I have 2 of my beds planted now. I have tomatos,squash,cabbage, lettuce,bell peppers jalapeno pepper,onions &okra planted now. I'm building one more 4x16 bed this yr. I think 3 of them will be plenty now that I've seen how much I can plant in 2.

 

I was up in the mountains by Fontana Lake last week (not too far from Tennessee.....)....I know that we had a couple of hard freezes.......How did the 'maters and peppers fare?.........

That's why I'm waiting.........Don't want a freeze to sneak in......

 

NEXT weekend they are saying for Michigan it is going to be a heat wave (70). I'll believe it when I see it. Ground temp in the early AM is 35 deg. Way too cold to plant. Also way too wet.

 

My plants are just starting to grow their peppers. The basil plants have started growing now too. Haven't had the time to build some full size beds yet. Soon...

 

i havent even plowed it up yet still to cold and wet here. got pepers and onions started in the house tho

 

we'll i got my grannys tilled up , but she aint got nuttin planted , its been rainin to much , and been to chilly ...and she is gripin next door b/c the frost killed all her flowers and rose bush and they was covered up, so she aint even started to plant anythang in the garden

 

Does anyone use raised beds? If so do you find any advantages? I am fixing to till up a spot for a garden but have mixed emotions about building raised beds.

 

I planted some potatoes a month or so back. Just in some wood chips that have been sitting there for a couple years. Forgot about them until today when I was mowing. They look fantastic (as if I know what a good one looks like)!

A little over a foot high and filled out really nicely, beautiful green all over. I don't know when they will be ready, not a clue. Just some russets. Time to do some research. The garlic is doing nicely too.

 

I waitedtill the laast frost to plant everything but my cabbage & onions. I covered them with straw during the frost & they are ok. All the frost got was my flowers in friont of my house. I don't have much room so I use the raised beds. I can control weeks better in them & plant more stuff than I could on the ground. I use Roundup around them to keep the weeds away. I add compost every yr & don't use commercial fertilizer. I do use Miracle Gro after my plants are mature but only about every 2 wks.I'll plant beans & other stuff after my early stuff like the lettuce,cabbage & squash is finished.

 

Yes....Nearly everyone on pages #2 and #3 EXCEPT for me.......(haha)....

 

Sorry read it long time ago. Didn't re read. Forgot. My bad.

 

Kiddin' with you, bro..........

Seemed like all of the "raised-bed" enthusiasts were chiming in at one point....(haha)....I felt beleaguered........

 

If I had room I'd plant a big garden like I did when I lived in the country. I planted about a acre when I lived on my land in La. I had a tractor & cultivators to use.
Anyone having problems with squirrels eating your garden plants. I've had 3 plants eaten to the ground. 2 tomatos & one bell pepper. I covered the rest of my plants with powdered cayenne pepper. My son has the same problem & he said none of his stuff has been hurt since he used the pepper. This is a first for me. I guess the squirrels are ouit of natural food & are hitting the gardens. I'll be shooting them if they don't quit.

 

Here is a little info on square foot gardening/ raised beds
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
Even if you don't go this route there is still some interesting info.

 

No problems here with squirrels yet, the beds are out in the open enough where they don't have any easy escape route, and the two dogs here are constantly circling. Our neighbor on the other side of the fence has a pomagranite tree, so she's constantly trying to chase squirrels and birds away.
We have a flock of wild parrots in the area (There was a pet store fire in the 70s, after they were set loose, they continued to populate for generations now) and they'll swarm fruit trees and MANGLE everything they can get. At least they're loud as hell, so you know when they're coming.