What did you plant in your garden this year?

[Scott R Nelson]

I'm accustomed to replacing a sprinkler head or two around this time each year, but had not dealt with valve issues before. After many trips to Lowes over several days, I was finally able to get Station 1 to work properly. Unfortunately, now the wiring for stations 2 and 3 is messed up so they don't come on. And once station 1 wasn't stealing all the pressure, I noticed there's a leak on the spigot fed from the sprinkler system, too.

Ah, sprinkler issues. I had all kinds of sprinkler problems at my last two houses. Other than a tiny bit of work at startup, I haven't had any issues at my current house, but the sprinklers have only been in use for two years. I'm hoping to get the drip system optimized this year. Or I could just give up like my next door neighbor, rip out the entire drip system and replace it with spray nozzles.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Started with the usual in our main garden area:

tomatoes
cucumbers
peppers
chives
basil

Added the following in pots:

mint
butter lettuce
spinach
carrots
romaine lettuce

Lettuce and spinach are going nuts. Already harvested.

We also have blackberries and two fruit trees: asian pear (3 varieties on one tree) and pluot (five varieties on one tree). We had a hard freeze on two nights while blossoms were out so we enacted heroic measures with space heaters and plastic and got out with minimal freeze damage.

[Pelado]

Immediately after starting the water, station 1 came on, even though the sprinkler system was still shut off.

I'm accustomed to replacing a sprinkler head or two around this time each year, but had not dealt with valve issues before. After many trips to Lowes over several days, I was finally able to get Station 1 to work properly. Unfortunately, now the wiring for stations 2 and 3 is messed up so they don't come on. And once station 1 wasn't stealing all the pressure, I noticed there's a leak on the spigot fed from the sprinkler system, too.

I fixed the wiring issue, so now stations 2 and 3 will turn on. Unfortunately, the solenoids appear to be failing for both stations now, so, like earlier on station 1, now they won't shut off unless I cut off the water supply to the whole system. I removed the spigot valve and just capped off that pipe for now. Looks like another trip to the hardware store is in my immediate future.

[BigFatMeanie]

Permanent crops:
Strawberries (june bearers)- starting to blossom. I had to cover them with a blanket for a couple of nights a few weeks ago but it's warmed up fast and they look pretty healthy so it should be a nice harvest.
Raspberries (Heritage) - Added 10 new canes to my existing plot last week. Raspberry canes are somewhat tricky to get started - you have to be careful not to over-water. Raspberries do not like wet feet. Once they get going they're pretty reliable.

Direct sowed in the garden:
Spinach - I was late getting these in the ground so they just barely germinated. I hope I can get a harvest before it gets too hot.
Sugar Snap Peas - These germinated well. Like Scott Nelson's, these are about 2 inches high. Should be a good year unless it gets too hot too quickly.

Sowed indoors:
Tomatoes - I started 3 of the varieties indoors back in late March: Oregon Spring, Gill's All Purpose, Beaver Lodge. We transplanted 12 plants on Saturday under wall-of-waters. The transplants are each a foot high with healthy thick stems. I had a 4th set of seeds, Arkansas Traveler, come late, which I started indoors as soon as they came. They're only about 5 inches high but I'll transplant them this Saturday with wall-of-waters.
Jalapenos - started from seed weeks ago. Waiting until it's warmer to transplant.

Not planted yet - waiting until the soil gets above 70:
Cucumbers
Soybeans
Corn
Pumpkin
Pole beans

[Pelado]

Permanent crops:
Strawberries (june bearers)- starting to blossom. I had to cover them with a blanket for a couple of nights a few weeks ago but it's warmed up fast and they look pretty healthy so it should be a nice harvest.
Raspberries (Heritage) - Added 10 new canes to my existing plot last week. Raspberry canes are somewhat tricky to get started - you have to be careful not to over-water. Raspberries do not like wet feet. Once they get going they're pretty reliable.

Direct sowed in the garden:
Spinach - I was late getting these in the ground so they just barely germinated. I hope I can get a harvest before it gets too hot.
Sugar Snap Peas - These germinated well. Like Scott Nelson's, these are about 2 inches high. Should be a good year unless it gets too hot too quickly.

Sowed indoors:
Tomatoes - I started 3 of the varieties indoors back in late March: Oregon Spring, Gill's All Purpose, Beaver Lodge. We transplanted 12 plants on Saturday under wall-of-waters. The transplants are each a foot high with healthy thick stems. I had a 4th set of seeds, Arkansas Traveler, come late, which I started indoors as soon as they came. They're only about 5 inches high but I'll transplant them this Saturday with wall-of-waters.
Jalapenos - started from seed weeks ago. Waiting until it's warmer to transplant.

Not planted yet - waiting until the soil gets above 70:
Cucumbers
Soybeans
Corn
Pumpkin
Pole beans

Reminded me that I've got raspberries too. And a rhubarb plant that was here when we moved in. Also, I planted asparagus near the raspberries a couple years ago but it never really grew. But I've got a solitary asparagus stalk growing in what is now the middle of the raspberries.

Which reminds me of one of my favorites from The Far Side:

[Scott R Nelson]

My garden is finally starting to produce some things faster than we can keep up with them. The sugar peas are doing way better than expected and have to be picked every day if we want the flat little pods that are so good in Asian cooking, or just to eat plain. We're getting bell peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini. If you wait one day too long on a zucchini you'll end up with a monster. Gotta watch those. Got another week or two before the tomatoes start coming.

So I'm trying to eat as much fresh produce as I can which doesn't make much of a dent in the vegetables. I turned a cucumber into sunomono yesterday and have a plate of sunomono slices, bell pepper strips, and sugar peas sitting in front of me right now, with a little bit of Ranch dressing.

I'm seriously considering a flower garden next year. Once one of those starts producing, you just have to look at it and enjoy.

[BigPiney]

The only reason I do a garden is for homemade salsa and BLTs. All the rest is gravy.

I have been pulling cherokee heirloom tomatoes off the past week that are huge. One slice fills the sandwich.

I did plant some squash, but I really don't like them and they don't do as well here in the heat. The crookneck were going gangbusters, but recently have started to make the fruit then harden, not sure why. I do have a huge spaghetti squash that I need to harvest and I planted some japanese squash that is really interesting. I have no idea it what it is supposed to be like of when it is done growing, but it is a winter squash so I will wait on that.

[mtnbiker]

I'm seriously considering a flower garden next year. Once one of those starts producing, you just have to look at it and enjoy.

That's cool, but I don't think it'll be as tasty as your veggie garden.

[Scott R Nelson]

That's cool, but I don't think it'll be as tasty as your veggie garden.

Yeah, my wife was just saying yesterday that we could buy all of this stuff at the store, as needed, and not have to deal with an excess of anything.

[Pelado]

Yeah, my wife was just saying yesterday that we could buy all of this stuff at the store, as needed, and not have to deal with an excess of anything.

Wouldn't be as fresh.

[Scott R Nelson]

My wife and I just finished our last batch of salsa from the garden. It's really good salsa, better than you can buy from the store, but it took about three hours to make it, not counting getting everything out of the garden. I'm definitely doing flowers next year. Two years of a vegetable garden is enough for me, I'm retiring from that.

Now we just have to figure out what kind of flowers for the garden next year. I already have all of the springtime bulbs, which I have to dig up after I pull up all of the vegetable plants, then separate and spread out. Already have some Iris too. I know that I could just throw Zinnia seeds out and fill the whole thing, but we're trying to have more variety. I'm going to start sprouting stuff about February 1 or so and see what all we can get to grow. Yet to see if I give in and plant a few vegetables anyway next year.

[Non Sequitur]

I planted a garden this year for the first time in about a decade. I planted half a dozen tomato plants but all of them split at the tops. Googled it and some said not enough calcium and others said too much water. What did I do wrong?

[Pelado]

I planted a garden this year for the first time in about a decade. I planted half a dozen tomato plants but all of them split at the tops. Googled it and some said not enough calcium and others said too much water. What did I do wrong?

You planted a garden.

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[Applejack]

I’ve never heard of that. The biggest problem I have is slugs.

But fresh tomatoes in the morning? The best!

This morning’s harvest:

1655065E-AC4E-4B1F-B375-0F846543261D.jpg

[Jarid in Cedar]

The end result of some of our garden.