My 2014 Spring Garden

[sixdogs]

sixdogs we was going to plant 12 to 16 and it ended up being 28.

And that's a good thing. There have been times over the years when we planted 45 tomato plants with only two or three of each variety. That way we learned what we liked and what did well and have narrowed our desirable list down to maybe 10 or so varieties. This year we'll put in 30 plants and have tomatoes out the wazoo. I can have any kind of tomato whenever I want, our dogs eat all they can hold and anyone that stops--or even drive by slow--get a bag to go.


Below is a link to a tomato thread I started last year and I think it's post 62 that has the variety and maturity of what we plant. Our rand of season is vastly improved this way and I suggest a plan like this--especially for newbies--will give much better results. Also, one of the last posts in the thread gives a link to a new 2 to 3 lb tomato from Burpee that looks like a winner for this year.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/280198-how-big-your-garden-how-7.html



While we are on tomatoes know that it's vital to rotate tomato ground each year to control tomato diseases. Also. we rip up all the vines at the end of the year and burn them elsewhere in the yard. We also rip the roots out and burn those as well. When we plant each year we split te plants into two or three varieties and plant in different areas of the garden so if one plant gets a disease the others have a fighting chance. Further, we never mulch with things like grass or hay that can harbor disease and we do succession planting to a degree.

We plant a variety of 52 to 95 day tomatoes in mid May ant then in June plant a few plants to mature in September. The vigor and maturity of that later batch gives us tomatoes into September instead of the normal mushy end of season plants.

 

[bigbull338]

we plant 3 gardens,and try to put tomatos in each of them.this year we tilled the old residue back into the ground early.we tilled the garden alot before we plant.and we till it again before we add new plants/seeds to it.

 

[DJ54]

Here is a flat of 3 Dozen Celebrity tomatoes I got last week at the Amish produce auction near Bainbridge, Ohio. Thought I did pretty good getting them for $6.50. My buddy who bought the other 12 dozen didn't get all of the plants he wanted, so we headed off to a couple Amish greenhouse's for more plants he was looking for.

The second one we stopped at had 72 cell flats of more than several types of tomatoes, and just all kinds of various veggies, for $10.00 each. I got the 6 Celery plants for $1.10. My buddy bought the rest of the flat.

He bought so many flats of plants, tomato stakes, and row cover, his 1 ton chevy extended cargo van was out of floor space. It is a 4 seater, but the only open seat was stacked with "stuff", and there were two flats in the windshield in front of the guy riding up front, and he was holding another flat, LOL...

 

[Travis_R]

Applied Miracle Gro plant food today, 05-08-14, to the Watermelon, Cucumber, Cantaloupe, and Squash. Used the big end of the scoop that came with the MG, which is 1 Tablespoon.
Did as directions stated and put 1 Tbs. per gallon of water.
I've never used Miracle Gro before so we'll have to wait and see how it does. I heard it makes a world of difference.
Some people are for it, organic gardeners aren't. If it helps my plants grow and produce, I'll be for it also.. So to each their own.

 

[dclynch]

Cant even get in the garden yet here. We finally had a day over 50 degrees today. Hoping to be able to get into it this week end and get itworked up and plant next week end.

 

[motocephalic]

Travis, did you do a soil test this year? I recently did mine and learned a bunch about my soil. I went with the standard recommendation until I tested my soil, then I returned all the fertilizer and bought what my soil needed. I was more costly, but I want my stuff to grow. So far. it's been to cold here to germinate anything outside a cold frame. I'll have to wait and see. My fertilizer numbers went like this 20-0-20 as well as adding lime to increase alk.

Applied Miracle Gro plant food today, 05-08-14, to the Watermelon, Cucumber, Cantaloupe, and Squash. Used the big end of the scoop that came with the MG, which is 1 Tablespoon.
Did as directions stated and put 1 Tbs. per gallon of water.
I've never used Miracle Gro before so we'll have to wait and see how it does. I heard it makes a world of difference.
Some people are for it, organic gardeners aren't. If it helps my plants grow and produce, I'll be for it also.. So to each their own.

 

[Travis_R]

I have never had the soil tested since I been growing a garden. Always wanted to but have never done it.
I've always been against Miracle Gro and 'stuff like that' but I also believe, as in any situation regardless of what the situation may be, that sometimes we have to do what we have to do for a positive result.

 

[DJ54]

I tested mine a year ago last fall, before planting it last spring for the first time since '87. It was part of the original garden spot here since '53. Pretty fortunate, as it called for 1lb. of N per 1,000 sq ft., 1 lb. of K per 1,000 sq. ft. High in P. That more than likely from years of application of a bit of 12-12-12 starter fertilizer in rows, plus manure,and grass clippings. Extension agent said high P wouldn't hurt anything, and would be good for beans. He sure nailed that one, they did great..!!

So now just supplementing with compost tea. Going with absolutely no starter fertilizer this year. I did spread horse manure on the garden around the first of the year, to give it the recommended 120 days to compost/break down. From what I've read, that should be equivalent to a light shot of 14-14-14. Guess we'll see.

Plus, foliar feeding of plants supposedly wards off some plant disease. Again, we'll see, although never really had any problems like that, except some smut on the highly susceptible Silver Queen sweet corn.

Could actually use a good soaking 1/2 to 3/4" of rain. Supposed to be here later this evening.

 

[Travis_R]

Next year I will probably take a soil sample to the LSU Ag Center and see what they say. I'm positive it needs things.

I wish I could get horse manure or chicken manure for my garden. But it would take a lot. I have also thought about getting a few loads of topsoil.
My garden has a lot of clay in it. I know I tilled too deep this year. That's the reason with the clay.

It's been sprinkling here all morning and we just got hammered a few minutes ago. Was raining 3 drops to a gallon! There's supposed to be tons more coming too. I'm not complaining though because we are well overdue for a good rain. It's gonna soak up fast.

 

[plowindeeper]

I had a soil sample done last year it said i needed 3 tons of lime per acre. I didn't do anything. Had one done this year and only need one ton.