Topic: Garden thread

[6pairsofshoes]

Do you have a garden?  Even in an apt. you can put pots on a balcony.  There's nothing quite as nice as picking food you grew yourself.

I just planted some lettuce, basil, spinach, and green bean seeds.  One of our tomatoes has overwintered as has the jalapeño.  I'll try to start some new plants this week.  It's mild here so things will grow pretty readily, and April is a good time to start vegetables.  I even broke apart a garlic bulb that had started to sprout and put the cloves in the ground.  Some of them seem to be growing.  It's raining today so we're stuck inside.

[8ullfrog]

I live in apartment, I don't have a balcony. I don't even have a front porch, just a dismal concrete hallway.

[6pairsofshoes]

When I lived in Manhattan I was in a 5th floor walkup without a balcony.  I still had a pot of basil by the window.  Fresh herbs in pots is about the only thing you can grow with relatively low light.  Better than nothing.  Of course I was on the edge of Chinatown so getting cheap fresh food was no issue.

I don't know your neighborhood, but from what I've gathered, a plot in a community garden is not an option, either?

[8ullfrog]

HAH. We can't get Tijuana to stop dumping garbage in the ocean. And you remember the car.

I did contribute to a community garden once, at my old elementary school. I found out later they just throw the markers away when the teacher retires. Great way to be remembered.

I should take a picture of our shitty hallway. It's kind of like something out of a nightmare.

[smokester]

We have a garden and have, in the past, tried to grow some veggies especially when the kids were younger when that sort of thing was par for the course. Unfortunately, the soil quality is so bad (it's London after all) that anything that did grow was more akin to a Bonsai version of itself. Not only that, but more frequently than not it was diseased.

I do make planters for clients so perhaps, when the apocalypse is over, I should make some for myself for the second apocalypse when it comes.

[goldshirt*9]

Growing a few veg in the garden and in a raised trough.
Not always good to fill a planter / trough with new soil from the shops, I personally put some old garden soil in at the bottom and fresh just at the top,Fresh soil can be too rich.
In the garden itself just mix fresh soil/cheap potting bags to enrich the soil.
Be careful on the variety of veg you choose, I plant Carrots that look like tear drops as dont need too deep a planter.
Set out beer traps for the slugs and snails so they can be moved to local park when sobering up

[smokester]

Growing a few veg in the garden and in a raised trough.
Not always good to fill a planter / trough with new soil from the shops, I personally put some old garden soil in at the bottom and fresh just at the top,Fresh soil can be too rich.
In the garden itself just mix fresh soil/cheap potting bags to enrich the soil.
Be careful on the variety of veg you choose, I plant Carrots that look like tear drops as dont need too deep a planter.
Set out beer traps for the slugs and snails so they can be moved to local park when sobering up

That's good advice.

I tried the beer traps a few years back but I think the slugs thought it was a nightclub. Standing room only, it was.

[goldshirt*9]

That's good advice.

I tried the beer traps a few years back but I think the slugs thought it was a nightclub. Standing room only, it was.

I suffer with snails and slugs A LOT, ripped out a lot of ivy from my fences and a lot better.
Wilko great for seeds, best shop

[6pairsofshoes]

There's pellets for snails.  Cory's Slug and Snail Death is one, although I prefer Sluggo, as it's safe for pets.  I buy the Sluggo as I've seen birds come by and pick  up the pellets like they were some kind of treat.  Wouldn't want to make them sick.

My tomatoes are growing pretty well.  We've had odd mixes of sunshine and rain lately and they're digging it, along with the liberal application of a chicken manure based fertilizer.  Someone gave me a gooseberry plant and I have to figure out where to plant that.  My blueberry bush is filled with berries but there's a scrub jay that's been hanging around.  The birds like blueberries, too.  I may have to resort to netting or something if they keep it up.

[goldshirt*9]

There's pellets for snails.  Cory's Slug and Snail Death is one, although I prefer Sluggo, as it's safe for pets.  I buy the Sluggo as I've seen birds come by and pick  up the pellets like they were some kind of treat.  Wouldn't want to make them sick.

My tomatoes are growing pretty well.  We've had odd mixes of sunshine and rain lately and they're digging it, along with the liberal application of a chicken manure based fertilizer.  Someone gave me a gooseberry plant and I have to figure out where to plant that.  My blueberry bush is filled with berries but there's a scrub jay that's been hanging around.  The birds like blueberries, too.  I may have to resort to netting or something if they keep it up.

Great to read  6.
Have a small garden that about to renovate and build a  person cave but may have to bespoke it so rest of garden just ticking over.
Started a few chillis, have a variety of lettuce growing in the soil and a trough with a small "ping pong size" variety of carrot and Basil which i adore but just cannot seem to grow

[6pairsofshoes]

Basil likes lots of sun.  And it's probably not really keen on having wet feet.  It likes liberal water, but needs to have adequate drainage, lest the stem and roots rot.

I haven't tried beets or carrots, yet, although I do have packets of seeds for the beets that I should plant.  I have so many weeds to deal with first.  Because it rained on Sunday, I need to get out and pull weeds while the ground is still soft.

[goldshirt*9]

Basil likes lots of sun.  And it's probably not really keen on having wet feet.  It likes liberal water, but needs to have adequate drainage, lest the stem and roots rot.

I haven't tried beets or carrots, yet, although I do have packets of seeds for the beets that I should plant.  I have so many weeds to deal with first.  Because it rained on Sunday, I need to get out and pull weeds while the ground is still soft.

not a fan of beet tastes earthy, fresh cooked carrots are divine.