MichaelC's 2016 garden

[MichaelC]

Hi all -

It's spring again, and I'm excited to get my vegetable garden going. As always, it's a work in progress, trying to improve on last year's mistakes. I'm afraid I'm already repeating the mistake of trying to fit too many plants into the available space. I suspect I'll never learn on that one unless I get a bigger plot!

The inspectors say I've got all my plants ready to go:

Tomatos:
- Green Zebra
- Matt's Wild Cherry (a repeat)
- Orange Strawberry
- Stupice
- Sweet Million
- Yellow Pear (a repeat)

Peppers:
- Antohi Romanian
- California Wonder
- Purple Jalapeño
- Jimmy Nardello
- Padron (repeat)
- Sweet Banana Goddess

Persian Cucumbers

Sugar Snap Peas

Blue Lake Pole Beans

I've built a much more robust trellis for my beans and peas:

And I've just installed this year's irrigation system:

Wish me luck!!

[MichaelC]

Last year I had quite a bit of trouble with my tomatoes and peppers. The tomatoes rallied and produced well, but the peppers were pretty much a bust.

I've been advised by my local nursery (Love Apple Farms) that the tomatoes shouldn't go in the ground for at least a couple more weeks, and the peppers in May. I'm wondering whether I should get the others in the ground now. Peas for sure, but how about the beans and cucumbers? I've just taken the soil temperature 4" down, about 65 F at 8:30 PM. Average temperature is in the high 50's with lows in the mid 40's.

[MichaelC]

Some progress. Peas and beans are now planted.

Tomato and pepper plants hardened off and awaiting warmer temps for planting.

And my daughter's carrot project is showing progress as well.

[PinkPetalPolygon]

I like your set up! Your plants look luscious & I wish you all the luck in the world.

[MichaelC]

Thanks, PPP. I can't take too much credit for the luscious plants, my plant vendor is top notch!

[MichaelC]

Tomatoes planted out today!

Beans are enjoying the weather, peas not so much. We'll see, they did well last year at the same time.

[MichaelC]

I managed to get the cucumbers planted on the weekend as well. The tom and cuke seedlings don't really look very picture-worthy yet in the ground. My pepper seedlings are doing great, a couple more weeks and in the ground they go.

[Mr green]

Looking good, cant wait until my peas are that size! Right now they have no size!

[MichaelC]

OK I've taken some photos to show progress.

peas

beans (lousy photo)

cukes

tomatoes (not yellow as it appears in picture, staking today hopefully)

peppers (couple weeks from planting)

[j3707]

Looks good Michael.

[MichaelC]

Look what I found in a coner of my garden today - what appears to be a volunteer tomato from last years harvest!

[rainbowgardener]

Yup! tomato seeds must be extremely hardy! Everywhere I plant with my homemade compost I get volunteer tomato plants. I already pulled a couple this spring. It's amazing they go through the compost process, and through all the freezes in winter, you can look at your compost and not see any seeds, but as soon as you plant it they pop up!

[Lindsaylew82]

Pretty pretty! Get you some pine straw to cover up all that dirt!

[MichaelC]

Pretty pretty! Get you some pine straw to cover up all that dirt!

Does one need to be careful and selective of type? The development in which is live is ringed by a -slightly- landscaped walking trail. Along this trail in an area with many cubic feet of pine needles from the trees. I'm talking a foot-deep blanket! I'm quite sure it is not hit with any pesticides or herbicides.

I'm seriously about to mulch heavily due to my cats.

[Lindsaylew82]

Probably not. There's always a possibility, though. Tiny vales about $6 here at Lowe's. I'd ask the association before you take.