Comments on: Growing Challenge: Getting Educated http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/ Tales of a country girl and her hens. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:51:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: Ed Bruske http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-761 Ed Bruske Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:38:20 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-761 Laura, I like the sound of that organic gardening course. Laura, I like the sound of that organic gardening course.

]]> By: TopVeg http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-760 TopVeg Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:38:59 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-760 Different varieties grow better in different seasons, & succumb to different diseases - so you will be hedging your bets if you grow a few of several varieties! TopVeg Different varieties grow better in different seasons, & succumb to different diseases - so you will be hedging your bets if you grow a few of several varieties!
TopVeg

]]> By: Wendy http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-759 Wendy Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:45:16 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-759 Pick a few vegetables that you know you like and will eat, and grow diffferent varieties of those. In this early stage, it would be difficult to be experimenting with both trying to grow plants and figure out how to use them. Herbs are easy to grow and hard to kill, and many are perennials. So, if you get the new house, you might start with a few herbs. Pick a few vegetables that you know you like and will eat, and grow diffferent varieties of those. In this early stage, it would be difficult to be experimenting with both trying to grow plants and figure out how to use them. Herbs are easy to grow and hard to kill, and many are perennials. So, if you get the new house, you might start with a few herbs.

]]> By: Sarah http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-758 Sarah Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:30:52 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-758 I'm also new to this gardening thing, and I'm doing multiple varieties. I bought some mystery variety packs of carrots and beets from Bountiful Gardens, and some packs of different kinds of Asian greens. I'm not sure if I'll save seeds, but so long as they're just crossing among varieties, I don't know that I mind. I mean, if my beets cross, then the next summer I'll get even more mystery surprise beets! If I were actually trying to grow serious quantities of food, I'd probably care more. I’m also new to this gardening thing, and I’m doing multiple varieties. I bought some mystery variety packs of carrots and beets from Bountiful Gardens, and some packs of different kinds of Asian greens. I’m not sure if I’ll save seeds, but so long as they’re just crossing among varieties, I don’t know that I mind. I mean, if my beets cross, then the next summer I’ll get even more mystery surprise beets! If I were actually trying to grow serious quantities of food, I’d probably care more.

]]> By: crystal http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-757 crystal Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:26:28 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-757 As a newbie gardener, I find multiple varieties a little complicated. I try to pick one good all around variety. This year if I want it to mature at different times, I will try the same variety but started at different times. For me it is cost & space prohibative to grow a ton of varieties. I plan to get good with one, learn the ins & outs of it, and then branch out. As a newbie gardener, I find multiple varieties a little complicated. I try to pick one good all around variety. This year if I want it to mature at different times, I will try the same variety but started at different times. For me it is cost & space prohibative to grow a ton of varieties. I plan to get good with one, learn the ins & outs of it, and then branch out.

]]> By: Melinda http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-756 Melinda Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:08:11 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-756 P.S. I'm taking Master Gardener classes, and it's amazing how much it helps me get over my fears. Yesterday we learned all about fruit trees, bushes and vines - both in the classroom and in the field. I must say, I feel SO much more inspired to grow some!! P.S. I’m taking Master Gardener classes, and it’s amazing how much it helps me get over my fears. Yesterday we learned all about fruit trees, bushes and vines - both in the classroom and in the field. I must say, I feel SO much more inspired to grow some!!

]]> By: Melinda http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-755 Melinda Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:06:02 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-755 Hi Laura, That's so cool that you've signed up for a p-patch. I'm from Seattle, and until I left I had no idea how lucky we were in the northwest: p-patches are a rarity around here. Since I was in your shoes last year, having never had a real vegetable garden, I would highly recommend trying at least a couple varieties of each of your favorites. You can plant successionally, like Ali suggested. And you'll also be able to try different flavors, and see which variety grows best in your garden. I can't tell you how valuable that has been for me! Eg, I planted 3 types of brussels sprouts for our winter garden. The purple ones sounded great, but it turns out they had a low germination rate, they were slow to grow, and they STILL don't have any sprouts on them (other than microscopic nubs). Of the two green varieties, one is much sweeter and produces tighter sprouts. The other is more like miniature cabbages, but I like it because it began producing about three weeks before the sweet one. I'd plant the latter two again, but not the purple. My big favorites for different varieties are: carrots (purple, pink, white, and yellow are all amazing), tomatoes (at least a cherry and a regular), and squash (some winter squash keep for many months, others are great for quick eating; and variety in summer squash is a necessity - did you see my zucchini post? Too much of a good thing, over and over and over...). But if you plan to keep seed this year, Michelle is so right: you don't want them to cross-pollinate. A way around that is to plant an early maturing variety of something and a late maturing variety of something. That way they're blooming at different times. Long comment - hope that helped! Hi Laura, That’s so cool that you’ve signed up for a p-patch. I’m from Seattle, and until I left I had no idea how lucky we were in the northwest: p-patches are a rarity around here.

Since I was in your shoes last year, having never had a real vegetable garden, I would highly recommend trying at least a couple varieties of each of your favorites. You can plant successionally, like Ali suggested. And you’ll also be able to try different flavors, and see which variety grows best in your garden. I can’t tell you how valuable that has been for me!

Eg, I planted 3 types of brussels sprouts for our winter garden. The purple ones sounded great, but it turns out they had a low germination rate, they were slow to grow, and they STILL don’t have any sprouts on them (other than microscopic nubs). Of the two green varieties, one is much sweeter and produces tighter sprouts. The other is more like miniature cabbages, but I like it because it began producing about three weeks before the sweet one. I’d plant the latter two again, but not the purple.

My big favorites for different varieties are: carrots (purple, pink, white, and yellow are all amazing), tomatoes (at least a cherry and a regular), and squash (some winter squash keep for many months, others are great for quick eating; and variety in summer squash is a necessity - did you see my zucchini post? Too much of a good thing, over and over and over…).

But if you plan to keep seed this year, Michelle is so right: you don’t want them to cross-pollinate. A way around that is to plant an early maturing variety of something and a late maturing variety of something. That way they’re blooming at different times.

Long comment - hope that helped!

]]> By: Ali http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-754 Ali Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:29:08 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-754 I'm a big fan of multiple varieties. With broccoli, for example, you can select 2-3 varieties with different maturity dates to spread out your harvest. A single variety can be good if you are planning on preserving a crop, though, when everything is ready at about the same time. The biggest drawback is that all these varieties can increase the expense of your seed purchase significantly. Two of my favorite seed companies, Fedco and Pine Tree Garden Seeds, offer mixed variety packs of several vegetables like broccoli, lettuce and tomatoes, and that can be fun. I really like the PTGS lettuce mixes. Remember, the chances of a complete garden failure are very slim-- you will be successful at something, and probably most of what you plant, so let go of the worries and have fun! PS CHICKENS LOVE VEGETABLE GARDENS! Not a successful strategy, letting them have at it ;-) Ali I’m a big fan of multiple varieties. With broccoli, for example, you can select 2-3 varieties with different maturity dates to spread out your harvest. A single variety can be good if you are planning on preserving a crop, though, when everything is ready at about the same time. The biggest drawback is that all these varieties can increase the expense of your seed purchase significantly. Two of my favorite seed companies, Fedco and Pine Tree Garden Seeds, offer mixed variety packs of several vegetables like broccoli, lettuce and tomatoes, and that can be fun. I really like the PTGS lettuce mixes.

Remember, the chances of a complete garden failure are very slim– you will be successful at something, and probably most of what you plant, so let go of the worries and have fun!

PS CHICKENS LOVE VEGETABLE GARDENS! Not a successful strategy, letting them have at it ;-)

Ali

]]> By: Michelle http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-753 Michelle Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:38:29 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/01/23/growing-challenge-getting-educated/#comment-753 I'm not an experienced gardener, but I've absorbed a decent amount of info from her even if I have trouble implementing it (when was the last time I watered that plant?). I vote one variety of each thing (unless they are a hybrid) since some veggies have a tendency to cross pollinate and if you don't have much space. That is probably more of an issue if you plan on saving seeds though. I think one year mom accidentally ended up with a tomato that was a cross between paste and cherry tomatoes. I’m not an experienced gardener, but I’ve absorbed a decent amount of info from her even if I have trouble implementing it (when was the last time I watered that plant?). I vote one variety of each thing (unless they are a hybrid) since some veggies have a tendency to cross pollinate and if you don’t have much space. That is probably more of an issue if you plan on saving seeds though. I think one year mom accidentally ended up with a tomato that was a cross between paste and cherry tomatoes.

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