re: The 2021 Garden Thread

Bacillus thuringiensis (aka Bt, aka thuricide).

You can usually find it at Lowe’s or Home Depot.


Only targets worms and caterpillars. Harmless to pollinators.

Time to resurrect this thread. The fall vegetables are starting to get going. I took a few pictures this morning.

I replanted some yard longs mid summer and for some reason they are doing a thousand times better than the spring planting.


This row is collards. I know they get tall and wide . I will be removing the trellis in a couple of weeks once I’ve had enough of the beans (will be planting mustard greens in their place)


From left to right I have cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. I bought transplants this year from my local garden center because I never got around to getting seeds. Summer and back to school has been pretty busy for our family.


Tomatoes. I’m growing 4 beefmaster and 4 Cherokee purple. No fruit yet, but I have a feeling it’ll be soon.



Some of my cabbage starts. I have 2 rows open for my cabbage. I’ve been staggering my seeds (4 pots a week apart). I have 8 total that have sprouted. I’ve sown seeds in 4 more pots yesterday. And I’ll do 4 more next weekend.


Checking in on the bees. They’re still busy bringing in pollen. Our new queen has slowed down the egg laying. And they have plenty of honey stores. Looks like the goldenrod around here is fixing to bloom, so I’m sure they’ll take full advantage of it.



I sowed carrot seeds yesterday. I had to tear down the box that I grew them in last year because it was pretty much right on my property line and I’m putting up a fence soon. So I sowed the seeds in my old herb box. It’s 10 inches deep so hopefully they’ll have enough room to make some decent sized carrots. I’m going to try onions again, will be sowing seeds next month. I don’t think I fed them enough nitrogen last year.

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Did you do a mite check on your bees?

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Not yet. I was hoping to get one in within the next few weeks. I honestly haven’t seen a single mite on any of my bees, nor on the sticky board. I know that doesn’t mean they aren’t present, but I’m hoping that they are minimal.

I planted 3 rows of purple hulls Sept 1st. I’m hoping to sneak in a second crop but it only cost 6 bucks for seeds. Got cabbage, broccoli and pole beans looking pretty right now. Just sowed mustard seed this evening. May try some collards pretty soon.

Want to turn about a 15 x 15 area into a garden. Weeds, grass cover the area and there is some elevated bad dirt/clay (kids used to play here). What should I do to prep this area for spring?

How do you do sow your lettuce in your pots?

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Want to turn about a 15 x 15 area into a garden. Weeds, grass cover the area and there is some elevated bad dirt/clay (kids used to play here). What should I do to prep this area for spring?

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Spray the area with glyphosate. Once everything dies, till it up real good. Add peat moss and compost and till it again. If you don’t plan on planting anything until spring, you could cover the area with a tarp to keep the weeds out. That’ll also help retain moisture and condition the soil.

ETA: In early spring a couple months before planting, get a soil test done. This will give you time to make adjustments before planting.

Everything is drowning right now.

Bush beans and pole beans on the right with a few cucumber plants at the far end of the trellis. Tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, and celery in the back. Spinach, corn and brocolli on the left.

Some things taking off fine, some struggling. First attempt with a garden this size. Put down bloodmeal and bonemeal earlier this week. Some plants just aren't greening up very well, even before the nonstop wet we've been having.

I’m about given up for this fall