Quarantine Vegetable Gardens

[acutename]

My interest? Anything to take my mind off the reality of the state of US and the pandemic at the moment. I'm having a really hard time absorbing all the devastating news lately.
I vowed at the end of last summer to not repeat the extent of gardening I did last year, now of course, I'm anxious to get my hands back in the dirt. My double garage is presently 1/2 greenhouse. I bought 3 huge ferns around end of August that I found at Lowes for only $5 each and they are probably 4 foot tall! They take up the entire 6' utility table. I have another 2 hanging fern baskets. I have vines, geraniums, beautiful impatient dish, coleus, more vines, trailing geraniums all in garage. A couple herb planters barely hanging on.
I have several sweet potato vines rooting on my kitchen window sill.
Still at least 3, maybe 4 months away from being able to get all these outdoors. A few may actually survive the winter, alot probably won't.
I may start some lettuce inside, I miss being able to just walk out onto my back porch and snipping handfuls fresh for a salad.
I just know last year, getting my hands in dirt was a tremendous stress reliever and feel I need that now again.
I'll take inventory of my seeds this weekend and plan, probably do some ordering.
View attachment 278581

in the woods today:

has been in the 20s overnight but the ferns are doing fairly well....

 

[SA55]

in the woods today:

View attachment 278774 has been in the 20s overnight but the ferns are doing fairly well....

Beautiful!

 

[mickey2942]

Well, time to start thinking about the garden, what to grow, ordering, starting seedlings, getting cold frames going...

 

[kalvis]

I am so glad to see this thread being used again. Spring is right around the corner!

I finally, found some canning rings and lid at $8.49 for 12. I thought that was a little high priced. Jars are running $13 to $14 for 12 jars.

 

[Springrain]

I am so jealous of all your lovely gardens! I live in a studio apartment in northern WA with very little light...I was considering having a small indoor herb garden, but I'm not sure which herbs would be hardy enough to withstand the conditions here. I believe my local stores have rosemary and basil plants for sale, but I don't think either would survive here.

 

[Kavya01]

I am so jealous of all your lovely gardens! I live in a studio apartment in northern WA with very little light...I was considering having a small indoor herb garden, but I'm not sure which herbs would be hardy enough to withstand the conditions here. I believe my local stores have rosemary and basil plants for sale, but I don't think either would survive here.

Get a good full spectrum sunlight grow light to hang over your plants!

 

[mickey2942]

I am so jealous of all your lovely gardens! I live in a studio apartment in northern WA with very little light...I was considering having a small indoor herb garden, but I'm not sure which herbs would be hardy enough to withstand the conditions here. I believe my local stores have rosemary and basil plants for sale, but I don't think either would survive here.

You may find a community garden in your area. Or, just start a small planting of your favorite herbs. Basil is pretty easy. You may want to do hydroponic. Amazon has a pretty nice set up, pretty cheap.
https://www.amazon.com/Hydroponics-...d=1&keywords=hydroponic&qid=1611541970&sr=8-5

 

[Midwestmom2019]

It’s finally going to freeze here and of course last week I raked out all the oak leaves that I had left on the ground to protect the plants including some very scraggly tomato vines. They yielded 4 tiny tomatoes. Gum ball sized jewels. Don’t know how they made it. But now I’ll have to cover what will not make it with sheets. I have taken several pots into the house. Too cold in the garage to leave them out there bc the least bit of frost and they’re gone. So basil, impatiens and some fragile ground cover has been transplanted into pots and sit inside on a protected table top. My Noah’s Ark in case the sheets blow off or God forbid it snows!!!! Those oak leaves would have been just fine there for another month....But oh no, I had to get a jump on Spring...It had been clear, dry and beautiful 60 plus degrees for several days in a row. Fooled again by Mother Nature.
Those are my cuttings. No seeds set out into pots yet. Any suggestions for some veggies? What’s the easiest in terms of no fungus, no bugs? Birds? Mine dive bomb any big tomatoes that I grow so I stay with the little Tiny Tim or cocktail sized species. Several onion plants from last year still trying to become big plants. Not much growth in pots. How about lettuce? Maybe a Spring Mix would be tasty?

 

[Eleven_11]

I have two plants that survived our horrid summer (weeks over 100 degrees & several days over 115) and have now survived hail and a couple of days of frost - jalapeños and okra. I lost my cucumbers, pumpkins and watermelon to fungus. I do also still have green onions growing that I planted from table scraps and they are pretty huge. Not sure myself what I’m going to plant this year yet.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

It’s dropping into the teens next few nights. I’ll see what survives. But I’m thinking I better cover a few more tender plants, including ornamental banana trees. Just purchased a container grown nectarine for my son who lives two zones up. Wonder if I should cover the pot? I think it’ll survive the cold, actually need chilling hours but the roots are not in the ground. Hmmm. Maybe garage it.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I have two plants that survived our horrid summer (weeks over 100 degrees & several days over 115) and have now survived hail and a couple of days of frost - jalapeños and okra. I lost my cucumbers, pumpkins and watermelon to fungus. I do also still have green onions growing that I planted from table scraps and they are pretty huge. Not sure myself what I’m going to plant this year yet.

Can you plant the cukes and other vines up off the ground? Maybe on a mesh tray so the air can circulate around them? Too heavy for a vertical fence but something to allow the air to circulate. I have several boxes that I made with 2 by 4’s and wire mesh. Keeps birds out of my big square pots until the plants get bigger.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Six inches of snow for Dallas Fort Worth. Unheard of and it’s supposed to hit Houston with an inch or so come Monday. I’ve taken in the new nectarine tree in the pot for safety. Going to cover more plants tomorrow. At least it will kill off many insects like mosquitos and fleas. I hope the birds will survive. Left the garage door open so if there are any ferrel cats out, they can shelter overnight. Brrr. Hope everyone stays warm. And if you’re in our freeze zone, cover what you can.

 

[mickey2942]

Six inches of snow for Dallas Fort Worth. Unheard of and it’s supposed to hit Houston with an inch or so come Monday. I’ve taken in the new nectarine tree in the pot for safety. Going to cover more plants tomorrow. At least it will kill off many insects like mosquitos and fleas. I hope the birds will survive. Left the garage door open so if there are any ferrel cats out, they can shelter overnight. Brrr. Hope everyone stays warm. And if you’re in our freeze zone, cover what you can.

The last frost day for Zone 4, where I live is May 15!!! Although, last summer I had tomatoes all of the way through mid October.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

The last frost day for Zone 4, where I live is May 15!!! Although, last summer I had tomatoes all of the way through mid October.

We don’t have too much luck with big tomatoes in Houston (at least I don’t) but my gum ball sized ones did fantastic. I hear you can take green ones off and either window sill them until red, or make fried green tomatoes. Anyone ever made those? And how are they?
I just let the dogs out for their final romp before bed. Steady, misty rain falling. It’ll be a sheet of ice in the am. I hope our power grids manage to stay in place.
Anyone seeing trees knocking down electric lines? Stay covered everyone. It’ll be a bad one. Ice under snow is so dangerous.

 

[mickey2942]

We don’t have too much luck with big tomatoes in Houston (at least I don’t) but my gum ball sized ones did fantastic. I hear you can take green ones off and either window sill them until red, or make fried green tomatoes. Anyone ever made those? And how are they?
I just let the dogs out for their final romp before bed. Steady, misty rain falling. It’ll be a sheet of ice in the am. I hope our power grids manage to stay in place.
Anyone seeing trees knocking down electric lines? Stay covered everyone. It’ll be a bad one. Ice under snow is so dangerous.

Yes, I did very well with a "Cherry 100" plant. I had three, that took over the garden. Huge, sprawling plants. With several tomatoes every day from July until mid October.

Those Beefsteak tomatoes need heat, time, but not too much heat. But I think it gets too cold here for them at night. And I am not obsessive enough to cover and uncover them every day.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Yes, I did very well with a "Cherry 100" plant. I had three, that took over the garden. Huge, sprawling plants. With several tomatoes every day from July until mid October.

Those Beefsteak tomatoes need heat, time, but not too much heat. But I think it gets too cold here for them at night. And I am not obsessive enough to cover and uncover them every day.

I plucked 4 off the sprawling vines as you describe them several days ago. One is red. Others are green. Think I’ll put the red one into a pot of dirt once it warms up. I took a Roma from the grocery store and did the same two years ago. Had starts all over until I forgot to water them. Had to give many away. Neighbors that took them did great with them. Interesting about the beefsteak size. Too cold at night.... here too hot. They split from the heat. I think they cook on the vines.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Well, “Houston, we’ve got a problem.” Big time freeze. Snow???? Yes, snow. So many without power. Frustrating bc there’s no reason for the power going down? Right? The only thing that will survive are WEEDS!!!!

 

[mickey2942]

Well, “Houston, we’ve got a problem.” Big time freeze. Snow???? Yes, snow. So many without power. Frustrating bc there’s no reason for the power going down? Right? The only thing that will survive are WEEDS!!!!

I am so excited for Spring, I want to start my seedlings next month. I bought some special grow bulbs...I have a table, and plan to plant in cups in an old under the bed box we have...my husband says I am a "nut case". We can't put anything outside until at least May...so, no planting until April.

Sigh. He is probably right.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I am so excited for Spring, I want to start my seedlings next month. I bought some special grow bulbs...I have a table, and plan to plant in cups in an old under the bed box we have...my husband says I am a "nut case". We can't put anything outside until at least May...so, no planting until April.

Sigh. He is probably right.

Try putting a heating pad under your starts. They love warm dirt.

 

[mickey2942]

Try putting a heating pad under your starts. They love warm dirt.

Good idea. Not sure I have one. Geez, we have a garage full of clutter...no heat pad.