2024 Spring Garden Thread

In!

Just placed an order from Baker Creek. I need more seeds like I need a hole in my head but here we are. My sister also bought me 4 or 5 new varieties from Baker Creek for Christmas along with a seed organizer.




I had pretty good luck with a couple of different types of melons planted mid summer last year. Other than the dogs swiping them they were pretty prolific and easy to grow.


Going to plant fewer tomatoes this year and more squash. Last spring I planted 16 tomato plants. Only about 10 made it through the late freeze and it was still overwhelming.

As far as peppers go I think I'll plant Jimmy Nardello, Corbaci, and Big Jims. Once I figure up varieties and draw out everything I'll post that. I have about 25 or 30 tomato varieties to choose from. I think I'm going to start a lot more than I need and give the extras away.

I might make another 4x8 bed. I'm running out of room in the backyard, though.

I've never had much luck with bell peppers. Over many years, I've done everything the LSU Ag site recommends (with the possible exception of pinpoint pH control.) I keep the aphids away with soap and neem.

The plants and fruit usually look great, but I always get a rubbery texture that isn't very appealing.

My tomatoes, jalapenos, and eggplant grow great in the same dirt.

Anyone had and/or solved this issue?

Pillage i would suggest adding Dixondale farms for onions and Wilhite seed to your list.

Wilhite has a great variety of field peas and beans nobody else carries, especially top pick varieties.

I just bought seed potatoes and cut them to harden off on Saturday. I was going to plant them today. Should I hold off on planting until after the polar vortex? I was worried about not getting them in the ground because I cut them and I’m also worried about putting them in the ground because of the cold. Any suggestions?

Covered my tomato plants to protect from the freeze and they still got smoked. They were producing pretty well too.

Am I dreaming, or did there used to be a stickied thread all about growing grass on the home page?

I'm excited for this year after coming up with a way to tweak what I have done in years past.

Due to being in public accounting, it is pretty damn hard to find time to get out there and do what needs to be done in the garden and I've always bit off more than I could chew. This year I'm downsizing quite a bit and have put in some more permanent plants that produce. This way my work is cut down but I still get the pleasure of harvesting.

I'm also going to move my hives from their current location. Right now they are shaded most of the time unless it is summer and the sun is right overhead. They also currently face north and I'd like to changed that.

But before I move the hives, I need to rebuild my chicken coop. It held up like a champ through Laura and Delta but after those 2 storms, a couple of floods, and learning what I want in a coop, it is time to replace it.

This is my design of how I want it all layed out:


The current coop is in the same spot (NE corner) as the new one will go but is a tad bigger (4x8) and on the ground. I want to go with this raised, 5x5 plan from homegardendesignplan.com.


The old one flooded at least twice in the 4 years I had it there. This should get it out of any reach of water. I'll also put a little gutter system on the roof to catch rain water into a 50G barrel to keep water out there. If we hit another drought, I can always drag the hose over and fill it up. After that gets built, I should be able to move the hives in the run, put up some chicken wire around the plants, and call it a day.

For the garden, I already have the blueberry and fig tree in the ground. I started jalapeno, habenero, romas, and purple cherokee last weekend. When those are ready to go in the ground, I'll probably have to get out there with a headlamp after work one night but at least it won't be too many. I'll squeeze in some lemon queen sunflowers behind the blueberry because the wife and kids really like them. If I have room I'll sprinkle in some okra here and there just because I love tossing them in olive oil, salt, and pepper and grilling them.

For beans I'll stick with yard longs and I'm not sure on cucumber varieties yet so I'm open to suggestions. I'll buy a sheet of cattle panel and make an arch going from each side of the bed.

I'll also take suggestions on strawberry varieties as well.

I plan on replacing my 2 apple trees with satsumas but they may wait another year. The apples haven't done great at all.

All in all I can't wait for the next 2 1/2 months to go by so I can get to work.

Received my soil results from LSU Ag and seem to be low in just about everything. I spoke to him yesterday and he gave me some things to add, but he mentioned adding 4lbs of Potash per 8' x 4' bed, does that seem a bit high? I know he's the expert, but the back of the bag shows adding considerably less.

Stepped away from planting food for awhile but walked around the yard today and took a few good spring garden pics.

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