Thursday, April 9, 2009

Morning Garden Update.

I love trees. I also love shade. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I spent so many years as a new construction plumber working outside in the Florida sun. So day after day, year after year of the bright Florida sunshine burning my skin caused me to seek........shade. So when I went to build my house a few years ago I picked property that was woody & shady. To me it was just so comfortable. That's how I viewed shade........comfortable. Little did I know that years later I would start my first garden and need lots of ..........sun. Which is why I've been spending that last year cutting trees down. Just so you know, I hate cutting trees down. I still love the shade that trees provide, but.............my garden needs sun! It can be such a battle. So there's been times when my garden has been too shady and as a result I've had some failures in the garden. Twenty plus trees being cut down has fixed a lot of that. One of the failures I was sure of was the onion patch I planted. When I planted it I had full sun, but as Winter got closer & closer the shade also crept closer & closer until.......complete shade covering my onions. I was bumbed. I thought for sure the onions were done. But as Winter passed and Spring came around, and some trees being removed, the sun returned. As the sun returned the Onions kicked back into gear and today I harvested my first mature Onion. So the lessons continue as I realize just how cool it is to grow your own stuff. Why didn't I start doing this 10 years ago? aaGarden 332
aaGarden 333
aaGarden 337
I'm also growing shallots in my onion patch.

aaGarden 354
aaGarden 359
Check out my double-headed squash flower. I'm really afraid of the dreaded pickleworm destroying my squash, so I planted them as early as I could so my harvest will be before they get here, which is usually in late May. I hope. No signs of them yet, so my plan is working......so far.

aaGarden 364
This is big. I'm going with a different system for staking my tomatoes. I'm using mostly 10' long re-bar driven into the ground 2-3 feet deep for each individual tomato plant. I've got 70 tomato plants this year and this seemed to be the best way for my garden. If the plants get too heavy with fruit later on I have a plan to strengthen the stakes by tying them all together. We'll see!
aaGarden 366 aaGarden 370









20 comments:

  1. Dang! It all looks wonderful!! I have yet to grow any decent onions.......still trying though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The onions are looking good, Dennis. Mine are ready, too (so are my potatoes). I haven't started my squash yet (yours looks nice, though).

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have the same issue with the sun and shade. I just couldn't stand the idea of cutting down my trees. My garden is located on the side of my house. For that I only had to cut one tree down. Every year I think about a larger garden and every year I nix the idea so I don't have to cut any more trees down.

    ReplyDelete
  4. We have huge trees out back that shade our whole backyard, the tiny side yard is the only place I have full sun. They are not my tree so I can't cut them down but I don't think I would anyway, as you said the shade is nice.

    I think your staking idea will work great. I am doing something similar but with these cap that mount on a pole and then you hang string from them. You should check out these tomato clips, they might come in handy with your system.

    http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=47452&cat=2,43319,33283&ap=1

    I sent you an email a few days ago about the cranberry beans. I was mistaking the bush ones you have for the climbing ones SSE has, both with the same name.

    ReplyDelete
  5. In Indiana, we have onion and wild garlic that grows wild in speckled light in the woods. Your onion looks wonderful.

    I hadn't considered rebar for supporting tomatoes. If you are going to support them, you might as well REALLY support them!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Darla- You know, I almost feel like the onions grew despite me!

    Prosper0- Thanks! Ditto what I said to Darla.

    Daphne- Thanks for the visit. Fortunatley for me I have a lot of trees so cutting down a few still leaves a bunch left. Plus, I use the wood for my fireplace in the winter.

    Dan the Man- I'll check it out. I saw your e-mail and I'm getting ready to send some seeds your way.

    Red- Sometimes being in construction comes in handy. I just looked around to see what I had and....boom....rebar!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I planted onions two years ago and failed miserably at growing them. You'd think in the age of Google, I would have bothered to learn a thing or two about onions before planting them! Alas, I am a man and therefore I let my impatience get the best of me. Turns out I planted my onions too deep and did not give them nice, pliable soil to expand. I forgot about those onions and this spring, I was surprised to see onions coming up. I dug up a few and found small onions there.
    Yep, onions growing in spite of me. Life will find a way.
    This year i planted onions again. This time I planted them shallow and in better soil. Already they are growing enthusiastically.

    ReplyDelete
  8. David- I don't know if you already know this, but you have to make sure you get onions that grow in your area. There's certain kinds that grow in the North, the South and some that grow anywhere. The amount of daylight hours determines whether they bulb or not.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm enjoying your gardening adventures! We are in middle TN and have to wait much later to start our garden, though we do have onions and potatoes in the ground now. I also like your fence - may have to try that since we have a "grand-beagle" that likes to dig!

    Re the squash - we've had great luck the last couple of summers growing an heirloom squash called Tatume (available from Victory Seeds). It is a vining squash and takes some room, but it appears to be impervious to the usual pests. And it bears throughout the season instead of coming in all at once.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Funny, sometimes I think of gardening in Florida as seeking out the shade. I have more problems with full sun areas than the shady ones. Tomatoes especially can't take the heat and will burst in the sun. But maybe its just me. . .

    ReplyDelete
  11. fray- "usual pests" aren't too much of a problem....it's the evil, nasty pickleworm that I have a problem with.

    WG- IDK......tomatoes do like some heat, but once late June/July/August come....it's over!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They have shared the and update the morning garden and interesting garden so that can be enjoy it in this garden and able to learn regarding in this garden. It is very enjoyable and fantastic garden. Mostly people are very like it.

      Delete
    2. Garden so very well and interesting garden shared on the site so that can be enjoy it in this garden there are lovely flower and enjoyable garden so that can be enjoy it in this garden.

      Delete
    3. Really it is very wonderful and nice garden shared on the site so that can be know that and enjoy it in this garden.In this watering techniques so very nice and interesting. Mostly people are very like it.

      Delete
  12. Onion garden we can be learn and creative also we can be learn how to crop in the garden and enjoy it in this garden, so lovely and more enlightening garden shared and enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is onion garden in order that can be enjoy it in this garden and imaginative and interesting also we can be more enjoy it in this garden

    ReplyDelete
  14. They have been update morning garden because in this garden is so nice and interesting we can find out and understand how to crop in this garden and plant also. Most of the people are connected in this site should check in this garden.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The wonderful efforts for the in this garden since author has done different types crop in this garden and understand in this garden. visiting also. Regards in this garden we can know that and understand how to crop it in this garden and design also. Many people are learn regards in this garden.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Morning garden is nice garden because there are different type condition so that we can know that and using in this site and garden also.Many people are connecting in this blogger and find it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The morning garden update shown by you is superb. Have a look at it

    ReplyDelete