Gardening thoughts & plans for 2012

[mommas2moody]

Now that the main gardening season has come to an end (frost just killed my tomato plants this week), I am curious on how it went for everyone this year, especially the newbies like me.

Of course we can't forget, what plans you are already making for next year. If you are like me, the brain is already turning.

[Africanb67]

First time planting cucumbers and okra. Next year I plan to plant more okra and to stagger my cucumber planting times. The Bell Peppers are still producing and I am already set to do it all again next time but bigger.

[tammyinwv]

I have never tried okra before, I saw it being used on a cooking show yesterday, and it looked good. I would like to plant potatoes next yr, and more bell peppers and more green beans. I especially want to do more canning. We built a potager or kitchen garden, and this was the second season for it. My strawberries are growing like gangbusters, taking over the one 2x15 ft raised bed I Have them in. I also planted a blackberry vine, that I hope to get berries from next yr.
Tammy

[buddysmom]

To satisfy the gardening bug - check out this info about "Winter Sowing". I've done it with tomatoes, lettuce, marigolds & it really works well.
For next year - I want to plant more eggplant
Winter Sowing FAQ Page

[tammyinwv]

buddysmom, I have done winter sowing for 3 yrs now. The first yr I had over 200 milk jugs I sowed. almost all done very well. You can winter sow anything, except tender annuals that need to wait till closer spring to be put out. This method works fantastic for perennials that need a cold period anyway. I have a rose bush I winter sowed from a seed collected from one of my plants. The rose looked just like the parent, however that may not always happen.
Tammy

[thickbluebug]

Yeah, thinking ahead too. I think I want to go ahead and mix more dirt into my above ground beds. The mulch has decomposed a lot and the beds have compressed a little bit.

For early spring I am doing a bed of lettuce and onions, 2 beds of cabbages and a bed of greens. I decided I am doing more squash, tomatoes and okra this year. Just didn't produce enough to eat.
Plus I am doing whole beds of 1 plant. I did rows with companion planting last year and wasn't happy.

For the last few years my plants have stunted, been eaten by rabbits, succumbed to frosts, too much rain and rotted, root knot nematodes (makes em look like they stunted), squash bugs and tomato hornworms. Didnt think all that was suppose to happen with composted mixed dirt. Used mushroom and bagged cow last year with shredded pine bark. Should have stuck with my brother in laws horse poop. I only had rabbits, hornworms and squash bugs then.

This year we have the raised beds ready to go and I am using Diatomaceous earth, neem and generation dish soap - so I hope 2012 will be a good gardening year. Plus I am gonna redo my soaker hoses to be above ground or look into a stand up sprinkler like they have at the nurseries.

[kwhile0599]

I applaud you all for already making plans!! I'm up to my knees in leaves & may not see soil ever again!!

I do love reading the posts though!!

[janastanley]

We have been collecting bagged leaves from friends for our garden beds. I plan to rototill them in next weekend if there is no snow. We also have more then leaves to start a new compost pile. I plan to expand my garden yet again, so we need more leaves! I have dried the majority of my seeds for next year. I have an inventory list so I can pre-plan where things will go next year. I keep a garden journal so I can rotate plants to different areas of the garden and not totally deplete the soil. It also tells me how well things did and when I planted them. I try early planting dates for certian things each year. If it goes well I continue to do that. If it doesn't go well, I won't repeat that mistake.

I also garden at my folks place. Their garden is 3 times the size of mine, so we have alot of planning to do for that one too. We just added leaves and compost to the garden beds there and planted winter wheat and clover in the back garden. We need to sit down and figure out what to do with that section. Its not the best soil and we need more amendments before next spring.

I also need to put up a better fence at my house. My puppy was able to break part of the fence and she liked to sleep on my plants. She also destroyed a bean tepee. So a better fence is a must.

Its almost time to start swapping seeds with friends. Good way to try new varieties for free.

[CW&M Mom]

The weather was horrible this year in Kansas...summer anyways. We had an awful drought and the only thing that produced decently was cucumbers cause I watered a ton, and normally we don't have to water the garden at all. I spent way to much $$ watering then what we produced.

Too much stress this fall to deal with it...once the drought lifted.

Hopefully this next year wont' suck so much.

[Jomurphey]

I have been gardening for a couple decades now on a 20x20 garden plot and a 5x5 herb plot. I actually left some plants go to seed and save the seeds in an old coffee container in my refrigerator so I'm set for the next year's planting. Sweet potatoes and white potatoes left in your vegetable bin will grow planting eyes.

While there is cold and frost about, it being December, I found lettuces, spinach, and a variety of greens do well under a raised plastic cover. I use bent rebar salvaged from a construction site to support the plastic.

Everything in my garden is organically grown. I compost everything especially the newspapers and paper from coupon clipping. <g> For pests, try blending a couple drops of dish soap, chilies, and a tbs of oil together in your blender. Liquify all the hard stuff and then add water. Most rabbits and deer shy away from the scent and aphids and bettles are history.

Jo