GARDENING: The pre game show!

[rowdyhillrambler]

So, where I live it is that time of year. We garden most of the winter, but this is the big show...

I have some excellent news for me. We got accepted into the Chattanooga farmers market! They only let in 75 vendors and you have to go thru a pretty strenuous vetting process. Last year those 75 farms took in $3.2m in sales.

So this is the game. One of our gardens is still producing garlic, and we just put out 1800 onion sets. Got another 175 pounds of garlic ready to go in once the rain settles.

We are going to try some new veggies this year, but going to keep the mainstays.

What are y'all planting????
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[EliottS]

Wow, that makes my two planter box look like small potatoes (which, as it turns out, I am not growing). I guess if I say I am doubling my capacity this year, and leave out the actual square footage, it sounds pretty impressive...

I've got a number of seedlings living on my desk right now. Most of them are new to me, and I'm mostly experimenting with what I like to grow, and what we actually end up eating. Our kale, chard, and chives are surviving from the winter garden, and I've got cucumbers (for pickling), peppers, various herbs, beans (thanks to that heirloom bean thread here), quinoa, and some other things I am forgetting waiting to go in when it's time. I've been dragging my feet and blaming the weather for not wanting to get the two more planet boxes built so far.

[rwsaunders]

Mostly herbs here as the deer are too destructive without an 8' fence. Local farmer's markets are tough to beat as the produce is top notch and the people work hard to feed you.

[dogrange]

Kids getting excited to plant a bunch of stuff in our new garden boxes. I'm going to get a bunch of milkweed seeds and see if I can get enough milkweed to grow in the perimeter of our yard to attract some Monarch butterflies.

[caleb]

Local farmer's markets are tough to beat as the produce is top notch and the people work hard to feed you.

A few years ago I came to terms with the fact that I'm a better farmers' market customer than I am a farmer.

I might put a few tomatoes in buckets this summer, but that's probably it.

[TMB]

Decided to add to my garden this year - just ordered Bird's Eye pepper seeds from Zimbabwe.

Hard to make good peri peri without the right peppers!

[rowdyhillrambler]

Decided to add to my garden this year - just ordered Bird's Eye pepper seeds from Zimbabwe.

Hard to make good peri peri without the right peppers!

I do not know anything about those peppers, or peri peri.. Please inform!

[rowdyhillrambler]

Without good customers, the markets do not exist.. That being said, it doesn't take a green thumb to put out basil, or dill or most herbs. One of the biggest rewards is plucking the fruits from the plant and building a meal out of it.

I am grateful for the gardeners, but more grateful for the supporters of the markets.

[Tamu8104]

My wife was heavily involved in putting on the local farmers markets in her old job so we still frequent them and know most of the farmers. Our personal garden is going to be low key since my work is hetic and she's finishing up her latest academic pursuits. We have a wide variety of herbs, serrano peppers, and several varieties of herbs. The rest of our garden space it going to plants are relatively low maintainance and support bees and butterflies. Trying to counteract how lawns and dry scraping is impacting them.

[TMB]

I do not know anything about those peppers, or peri peri.. Please inform!

Peri peri is a wonderful hot sauce, Portuguese but arising out their colonies in Africa. Made with Bird's Eye chills, garlic. Vinegar, lemon, coriander, paprika, and water.

I used to get my fix buying the Nando's bottled sauce but they have cut the bottle size in half, and left the price where it was. So ......

I have been trying to use Thai Red chilies but it just isn't the same. So I am going to grow my own Birds Eye's and try that way!

[rowdyhillrambler]

It is no longer the pre-game, it is go time!!! Full swing here. Greens, salad, beets, carrots, radish coming in heavy.

Lucy, my 8 year old bestie has taken to photos.
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[mmoore]

curiosity asks... how much time would you say you invest into the crop? (and what size of crop are you caring for to be relevant)

looks like some really good greens. totally jealous of you guys south of me with growing temps.
also im a bit peeved that my cat ate my seedlings before I could get them outside.

[rowdyhillrambler]

Matt, we spend about 20 hours a week in the garden. Split among 2 of us, and always someone to help if we need above and beyond that. I usually get out there for an hour every night and then a couple on Sunday. We are lucky to have 2 good sets of neighbors, we have Sunday morning "church" in the garden. They get enough of whatever they want in trade.

We sell at 2 farmers markets and to several restaurants. The garden you see in the pictures is about 32,000sq'. There is another 12,000' of garlic and 8,000' set aside for corn. So we are hand growing about 50,000' or so. We have 2 greenhouses and this year will put out 4 acres of pumpkins, however those aren't very labor intensive and are very good $$$.

[Too Tall]

Rowdy that is HUGE congratulations. You really make a difference in peoples lives while making coin win win win win.

Save a few hardnecks for me. I'm nuts for the stuff.

I just put in tomatoes and jalapenos. Our weather has been consistently cold and wet.

[mzilliox]

Damn homey, you say garden, but you have a farm! For me the focus is shifting to perennial production. I added more blueberries and fruit trees this year. They are all doing very well. The winter garden took a hit this last season as i decided to try and make some money as a fly fishing guide for steelhead instead. bad idea. but we did get some broccoli, spinach and greens. Greens and strawberries are what we are harvesting right now, and eggs, always eggs. The garlic is looking great this year, lots more rain, so its much more prolific than last year.

I need to learn to grow better onions and broccoli. seems my broccoli goes to flower too darn soon, trying a shadier spot with better compost this year. carrots and beets are not far off, and peas and beans are sprinting up their trellises as we speak! chickens and ducks are having babies, it really is go time!