Quarantine Vegetable Gardens

[155etta]

Yum. I bet it's good on more than just tomatoes.

Corn on the cob, watermelon, steamed veggies....

 

[Gardener1850]

Awww it sure sounds like you're the glue holding everyone together! My hubs has been alternating between anxiety and depression too. I've just been trying to share the joyful little things with him too.

I noticed our first little strawberry buds coming in yesterday! The spinach and lettuce are doing great. Crabapple tree is in full bloom - I'll probably make jelly when the fruit comes in later. I have a ton of sunflower seedlings - Russian mammoth for us and black oil for the birds. Having a bunch of sunflowers near the garden seems to help keep the birds occupied and away from my veggies and berries.

Will be starting some squash seeds inside soon.

I also forage and I'm getting excited about what's popping up. Looking forward to my favorites like yarrow, yucca and violet going into bloom. I tried to boil some dandelion roots from the yard (we don't spray) but they came out awfully bitter even though I tried to get them before they went to flower. Any dandelion cooking tips would be appreciated!

I'd love to have your crab apple jelly recipe if you have one you always make and are willing to share it. We also have an established crab apple tree that has already bloomed. I've never picked any of them before, however, this year I might. We usually leave those for the birds, squirrels and deer.

I also have sunflower seeds to plant this year but I haven't decided where to put them yet. We usually surround our raised garden beds with marigolds and nasturtiums as pest deterrents/trap plants. And we'll companion plant some herbs in the beds too.

Sorry I can't help with the dandelions-- I've never found a recipe with dandelion that I enjoyed. They are too bitter no matter how I make them. I think I would starve before I resort to I eating dandelion. Or I'll just plant extra arugula and radishes instead.

Have you ever used yucca to make soap? I have not, but I have always wanted to try it: How To Make Soap From Yucca Root

 

[lucidtx]

I'd love to have your crab apple jelly recipe if you have one you always make and are willing to share it. We also have an established crab apple tree that has already bloomed. I've never picked any of them before, however, this year I might. We usually leave those for the birds, squirrels and deer.

I also have sunflower seeds to plant this year but I haven't decided where to put them yet. We usually surround our raised garden beds with marigolds and nasturtiums as pest deterrents/trap plants. And we'll companion plant some herbs in the beds too.

Sorry I can't help with the dandelions-- I've never found a recipe with dandelion that I enjoyed. They are too bitter no matter how I make them. I think I would starve before I resort to I eating dandelion. Or I'll just plant extra arugula and radishes instead.

Have you ever used yucca to make soap? I have not, but I have always wanted to try it: How To Make Soap From Yucca Root

I'll let you know if I figure out a good crab apple jelly recipe. I had trouble getting it to set when I tried last year so I'm still looking for a good recipe myself.

Great idea with the marigolds and nasturtiums!

I have not tried to make soap yet but it's on the list! Hopefully this year. I've heard it makes a nice shampoo. Yucca blossoms are a such delicacy. I usually can't help but eat them as I pick them.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Yes, I think they are non-GMO. I mostly grow organic veggies and try to use organic practices as much as possible. Heirloom seeds are open pollinators and can be saved for next year. Some of my seeds are seeds I saved from previous years and some are new in the packets. The Rainbow Tomatoes were from an unopened envelope bought years ago and I haven't ever grown them before. Perhaps being in a sealed package gave them some advantage over the others? But a second type of tomato plant has sprouted in my window today and it's a hybrid called "Big Boy": Burpee's Big Boy Hybrid Tomato Seeds and Plants, Vegetable Gardening at Burpee.com
My Big Boy seeds are from an opened package that says 2007 on it. I don't even remember buying those but I must have grown them in 2006 or 2007. I'll have to make a note not to save those seeds when I harvest the tomatoes. My understanding is that you can save hybrid seeds but they are not guaranteed to produce the same variety the next year or the next year's crop might not be as good as the first year. Heirlooms will continue to produce the same type and yield year after year. I have yellow pear-shaped tomatoes that I grow every year that I only have the saved seeds from previous years now. I didn't save the original envelope but I think they are these: Yellow Pear Heirloom Cherry Tomato – Bonnie Plants
The yellow pears are one of my favorites.

I'm more concerned about deer and rabbits eating my garden; I hadn't thought about the birds. We're planning to build a fence by the time the garden is producing. I might have to look at bird netting if the birds start going after the garden too. My goal is usually to grow enough extra that it doesn't matter if some animals get to them. This year I might not share as much with the wildlife, depending on how bad things get.

Squirrels can strip my two large pecans in a day and a half. And they are still covered in the green outer layer before they dry up and split to reveal the pecan shell itself.
Any suggestions?

 

[mickey2942]

Squirrels can strip my two large pecans in a day and a half. And they are still covered in the green outer layer before they dry up and split to reveal the pecan shell itself.
Any suggestions?

Dogs? Squirrels do not like dogs. 2nd option, do you have a .22? Squirrel meat is supposed to be delicious.

 

[Gardener1850]

Squirrels can strip my two large pecans in a day and a half. And they are still covered in the green outer layer before they dry up and split to reveal the pecan shell itself.
Any suggestions?

I've never had that problem but I might have to figure something out this year. This guy tests out several different squirrel deterrents:

The top deterrents he tested seem to be coyote urine and ammonia. Please don't use mothballs, however, as some pets might eat them and get very sick. MOO.

It looks like a lot of people use metal collars as squirrel guards:
How to Use Tin to Protect Trees From Squirrels
How to Keep Squirrels From Pecan Trees
https://www.ehow.com/how_6720261_protect-pecan-trees-squirrels.html

It's worth a try!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Dogs? Squirrels do not like dogs. 2nd option, do you have a .22? Squirrel meat is supposed to be delicious.

Oh mickey, you instantly transported me back in time. My daddy was a coon hunter all his life. He’d catch squirrels while his redbone treed that coon. He’d sit out there on the back porch skinning those squirrels for mama to fry up with fried potatoes and gravy. I didn’t really like it much, a little too brown for me. Watching the process so many times may have had something to do with it. I liked the rabbit and fish more. You know, things were a lot different back then. Thinking back, I just don’t know. Oh my gosh, COVID-19 has shot me into such a reflective mood. I feel like a child growing up. I just want to be one of the Waltons and say “Goodnight JohnBoy”

*Back to reality...
Have you thought about rosemary, sage, cabbage, hot peppers, carrots, potatoes, pumpkins, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and radishes? Speaking of radishes, I’ve had this in my photo album for so long. It’s interesting. Radishes? Yes? No?


I’m still behind reading. I think? I saw someone talking about sweet potatoes.

All this came from one sweet potato.
How to Grow a Massive Sweet Potato Harvest With DIY Containers - Gardening Channel

 

[oviedo]

Grrr. I didn’t have this thread on watch. Missed so many posts. I’ll have to catch up and see what I’ve missed. But just reading a few, I can see that we hit on a true connection. Thank you.
I can’t wait to find chocolate mint. Two favorites in one. Yummm. Like the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies.

Makes an awesome mojito but mint takes over everything so be careful

 

[oviedo]

Also for an easy start take the big bag of potting soil and punch holes or use a knife to draw rows and plant seeds direct in the soil bag - I do this because our rains are terrible and wash out my in ground garden every time - I have to do it on the lanai because of the hard rains - I also use the bags to protect the sliding glass doors during hurricane season just drag them over in June when the plants are hardy

 

[mickey2942]

Makes an awesome mojito but mint takes over everything so be careful

Love mint, in a huge pot. I usually grow mint, and lemongrass in the same pot. Basil in another one, dill, parsley, and cilantro. Every summer on the porch. Fresh herbs make everything better.

 

[oviedo]

Love mint, in a huge pot. I usually grow mint, and lemongrass in the same pot. Basil in another one, dill, parsley, and cilantro. Every summer on the porch. Fresh herbs make everything better.

My kids and I have a running joke I try to grow lavender every year and I always kill it / I can grow most everything else in a container but I kill lavender - 7 weeks ago I picked up lavender thyme and sage at the farmers market and all died except the lavender - first time in 30 years so I think it’s a sign - I’ve cooked with fresh herbs for years and recently began drying them in my pantry

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Call mom on the phone. You have the perfect source for local information on what to plant in your garden.
First clear out the old. Save whatever seeds you can find among the scraggly stuff that is left. You could find seeds in any plants that fell and dried up on the plot. They might have even started to self seed. Look carefully.
Once you are down to the dirt with no plant material, turn it over with pitch fork or shovel. Add amendments. Manure. Chicken is my favorite but burns hot so be careful. Horse is great. Cow, whatever you can find.
Once the bed is prepared, send pics to your mother. She will fall over like I do when my kids call to ask for garden advice. It will make her day, for sure.
Maybe ask her to garden over the phone with you. Step by step.
When I ask my sons for cooking advice, I usually have the answer. But asking them brings us close. I don’t think they realize I know what the answer is before I ask.
Greatest of luck.
The first step is starting. And you’ve done that by reaching out to us. Just keep going. It’s a labor of love. That pays huge dividends.

I this post! it. One of the classic great truths. Thank you. Our answers are usually right in front of us.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Call mom on the phone. You have the perfect source for local information on what to plant in your garden.
First clear out the old. Save whatever seeds you can find among the scraggly stuff that is left. You could find seeds in any plants that fell and dried up on the plot. They might have even started to self seed. Look carefully.
Once you are down to the dirt with no plant material, turn it over with pitch fork or shovel. Add amendments. Manure. Chicken is my favorite but burns hot so be careful. Horse is great. Cow, whatever you can find.
Once the bed is prepared, send pics to your mother. She will fall over like I do when my kids call to ask for garden advice. It will make her day, for sure.
Maybe ask her to garden over the phone with you. Step by step.
When I ask my sons for cooking advice, I usually have the answer. But asking them brings us close. I don’t think they realize I know what the answer is before I ask.
Greatest of luck.
The first step is starting. And you’ve done that by reaching out to us. Just keep going. It’s a labor of love. That pays huge dividends.

Wow, thank you so much for this thoughtful reply. And you're right, just because we're on lockdown doesn't mean I can't get her tips over the phone.

 

[CeeCeeCat]

A week or so ago, I cut a couple of sprigs of mint from a pot I’d bought at a supermarket. Plonked them in water, left them on a sunny and airy windowsill. I changed the water every few days but nothing was happening - however, this morning, we have roots! Yay!

 

[LadyL]

anyone know what the best potting soil is for potatoes, tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash, spinach, cucumber, kale, zucchini, carrots?

 

[nhmemorymaker]

How is it fear mongering to report the fact that the meat plants are shutting down? Yes it's only for 3 days right now but that will lead to even greater meat shortages. Smithfield produces 18 million servings of meat per day-- that means 54 million servings of meat that will not be produced while it is shut down. That's millions of homes, schools, restaurants that are not going to be able to purchase meat. I don't know about where you live, but I have already seen meat shortages. My stores had no meat for 2 weeks and when they had meat again last week they were only allowing 2 packages per household per type of meat (2 chicken, 2 pork, 2 beef, etc). I expect when I go back to the store again (which I can't afford to do for another week) the limit will have been lowered to 1 package per household, if I can get any meat at all. I don't ever buy Smithfield. I prefer pastured pork only and eat very few pork products period, but this shutdown will greatly affect me and everyone else too. Because many millions of people who buy Smithfield will get another brand when Smithfield pork is not there. If there is no pork they will buy a different meat. Then if there is no meat at all they will turn to buying beans and other food items such as grains so that the vegetarians will also not have the food they need available. There was already a brief shortage on beans in my area as well (we ate more beans and rice for 2 weeks because we couldn't get meat, so I know from experience and I'm sure this is what everyone else did who couldn't buy meat). Fortunately, some beans came back in stock after the first round of panic buying and after the store started limiting meat purchases. But companies that process beans and vegetables and all other kinds of food could face the same kind of shut downs as Smithfield. Then what?

If the CDC had not changed it's guidelines I fully believe Smithfield could have been shut down for 14 days to quarantine all who had contact with the employees who have coronavirus. I hope they can get all their employees tested and put only those who test negative back to work right away. But this is a disaster in the making to put people who are exposed back to work after only a few days. Let's say majority exposed have no symptoms and go back to work 4 days later when the plant reopens. Ok good, they might keep the plant open for a couple more days until more people get sick from the previous exposure. Incubation is up to 14 days. Then what? do they shut for another 3 or 4 days? Or do they stay open now and only tell the symptomatic people to go home? The cycle of infection from pre-symptomatic people will continue until everyone in the company has it with these guidelines. But there is no winning solution here. More essential employees are going to get coronavirus and more are going to die because of these new guidelines from the CDC. But Americans will eventually die from starvation as well without a steady supply of food in the markets. This is tragic, but I see no way around it. They can't shut down the food and medical based companies long enough to fully stamp out the virus without major disruption of the food supply. But if too many essential employees get sick at once we are also in big trouble.

Call my way of thinking scare mongering if you want. I think I'm seeing reality pretty clearly and I see no good solution to this problem in the short term. There is not enough PPE to protect everyone who has to work in the essential businesses. A vaccine is many months to possibly a year away. I'm going to go plant potatoes for the first time ever and pray that they work. I wish I had the land to plant fields of corn and rice and I wish I had the money to start keeping chickens, goats and rabbits. But we will hunt for our meat this year if we have to, we will grow everything we can afford to grow and we will survive.

Big MOO (no pun intended).

I think i remember you stating you are in the southeast...you should do fine with your potatoes... Just remember to keep mounding your plants!!! That makes all the difference in the world... And, if you don't mind using it, a little 10-10-10 away from the mounds helps too! I think the red are the easiest, and the ones that I get the greatest output...

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Yes, I'm in the southeast. That's good news about the reds as there was only one package of white seed potatoes left in my garden store. I got mostly red potatoes and some sweet potatoes too. Supposedly sweet potatoes will do really well here too. I'm going to grow in potato bags-- I bought some on Amazon similar to these: https://www.amazon.com/247Garden-5-...a4db-4490-a794-9cd9552ac58d&tag=bestcont06-20

wow...never used those... i noticed some are out of stock. I think i will get some for tomatoes

 

[Kensie]

Yes, I'm in the southeast. That's good news about the reds as there was only one package of white seed potatoes left in my garden store. I got mostly red potatoes and some sweet potatoes too. Supposedly sweet potatoes will do really well here too. I'm going to grow in potato bags-- I bought some on Amazon similar to these: https://www.amazon.com/247Garden-5-...a4db-4490-a794-9cd9552ac58d&tag=bestcont06-20

WOW, thanks for the link. I just ordered some. I always wanted a garden and now I will have one. I am so excited. I love potatoes. I hope I can grow tomatoes , squash.
I am also in the Southeast.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

wow...never used those... i noticed some are out of stock. I think i will get some for tomatoes

will be sooo curious on how these work for potatoes.... i was "taught by an expert old time gardner" how to mound and fertilize so will be curious how that works with the bags... down the road...i know.

 

[Hatfield]

will be sooo curious on how these work for potatoes.... i was "taught by an expert old time gardner" how to mound and fertilize so will be curious how that works with the bags... down the road...i know.

I just finished putting down my garden the other day. I have never tried growing potatoes but would like to try it next year.

I know how to mound up cucumber plants and things like that. I sort of mounded up my onions I just put down the other day.

Can you briefly describe the mounding technique and how to grow potatoes if it is not too difficult to explain?