I'm just learning

[Oscgrr]

Hi, I hope this is the proper place to introduce myself and ask a couple of questions.

I live almost, but not quite on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I've been home for the past couple of years due to a shoulder injury at work, dislocated it about twenty five times, and I've taken up a few new hobbies to stave off the crazies. I've fallen head over heels into gardening (and chickens but that's another page) and I've expanded my little garden into a bigger, little garden. It was 48 ft2 and now it's 126 ft2 and I'm eyeing a patch of overgrown-with-weeds land on the other side of my backyard fence.

My garden has taught me a lot. I learned patience and the need to give plants room to grow, they seem to dislike being crowded. What I want to learn now is how to control pests. I'm not into the politics of "organic" but I would like to avoid chemicals if I can. I'm not opposed to using a pesticide if it's safe and the best method. I'd liek to know what to do about the nasty little bunnies that ate all my beans, do marigolds really deter them?

What I'm most interested in is learning more about heirlooms. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what an herloom was and I guessed it was just another way of saying "novelty" but boy was I wrong. Now that I'm aware of what heirlooms are, I'd like to switch my entire garden to them. Is there something I should know about them before I try to grow all heirlooms next spring? Is it even possible? It might seem silly but the notion of perpetuating heirlooms kinda makes me feel like being part of something more than just a garden, like participating in the efforts of gardeners that came before me.

Anyway, that's all for now. I do have a million questions and when I'm more familiar with this forum I'd like to ask them.

 

[beavis]

Welcome to TEG!

 

[journey11]

Hi Oscgrr and !

Nice introduction there. You'll learn a lot on here about all those things. (Now the bunnies, I deal with them via 12 ga., but I'm sure there are probably other, more patient methods!) Also, be sure to put your zone# in your profile info so it will show up with your posts. You'll get better advice tailored to your specific area that way.

Be sure to check out the Seed Train thread , especially when it really gets moving this winter while we are all stir crazy and craving spring. You'll see a lot of heirloom seeds up for trade there and it's a great way to try some new things very cheaply (cost of postage for next trade).

Have fun!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you are here!

I don't know if marigolds deter bunnies or not. I also use a 12 gauge. The other method I know of is a good fence, but it has to be a good fence. They can get through any weakness, usually under the fence or at the gate.

I'm not quite sure what your goals are with the heirlooms, growing only heirloom crops or going through the saving your own seeds thing. With some things it is fairly easy to save your own seeds and have them remain pure. Somethings are tough. Tomatoes, for example, are a perfect flower. They have both male and female parts in the same flower and can be and usually are pollinated by the wind. That's why it is pretty safe to save those seeds. Insects can carry pollen from one to another, so there is always a chance insects pollenated it from another variety so I can't say it is 100% pure. I set out about 20 tomato plants from saved seeds of 6 different open pollinated varieties. All were true except one, a Japanese Black that crossed with something else. It is actually a decent cross and pretty prolific, but certainly not a Japanese Black.

Then you have the imperfect flowers, squash being a great example. They have separate male and female flowers and require something to get the male pollen to the female flower, usually insects. These cross pollinate like crazy. There are techniques to handle that, but I do not recommend saving seeds from an open-pollinated squash type plant and expect to know what you will get.

Part of growing heirlooms depends on what crops you are growing too. There are probably certain ones that were developed for your area and climate that will do well there. Heirlooms tend to do well in the climate they are intended for and probably not so well in different climates. Your county extension office, in the phone book under county government, should have information on which heirlooms do well in your area. Take sweet potatoes, for example. Sweet potatoes need hot weather to grow. Some varieties develop two or three weeks earlier than others. In your area you will almost certainly have better success with the faster-maturing varieties.

Once again,

 

[digitS']

I appreciate where you are coming from (and glad that you are here !)

There are lots of directions that a person can take getting into gardening. And, lots of directions to take once you are there!

You can find "politics" in the heirloom realm, too . I suppose that if it had to be a family heirloom, most of us wouldn't have much in the garden. Is an heirloom variety 40 years old, 50 years old, 100 years old??

I grow a tomato every year that came to the United States in the 1950's. It was probably a commercial variety (back in the olde country). I may be older than this tomato . . .

An open-pollinated variety isn't a hybrid but it may well not be a heirloom (by most definitions). One can still save the seeds and try to develop a strain that is best suited for his or her garden environment. After a decade or two . . . share it with the kids! Sounds like fun, eh?

Steve

 

[vfem]

Hi, welcome! I hope we can answer all your questions... we all learn together here. Just remember gardening is a learning experience for a life time... you will never have all the answers. Mother nature makes SURE of that!

Anyways,

:weight :rainbow-sun :mow :tools :watering :weight

 

[ninnymary]

Welcome! You came to the right place. I'm a new gardener also. One thing I've already learned is that not everything grows for me even though I follow all the advise to a "T".

Last year I planted only heirloom tomatoes and they didn't do very well. This year I went back to my tried and true early girls and planted some heirlooms. This way I would have at least some tomatoes if the heirlooms failed. So far they are not doing as great as I'd like but I will always keep on trying. My advise try things a little at a time.

Mary

 

[Ariel301]

I don't know if marigolds deter bunnies or not. I also use a 12 gauge. The other method I know of is a good fence, but it has to be a good fence. They can get through any weakness, usually under the fence or at the gate.

They don't. About the only thing that works on bunnies is a gun or rat poison. The ones here have even learned how to chew through chicken wire!