Need Garden Help

[Larro Darro]

No one has mentioned melons. With small grandkids, melons would be a great addition. I grew some banana cantaloupes this year that were great. For regular watermelons, I would go with a smaller melon, something like Crimson Sweets.

One of my customers at work is in his eighties, and he used square foot gardening where he can. He uses 20' PVC pipe for his climbing beans. Four of them doubled over will give you eight runners for the beans. Add a few strings and you have a dome of bean vines. He can sit on a bucket under the dome and pick in the shade.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

First thing I would do is order every seed catalog you can. Once they arrive take a look at all the different veggies and make a list. You have plenty of time if you start now

Also take a look at this http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf

Plan a spring, summer, and fall garden. Spring: plant lettuce, broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes, etc...

Summer: beans, squash, tomato, cucumbers, okra, peas, corn, melons, maybe a pumpkin or two for the kids...the catalogs will help you decide what you like and want to plant.

Fall: can be a combination of summer and spring crop.

When you start planting for summer maybe space your planting of the same crop out over 2-4 weeks so everything does not produce at the same time. Plant several tomatoes one week then a couple of weeks later plant a few more, same with squash and other veggies.

 

[Stimw]

A local "Old School" Seed & Feed store puts out this planting guide for my area. I find it very helpful when deciding when to plant.
Check your area for a similar guide, Seed/Feed Stores local Ag office???

I have my second crop of peanuts up about 6" now. I just bought raw dry peanuts from Winn Dixie and soaked them overnight before planting.
Peanuts are a GREAT crop because they put Nitrogen back in the soil.
I make boiled peanuts in my pressure cooker! It takes 30 minutes on the perk. The trick is to leave them in the cooker until the water is cool. If you take them out hot they are cooked but dry and the salt didn't soak into them.
I also freeze them boiled in Qt. bags and just thaw in the fridge.

 

[RSKY]

I appreciate all the help y'all are trying to give me but still no answer to my original question.

What types of lima beans, English peas, southern purple hull peas, corn, black eyed peas, and tomatoes do you plant?

Maybe I haven't worded the question correctly. I already know what species I am planting in each garden. I just need suggestions of the type or brand of seed to buy. Do I buy Fordhook 242 limas which are a bush type or do I buy the willowleaf limas which are a pole type and can grow 12' tall. Do the willowleafs taste so much better that they would be worth having to get a stepladder to pick them. I know a guy who has done that every single year since before I graduated high school in 1972.

Do I buy Big Boy purple hull peas or do I buy the CT Pinkeye purple hulls? Does your family prefer Peaches and Cream corn or do they like Bodacious?

This is a garden to grow veggies to process and store for the winter. Everything else from okra to squash we already have our preferences and know what we will plant.

Thanks for your help.

RSKY

 

[hunterridgefarm]

We like the Fordhook limas and my wife likes peaches and cream corn. I personally do not like a real sweet corn. For tomatoes we plant early girl, better boy, and a few yellow tomatoes. We also plant big mama paste, and brandywine.

Can't help you on the peas. We plant an heirloom that is a cross between blackeye peas and pintos. The seed have been saved for over 60 years. I guess the closes thing to it would be a crowder type pea.

 

[farmer2009]

We prefer peaches and cream sweet corn. Better boy and yellow boy tomatoes. As we don't do peas or Lima beans I can't recommend them, but I do recommend bush style beans unless you are wanting to save space then go with a pole bean and plant in the corn rows. Wait till corn is about 12 inches and go back and plant beans within the row and let them grow up the stalk. Doesn't hurt corn just remember to fertilize for 2 crops. No staking of beans this way as the stalks are strong enough to hold them. We have never been able to get the stakes to hold good.

Hope this is more of what you are looking for.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I appreciate all the help y'all are trying to give me but still no answer to my original question.

What types of lima beans, English peas, southern purple hull peas, corn, black eyed peas, and tomatoes do you plant?

Maybe I haven't worded the question correctly. I already know what species I am planting in each garden. I just need suggestions of the type or brand of seed to buy. Do I buy Fordhook 242 limas which are a bush type or do I buy the willowleaf limas which are a pole type and can grow 12' tall. Do the willowleafs taste so much better that they would be worth having to get a stepladder to pick them. I know a guy who has done that every single year since before I graduated high school in 1972.

Do I buy Big Boy purple hull peas or do I buy the CT Pinkeye purple hulls? Does your family prefer Peaches and Cream corn or do they like Bodacious?

This is a garden to grow veggies to process and store for the winter. Everything else from okra to squash we already have our preferences and know what we will plant.

Thanks for your help.

RSKY

I would check with my local Agricultural Extension Service. I didn't find any info directly on point, but I'm sure a personal inquiry or two would yield what you are looking for.


Master Gardener Volunteer Program | Cooperative Extension - Fayette County

 

[teejk]

Because I live in what would have been a great sand/gravel pit had I not put a house on it, I have to buy my stuff. I'll get some raised beds going for next year but in the meantime I watch to see what is available at the local farm stands. A lot of stuff is usually cheap and plentiful when in season and it doesn't seem to be worth the effort to grow on my own (zuchinni, beans etc.). Bell peppers are rare and are expensive to buy so they'll be on the list. And I want to establish an asparagus bed. Italian herb garden is in the works also. Hot peppers (jalepenos, etc). are getting very popular lately.