2024 gardening thread. What are you growing in your garden this year?

[Muse]

I'm trying to grow less Himalayan blackberry. Hack it back and dig out what I can, rinse and repeat for the next decade or whatever. The apple trees seem to be bearing fruit again this year, they gave last year a pass.

I attack anything that looks like a blackberry on my lot. I see them from time to time. I'm familiar with the wild blackberries that grow in the hills etc. around here, I've been pricked by their thorns! I used to bicycle up into the hills and hunt for patches. I still have quarts of those berries on my shelves, unsweetened. I also canned them, adding sugar, for BB jam/preserves. With the quarts of unsweetened I have now I can make the occasional BB pie (yum!), but I can also make jam out of them, just add sugar, simmer and re-can.

But in my yard, I figure it's highly unwise to let BB's get a foothold anywhere. I don't know how they find their way into my yard occasionally.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I attack anything that looks like a blackberry on my lot. I see them from time to time. I'm familiar with the wild blackberries that grow in the hills etc. around here, I've been pricked by their thorns! I used to bicycle up into the hills and hunt for patches. I still have quarts of those berries on my shelves. I canned them to make the occasional BB pie (yum!), but I can also make jam out of them, just add sugar, simmer and re-can.

But in my yard, I figure it's highly unwise to let BB's get a foothold anywhere. I don't know how they find their way into my yard occasionally.

Same way they get anywhere; birds eat the fruit, shit out the seeds.

 

[Gardener]

Same way they get anywhere; birds eat the fruit, shit out the seeds.

It is a maintenance headache in the Seattle parks, they did an extensive removal this winter along the waterfront parks. One of those colonizers that forms a thicket and outcompetes all other plants.

I eradicated a 20x10 foot patch over the course of 2 or 3 years.

 

[bbhaag]

First harvest of the season happened today. Some kohlrabi, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and some other odd ball stuff.

So far this season has been an odd one here in Central Illinois. It got really hot in early April then a cold snap came through and froze a bunch of stuff. Then when it was finally looking decent in mid May Mother Nature turned off the facet and it didn't rain for over 6 weeks.

Anyway, enough complaining but I'm hoping it gets better as the summer moves forward.

 

[bbhaag]

Been about three and a half weeks since I lasted posted anything. We spent some time in Door County and when we got back there was a ton to harvest. It's amazing what a difference just one week can make.

I will say despite what my harvest photo shows this year has been ok at best for cut flower, fruit, and vegetables. The drought has been tough on things and OMG the weeds are atrocious this year.

Anyway, how is everyone else's garden doing this year? I know we have members from all over the country so certainly my experience is not the same as everyone else's.

Here's a pic from this mornings harvest. There was more ready but we can only process so much at a time. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, flowers, turnips, zucchini, and cabbage comprised the bulk of it.

 

[IronWing]

The heat took out our lemon and grapefruit crop for the year. I think the trees will live though. The fig and apricot are probably dead. Copious water can only do so much. We have a bumper crop of agave plants to sell.

 

[Muse]

I will have a giant plethora of cherry tomatoes (2 bought plants, 4 from ebay-bought seeds, 2 volunteers), picked the first 2 red ones yesterday... really really late because of the extended winter and winter-like spring. A lot of kabocha squash are on the way, spotted the first set one a couple days ago. The plants are growing like mad, trying to take over the yard. Keeping a supply of cilantro is a challenge, but so far so good with successive small pot plantings. Planted borage for first time couple weeks ago and was amazed how fast seedlings appeared!

Bought 17 tiny (marble sized) red onions at local indy supermarket and planted (they were sold for eating, of course), and haven't seen one come up, seems like 2 weeks already. I wonder if they weren't treated to prevent them from not remaining dormant. It seems like 2 weeks already and I've watered them daily and they are in 1/2 day sun.

 

[bbhaag]

The heat took out our lemon and grapefruit crop for the year. I think the trees will live though. The fig and apricot are probably dead. Copious water can only do so much. We have a bumper crop of agave plants to sell.

What do you mean by "The heat took out our lemon and grapefruit crop this year."? Was it just so hot and dry in your area they aborted fruit just to survive? Sorry to hear about your fig and apricots.....

 

[IronWing]

Yeah, they aborted fruit. Most of the lemons dropped last week.

 

[Muse]

Yeah, they aborted fruit. Most of the lemons dropped last week.

My neighbor's lemon tree hangs over my driveway. I picked a bunch a few weeks ago and made lemon ice cubes for lemonade, plus lemon zest for my baking. I water that tree occasionally. Was running out of lemon ice cubes so bought 7 lemons at Trader Joe's a week ago and did the same with them.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I'm trying to grow less Himalayan blackberry. Hack it back and dig out what I can, rinse and repeat for the next decade or whatever. The apple trees seem to be bearing fruit again this year, they gave last year a pass.

-Wife and I found the trick with blackberries and any other bramble is to cut back the unproductive shoots and leave the fruit bearing ones in place. Literally the only way to fly with those things, otherwise they will either take over your yard or drive you insane from trying to keep them under control.

A little bit of pruning often goes a long way with those things.

Otherwise, we're 100% in on an herb garden thing. Thyme, mint, rosemary, sage, bordige, lemon verbena, bay tree, etc etc etc.

We've found herb gardens are immensely useful, self sustaining, pest resistant, and absolutely beautiful with little of the fuss and muss of veggie and fruit gardening.

We do have a planter of onions, a passion fruit vine, some wild strawberries, the aforementioned blackberries/raspberries, and a Myer lemon tree.

 

[bbhaag]

-Wife and I found the trick with blackberries and any other bramble is to cut back the unproductive shoots and leave the fruit bearing ones in place. Literally the only way to fly with those things, otherwise they will either take over your yard or drive you insane from trying to keep them under control.

A little bit of pruning often goes a long way with those things.

Otherwise, we're 100% in on an herb garden thing. Thyme, mint, rosemary, sage, bordige, lemon verbena, bay tree, etc etc etc.

We've found herb gardens are immensely useful, self sustaining, pest resistant, and absolutely beautiful with little of the fuss and muss of veggie and fruit gardening.

We do have a planter of onions, a passion fruit vine, some wild strawberries, the aforementioned blackberries/raspberries, and a Myer lemon tree.

Thanks for the tips on growing blackberries! I planted one three years ago and have been struggling to try an keep in under control while still also being able to get a decent harvest. It's to late this year to implement your strategy but I will definitely be trying it next year.

Also herb gardening is great too! We just dehydrated some fresh parsley, basil, and tarragon for long term use. Next up is oregano and thyme so we have some to use come fall and winter.

 

[nakedfrog]

-Wife and I found the trick with blackberries and any other bramble is to cut back the unproductive shoots and leave the fruit bearing ones in place. Literally the only way to fly with those things, otherwise they will either take over your yard or drive you insane from trying to keep them under control.

A little bit of pruning often goes a long way with those things.

I don't want any of it at all. If you laid all the roots I pulled up yesterday end-to-end, I expect it probably would have been a good 20-30'. My house was a rental for a decade or more before I bought it, the tenants didn't tend to the yard, and the blackberry took over. I didn't even know I had stone retaining walls in my yard until my second year of working at it.
There are spots where I probably wouldn't mind leaving some of the native trailing blackberry, it's only kind of a bastard, not like the Himalayan giant (which is also highly invasive).

 

[bbhaag]

So I was just out walking through the garden and spotted these two beauties. They were fighting over the zinnias haha as if 100 row feet wasn't enough for the both of them.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Vegetables. Haven't gotten a huge yield yet, but things are trickling in and there's plenty of small green things that have yet to mature/ripen.

 

[Kevinlangford]

I'm always so jelly when you post your fruit pics. lol They always look wonderful and it is obvious you know what you are doing. Which makes me even more jelly. haha

We harvested some cherries today but honestly it has been a pretty pitiful harvest so far. We had a warm early spring followed by a late cold snap and of course it froze most of the blossoms.....sigh....maybe next year.

View attachment 81922

Seeing cherries makes me want husk cherries. even if not the same!
bump!

 

[Kevinlangford]

Seeing cherries makes me want husk cherries. even if not the same!
bump!

BUMP!!!!

 

[bbhaag]

Seeing cherries makes me want husk cherries. even if not the same!
bump!

I had to google husk cherries as I've never heard of them before. Turns out they are very similar to a tomato. Almost like a cherry tomato in size but wrapped in a husk similar to a tomatillo.

Very cool and really interesting. I'm a plant geek and learning about new plants that I have never heard of is always fun!

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Fun fact, we've grown more rose hips this year than actual tomatoes. Boo for shit weather/bugs.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Today was my last picking of half runners. I managed to get enough for a few meals. Here's an image after they were growing for 3-4 weeks since I didn't have an updated photo.

I also picked some Asian pears today off my tree and made pear butter. It turned out a little bit gritty, but I'm going to work it a little more and maybe hit it with the Vitamix.

 

[SunnyD]

The garden my wife planted.


The garden my pigs planted. (Spaghetti squash, yellow squash, tomatoes, and possibly pumpkins).

 

[bbhaag]

Did a late summer harvest last week. More of the usual stuff like tomatoes and peppers but with a few nice surprises thrown in. Some watermelon and cantaloupe were ripe enough to harvest. We also managed to harvest some kidney beans and some sunflower heads were ready as well.

 

[highland145]

Question...I shred a bunch of paper that's come off a laser printer, black toner. I hate tossing it but don't know if it's safe to toss in the compost. The toner is made from plastic and I'm thinking I don't want it in the mix. Thoughts?

 

[bbhaag]

Question...I shred a bunch of paper that's come off a laser printer, black toner. I hate tossing it but don't know if it's safe to toss in the compost. The toner is made from plastic and I'm thinking I don't want it in the mix. Thoughts?

I wouldn't but I'm kind of a stickler on what goes into our garden. Even if it was composted I'd have this nagging thought in the back of my brain about how safe it is. That being said a lot of the produce we buy at the grocery store comes from all over the world were the restrictions are a lot more lax than here in the US.

Anyway, just a heads up for all you gardeners. It's time to buy your seed! I've got a cart full from Harris, Burpee, and Baker Creek.

I cannot wait to get the garden going this year!

 

[Muse]

I wouldn't but I'm kind of a stickler on what goes into our garden. Even if it was composted I'd have this nagging thought in the back of my brain about how safe it is. That being said a lot of the produce we buy at the grocery store comes from all over the world were the restrictions are a lot more lax than here in the US.

Anyway, just a heads up for all you gardeners. It's time to buy your seed! I've got a cart full from Harris, Burpee, and Baker Creek.

I cannot wait to get the garden going this year!

I have a lot of seed. They're usually good for years. Cherry and Early Girl tomatoes, slow bolt cilantro. I guess I could try peppers but I've not yet had what I'd consider good luck growing peppers here, I think they require more consistent heat than I get. Kabochas totally rock here. I just use seeds from past harvests. They aren't pure, who knows what they were pollinated with and my harvests have a lot of variety in what they look like, it's an adventure. I'm trying to grow onions but having trouble. Anyway, onions I grow I figure are going to be basically equivalent to what's in the local stores, so why bother? I do like fresh peppers from the garden, they really are superior to what I get in the stores. Crunchier, keep better, tastier.