Forums » Veggie Plot

• Bull100

  

  • 57 posts
   

  December 10, 2011 8:08:31 AM PST

  My wife has layed down the law to me this year.  She says no more fooking arround with the garden.  Last year because of the extreem heat we had some failures in the garden one of which was the tomato crop. This year there will be no growing of expermental things only those things that have proved themself in past garden.  Lots of green beans and dried beans, lots of tomatoes and peppers. Nothing like yard long beans (I like, She doesn't). Probably no Luffas this next year because they take up space for other things. 50/50% hybreds on tomatoes vs Hybreds because when one doesn't do well the other does better. Less Garlic, no sun chokes,  What are your gardens going to be like next year?

• NebraskaDave

  

  • 29 posts
   

  December 10, 2011 3:01:55 PM PST

  Bill, I finally will have room for sweet corn. The extra land purchase will allow me space for the big stuff. This next year will be sweet corn but as the garden expands in the following years, I would like to have mellons, berries, and maybe fruit.  The backyard garden will become fresh for use on the table stuff.

   

  My tomatoes did ok this year but not as well as last year.  The green peppers started slow but came on gang busters toward the end of the season.  Potatoes didn't hardly get the seed back and the onions were pathetic.  It was a bad garden year for almost everyone that I talked with this year.  I'm not deciding what to grow or not to grow based on what happened this year.  Next year will be quite different for me.

   

  Have a great garden planning day.

  
  This post was edited by NebraskaDave at December 10, 2011 3:13:02 PM PST
• Bull100

  

  • 57 posts
   

  December 10, 2011 9:02:26 PM PST

  Our garden will be planted by what is remainding on the canned goods shelves. We always can a bunch of stuff. Salsa, tomatoes, sauses, green beans.pepppers,apples sauce etc etc. Due to our poor crops of green beans and tomatoes we have depleted s good deal of our reserves. Most of the time we have a good years canned goods available at any one time and it jus aint so now. That was the reason for my wifes decission on what we plant and for what reasons.
• NebraskaDave

  

  • 29 posts
   

  December 11, 2011 6:08:11 AM PST

  Bill, My goal is to get to the stage that you are indicating. I would like to be able to eat out of the storage area for several months if needed. I'm not saying that every thing in storage would be from the garden but much would and the rest would be from bargain shopping. I started on my storage area last winter but didn't get it finished. I hope to have it finished before spring hits and I get back to outside projects again. I've insulated and dry walled one of the interior walls of the storage area and need to build another wall with a entry door. That wall will be insulated and dry walled as well as the ceiling. Hopefully, the other two walls that are unfinished concrete block outside walls will keep the area cool in winter and summer. My only concern is that it won't get enough air circulation. Once the new year arrives, I'll be back down in the deep dark depths of the basement building away.
  
  I sure hope that gardens are better this year than last. Have a great garden planning day.
• Bull100

  

  • 57 posts
   

  December 11, 2011 8:22:50 AM PST

  We have some very deep shelves built along one wall of our basement that we store caned goods on. We have hooks on all the floor joist in one corner of the basement on a couple dozen hooks we hang bunches of garlic (this does very well and keeps a long time) in another area of the basement we do the same thing with bunches of onions (they don't keep as long) We have an old hamper that we fill with potatoes which keep well into the Winter months. Currently we have about 80# of cabbage fermenting and will be canned in a couple of weeks as kraut. We are alwayslooking for pears, apples and things that we don't grow that people won't pick themselfs, these can usuallybe had for free if you keep your eyes open for an oppurninty. We also buybeef by the 1/2 and a whole pig from local friends that raise things the right way. These things as well as some stuff we get out of the garden are kept in our freezer. Finiallywe dry herbs and tomatoes and keepsomefreshherbs growing in the house and cold frame all winter.
• MarcellaR0se

  

  • 6 posts
   

  January 31, 2012 9:53:08 AM PST

  Last year...we lost everything. We moved from the land of 10,000 Lakes to this extreme drought in Texas and let me tell you...I have had to relearn everything I know about gardening. So...I have a variety of drought tolerant veggies, squash, and green this year and we are going to eat them whether we like it or not. The grocery store is just too expensive!
• NebraskaDave

  

  • 29 posts
   

  February 2, 2012 6:10:01 AM PST

  Marcella, gardening in different parts of the country is indeed quite different. Not only is the weather different but the soil as well. Because of my farming heritage, I am always looking at the soil when I travel to different places. Las Vegas where my relatives live has the worst soil in my humble opinion. You should have a much longer growing season in Texas than you had in Minnesota.
  
  Have a great day in the garden.