Garden? [Archive] - Texas DownLow Forum

bwdlionfan

03-07-2011, 09:04 PM

How many of you plant a garden each year?

Last year was my first year of home ownership and I planted:

corn, okra, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, and watermelon. Everything was from seed except the tomatoes were from some very small plants I bought and transplanted. I had excellent results with the corn, okra, tomatoes, and zucchini. I didn't have any production with the carrots, and only one watermelon plant grew and the one melon it produced was stolen by the dogs!

This year I'm more than doubling the square footage of my garden (and moving to the other side of the yard). I'm going to plant:
corn, okra, tomatoes, yellow squash (instead of zucchini), cantaloupe, watermelon (going to try again), bell peppers, and jalapenos. I'm also thinking about trying spinach.. but I've been reading it produces best in April/May and again in September as it doesn't like hot temperatures.

What have you had good luck with?

Ernest T Bass

03-07-2011, 09:14 PM

Tomatoes, jalapenos, and cherry peppers are my stand bys.

BaseballUmp

03-07-2011, 09:15 PM

When I lived at home and we still lived out in the country, we would always plant tomatoes, banana peppers, jalapenos, potatoes, squash, watermelon, and cucumbers.

We always had a good crop. Wasn't a huge garden, but always produced much more than we could ever use.

Watermelons always grew well and had squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers for days!

Yoe_09

03-07-2011, 09:16 PM

We did it once but my grandmother plants one every year. She does onions, squash, bell peppers, jalapenos, okra, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, and pickles/cucumbers along with dill. Did watermelons a few years but they never turned out very well. We usually get quite a bit of the fresh vegetables and they are usually great.

Blastoderm55

03-07-2011, 09:17 PM

The wife and I are planning on a small garden this year in our new home too. Any suggestions for keeping the vermin away?

PPHSfan

03-07-2011, 09:18 PM

Started ours last week. We put a short fence all the way around to keep the freeloaders out.

Tx Challenge

03-07-2011, 09:19 PM

I plant one every year. Got mine in the ground this past weekend. I am in a different region but had great results last year. In fact I am still getting peppers and potatoes from last year.

My space is limited but it produced more than the wife and I eat. I planted more this year and hope to for the first time can some of it.

Snyder_TigerFan

03-07-2011, 09:25 PM

Usually plant tomatoes, jalepenos, bell peppers, cantelope, squash and cucumbers. I haven't had any luck with watermelon.

Just be careful when you are digging under the plants looking for tomatoes and such, my wife came inches away from getting bit by a baby rattler last year. Thinking twice about the garden this year. I know my wife won't be in it!

BaseballUmp

03-07-2011, 09:29 PM

We never really had much problem with animals getting into the plants. Had a 4 foot high fence made out of the square fencing we built into about 15 foot panels we welded together. Had tons of hogs around the house. They never got into it.

The only thing was the damn bull nettle. I swear I got into it every time I went out there. After a while I think I started to become immune to the stinging.

bwdlionfan

03-07-2011, 09:34 PM

I put some garden fencing up last year and tied the bottom to bricks to keep the dogs out... that worked until they just ripped it down. This year I'm going to put a little electric line around it. We've got 2 dogs and 3 cats in the back yard so I'm not TOO worried about snakes. I actually put that electric line around the top of the fence so the cats can't climb out... works well (they don't like touching it)

bwdlionfan

03-07-2011, 11:21 PM

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
I put some garden fencing up last year and tied the bottom to bricks to keep the dogs out... that worked until they just ripped it down. This year I'm going to put a little electric line around it. We've got 2 dogs and 3 cats in the back yard so I'm not TOO worried about snakes. I actually put that electric line around the top of the fence so the cats can't climb out... works well (they don't like touching it)

at least I've always heard cats are good to protect against rattlesnakes

Ranger Mom

03-08-2011, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
at least I've always heard cats are good to protect against rattlesnakes

LOL!! My brother and sister-in-law have 13 outside cats. Over the last 2 years they have found 3 rattlensakes in their back yard. Two of them were curled up in the cat's house!!!!

Ernest T Bass

03-08-2011, 10:06 AM

I also grow wild parsley.

Blastoderm55

03-08-2011, 10:29 AM

Originally posted by Snyder_TigerFan
Usually plant tomatoes, jalepenos, bell peppers, cantelope, squash and cucumbers. I haven't had any luck with watermelon.

Just be careful when you are digging under the plants looking for tomatoes and such, my wife came inches away from getting bit by a baby rattler last year. Thinking twice about the garden this year. I know my wife won't be in it!

That's pretty much my biggest fear, either my wife or my dog getting bitten. Our pest control company has a spray available that's supposed to deter them for a few months, but I'm skeptical as to how effective it is.

nobogey72

03-08-2011, 10:36 AM

I tried growing some pot in my garden (glaucomo issue) one year and when it started getting fairly tall my dogs discovered it and started eating it. It drastically changed both of my dogs disposition. They got along alot better, their barks were alot more mellow and substantially more sniffing and licking themselves and each other. Every time they would eat a little of the plant they would lay around in the sun and sort of act like they were half coughing and half growling. Then they will always get up and start eating anything they can reach, bird seed, bark off of the trees, chair cushions, everything. Then they usually would take a long nap. I quit planting it after that first year. But every year about this time they go over to where the garden was and just start pawing at the ground and looking at me like " come on dude just one more time?" Pretty weird. My glaucoma has gotten worse.

Tx Challenge

03-08-2011, 10:46 AM

Originally posted by Ernest T Bass
I also grow wild parsley.

We cant grow it here in Ca, but we can certainly buy it for medical purpose!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re_6s-T5R2Q

lv2937

03-08-2011, 12:31 PM

I plant a little over an acre garden every year. i have a game proof fence around it. ihave alot of luck with peppers, okra , tomatos,and squarsh. i planted plack eyed peas last year. had some what good luck with them.. no luck at all with any type of melons.corn does not do well for me also.

bwdlionfan

03-08-2011, 12:35 PM

Has anyone had good luck with watermelons or cataloupe? Seems most here haven't had luck with either.

crzyjournalist03

03-08-2011, 12:47 PM

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
Has anyone had good luck with watermelons or cataloupe? Seems most here haven't had luck with either.

My in-laws have some land just north of Sanger, and they produced some pretty good watermelons last year. Not sure what their secret was, although I believe they were using Dyno Dirt.

http://www.cityofdenton.com/index.aspx?page=358

BaseballUmp

03-08-2011, 02:01 PM

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
Has anyone had good luck with watermelons or cataloupe? Seems most here haven't had luck with either.

We had watermelons for 2 years before we moved back into town and had a good crop both years. just planted the seeds and watered it. Not much else other than that. No fertilizer or anything like that. Just planted everything and let it grow. Never had a problem with a shortage of any crops

Ernest T Bass

03-08-2011, 02:01 PM

Originally posted by Tx Challenge
We cant grow it here in Ca, but we can certainly buy it for medical purpose!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re_6s-T5R2Q

Might have to start selling it if I get laid off, as predicted.

nobogey72

03-08-2011, 02:38 PM

Originally posted by Ernest T Bass
Might have to start selling it if I get laid off, as predicted.

Well, according to Rancher ya'll are lazy and dont do anything anyway, so you probably wouldn't make a good parsley salesman either:rolleyes:

Ernest T Bass

03-08-2011, 02:39 PM

Originally posted by nobogey72
Well, according to Rancher ya'll are lazy and dont do anything anyway, so you probably wouldn't make a good parsley salesman either:rolleyes:

True. Another dream destroyed!

bwdlionfan

03-15-2011, 01:06 AM

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
We had watermelons for 2 years before we moved back into town and had a good crop both years. just planted the seeds and watered it. Not much else other than that. No fertilizer or anything like that. Just planted everything and let it grow. Never had a problem with a shortage of any crops

Was that in the San Marcos area?

I know watermelons like sandy soil... I hit clay about 8-12 inches down whenever I've been digging my garden out so I'm not real optimistic about my watermelons producing. Guess I'll see though

BaseballUmp

03-15-2011, 01:11 AM

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
Was that in the San Marcos area?

I know watermelons like sandy soil... I hit clay about 8-12 inches down whenever I've been digging my garden out so I'm not real optimistic about my watermelons producing. Guess I'll see though

No just a few miles outside of Cameron