re: 2022 Spring Garden Thread

I split up and divided a massive lemongrass today, it was about 4’ diameter. Amazing plant, every sprig is attached to a thick root/rhizome that can become a whole new clump.

it’s a pretty plant and good to cook with too. Highly recommend it in a sunny spot

Trying my hand at gardening for the first time this year with tomatoes. Doing them in pots. Anyone got any tips or best practices they'd like to share?

yes...for most pots a mix of rotted compost, peat moss & sand is perfect. You don’t need any clay in it as long as you add minerals when needed

I put a mix of nutrients in the planting hole and water in with a soluble fertilizer. Once the plants start fruiting I side dress all of my plants with tomato tone then follow up periodically throughout the season.

Are the pots about the size of 5 gallon buckets? Tomatoes don’t do great in smaller pots. You don’t have to add fertilizer when you plant them out and for your first go at it I would recommend not over complicating it. Just plant the maters and water them when they need it.

If the pots are terracotta, they will need water more often but will probably do better. If the pots are glazed, you need to be careful about not over watering. Only water if the plant looks like it needs it. Plants will wilt in the mid day sun/heat sometimes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they need water. If they are wilting in the morning or at night, they need water. Some people will stick their finger in the potting mix. If it’s dry an inch or two below the surface, they need water. Once you get the hang of watering you can start a fertilizing schedule. Organic fertilizers are easier to use because there is less risk of over fertilizing. Considering the plants are in pots, water soluble fertilizers will do you well. Nutrients wash out of pots more quickly than beds.

fox farm is the good shite

LINK

just a thought

you can make a small raised bed out of literally anything. I have several that are just bordered by split firewood from my pile. Pick a sunny spot, stack some wood three high, fill it with good organic soil and let er rip. Your plants will need less water and will be happier overall

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y'all fertilize as soon as the plants are in the ground?

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For most of the spring fruiting veggies I usually wait about a week to let them get established and then I hit them with a little bit of nitrogen. Once they start flowering I lay off on the nitrogen and feed more P and K.

There are several different raised bed soil options. I use a mixture of peat moss, compost, and vermiculite (1/3 of each). It is expensive, but the mix retains water really well and also drains really well, which is important. You want your soil mixture to be light and loose instead of dense and hard packed. The up front cost with the mix I use is high, but you can supplement it yearly with peat moss and compost.

Another common option is to buy a raised bed mixture from a garden center or a co-op. Buying bagged raised bed mix or potting soil is not really economical in most cases.

best yard money I ever spent was the delivery of 30 cy of shredded bark a couple years ago. Right off the bat it was good mulch but now after rotting down it’s black gold...full of earthworms and mycorrhiza.

add some osmocote and it’s good to go