# Spring vegtable garden thread



## Mako22

Post up some pics of your Garden plot and keep us updated on it's progress might be we can all learn something from each other. 

Here is mine; 16'x46' back yard garden not in the best location for sunlight but it's all I got. Tilling was done by three of my kids using two shovels and a garden rake. The post in the plot are for my pole bean trellis which will be finished in a few days. I'll be planting Blue Lake pole beans, cucumbers, crock neck squash, zucchini, black beauty egg plant, tomatos, bell peppers, cabbage and some hot peppers. Y'all join in and post up some pics with updates as the season progresses.


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## Mako22

Here's a gardening site that I like a lot, http://www.thebayougardener.com/

Click on the garden videos link this guy is fun to watch.


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## Dustin Pate

Hopefully I will have some pictures next week. About the time I try to get in it, it rains.


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## Greatflake

havent took any pics of my garden, but i will when i get it tilled, gotta go get my old mans tractor, injection pump is out on mine.. going to  do a big one again this year, got a good buddy that says he'll help me work it..  built a greenhouse to start everything in so im on my way  mines bout 250'x75'


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## redlevel

Onions planted last Fall.  Crystal Wax variety.  I planted about 130 lbs of bulbs.  I hope to start bunching them and selling them next week.  






The garden is about an acre.  I got it harrowed about a week ago, but it has been too wet to do any more since then.  Just as soon as it dries out enough I will plant about one-fourth of it in field corn and sweet corn.   I will start some watermelon seed in some of the little jiffy peat pots this weekend.  Probably some squash, too.   Later I will plant all the usual vegetable garden suspects, but mostly peas.   I am going to put an eight foot fence around the entire garden sometime this Spring.


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## abrannon

Now that is a lot of onions....

Hopefully I will get some pictures soon.

I have a small Garden 20ft by 30ft.  But I get a lot out of it.

This year I will have Squash/Zucini, Green Beans, Onions, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes and Peppers.

I am alos going to make a raised bed this year, but I am not sure what I am planting in it, probably more peppers and Beans


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## Huntinfool

Just built two 4X6 raised bed boxes last weekend and will be building a third.  They are in a perfect spot for sunlight in our yard and our two year old is VERY excited about helping me work the garden. 

I'll see if I can get some pics up of what it looks like so far.  Just the boxes right now with some compost.  No dirt in them yet.


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## Mako22

Hey some great post here, y'all put some pics up when you can I'm interested in what others are doing. Got to go now and finish my trellis more pics later.


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## Hut2

I'm getting our garden ready. It's 50' x 50' I've already put 2 trailer loads of cow manure out & harrowed in good. We'll probably plant about the same as last year ,which was our very first garden. Sweet corn, squash ,okra, belle pepper ,jalenpena pepper ,eggplant, blackeye peas, misty cream peas, black crowder peas, & baby limas.


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## Mako22

We got it planted.


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## Mako22

Hut2 said:


> I'm getting our garden ready. It's 50' x 50' I've already put 2 trailer loads of cow manure out & harrowed in good. We'll probably plant about the same as last year ,which was our very first garden. Sweet corn, squash ,okra, belle pepper ,jalenpena pepper ,eggplant, blackeye peas, misty cream peas, black crowder peas, & baby limas.



Is that pure cow manure or what they call mushroom compost? Cow manure will have a lot of grass seeds in it but I have used pure horse manure before and it worked.


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## Capt Quirk

No pics, mostly bad news. The wife started a bunch of tomatoes and tobacco, and the grand daughters picked all the sprouts. So we're trying it again. Waiting on CrackerDave to burn our fields, in an effort to get rid of all that deer corn that just won't go away. Also trying to find someplace to bring in dirt, but the closest place appears to be Alpharetta? WTH? Once the fields are burned, we have the logs dropped to build the beds (Raised beds), then just need to get some dirt. Got a sack of seed potatoes yesterday, have peas and beans ordered. Going to start off with about a half acre this year, and expand it to maybe 2 1/2 next season.


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## Hut2

Woodsman69 said:


> Is that pure cow manure or what they call mushroom compost? Cow manure will have a lot of grass seeds in it but I have used pure horse manure before and it worked.



That's gonna be pure cow manure! We had a great garden last year.Not a problem with grass or weeds to speak of. Which, I work it pretty well to. I've got a trick for keeping unwanted weeds & grass too!


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## vol man

last spring


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## shakey gizzard

Woodsman69 said:


> Is that pure cow manure or what they call mushroom compost? Cow manure will have a lot of grass seeds in it but I have used pure horse manure before and it worked.



To kill weed and grass seeds in manure, cover with black plastic and let sun heat and sterilize. No tilling yet for me but my seeds are started.


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## Fishin & Hunting

*Got mine ready to plant*

Got mine ready to plant this weekend.  Will do bell peppers, banana peppers, egg plant, and tomatoes in pots.  Squash, cucumbers, and zucchini in the dirt.

Now here is a problem I could use some help with.  The last few years my squash and zucchini gets hit by that boring grub or worm.  What is this?  And how do I get rid of it?  I am not getting 10% of the squash and zucchini I should be getting.


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## Mako22

Fishin & Hunting said:


> Got mine ready to plant this weekend.  Will do bell peppers, banana peppers, egg plant, and tomatoes in pots.  Squash, cucumbers, and zucchini in the dirt.
> 
> Now here is a problem I could use some help with.  The last few years my squash and zucchini gets hit by that boring grub or worm.  What is this?  And how do I get rid of it?  I am not getting 10% of the squash and zucchini I should be getting.



Are you talking about cut worm? I think I heard one time that you can wrap tin foil around the plant stems to keep the worms from cutting thru. If it's the kind that cuts em under the soil you may be able to bury a metal ring of some sorts (foil?) around the stem and roots.


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## Mako22

Another thing is you keep getting hit every year because them critters are probably leaving eggs behind each season. You need to rotate your crops to keep them things from hitting you again. There may be a way to kill em like using black plastic on the seed bed a few months before planting but I don't know for sure.


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## bat

Got this from a google site when searching..  I've been lucky I guess and never had a problem with them.  There is another worm that will drill into the squash from underneath the fruit itself... don't know if these are the same or not.   

From the site I looked up..  
(Pests
 Cucumber beetles, squash vine borers, squash bugs, stinkbugs, pickleworms
 Pest
 Description

Squash vine borer: The primary pests associated with growing Squash is the squash vine borer. Eggs are laid on the lower stems by a moth. Eggs are usually laid in April & May.  The best remedy for vine borers is to plant early or late in the season to avoid the moths egg laying cycle. When the eggs hatch the bore worm enter the vine and eat the center and kill the vines. Apply a insecticide to the soil to minimize the infestation. Inspect the base of your vine often for the presence of borers. The surface of the stem will be discolored and deformed. split the stem and try to remove the borers and cover the vine with soil. If you find borers do not place the vines in your compost pile at the end of the season, burn them. 


50% Sevin wp (wetable powder) seems to be very effective. Be careful using insecticides as you may kill your pollinators as well. If you kill your pollinators, you won't have any squash. Spray only the lower stems to kill vine borers. Mix 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. )


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## shakey gizzard

Squash borers! Stab em with a fine piece of wire, or order parasitic wasps.Guaranteed to increase your yields.


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## Hut2

Got everything planted Weds. & Thu. of last week! Then Fri. we got about an inch of rain. Supposed to get more today or tomorrow ,shouldn't be long before stuff is popping up.


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## Mako22

Hut2 said:


> Got everything planted Weds. & Thu. of last week! Then Fri. we got about an inch of rain. Supposed to get more today or tomorrow ,shouldn't be long before stuff is popping up.



I did mine a week ago Friday and yesterday my pole beans started to bust thru the ground.  Don't forget to post some pics of your garden once things get going.


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## Hut2

Woodsman69 said:


> I did mine a week ago Friday and yesterday my pole beans started to bust thru the ground.  Don't forget to post some pics of your garden once things get going.



Good job! Yeah, soil temps are warming up good so, with this rain it shouldn't take germination long. I planted two rows of a bush bean ,supposed to be like a polebean but, it doesn't run like it. We'll see! I'll post pics when stuff is up good. Good luck everyone.


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## Hut2

*pics*

2009 garden pics ,sorry for quality of pics


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## Mako22

Hut2 said:


> Good job! Yeah, soil temps are warming up good so, with this rain it shouldn't take germination long. I planted two rows of a bush bean ,supposed to be like a polebean but, it doesn't run like it. We'll see! I'll post pics when stuff is up good. Good luck everyone.



Yeah I put in a short row of Roma 2 bush beans this year just to see how much they would yeild. I planted them a few years ago in a 200 foot row at another garden spot I had and they produced good. Bush beans only produce once as I remember as compared to pole beans which will keep on going as long as the heat and bugs doesn't get em.


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## chiefsquirrel83

i was going to do a garden....but had a buddy of mine do the 3 inch PVC pipe.....4 ft. 3 inch pvc....then at one end 2 90 degree attatchments....then dug the curved in 1ft in the ground and put 1 plant on top....every other day he added one scoop of miracle grow and let the hose run medium until the water bubbled around the plant....the thing grew 13 ft....that one plant put out so many tomatoes....he came over yesterday and got it goin' for me....will post pics once i get the Better Boy in.....lookin' forward to it


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## Hut2

Couple more pics from last year !


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## Mako22

chiefsquirrel83 said:


> i was going to do a garden....but had a buddy of mine do the 3 inch PVC pipe.....4 ft. 3 inch pvc....then at one end 2 90 degree attatchments....then dug the curved in 1ft in the ground and put 1 plant on top....every other day he added one scoop of miracle grow and let the hose run medium until the water bubbled around the plant....the thing grew 13 ft....that one plant put out so many tomatoes....he came over yesterday and got it goin' for me....will post pics once i get the Better Boy in.....lookin' forward to it



Your description is a little hard to follow but I think I am getting what you are saying. I would like to see a picture of this setup as it sounds like a good way to grow tomatoes.


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## Mako22

Hut2 said:


> Couple more pics from last year !



Them squash look yummy, we are trying hard to eat up last years crop so we can make room for the new ones.

My crooknecks and Zuchs just started busting thru the ground today and my pole beans are popping up real good as well.


Blue Lake pole bean


Crookneck squash


My camelias (not for eating)


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## Capt Quirk

Marked out the garden yesterday, 156'x60'. Renting the tiller tomorrow. Just ordered a bunch of stuff tonight, lots of Herbs and spices, Sorghum, Pumpkins, Indian Corn, Popcorn, Melons. Tobacco is already started, Tennessee Burley, Virginia Gold, Turkish, Havana. Just wish we had more dirt.


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## Mako22

Capt Quirk said:


> Marked out the garden yesterday, 156'x60'. Renting the tiller tomorrow. Just ordered a bunch of stuff tonight, lots of Herbs and spices, Sorghum, Pumpkins, Indian Corn, Popcorn, Melons. Tobacco is already started, Tennessee Burley, Virginia Gold, Turkish, Havana. Just wish we had more dirt.



You ought to have some nice sandy soil down there in North Florida and it shouldn't be too hard to till. Either way 156'x60' is a lot of ground to dig up with a tiller, good luck and post some pics when you get a chance.


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## Capt Quirk

Yeah, we're really north Florida... just an hour south of Highway 20 

Ain't nothing sandy about our soil.


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## Mako22

*My trellis*

I thought some might be interested in how I built my pole bean trellis so here is how I did it. In the past I have used  sections of red top field fencing but as it can be cumbersome to put up and takes up space to store I switched to something else a few years back. I use scrap lumber and some fence post I gathered up to hang my stuff on. I run two plastic coated clothes lines from Wal-Mart along the top and bottom of the trellis. Then I wrap garden twine over and under the clothes lines to give the beans something to climb on. This set up works well, it's light, cheap and stores easy after season is over.


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## Mako22

Capt Quirk said:


> Yeah, we're really north Florida... just an hour south of Highway 20
> 
> Ain't nothing sandy about our soil.



Well that would just about put you in the gulf wouldn't it?


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## Hut2

Woodsman69 said:


> Them squash look yummy, we are trying hard to eat up last years crop so we can make room for the new ones.
> 
> My crooknecks and Zuchs just started busting thru the ground today and my pole beans are popping up real good as well.
> 
> 
> Blue Lake pole bean
> View attachment 500943
> 
> Crookneck squash
> View attachment 500944
> 
> My camelias (not for eating)
> View attachment 500945



Popping on up ,can't wait for ours to do the same. We were really blessed with some good rain this past wkend.


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## Capt Quirk

Woodsman69 said:


> Well that would just about put you in the gulf wouldn't it?



No, Central Ga.


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## Handshake

*2010 Garden Pictures*

Well, due to the weather we have had, I have not broke ground yet. I just cut the rye this past weekend and will plow it under the weekend after next, then plant if the weather is right. Here is a look at it as it sits. 75ft by 35ft.. 2,625sqft.


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## Mako22

Handshake said:


> Well, due to the weather we have had, I have not broke ground yet. I just cut the rye this past weekend and will plow it under the weekend after next, then plant if the weather is right. Here is a look at it as it sits. 75ft by 35ft.. 2,625sqft.



Nice looking spot and I see you got a water spicket right there to irragate with. From the look of them woods in the back ground you might have some deer eating out of that garden.


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## Fishin & Hunting

Planted some maters today.  Went to the garden place today and bought some.  It was a shock to see how much the prices have gone up since last year, and how poor the selection was.  They just told me that they were still cheaper than the big box stores.  Sure am glad I started a good part of my garden in the kitchen.

Yesterday I put down some chemicals to help out with the squash vine bores that have killed my plants the last couple of years.


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## Capt Quirk

Just spent 9 hours on a tiller today, and all I can say is, I really hate clay. Only got a third of the field done.


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## Jeff Phillips

I have already planted my spring garden in my 5' x 16' raised bed with purple onions, leaf lettuce, and Musclan. Planning to add another bed this year. No pics for now, I'm on the road.

I have been using the "Square Foot Gardening" method for several years and get a lot of veggies from a small garden with very little weeding.


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## Hut2

Capt Quirk said:


> Just spent 9 hours on a tiller today, and all I can say is, I really hate clay. Only got a third of the field done.



I bet no one had to rock you to sleep! I've planted food plots in Twiggs Co. in the past but, we did have a tractor. We've got very sandy dirt,which I don't like. Hang in there!


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## Capt Quirk

Hut2 said:


> I bet no one had to rock you to sleep! I've planted food plots in Twiggs Co. in the past but, we did have a tractor. We've got very sandy dirt,which I don't like. Hang in there!


Nope. Spent another 8 hours today, before passing it on to the step son. Needless to say, I'll be showering and going straight to bed tonight too.


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## Fishin & Hunting

My Grandparents would take all the empty egg shells and used coffee grounds and mix them in the soil around the tomato plants.  Now I understand the egg shells add calcuim, but what added value does the used coffee grounds add?


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## shakey gizzard

Fishin & Hunting said:


> My Grandparents would take all the empty egg shells and used coffee grounds and mix them in the soil around the tomato plants.  Now I understand the egg shells add calcuim, but what added value does the used coffee grounds add?


Mostly turns soil alkaline!


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## Handshake

Woodsman69 said:


> Nice looking spot and I see you got a water spicket right there to irragate with. From the look of them woods in the back ground you might have some deer eating out of that garden.


 I have two black labs that keep the deer out of the garden, the dogs have electric colliers and I have a under ground fence around the garden so they can not distory the plants. My problem is squrrils eating my corn, I took care of that problem this past squrril season! After I get it plowed, planted and the water lines set I will post more pictures.


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## Fishin & Hunting

Just finished planting most of the garden, put in yellow squash, bush beans, zuchini, egg plant, cucumbers, banana peppers,  and more tomatoes.  Still have bell peppers to go when they get big enough.  

How deep do you plant bush beans?  I did mine about 8" apart and 1/2" deep.


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## Mako22

*Pole beans up good now*

Pole beans coming up fast now; gonna be some good eating before too long now.


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## Mako22

Fishin & Hunting said:


> Just finished planting most of the garden, put in yellow squash, bush beans, zuchini, egg plant, cucumbers, banana peppers,  and more tomatoes.  Still have bell peppers to go when they get big enough.
> 
> How deep do you plant bush beans?  I did mine about 8" apart and 1/2" deep.



My planting guide says 1.5 inches for pole beans so I always do my bush beans the same. I planted mine about 12" apart or so.


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## Hut2

Fishin & Hunting said:


> Just finished planting most of the garden, put in yellow squash, bush beans, zuchini, egg plant, cucumbers, banana peppers,  and more tomatoes.  Still have bell peppers to go when they get big enough.
> 
> How deep do you plant bush beans?  I did mine about 8" apart and 1/2" deep.



My guide said , 1.5-2" deep, I planted mine 1.5". Mine are 6" apart. Good luck!


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## Hut2

Woodsman, those pole beans are looking good! How much do you water on average per week?


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## bigbird1

Here a some pics of mine, planted a little bit of everything and a bunch of squash(my favorite). I have my sprinklers set up on homemade post and water everything with a timer.


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## Hut2

Looks good big bird!


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## Mako22

Hut2 said:


> Woodsman, those pole beans are looking good! How much do you water on average per week?



A master garderner I ain't so my system is not real scientific, I just go by how much rain we have been getting or not getting. Right now since we have not been getting any rain at all for a week or so I water every other day for about 2 hours. I probably don't know what I am doing but I get enough to eat every year out of my garden either way.


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## Mako22

bigbird1 said:


> Here a some pics of mine, planted a little bit of everything and a bunch of squash(my favorite). I have my sprinklers set up on homemade post and water everything with a timer.



Now that is a squared away looking garden you got there,  nice watering system to.


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## Hut2

Woodsman69 said:


> A master garderner I ain't so my system is not real scientific, I just go by how much rain we have been getting or not getting. Right now since we have not been getting any rain at all for a week or so I water every other day for about 2 hours. I probably don't know what I am doing but I get enough to eat every year out of my garden either way.



I'm no expert either that's for sure. I read last year that you needed at least an inch of water per week. So, last year I stuck a rain gauge in the garden & made sure the garden got at least an inch each week. Had good yields of everything so, if it's not broken ,I'm not gonna try and fix it.


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## Mako22

Hut2 said:


> I'm no expert either that's for sure. I read last year that you needed at least an inch of water per week. So, last year I stuck a rain gauge in the garden & made sure the garden got at least an inch each week. Had good yields of everything so, if it's not broken ,I'm not gonna try and fix it.



That's basically what I do is aim for 1 inch per week. I hung a rain gauge on my trellis pole to keep track of how much rain I'm getting.


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## buckrutt

Nice looking garden,now i know where to get some squash,good idea about the timer..


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## Hut2

Does anyone soak their seeds before planting? I soaked the okra seed overnight but, not the rest. I've heard that some folks do.


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## shakey gizzard

Hut2 said:


> Does anyone soak their seeds before planting? I soaked the okra seed overnight but, not the rest. I've heard that some folks do.



Some! Beans yes tomatoes no!


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## Hut2

shakey gizzard said:


> Some! Beans yes tomatoes no!



Thanks, Shakey! My bro in law soaked his corn & it came up quick and looks great.


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## bnew17

what about peas, squash, cucumbers?


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## Mako22

Well everything is coming along nicely now and the 1/2 inch of rain we got Thursday didn't hurt any either. I'd have liked to get more rain but any is better than none I suppose. I suspect my pole beans will be putting out runners any day now and start climbing the trellis. I can't wait to see that trellis filled out in vines and beans.


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## Hut2

Woodsman69 said:


> Well everything is coming along nicely now and the 1/2 inch of rain we got Thursday didn't hurt any either. I'd have liked to get more rain but any is better than none I suppose. I suspect my pole beans will be putting out runners any day now and start climbing the trellis. I can't wait to see that trellis filled out in vines and beans.



Woodsman, ya'll got a half inch more than we got! I had to water this past week. I skipped two wks. from 1st planting & planted second stage of vegetables Thursday. This way everything won't be ready at once.


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## Capt Quirk

That rain was nice, wasn't it? We got the first two beds done and planted with corn and potatoes, the third bed should be done today. Got another 6 or 8 beds going in too. Just ordered the dwarf Lemon and Orange trees yesterday, Olive tree, Coffee plants, and some Walnut and Pecan trees too. Do those count towards my Spring Garden?


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## Mako22

Capt Quirk said:


> That rain was nice, wasn't it? We got the first two beds done and planted with corn and potatoes, the third bed should be done today. Got another 6 or 8 beds going in too. Just ordered the dwarf Lemon and Orange trees yesterday, Olive tree, Coffee plants, and some Walnut and Pecan trees too. Do those count towards my Spring Garden?



I wish I could ship some of these squirrels I have to you as they have been killing my pecan crop the last two years now. I have 6 pecan trees and about 20 squirrels and that equals no pecans come harvest time.


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## Capt Quirk

I have a dog that want's to eat everything that moves, and a boy that wants to hunt squirrels. Problem solved


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## Capt Quirk

Three down, 8 more to go.


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## Hut2

Good lawd, someone's been busy! Looks good.


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## bnew17

anybody planted their peas yet? or is it still too early?


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## BowanaLee

I got everything in by good Friday. 
Its 6 rows of bush beans, 6 rows of yellow squash, 1 fence of cucumbers, 2 fences of better boys and a row of mixed sunflowers for the birds. The tomatoes are doing good, cucumbers are just breaking ground and beans and squash are not far behind. We'll plant a fall crop too, Collards, Broccoli and cauliflower. 
We have a few chickens, you know where the manure goes. 
Its 13 yds wide and 30 yds long. Looks like a full freezer to go along with some deer Mcnuggets.


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## Buck Nasty

I just turned to soil this weekend...Plants going in the ground shortly...Pics will go up when they go in.  Squash, Zucchs, and Peppers did great last year, but it was a tough year for my maters and cukes...Praying this year is better..


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## Capt Quirk

Got one bed of potatoes and tomatoes, one with corn, squash, beans and pumpkins, and the third has collards, onions, beans and peas, beets.

While they are working those beds, time to move onto the other garden-
The start of our herb garden-





The other end-





All of this in between-





All total, about another half acre. Lots of pine coming out, a lot of scrub oak, leaving all the muscadines, maples, sweetgums and holly. Going to start adding in some black walnuts, some pecans, green olives, black berry, blue berry, raspberry, grapes, all the herbs...


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## Huntinfool

Well, it took me long enough to remember to take pics.  But I did it this morning.

This is our first attempt at raised bed gardening.  I can already tell that I'll need one more box.  But, then I think we should be good.

They are 6' X 4' and we're working with the square foot method with some help from friends that have done it for several years.  So far everything is looking and growing great and we're really excited to see how it goes (and our two kids are WAY pumped!).

We also put in a little rail box herb garden on our back deck a couple of weeks ago and it has been growing like wildfire.  Been using them just about every night and there is just no comparison between fresh herbs and what you buy at the store IMO.

So far we've got squash, zucchini, tomatoes, three kinds of peppers, carrots, green beans and two kinds of lettuce.

We're going to add more beans, zucchini and squash in the second box, and then add some green onions and yukon gold potatoes.


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## Capt Quirk

There is always a need for one more bed


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## Huntinfool

Unfortunately.....I think you're right.


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## Capt Quirk

We have a half acre for veggies, and will extend that another half acre for grains, plus the half acre for herbs, fruits, and nuts.  Then another half an acre or more for pasture. I really hope that will be enough!


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## Handshake

*My Garden*

Here is the garden on April 7th, just plowed. I will keep posting pictures. I guess I need to plant now...


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## Hut2

Oh yeah ,that's looking good! Luck to you.........


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## bnew17

good looking garden spots! ill post pics of mine later today...hopefully gone plant saturday!


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## Mako22

Not a drop of rain since last Thursday and none expected in the near future. I've been running the sprinkler every evening after work for about an hour and direct watering my tomatoes every other day with the hose. My pole beans are sending out runners now so by next week they should be climbing up the strings real good.


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## Hut2

Yeah, it's been 3 wks. Monday since we've had rain! 40% chance Sun. I've been watering away.


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## Mako22

I was in Harbor Freight the other day and they had these packs of plastic spike thingys for watering with. You screw a two litter bottle on top of it and then stick the spike into the ground at the base of your plants. It's supposed to slow drip and water your plant below ground at the roots. I think they were about $3 for a pack of three. I had thought I could cut the bottom off of the two litter bottles and let them fill up when it rains to save on this city water I'm using.


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## crackerdave

Woodsman69 said:


> I was in Harbor Freight the other day and they had these packs of plastic spike thingys for watering with. You screw a two litter bottle on top of it and then stick the spike into the ground at the base of your plants. It's supposed to slow drip and water your plant below ground at the roots. I think they were about $3 for a pack of three. I had thought I could cut the bottom off of the two litter bottles and let them fill up when it rains to save on this city water I'm using.


Great way to water! I do it fer cheap: Take a sharp pointed knife and make a tiny hole in the bottom front "corner" of a gallon plastic milk jug.Suspend it [full of water and/or water-soluble fertilizer generic Miraclegro] and let 'er drip! You might have to adjust hole size or cap tightness to get a good,slow drip.

Old Indian trick. Bet the Capt.knows a few,too.

Great thread,y'all! Like a fine breath of spring air,compared to a couple other forums I won't name.


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## Capt Quirk

Man... some varmint ate just about all the tomato sprouts last night. Had to by a couple flats from the store to replace them. Something is quickly working it's way to the last rung of the food chain, the rung right before becoming dinner!


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## crackerdave

Capt,you'll save yourself money and trouble with the law by investing in a Zareba battery [4 d-cells,12 or 6 volt] fence charger and one strand of wire with peanut butter treats [foil pieces with peanut butter rolled up in 'em] hung to the wire every 8-10 feet.Straight from the wire to the brain,via tongue or nose.It don't play - one lesson is almost always enough per deer.The smart ones just watch and laff.


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## Capt Quirk

No money left for electric wiring now, just spent a wad on chickens and materials to build a pen. Of course, I'm sure I'll go out tomorrow to find the chickens were all eaten by something...


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## slip

should be planting in a week or so....cant wait.


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## bnew17

got a question for the guys with the bigger gardens. what type of irrigation are yall using to cover your garden with. mine is 150' x 75' . Just wondering if theres any particular type of watering sprinkler that is geared to cover lots of ground?


----------



## Capt Quirk

Sprinklers tend to waste water, throwing it everywhere. Soaker hoses are the way to go.


----------



## bnew17

Capt Quirk said:


> Sprinklers tend to waste water, throwing it everywhere. Soaker hoses are the way to go.



thats alot of soaker hose to buy, haha...and i live in the country so water usage really isnt a problem. thats kinda why im leaning towards a sprinkler. Ive got a set up with 2 sprinklers i believe will work just was curious to others ideas and what they use for larger gardens.


----------



## Capt Quirk

Tell me about it, I have 6 beds, 60' long at the moment. But, it gets the water to the roots, not the dirt 4 feet away, and not on the surface where it will evaporate.


----------



## Mako22

I had a 200' long by 100' wide garden a few years back and I used three rotating (not the fan type) sprinklers from Wal-Mart. The only problem was I had a three way splitter at the end of the main hose and I didn't have enough water pressure to run all three at once.

Captain is right though, soaker hoses are the best way to go if you can afford em.


----------



## Mako22

crackerdave said:


> Great way to water! I do it fer cheap: Take a sharp pointed knife and make a tiny hole in the bottom front "corner" of a gallon plastic milk jug.Suspend it [full of water and/or water-soluble fertilizer generic Miraclegro] and let 'er drip! You might have to adjust hole size or cap tightness to get a good,slow drip.
> 
> Old Indian trick. Bet the Capt.knows a few,too.
> 
> Great thread,y'all! Like a fine breath of spring air,compared to a couple other forums I won't name.



I've heard of a way of doing that where you cut the top off of the jug and set it on the ground next to your tomatoe plants. When it rains the jug refills and starts to slow soak the plant again.


----------



## Mako22

slip said:


> should be planting in a week or so....cant wait.



Don't forget to show us some pics when you do get it in.


----------



## Mako22

Handshake said:


> Here is the garden on April 7th, just plowed. I will keep posting pictures. I guess I need to plant now...



Looking good, keep us posted on it's progress.


----------



## Handshake

bnew17 said:


> thats alot of soaker hose to buy, haha...and i live in the country so water usage really isnt a problem. thats kinda why im leaning towards a sprinkler. Ive got a set up with 2 sprinklers i believe will work just was curious to others ideas and what they use for larger gardens.


You might want to think about the soaker hose idea, I use them down each row and they help keep the weeds down between the rows. With the sprinkler your also watering the weeds. With the hose your only watering the roots of the plants.


----------



## Capt Quirk

Gee, where are you guys when I'm arguing with the wife? That's when I could really use the backup


----------



## bnew17

Woodsman69 said:


> I had a 200' long by 100' wide garden a few years back and I used three rotating (not the fan type) sprinklers from Wal-Mart. The only problem was I had a three way splitter at the end of the main hose and I didn't have enough water pressure to run all three at once.
> 
> Captain is right though, soaker hoses are the best way to go if you can afford em.



the water pressure was one thing i have been thinking about. i could probably water 2 at the time and 1 after if i did go with 3 sprinklers. I have a Orbit watering system with 4 hose outlets...i may just have to cut down on the area im gonna plant


----------



## Mako22

bnew17 said:


> the water pressure was one thing i have been thinking about. i could probably water 2 at the time and 1 after if i did go with 3 sprinklers. I have a Orbit watering system with 4 hose outlets...i may just have to cut down on the area im gonna plant



I did the BIG garden two years in a row and it was more work than I was willing to put into it. 40'x20' is about all I have time for with 2 kids playing baseball and all that fishing I've got to do.


----------



## Mako22

Got my farm labor out there weeding the back 40 today. Good thing about home schooling is you can schedule in some Agriculture classes in the afternoons, todays class was weeding 101.


----------



## Handshake

Woodsman69 said:


> I did the BIG garden two years in a row and it was more work than I was willing to put into it. 40'x20' is about all I have time for with 2 kids playing baseball and all that fishing I've got to do.


 I hear you! I plant a lot of peanuts, corn and this year will be less okra, beans, squash and so on. I like growing the stuff you don't have to pick every day. Peanuts are the best! They last along time in the fridge too!


----------



## Mako22

Handshake said:


> I hear you! I plant a lot of peanuts, corn and this year will be less okra, beans, squash and so on. I like growing the stuff you don't have to pick every day. Peanuts are the best! They last along time in the fridge too!



I used to get my peanuts from Grandpa (peanut farmer) but he died eight years ago, this year we got them from a farmer in our church. His wife put them in freezer bags for us and we put them up in the freezer so we can have boiled peanuts when we want some.


----------



## chiefsquirrel83

chiefsquirrel83 said:


> i was going to do a garden....but had a buddy of mine do the 3 inch PVC pipe.....4 ft. 3 inch pvc....then at one end 2 90 degree attatchments....then dug the curved in 1ft in the ground and put 1 plant on top....every other day he added one scoop of miracle grow and let the hose run medium until the water bubbled around the plant....the thing grew 13 ft....that one plant put out so many tomatoes....he came over yesterday and got it goin' for me....will post pics once i get the Better Boy in.....lookin' forward to it



here are the pics to this guys....got my peppers the same way in 3 gallon pots with 1 inch pvc....the moisture you see in the soil is the water feeding from the pipe...kinda neat.....only way I can do a good vegetable anything since my 2 acres from the mailbox to the chicken farm slants like this /


----------



## No-Limit

Chief, Thanks for taking the time to draw that out and put up the pics.  Basically it's just a more efficient way of getting the water/nutrients to the roots.  I'm gonna give it a shot and see what happens.  Thanks again.

Do you put any sort of screen on top of the pvc (the side that is burried in the ground) to keep the soil from clogging it up?


----------



## Mako22

My understanding is that if you put the 90 degree end of the pipe just out of the ground and with some netting over it you can plant the tomatoe right into the 90 degree pipe with zero soil involved.  The netting would be there to support the young plant until it's root sytem fills the pipe enough to support itself. You then pour a miracle grow solution down the pipe and grow the plant in nothing but water/miracle grow.


----------



## slip

got 9 tomatoes, 9 crook neck, 9 zucchini plants in the ground.

no pics...dont wanna jinxs it

plan on doing a bunch of sweet potatoes too. gotta read how to grow them, first.


----------



## chiefsquirrel83

there will be dirt in the pipe....and that's a good thing....no net over the top....


----------



## Twenty five ought six

Here's my "salad garden"  -- spinach, two kinds of lettuce, three kinds of radishes, some spring onions.


----------



## bnew17

looks good 25-06... i tried growing some romaine last year and didnt work out too well.


----------



## Huntinfool

Our romaine is doing great so far.  Not quite that big, but it's growing like a dang weed!


----------



## Twenty five ought six

Thanks, I've always had good luck with Romaine.  The red lettuce is "Red Sails" which I've had very good luck with also -- it will hold up in the heat longer.


----------



## Fishin & Hunting

Good idea, never thought of doing leaf lettuce.

Will have to try some next year.


----------



## bnew17

25 did you plant those from seeds?


----------



## Twenty five ought six

bnew17 said:


> 25 did you plant those from seeds?



Yes.  The lettuce I start in pots so I can start it indoors, then transplant to the garden.

The spinach is interesting, because I planted it late last October --it overwintered as plants about the size of quarter-- really disappointed, just sat there-- then this spring, I replanted in rows to conserve space, hit it with some nitrogen, and it took off.

FWIW, because I'm using beds, I'm using nitrate of soda -- it's a little pricey but does not acidify the soil like ammonium nitrate.  You can get it at a well stocked seed store.


----------



## Hut2

Thank the lord for this good rain yesterday & today. Glad to see my corn up about 3-4 " today.


----------



## bnew17

Hut2 said:


> Thank the lord for this good rain yesterday & today. Glad to see my corn up about 3-4 " today.



supposed to get a good rain today...i planted saturday and sunday...im keeping my fingers crossed!


----------



## Capt Quirk

As much as I have enjoyed the dry weather, and I really want to finish digging the root cellar... I'd really like to see some good rain. Filling 55 gallon barrels to water the garden is getting real old, real fast.


----------



## hawgrider1200

*water*



Capt Quirk said:


> As much as I have enjoyed the dry weather, and I really want to finish digging the root cellar... I'd really like to see some good rain. Filling 55 gallon barrels to water the garden is getting real old, real fast.



It's really neighborly of ya to tote all that water just to put on my okra plants. THe trouble with the rain is we seem to get it all at once like in the winter and when we need it for crops and stuff we don't get as much as we want. I understand that the rain we get today is not supposed to be much more than a drizzle so it would not hinder ya from digging that root cellar. Hey, clay seems to dig easier when it's a tad wet anyhow.


----------



## Capt Quirk

Yeah... I'll water yer okra for ya... might improve the taste of it


----------



## Capt Quirk

hawgrider1200 said:


> Hey, clay seems to dig easier when it's a tad wet anyhow.


Wet is one thing, but it has had up to 3' of water in the bottom for quite a while. It would get down to the bottom, and I'd get a bit more dug... then BAM! Another 3 days of rain, and the cellar is a pool again


----------



## Hut2

Good luck to ya'll Ga. folks on getting some beneficial rain!


----------



## Capt Quirk

Here is the start of our irrigation system. Keep in mind, we have years to expand 

The Driven Well... ok. not so well 






The point is almost 2' long.





My stepson got anxious to start driving it, so I let him go at it. He got the first 5' pipe about a third of the way into the ground using a post slammer, stops, and adds another 5' section of pipe. This is where I join the picture. I give him a break, and slam the first pipe all the way in, the second was 6" under ground in about an hour. Then he says, "lets take the cap off and pour some water in to soften the clay?". Sounded good. But the cap doesn't want to come off. Then he says, " I didn't tighten it all the way, it should come right off...". 

This is the look on my face, as I realize we're screwed.


When the instructions say "BE SURE TO TIGHTEN PIPE COUPLINGS AND DRIVE CAP ALL THE WAY TO AVOID DAMAGING THREADS!", they mean it! Two options are, cut the pipe and rethread it, or pull the pipe up, remove the damaged piece and continue. We don't have the tools to fix it, so... new drive cap and pipe have been ordered, and hopefully in this week. Only need to go 30".


So, until we get that fixed, and can get the 500' of pipe to bring water up from the creek, we are using 55 gallon drums, and a small 12v pump we got cheap.





Going into this-





To the head of each bed-





4 beds down,  another 8 or 10 to go.


----------



## Mako22

We just got 3/4" of rain and might get a little more before sunrise, it's been 12 days since we got the last 3/4" so the garden should be wet and happy now.


----------



## crackerdave

Capt Quirk said:


> As much as I have enjoyed the dry weather, and I really want to finish digging the root cellar... I'd really like to see some good rain. Filling 55 gallon barrels to water the garden is getting real old, real fast.



I know what you mean,Keith!
I have pumps to irrigate from my ponds,but it's a hassle _and_ an expense with the price of gas for the pumps.

OKRA! Yum........when do we _eat?_


----------



## crackerdave

bnew17 said:


> looks good 25-06... i tried growing some romaine last year and didnt work out too well.



The only year I ever tried lettuce,Buttercrunch and Black Seeded Simpson did good for me.They like cool weather,though.

Homegrown salads are a wonderful thing!


----------



## Fishin & Hunting

Well you all made me try some Black Seeded Simpson, just got done planting it.  The garden just got a little bigger.

My new question is about tomatoes.  My tomato plants are starting to flower now.  Should I nip the buds and let the plant grow more, or just let them be?

Also that dang rabbit.  I have one rabbit that last year that stayed in my back yard.  Plus the deer.  They never bothered my garden believe it our not, but the deer have killed some of my Wife's rose bushes.  Well today I discovered some cucumber plants down to the dirt.  The trap will come out along with the pellet gun.


----------



## Capt Quirk

Shhh... be vewy vewy qwiet... I'm hunting wabbits!


----------



## crackerdave

Git 'em,Elmer! Then tenderize 'em like dis:  Den put 'em in de pot lak dis:

Is wabbit season still year - round in Fla.? I know it used to be.Mighty handy,fer hongry crackers!


----------



## Mako22

Got 1/2 inch of rain yesterday AM and now we are getting a real frog strangler, might end up with around 1.5-2 inches total when it's done.

Everything is coming along real nice in the garden, pole beans are half way up the strings now and should be filled out by next weekend.


----------



## Mako22

Rain let up a little so I went out to the garden with the umbrella and the gauge shows 2 and 3/4's of an inch since yesterday. It's still coming down some so we might get over 3 inches before it's done. This is great for the garden and good for the catfishing at the river.


----------



## Fishin & Hunting

Don't know how much rain we got here in Jackson, GA, but just checked the garden, and it sure has added a couple of inches of growth since yesterday.  Now it is the suns turn to make  it grow.


----------



## Capt Quirk

We got quite a thunderstorm here last night. Just hoping it didn't wash the seeds out. Shoulda got started earlier with the planting.


----------



## bnew17

Heres my garden. Planted it last Saturday (17th). All the peas and corn came up on about the 5th day. Most of it is a few inches tall even though you cant really tell from the picture. Ive got 5 rows of corn on the far right. Some of it has started to come up. The back third is watermelon/honeydew/canteloupe.  Size is 150ft x 50ft


----------



## Mako22

bnew17 said:


> Heres my garden. Planted it last Saturday (24th). All the peas and corn came up on about the 5th day. Most of it is a few inches tall even though you cant really tell from the picture. Ive got 5 rows of corn on the far right. Some of it has started to come up. The back third is watermelon/honeydew/canteloupe.  Size is 150ft x 50ft



You ought to eat good out of a plot that size, them honey dews sound real good, I could use one right now!


----------



## bnew17

Woodsman69 said:


> You ought to eat good out of a plot that size, them honey dews sound real good, I could use one right now!



I sure hope so! I love some honey dews too! I dont know of anybody that has grown any around here. Just some canteloupes and watermelons. So hopefully they will make it.


----------



## Handshake

Finally got my garden planted yesterday (Sunday 4/25). In a few more weeks I will plant more corn. Rain/Sun/Rain/Sun/Rain/Sun...come on!


----------



## Hut2

Got 3" total rain Sunday & Monday morning! We really needed it too.


----------



## carver

Hey,I went to that school!!!!!!


----------



## Mako22

Handshake said:


> Finally got my garden planted yesterday (Sunday 4/25). In a few more weeks I will plant more corn. Rain/Sun/Rain/Sun/Rain/Sun...come on!



Are those soaker hoses in the rows and what you got planted along them fences? Nice looking plot


----------



## Mako22

It's amazing how much growth you get just three days after a good rain (2 and 3/4's of an inch). Hard to tell from these pics but my garden really responded well to the rain we got this weekend, my armerillos liked it also. Pole beans are over the top now in places and are putting on leaves, tomatoes have got some tiny matters growing on em now and my peppers are blooming pretty good. It will not be long and I'll be eating some fresh veggies.


----------



## Hut2

Looks real good woodsman! Bet your mouths starting to water. lol


----------



## Fishin & Hunting

Dang the garden is coming along,  one of the benefits of living in south GA.


----------



## Capt Quirk

Just got 250' of soaker hose today, I'll try and get it cut and laid out in he next couple days... get the fittings for it. Kinda hard to concentrate on the garden, I started on the battery house this week, and then we finally got our storage pods after 9 months. ALL our stuff was in them! It was like Christmas in April


----------



## BowanaLee

Mines a little behind y'all S Ga guys. I planted from seeds on good Friday. Well, everything except tomatoes. They were very small plants. Its coming along though. 
My beans didn't come up heavy enough so I added a few more seeds. I soaked em this time but it'll be a while before there showing. 
Squash came up heaver in some places than others. I'll transplant into the thin areas. My cucumber fence is doing well.
About time to tie mater's !


----------



## T.P.

Bowanna,

With those deer in the background, your garden ain't gonna have a chance..


----------



## Hut2

T.P. said:


> Bowanna,
> 
> With those deer in the background, your garden ain't gonna have a chance..



Deer & looks like hogs too! I know where I'd be bow hunting .....LOL Garden looks good too!


----------



## crackerdave

Capt Quirk said:


> Just got 250' of soaker hose today, I'll try and get it cut and laid out in he next couple days... get the fittings for it. Kinda hard to concentrate on the garden, I started on the battery house this week, and then we finally got our storage pods after 9 months. ALL our stuff was in them! It was like Christmas in April



I bet that _was_ an event! Y'all will be "in tall cotton," now!


----------



## Mako22

I never really thought about the fact that North Georgia folks might have to plant a little later than I do. I always plant around the 20th of March except for peas, I ain't never been one to follow the lunar planting guide but one day I might.


----------



## Mako22

Capt Quirk said:


> Just got 250' of soaker hose today, I'll try and get it cut and laid out in he next couple days... get the fittings for it. Kinda hard to concentrate on the garden, I started on the battery house this week, and then we finally got our storage pods after 9 months. ALL our stuff was in them! It was like Christmas in April



I'm interested in seeing some pics of your fruit and hearing some reports on your yield. It sounds like you got a real professional job going on there in your plot.


----------



## Mako22

bowanna said:


> Mines a little behind y'all S Ga guys. I planted from seeds on good Friday. Well, everything except tomatoes. They were very small plants. Its coming along though.
> My beans didn't come up heavy enough so I added a few more seeds. I soaked em this time but it'll be a while before there showing.
> Squash came up heaver in some places than others. I'll transplant into the thin areas. My cucumber fence is doing well.
> About time to tie mater's !



I just let my cucumbers go on the ground so are you saying they will climb? Is a fence for em better than the ground? I might try that next year myself.


----------



## Mako22

*How a pro does a bean trellis.*

I love this guy, he has a web site with a lot of helpfull videos. http://www.thebayougardener.com/

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----------



## Capt Quirk

Dave, it's been just like Christmas 

Woodsman, you don't know how much work it's been. I'm waiting to see the stuff come up too... if the critters and the drought don't do them in first. Just got the Black Walnuts and Pecan seedlings today, will put them in some dirt tomorrow. Trying to clear out another half acre of trees to make room for all the fruit and nut trees now.


----------



## greasemnky20

Woodsman69 said:


> I just let my cucumbers go on the ground so are you saying they will climb? Is a fence for em better than the ground? I might try that next year myself.



Yep, my mom taught me to do that. Everytime i grow cucumbers, I put them either on a string, or a fence, and they will climb. She started this after we started having problems with water puddling underneath the plants and rotting the cucumbers. We put the fence in, and doubled our crop, and it was healthier and bigger than ever before.


----------



## shakey gizzard

greasemnky20 said:


> Yep, my mom taught me to do that. Everytime i grow cucumbers, I put them either on a string, or a fence, and they will climb. She started this after we started having problems with water puddling underneath the plants and rotting the cucumbers. We put the fence in, and doubled our crop, and it was healthier and bigger than ever before.



Its also a grat way to save space!


----------



## vcd1363

I have been amazed at how much my garden has improved since i put the bee hives next to it.


----------



## Mako22

vcd1363 said:


> I have been amazed at how much my garden has improved since i put the bee hives next to it.



If that ain't a maximum security garden then I don't know what is!


----------



## BowanaLee

Woodsman69 said:


> I just let my cucumbers go on the ground so are you saying they will climb? Is a fence for em better than the ground? I might try that next year myself.



Oh yeah, they climb great. Keeps em clean and dry too, less rotting. My dad showed me years ago. 
Zucchini climbs too. Sometimes I mix em on a fence.


----------



## Mako22

bowanna said:


> Oh yeah, they climb great. Keeps em clean and dry too, less rotting. My dad showed me years ago.
> Zucchini climbs too. Sometimes I mix em on a fence.



Zuchs climb? Mine don't seem to put out any kind of vine, what variety of Zuchs climb? I'd like to try that along with some of the other things I have learned off of this thread.


----------



## crackerdave

shakey gizzard said:


> Its also a grat way to save space!



They seem to grow straighter,too,when they're hanging like that.Rewire tomato cages are great for cukes! When they start growing out the tops of the cages,put other cages tied horizontally across the tops of the first cages,and you'll soon have a cuke jungle - off the ground!Anchor everything good,though - or the wind will wreck it.

Once every couple of weeks,you can hang some gallon milk jugs with a pinhole in the bottom to drip a Miracle Gro solution near the stem of each plant.Put a strong stick through the handle of the jug,and stick it through a place on the cage that suspends it where it'll drip in the right place.


----------



## Mako22

I just spotted a zuch bloom and a squash doing the same in the garden this AM, gonna be eating em in a few days. Seems a little early to be producing but I ain't complaining.


----------



## Mako22

*Time to weed again*

Well my farm labor found out what they were gonna do this afternoon. Hey we can't go fishing every Saturday!


----------



## hawgrider1200

*flowers?*



Woodsman69 said:


> I just spotted a zuch bloom and a squash doing the same in the garden this AM, gonna be eating em in a few days. Seems a little early to be producing but I ain't complaining.



Yeah, u wanna b picking those pesky flowers off your plants u can't eat em. Now is about time to fertilize your grits trees too. Asbestos ashes are hard to come by this time of year.


----------



## Huntinfool

Here's an updated picture of one of our boxes.  It really doesn't do it justice.  We used really good soil to fill the boxes and the plants are just absolutely exploding.  

In this one we have carrots, beans, squash, zucchini, three kinds of peppers and two kinds of lettuce (iceburg and romaine).

In the other one that's not pictured, more lettuce, carrots, onions, yukon gold potatoes, more squash and zucchini, cucumbers and two tomato plants.  The second box was planted about two weeks later to stagger the harvest a little bit and extend the growing season.

View attachment garden.bmp


----------



## Mako22

Huntinfool said:


> Here's an updated picture of one of our boxes.  It really doesn't do it justice.  We used really good soil to fill the boxes and the plants are just absolutely exploding.
> 
> In this one we have carrots, beans, squash, zucchini, three kinds of peppers and two kinds of lettuce (iceburg and romaine).
> 
> In the other one that's not pictured, more lettuce, carrots, onions, yukon gold potatoes, more squash and zucchini, cucumbers and two tomato plants.  The second box was planted about two weeks later to stagger the harvest a little bit and extend the growing season.
> 
> View attachment 522581



Looking real nice there, I need to try and stagger my planting a little also so I can enjoy fresh veggies longer. Good luck with it.


----------



## abrannon

Here are some photos from last week, after teh rain and warm weather everything has jumped since then.







[/IMG]


----------



## Huntinfool

Woodsman69 said:


> Looking real nice there, I need to try and stagger my planting a little also so I can enjoy fresh veggies longer. Good luck with it.



Pretty sure we're going to add two more boxes for next year and just plant the same things in each box....just two weeks apart.  We don't need 10 pounds of green beans all at the same time and we'd rather eat them fresh off the vine.  

So we're trying to figure out how to stagger them so that we have fresh veggies from late May all the way through late Sept or on into Oct.  

This was our first try at the raised bed/square foot thing.  So far, it's going really well and the kids love it too.  Haven't had to pull a single weed yet.  So that's an added benefit of the beds for sure.


----------



## aligator

MY up side down tomatos and two Italian Sqush plants,  Will take some photos of garden later.


----------



## Mako22

Huntinfool said:


> Pretty sure we're going to add two more boxes for next year and just plant the same things in each box....just two weeks apart.  We don't need 10 pounds of green beans all at the same time and we'd rather eat them fresh off the vine.
> 
> So we're trying to figure out how to stagger them so that we have fresh veggies from late May all the way through late Sept or on into Oct.
> 
> This was our first try at the raised bed/square foot thing.  So far, it's going really well and the kids love it too.  Haven't had to pull a single weed yet.  So that's an added benefit of the beds for sure.



We try to pressure can around 100 pint jars of pole beans every year plus we freeze a lot of yellow squash and zuchs.


----------



## abrannon

Do pole beans do well with freezing? I know my mother always canned them, but I do not have the equipment for that at this time.  Nor do I have the shelf space.

I have never had enough Beans to worry about putting any up but this year I planted twice as many.


----------



## Mako22

abrannon said:


> Do pole beans do well with freezing? I know my mother always canned them, but I do not have the equipment for that at this time.  Nor do I have the shelf space.
> 
> I have never had enough Beans to worry about putting any up but this year I planted twice as many.



Blanch for 1-2 minutes (boiling water) then strain and rinse until cool under cold water, then place in freezer bags, stick in freezer. They last about one year in the freezer. Good luck.


----------



## meatseeker

Woodsman69 said:


> Blanch for 1-2 minutes (boiling water) then strain and rinse until cool under cold water, then place in freezer bags, stick in freezer. They last about one year in the freezer. Good luck.



Freeze them in water and they'll last for years. I'm still eatin beans from 07 and there still fine. the water keeps them from freezer burn.


----------



## Mako22

meatseeker said:


> Freeze them in water and they'll last for years. I'm still eatin beans from 07 and there still fine. the water keeps them from freezer burn.



Yeah thats the way I put up fish I catch by covering them in water in old milk jugs with the top cut off. I know a fella who freezes his field peas in an old pillow case. He says if they are dry when you put the pillow case in the freezer then they don't get freezer burn. He keeps a cup in the case with em to scoop some out with when he wants some peas.


----------



## Mako22

Been getting plenty of rain and so the garden really responded with a lot of growth. My squash and zuchs are now full of blooms as are the pole beans, bush beans and peppers. I saw some tiny bush beans growing today so it will not be too long now. I also have some small squash and zuchs that will be picking size later in the week.


----------



## crackerdave

You're way ahead of me! We haven't been getting much rain,either - that doesn't help.

I spent part of this weekend putting out peanut butter "treats" for my deer friends.
 These are little wads of aluminum foil filled with a dab of cheap peanut butter [ain't wastin' th' _good stuff_ on no varmints!] and hung about every ten feet on my single-strand electric fence.When their nose and/or tongue makes contact,they get knocked on their butt! Nothing like electro-shock treatments for the ol' brain,I always say!


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## slip

my garden is growing, slowly but surely. we need some rain.


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## Mako22

Well boys (and gals) I picked my 1st Zuch of the year yesterday and today Momma cut it up, rolled the wagon wheels in flour and baptized em in some hot oil for dinner. I sure do love some fried squash  this is my favorite time of year.


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## crackerdave

We got about a quarter inch here this evening! Not much,but better than was forecast.

You're makin' me _hongry,_ Woodsman!


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## BowanaLee

Dang, y'all are waaay ahead of me. I planted squash, cucumbers and bush beans from seeds on good Friday. (April 2nd) Did y'all plant plants ? 
I guess mine are doing ok seeing they had to sprout first. Tomatoes were plants so their pretty tall. No tomatoes yet though, just flowers. 
They NEVER get ready quick enough.


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## abrannon

The only plants I planted were my Pepper and my cabbage, everything else came from Bulb, root or seed.


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## abrannon

Can someone tell me if my onions are doing ok. "See 2nd picture above"  The tops are over 2 Ft tall and 3/4"-1" wide.  But the bulb does not seem to be growing any.


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## Fishin & Hunting

*Progress so far*

Well here is the progress of my garden so far.  Most of it was planted Good Friday weekend.  My problem is too much shade, not enough sun light as the pictures show.  Were I get my most sun is where the pot garden is, the soil in this area is poor.  Where I have my good soil, the shade is over powering.  Have cut down some trees, just can't cut them all.

One thing I did do is to go out in the yard and dig out 1.5 foot diameter areas and plant cucumbers plants.  This helped me increase my garden size with out much effort.  Just won't have to mow the yard after the vines grow out into it.

To see before pictures go to post #16.


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## crackerdave

I've got a "co-op" for six families going this year,so I've planted _way more_ than usual - six places,probably 2 acres total.

There's a website www.localharvest.org that tells about CSA's - Community Supported Agriculture. It's great for everybody - farmers _and_ eaters!


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## Mako22

I planted mine on March 19th and I have flowers and or fruit on almost all my plants including tomatoes. I'm down here in deep Southern Georgia about 15 miles North of the Florida line so our growing season may start sooner than some of y'all. Momma is getting ready to start canning and freezing veggies this weekend or early next week.


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## Mako22

*1st pickings*

Picked my 1st good sized group of produce this AM but the crooknecks are coming out deformed and bumpy, I'm not sure why this is. I had one squash plant get splotchy in color on the leaves and fruit, it looked deseased so I pulled it and threw it in the garbage can. The beans in the pic are Roma 2 bush beans and they are just starting to get big enough to pick. The 2nd pic is of my cucumbers which are climbing the fence I put in real good, I'm glad I learned they would climb from someone on this thread.


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## slip

Woodsman69 said:


> Picked my 1st good sized group of produce this AM but the crooknecks are coming out deformed and bumpy, I'm not sure why this is. I had one squash plant get splotchy in color on the leaves and fruit, it looked deseased so I pulled it and threw it in the garbage can. The beans in the pic are Roma 2 bush beans and they are just starting to get big enough to pick. The 2nd pic is of my cucumbers which are climbing the fence I put in real good, I'm glad I learned they would climb from someone on this thread.
> 
> View attachment 528031
> View attachment 528032



sounds like powdery mildew, if you see any of that get rid of it ASAP. spreads like a wild fire and almost always kills the plant. 
i lost a whole garden of pumpkins to it a few falls ago...didnt know nothing about it at the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powdery_mildew


your garden looks great!


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## carver

*good spot for info*

WalterReeves.com


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## Mako22

carver said:


> WalterReeves.com



Thanks I looked at it and it was helpfull as I learned something about pole beans and hot weather that I didn't know.


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## Mako22

*Really starting to produce now!*

Zuchs, crook necks, pole beans and bush beans.


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## HoCoLion91

Got some tomatoes on the fence.  Small row of okra at the bottom.  Zucchini,  yellow squash, corn, and a scuppernong vine at the top.  Should have a pile of squash and zucchini in a few days, they are blooming like crazy.


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## Mako22

Picking, snapping and canning every day now, bell peppers are all over my plants and should be ready to pick next week. Y'all post some pics of your produce for all of us to admire.


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## Fishin & Hunting

With all this rain we had Friday, my cucumbers plants were underwater for a while.  Look fine now.


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## Mako22

Fishin & Hunting said:


> With all this rain we had Friday, my cucumbers plants were underwater for a while.  Look fine now.



Well when they come up for air they should take off real good, nothing like rain to make a garden grow.


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## Buck Nasty

Woodsman69 said:


> Well when they come up for air they should take off real good, nothing like rain to make a garden grow.



Sho nuff... plants have voted, they prefer mother natures water 10 to 1 over the water hose.


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## bigbird1

Just a little growth on mine since last pics!!


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## gadeerwoman

Bush beans blooming. Hanging cherry tomato plant just about played out after giving me @150 little sweet tomatoes. I'll get the first 2 ripe goliath tomatoes tomorrow. 
Squash not doing well for the 2nd year in a row.


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## Mako22

bigbird1 said:


> Just a little growth on mine since last pics!!
> 
> View attachment 530636
> 
> View attachment 530637
> 
> View attachment 530638



I really like a squared away garden and that is a tiddy plot you have there. I guess it's the Marine in me because I like my garden to be in neat rows, organized, weeded regulary and over all well maintained. Yours looks to be well in order, good job I hope it produces a load of produce for you.


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## Mako22

gadeerwoman said:


> Bush beans blooming. Hanging cherry tomato plant just about played out after giving me @150 little sweet tomatoes. I'll get the first 2 ripe goliath tomatoes tomorrow.
> Squash not doing well for the 2nd year in a row.



You sound like me with tomatoes as I have been fighting bloom rot for three seasons now and no matter what I try I can't get a decent tomato crop. Good luck with it I hope you get some squash out of your plot.


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## bigbird1

Woodsman69 said:


> I really like a squared away garden and that is a tiddy plot you have there. I guess it's the Marine in me because I like my garden to be in neat rows, organized, weeded regulary and over all well maintained. Yours looks to be well in order, good job I hope it produces a load of produce for you.


 

Thanks, I got more time on my hands this year. I started getting squash last week and we put up about #25 so far. I really think I planted to much this year.


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## slip

i got kind of a late start on everything, but...it is what it is.






9cabbage/9tomatoes.





9crook neck.





18sweet potato





9zucchini

i was also going to do onion to the left of the sweet potatos but could never find any!






here is what im getting ready real fast. hoping to do a bunch of melons, if nothing else it'll be ready for fall and next spring. i plan to do fall pumpkins and corn too. 

and sun flowers for mom.


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## Capt Quirk

Nice looking garden there, and even the chickens seem to approve  As far as sweet potato slips, we found them at WallyMart of all places.


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## ditchdoc24

Got the first harvest from my garden today with 4 zucchinis. Tomatoes are coming along well and looks like we'll be covered up with them very soon. Okra is also doing well. My cucumbers have lots of blooms but no veggies yet and my peppers are a few weeks from being ready.


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## buckrutt

Looking good Bigbird,never plant to much ,lol.Just  wanted to let  you know how good it was,fried matter's and squash.mmmmmmmmm


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## bnew17

todays pickle cucumbers i picked. Picked this many yesterday and now im out of canning jars


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## Capt Quirk

We got a couple of DragonTongue beans today, and they are pretty tasty!


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## Lane_H

Here is part of ours. Okra, cucumbers, crooked neck squash, and yellow sweet corn.


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## MR.BIGBUCK

can you tell me trick on the grass im in west ga and the grass is so bad i just bought some grass and weed killer going to spray as soon as it gets dryer.









Hut2 said:


> That's gonna be pure cow manure! We had a great garden last year.Not a problem with grass or weeds to speak of. Which, I work it pretty well to. I've got a trick for keeping unwanted weeds & grass too!


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## Capt Quirk

Wow Lane! That looks great... except for that nasty okra infestation...


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## Mako22

Capt Quirk said:


> Wow Lane! That looks great... except for that nasty okra infestation...



His goats look yummy to me.


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## bnew17

did some weeding today...its looking good...not too much longer!


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## bigbird1

bnew17 said:


> did some weeding today...its looking good...not too much longer!


 
Looking good, looks like it time to side dress your corn and watch it take off!!


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## bnew17

bigbird1 said:


> Looking good, looks like it time to side dress your corn and watch it take off!!



The tips were  yellowing 2 weeks ago so i sidedressed with 36-0-0  Do you think i should again?


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## bigbird1

bnew17 said:


> The tips were yellowing 2 weeks ago so i sidedressed with 36-0-0  Do you think i should again?


 
 No, you should be good. But I would bring the dirt that is in between your rows and hill it back up on the corn, this will help with weed control and also give your corn a little more stability during high winds. I know it sounds like alot of work but should only take about 15 min a row.


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## bnew17

bigbird1 said:


> No, you should be good. But I would bring the dirt that is in between your rows and hill it back up on the corn, this will help with weed control and also give your corn a little more stability during high winds. I know it sounds like alot of work but should only take about 15 min a row.




thanks bird... i will do that...the dirt is real soft because i had a guy till it up yesterday so it shouldnt be much trouble at all!

btw i planted the corn April 17th...so that would make it 7 weeks old. I did replant some that didnt come up or the deer got a week after they came up. Ive never grown corn before so i dont really know if mine is behind schedule , on track, or what.


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## bigbird1

bnew17 said:


> thanks bird... i will do that...the dirt is real soft because i had a guy till it up yesterday so it shouldnt be much trouble at all!
> 
> btw i planted the corn April 17th...so that would make it 7 weeks old. I did replant some that didnt come up or the deer got a week after they came up. Ive never grown corn before so i dont really know if mine is behind schedule , on track, or what.


  I planted mine around good friday and I have ears that are about 6-8 long already and the plants are about 7-8 feet tall, did you mean May 17th, if you planted April 17th you are going on 7 weeks. You might have a little problem.


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## Huntinfool

Man, the rain has really been making our boxes take off.  Didn't take any pics this morning.  But we've got beans, squash ans zucchini coming out of our ears.  Can't wait for the rest of our stuff to come in.


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## bnew17

bigbird1 said:


> I planted mine around good friday and I have ears that are about 6-8 long already and the plants are about 7-8 feet tall, did you mean May 17th, if you planted April 17th you are going on 7 weeks. You might have a little problem.



they usually get some watering every day...i havent watered them in the past week since we have been getting good rain...i dont know what the deal is then?


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## ditchdoc24

Here are some pics of my garden. This is my first year having one but I'm having a really good time with it and will do a bigger one next year.


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## bigbird1

bnew17 said:


> they usually get some watering every day...i havent watered them in the past week since we have been getting good rain...i dont know what the deal is then?


 
I know most corn matures around 100 days, not sure what your water schedule is but corn usually requires around an inch a week and bit more fertilizer than the rest of the garden, just guessing at why the slow growth.


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## bnew17

bigbird1 said:


> I know most corn matures around 100 days, not sure what your water schedule is but corn usually requires around an inch a week and bit more fertilizer than the rest of the garden, just guessing at why the slow growth.



Well it gets watered 1 hr 15min a day....do you think it has something to do with PH of the soil? I got a late start on everything this year and didnt get a soil test done. This is the first year ive ever planted at this site.


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## bigbird1

bnew17 said:


> Well it gets watered 1 hr 15min a day....do you think it has something to do with PH of the soil? I got a late start on everything this year and didnt get a soil test done. This is the first year ive ever planted at this site.


 
It being the first year and not knowing whats in the soil might be the problem, ph could be off. I use a cheap rain gauge in mine so I can get consistent results. Even when it rains you need a way to keep track. I know it gets aggravating  when things go wrong, especially when you work so hard to do it right, keep at it, the more you plant the better it gets.


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## Mako22

My bell peppers are coming in now


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## Capt Quirk

We planted way late. We have maters, still green though. On the bright side, the berries have kicked in. Blackberries everywhere, Muscadines starting some big clusters, Blueberries are popping. 

And not a bit of okra


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## snuffy

Not as neat and clean as some of ya’lls but here is one of mine. I have more tomatoes and peppers in another spot.


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## Capt Quirk

Dragon Tongue Beans-





Greens-


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## bnew17

All my peas are doing good. The black eyes are just putting out pods but the, Purple Hulls, Zippers, Cream 40's should be ready to pick by next week. Butterbeans are about in the same stage as the Black eyes...the deer wiped out most of my BB but what survived so far looks good!


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## HuntNC

BNEW... very nice... now add them pintos!


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## shakey gizzard

Wow, someone really likes beans!


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## meatseeker

bnew17, I think I read a while back that this is your first garden. Do you realize how many bushels of peas your gonna have. No wonder you were checking of a peasheller!


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## bnew17

meatseeker said:


> bnew17, I think I read a while back that this is your first garden. Do you realize how many bushels of peas your gonna have. No wonder you were checking of a peasheller!



haha yeah im glad i ended up finding one because im gonna have alot! i actually bought one from a really sweet older woman in Portal, Ga then about a week later a guy here in town was selling one for an absolute steal so i bought it too....im gonna try to sell it or keep it around in case i burn one of em up!   ..ill probably end up picking early in the morning before work and when i get home!.... this is my FIRST garden at my new house. ...it sure is nice having a garden out in the country and not having to worry about that water bill  ....you cant really see from the picture but in the very back of the peas is a big area i have watermelons and the whole area of melons and peas is 1/4 acre and the gardens ive had at the house at most were probably 20ft x 20ft so this year has DEfinitely been a learnign process!  Im getting married next saturday and this garden is at our new house....we havent technically moved in yet,,,we are the night of the wedding so its been a little bit of a chore to drive out in the country every day to check on things....ive had smaller gardens at my parents house since i was little but nothing close to the size of this one.... this is actually only the 2nd year ive grown peas... i grew Blackeyes and  Roma beans last year and they did really good so i wanted to try some peas again and see which ones did the best...right now the Blackeyes and purplehulls are looking the best by far...i plan on putting up alot of the peas and beans in the freezer and giving alot away


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## meatseeker

Congrats on getting married!!!  my garden seems to get a little bigger each year too. I make it about 1 tractor width wider each year but if I go another now i'll be in the creek!
thats great if you can help someone out who needs it. I always overplant. I gave away a couple hundred dozens ears of corn last year and put up about that much. anyway your gardens lookin good.


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## T.P.

bnew, that looks good, well done..


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## bnew17

Heres my Crimson Sweet Watermelons. It seems like they double in size every day. I fertlized June 2nd and they really took off after that. The guy at the seed store said not to expect any watermelons before July 4th since i planted the week after good friday....i think i may be getting some if i can keep the deer away 


I am trying to tackle this weed problem the best i can! Ive sprayed Vantage twice and pulled Ragweed and Coffee weed for hours and i only got about a fifth of the area done. Will do some more after the honey moon! Im hoping to bring the watermelon in the first picture with us to Charleston but i dont think it will QUITE be ready by then!


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## Buck Nasty

Had my first Zuccs of the season for dinner last night....picked 5 nice ones, and I had two that seemed to quadrupled in size over the weekend while I was down at Callaway They ended up being the size of bowlings pins, made me mad because they were perfect except being too big.  Squash is doing pretty good with several on the vines right now.  Bell peppers are kind of slow, had two, lost two.  Okra is coming along pretty good, but my masterpiece's this year are my maters...none ready yeat, but man o man, the plants are healthy, good number of maters, and an equal amount of blossoms.  Far cry from last year when they did absolutely horrible.


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## Mr. Bright

The cabbage before a couple became victim




My Merit Sweet Corn most of the stalks are well over 7ft




and my Merit Sweet Corn mixed with Mississippi Silver peas


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## Hooty Hoot

*question for experienced corn growers*

My corn is topping out and will be putting on ears pretty soon. Should I hit it again with the amonium nitrate.


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## Vernon Holt

If your corn is tasseling you would not gain anything by applying additional Ammonium Nitrate.


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## Mako22

Well we canned a pile of stuff this year close to 160 pints plus we frooze a lot of stuff also, not bad for a 46'x16' garden. The heat (97+ degrees) these last few days has put a whipping on my garden so it's about over. We went twice to the U pick farm so I could get some produce to sell beside the road on the weekends and that paid for the peas we picked plus other stuff.

From the U pick farm in Bainbridge Georgia.


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## Buck Nasty

Here is mine....Not very big, but I am limited on space.  I have one plot about 6x6 and another 6x20.  Several okra plants, 2 Bell Peppers, 3 Straight Necks, 3 Zucchini, 3 Maters in one and 5 more maters in the other....

So far I have fended off the squash bugs, but the slugs are abundant, even with beer traps they are hitting my okra hard.


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## Mr. Bright

Full ears


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## Dustin Pate

Here is two days worth of goods. Starting to come in real good. First okra this week. Got some unique stuff planted. "One Ball" yellow squash..."Giambo" zuchs..and some fresh black beans..to go with the rest.


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## Bowhunter87

These are from a few weeks ago, Ill put the new ones up tomorrow


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## Bowhunter87

*Updated Pics*

comin along good.


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## Fishin & Hunting

Good news and bad news on my garden.

Good news is that I have plenty of bees to pollenate my plants. 

Bad news is their home  is in hole in the dirt in the middle of my garden.  They get mad when I try and pick my cucumbers.


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