How does your garden grow?
- Thread starter Larro Darro
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lakngulf
Veteran Member
Nice. I have been using those cheap 1020 flats for years now, and they continue to crack and bend. Finally broke down and order some strong Perma-Nest Plant Trays SUPER HEAVY DUTY . They came yesterday and seem to be quite strong. Reviewers so they have used some for 10 or more years. We will see.
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
I use the disposable aluminium baking trays for holding potting soil as well as keeping the cups in after the sprouts are transplanted. I poke holes in the ones outside to let the rain out. The ones in the house seem to hold up pretty well, but I do my mixing in a five gallon bucket, then pour it in the trays for the potting. I have a small plastic table in front of a TV set that I work on. And with the tile floor, it all cleans up pretty easy.
Larro
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
The gourd patch is a good ways from the garden and I don't think about it very often. So when I got up there today and saw that I had young plants up, I went ahead and side dressed them. Also gave them and the grass a good once over with the stirrup hoe and the push plow. Back in the garden, I side dressed everything that was up. The pictures are of squash, cucumbers {and Bad Word}, sweet corn, watermelons and the Asian pole beans and field corn. I also side dressed the Iraqi cucumbers and the replants of green beans, but missed taking a picture. I would have liked to waited another week or so to side dress, but this spring is shaping up to be a dry one. The sooner I can lay the soaker hoses the better.
Larro
Duwop
Gold Member
Peas,beets,spinach,lettuce and onions are on the way up and out of the ground. Also planted 100 lbs of potatoes 50 lb kennebec and 50 lb harvest golds and Anne is trying asparagus this year. I'm glad it's spring and we are warming up this thread again, maybe you'd be interested in selling me some snake gourd seeds?
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
Sixdogs sent me a packet last year. I couldn't find any to buy this spring, so I used saved seeds from last year. Not sure how they will turn out, {they grew beside dipper gourds last year} but they did come up. If you will PM me your address, I would be happy to send you some seeds.
Larro
KevT
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Okay, I will show ignorance... why do you guys try to grow gourds? I have a large variety of squashes, but I eat those, what do you do with gourds? What am I missing?
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
When I was a kid, a lot of the old timers still used gourds for water dippers, bird houses or buckets. You hardly ever see them put to that use today. Mostly they are used for arts and crafts. I guess we grow them because our parents and grandparents did.
Larro
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
Although you can eat snake gourds when they are young. I let them get too big last year before I thought of it, but I might fry up a few this year.
Popular Snake gourd Recipes
Larro
Popular Snake gourd Recipes
Larro
jimmyj
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Nice thread guys. I can't wait to get gardening, seems like spring isn't ever going to arrive in our area.
KevT
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Thanks for the info. My wife is a vegetarian and likes Indian food, she was very interested in the link you posted. Maybe I need to look into growing some. You live in the same growing season as me, when is the best time to plant?
Duwop
Gold Member
I'm with Larro, I knew some ole farmers that grew them as a kid and used them for dippin water workin the hay fields. I also remember seeing those gourd trees that the farmers had for the the migrating birds to use on there way south or north depending on the season. Anne is thinking of decorating some to sell at her road side veggie stand. We get a lot of summer folks visiting the area and they will buy just about anything perceived to be country. Heck I can take boards out of the old school on our place and make signs with kitschy sayings and the think there a hundred years old, just to display on there patio decks on the lake here. But mostly I grow them just because I can, I lived in suburbia from 16-39 longing to move back to the country and couldn't be happier now.
Last year I decided to buy a Massey 253 and that lead to finding implements to use with to ease the physical aspects of gardening. I have to say, I wish I had did this years ago working the garden and caring for my land is so more enjoyable with the right tools. I tell Anne I don't understand why but I just love growing food, I guess providing for myself and loved ones is the main reason although my kids just don't appreciate it the way I wish. They have time to come around though as they are just in their 20's. Sorry for rambling on I post more as the season progresses I really enjoy this thread.
Last year I decided to buy a Massey 253 and that lead to finding implements to use with to ease the physical aspects of gardening. I have to say, I wish I had did this years ago working the garden and caring for my land is so more enjoyable with the right tools. I tell Anne I don't understand why but I just love growing food, I guess providing for myself and loved ones is the main reason although my kids just don't appreciate it the way I wish. They have time to come around though as they are just in their 20's. Sorry for rambling on I post more as the season progresses I really enjoy this thread.
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
Any time after the last frost is good for planting. I use Farmers' Almanac Gardening Calendar for choosing planting dates when I can. Or I look up the actual moon signs themselves with April 2015 Moon Signs - Dates and Times and Astrological Signs of the Zodiac, Fertile Signs for Planting. But if all else fails, I plant when I have the seeds and the ground is ready
Larro
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
I truck farmed for nearly half my life, so to me gardening wasn't much fun. It was just hard work for low pay. These last few years, now that there is no pay at all, I love spending hours in the garden. Maybe your kids will grow to love it when they get older.
Larro
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
We had a real gully washer today. I got in just before dark and looked at the garden. Nothing is beat down, but as soon as it dries out I will have to loosen up the soil around the plants. Might have to side dress again too.
Larro
Larro
KevT
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Be glad you got some. I haven't seen any rain for a while. My pastures are brown and I can't afford to irrigate. I installed a sprinkler system for the garden that I run for 20 minutes every morning, or I wouldn't have it either. Even the wild flowers along the roads here are not as strong as normal.
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
One of Margie's friends does arts and crafts with her gourds. Here is some of her apple gourds in a basket she made from a bushel gourd. {The plastic apple is there for size comparison}
Larro
Larro
OP
Larro Darro
Super Member
Let's try this one more time. I saved them to my laptop, then posted, so this one should be for the money. All the small ones but the yellowish tan one has been painted.
KevT
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WOW, makes me want to learn how to paint. Those are wild
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