Organic Gardening 2013! Pictures and stuff

So this weekend I went to visit my University's Organic Urban Farm on campus. I've been interested in urban farming over the last year and I've done some casual plant growing with little success. I'm taking a big step now renting out a small plot with the community garden and farming all summer!

So today I picked up some lights and some seed starting pellets and sowed some seeds! It isn't very exciting just yet, but over the next month or two, they should be ready to plant outside :)

These are just the seeds that need to be started indoors. I will also be growing peas, beans, and spinach!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8...ae0d0a4d_b.jpg
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I've been reading this blog: http://www.yougrowgirl.com/ and it has been really helpful getting me started. I'm really considering buying one of her books as well :)

Anyone else doing some vegetable gardening this summer?

I'll be sure to post my progress pics here as well as the (eventual) fruits of my labor!

Yes, it is great to grow your own food. We compost a lot as well, which really helps get the new plants growing.

Oh yes. Will post some pics once we get going. We've been busy in the yard but no real gardening stuff yet. :p

I was thinkin about some yellow squash, zucchini and green beans.....we do have a yard, but its been damaged and eroded by the years of my sister's dogs' urine...:(

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

I was thinkin about some yellow squash, zucchini and green beans.....we do have a yard, but its been damaged and eroded by the years of my sister's dogs' urine...:(

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What about raised planter beds? Pretty easy and cheap to make

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

What about raised planter beds? Pretty easy and cheap to make

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Even for zucchini? Dude, Ive seen some MONSTER zucchini plants....

I think you can do raised beds with any plant (almost). I plan on growing all my plants in raised planters.

I plan on getting some compost through the Community garden. Eventually I might start my own.

My wife loves gardening which means I get to help too :rolleyes: (especially when there is something heavy that needs lifting) She's going to start the tomatos and peppers any day now so they'll be big enough to transplant when we can finally get outside to work some dirt. She's actually pretty late in getting this done, but there's been a lot to do and the weather has been depressing. It's hard to get in the gardening mood when there's still snow everywhere you look. :(

Yeah I was calculating sow dates in my area and I am 8 weeks behind on most things! Hopefully it doesn't set me back too far :)

It only recently started warming up here. We even had a little snow on Saturday..
Ugh. But Sunday was beautiful so I spent some time outside. Mostly its just been really rainy.

Can't wait for my little plants to poke up!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

Even for zucchini? Dude, Ive seen some MONSTER zucchini plants....

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I can't see how that'd be a problem.

I planted my seed in peat pucks 2 weeks ago. now they are in bigger peat pots waiting for the weather to break. this year we have tomatos, cucumbers, yellow squash, zuchini, green beans, radishes and watermelons. i also have a bunch of strawberry plants and 2 grape vines i planted last year.

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Originally Posted by dillan2020

I planted my seed in peat pucks 2 weeks ago. now they are in bigger peat pots waiting for the weather to break. this year we have tomatos, cucumbers, yellow squash, zuchini, green beans, radishes and watermelons. i also have a bunch of strawberry plants and 2 grape vines i planted last year.

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Awesome! Sounds delicious :) :)

I just ordered 9 more seed varieties... I couldn't help myself a .99 cents a packet!!

Bean Bush
White Sweet Spanish Onion
Chives
Italian Leaf Basil
Cinnamon Basil
Tokyo Long White Onion
Straight 8 Cucumber
Sugarbaby Watermelon
Slow Bolt Cilantro

:D :D

I planted about 100 seeds today in lil seed starter pots.
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Yellow Squash
Green Peppers
Sweet Peppers
Lemon Drop Hot Peppers (idk if these will actually grow. It'd be cool if they did though!)
Green beans
Butternut squash

Still gotta get zucchini seeds, sunflower seeds, and some more marigold seeds.

I was gunna order them off that site, steffe, but my grandpa had already bought all these seeds, unbeknownst to me :p

Yum!! I just bought a bunch more seeds from seedsnow. Couldn't help myself!!

I bought this book today: http://www.amazon.com/Grow-Great-Gru...row+great+grub

Can't wait to start reading it!! I have lots to learn.

I am kind of a frugal gardener, and find different ways to grow things. If you are limited on space you can use PVC pipe to grow numerous things. If you are not real handy you can use pallets to make raised beds out of, most of the time you can pick these up for free.

Here is what we have planted so far this year.
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Peas
Green beans
Squash
Okra
Corn
Kale
Lettuce
Banana peppers
Bell peppers numerous types
Red peppers
Jalapeno peppers
Watermelon
Cantalope
A whole bunch of herbs and spices
Radish
Strawberries
Pineapples these take a while
And a bunch more stuff, plus more to plant yet

I will upload pics shortly.

Pictures please!! :D

Here a few pictures of one of my set ups, this is not all of the stuff we have growing.

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...rries_zuch.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...es_peppers.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/9/squash.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/9/radish.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...7/6/9/peas.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...greenbeans.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file.../cucumbers.jpg

That is awesome!! I really like the PVC tubing planter. I see some strawberries in there??

How did you make it?

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

That is awesome!! I really like the PVC tubing planter. I see some strawberries in there??

How did you make it?

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Thanks, I will get pictures of some of my other stuff this weekend.

I cut an arch/half moon then took a propane torch and heated it up enough to bend the pipe then just let it cool and it leaves your opening and something to support the plants and yes those are strawberries. Most everything in this set up was free or close to it. I repurposed the following in that set up, trampoline, pallets, PVC, flower holders from my funeral home days, old plastic barrels, wire, closet rod.

That is really awesome! I'm eventually going to make some raised planters.. Still trying to figure out how I am going to do that. I would love to use re/upcycled material.. I'm sure I could find some palets or at least some scrap wood :) As long as I can do it all with a drill and some minor table sawing sawing I can make just about anything.. lol

Or make someone cut it for me.. ;)

txcoker, that's really kewl lookin! you did a great job! :gj: Oh, and I almost forgot, our strawberry plants are coming up, and we also have blueberry bushes planted right behind our shed. I usually make strawberry shortcake for a few weeks with the fresh strawberries, then make blueberry muffins after the strawberries are done.

We got some small berry bushes we're going to be planting out front. I couldn't get my hands on a rototiller, so I am digging down a few inches in the dirt and getting all the nasty stuff out to put good topsoil down. That way, no unwanted weeds growing AND no Oklahoma clay for potting! Still waiting on our last freeze though, it was 39 this morning so I think we had a slight one over night. No chances will be taken!

Sorry it took me so long to get some pictures of the other stuff we have planted. Here are a couple quick pictures from today. Feel free to ask questions or to give suggestions. For those of you that are limited for space, you might think about companion planting. We still do it even with plenty of space.

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...edownload2.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...edownload3.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...edownload1.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/9/garden.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...7/6/9/corn.jpg.

I love how you used the pallets! Ive been cruising the alleys and craigslist free for scrap wood to make some planters.

No luck yet but I did get a free worm composting bin! Hooray!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Once all the seeds i planted start sprouting i'll take some pics. No point in taking pics of dirt lol.

I ordered some more stuff today that im really excited about! ;)

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

I love how you used the pallets! Ive been cruising the alleys and craigslist free for scrap wood to make some planters.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

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Try calling around to local stores bc im sure most of them dont advertise them and just have them taken away. Like hardware store, animal feed store, tractor supply, maybe even a furniture store. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Try calling around to local stores bc im sure most of them dont advertise them and just have them taken away. Like hardware store, animal feed store, tractor supply, maybe even a furniture store. :gj:

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Also you can check with grocery stores, I see them behind them all the time. If you have an industrial or warehouse district you can check around them as well.

I plan on cruising around later this week (when it isn't raining.. poo). Maybe I will ask my rat feed store next time I am there. Which will be soon because my rats are chowing through this bag. yay.

We just put this up recently to block the view of the lamo shed from the road. Hopefully the plants grow right up it. I swear its not crooked. The camera angle and the tree just make it look it lol.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/04/27/azuqu2av.jpg

A couple plants are starting to come up in the seed cups. Not enough for it to be pic worthy yet tho lol

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

We just put this up recently to block the view of the lamo shed from the road. Hopefully the plants grow right up it. I swear its not crooked. The camera angle and the tree just make it look it lol.


A couple plants are starting to come up in the seed cups. Not enough for it to be pic worthy yet tho lol

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Mike, what all are you planting in there?

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Originally Posted by txcoker

Mike, what all are you planting in there?

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I think climbing roses... It may be something else though. Can't remember what my stepdad said.

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Sent from my SAMSUNG Galaxy SIII using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by Kodieh

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You cleared that huge space for 3 plants lol?!

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

You cleared that huge space for 3 plants lol?!

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Raspberry bushes and a blackberry bush. ;)

In time we will be using the entire space for the bushes when they grow large.

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We always have TONS of scrap wood and pallets lying around (using a lot of it for my own garden this year). I'd any of you live near a boat yard you could check there for free pallets, we can't get rid of them fast enough.

Found some wood in my boyfriends parents garage! Yay! I made a thing!

Took me like... 5 hours on sunday.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8...bee4bc13_b.jpg
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Some of my baby plants from a few days ago:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8266/8...e3ea834d_b.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8...6e812ed8_b.jpg

They are already much bigger :)

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We picked a little sampling of pole beans, green beans, and some green peas.

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file.../img950202.jpg

Awesome!

Some animal has been nibbling on my pea seedlings at the community garden... but they seem to be doing okay otherwise!

My tomato plants are growing like weeds, but everything else is taking a little bit more time. Its been kinda cold outside the last few days but it is supposed to warm up this week.. hopefully it stays warm :(

I want to plant my beans and stuff!

One of the joys of living in Southeast Texas is that we don't have a lot of cold to deal with and we generally have a long growing season.

Very lucky!!! Our summers are just super hot.. but they've been extending well into october :)

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Originally Posted by txcoker

One of the joys of living in Southeast Texas is that we don't have a lot of cold to deal with and we generally have a long growing season.

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*green with envy*

Must be nice to have the long growing season . I had to bring inside or cover all my plants last night. had frost this morning and again tomorrow they said.

Radishes http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/18/nasusuga.jpg

Bunch of seedlings on my grandpas back porch:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/18/epy3emuq.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/18/a6ehuhev.jpg

11 out of the 12 lilies i planted last year (not all shown in this pic) came up again. And a few have multiple stems!
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Its cool to see so many people into this. I just started my balcony garden recently. Im growing some lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, radishes and herbs. Space is limited, but I would like to do more. I want to try growing indoors this winter as well.

http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/...ps66cea47b.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2739e565.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/...pse8882e2b.jpg

Looking good everyone! My seedlings are doing well (for the most part). I don't think they will be ready to go outside for another few weeks.

Also just placed an order with rareseeds.com and got a bunch of crazy heirlooms! Yay!

Strawberriezzzz!!!! This is the haul i got from our strawberry patch this am.....
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/29/a3u3y9a9.jpg
I ate them with a little agave nectar n cream....dee lishis!!!
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Originally Posted by Mike41793

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Those are my very most favorite flower. I love the smell and the look.

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

Those are my very most favorite flower. I love the smell and the look.

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:)
I'll take more pics when the others bloom. The smell sets off my allergies but they're very pretty.