Gardening, Flowers And Veggies 2024

Discussion in 'Crops & Gardens' started by Beth Gallagher, Jan 8, 2024.

  1. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Just a continuation of @Yvonne Smith's annual Gardening thread! I'm already anxious to get started.

    I decided last fall that I would stop bothering with a "compost pile" and simply toss vegetable peelings and other plant scraps directly onto my outside raised beds. I figured it would all rot and decay directly into the soil and just be turned in the soil when I get ready to plant in the spring. Today I noticed that I have a couple of potato "volunteers" growing in one bed, apparently from some potato peels I tossed out there. They are about 4-5" tall so I wonder if they will have time to make anything before a freeze takes them out.

    As I did last year, I'm planning mostly tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers in my little garden beds. I'm adding a few EarthBox planters and might plant bush beans and some green onions in those. I might try a few seed potatoes in those potato grow bags; I have never intentionally planted potatoes but they seem easy to grow.
     
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  2. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Thank You!!!
    [​IMG]

    But seriously, you may want to rethink that strategy, if not for possums then for other rodents.
     
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  3. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    And what would keep them from digging in a compost pile?
     
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  4. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I believe that burying it greatly reduces the chances of rodents, but I may be mistaken. Others with more experience can chime in on this.
     
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  5. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    That is a marsupial, not a rodent. They are sweet little fellows.
     
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  6. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Yvonne tried extremely hard to plant sunflowers to no avail because the squirrels would dig up the seeds.
    So, she believed she outsmarted the squirrels by planting the seeds underneath the iris’s.

    Long story short, the next morning after she planted them, a whole row, probably 20 Iris’s, were laying down next to their holes and the only thing left of the sunflower seeds were the hulls.
     
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  7. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    The squirrels were likely watching her.
     
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  8. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Pre-start the sunflowers and plant the seedlings. It may deter them form the sunflower seeds. Of course, they may like young plants as well. I have never had squirrels dig up seeds that I planted.
     
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  9. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I have never "buried" stuff at all. We used to have a compost pile that was built like open fencing; I'd just dump vegetable scraps on top of it. Every few weeks or so we'd turn it with a pitchfork but any animals could dig in it if they were so inclined. After a big snake slithered out of it one year I decided no more mulch pile for me.
     
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  10. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    The snake was probably eating the rodents that were rummaging around in it too.
     
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  11. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Well now he'll have to dine in one of the raised beds where the buffet has relocated to.
     
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  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I found pics of snakes eating possums, but none are suitable for use here.
     
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  13. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    That would be interesting. The only critters I remember having in the compost piles were anoles, cute little lizards. No problems with it here-no snakes, possums, or raccoons. Bears are a potential, but I haven't had problems with them.
     
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  14. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I am getting ready to start some seeds in an Aerogarden to transplant in my raised beds next month. Last year I had great success with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers so I'm going to expand my horizons this year.
     
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  15. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    We started our seeds a little late this year. So far they are doing good. We have over a dozen giant sunflowers . I'll have to figure out where to put them.Wish I'd waited longer to start them.
     
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