*Garden Goofs*
By: Rubicon Board Posts
30 March 2021
I definitely learn more from failure than success... Most people do. "Ouch! Don't put hand on the burner, it might be hot, even though I've successfully placed my hand on the burner while it was COOL many times."
Same thing with gardening... Everyone has "tips and tricks" that MIGHT work to provide success, but that sometimes depends. What are some "don't do's" you've encountered? What didn't work?
When you're hardening off seedlings, probably best not to put them in the hot South Carolina sun and forget about them... They don't like it much. I guess I should take the "hardening off" means "only a couple hours to start with."
Will update this as I continue to make mistakes, but would love to hear yours too.
Rubicon Board Posts
Subject: Re: Garden Goofs
We all know when to plant for our area. But if the late winter is warm ,Don't go ahead and plant.. So many times I have just needed to plant stuff and figured aww it is going to stay warm "why not" . Then a cold snap hits.LoL Then of course when you say no old man winter ain't gettin me this year and you don't plant early,You guessed it no cold snap and you could have planted in late Feb. Don't get to plant a garden this year most likely. Wanting to sell the house and move to the mountains. So all the time and energy are going into the house right now..
Subject: One of my worst habits is not thinning
the new little seedlings properly. I just can't seem to pull their healthy little bodies out of their "Mother Earth" home. And then all the plants are too crowded to grow well.
Subject: Planting too many plants........
We have a 6,000 sq ft garden. Back in the day [my wife] ran it, and it was good. One spring our daughter had medical issues to [my wife] spent a few months with her helping out. I stayed home for work, and planted our garden.
I tilled and planted until the garden was full.
That garden produced enough to feed us for a LONG time...did I mention we had an early frost? 75 tomato plants, full of green tomatoes translates to many, many wheelbarrow loads of tomatoes brought into the house at 10 pm :) If it was inside and horizontal it had green tomatoes on it.
We ate well :)
Subject: Starting certain seeds too early--
Squash, melons, pumpkins grow fast. So when I started those seeds in March, they got big...too big. By the time all danger of frost had passed, the plants were supper leggy and weak. Now I don't put those seeds in the soil until mid-April. Our last frost date is 9 May. That gives me at least 3 weeks for germination and start. I usually give them a few more days and they are READY to get into the dirt.
Something else I've decided this year. I put up a ton of pickles last year (found a great recipe online for half sour pickles). But I had the pickles growing in rough terrain and if I fall, I can't get up on my own. So the pickles got big before someone else could come by to pick them. THis year, I'm putting them in the front garden and I'm going to trellis them with some cattle panels. That should help a lot.
Yesterday, while clearinng out the garden with a friend, we talked about other trellising ideas. She thinks putting even yellow squash and zucchini against a trellis might help keep the leaves growing upward, making it easier to see the zucchini and squash. Not convinced, but I think I'll do a few plants down the row from the pickles--see what happens.
Subject: Re: Starting certain seeds too early--
I asked at Gardener Supply about that and they gave me a handout with seed starting dates. I plant late May, so mid Apr is early enough for pumpkin.
Subject: A buddy of mine
grew watermelon in his dorm. He pinned the vines on/to the wall and when a melon started.. he hung it via panty hose to allow to grow and expand as it got bigger.
Had melons during the skool year.
Subject:Re: Starting certain seeds too early--
I'm off to a later than normal start this year. Just weekend before last started tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and zucchini.
I did zucchini on a a trellis and it worked out quite nicely! You'll be glad you did yours that way!
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