square foot (raised gardens)

[Stryker]

Where did you get the potatoes from? I need some baby red potatoes. I am going to try them in a bucket.

on a side note I am jealous of you folks with the automatic watering systems. There is just no way I can get one to where my little garden is.

One of the best places to get seed potatoes is agway - usually a good choice of local varieties

For the potato tower I needed a good late setting potato (one that sets along its growth rather than just one set at the bottom) - so ended getting those online.
2.5 lb bag for about $8, but cost $10 to ship - LOL - I will save some potatoes this year to use next spring.

If you want to automate your watering - you could do a gravity feed system and some drip lines. You would have to fill the source tank but at least could minimize some of the hands on watering time

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To all gardeners who a raising asparagus (my favorite) for the first time. You DO know that if you snip them off, and leave the rest in the ground, they will come back every year! I've been eating it for about a month now! They started sprouting in March.

Hmm...might have to start some asparagus - the 1st year is just growing the plant right? Nothing to snip off an eat until year 2 and thereafter I seem to remember reading.

 

[Billsail]

Hmm...might have to start some asparagus - the 1st year is just growing the plant right? Nothing to snip off an eat until year 2 and thereafter I seem to remember reading.

Correct, don't harvest the first year. Cut the dead foliage back in the fall. Leave the stalk.


Here's a pretty good asparagus tutorial: http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/growing-asparagus/7343.html

I leave a few intact every year. This will increase next season's yield, and so on for as many years as you like, or until you run out of room. In a few years, you should be able to pick asparagus for 4 or 5 weeks. It is a very early crop. Hint: You can freeze it, if you can't eat, or give away all of it.

 

[Stryker]

Correct, don't harvest the first year. Cut the dead foliage back in the fall. Leave the stalk.

Here's a pretty good asparagus tutorial: http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/growing-asparagus/7343.html

I leave a few intact every year. This will increase next season's yield, and so on for as many years as you like, or until you run out of room. In a few years, you should be able to pick asparagus for 4 or 5 weeks. It is a very early crop. Hint: You can freeze it, if you can't eat, or give away all of it.

Thanks! Great info

 

[TimoC508]

Just finished my potato tower. Thanks for the idea Stryker! Hopefully it pans out.

 

[exojam]

For those used to growing spinach, does it look like mine are ready to be trimmed a little for the bigger ones? Thanks.





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Stryker,

Thanks for the info on the potatoes. I will try Agway but to be honest they never seem to have what I need and when they say they will get it they do not. But it is worth a try one more time.

 

[Stryker]

Hi Exojam - the spinach looks great! I didn't get any in this spring - but will wait to get a fall crop in.

In my limited experience I would start cutting what you want to eat - you don't have to take the whole plant, but can trim off the leaves you want to eat that day

 

[exojam]

Hi Exojam - the spinach looks great! I didn't get any in this spring - but will wait to get a fall crop in.

In my limited experience I would start cutting what you want to eat - you don't have to take the whole plant, but can trim off the leaves you want to eat that day

Cool, sounds good to me.

 

[TimoC508]

Freshly picked romaine, greenleaf and spinach! Delicious! Thanks to all of you pros! I'm already considering this garden a success!

 

[exojam]

Wow, you got romaine all ready? Mine are just sprouting.

I am going to clip some spinach tomorrow even though I cannot eat it do to blood thinners. Hopefully the wife and mother in law enjoy it.

 

[TimoC508]

Wow, you got romaine all ready? Mine are just sprouting.

I am going to clip some spinach tomorrow even though I cannot eat it do to blood thinners. Hopefully the wife and mother in law enjoy it.

All of my plants were transplants so I had a head start

 

[exojam]

Well I do not know if I picked some a little early but I grabbed some spinach and lettuce today. The lettuce (iceburg) sure does not look like you see on the package or grocery store.

The water bottle is just for size comparison to the bowls. I only picked from one bed today.

 

[TimoC508]

It's beautiful stuff Exo

 

[Stryker]

Well I do not know if I picked some a little early but I grabbed some spinach and lettuce today. The lettuce (iceburg) sure does not look like you see on the package or grocery store.

The water bottle is just for size comparison to the bowls. I only picked from one bed today.

View attachment 105043

Awesome!

 

[exojam]

Well I really need to look into an irrigation system before next year for my plants.

I have also found based on some pictures and information that my spinach has "bolted" and I need to pretty much pull it all. I am not sure if it is to late to replant some.

 

[Stryker]

Well I really need to look into an irrigation system before next year for my plants.

I have also found based on some pictures and information that my spinach has "bolted" and I need to pretty much pull it all. I am not sure if it is to late to replant some.

Drip irrigation is not as expensive as you would think - I use the 1/4" drip line connected to a main line. Mainly just need a water source relatively close by (or use a holding tank to gravity feed)

Dripworks seems to be what most people, including myself, use - hit their website and get a catalog sent your way
www.dripworks.com

IMO definitely too late to replant spinach - it will just bolt on you again - I would wait to the fall to plant it
I was thinking of trying some asian varieties of spinach/lettuce that deals with heat better, but I probably will let that ride until next year

 

[TimoC508]

One of my spinach plants bolted already too. I read two varieties tolerate summer growing very well...Spinner and correnta have you ever tried these?

 

[Cap]

Got started later than we we wanted to, but here is our first year attempt:

Thoughts on these? First is a pepper, second is tomato.

 

[Stryker]

Awesome Cap - looks good!

For anyone interested I joined a square foot gardening forum a few weeks ago.
Not a ton of posting going on (maybe a couple of dozen posts per day) - but a wealth of information and people will answer your questions.

http://squarefoot.creatingforum.com/

 

[TimoC508]

While on the topic of.....do I need to worry about my lettuce (romaine, salad bowl, and butter crunch) bolting?

 

[TimoC508]

Picked some more romaine, salad bowl, spinach and a handful of strawberries.

 

[Stryker]

While on the topic of.....do I need to worry about my lettuce (romaine, salad bowl, and butter crunch) bolting?[/QUOTE

I would keep an eye on it - you can tell when lettuce is getting close to bolting as the leaves you harvest will start to taste bitter

Picked some more romaine, salad bowl, spinach and a handful of strawberries.

Nice harvest!

 

[TimoC508]

Hey Stryker... My assumption on the potato tower is when I see the plant poking out of the soil, it's time to add more clean soil or mulch correct? See pic below.

Here's how my romaine is doing. It stared as a 3 inch transplant.

I also have a Cajun bell pepper

Not sure if you guys can tell, but I'm super excited about gardening now.

 

[exojam]

Man, you folks are getting some good stuff.

Pulled the last of my spinach today. With my not so great planning I now have 6 squares to fill. Not sure what I am going to put in them as of yet but it has to be a summer veg.

 

[TimoC508]

I'm with you. I've pulled 4 out of 6 spinach. The last 2 will be picked this week.

What to plant what to plant?

 

[mass]

Potatos

Peppers, beans & watermelon

Parley, rosemary, eggplant, Cucumbers

Beets, lettuce, carrots, Zucchini, summer squash

Habenero

Strawberries

Tomatoes

Not shown are raspberries, Cherry, peach and apples trees.

 

[exojam]

Even though the spinach and lettuce are supposed to be spring and fall plants I did go ahead and replant some more yesterday as I found you can put little covers over them to reduce the amount of sun they get. Worth a shot since everyone loved them.

My daughter did not even find out she was eating spinach until last night when I told her I had been putting it in the salad.

*** By chance does anyone have a picture of how they are keeping their strawberries held up? Thanks.

 

[TimoC508]

My strawberries are just touching the dirt with no issues but I'd be interested in what everyone else is doing too.

I'll probably do the same and give the next batch of spinach some shade.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[exojam]

Does anyone know where I can find a video on how to trim or take care of strawberries? My Google fu is not finding what I need.

Basically what I have in the bed is a tons of leaves on the plant and just a few berries. I do not know if these leaves should be cut, left alone or what.

They do not appear to be "runners" just leafs.

Any help from a good strawberry grower would be great. Thanks.

Edit: I have no idea what type of strawberries I have since these are transplants from my daughters garden that I planted a few years ago.

 

[Billsail]

I ripped out my strawberries years ago, but the only "pruning" I ever did, was when they were crawling over something I didn't want them to be crawling over.

Here you go: https://www.google.com/webhp?source=search_app#q=prune+strawberry+plants

 

[todd c]

i did watermelons last year never again. they took over my whole back yard. they even grew under the fence over a wall thru my neighbors bushes. he brough over 4 of them to me he found in his bushes i let him keep them.