The Urban Garden Thread

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Nyah

If you're looking for something a little different and don't mind climbers and pretty dense greens, I highly recommend beans. I grow runner beans every year, they climb lattice or whatever you put around to support them, and they attract a ton of bees because they produce little flowers. Just don't put them near anything else youre growing, they'll wrap around it and drag it down. Learned that the hard way

I think I am gonna try beans.

We love green beans

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I think I am gonna try beans.

We love green beans

I find thinning the leaves on bean plants on a semi regular basis helps to make the beans grow bigger/faster.

[Flames_Gimp]

is there a good place to order veggie seedlings online? planning a big garden and I didn't get seeds started on time

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

My wife wanted to plant some rhubarb and something else behind our back fence in the lane. It got me thinking about soil contamination. Whether in the lane, or in the yard, who knows what happened for the 100 years this lot has been in use before we showed up.

Is growing stuff directly in the ground a bad idea? Do people do soil contamination tests? Any options that won't break the bank?

im actually going to do a garden along my fence by alley, it's about a 35ft x 8ft area, going to put lots of fresh soil to build it up high enough to avoid any alley contamination, i already have about 1ft of spent coco coir laid in there.

I need a way to keep people/dogs from pissing in there, maybe chicken wire or something but i'm worried if too obvious the city might notice and make me remove the garden. any ideas?

I don't know if anyone is interested but I could give a section to someone to grow some veg in exchange for help prepping and planting etc?

[Flames_Gimp]

Anyone starting a garden (or preparing to start)? hoping for the ice weather to stick around so I can rototill the area and mix in compost and amendments.

[Fuzz]

Just cleaning up the beds now. Soil is really moist, but will mix some stuff in this week and plant a few things if the weather looks good for it.

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Just cleaning up the beds now. Soil is really moist, but will mix some stuff in this week and plant a few things if the weather looks good for it.

i have a lot of rocks and stuff to get cleaned up and some crappy grass/weeds to get removed before I can lay good soil down. I'm going to add compost, worm castings, bit of compost, bone/blood meal, rock dust etc.

Definitely doing irrigation

[1991 Canadian]

Just curious, how do y’all find the rabbit/critter impact on your gardens?

This is my first year doing an in ground veggie garden. I’m trying to get a sense of how likely it is that I’ll need to build some of wire fence / system to keep them out.

[Nyah]

If your neighborhood has a lot of rabbits you'll definitely see an impact on a ground garden if they can access it. I closed up the gaps under my gates at the front and back of my yard to help keep them out. If that's not an option something like chicken wire may work, although rabbits can be pretty determined when they're hungry.

[Fuzz]

Ya, we fence in most stuff. Chicken wire is miserable and I hate it. We use this stuff which doesn't try to slice your wrists at every turn, and looks nicer:

https://www.lowes.ca/product/rolled-...0-actual-92252

On the end I just loosely attach it to a post, and you can swing it open like a gate. It doesn't take much to keep bunnies out, 2 ft is enough.

Birds and squirrels are trickier, as they like to nip the tops of peas. So we use a finer plastic mesh (1cm grid) just over the bottom foot or so to let them get started.

[Nyah]

Thought I'd post an update on my seedlings. Fingers crossed they'll be able to start spending some time outside soon. I'm aiming to plant them in the gardens around May Long but may push that to the beginning of June, depending on the weather.

Cherry Tomatoes, I have 6 of these and 3 roma plants:



Random Herbs, highly suggest growing herbs in the summer, especially if you cook a lot:



Chili Plants, these are all in the tent, thus the pink lighting. I have about 15 plants on the go and they're all doing really well. With the chilis I'll be drying some, and making a crap load of hot sauce with most of them.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by 1991 Canadian

Just curious, how do y’all find the rabbit/critter impact on your gardens?

This is my first year doing an in ground veggie garden. I’m trying to get a sense of how likely it is that I’ll need to build some of wire fence / system to keep them out.

https://www.greenbloom.ca/resources/...20deter%20them.

My dad didn't do much and his garden survived fine. The hares showed up and stripped the bark off his newly planted apple tree though. I had some friends who said their gardens were fine without the wire fencing for months and then randomly the entire garden was obliterated by vermin.

Certain flowers and marigolds are supposed to help with some animals. Bloodmeal might help to scare some rodents due to predators as well according to the link and crushed egg shells are apparently useful to address cutworms.

Based on the bloodmeal aspect, I almost imagine peeing around the perimeter of the garden regularly might keep them slightly at bay?

[Flames_Gimp]

well my seeds starting popping about 2 weeks ago!



, they're growing like crazy! I haven't grown in soil much, my specialty has always been straight canna coco and daily watering with nutrients mixed and ph adjusted and I had AMAZING results.

Is it safe to plant outside yet?

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

well my seeds starting popping about 2 weeks ago!



, they're growing like crazy! I haven't grown in soil much, my specialty has always been straight canna coco and daily watering with nutrients mixed and ph adjusted and I had AMAZING results.

Is it safe to plant outside yet?

Looks great!!!!

All posts above look awesome as well!!

I wish I would have started seedlings this year.

Might be a bit early to plant seedlings outside, but it might be ok, depending on what part of the city you live in.

I planted most of my garden today. It’s earlier than I normally plant, but what the heck. I don’t have much free time in the next 3 weeks so I figured I would try it.

Forecast looks decent, with no frost in sight. Fingers crossed.
.

[StevenAbootman]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

well my seeds starting popping about 2 weeks ago!



, they're growing like crazy! I haven't grown in soil much, my specialty has always been straight canna coco and daily watering with nutrients mixed and ph adjusted and I had AMAZING results.

Is it safe to plant outside yet?

Depends on what you are growing, some veggies/annuals can handle some frost. I would look at hardening off the plants first. Easiest way for me is to put a row cover over them and leave them out during the day for several days. I put my stuff inside a storage bin and cover them over the top. Will protect them from the wind as well.

Use the row cover when you transplant them into the ground for protection from bugs and cold weather. I will keep my row covers on well into June, I find alot of stuff grows better under them, we just have such cool nights here, it seems to help with that. I have a lot of issues with flea beetles and the covers keep them under control. Flea beetles are pure evil.

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by StevenAbootman

Depends on what you are growing, some veggies/annuals can handle some frost. I would look at hardening off the plants first. Easiest way for me is to put a row cover over them and leave them out during the day for several days. I put my stuff inside a storage bin and cover them over the top. Will protect them from the wind as well.

Use the row cover when you transplant them into the ground for protection from bugs and cold weather. I will keep my row covers on well into June, I find alot of stuff grows better under them, we just have such cool nights here, it seems to help with that. I have a lot of issues with flea beetles and the covers keep them under control. Flea beetles are pure evil.

I've started peas, spaghetti squash, pickling cucumbers and tons of beats, i'll also be doing cabbage, corn and hot peppers.

i've been putting them out all day getting them used to it.
I did some seeds in soil and some in rapid rooters, the rapid rooters are awesome, crazy roots, huge difference.

[Shazam]

Peas can be sown directly into the ground. They prefer colder weather actually.

It is far too late to start peppers. You have to start those in February. If it gets below 12C, their flowers drop off.

[Fuzz]

We put peas, beats, beans and potatoes in the ground Friday, carrots went in last week. Don't get me started on why the potatoes are so late!

[Shazam]

They should be fine anyhow.

Fresh potatoes are SO good.

[Fuzz]

Ya, not worried about anything. I usually plant potatoes early April, and cover any buds if we do have snow coming. But I've never lost any when I miss covering them.