Gardening 2007, woot woot.

**pde20** · 03-19-2007, 06:58 PM

It is time...the vegetable garden will commence in a day or two, but as a total garden JONG on only my second season I've got some pretty simple questions.

Do seed packets really go bad? I have a whole mess of "2006" seeds, are they really no good for planting this year, or is that just to get you to buy more seeds? Only way to find out is to plant them i suppose, but I'm just wondering how seriously to take the date on any given packet.

**Crass3000** · 03-19-2007, 07:04 PM

Just google it. I'm sure the info would be easy to find. I think the best answer is likely that the seeds have a decreased chance to germinate the older they are but I am only guessing.

**valleygirl** · 03-19-2007, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by pde20

It is time....

Living in the northeast this makes me drool... SO NOT TIME YET. Have to let the crocus come up thru the ice first... it's a while from now and I can't wait!! Such brave little thangs...

**mud** · 03-20-2007, 02:28 AM

If they have been stored in a dry area seeds will last for years.

**shera** · 03-20-2007, 05:46 AM

Is this the official garden thread?

In Denver, stick to the stuff like peas that don't mind some frost yet. It's still early and late storms will happen. Don't want you to get sad in your pants when you lose your hard work.

If you really need to start now, get floating row covers for protection. The corners have to be held down with rocks.

I'm not quite ready to think about gardens yet. Once Keystone closes I'm going to hang out at A Basin for a while. Then I'll wait for the dandelions.

**lemon boy** · 03-20-2007, 07:31 AM

sorry pde- it's still a little tooooooo early for most items in the garden. Certainly my perrenial stuff is starting to shape up (sorrel, strawberries, currants/gooseberries, chives etc...) but we're a full month yet from when I'll actually plant much of anything (frost hearty stuff at that) and a month and a half from when most stuff goes in.

That said, I have been working out there a bit. Planted two new black currant bushes (lowes had em cheap) and general cleanup. Building a couple of sunboxes this year probably including one large one to start some tomatoes ~may 1.

as for the packets...we usually reuse them for a year or two and they're fine but ours are stored indoors if they were in a hot/cold shed they might be dead.

Last year we tried both wall-o-waters and the little waxpaper greenhouses, both worked great but watch out, some places sell the little wax hats for ~$1/per and some sell them for ~$2/per 20. The w-o-ws were pretty amazing, freezing solid a couple of times but keeping the tomato plants within perfectly fine.

hoping that the apple trees don't get going just yet like last year

Our frost free date is ~5/15 happy equinox though

**The AD** · 03-20-2007, 08:53 AM

Taken 3/9/07 in my yard

**Odin** · 03-20-2007, 09:57 AM

Sorry LB you just live in the wrong area

!

Taken in our back yard, with a really crappy ass camera phone. We put in a row along the fence last week and planted onions out back in a new garden over this weekend. Cleaned out all the dead leaves around the rose bushes and peonies and tore the shit out of the gardening steeze. YO!

**LegoSkier** · 03-20-2007, 10:20 AM

My little patio garden is still rockin it (but then, its always growing season here). It is a little sparse right now and I had a failure or two (namely over winter french finger radishes that never made radishes because I plated them too dense) but I am looking forward to getting the pepper plants and maybe some peas in the ground in a month or two.

Green onions just harvested (and used in guacamole) last night.

The herb box. Right now only thyme and oregano (lots of oregano!)

The main planter box. Right now only some lettuce getting close to harvest.

And my pride and joy. Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree going off with flowers (and bees). Smells amazing right now and should put out some serious fruit a few months from now.

**SKISC** · 03-20-2007, 10:41 AM

It is still early here in the SE as well. However, I have tilled p the ground the first time (3 or 4 more times to go). Usually I plant a lot of tomatoes, I love tomatoes. I also plant several rows of okra, butter beans and pole beans.

This year, after removing some grape vines and muscadine vines I have some extra room for planting. This extra room has a little shade. Does anyone know of a vegetable (even if it is herbs) that will grow in partial sunlight? I would like to make use of this extra space in the garden if possile.

My mouth is already watering thinking about just walking out in the backyard, picking a tomatoe, bringing it in, slicing it and putting it between two pieces of bread with some mayo.

**lemon boy** · 03-20-2007, 10:47 AM

not a veggie but a variety of berries do well in partial sun.

our sorrel really likes being shady

**SKISC** · 03-20-2007, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by lemon boy

not a veggie but a variety of berries do well in partial sun.

our sorrel really likes being shady

Thanks. Would strawberries fall under this? I have never grown them. i will check with out local garden place and see what kind of berry options I have.

**Spark** · 03-20-2007, 01:34 PM

You lucky peeps. I can hardly wait till I get a place with my own garden or balcony. Happy Spring!

**SKISC** · 03-20-2007, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by Spark

You lucky peeps. I can hardly wait till I get a place with my own garden or balcony. Happy Spring!

If you are in an apartment, tomatoes grow well in large pots. When I was in college I had 6 plants all in pots outside.

**lemon boy** · 03-20-2007, 01:47 PM

pretty sure strawberries are a full sun kind of thing, was thinking more along the lines of ras, goose, currant, black

we had a blackberry growing gangbusters in a big evergreen bush (volunteer) in a really shady part of the yard, our razzies are there as well (just getting established) and I planted the black currant bushes in that corner Sunday.

**The AD** · 03-20-2007, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by lemon boy

we had a blackberry growing gangbusters in a big evergreen bush (volunteer) in a really shady part of the yard

Blackberries will grow anywhere. Just be sure you really want them because they tend to take over. Look for native North American varieties and do not under any circumstances plant Himalayan blackberries. They are horribly invasive. Look for thornless varieties if you're serious about planting them.

**lemon boy** · 03-20-2007, 01:57 PM

he he he

we have a really big back corner that could get taken over by anything that wants to grow back there, long as you can eat it or it's pretty to look at I'll let it grow back there

**SKISC** · 03-20-2007, 02:42 PM

Along with the grape vines I got rid of some blackberrys as well. I have an 800 acre farm 30 minutes from my house with all the blackberries I could ever want. I usally pick about 5 gallons a year and get my grandmother to make me some jelly. That is almost as good as fresh tomatoes. I may try some ofthe others you mentioned.

**cantunamunch** · 03-20-2007, 03:45 PM

SKISC, spinach & any other greens that bolt in the heat should go in NOW.

I've 40 rows of spinach, arugula, giant german radishes, kale, mizuno under rabbit fencing as of last weekend.

**pde20** · 03-20-2007, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by lemon boy

sorry pde- it's still a little tooooooo early for most items in the garden. Certainly my perrenial stuff is starting to shape up (sorrel, strawberries, currants/gooseberries, chives etc...) but we're a full month yet from when I'll actually plant much of anything (frost hearty stuff at that) and a month and a half from when most stuff goes in.

as for the packets...we usually reuse them for a year or two and they're fine but ours are stored indoors if they were in a hot/cold shed they might be dead.

Last year we tried both wall-o-waters and the little waxpaper greenhouses, both worked great but watch out, some places sell the little wax hats for ~$1/per and some sell them for ~$2/per 20. The w-o-ws were pretty amazing, freezing solid a couple of times but keeping the tomato plants within perfectly fine.

hoping that the apple trees don't get going just yet like last year

Our frost free date is ~5/15 happy equinox though

I read that average last frost for the front range is 5/3...and I'm sticking to the hardy cool season stuff like peas, spinach, lettuce, onions etc for now, though starting a bunch of stuff from seed indoors so they will be ready to transplant in 4-6 weeks. I've also rigged up a pretty nice cold frame around two of our raised beds with old windows I removed this past fall, so should be fine with the hardy stuff. May try to use a wall o water for when tomatos go in a bit later.

Glad to hear that one year old seeds shouldn't really be an issue if stored at a reasonable temp, which ours have.

**cantunamunch** · 03-20-2007, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by pde20

May try to use a wall o water for when tomatos go in a bit later.

See if you can find a highway water barrier. The orange might have quite interesting effects.

**SKISC** · 03-20-2007, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by cantunamunch

SKISC, spinach & any other greens that bolt in the heat should go in NOW.

I've 40 rows of spinach, arugula, giant german radishes, kale, mizuno under rabbit fencing as of last weekend.

I have never tried these. May go to the garden store tomorrow and plant this weekend. Thanks.

**P_McPoser** · 03-20-2007, 08:00 PM

I miss my house with a yard!
I grew corn, pumpkins, sunflowers, green onions, tomatoes, and watermelon in Winnemucca last year. Corn didn't do so well, but it was good enough for a few edible ears, season too short in Nevada for corn.

**Van_skier** · 03-21-2007, 01:16 PM

Growing up, my dad always had a huge vegetable garden at the cottage that he spent most the weekends in... I guess he inspired my desire to grow vegetables...

Since I now live in an apartment, I have to make due with what I can plant in big pots on my balcony garden. It will be ready to go soon

the herbs have already started to grow:

spearmint:

chives:

rosemary, tarragon & parsley:

Oregano, peppermint & strawberries look like they survived the winter too...

I'll be starting seedlings inside soon for tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini.
In the past 2 years, tomatoes have worked great but not so much the zucchini and cucumbers. They seem to always end up with a fungus (powdery mildew) and before the fungus struck, the zucchini only produced tiny little fruit (less than 1 inch long by 1/4 inch thick).
Any ideas how to solve these issues?

I'll also be planting pole beans, spinach, lettuce, green onions, dill, basil and maybe some other herbs...

Any suggestions from fellow balcony growers on what works well in big pots?

**The AD** · 03-21-2007, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Van_skier

Any ideas how to solve these issues?

I'd say your best best is to replace all the potting soil and thoroughly wash your planters with a bleach solution. Also be sure to water just the soil and not overhead with a can. The splashing can cause the fungus spores to spread to the plants.