretty much at least one of each of the 4 varieties, if I can get them.

The University of Florida has some great resources for the aspiring Florida grower. I've been studying their stuff (along with other sources) for about a year now, prior to getting going with all of this. I just want to try and do as much right as I can the first time around.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg073

I had two when first planted back in 2003 and then hurricane Rita took one out in 2005. The one that survived is still doing very well. Just a food for thought.

 

[Brent S]

Well I have finally gotten the second half of the garden planted and have started with the mulching process. Still gathering pine needles and leaves for the walkways in the woods, but was wanting real mulch for the beds themselves. When I called down to the city, they said that they would start with mulch 1st weekend in May so today we hitched the big trailer and went to be told that they will not start until July 1st. . . Flat tire on the way home and brakes locked up when right blinker was put on. Apparently Alex (Akita pup) has been chewing thru more wires. Anyhow, hoping that I can get some more rice hulls on Monday when the mill is open again. Weekends they have the gate closed. The last thing I planted was corn which was last Sunday and it has finally made an appearance and is about 2 inches high now. Have 18 rows. Been having trouble with my potato patch though, have a cut worm and even after dusting with lime, just not helping and haven't found it yet. Tomatoes look like I will have a bumper crop they are so full. Ended up making Spicy Kosher pickles this week out of the cucumbers and hot banana peppers.

Dosent it seem like some days aren't worth the effort! At least your garden is doing well. I have loads of blooms, but so far have only been eating spinache, lettuce, radish and onions. I have one cucumber vine that just grew in the greenhouse that's covered in blooms, but I'm going to have to try and transplant it as it will take over if not. I still have a tendency to overpopulated the greenhouse. I'm going for the jungle look . I try to stay away from pesticides, but a little seven dust will loose the cut worm quickly. I still have moles and voles I'm dealing with, there's always something. Glad you got everything growing with all the rain and flooding there.

 

[Danil54grl]

It rained again today and I have about 5 walkways (trenches) that I have not mulch yet because of the standing water, but the wide rows have stayed above all the water we have had. You know, I have had a garden year after year and every time, I am just amazed at how well everything looks once planted and growing in. It makes such a difference even within a weeks time. Haven't lost another potato plant since early this week. . . maybe because they have finally gotten big enough and everything else has been left alone so far.

 

[Brent S]

It rained again today and I have about 5 walkways (trenches) that I have not mulch yet because of the standing water, but the wide rows have stayed above all the water we have had. You know, I have had a garden year after year and every time, I am just amazed at how well everything looks once planted and growing in. It makes such a difference even within a weeks time. Haven't lost another potato plant since early this week. . . maybe because they have finally gotten big enough and everything else has been left alone so far.

I had some tomatoes that were being nibbled on, and whatever it was just stopped. I don't question good luck!

 

[Danil54grl]

So I didn't do anything today except walk, admire, and take out a couple suckers on the tomatoes, but yesterday, I made two trailer loads of rice hulls and was able to mulch the rest of the garden. I still need to do more, like the sides of the trenches, the outside boarders of the garden and I also want to put a deeper layer down the middle walkway. I keep this wide so that the four wheeler and small trailer can go down the middle to make it easier to mulch. With all the rain, it tends to get muddy even after the layer of pine needles and leaves so just need to make a deeper layer

 

[Danil54grl]

My garden so far this year. The majority was just planted about a week and a half ago. You can tell up by the gardening shed, most of that was started at the end of April

 

[jimLE]

looks great..i can see that yall put a lot of work into them..

 

[Brent S]

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My garden so far this year. The majority was just planted about a week and a half ago. You can tell up by the gardening shed, most of that was started at the end of April

That ought to fill up a few mason jars shortly .

 

[Danil54grl]

Hoping at least a couple

 

[Kenprep1979]

I got a ton of leaves in the garden area, just mounded up until I'm ready to spread and till them in. I also have the rabbit cages in the garden, with mounds of pellets to till in as well. Today I bought some asparagus to try again with, (3tries so far), and a large bag of red potatoes and white onions. I'm itching to plant, but with two days of snow starting tonight think it may be wise to wait a little. Anyone else have any good prep ideas for pre planting

The greenhouse is starting to sprout! I had a few things left from the winter crop, but replanted most of it. I almost finished tilling the main garden, but it was still too wet and I was just mixing leaves in the mud. Some of the potatoes are beginning to sprout! It's also good to see the peach trees blooming. There the pink, and I have about ten plums that are blooming white. Spring is definately my favorite season. It's just good to see a new cycle of life starting again.View attachment 4208View attachment 4209 View attachment 4210View attachment 4211

Very nice setup brother!!! me like!!