# 2018 gardening season!!!



## JohnT (Apr 27, 2018)

The cherry blossoms are finally coming out. Time to plan my garden for this year!!!!


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## JohnT (Apr 30, 2018)

This year, I am partnering with a good friend of mine. Each one of us has a "double-plot" measuring 6 feet by 30 feet. This year we are combining our two plots in the community garden to form our own, two family mini farm. 

On Saturday the weather was beautiful so we roto-tilled our plots and tucked in some onion and potato sets. We then planned out the rest of the garden over a nice cold beer.

Here is a pic of my friend and the tiller. 

Normally, the soil is a sandy off-yellow. We conditioned the soil last fall with some standard compost, composed horse manure, and a good amount of composed grape skins. I swear that grape skins make the best compost!! 

We gave the plots another shot of horse manure and tilled the heck out of it. That soil was loose, dark, and even smelled sweet!

We plan to get the rest of the garden planted next weekend. I can't wait!


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## wildhair (Apr 30, 2018)

We finally had some warm weather! Still mounds of snow here and there, but I was able to plant the garlic and onion sets and clean up the winter debris. Too wet to till. I got all the pepper, tomato and other seedling out of their little starting flats and transplanted into pots. Got my "southern" plants moved outside - the passion fruit, Angel Trumpets, the lemon grass and the peppers & herbs I brought in for the winter. 

And so - it begins...............


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## JohnT (May 7, 2018)

Well it was planting day on Saturday.

It was sunny and a perfect 80 degrees. Perfect weather for working outside.

A neighbor and myself are partnering up. We have two 30 by 8 foot plots in our community garden.

Our community garden is great! It is surrounded by a 12 foot deer fence and there are watering spigots every 20 feet. Perfect for folks like my self that live in "critter country". It also has a nice gazebo where gardeners, weary from his/her labors, can sit and enjoy a beverage of choice (like a nice 2014 barrel reserve).

In our first plot, we planted 24 Roma VF tomato plants, 3 rows of lettuce (romaine), two rows of onions, and 2 rows of garlic. Hopefully, we will end up with plenty of tomatoes to can this summer.




In our second plot, we packed in some beefsteak tomatoes (6), bell peppers (6), jalapeno peppers (6), some bush beans (seed), a row of carrots and radishes (mixed seed), zucchini (3), cucumber (seed), eggplant (6), 2 rows of garlic, 2 rows of onions, and a row of russet potatoes.




I am SOOOO STIF!!!! My legs are not used to all of that squatting.


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## wildhair (May 7, 2018)

Still too cold and wet for me to get plants in - we can still get frost until just before Memorial Day. I did get my garlic and onions planted last week, but unless it stops raining and the garden has a chance to dry out - it will be another "no-till" year. 
On the upside - it doesn't look like our April blizzard killed the cherry blossoms - they are just starting to open.


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## JohnT (May 7, 2018)

*TIP...TIP...TIP
*
While planting on Saturday, the lead agriculturist from one of our larger farms came to give tips and advice. We got to talking and he mentioned that the two most important components for a healthy garden are nitrogen and potassium. 

GRAPE SKINS!! think about it. Most of us add nutrients and K-meta to our musts. One would think that the grape skins, therefore, would be loaded with nitrogen and potassium. 

I have been composting my grape skins for years, heaping the skins from one year to the next on top of a single mound. Every now and then, I would toss on some wood ash (when my fireplace needed cleaning) to try to balance out the acid in the skins. 

I dug into the mound and the compost was jet black and smelled of earth and roses. It was loose and loamy. I showed the compost to the agriculturist, he advised to add as much as possible to the garden. He kept saying over and over "This is great stuff".

So, we added a boatload of the compost into our two plots. This is a community garden, and we are the only ones using the skins, I should be able to compare and differences as the gardens grow. 

I am very interested to see what happens.


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## wildhair (May 7, 2018)

Back at ya - 
#1 - I also put the lees and sediment from the fermenter on the compost. The yeast and enzymes will speed up the decomposition. Flat beer also great.
#2. - Put some Epsom salts around tomato & pepper plants a couple times a year. A table spoon or 2 worked into the soil or added to the watering can - helps the plants absorb nitrogen from the soil. You get greener, healthier plants and better tomatoes & peppers.
#3 - add a small amount of borax to the soil when planting beets - beets need boron for best growth and production.


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## balatonwine (May 9, 2018)

JohnT said:


> We conditioned the soil last fall with some standard compost, composed horse manure, and a good amount of composed grape skins. I swear that grape skins make the best compost!!
> 
> We gave the plots another shot of horse manure and tilled the heck out of it.



If you have enough compost, consider trying no dig. It is less soil prep work and less weeding.


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## ibglowin (May 9, 2018)

John. Looks great! But how do you keep the deer (and other critters) from eating everything right down to the ground!?


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## Johnd (May 9, 2018)

ibglowin said:


> John. Looks great! But how do you keep the deer (and other critters) from eating everything right down to the ground!?



See post #4 - "Our community garden is great! It is surrounded by a 12 foot deer fence and there are watering spigots every 20 feet. Perfect for folks like my self that live in "critter country". "


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## ibglowin (May 9, 2018)

Doh! That should do the trick!


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## JohnT (May 21, 2018)

Spent some quality time in the garden on Sunday.

I took a hoe and worked both plots. Had this done before my partner arrived. When he sow me, he simply said "you are the best hoer in all of Chester". Still laughing on that one.

After tending the garden plots, we sat in the central gazebo and partook of some cheese, salami, bread, and a glass (only 1) of my 2015 cab.

Weather was beautiful! 

I then went home to start planting the pots on my deck. 

Very productive day considering how I felt in the morning (crush was the day before).


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## ibglowin (May 21, 2018)

JohnT said:


> Spent some quality time in the garden on Sunday.
> 
> I took a hoe and worked both plots......



Did she have a name?


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## balatonwine (May 24, 2018)

JohnT said:


> I took a hoe and worked both plots.



Now that you got the weed pressure down, if you have not already done so, is the time to lay down a good mulch. Straw for example. So you don't have to hoe again.


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## JohnT (May 24, 2018)

balatonwine said:


> Now that you got the weed pressure down, if you have not already done so, is the time to lay down a good mulch. Straw for example. So you don't have to hoe again.


But I like hoeing...


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## GreenEnvy22 (May 24, 2018)

Ours is coming along well too. This year I planted a lot more hot peppers (habanero, jalapeno, and ghost pepper).
We have: Zucchini, beans, sweet peppers, hot peppers, celery, garlic, leeks, potatoes, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, cucumber, various herbs, strawberries, rhubarb, beets, tomatoes, squash, melons, tomattilios, onions. In other parts of the back yard we have Raspberries, blackberries, currants, blueberries, figs, apples, pears. Plus lots of grapes of course


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## Johnd (May 28, 2018)

Full tilt boogie here in the south, with temps in the 90’s and lots of gulf breeze showers, the garden is going nuts.
Creoles producing a big crop so far, enough rain to plump up, but not enough to split them, which can be an issue here with too much rain. Had to replace the 6’ poles with 8’s this morning. 

Cucumbers producing well, vines are already 6’ up the growing trellis and loaded with flowers and baby cucumbers. 

Basil and pole beans off to the races as well, can’t wait for the first tomato and some fresh basil to make the first caprese salad of the year. 

Pretty decent looking squash, just hoping we don’t get any mega rain on them either. 

We’ve been picking cherry tomatoes off of the Sweet 100’s for a week now, couple dozen a day, that’ll continue for months. They’ve already outgrown their 7’ cages and had to be topped this morning. 

Lots of baby bell peppers and jalapeños on the bushes, should be picking in a few more weeks.


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## pgentile (May 28, 2018)

Johnd said:


> Full tilt boogie here in the south, with temps in the 90’s and lots of gulf breeze showers, the garden is going nuts.
> Creoles producing a big crop so far, enough rain to plump up, but not enough to split them, which can be an issue here with too much rain. Had to replace the 6’ poles with 8’s this morning.
> 
> Cucumbers producing well, vines are already 6’ up the growing trellis and loaded with flowers and baby cucumbers.
> ...



Nice, i'm jealous how far along your crops are.

Cool cool spring in the Delaware valley this year as everyone knows. I have tomatoes and peppers happening, basil and herbs look good but everything is 4-6 weeks behind the typical spring. 

Trying potatoes for the first time this year, planted two ago already flowering.


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## JohnT (May 29, 2018)

@Johnd ....

WOW! 

That basil looks great! so do your tomatoes!


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## JohnT (May 29, 2018)

Saturday was spent in the winery. Sunday I was rained out. So, Monday was spent in the garden..

A neighbor and myself teamed up to have a combined 60 foot plot. I headed up with 1 bottle of wine, 3 glasses, and my Bluetooth speaker. I put on the Frank Sinatra channel and had great music as I spent 3 hours weeding. I then spent 1 hour simply looking at the job I did. 

Then, after all was done, it was time to head into the central gazebo to share a glass (one only one) with my fellow gardeners. Hear are the "before" and "after pics...





Not done yet! I then headed home to tend to my deck garden...





Over all, a rather productive day.


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## JohnT (Jun 4, 2018)

The first from the garden. Lettuce and our first strawberry.


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## GreenEnvy22 (Jun 4, 2018)

Still waiting for our first harvest. Strawberries aren't too far off.
My poor green bean plants are being destroyed by pill bugs. I've gotten some poison that should help, and I've been doing out each morning and blow torching as many as I can find.


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## JohnT (Jun 7, 2018)

Wooohoooo! 

Lettuce is booming. Ran up to the garden, did the "cut on come" harvest on 3 of the 12 plants of romaine, then gave it to SWMBO where she whipped up a simple Ceasar salad with grilled chicken. Added some croutons for added CRUNCH. From ground to tummy in one hour! I love it.

Strawberries need harvesting and radishes are starting to come in.


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## balatonwine (Jun 7, 2018)

Local climate is a funny thing. Radishes season here is long over: they bolted weeks ago and were removed. Lettuce is bolting now. Peas are about done. First cucumbers are now ripe and the vines are about 5ft/1.5m tall on the trellis and will need to start dropping them soon. Already have young tomatoes. Will plant my last corn starters today or tomorrow (I stagger my plantings to lengthen the fresh corn season). About ready to plant late season carrots, parsley and parsnip (we just leave them in the ground and harvest them all winter, while the ground is not frozen).

And I am sure someone, somewhere, in a different local climate, was at where I am now weeks ago. 

And all this reminds me: I will need to setup the solar dehydrator soon to start processing the vegetables from the garden.


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## JohnT (Jun 15, 2018)

Grape skin compost! Just look....

You need to think about composting!






This is only June. And a rather cool and not very sunny June at the that


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## ceeaton (Jun 15, 2018)

JohnT said:


> View attachment 49353


Is that a Genovese basil? I grow that all the time but my seeds didn't spout this Spring (they were pushing 5 yrs old). Guess I need to get some new seeds. I love that for a fresh basil pesto, so fragrant.


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## JohnT (Jun 16, 2018)

ceeaton said:


> Is that a Genovese basil? I grow that all the time but my seeds didn't spout this Spring (they were pushing 5 yrs old). Guess I need to get some new seeds. I love that for a fresh basil pesto, so fragrant.


Try it sliced thin and mixed into scrambled eggs!

Yum.


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## susieqz (Jun 16, 2018)

do you guys suppose that it's to late to put corn in?
i'm zone 7 but i hurt my knee at planting time.
i'd just like a dozen ears or so.


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## Johnd (Jun 16, 2018)

susieqz said:


> do you guys suppose that it's to late to put corn in?
> i'm zone 7 but i hurt my knee at planting time.
> i'd just like a dozen ears or so.



60 to 100 days to reach maturity, depends a lot on soil fertility and heat. Give it a shot, only costs a little to try.


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## susieqz (Jun 16, 2018)

thanks, john.
i guess i'll plant, for fun.


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## balatonwine (Jun 17, 2018)

susieqz said:


> do you guys suppose that it's to late to put corn in?
> i'm zone 7 but i hurt my knee at planting time.
> i'd just like a dozen ears or so.



Agree, to give it a try. But I would recommend to start your corn in small pots. Just like other starter plants. That way you can give them the best soil, temp location, watered, etc. to get them growing well. And only plant the ones that come up. And when they are a few inches high.


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## JohnT (Jun 18, 2018)

My deck garden is moving right along.


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## JohnT (Jun 18, 2018)

But the veggie garden is exploding. I even got my first zucchini!


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## ibglowin (Jun 18, 2018)

You gonna smoke that doobie now that you are retarred? LOL



JohnT said:


> But the veggie garden is exploding. I even got my first zucchini!


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## GreenEnvy22 (Jun 18, 2018)

We've been eating lots of strawberries so far. Lettuce also is edible already.
We have several zucchini that that look like they will be ready later this week, some cucumbers going, tomatoes visible but about 2 weeks out I'm guessing.


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## pgentile (Jun 18, 2018)

JohnT said:


> But the veggie garden is exploding. I even got my first zucchini!
> 
> View attachment 49385
> View attachment 49384




Looking good. Some of your stuff is way ahead of mine. I have a similar amount of pots on my roof deck. Over the weekend I installed a Raindrip automatic irrigation system. For 18 years i have struggled with keeping the pots from drying out in July and August on those 10-12 hour work days. Water heavy in the am before I leave and then get home and some dry as a bone. Mulching and other tricks weren't enough for tomatoes. 

Good luck with it all


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## pgentile (Jun 18, 2018)




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## balatonwine (Jun 20, 2018)

I planted my zucchini starters a bit late this year, so they are a bit behind in harvest readiness.




But I am simply dripping with cucumbers at the moment.


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## JohnT (Jun 20, 2018)

Looks like you are several weeks ahead of me. My cucs are no way near that.


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## balatonwine (Jun 20, 2018)

JohnT said:


> Looks like you are several weeks ahead of me. My cucs are no way near that.



The secret to an early and copious cucumber crop is to grow them vertically, remove all lateral growth each day, and drop them as they grow too tall to reach.


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## sour_grapes (Jun 20, 2018)

Lovely garden! I know this is besides the point, but I hadn't really seen a picture of the new Comcast building. Thanks for sharing!



pgentile said:


> View attachment 49401


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## pgentile (Jun 20, 2018)

sour_grapes said:


> Lovely garden! I know this is besides the point, but I hadn't really seen a picture of the new Comcast building. Thanks for sharing!



Thanks. You mean that giant router? It's amazing how the skyline has grown and changed over the past 20 years. I'll take a wide angle shot from the roof one these days, but the new buildings that have been built across the Schuylkill river near U of P put the skyline off balance. It has lost it's Feng Shui from my Southern perspective. It's probably better from the east side of Broad these days.


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## sour_grapes (Jun 20, 2018)

pgentile said:


> Thanks. You mean that giant router?



I was confused, because I thought you meant this:







Not this:







pgentile said:


> It's amazing how the skyline has grown and changed over the past 20 years. I'll take a wide angle shot from the roof one these days, but the new buildings that have been built across the Schuylkill river near U of P put the skyline off balance. It has lost it's Feng Shui from my Southern perspective. It's probably better from the east side of Broad these days.



It sure has grown and changed a lot in those years. Going back 40 years instead of 20, well, IMHO thank goodness for Liberty Place's breaking the "gentleman's agreement" that all buildings be shorter than City Hall. I used to say that the skyline was what you would get if you took a "normal" skyline for a city of that size, and then took a hedge trimmer to it. All the buildings were approximately the same size.

Thanks for the offer. I would love to see such a shot someday.


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## pgentile (Jun 20, 2018)

sour_grapes said:


> I was confused, because I thought you meant this



I should have said "Wireless Network Router". I live in an IT world and I forgot that almost all tech lingo has a different meaning in the non virtual world.



sour_grapes said:


> It sure has grown and changed a lot in those years. Going back 40 years instead of 20, well, IMHO thank goodness for Liberty Place's breaking the "gentleman's agreement" that all buildings be shorter than City Hall. I used to say that the skyline was what you would get if you took a "normal" skyline for a city of that size, and then took a hedge trimmer to it. All the buildings were approximately the same size.
> .



I moved to Philly around the time the Liberty buildings were built. Breaking the 'gentlemen's agreement" was necessary for Philly to grow up and become a modern city.


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## sour_grapes (Jun 21, 2018)

pgentile said:


> I moved to Philly around the time the Liberty buildings were built. Breaking the 'gentlemen's agreement" was necessary for Philly to grow up and become a modern city.



Here is an article "from the time machine" that I came across due to this thread that you may enjoy: https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/24/...-carves-out-a-new-skyline.html?pagewanted=all


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## Johnd (Jun 21, 2018)

My moms tending my garden while I’m on vacation, at peak harvest time, said she’s picked dozens of creoles, 2 gallons of cherries, and several dozen cucumbers, a few squash, and more pole beans than she can eat. Can’t wait to get home.


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## balatonwine (Jul 1, 2018)

A photo of my three sisters garden this year:






More photos at my blog. Or you can lose up to 3:28 minutes of your life by watching the video  :


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## GreenEnvy22 (Jul 2, 2018)

Coming along well here.



Figs, apple tree, and then the garden and grapes in the back.



Pear trees 



New Muscat vines, not sure these will do wo well with all the shade.



Raspberries, blackberries, currants, blueberries:



Some table grapes I don't know the variety of yet, but doing very well:



Rows of Muscat I added



Muscat on the trellis:



Row of Riesling I added:


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## GreenEnvy22 (Jul 2, 2018)

Tomatillo, onions, melons, sunflowes, squash:


Tomatoes:


Beets, Strawberries, sunflowers, rhubarb.


Cucumbers, and herbs in behind:


Potatoes, sunflowers, lettuce, kale, swiss chard:


Green and Red Peppers, Jalapeno, Tabasco, Ghost peppers, garlic, leeks, potatoes, cilantro/coriander, couple tomatoes that came up from last years droppings:


Zucchini, green and yellow beans (beans were damaged a lot by pill bugs, so behind)



Carrots, cabbage (cabbage damaged by pill bugs, lost several plants):


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## ibglowin (Jul 2, 2018)

Dang all I can say is............


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## balatonwine (Aug 16, 2018)

Updated walk through (from above) of my three sisters garden.


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## balatonwine (Sep 4, 2018)

Garden season is winding down. But still some interesting things to show. And the upcoming fall harvest this month should be fun.


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