What do you want to try for the next growing season?

[Phaedra]

Besides what I want to grow celery, beef tomatoes, and luffa - the previous two should be no problem, but luffa, I didn't get any success yet.
Fruits - I got some Minnesota Midget seeds from a friend, and can't wait to grow them.
For the flowers, I want to sow Lisianthus and sweet peas very early this time, and different kinds of summer asters.

 

[flowerbug]

i hope i can get a lot more early peas planted but i can never predict what is actually going to happen between the weather and whatever the critters might get into. the garden i'm working on right now would be improved a great deal if i could get an early cover crop of peas in there and then turn them under for my main bean planting. i suspect i just will not have enough time to do everything i want to get done...

 

[digitS']

For several years, I have taken a view of an upcoming growing season that things will, at least, begin as I hope. This is probably necessary for a gardener. @Rhodie Ranch was saying that the sewing machine was too difficult and that may be why she took up gardening . Sure, allow plants to take the proper route to success ... but, we have to "break ground" for them. And, there's my question, will I have ground to break for a garden or will my gardening partner's family sell the property now that he is no longer with us? And, if I move from that limitless growing space to entirely my backyard, what would I give up?

Plan for horizon to horizon opportunities! Yes, and begin the research .

I'd like to try another kabocha squash. It has been several years since I have done that, retreating back to Cha Cha. Others have not done as well, not producing well and not adequate maturing. Pink Panther is certainly an eye-catcher. A pink Winter squash – wouldn't that be fun!?

Exploring more Gai Lan varieties looks very promising.

Your beefsteak @Phaedra , it sounds as though you are may have had DW's experience of being strictly a cherry tomato person and then making a change. Mild for her. Stronger flavored varieties were to be avoided! Do you have a beefsteak in mind? Is seed-saving important to you?

Celery didn't grow well for me. I suspected that it required a more maritime climate and thought that would be true with celeriac. Perhaps that is preferable but celeriac has done fine for me for many years. That Belgium/Germany border may be just fine for either.

I have enjoyed a few seasons having lisianthus and sweet peas. They are both beautiful. Sweet peas would be a good choice for us. Our picket fence will be needing another paint job soon and I Just Finished Doing That, or so it seems . No one would even notice a few bare spots with sweet peas growing on that white picket fence.

Over Winter weeks, I plan on several hot baths (with Epsom salts, eucalyptus & mint) and a seed catalog in hand.

Steve

 

[Alasgun]

The U of Alaska puts out a ton of “Garden tips for Alaskans” articles in which they say that Celery is very difficult to grow up here. None the less; we tried it and with some early success now count Celery as one of our easiest things to grow. First thing up in the spring and the very last thing to come in from the greenhouse in the fall.

The difficulty they report must be for folks growing it outside in our very short season? I grow the “Tango” variety from Johnny’s seeds and will start it indoors, around the 1st of February and it will be ready to move to the greenhouse mid April! By then it’s been up-potted to 5 inch pots containing 6 or so plants and it’s easily transplanted into the greenhouse beds.

Celery likes water, other than that it get’s the same treatment as the other residents. These 4 “Clumps” of Celery last us all season eating 3-4 times a week.

 

[Phaedra]

Your beefsteak @Phaedra , it sounds as though you are may have had DW's experience of being strictly a cherry tomato person and then making a change. Mild for her. Stronger flavored varieties were to be avoided! Do you have a beefsteak in mind? Is seed-saving important to you?

I like beef tomatoes, but just didn't want to grow so many different varieties as DH and DD are not tomato fans. DH can't stand any row tomatoes (don't know why).

I grew Berner Rose two years ago and liked it very much. Seed-saving is fun, but it's not a must for me. The basic reason is time and space. I love to collect seeds when the conditions permit, otherwise I will explore new seeds.

This year, I am happy to harvest some seeds from the romaine lettuce, but it's impossible to use all of them before they lose the vitality.

 

[Phaedra]

The U of Alaska puts out a ton of “Garden tips for Alaskans” articles in which they say that Celery is very difficult to grow up here. None the less; we tried it and with some early success now count Celery as one of our easiest things to grow. First thing up in the spring and the very last thing to come in from the greenhouse in the fall.

The difficulty they report must be for folks growing it outside in our very short season? I grow the “Tango” variety from Johnny’s seeds and will start it indoors, around the 1st of February and it will be ready to move to the greenhouse mid April! By then it’s been up-potted to 5 inch pots containing 6 or so plants and it’s easily transplanted into the greenhouse beds.

Celery likes water, other than that it get’s the same treatment as the other residents. These 4 “Clumps” of Celery last us all season eating 3-4 times a week.

That's great information. I will absolutely start some early indoors!

It's somehow funny that most of the vegetable I grow -- either DH doesn't like them (cucumber, tomatoes...) or DD doesn't like them (celery, asparagus, onion...) -- So I used to think twice what to grow. Now, it's simpler, I grow what I like (almost nothing I don't like, why bother growing something you don't like?), and they can pass whatever they can't tolerate.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Since we live in different climate than you do, my luffa advice may not help you. I grow luffa in black woven fabric (or black plastic may work). I start them early (about 6 weeks) and transplant. The extra heat from the fabric really helps. Luffa also loves to sprawl so give them a big trellis that's quiet high and long for them to spread out. I use a cattle panel arch and they really like that. I transplant end of May and they start to dry up in October.

As for trying new things, I have been generously given lots of flowers and some veggie seeds that I will try next year. I also have varieties that I didn't plant this year so I will grow those as well.

 

[Phaedra]

Since we live in different climate than you do, my luffa advice may not help you. I grow luffa in black woven fabric (or black plastic may work). I start them early (about 6 weeks) and transplant. The extra heat from the fabric really helps. Luffa also loves to sprawl so give them a big trellis that's quiet high and long for them to spread out. I use a cattle panel arch and they really like that. I transplant end of May and they start to dry up in October.

Thanks for the great information. I will try black woven fabric next time and start them earlier, too. This year, I grew them near tall sunflowers so the sunflowers (with many side shoots) became trellis for the luffa. Unfortunately, we have a cool summer and I also sowed them too late. One was killed by voles, and the other didn't bear fruits (male and female flowers always missed each other) before the first frost.

Ah, I love luffa so much!

 

[ninnymary]

The U of Alaska puts out a ton of “Garden tips for Alaskans” articles in which they say that Celery is very difficult to grow up here. None the less; we tried it and with some early success now count Celery as one of our easiest things to grow. First thing up in the spring and the very last thing to come in from the greenhouse in the fall.

The difficulty they report must be for folks growing it outside in our very short season? I grow the “Tango” variety from Johnny’s seeds and will start it indoors, around the 1st of February and it will be ready to move to the greenhouse mid April! By then it’s been up-potted to 5 inch pots containing 6 or so plants and it’s easily transplanted into the greenhouse beds.

Celery likes water, other than that it get’s the same treatment as the other residents. These 4 “Clumps” of Celery last us all season eating 3-4 times a week.

How do you harvest it? Do you gently pull out a rib or two to keep it going?

Mary

 

[Alasgun]

We cut off - single stem/leaf’s. A 3 1/2 inch pot with roughly 10 seeds sprinkled over the surface of the pot and scratched up just a bit will grow into a bunch of Celery the diameter of a dinner plate. We keep 4-6 clumps and in the fall clear cut it and move it into a storage fridge where it will still be. Good for 6-8 more weeks!