February 2Feb 2 Too soon? Dunno. Slowly digging out long-abandoned beds in the rolling vastness of our back 1/3 acre. Very grassy, haven't planted there in 4-5 years. Idea is to then mix in black dirt from where I pile the dead leaves. I like to plant peppers, okra, and cherry tomatoes. Okra and peppers don't get messed with much by critters. Cherry tomatoes do, but they still leave plenty for me. For this year I hope to attain the dream of setting up stakes and cross-pieces like a giant model Man o'War, and let the tomato vines be the rigging. Going very slowly, partially to keep from jumping the gun and planting too soon, partially so I unfeeble my muscles at a non-painful rate.
February 4Feb 4 Popular Post Not too early. I got more serious about staring transplants from seeds and picked up a few heat mats and LED grow lights from Amazon. So far I have tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, cantaloupes, cukes, zukes, basil, cilantro, kale, onions, shallots, beans and peas started. I also have some flowers, some decorative and some for tea and marigolds to accompany the tomatoes. New this year is tobacco, nightshade huckleberry and otricoli berry. I’m also pumped to have 4x the producing blackberry plants compared to last year as well as a decent shot at production from my three year old plum tree. My winter garden is still cranking out lettuce, carrots and more. The salads are amazing and I have no regerts on going year round.
February 4Feb 4 Little help please. My 9 year old has the plant bug. He wanted an apple tree, so I bought him a Mollie's delicious. Got home and sounds like to produce fruit I need 2. So we went back and got another (Mollie's delicious). Now more reading and it sounds like you have to have different varieties?? to produce fruit. I'm confused as shit. Anybody know how the fuck this shit works?
February 4Feb 4 By the time the trees are big enough, if you keep them alive that long, he won't give a fuck anymore.
February 4Feb 4 Author I dunno, planted an oak tree in front of our old house when I was 5, watched it grow and always felt a connection to it. Tornados wrecked it a few years ago but before that, sometimes I'd swing down that street just to see how big it was. Then park, sit there, and watch the house while saying "tick, tock, tick, tock," no idea why it just felt right.
February 5Feb 5 Built another box. 5 x 5. Going to do all tomatoes in the 5 x 10 and cucumbers, serranos, Jalapeños, and bush tomatoes in the 5 x 5. Hope the damn spider mites don't return. Last year they really kick my tomatoes ass. Any suggestions on preventive treatments or companion plants? Edited February 5Feb 5 by CoachTex
February 5Feb 5 26 minutes ago, CoachTex said: Built another box. 5 x 5. Going to do all tomatoes in the 5 x 10 and cucumbers, serranos, Jalapeños, and bush tomatoes in the 5 x 5. Hope the damn spider mites don't return. Last year they really kick my tomatoes ass. Any suggestions on preventive treatments or companion plants? I didn’t have mites last year, but I’m definitely going to mix marigolds and basil in this year to keep weeds suppressed and hopefully help with pollinator attraction. Both are in those trays above and grow extremely easily from seed.
February 9Feb 9 Adding a small little collection of trees around the garden. Will be in containers for few years then plant at my FiL's place. I don't expect much fruit if any, but the flowers alone on each make it worth it. Dad, wife and the two kids each picked their favorite fruiting tree. Already found the Santa Rosa plum.
February 11Feb 11 Pomegranates are great, my neighbor’s produced well last year and mine grew three feet. They’re not always trying to die when it’s hot and I appreciate that. Most of my seeds have sprouted and I already had to move some beans to grow bags outside. Also, if you baby tomatoes in pots and bring them in during freezes you can pick them fresh in February. I planted these in late June and it’s been about 10x more work than I can recommend, but whatever.
February 11Feb 11 yep I always get mine buried deeply in good soil in half gallon pots and bring them in and out as needed until go time
February 11Feb 11 I started a bunch of pepper seeds from last year's crop. A bunch have sprouted, but this is when they all seem to die mysteriously. I have them on a heat map, and I'm trying to keep the grow lights close, but the adjacent cucumber seeds are getting taller than the lights are.
February 13Feb 13 Austin peeps. Don't know this group, but if I still lived in town I would go see what they have. News & About Us Annual Plant Sale & BenefitAbout UsMeet Sunny the Cat Charitable & Educational ActivitiesGardensPast Newsletters Annual Plant Sale & Benefit Mark your calendars for the next Annual Plant Sale & Benefit, Saturday March 1, 2025, from 9:00-2:00 at 4814 Sunshine Drive! Learn from knowledgeable gardeners while you choose from 87 varieties of tomatoes, 72 varieties of peppers (40 hot, 32 sweet), 19 varieties of eggplant, 6 varieties of tomatillos, and 7,000 herbs. In addition to the over 24,000 vegetable and herb plants for sale, there will be native flowers, pass along plants, succulents, organic compost, silent auction items, and a children’s carrot patch. You can also explore booths of local vendors, walk through our gardens, and listen to some local music. Check out the listings and descriptions below for the tomato, pepper, eggplant, and tomatillo varieties available at the sale. Descriptions of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and tomatillos (no photos). Descriptions of tomato varieties with photos. Descriptions of pepper varieties with photos. Descriptions of eggplant and tomatillo varieties with photos. You can also review the results from the 2024 Sunshine Tomato Trials and Taste Testing to find our garden’s best performing and favorite tastiest tomato varieties. If you’d like to volunteer for the Plant Sale & Benefit, please sign-up here. We also have Herb Tent workdays in the Sunshine Gardens greenhouse every Saturday from 9:00am – 12:00 pm leading up to the sale. https://sunshinecommunitygardens.org/news-aboutus/#brxe-zxfxpe
February 15Feb 15 Pulled a bed of carrots that I don’t feel like covering and also to stop the squirrels/mice from eating the tops off.
February 24Feb 24 Can any of you pros offer recommendations for good soaker hoses? We're going to have 3 or 4 Arizona Cypress trees planted in our (large) backyard next week and we know that we'll need to give them a lot of water and TLC throughout this first summer. We've only got one spigot available in the back so the plan is to coil the soaker around a tree daily and then alternate throughout the week.
February 25Feb 25 How far of a run from the spigot to the trees? I've previously DIY'd a similar setup with this type of product. You can either buy a kit or mix and match at Home Depot. Not ideal long term, but worked for a year or two. Get it set up, then throw it on a timer. Plus, you can cut the supply line to length so you're only irrigating the trees and not wasting water between locations.
February 25Feb 25 Don't buy LINEX brand. I've had 2 that spring big leaks that pretty much negated the rest of the hose.
February 27Feb 27 I'm going to look into that Rain Bird. It's probably 40-45' from spigot to the trees. We're planting 4 of them in a straight line, trunk to trunk span will be 50' or so. We're basically building a large evergreen privacy fence/shade from the morning sun. Oak wilt took out the two massive split trunk oaks we had a number of years ago. Looking for hardy, drought tolerant trees that will block the sun when I'm watching sports early in the morning on the patio TVs & hide the view of the neighbors behind us (renters w/ young boys, a trampoline & a crappy grad they don't maintain.
March 5Mar 5 On 2/27/2025 at 2:37 PM, GhostOfTomJoad said: I'm going to look into that Rain Bird. It's probably 40-45' from spigot to the trees. We're planting 4 of them in a straight line, trunk to trunk span will be 50' or so. We're basically building a large evergreen privacy fence/shade from the morning sun. Oak wilt took out the two massive split trunk oaks we had a number of years ago. Looking for hardy, drought tolerant trees that will block the sun when I'm watching sports early in the morning on the patio TVs & hide the view of the neighbors behind us (renters w/ young boys, a trampoline & a crappy grad they don't maintain. I went to dripdepot.com and bought individual parts for a system to irrigate my vegetable garden. For 4 trees, you can put together a system with a timer for less than $100.
March 5Mar 5 I use micro-sprinklers on a timer for the landscaping. Worked a treat for the last 8 years now.
March 8Mar 8 This is my third year with this plum tree and it looks like I’ll be getting fruit this summer. Also, strawberries are already producing along with the world’s tiniest broccoli, another round of carrots and more great lettuce.
March 9Mar 9 I'm gonna try some gardenin' this spring. I am sure I will screw it up like the rest of my life but what the heck. Starting small (that's what she said). About 200 sq.ft. I weedeated the crap out of an area that has been neglected forever, then did a little hoeing. Added some compost today. Planning to plant some corn, beans, and squash in a few weeks.
March 9Mar 9 38 minutes ago, Fred Garvin said: I'm gonna try some gardenin' this spring. I am sure I will screw it up like the rest of my life but what the heck. Starting small (that's what she said). About 200 sq.ft. I weedeated the crap out of an area that has been neglected forever, then did a little hoeing. Added some compost today. Planning to plant some corn, beans, and squash in a few weeks. Definitely try cow pea/black eyed peas. They’re one of the easiest things ever ever grown and seemingly cannot be killed.
March 9Mar 9 1 minute ago, USCATX said: Definitely try cow pea/black eyed peas. They’re one of the easiest things ever ever grown and seemingly cannot be killed. Thanks!
March 11Mar 11 Put a bunch of stuff in the ground. Typical tomatoes, peppers, green beans, etc.. and some new stuff. New stuff for this year: Trombocino Rampicante squash - supposed to be SVB resistant. We'll see. Thai Kaprao Basil - planted tulsi holy basil last year, but found the right seeds for this year. Native Dewberry - transplanted after the foraging season last summer; expanding nicely in a dedicated bed. Black-Eyed Peas - The Natural Gardener convinced me to try this as a green/living mulch. Probably put down way too much.
March 11Mar 11 On 3/9/2025 at 5:38 PM, Fred Garvin said: I'm gonna try some gardenin' this spring. I am sure I will screw it up like the rest of my life but what the heck. Starting small (that's what she said). About 200 sq.ft. I weedeated the crap out of an area that has been neglected forever, then did a little hoeing. Added some compost today. Planning to plant some corn, beans, and squash in a few weeks. Corn is tough in small areas. Worth a shot, especially if you want beans and squash to trellis up it naturally, but I've never had much luck with it, and an old gardener friend of mine told me that you needed. Squash and beans will take off, especially green beans. Throw some cucumbers in there too if you like 'em. They're pretty bulletproof as well. Okra does great through the summer if you can get enough water to them. Those four seem to be the ones that I have the most luck with.
March 11Mar 11 Smells like Jalapeno time outside. Blackberries, dewberries, peaches, and plums are starting to wake up too. Also my mint from last year is back and by back, I mean it is everywhere. In the flower pots, in the garden, in the lawn. Everywhere.
March 11Mar 11 1 hour ago, Masshole Horn said: Native Dewberry - transplanted after the foraging season last summer; expanding nicely in a dedicated bed. I have a hard time controlling the dewberry and blackberry. They're damn near indestructible. I didn't get a lot of fruit last year from them though but the birds sure as shit did.
March 11Mar 11 On 3/8/2025 at 1:01 PM, USCATX said: This is my third year with this plum tree and it looks like I’ll be getting fruit this summer. What kind? I'm on year 3 with a Santa Rosa and it's looking the same as yours right now.
March 12Mar 12 7 hours ago, SimonBolivar said: What kind? I'm on year 3 with a Santa Rosa and it's looking the same as yours right now. I think it’s a Methley, but I’ll double check. It’s grown from a 1/2” diameter 3-4’ bare root twig to 12’ tall, it’s crazy.
March 14Mar 14 Cucumber seeds in. Going to get the rest tomorrow. Here is to a good harvest and no spider mites.
March 14Mar 14 Next week is our spring break and I took the whole week off so I'll be getting it all ready to go soon.
March 16Mar 16 I put a few in the dirt yesterday, inside. Wink wink. Too cold still for anything outside.
March 17Mar 17 I put 15 (4 varieties) peppers and 18 (7 varieties) tomatoes in the ground today along with tons of companion basil and marigolds. Since I grew everything from seed I have way too many plants so I should have backups in case a freak freeze or windstorm knocks them out. I still need to plant a ton of squash, melons, and some oddballs I’m trying this year like otricoli berries, litchie tomatoes and nightshade huckleberries. I’m also putting in a ton of spinach, arugula, dill, cilantro, sage and chives between the main plants.
March 17Mar 17 18 hours ago, thunderlounge said: I put a few in the dirt yesterday, inside. Wink wink. Too cold still for anything outside. HPS? How are the LEDs these days?
March 25Mar 25 Here's a dumb/rookie question: If I am only able to get out to my garden once per week, will it just be too overrun with weeds, etc. to even bother with planting stuff? I'll have a sprinkler on a timer so water shouldn't be an issue, but I'm guessing that real gardeners are out weeding and checking on stuff just about every day. P.S. I found this growing on its own in the area I was tilling Sunday. Given how neglected this area was and these are still shooting up, maybe I should be planting some asparagus? Hook 'em!
March 25Mar 25 Here's a dumb/rookie question: If I am only able to get out to my garden once per week, will it just be too overrun with weeds, etc. to even bother with planting stuff? I'll have a sprinkler on a timer so water shouldn't be an issue, but I'm guessing that real gardeners are out weeding and checking on stuff just about every day. P.S. I found this growing on its own in the area I was tilling Sunday. Given how neglected this area was and these are still shooting up, maybe I should be planting some asparagus? Hook 'em! I’d get a bunch of tomatoes and peppers. Then I’d also plant some perennial herbs: thyme, rosemary, sage, and oregano. Then I’d mulch the hell out of it with 6 inches of straw mulch.
March 25Mar 25 3 hours ago, Fred Garvin said: Here's a dumb/rookie question: If I am only able to get out to my garden once per week, will it just be too overrun with weeds, etc. to even bother with planting stuff? I'll have a sprinkler on a timer so water shouldn't be an issue, but I'm guessing that real gardeners are out weeding and checking on stuff just about every day. P.S. I found this growing on its own in the area I was tilling Sunday. Given how neglected this area was and these are still shooting up, maybe I should be planting some asparagus? Hook 'em! If you put a good 2 to 3 inches of mulch and weeds should not be a problem.
March 30Mar 30 I have about 25% of my seedlings in the ground so far including nightshade huckleberry, nightshade otricoli berries, 28 tomato plants with marigold, basil and cilantro mixed in, my viola bed and my fig from last year that’s killing it.
March 31Mar 31 Also my first plum, one of this year’s new bare root peach trees, cockscomb and calendula with a few other flowers mixed in.
April 10Apr 10 Finally got everything in the ground. Pretty much all peppers, mostly japs, with a cherry tomato, strawberry, and some onions mixed in. I couldn't find any cucumber plants that didn't look like shit so I won't be growing one this year. Last year they were all bitter as fuck anyways. Will probably add another tomato to that spot. Yes those are rubber snakes. The crows and mockingbirds don't seem to be scared of the owl anymore.
April 12Apr 12 About a month in; got down to 33 on my exterior thermometer with that last cold spell, but everything seemed to pull through. Tomatoes, cilantro, dewberries and green beans in the fabric pot are doing great. Green beans in the ground, cucumbers, and ground cherries, not so much. Thai basil and chilis have been straight trash. Have a few more seedlings inside, but they're growing slow. Maybe I'll make ka-prao next year. Seem to have a bunch of volunteer marigolds and a few volunteer tomatoes. The natural gardener guy suggested using black eyed peas for living mulch and nitrogen fixing, so they're growing thick everywhere. It seems counterintuitive to me, but hopefully they enrich the soil, yield some peas, and make good compost.
April 14Apr 14 I’m not sure what did this to two of my tomatoes, but maybe cutworms? I had extra seedlings and 4 of each variety already in the ground, but I do hate bugs. Tomatoes are just starting to flower, as are my nightshade huckleberries and otricoli berries. My peppers in grow bags got kicked in the nuts by this wind but are starting to rally. I also planted some zucchini 100’ away from where I’ve had them before to see if they can produce a bit before the SVBs kill them. Finally, I transplanted 18 rustica tobacco plants throughout the garden.
April 20Apr 20 Planted the garden last week, and last weekend we were out of town while it was windy af. The morning we left i spread some weed n feed on the backyard but was careful to stay away from the garden. Came back Sunday evening and several plants had these white blotches on their leaves. Could this be from the weed n feed? Wind? Maybe my compost was too acidic? It's been a week and they're all doing OK, just wondering.
April 21Apr 21 It’s a little bit of a dead season between winter and summer gardens, but I’m about to turn the corner. First tomatoes of the year (sweet 100 cherry), black Spanish grapes, blueberries, edamame/soybeans, nightshade huckleberries, zucchini and blackberries. But this wind can go die in a fire. I’m ready for at least some amount in f harvesting before the blast furnace kills everything.
April 23Apr 23 In case anyone is looking for trees. Arbor Day Foundation is having a 20% off sale. I have had good luck buying from them. https://shop.arborday.org/the-tree-nursery#/noFilterApplied
April 30Apr 30 Garden is going nuts. Just gotta keep my dog out of the mulch after adding bone meal to help with calcium. Patio tomatoes Thunderbird tomatoes San Marizan Roma More Thunderbird Serranos Cucumbers
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