A Beginner's Garden

nice garden mng.
Season's pretty much over here till the heat/summer's gone. I had some tomatoes this year, (trying to get into the gardening thing.) but the little varmints ate all but 2 of them. They were big plants with lots of big tomatoes, but as soon as they would start to turn red the little tiny prairie dog/ground squirrel/hamster/gerbil/rat things that live everywhere here, would get them.
Tried chicken wire, but they slip right through, and they climb, and they tunnel. Someday, if I figure out how to keep them out, I'll grow something for me.

hazy said:

nice garden mng.
Season's pretty much over here till the heat/summer's gone. I had some tomatoes this year, (trying to get into the gardening thing.) but the little varmints ate all but 2 of them. They were big plants with lots of big tomatoes, but as soon as they would start to turn red the little tiny prairie dog/ground squirrel/hamster/gerbil/rat things that live everywhere here, would get them.
Tried chicken wire, but they slip right through, and they climb, and they tunnel. Someday, if I figure out how to keep them out, I'll grow something for me.

Click to expand...

Thank you, Hazy! Welcome to my little vegetable patch!

Sucks about your "mater" plants. Maybe some container plantings? A 5 gallon bucket should grow a nice sized tomato plant. Other than that maybe a raised bed? You could line the bottom with chicken wire or a finer mesh fencing before filling with soil. I can see myself worrying about birds when my tomatoes get big enough. Still, nature is not partial. It gives to that which has less than it needs and takes from that which has more than it needs.

As an aside, I forgot to mention in my last post that I had also done some
side-dressing with the triple 12 on the corn and will apply some to the beans, tomatoes, and peppers when they start to fruit.

Namaste, mess

Rinsed them, broke them, added some chopped onion, a hunk of ham, covered with water, and a little freshly ground pepper and simmered for about 30 minutes. Added some charred ground mammal flesh. Served two!


Sidedressed the beans after picking these, but I'm not expecting an abundance of them anyway. What with one row failing and some of the second row on the "ribey" side, not to mention I was a little too aggressive in thinning the second planting.

On a separate note, I found this and thought it might interest a few others than just me.


Namaste, mess

pulling up a seat
bringing the salt and pepper and knife for any leftovers you might have

looking great for a first bash!

I'd throw some gypsum in that soil for next season. Will break up your soil and give you some better drainage. Don't be scared and use as much as you like... you can't really over do it. Will take a few months to do it's work however.

And you beans would be happier with something very tall to climb on... try them on your fence next time and watch them grow up up and away ... makes for easier picking also.

You could give you tomatoes a bit more space... all the more reason for a BIGGER garden next year.

looks great... you must be proud as punch

oh... and you cilantro... or coriander as we call it here.... plants some more out... it may set seed soon. It's good to plant it out once a month if harvesting for leaf and not seed. It will set seed with the slightest stress... so just keep planting

You lettuce you can eat as it grows... just pick off the big outer leaves as you need them. No need to wait until it heads, as i doubt your variety does anyway.

looks nice i bet its relaxing

Sweetaction, thanks for stopping by!

Pumpkin, I may have to look into the gypsum thing a bit more, thank you for that, as well!

I agree, although they are only bush beans, I think the 32" X10' border fencing would have been better than the 18" X 11' I am using now.

Seriously man, I was considering digging up a couple of the tomato plants! It would allow the others to spread out some. They are way too crowded and spilling out over the peppers on one side and the beans on the other! Yield on those is going to suck, big time!


Speaking of which, the corn I planted in the bare row came up unevenly and sparse on one end. The second row of the first planting of beans are puny compared to the second planting of beans. ??? Even worse, just after a few of the corn seedlings came up, I picked two Cannabis sativa L. seedlings from the third planting of corn! Talk about upping your pucker factor!


Yeah, I'm growing them to use the leaves for salsa so I just called them cilantro. Still, I am grateful for the tip on the plantings, thanks!

lol...It's funny you should say that. I had been pulling up the lettuce, stem and all until a neighbor clued me in!


The corn tasseled and has silked nicely. I can 't wait!


Pleased as punch? I guess that that is a reality I don't like to admit to, but I am trying to keep it within a framework of gratitude for the blessings given me.

Namaste, mess

The lettuce and cilantro have about run thier course.


But, the peppers are beginning to produce!


A couple of strong storms, several days apart, laid most of the tomato plants on their side. After I tried to straighten them I must have damaged a couple of them, because two on the end have wilted badly.


The opposite end of the rows is a different story, though. I am about half scared to go down there some morning and find a giant pea pod with my replicant in it! I don't know what it was that pissed them off, but I promise I won't do it again!



I don't know what outside power allow me to have this, but here it is.



Namaste, mess