It's that time of the year again to plan our gardens. Are you getting ready?

[ladyhk13]

So it's the dead of winter and freezing outside but now is the time to be planning for all of the goodies we want to be filling our tummies and jars with this summer. Have any of you started to put your plan together yet? If so, what are you going to plant? Are you going to do direct sow? Seedlings? How are you going to start your seeds and when? How do you keep your seeds warm? I have been thinking about buying some warming mats but they are kind of expensive so do any of you have some homemade ideas? I would be using my craft/sewing room so space is kind of an issue since it's a shared space. What kind of containers do you use?
Are you doing raised beds, containers, climbing?
Thought it would be good to get ideas and do the planning now before that '10-12 week before last frost' date passes by and I don't have anything started!

[bacpacker]

I sure have been planning for the upcoming season. Most of my stuff will be grown direct sown in a standard type garden. I have been going thru catalogs to try and find any new variteys I want to try. I always grow two or three new types of something each year.

One thing new for the year is a full on Fall garden. That will take plenty of planning and getting started at the correct time.

[helomech]

My aquaponics system is still running. Getting tomatoes every day, Brussels sprouts are growing, sugar cane still going strong. Banana trees hanging in there. Harvested all my cabbage yesterday. Onions I planted the other week is coming up fast, and I planted strawberries yesterday. Planted 40 plants, 10 of each of the 4 varieties our store had. They are doing great.

Other than my wall falling in all is going well.

[4suchatimeasthis]

We have the garden plot picked out, but have yet to disk it. It is fenced in, however, and we just moved the horses out of there last week. They did some "fertilizing" of the soil, and with all the rain, they really turned it to mud, too.

For this spring, we just plan to disk it, till it good, pick rocks (please God, don't let it be as rocky as Pennsylvanian soil) and sod clods, and then plant sweet corn, melons, pumpkins and squash - easy stuff you don't really have to mess with. I have several large patio pots that I usually put tomatoes and peppers in, that's what we had when we lived in town. So, not a lot of ambitious plans this first year, we still have other things are are working on around the place, and we wont have as much time to dedicate to a more varied garden, just yet.

Eventually we will have a few garden plots, at least two large ones that for now are fenced as paddocks. We will likely keep the electric fences in place, and hopefully keep the deer out of them. Someday I would like to try growing potatoes in a barrel, where you can supposedly grow 100lbs of potatoes in a rain barrel. I have also read about palette gardens, where you put plants between the slats, stuffing the palette with soil, and using that as a raised bed, say on straw bales or something. It sounds interesting. I did do a covered garden one year, years ago. It was a smaller plot, probably only 15x25 ft, and we covered it in a thick layer of newspaper once the plants started coming up, being careful to give them a little clearance. It kept the weeds down, and also protected from the heat, held moisture in, it worked out pretty good. At the end of the season we just tilled it all in.

I have started plants early, when I lived up north, we had a large southern facing bay window that got a lot of heat. I've used the regular peat pot starters, years ago. Egg cartons work too. In recent years, when I only had the patio pots to fill, I just picked up baby plants from Rural King. This spring I don't plan on starting anything in the house, but we have talked about putting in a little area for an indoor herb garden where we tore out the breakfast nook/window seat. It would be a great spot for starting plants. Again, more projects, lol.

[mitunnelrat]

I can say both yes, and no. My role in gardening this year is that of apprentice. All I have to do is throw out a reminder to my dad next month, and then be available to brainstorm, develop, refine, and help implement whatever he plans to do.

I like this, it frees me up to concentrate on other areas, and I still get the experience I need with gardening.

[Metrocruiser]

Hi 4such

Are you using the black trays that fit 50 peat pods, if so you can build a box frame out of 2x2s large enough to put 2 or 3 of these back plastic trays on top. About 14 to 16 inches high. Then wire up a 60 watt light bulb inside and cover up the 4 sides with non flammable insulating panels. I built one years ago. It would speed up germination like crazy. 150 pods at a time. Make sure to put a dome on top to keep it humid inside.

[Sniper-T]

I just started reviewing my notes from last year, and will start planning out my garden in the coming month.

I'll probably bring my Greenhouse in and start my tomatoes in Early-mid March

[Taz Baby]

About the most I can do this year is a windowsill garden because of not being at the BOL yet. Apartment life does have it limits when gardening. Don't think the groundskeeper will like me tilling it up to plant a garden. But I can go to the farmers market and get the stuff and then process it.

[4suchatimeasthis]

Metro, thanks!! Great tip. I tried to "like" it, but it wont let me

[ladyhk13]

A neighbor gave me some styrofome trays that are seed starters and you put them in a tray of water and the seeds are supposed to germinate within a couple of days instead of longer as long as they are wet. I haven't tried them yet.