Will get some pictures going tomorrow.-
HotPepperManFL
- Full Member
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- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:39 pm
- Location: Lutz,FL
Starting my garden!
Well, I spent most of the day yesterday plotting out how big an where I wanted it. Also paying attention to the sunny an shady parts in the area of the where I want it. I live on a acre an a third w/tons of big oak trees so sunny places are scarce. I decided on a 15'x15' area in the backyard up against the fence. The area will get almost full sun from about 10:30am till 4:30pm. I was figuring on grow green bean a using the chain link like a lattice. I started stripping the grass away today. Shaking the dirt out an taking the grass the the burn pile. Will get some pictures going tomorrow.
Will get some pictures going tomorrow.
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hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
You may want to experiment with a couple of above ground containers or a couple of small raised beds in an open spot on the east side of your oaks. Place the containers such that they only get direct sun until about 1 p.m. and then plant a later crop of cucumbers, arugula, lettuce, anything that is sensitive to hot weather. The morning sun will allow these to produce well, and the afternoon shade from the oaks will protect them from excessive heat, and will extend the season by several weeks. It is an interesting way to take a gardening negative, the oak trees, and turn it into a gardening positive. I place my strawberry bed in that morning sun only location and also plant mid summer cucumber and arugula in the same location. All respond very well to being protected from that brutal afternoon sun.
Hi once-upon-a-time neighbor! I lived in Lutz while attending USF.HotPepperManFL wrote:Well, I spent most of the day yesterday plotting out how big an where I wanted it. Also paying attention to the sunny an shady parts in the area of the where I want it. I live on a acre an a third w/tons of big oak trees so sunny places are scarce. I decided on a 15'x15' area in the backyard up against the fence. The area will get almost full sun from about 10:30am till 4:30pm. I was figuring on grow green bean a using the chain link like a lattice. I started stripping the grass away today. Shaking the dirt out an taking the grass the the burn pile.
hendi_alex is correct - and for you the sun is more brutal in the afternoon than it is for him. I found for my gardens there that if I could shade everything between 10am and 2pm everybody was MUCH happier.
However, it also depended on the plant. As hendi_alex stated, the cool season plants would do better if they only got direct morning sun - but for you at this time of year, starting lettuce, broccoli and the like are not really an option anyway (I tried, they bolted... fast)
Your green beans sound like they will do great. I had no trouble with beans - but peas only offered me flowers before frying.
Also it's good that your plants will evade the sun throughout the day - they will have to be a little tough, as they'll be cool until 10:30 and will have to pull through the direct sun, but I think they will be fine.
A great book, if you don't already have it, is called Month by Month Gardening in Florida. They have these now for nearly every state, but the GA one is not anywhere near so good as the one designed for Florida.
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HotPepperManFL
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- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:39 pm
- Location: Lutz,FL
The area is on the East side of the property. The only other area that gets earlier sun is in a low area that flood when it rains. Sorry I should have been more clear about the sun it will get. I will be direct sunlight from 10:30am till 4:30pm an just the north half will be shaded till 12 or so. The fence is on the south side of the bed. I do plan to raise it some. So will be growing green beans, tomatoes, collard greens, lettuce, cucumbers an a couple other undecided. I'm going to try putting so of my pepper plants out there too. Grey where in Lutz did you live when you were here, my guess if you were a student would be the apts at Livingstone an Sinclair Hills??
Apartments at Livingston it was. Rode my bicycle to the U from there - kinda scary before 8am, lol. I don't suppose they've widened that road any in the past 10 years? Livingston Rd was always a bit of a 2-lane parking lot, but once out of that... oh my.
You may have trouble with the lettuce and collard greens this time of year. I think I used to start those indoors in September, then set them out in October. Cukes, tomatoes, etc. should all be fine though.
You may have trouble with the lettuce and collard greens this time of year. I think I used to start those indoors in September, then set them out in October. Cukes, tomatoes, etc. should all be fine though.
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HotPepperManFL
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- Location: Lutz,FL
They did repave it from Sinclair to Bearass an put it 4-5ft bicycle path on each side. But its still two lanes. They built another apt across the street from Sinclair called Campus Lodge. Not sure if that was there when you were here. They redid the Livingston Oak apts an now there called Deer Park. I live up near Livingston an Sunset where the old feed depot was with the big silos.
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HotPepperManFL
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- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:39 pm
- Location: Lutz,FL
OK, I gotta say something here:
I graduated from Leto HS in Tampa. I def. know where Bearss Avenue is. Fowler, too! I spent many hours in the USF library when I was in high school, desperate for some *interesting* reading not otherwise available. We lived in Town & Country near West Hillsborough (other end of the universe from Lutz), but I had friends in Temple Terrace who would help me w/transportation, since I was too young to drive & my parents were, ah, not helpful w/regard to libraries.
It's neat that we're all here!
Gardening: my job w/regard to my father's Bermuda grass lawn was to CUT, not PULL, the runners. He wanted that dense, deep green look...I didn't like Bermuda grass when I started that job for him, and I still can't stand it. Invasive weed that it is...
Oops, sorry; got carried away there
on the Bermuda grass thing.
Welcome to The Helpful Gardener, HotPepperManFL!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
I graduated from Leto HS in Tampa. I def. know where Bearss Avenue is. Fowler, too! I spent many hours in the USF library when I was in high school, desperate for some *interesting* reading not otherwise available. We lived in Town & Country near West Hillsborough (other end of the universe from Lutz), but I had friends in Temple Terrace who would help me w/transportation, since I was too young to drive & my parents were, ah, not helpful w/regard to libraries.
It's neat that we're all here!
Gardening: my job w/regard to my father's Bermuda grass lawn was to CUT, not PULL, the runners. He wanted that dense, deep green look...I didn't like Bermuda grass when I started that job for him, and I still can't stand it. Invasive weed that it is...
Oops, sorry; got carried away there
on the Bermuda grass thing.Welcome to The Helpful Gardener, HotPepperManFL!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
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HotPepperManFL
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- Posts: 21
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:39 pm
- Location: Lutz,FL
I graduated from Gaither HS c/o '92. When did you graduate? I work at Marine Warehouse on Hillsborough near Webb. You know the bright blue building with the porthole windows near the Winghouse. I do custom aquarium installs.
Gardening: Thats what I'm trying to strip is bermuda grass. Notice the word trying. Its become a pain in my @&^. Been brainstorming trying to figure out another way to do it other than just tilling it in.
Gardening: Thats what I'm trying to strip is bermuda grass. Notice the word trying. Its become a pain in my @&^. Been brainstorming trying to figure out another way to do it other than just tilling it in.
I actually conquered Bermuda grass in my (very small) yard in Berkeley, California.
I took a "sifter" made of 1/2-inch hardware cloth stapled to a frame of 1x2s which fit over my wheelbarrow. I shoveled the Bermuda grass out of the dirt (after I had pulled what I could) and sifted the root sections out of the dirt.
It didn't come back.
If you have a large area you're struggling with, I'd suggest using some sort of barrier (6" flashing?) sunk into the ground after you've sifted a given area of its Bermuda grass. Should help keep your progress in place.
I really understand what you're up against.
I know that building, too, at W. Hillsborough & Webb! And I graduated from Leto--ah--much earlier than 1992...
Cynthia
I took a "sifter" made of 1/2-inch hardware cloth stapled to a frame of 1x2s which fit over my wheelbarrow. I shoveled the Bermuda grass out of the dirt (after I had pulled what I could) and sifted the root sections out of the dirt.
It didn't come back.
If you have a large area you're struggling with, I'd suggest using some sort of barrier (6" flashing?) sunk into the ground after you've sifted a given area of its Bermuda grass. Should help keep your progress in place.
I really understand what you're up against.
I know that building, too, at W. Hillsborough & Webb! And I graduated from Leto--ah--much earlier than 1992...
Cynthia
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HotPepperManFL
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- Location: Lutz,FL
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atascosa_tx
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- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:19 pm
- Location: Atascosa
I went against the odds and decided to plant early here. I put out the tomato and pepper seedlings on March 7th...since then I have dodged 2 bullets...a freeze 1 week later and frost a week after that. I covered up everything as well as I could and hoped for the best...except for a few nipped leaves, everything survived. Now that the weather has warmed up, I put on my mulch on top of the weed stop fabric.
As I speak, yet another cold front is blowing in and they are forecasting the lows to be in the upper 30's. Here we go again.
[img]https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g187/atascosa_tx/Jdeere.jpg[/img]
I took my TX Tiller and prepared a 50' x 50' area that I have reserved for my veggie garden..the other 26 acres gets corn planted into it.
I add my compost and gypsum and then till it again.
[img]https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g187/atascosa_tx/garden2009.jpg[/img]
The result is this...28 tomato plants, 20 pepper plants, 20 squash plants, and 18 cucumbers with trellis in place.
I never could grow onions in my dark clay so I opted for the Earthbox..
[img]https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g187/atascosa_tx/onionsinearthbox.jpg[/img]
Grow on everyone! and Bountiful harvest!
As I speak, yet another cold front is blowing in and they are forecasting the lows to be in the upper 30's. Here we go again.
[img]https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g187/atascosa_tx/Jdeere.jpg[/img]
I took my TX Tiller and prepared a 50' x 50' area that I have reserved for my veggie garden..the other 26 acres gets corn planted into it.
I add my compost and gypsum and then till it again.
[img]https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g187/atascosa_tx/garden2009.jpg[/img]
The result is this...28 tomato plants, 20 pepper plants, 20 squash plants, and 18 cucumbers with trellis in place.
I never could grow onions in my dark clay so I opted for the Earthbox..
[img]https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g187/atascosa_tx/onionsinearthbox.jpg[/img]
Grow on everyone! and Bountiful harvest!
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HotPepperManFL
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- Location: Lutz,FL
yeah we got a cold snap coming in this week down in the 40's over night Tuesday an Wendsdayrgathright wrote:I already have one week old watermelon seedlings coming up in my yard. The recent cold snap here in Southwest Louisiana slowed them down a little bit though.DARK505 wrote:Must be nice to be starting this early!!! ...
