Gardens 2020

[Socalman]

This year I have not seen a folder or thread for our home veggie gardens. Let's hear what sort of things you are growing for you home use.

We have a number of fruit tress - 2 avocados, 1 each of the following: apricot, peach, orange, apple, and lime. In addition, our neighbors pomegranate and lemon trees hang over our wall and we get some of those. They do the same with one of our avocados. We have some blueberry plants, several boysenberry vines and about half dozen grape vines.

Thus far in veggies the only thing we have is some green onions up and a recent planting of edible pod peas. First planting of green pole beans will go in when we get a break in the weather. We have a few peppers and tomatoes that need to be transplanted.

So for now, that is all we have. I should have gotten in lettuce and radishes sometime back but didn't. Not too late.

[bacpacker]

Hey Socal. Good to see you on.
We've got 5 apple trees, 1 pear, 2 pawpaws, & 8 blueberries blooming right now. I was pretty sick from Dec until March and was very late getting anything started. I had 7 1 gallon pots of onion's growing, 5 bulbs each, 4 pots of lettuce, & 2 spots of spinach. So far I have planted some taters, parsnips, radishes, cucumbers, & okra in the ground. I've got 10 pepper and 16 tomato plant I just transplanted in gallon pots. Those will go in the ground late April/early May.

[Socalman]

Great garden you will have! I won't say I am jealous, because you have done the work!

Did the tornados get close to you? My wife's cousin lives in Monroe, LA. Monroe got hit the other day, Sunday I think, we have not been able to get in touch with her, but like in many natural disasters, communications suck.

[bacpacker]

We are over an hour away from where it touched down. It was near Chattanooga. Lots of destruction in the area, but last I heard only 1 death. Mississippi, Alabama, got hit much worse. Hope the family is ok. Comms is first thing to go down and last thing to come back typically

[Socalman]

One thing I should have mentioned is that in my April 9 post is that I purposely planted the remaining OLD peas, from 2005! It appears that I have about a 70% germination rate on those. I don't recall the particular species of edible pod peas. The first planing of my Kentucky Wonder pole beans were from 2010 and they are just showing up, it could be close to a 100% germination!

The next bean planting should go in the ground in about a week and are all from the crop harvested in 2018.

[bacpacker]

I've got a bunch of old seed of all kinds of stuff. I try to plant something old every year just to see if anything comes from it. Sometimes yep, sometimes not enough to fool with.

[Socalman]

Update on older seed. The exact germination rate on the old peas was 67%. Yes I counted. This morning I filled in the missing gaps with seed from last year. I also planted the rest of my Kentucky Wonder pole beans. I also have some great tasting beans called Sultan's Crescent that I am going to find a space to plant. Apparently it is an older variety that sort of fell out of favor for whatever reason. Since I have so much time on my hands during house arrest, I am getting the garden back to good production. Even the wife is making suggestions about what to plant.

[bacpacker]

67% isn't bad for old seed. I love finding old Heirloom types that work here. I try a lot of different stuff, some works here, some don't. But when you find one that does, the taste is almost always so much better than any hybrid you can ever find.

[Vodin]

Hello. It has been awhile since I was here. Planted 2 (20’ rows) Russet potatoes, 1 (20’ row) White Onions, Seeded Carrots, 2019 Garlic, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Grapes, Black Raspberries and then I have 2 Aquaponics systems in the basement.

I should not plant anything outside until Mother’s Day. Possible freezes can occur.

I am setting up 12 (5 gallon buckets) on water troughs.

[Socalman]

67% isn't bad for old seed. I love finding old Heirloom types that work here. I try a lot of different stuff, some works here, some don't. But when you find one that does, the taste is almost always so much better than any hybrid you can ever find.

A great place to find some of the old heirloom seeds is a company called SEED SAVERS. They are dedicated to preserving as many varieties of seed as possible. That is where I got my Sultan's Crescent beans. About 50 years ago my brand new wife and I visited her grandparents in New Mexico. Their garden had the most delicious tomatoes. Her grandfather called them German tomatoes. He gave us some seed that we continued for a few years but then when we moved I lost it. I tried a few times with things at local nurseries or from Burpee, Harris and other seed companies but never was the product the same. About 10 years ago an old friend mentioned SEED SAVERS and I got online, and found a variety called German Pink. If it is not the same variety, it certainly is a close relative! Worth checking out.