Gardening Thread 2020

If anybody has problems with cats using your garden as a litter box I found that sticking plastic forks, tines up all over the garden stops that action. You can also put label cards on the tines if you want. It's a non-toxic way to stop the action. I just save the forks you sometimes get in take out. I love my cat, especially when she catches rodents but don't love her using my garden for her business.

a reply to: gallopinghordes
You know, I never thought about that, even with having the barn cat. I don't recall seeing any "messes" in there though, so I'm not sure.

I got the tomato's in finally, last night, as we had a heavy rain Monday evening. It was hot as heck, but the ground is very wet, so I thought they would be ok.
They were a little droopy, before I went to bed, but when I went to let the birds out this morning, they were all standing up well, so fingers crossed.

I still have onions, peppers and one pumpkin to get in, hopefully tonight.

We've been getting the fringes of Bertha, the plants love it. I can almost see them getting bigger. I love sitting on my back deck watching the birds and looking at my gardens. Hubby is still in hospital so he calls in the morning and we drink our coffee and talk. I tell him about the birds and stuff, we used to drink coffee every morning so it's kinda keeping that up. The gardens have helped me get through this and he's looking forward to seeing them. I guess they are helping both of us.

a reply to: chiefsmom

It's coming along.

I'll have to replant the collards, turnip greens, and the second planting of lima beans, but it's doing nicely what with all the rain.

Just got back in town, and it rained today and supposed to tomorrow, so I'll have to put the trellis up for the peas and lima beans this weekend.

So last week I harvested and cooked a huge batch of greens, I thought were collards. Well at least half were purple romanesco, others might be same or a broc variety, still tastes like collards tho cooked with lime or lemon juice, stock and some onion garlic and spices.

My 6' x 20' strawberry patch i put in 2 yrs ago against neighbors southern facing foundation has produced almost 1 lb a day for the past 3 days. I have almost 12 bean mounds that are almost 1-2 feet tall now, each mound has 6 plants and about 4 varieties of pole bean

I have figured out a few good beds of arugula buttercrisp and other lettuce varieties in shadier spots, all now producing

Have a few store bought squash that are starting to produce, and snow peas ending up, tons of potatoes and carrots thriving now.

My only tomatoes this year are from seed, san marzano and a gorgeous beefsteak and a random cherry that keeps reseeding, also a first is tomatillos from seed, both large and a cherry variety. They were unexpected so we will see how they work in this climate.

Tons of mints (5 varieties) cilantro, parsley, thymes, onions, savory, chive, tarragon, sage, vietnamese coriander and dill.

I will never try to start basil outside again, slugs think its crack

Oh and the blueberry bushes will be edible in another week, raspberries in 2

The heat is just now creeping up as the rain hits in light waves, stuff is growing!

a reply to: Aliquandro

very nice report, I hope for continued good fortune for you




I did and expect little in the food producing area in gardening....
perhaps 2 dozen sweet potato plants and the new bush green-bean plants planted late...

I will throw some corn seeds out there, just to look good.... for year 2020


because I am planning for next years garden plants to be either indoors or sheltered in the front porch or carport area where prying eyes cannot see

(the sparse garden ----> planted in public view together with watermellons/grapes/onions/potatoes----> is for the neighborhood to see and wonder about...as I present a sorry crop to the zombie travelers which haunt our suburban roadways with dogs on leashes, pooping in our safety zone of 15 feet of monkey-grass as a buffer space around the perimeter of property not blockaded with a 6-8 foot living fence of Bay Bushes to obscure 50% of the property

vertical gardening is my concentrated aim.... with tighter control of the produce an important issue in our case


cabbage & peas are on our list for sure

Thanks for the updates! Sounds like things are going well.
Here too.
The potato's in the half barrels are growing like crazy! I have 90% of the rest of the dirt in, and the plants are way above the rim of the barrels, so I really hope I get a good crop out of them.
The tomato's and peas are also going crazy! It's awesome.

I do have something, eating my cabbage. I'm not sure what it is. There is 5 foot dog fence around the whole garden, and the holes are only like 2" x 3 or 4 inch. So something is squeezing through, or climbing over. Would a woodchuck climb? or even eat cabbage?
I don't know.

On a sad note, I will keep posting updates, until this site is done, even if it is before harvest. But it sucks that it is possible coming to an end.
I love all the information here, and reading about other peoples gardening skills/habits/plants.

Well, I went out and got some pics today. Hard to see the tomato's through the fence, but they are growing well. I need to do a bit more weeding.


Here are the potato's going crazy:

Been eating my butter lettuce, frisee and deers tongue fast, as well as the last of snow peas, what I thought was romanesca was actually purple broc and super tasty (the greens tasted like collards). ALL my tomatoes this year are from seed or donation, my largest San Marzano is almost 2 feet, cant wait for fruit.

Already eaten well over 4 lbs of strawberries, more to come if I can keep squirrels distracted and slug bait installed. Blueberries are coming very soon but only one plant doing great, others struggling? All beans (6+ mounds of 8+ plants?) are doing good, most are 4 feet plus and scarlet runners are already flowering. I have tomatillos that also started from seed, Im rooting for them and the few store bought peppers I have.

Seattle had its first official almost 90 degree day today, so its starting to grow here quickly, the hops up the South side of the house is already past the 2nd story window and growing back down

Hope you all are eating well and staying healthy, long live ATS

a reply to: chiefsmom

Well, it's coming. Picked a basket of green beans today, should have squash in the next few days, and a bunch of blooms on the tomatoes, lima beans, and green beans.

I have a little container garden in Texas. I use a $25.00 drip irrigation system that I bought on amazon. It was very easy to set up. Check out the Carer Spark drip irrigation system on Amazon. I did eventually also invest $30 for a timer for the drip system...should have done that from the beginning because it greatly increased crop yield.

My strawberry patch is 3 years old and comes back stronger each year. I plant cherry tomatoes and either cucumbers or squash each summer. I have two small Kumquat trees. Currently preparing to purchase and plant a Moringa Oliferia tree...lots of work but nice for salads and tea. Texas heat is brutal in the summers so I need to be selective about what I plant.

a reply to: nerbot

a reply to: Liquesence

Looks amazing! I can't wait for another month or so, for mine to fill out! Looks like I'm at least 2months behind, up her in MI.

Thank you to all of you still participating!

It doesn't matter if you have tons of space like Liq, or are doing containers like Buv. It is so amazing the difference in picking something out of your garden, and eating it, as oppose to buying something at the store. Not to mention knowwing what has, or has not been sprayed on to your veggies and fruits.

Did you consider planting blueberries in containers? It is a workable solution if you have bad soil. I have seen an entire blueberry orchard grown this way...with drip irrigation.

a reply to: chiefsmom