2026 gardening thread, whatcha got going on in the yard this year? Even house plants are ok.

[GTN]

I have to say I like my grow bags much more than my raised beds or 5-gallon buckets. I think things perform much better.
I do a lot with a little space honestly. I have really great soil and management practices so I get high yields. I grow in an area that is maybe 15’ by 25’ and one other area that is maybe 8’ by 8’.i also have some fruit trees and a strawberry patch then two large raspberry patches so maybe it is kind of larger. I guess it’s all relative though. I also rotate and pair plants together really well. Also once I’m done with something I add something else in so I’ll do lettuce and spinach in spring then do carrots, then in the fall head back to lettuce and carrots. I push the envelope and get really big plants in the ground. I’ll start my peppers in about 2-3 weeks. Then my tomatoes and some herbs in the second week in March. They are producing by the time I pop them in the ground. Some last year were 24-34” tall by the time they were put in the ground.
I want to get rid of my raised beds and 5- gallon buckets and get those self watering grow towers.
the other thing I will add is I do have a big garden. Almost my entire yard is gardens, patios, and ponds but a lot of it is ornamental flowers. I have a double lot and almost no grass. I can cut my grass in under 10 minutes.
I think 3 of these will fit me more space back and be more productive. They also have a wheeled base. I just don’t have a spare $1,000 for them right now.

Sounds like a great setup. Once it’s up and things are growing I’d love to visit to see how it’s done. This is only my second season coming up so I’m still a noob

 

[S&W Fan]

Oh it sounded like you had a really really big garden. I have-
16 27gal boxes
5 10 gal bags
20ish 5 gal buckets
2 100 gal livestock troughs. (No idea why I thought I needed something that big)
A bunch of 1 gal grow bags for herbs

That’s a fair amount of real estate for growing vegetables. You could grow an awful lot of veggies, especially using the square foot method.

 

[GTN]

That’s a fair amount of real estate for growing vegetables. You could grow an awful lot of veggies, especially using the square foot method.

This is before everything was put out in place

 

[Saltwater60]

Sounds like a great setup. Once it’s up and things are growing I’d love to visit to see how it’s done. This is only my second season coming up so I’m still a noob

No worries man. I have zero secrets and do not mind sharing my plans and ideas. I’ll post pictures once I get my seedlings going and if you have questions ask. I’m not making money off any of it so I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I’m even happy to share any extra plants I have.

 

[TEOTWAWKI inc.]

I just looked at seeds from a wholesale supplier I have gotten pots and irrigation stuff from. WAY WAY cheaper than any of the big box or online retailers. Maybe I'll start selling seeds next.

Example: Burpee has California Wonder Bell Pepper @$6.49/300 seeds. This other place is starting at $2.29/1000 seeds, and the price only gets better with volume. It's probably the same supplier all the big companies buy from.

Burpee Jalapeño is $4.95/150. Other place is $1.57/1000.

Plus I'm tax exempt!

Anyone need seeds?

 

[Saltwater60]

I just looked at seeds from a wholesale supplier I have gotten pots and irrigation stuff from. WAY WAY cheaper than any of the big box or online retailers. Maybe I'll start selling seeds next.

Example: Burpee has California Wonder Bell Pepper @$6.49/300 seeds. This other place is starting at $2.29/1000 seeds, and the price only gets better with volume. It's probably the same supplier all the big companies buy from.

Burpee Jalapeño is $4.95/150. Other place is $1.57/1000.

Plus I'm tax exempt!

Anyone need seeds?

I’m sure half of the price is the packaging and time it takes to pack into smaller containers. I know when I worked manufacturing the efficiency went down immensity when we produced smaller packages.

 

[Saltwater60]

I’m starting peppers this week from seed.
Dang rabbits hurdled both my apple trees. I’m pulling them out in spring and might toss some in pots. I’m not sure. The trees are a pain because the squirrels get them. I had these fenced off and growing for years but the snow was so high this year the rabbits were able to get over the fence. Bastards!!

 

[Robin]

Did you mean girdled?
Robin

 

[Saltwater60]

Did you mean girdled?
Robin

The rabbits chewed the bark off all around the base of the tree up about 2-3’ feet tall.

 

[Robin]

That would be girdling. If its not too extensive it will actually enhance production and quality. Many fruit growers do it manually for that purpose.
Robin

 

[Saltwater60]

That would be girdling. If its not too extensive it will actually enhance production and quality. Many fruit growers do it manually for that purpose.
Robin

It’s extensive. The tree will not survive. They did this to my magnolia last year and it made it until just and then dried up and died. When the weather breaks I will remove them.
I may pot some in large pots to bring them in the garage for winter but I’m not sure.
It should have said girdled but autocorrect to hurdle.

 

[GOPerfect]

This is before everything was put out in place

That looks beautiful!

 

[GOPerfect]

Most of what I am planting will not be coming from seeds. Found a local lady that starts her plants from seeds and sells the plants.

I am so new at this, one less step is a good thing for me.

 

[TEOTWAWKI inc.]

It’s extensive. The tree will not survive. They did this to my magnolia last year and it made it until just and then dried up and died. When the weather breaks I will remove them.
I may pot some in large pots to bring them in the garage for winter but I’m not sure.
It should have said girdled but autocorrect to hurdle.

If it goes all the way around, everything above it is dead. How high up is that? Is it above the graft? There could be some latent buds between the graft and girdling. If so, it could flush quite a bit of new growth in a year due to a mature root system. You could even get fruit again next year.

You only want to allow buds above the graft to grow. The rootstock will not be desirable for fruit production.

A latent bud may not be visible.

 

[FP1201]

I've got a fenced in Garden Plot that's about two foot deep in Cow manure that's been through a digester: think I'd like to grow mushrooms, There's some Hippies the next town over said they'd help.

 

[TEOTWAWKI inc.]

I've got a fenced in Garden Plot that's about two foot deep in Cow manure that's been through a digester: think I'd like to grow mushrooms, There's some Hippies the next town over said they'd help.

Don't waste the garden space or the manure. Those hippies will probably suggest bird seed sterilized in wide mouth pint jars (if they know what they are doing). They will just plant kale and/or weed in your garden.

 

[Saltwater60]

If it goes all the way around, everything above it is dead. How high up is that? Is it above the graft? There could be some latent buds between the graft and girdling. If so, it could flush quite a bit of new growth in a year due to a mature root system. You could even get fruit again next year.

You only want to allow buds above the graft to grow. The rootstock will not be desirable for fruit production.

A latent bud may not be visible.

It is above the graft as the graft is covered in snow still. It’s pretty far down the trunk but I guess there is a possibility.

 

[S&W Fan]

I fucking hate rabbits. I’ve got them all over out back here. They girdled my pear tree last year. I was working on that tree for the last four years !
it’s partly my fault. I usually sleeve it with chicken wife but forgot to beforehand and the bastards beat me to it.

 

[fresch]

Rabbit Recipes, try some!

 

[S&W Fan]

Rabbit Recipes, try some!

Oh believe me , I’ve tried some many times. They go great with the vegetables that I grow

 

[fresch]

So free ranged! Very expensive farming technique.

 

[Saltwater60]

Oh believe me , I’ve tried some many times. They go great with the vegetables that I grow

Might as well get some of your veggies back by eating them.

 

[Saltwater60]

I fucking hate rabbits. I’ve got them all over out back here. They girdled my pear tree last year. I was working on that tree for the last four years !
it’s partly my fault. I usually sleeve it with chicken wife but forgot to beforehand and the bastards beat me to it.

Yeah I’m hating them too. They have not been an issue in the past for me. Last year a bit of an issue but this year it’s a mess for me. They are eating everything this past two weeks by me. It’s insane.

 

[S&W Fan]

So free ranged! Very expensive farming technique.

Edzackery

 

[GOPerfect]

Charred up the beds today. Ordered dirt.

 

[Saltwater60]

Charred up the beds today. Ordered dirt.

That looks amazing!! I love it.

 

[Saltwater60]

I planted my peppers and some herbs today. I know I’m early but my basement is kind of cold so it takes a bit for them to germinate this time of year. I do have heat mats set at 74, but they only do so much. I’m so glad it warmed up this week because my basement is much warmer after a 40 F swing, go figure.

 

[GOPerfect]

That looks amazing!! I love it.

I think this was your idea, if I remember correctly.

 

[Saltwater60]

I think this was your idea, if I remember correctly.

I did recommend it. It will help it last longer and I thought it fit in perfectly with the Viking theme and your personality. It looks great. I think you torched it just enough and the wood grain still shows through beautifully.

 

[Paperpunch]

My wife passed away in September and her union sent me this Peace plant. Trying to keep it alive 'til spring. I water it and gave it some houseplant fertilizer but it really needs re-potting.