any gardeners out there??

[allirep]

any NFers out there garden?? i just started my very first herb garden.  it is an adventure that may go horribly wrong.  we shall see.  just wanted to see if there are any others out there. wasn't sure where to start a thread (if there is interest in further discussion).

 

if anyone out there is an organic garden/farming type - any suggestions for a complete noob on how to get rid of ants?  they are everywhere.  not fire ants.  just regular type. i really don't want to use any pesticides as i plant to put these plants in my food and on my family's dinner table.

[sneaky]

I have some experience in agricultrue (mainly raising livestock, but some with planting) and I'm hoping to start a little garden next year when I'm out of the dorms. I haven't used this technique myself, but a friend of mine said it worked for her; dilute bleach in water and spray it around the area where you are getting ants, just be sure not to get it on the actual plants, since it'll kill them, too.

[erawka]

Ants also don't like diatomaceous earth, and it won't kill anything. except bugs. 

[Urzie]

Ants don't like cinnamon. We had some indoors a few years ago, located their entry hole and sprinkled some cinnamon in there. They never came back. You can try and sprinkle some around your beds. 

[Nuala]

Ants don't like cinnamon. We had some indoors a few years ago, located their entry hole and sprinkled some cinnamon in there. They never came back. You can try and sprinkle some around your beds. 

 

This! I had an ants invasion a few years ago, cinnamon made them flee in a few day. It's not toxic, actually smells good and won't kill anything. Perfect solution in my book.

[terrormortus]

I'm attempting a garden this year, as soon as it warms up enough for me to spend the day outside tilling the soil.

[allirep]

I'm attempting a garden this year, as soon as it warms up enough for me to spend the day outside tilling the soil.

best of luck - we went from near freezing to 80 F in 2 weeks. i lost my window for planting some as seeds and had to skip straight to seedlings - says the girl who is not even an expert - i just read many books.

 

This! I had an ants invasion a few years ago, cinnamon made them flee in a few day. It's not toxic, actually smells good and won't kill anything. Perfect solution in my book.

i went out to try this yesterday and the ants seem to have disappeared on their own.  i can't explain it - but i'll take it!.  but i bought a huge thing of cinnamon - i'll use it in my coffee instead!

[I-Jo]

I got my soil finally.. The plants were so pricey at Lowes- I'm going to keep shopping- it might be too late for seeds- so I might have to cave and buy them.

 

CAN"T WAIT!!!

[SuperToga]

Had ants in my beehive last summer. I sprinkled diatomaceous earth and cinnamon around my hive to solve that. I have a great big garden plot available to me this summer! I have some early spring things seeded now. But there's 12 inches of snow on the ground and more on the way today. I won't be gardening for a bit. 

 

I'll be buying some started tomatoes and peppers, too. I can never get them to go as seeds in this schizophrenic state! What region do you live in?

 

Edit: I should add maybe that going to a local nursery might be a better bet than Lowes. You'll likely get better plants for your region and I've found that they stay healthier. Don't know about price though. It depends on where you go. 

[allirep]

i was going to go to a local nursery - but they are cash only boooo i never have cash!

 

i live in Georgia - so it will be 80 today and 60 tonight.  my fennel seeds just sprouted - so I at least managed to get one plant from seeds!

[I-Jo]

I'm in the north east- Jersey- mid state- south is very aggey- obviously east is very sandy.

 

I went with a raised bed- no clue what kind of soil it is... yeah - I saw actually my grocery store had better looking plants than lowes did.

 

I am probably going to wind up with already started- it's too late in the season and I think they will just do better with out my massive technical difficulties adding to the program LOL

[thatgirljj]

I've been a veggie gardener for the past 3 years, we have awesome raised beds with an automatic watering system (my hubs is such an engineer).  But we're moving this summer and I'm going to have to move to container gardening at the new place.  There are deer that hang out in our backyard that the previous homeowner never discouraged... so I'm going to be trying to grow all our veggies in a fenced dog run until we can figure out how to humanely persuade the deer to stay out of them. I'm hoping my favorite variety of eggplant is just as happy in a container as it was in our huge beds.

 

-jj

[ceethegreat]

I wish I was a gardener. Every plant I've ever owned, including a supposedly unkillable peace lilly and BAMBOO, has died. I'd totally plant garlic and some herbs just to start small... but I'll stick to the grocery, lol.

 

Ants don't like cinnamon. We had some indoors a few years ago, located their entry hole and sprinkled some cinnamon in there. They never came back. You can try and sprinkle some around your beds. 

I'm going to have to try this, because I get teeny ants inside almost every year and they're so annoying!

[DefectiveCandy]

Just got a house on an acre of land, gonna try my hand at gardening this year..seems like the only thing I have been able to grow in the past was green onions (go figure..I can grow this stuff like crazy)

Might build up a bed and attempt tomatoes, green onions, lettuce, and some herbs.

Anyone else know some simple to grow stuff I could try as well?

[maegs]

I have a bit of a container garden in my bed room - a bromeliad, a few succulents, something that was labeled as a cactus but doesn't look like a cactus, a couple haworthias, and a jade plant! I was going for stuff that was hard to kill, although I did kill a hen-and-chick over the winter. 

[Weazley]

I'm attempting to grow some plants for the ...well second time.

 

My first lot died due to my old balcony getting full sun all day all year, although also really sheltered so wouldn't get any wind or rain. The soil just dried out like you wouldn't believe and the only thing I could keep going was a desert friendly plant which needed minimal water and the only thing that got to it was the cat who liked to rub up against and chew the spiny long leaves. The herbs all died off one by one (coriander was the first - and an absolute B- to grow I might add, so my first recommendation to newbies, don't try and grow coriander) with sage being the most hardy.

 

This time complete opposite, got a balcony that doesn't get any sun. Maybe an hour or two in the early morning, but then nothing. Its completely not sheltered from either wind nor rain, and gets heap of both. Everything is having a hard time growing. I had brief success with peas and pumpkins (bf bought me seeds, despite not being a fan of peas and not having really even room for pumpkin) but after I went on holiday, came back to find that neither partner nor roommate had watered them, and they didn't make it. I originally struggled with the carrots, but after separating them they appear (on the surface at least) to be doing well. Tomatoes were easy to grown, but a slug/caterpillar got at them and decimated all of the young plants (about 30 or so 15cm tall plants spread across different pots) Now left with about 4, and they're struggling. Onion and garlic both died almost instantly, although getting fruit of the chilli plant! (although haven't tried any yet, and they are very tiny). Capsicum went fantastic, and then forgot to replant it from its seedling tray and lost it all. Recently planted some mini capsicum from the last time we ate them (yup started them off kitchen scraps, which i'd also done with the original capsium, just because there are so many seeds!) and will see how they go.

 

As for my herbs - my chives have gone amazingly! Can't stop them - getting plenty for our needs. The rosemary is going well - but not fantastic, seems to be better the more regularly we use it. My basil has been a bit of an up and down scenario, (had three pots... now only 2, and seems to be growing straight up in a long stem, its not bushing out at all!) but has for the most part survived. That was the only herb that I've grown from seed. I also think the caterpillar got to it too - the greedy thing! I've only just recently planted some Thyme, but haven't killed that either yet.

 

I also heard the other day that if you are wanting to grow flowers, pansies are pretty indestructible. Which I wouldn't have expected.

 

Anyway happy growing!

[Harleytrypp]

My wife & I  planted a hugelkultur garden last weekend, with cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatos and Collards, allong with a small assortment of herbs.   We are working on a second "hugel" over the next few weekends.

[I-Jo]

nice!!

[pippitha]

I've got 17 tomato plants i've grown from seeds, a bunch of strawberries, a few different types of peppers, blueberries, chard, and a few different herbs.  sadly, my raspberry died during the winter.  my strawberries all died from a very hot day a few days ago but they're actually coming back, to my surprise

 

as for ants, i've spread black pepper around where ants are and they disappeared the next day!

[thatgirljj]

Just got a house on an acre of land, gonna try my hand at gardening this year..seems like the only thing I have been able to grow in the past was green onions (go figure..I can grow this stuff like crazy)

Might build up a bed and attempt tomatoes, green onions, lettuce, and some herbs.

Anyone else know some simple to grow stuff I could try as well?

 

Ask your neighbors what they've had good luck with.  Some things that are easy to grow in X area are a hassle in Y area.  The best guide to your microclimate is the people who already live in your area.  

 

-jj

[Anduril]

Yes I garden

 

(this is my website: http://www.edible-landscape-design.com , might be helpful to you)

[allirep]

Just got a house on an acre of land, gonna try my hand at gardening this year..seems like the only thing I have been able to grow in the past was green onions (go figure..I can grow this stuff like crazy)

Might build up a bed and attempt tomatoes, green onions, lettuce, and some herbs.

Anyone else know some simple to grow stuff I could try as well?

i don't know about where you live - but here in Georgia we local county extension offices from the agricultural department.  they have local information on growing seasons, etc.  great resource.  and your tax dollars at work.

[allirep]

Yes I garden

 

(this is my website: http://www.edible-landscape-design.com , might be helpful to you)

thanks for sharing!

[Storin]

Just got a house on an acre of land, gonna try my hand at gardening this year..seems like the only thing I have been able to grow in the past was green onions (go figure..I can grow this stuff like crazy)

Might build up a bed and attempt tomatoes, green onions, lettuce, and some herbs.

Anyone else know some simple to grow stuff I could try as well?

My wife and I are planning something fairly similar (first time!), although for us it'll be containers, as we're apartmenters thus far. She doesn't know but I'm getting her some pots for herbs for Mom's day. One thing you might try- grow onions or garlic, other really fragrant stuff near your tomatoes- I met a guy at our Farmer's Market that did that, and his tomatoes were AMAZING. They tasted like they were seasoned, I guess the earth gets some garlic and onion taste to it eventually.

And flowers- grow lots of local flowers, because they're pretty and smell nice. The only reason anyone needs.

[marionette]

I've got leaf lettuces and mustard greens going that I've already had to cut back. My broccoli all has heads forming (yay cool weather plants!) and I'll be up to my eyeballs in it soon. I'm holding off till mothers day to put in tomatoes and peppers, the evenings and nights are just too cold for that right now. I have 2 blackberry bushes in containers that are just going nuts right now, I'm going to try to root a runner and give it to a friend. I have a window box with oregano, sage and thyme that is parked right at my nose level when I get home for instant aromatherapy. The only things not doing so well are the strawberry bare roots I put in around my tree. Between neighbor kids and animals they dug up or killed all but one. That one however is going gangbusters. I'll get some more established strawberry plants this weekend and put them in with some flowers to fill out the bed for now.