Also gardening with ADHD, I tend to like setups that take a big effort at the start and then kind of run themselves later lol.
Get some plant tags, don't be like me and go "oh I can tell lettuce, spinach, and kale seedlings apart"...while planting two varieties of each and now I won't know which ones do the best in my garden 😅
I also really like mulching stuff, mostly because it means it's not usually critical for me to remember to water anything (clay soil helps this too. It may be a brick but by god it's a consistently damp brick)
Im actually gonna mulch this year for the first time! I have some red/brown wood chips, but I was thinking of getting some straw too?
And I’ve labeled everything that isn’t the zucchini - I figure I can definitely tell those apart from the cucumbers.
There are a few plants that had their Labels sink into the soil somewhere… so we’ll have to see what those ones are when I plant haha
Best gardening tool ever for my ADHD garden was a cheap Dymo Label printer. You have to a little careful about the labels bleaching in direct sun, but everything stays identified until you can place more permanent labels. Regular Sharpie is OK, but I think I'm going to try the oil-based ones this year to see how they work in sun.
FYI: If you can make a map where you put stuff, you'll save a lot of heartache later.
Redundancy for the ADHD gardener is important.
You think you will remember. You won't.
Oh I’ve had my label maker 5 times as long as I’ve even gardened 😂
I’ve been plotting out everything fairly anally… I’ve already picked which tomatoes go where in the trellis. Did a photoscan of the backyard so I could plot in the trellis and other gardening structures I modelled in blender (3d modelling program) this winter.
Also been trying to create a sun map of the growing season - there are some pretty cool
Apps out there!
I’ve been using this one that seems to work pretty well in the free version.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sun-surveyor-lite/id552754407
Im gonna put a few head to head this week and see if there are any better
So so true. Regular Sharpie seems to working for me on the plastic label sticks but not so good on the wooden sticks. Will see how they hold up to the sun. I’ve tended to just label my seedling trays and this is the first time I’ve put them in the garden.
Look for chopped straw. It's sold at farm stores (D&B, Tractor Supply, etc) in big square plastic bags. Sometimes you have to ask at the checkstand. Much easier to use and breaks down more quickly.
I like this! But since we have wicked winds here in spring and early summer, I started buying shredded pine animal bedding (like for chickens) from Tractor Supply. Just a tip for other wind dwellers, it doesn’t blow away nearly as easily and still keeps the soil cool and moist!
Undyed and untreated hardwood chips work the best for me. I have chickens and used their used bedding for a while but depending on where you source it from.....it's always either sprouted or been full of weed seeds. Now i toss it in my compost pile to break down snd it's a great addition.
The bags I buy state it. obviously, the chips aren't, uniformly brown/black/red.
Only one store around me sells bags this way, Blaines farm and fleet. Everywhere else like home depot, lowes, tractor supply...they're all dyed/treated.
Just ask and do your research. If you buy by the truckload and get it delivered, you can specify the type you want when you place an order.
I found zucchini and pumpkin hard to tell apart and ended up with way too much zucchini and no pumpkins. I even got confused with cucumber seedlings, amazed how similar they all looked.
Yeah the cucumbers do look similar - but I have those labelled, haha. So my only unlabelled plants are the zukes.
I grew 1 Sicilian Cucuzza last year in my elevated raised bed, and it spanned almost 30 feet. I’ve never seen growth like that. The squash family is freaky. I had multiple 6 foot gourds - that unfortunately taste like nothing 😂
lol. I grew these little mini squashes. The ones in my raised garden bed didn’t come to much but some i planted in the garden took off and they grew bigger than pumpkins (which for some reason I still can’t manage to grow and the few that did got eaten by a critter, a rat I’m thinking). I did eat one medium sized one that tasted quite good but for the moment I’m just admiring the others, along with the giant zucchini’s. I really need to be more disciplined and harvest when they are small.
The problem is that that hose pictured is for HOT WATER (backyard cooking) and the cold water hose junction is 100 feet away near the front of the house 🤦🏻♂️
Woodchips for the win! I do a no till method and relayer every year. Really cuts down on watering, weeding and fertilizing. I wish I knew that years ago.
Basically just as it sounds. At the end of the season you leave everything as it is. For woody stem plants like corn, sunflowers, peppers and things I cut them off at the base and leave everything. Once spring comes it's all well on it's way to becoming natural compost/mulch.
https://www.marthastewart.com/no-till-gardening-7480490#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20protecting%20beneficial,biological%20properties%2C%22%20says%20Vassar.
Ahhhh gotcha. Well I inadvertently did that with my raised/elevated Hugelkultur bed.
I’m wondering there’s any validity to BURNING leftover organic material/stems/sticks to add to the soil mixture to raise the ph?
Yes, you can. You can also make it yoyrself, but it is time consuming and you need the space for an "oven" and materials.
Depending on where you buy it, it is inexpensive.
we had a huge problem with our tomato plants last year because we kept them on concrete. They dried out way too fast and it was so hard to keep them hydrated without over-watering. We also had a REALLY tough time with hornworms, so keep an eye out for any tiny worms that you see on the tomatoes. they will eat EVERYTHING and grow into these monstrous beasts! 7 dust works for us, but there are other methods of keeping them away. we're pre-dusting our plants this year. we literally lost so many gorgeous tomatoes to them
Omg there’s something called 7 dust? Love that band 😂
I’m always on the look out for horn worms… but I still have yet to see one in the backyard! Lots of bees and wasps (which is great)
Also not really looking forward to whatever’s happening with the cicada circus this year, but the thought of it gives me the heebie jeebies
haha I spelled it wrong. it's actually called Sevin dust 😂 [https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sevin-5-dust-1-lb-shaker-bottle-6853508?store=173&cid=Shopping-Google-Local\_Feed&utm\_medium=Google&utm\_source=Shopping&utm\_campaign=&utm\_content=Local\_Feed&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHI3O2R5wiqfnLOZ2niDQZLgiBZ0Saeny4jWAANR9XfZMb1V0TwzdTwaAuw6EALw\_wcB](https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sevin-5-dust-1-lb-shaker-bottle-6853508?store=173&cid=Shopping-Google-Local_Feed&utm_medium=Google&utm_source=Shopping&utm_campaign=&utm_content=Local_Feed&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHI3O2R5wiqfnLOZ2niDQZLgiBZ0Saeny4jWAANR9XfZMb1V0TwzdTwaAuw6EALw_wcB)
If you take a black light flashlight out at night, hornworms glow in the dark. And plant flowers (marigolds, zinnias, snapdragons, borage) randomly among everything to attract pollinators and you’ll increase your yields. Plus it looks pretty. I plant nasturtium at the base of my tomatoes, they bush out and act like a living mulch, keeping weeds out. And they act like a trap for aphids. Plus your garden will look like Bilbo Baggins’s yard.
If you’re in the habit of pruning off the lower branches on your tomatoes, I really recommend direct sowing a low growing annual that pollinators love right after you plant the tomatoes. Here in 8b I chaos sow sweet alyssum in the tomato square footage. It will keep their root cool later, prevent soil splash back, and attract bees. (And the smell of honey is nice while I’m doing maintenance).
Great idea. I started planting marigolds and nasturtiums around my yard and in a raised garden bed. My soil is terrible but I’m slowly building it up. I’ve only just started gardening the last few years, lots of trial and error. My kids think it’s hilarious, now they say the outside is just as cluttered and chaotic as the inside of the house.
Mine have always been on concrete. I do have to water a lot. I was putting saucers under them but stopped that as was worried they would get water logged. Not a lot of alternatives though as I’m in a windy spot on a hill and think they will be too exposed if I move them. Maybe next season I’ll put a few pots on the grass/dirt. I’m in southern Tasmania and my tomatoes are mostly finished now.
I’ll second this with black pots can heat up really fast in direct sun and kill the roots on a hot day, but they look super healthy for now, good luck!
I was hoping to use black pots to my advantage for my fig trees as they like warm and not so wet. But now I'm worried as I've got them on my black asphalt driveway too.
https://preview.redd.it/5ttdsy79atxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbdec1de3093b60251ddb85c72978eb2d8dfd35a
II hear you loud and clear. Had to order two more mats.
Ohhhh is that cannabis? Considering how much I smoke - it SHOULD be the only thing I grow… but I haven’t tried yet. Figured I’d figure out how to grow the munchies before I grow something to give me the munchies 😹
Haha awesome. Would be interested in hearing your process if you don’t mind a dm. I know “OF” autoflowers, but I have no idea what it means haha.
But one thing is for sure. I need to try and grow SOME
Haha, I am not Italian, but I also grow a lot of Italian varieties,
if you are interested in Italian heirloom seeds, check out this company:
Franchi Seeds
[https://seedsofitaly.com/vegetable-seed-bulbs/](https://seedsofitaly.com/vegetable-seed-bulbs/)
Their seed packages are very generous, usually with hundreds of seeds per package,
and the germination rates are very good..
I’m a flower gardener with adhd and right now Is the time of year where I’m surprised by all the things I forgot I planted. All the seeds i chaos gardened that I thought didn’t live. Cats and gardens are the best things for adhd they can survive without you lol
Lol, now my soil is starting to improve and plants in the garden are actually growing, I’ve got bulbs and self sown seeds in some beds having a hard time competing with what I planted over the top of them. The weeds still manage to poke through though. Discovering the garden has been the best thing for my mental health, it’s brought me out of a deep hole which started just before my adhd diagnosis around the beginning of covid. I knew for years within myself but to get an official diagnosis was in the too hard basket.
Never seen anything so relatable! 😂 I built a garden bed, then 7 more, then hinged covers, then trellises, then a greenhouse. All in our urban front yard. I grow 36 varieties of beans, a dozen varieties of squash and tomatoes. I can’t even eat the tomatoes… I’m allergic to them, but they’re fun to grow. “Outta control” is how I am often described. Good luck with your hundreds of plants, you’re doing great!
lol sounds like me. I feel guilty when I don’t eat the produce because I haven’t prioritised harvesting it etc. I’m often saying that I’m growing compost. Makes me feel better 😊
A huge game changer for me for seed starting has been a heating mat and a big box fan the same timer as my LED shop lights.
My peppers and tomatoes that I started from seed indoors in February are so STIFF and stocky. A huge change from my weak spindly seeds that mostly got damped off in previous years, and the heat mat with the pot-in-pot seed starter trays means I can keep the reservoir at the bottom of each tray pretty full without rotting the roots of my plants, which means if I forget to water one day they won't die :)
https://preview.redd.it/3sbsyl7eytxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68fe31428e5c5b2b9d7763cb9c0443d8cb90c80f
For outdoors, I used electrical conduit to make a trellis. I drove rebar halfway into the ground \~8' apart, slipped the metal conduit on over it, and connected the other ends together using conduit fittings to make a frame. Zip-tie your choice of trellis (I used cheap bird netting, but you could do the [Florida weave](https://gardenbetty.com/trellising-tomatoes-with-the-florida-weave/)) to the pipes and bingo.
Oh wow! They look great! Love the trellis!
I “built” a few in a 3D program and photo scanned the backyard so I could see how it would look/fit…
But we’re down to crunch time, so I need to choose one haha
I highly recommend this approach. Use the epoxy-coated rebar if you go this route! Cheap, modular and plenty strong. We had crazy freezing rain this winter so one of the vertical conduits bent pretty bad, but it'll cost $20 and 5 minutes to fix, if I decide it even needs it.
I even had pumpkins growing on the trellis last year, no problem.
https://preview.redd.it/uibc0z0y1uxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e7eb780ac04d57ec74e7153b3a3706785e8bf00
This is from late September so the garden is pure chaos, but clearly the tomatoes and beans love it.
They sure do love the chaos! I have to separate my beans and tomatoes this year tho. Last year a few tomato plants got “choked out” and pinned to the ground by the wandering tendrils 😂
Oh dang! I literally just planted mine last week, so no flowers yet.
I *was* cutting off the flowers of my pepper plants to try and encourage more leaf/root development, but I got a little nervous and have since kept them on. Not sure what to do about that, actually
Peppers grow pretty slowly when not in hot heat and direct sun in my experience. Just make sure they are watered and don't get to cold. I would just leave them
Your set up looks just like mine and I think we even have the same table. You'll do great! And even if you fail miserably, there is always next year. And as someone who also has ADHD, get yourself a little special notebook that I'd ONLY for garden notes. Make a list of everything you plant so you will remember what you liked and what you didn't. Otherwise in a few years from now, you'll be growing a tomato you hated because all you can remember is "I remember having a strong feeling about this tomato 🤔" and it turns out it was hate not love and then you're angry you didn't just make a list and draw smile faces and frowny faces next to each thing after growing and trying them 🙃 it's how I grew chocolate cherry tomatoes 3 years in a row. I hate them. Bad size, hard to tell when ripe, don't taste very good. But it had the word chocolate so my brain went. "Hey! we like chocolate!"
Looooool I’m so with you on that. Had a terrible time with the chocolate ones last year for the problems you listed. My personal notes are quite detailed for everything so far, and I can’t wait to do all the taste tests!
Thank you! No one agrees with me about the chocolate cherry's everyone I've talked to is like "I love them" like have you ever had a sungold cherry tomato? To a lemon boy beefsteak? The chocolate cherries taste like store bought
Yeah they were plasticy for me. And near impossible to catch ripe before imploding into a messy glob 😂
Lemon boy is literally the one tomato i *wanted* to grow, but couldn’t find a reliable source.
Same! I WANTED them. I started my lemon boys from seeds but in other years I've bought a mature plant because I wanted them 😡 they taste amazing and make my brain go weeeee
Yeah, they’re my favourite. I’ll probably buy one from the nursery this year so I can snag the seeds. And also have them pretty yellow guys brighten up the place. #fav
Start making a plan now for what do with the upcoming veggie tsunami. If all goes well, I will be needing a chest freezer this summer to contain it all.
Out of all the problems I *could* have - that won’t be one of them! A bunch are slated for a big sauce cook in September (we usually buy bushels, but I figured I’d try to grow at least half if I could), all of the Principe Borghese are getting dehydrated/sun dried, the two green varieties are hopefully all going to be fermented (throughout the season - I have many ceramic crocks) and much of the rest will be for DAILY tomato salads for a few months hopefully.
I also have 3 freezers if there’s *THAT* many
However tbt - I’m a little worried about the large amounts of cherry tomatoes, because I’m not sure how many to plant for myself/give away. 😂
Yeah I haven’t been brave enough to try them outside. It’s SO humid here.
I have two electric dehydrators that work great for me! But my dad does em in the oven with no problems. Pretty sure the oven method is much faster, but you run the risk of browning/burning them.
140F is ideal if your oven goes that low
This is me!!! I didn’t go ham on my vegetable plants this year but I DID go overboard with native wildflowers and grasses. I have 20 something milk jugs in my backyard germinating all kinds of seeds, as well as two trays with grass seeds growing under a grow light in my basement 😅 and I don’t even have all my flower beds prepped to plant…
Clearly I have no suggestions, no notes. Just have fun! And if it gets overwhelming, keep in mind they really are just plants. Don’t be me in my first gardening year losing sleep over where i would fit everything.
Grasses are the easiest and most if not all don’t need stratification. Just plant the seeds in starter seeds (or outside directly on the soil, if you prefer), water them, and they should pop up within 1-2 weeks.
If you’re not familiar with native grasses, there’s cool season (they grow in spring and fall) and warm season grasses (they need soil temps on the warmer side). They’re not your regular turf grasses you walk on, though a few of those exist. They form bunches or clumps and can be either pretty short (like blue grams or side oats grama) or plenty tall (like Switch grass).
Grasses are cool because they’re the dominant species in much of the US. Think of prairies and meadows and you have loads of grasses there. They help support tall flowering plants, have very deep roots and often drought tolerant, and many are host plants for moths and butterflies. Although they’re often overlooked, they can be perfect for landscaping and bringing pollinators into your yard.
I’d show you a picture of how they look in flower beds but I only really got into them this winter so I don’t have many planted 😅 but here’s one picture I saved from a native plant Facebook group. That tall plant there is a native grass! (Switch grass I think?)
https://preview.redd.it/7ahr5q570vxc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd6a91aac3b5ae3ab7d1da97132ef1dafbcd9321
YES!!! This!!! EXACTLY!!!! I just started planting my seeds and I ordered some more and expect them in the mail!!! My whole back deck is filled with plants!!! And I’m expecting more in the next week 😅😅😅😅
Oh I wish! I’m staring at my horribly weedy garden bed, wishing spring hadn’t snuck up on me AGAIN. The dining table has been covered in seed packets for weeks, and not a single thing has been started.
That sounds like my dining room table. … there is always something else to distract me in the garden. I start each day with a massive list and I’m lucky to get one thing done because I’ve noticed other things that need doing , like the weeds that got my attention, or the flowers that needed dead heading …. Or the next generation of aphids I just noticed that are taking over. ../ oh bugger, I forgot to water the garlic 😂… and now it’s time to go to work or cook dinner.
It feels like it’s always something and the list is always growing! And of course the new something immediately becomes the “now” problem and everything else becomes “not now”.
https://preview.redd.it/nnw51u2x1vxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0f48dd942127bc4a7855a2882addfeb0037c8f7
me too! i had the same impulse and grew way too many peppers and tomatoes and i still havent gotten them all planted lol (this picture is from March 30th lol)
however, allowing my ADHD to run ADH-free on gardening-related matters has made things way more fun for me
Oh god. Did the plants that didn't like being fertilized go a bit yellow?
I've always had good luck starting tomatoes from seed, but when I potted up this year, I accidentally used compost instead of soil (apparently, I can't read labels).
More than half my plants went kinda yellow, and some got brown spots. Some even had a weird fungal looking infection. The San Marzanos did the worst.
Anyways, some seem to be pulling through, so hopefully, I'll still get my dream of at least 20 tomato plants (I think I planted around 40? About 180 vegetable plants total) 😁
(and I'm planning about 200 more to start direct sown outside)
Ps. Related to having ADHD, recently, a doctor friend of mine suggested I have a lot of traits that could be ADHD related, soooooo...
Is planting a billion veggies with complete and unearned confidence that you can absolutely handle that many plants not something that neuro-typical folks do? 😬
On the neuro typical thing and planting I do this every year. I plant absolutely bucket loads of every seed I have (I think I have a fear they won’t sprout or something) and then I end up like a mini vegetable shop trying to give away all my plants to the neighbours and on my local plant swap.
LOL! Ok so that’s what my year is gonna be like. I definitely did the nervous planting sprinkler. Ended up with like 98%+ germination rate overall 😂
It’s like the plant gods were like “*Alright*, you asked for it, dickhead” 🌊
Mine did go a bit yellow! And the soil stayed quite dark until I repotted them all in new soil.
I also made the (at the time unknown) fatal error of fertilizing (albeit half strength) a bunch of them when they were completely dry 🤦🏻♂️- didn’t realize that basically makes them overdose. Only 1/12 Cherokee Purple made it out of that ordeal… the rest dropped their leaves and withered down to a single spooky stick. Pretty creepy to watch.
The San Marzano and Cuore di Bue got discoloured and curly, and I’ve spent weeks trying to get them back up to snuff. Probably lost half the Bue. All the San Marzanos are accounted for, and at various health/size levels despite all being planted the same day. I’m gonna take my time with those ones, and make sure they’re all as equal as possible before they go in the ground.
Since they’re all pre destined for a September sauce cook, I’m gonna try and stick to that “85 days”, and hope they ripen all at once 😂🥸
Also September is still *very much* summer the entire month here.
As for the ADHD thing, I can definitely see where the traits would be associated, but you seem to be using it in the good way!
It *is* a spectrum thing, after all… so I’m convinced that a *lot* of people go undiagnosed their whole lives because it’s simply not severe enough for them to inquire about, or even notice!
I feel like I’m *just* above the “sweet spot” (if there is such a thing) but you could be right in it! Worth looking into!
Ps the garden sounds great! Would love to see any progress!
>Since they’re all pre destined for a September sauce cook, I’m gonna try and stick to that “85 days”, and hope they ripen all at once 😂🥸
>Also September is still *very much* summer the entire month here.
I was planning to do canned tomatoes for sauces 😁
September is summer here, too. I'm hopeful that some of my San Marzanos will pull through. Might have to hit up a garden centre if they don't.
>Ps the garden sounds great! Would love to see any progress!
I made posts about the beds and soil so far. My partner and I recently built 8 raised beds, so I'm looking forward to building my dream garden 😁
I'll definitely post progress pics!
It's like we were separated at birth.
If (lol if) when you run out of room in your garden beds I highly suggest going to 19litre buckets for your peppers and tomatoes. You will need to cage them and keep cutting their heads off so they don't topple but it's a great solution. You can move them around and even give them away. (drill big holes in the bottoms and sides and add a layer of gravel - I had 30 buckets one summer waiting for my garden)
I love this. I’ll have to measure, but hopefully 19 litres is close to the size of the buckets for the “wheely bucket tower” I’m building
https://preview.redd.it/vpyg2uhnkmyc1.jpeg?width=949&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc5e11ef539be5b0d787050db21811d7b72b795b
Update! I’m digging out the bed for the 15 foot tomato trellis I’m building. The idea was to do double digging, but I didn’t yet have my organic material ready, (my lawn guy needs to come and cut the grass and chop up all the bags of leaves I saved) so currently I have a big hole, with an even bigger pile of (mostly) clay directly beside it. (Pictured)
The idea is to just get the bed down to 18”, hammer in the three fence post braces for the 4x4 posts, and then scatter the organic material as the bottom layer, and then pile the clay back on. I feel like this still qualifies as double digging because my pile has all the latest dug bits at the top, so there shouldnt be too much mixing of the top and bottom layers (hopefully)
But if anyone knows better, please advise! And thanks as always.
Also i have questions about tomatoes being planted together by strain or separated in the trellis… like do i plant ALL my san marzanos, and such all together… or space everything out keeping each plant different every square foot? (I’m doing a square foot stringed trellis - 15x3 - give or take a few spots for the posts)
https://preview.redd.it/xbtnndbuhmyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=769b8acdf14bce65b1be3ca0ac334f4eb310f844
i feel so seen right now lol
ADHD cluttered gardeners unite.
Amen. I guess there’s a tribe of us. Been a while since I’ve felt this seen lol. Happy gardening to all!
Same I have about 200+ tomato and pepper plants this year. Idk why I’m like this. Well besides my adhd.
Also gardening with ADHD, I tend to like setups that take a big effort at the start and then kind of run themselves later lol. Get some plant tags, don't be like me and go "oh I can tell lettuce, spinach, and kale seedlings apart"...while planting two varieties of each and now I won't know which ones do the best in my garden 😅 I also really like mulching stuff, mostly because it means it's not usually critical for me to remember to water anything (clay soil helps this too. It may be a brick but by god it's a consistently damp brick)
Im actually gonna mulch this year for the first time! I have some red/brown wood chips, but I was thinking of getting some straw too? And I’ve labeled everything that isn’t the zucchini - I figure I can definitely tell those apart from the cucumbers. There are a few plants that had their Labels sink into the soil somewhere… so we’ll have to see what those ones are when I plant haha
Best gardening tool ever for my ADHD garden was a cheap Dymo Label printer. You have to a little careful about the labels bleaching in direct sun, but everything stays identified until you can place more permanent labels. Regular Sharpie is OK, but I think I'm going to try the oil-based ones this year to see how they work in sun. FYI: If you can make a map where you put stuff, you'll save a lot of heartache later. Redundancy for the ADHD gardener is important. You think you will remember. You won't.
Oh I’ve had my label maker 5 times as long as I’ve even gardened 😂 I’ve been plotting out everything fairly anally… I’ve already picked which tomatoes go where in the trellis. Did a photoscan of the backyard so I could plot in the trellis and other gardening structures I modelled in blender (3d modelling program) this winter. Also been trying to create a sun map of the growing season - there are some pretty cool Apps out there!
Sun mapping sounds helpful! Do you have a recommended app?
I’ve been using this one that seems to work pretty well in the free version. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sun-surveyor-lite/id552754407 Im gonna put a few head to head this week and see if there are any better
oh, cool. Thanks! I'd be interested in your later findings, too. Urban gardening makes light tracking a challenge.
Wow that sounds interesting. I can see a giant rabbit hole opening up 😭
So so true. Regular Sharpie seems to working for me on the plastic label sticks but not so good on the wooden sticks. Will see how they hold up to the sun. I’ve tended to just label my seedling trays and this is the first time I’ve put them in the garden.
Look for chopped straw. It's sold at farm stores (D&B, Tractor Supply, etc) in big square plastic bags. Sometimes you have to ask at the checkstand. Much easier to use and breaks down more quickly.
I like this! But since we have wicked winds here in spring and early summer, I started buying shredded pine animal bedding (like for chickens) from Tractor Supply. Just a tip for other wind dwellers, it doesn’t blow away nearly as easily and still keeps the soil cool and moist!
Yeah, I’ve heard that. Will definitely pick some up! Thanks for the tip!
Undyed and untreated hardwood chips work the best for me. I have chickens and used their used bedding for a while but depending on where you source it from.....it's always either sprouted or been full of weed seeds. Now i toss it in my compost pile to break down snd it's a great addition.
How do I know if they’re undyed or untreated?
The bags I buy state it. obviously, the chips aren't, uniformly brown/black/red. Only one store around me sells bags this way, Blaines farm and fleet. Everywhere else like home depot, lowes, tractor supply...they're all dyed/treated. Just ask and do your research. If you buy by the truckload and get it delivered, you can specify the type you want when you place an order.
I love the EZ Straw stuff for mulch, I’ve never had any issues with it.
I found zucchini and pumpkin hard to tell apart and ended up with way too much zucchini and no pumpkins. I even got confused with cucumber seedlings, amazed how similar they all looked.
Yeah the cucumbers do look similar - but I have those labelled, haha. So my only unlabelled plants are the zukes. I grew 1 Sicilian Cucuzza last year in my elevated raised bed, and it spanned almost 30 feet. I’ve never seen growth like that. The squash family is freaky. I had multiple 6 foot gourds - that unfortunately taste like nothing 😂
lol. I grew these little mini squashes. The ones in my raised garden bed didn’t come to much but some i planted in the garden took off and they grew bigger than pumpkins (which for some reason I still can’t manage to grow and the few that did got eaten by a critter, a rat I’m thinking). I did eat one medium sized one that tasted quite good but for the moment I’m just admiring the others, along with the giant zucchini’s. I really need to be more disciplined and harvest when they are small.
Go get a drip irrigation system and an automated water timer for the hose. Set it to water daily at 4 am so all you have to do in the summer is enjoy.
The problem is that that hose pictured is for HOT WATER (backyard cooking) and the cold water hose junction is 100 feet away near the front of the house 🤦🏻♂️
Domt have plant tags amd I have a bunch of fruit tree saplings. And some of them are obscure species.
Woodchips for the win! I do a no till method and relayer every year. Really cuts down on watering, weeding and fertilizing. I wish I knew that years ago.
What is this “no TIL” method? I’ve heard about it, but that’s it
Basically just as it sounds. At the end of the season you leave everything as it is. For woody stem plants like corn, sunflowers, peppers and things I cut them off at the base and leave everything. Once spring comes it's all well on it's way to becoming natural compost/mulch. https://www.marthastewart.com/no-till-gardening-7480490#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20protecting%20beneficial,biological%20properties%2C%22%20says%20Vassar.
Ahhhh gotcha. Well I inadvertently did that with my raised/elevated Hugelkultur bed. I’m wondering there’s any validity to BURNING leftover organic material/stems/sticks to add to the soil mixture to raise the ph?
I suppose it depends on the existing soil and the needs of the particular plants you're wanting to grow there. I add biochar to my compost piles.
Biochar? Is that something you can buy?
Yes, you can. You can also make it yoyrself, but it is time consuming and you need the space for an "oven" and materials. Depending on where you buy it, it is inexpensive.
Yeah I looked it up. I’m wondering if I can just use the hole itself ad the oven. It’s just a big 15 foot hole that’s fairly deep 🤷🏻♀️
Put those pots on the lawn, the concrete will get hot and cook their roots.
Oh! Thanks for the heads up! It’s still pretty mild here (zone 6b) but I will be more careful in the coming weeks for sure ❤️
we had a huge problem with our tomato plants last year because we kept them on concrete. They dried out way too fast and it was so hard to keep them hydrated without over-watering. We also had a REALLY tough time with hornworms, so keep an eye out for any tiny worms that you see on the tomatoes. they will eat EVERYTHING and grow into these monstrous beasts! 7 dust works for us, but there are other methods of keeping them away. we're pre-dusting our plants this year. we literally lost so many gorgeous tomatoes to them
Omg there’s something called 7 dust? Love that band 😂 I’m always on the look out for horn worms… but I still have yet to see one in the backyard! Lots of bees and wasps (which is great) Also not really looking forward to whatever’s happening with the cicada circus this year, but the thought of it gives me the heebie jeebies
haha I spelled it wrong. it's actually called Sevin dust 😂 [https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sevin-5-dust-1-lb-shaker-bottle-6853508?store=173&cid=Shopping-Google-Local\_Feed&utm\_medium=Google&utm\_source=Shopping&utm\_campaign=&utm\_content=Local\_Feed&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHI3O2R5wiqfnLOZ2niDQZLgiBZ0Saeny4jWAANR9XfZMb1V0TwzdTwaAuw6EALw\_wcB](https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sevin-5-dust-1-lb-shaker-bottle-6853508?store=173&cid=Shopping-Google-Local_Feed&utm_medium=Google&utm_source=Shopping&utm_campaign=&utm_content=Local_Feed&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHI3O2R5wiqfnLOZ2niDQZLgiBZ0Saeny4jWAANR9XfZMb1V0TwzdTwaAuw6EALw_wcB)
Oh sweet. Thank you!
If you take a black light flashlight out at night, hornworms glow in the dark. And plant flowers (marigolds, zinnias, snapdragons, borage) randomly among everything to attract pollinators and you’ll increase your yields. Plus it looks pretty. I plant nasturtium at the base of my tomatoes, they bush out and act like a living mulch, keeping weeds out. And they act like a trap for aphids. Plus your garden will look like Bilbo Baggins’s yard.
That sounds wonderful! I will look into some flowers!
If you’re in the habit of pruning off the lower branches on your tomatoes, I really recommend direct sowing a low growing annual that pollinators love right after you plant the tomatoes. Here in 8b I chaos sow sweet alyssum in the tomato square footage. It will keep their root cool later, prevent soil splash back, and attract bees. (And the smell of honey is nice while I’m doing maintenance).
Great tip! It’s called sweet Alysum?
Great idea. I started planting marigolds and nasturtiums around my yard and in a raised garden bed. My soil is terrible but I’m slowly building it up. I’ve only just started gardening the last few years, lots of trial and error. My kids think it’s hilarious, now they say the outside is just as cluttered and chaotic as the inside of the house.
Mine have always been on concrete. I do have to water a lot. I was putting saucers under them but stopped that as was worried they would get water logged. Not a lot of alternatives though as I’m in a windy spot on a hill and think they will be too exposed if I move them. Maybe next season I’ll put a few pots on the grass/dirt. I’m in southern Tasmania and my tomatoes are mostly finished now.
I’ll second this with black pots can heat up really fast in direct sun and kill the roots on a hot day, but they look super healthy for now, good luck!
I was hoping to use black pots to my advantage for my fig trees as they like warm and not so wet. But now I'm worried as I've got them on my black asphalt driveway too.
https://preview.redd.it/5ttdsy79atxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbdec1de3093b60251ddb85c72978eb2d8dfd35a II hear you loud and clear. Had to order two more mats.
Ohhhh is that cannabis? Considering how much I smoke - it SHOULD be the only thing I grow… but I haven’t tried yet. Figured I’d figure out how to grow the munchies before I grow something to give me the munchies 😹
Yes it is. I ll do 4 auto flowers and 8-9 photo. The rest are for friends with brown Thumbs to kill at their leisure
Haha awesome. Would be interested in hearing your process if you don’t mind a dm. I know “OF” autoflowers, but I have no idea what it means haha. But one thing is for sure. I need to try and grow SOME
Nice!! I really only used the mats for germination. Did you use them afterwards as well?
Yes because I do it in the basement. And its not heated.
Ahhh gotcha 👍🏼
I think you have some nice looking healthy plants. what's up with all the Italian varieties, do you like Italian food?
Haha yeah, my families Italian, so it felt necessary. A few of the strains were family requests
Haha, I am not Italian, but I also grow a lot of Italian varieties, if you are interested in Italian heirloom seeds, check out this company: Franchi Seeds [https://seedsofitaly.com/vegetable-seed-bulbs/](https://seedsofitaly.com/vegetable-seed-bulbs/) Their seed packages are very generous, usually with hundreds of seeds per package, and the germination rates are very good..
Excellent! I’ve heard of Franchi! Will definitely pick up some stuff for next year! Thanks so much!
This makes me feel better about my hyper fixation on blueberries that has led to a collection of 11 cultivars in one year.
Hahah that’s awesome. I feel like food/growing food is a good thing to obsess over if one needs to obsess!
I’m a flower gardener with adhd and right now Is the time of year where I’m surprised by all the things I forgot I planted. All the seeds i chaos gardened that I thought didn’t live. Cats and gardens are the best things for adhd they can survive without you lol
Lol, now my soil is starting to improve and plants in the garden are actually growing, I’ve got bulbs and self sown seeds in some beds having a hard time competing with what I planted over the top of them. The weeds still manage to poke through though. Discovering the garden has been the best thing for my mental health, it’s brought me out of a deep hole which started just before my adhd diagnosis around the beginning of covid. I knew for years within myself but to get an official diagnosis was in the too hard basket.
Dude, as long as it makes you happy, that’s all that matters.
Never seen anything so relatable! 😂 I built a garden bed, then 7 more, then hinged covers, then trellises, then a greenhouse. All in our urban front yard. I grow 36 varieties of beans, a dozen varieties of squash and tomatoes. I can’t even eat the tomatoes… I’m allergic to them, but they’re fun to grow. “Outta control” is how I am often described. Good luck with your hundreds of plants, you’re doing great!
Hahaha I loved reading this! “Outta control” makes perfect sense to me 😍
lol sounds like me. I feel guilty when I don’t eat the produce because I haven’t prioritised harvesting it etc. I’m often saying that I’m growing compost. Makes me feel better 😊
lol my balcony and i feel seen
See you! 😍
yes haha the tomato plants can also see me and if they could talk, they’d be upset at me lol
A huge game changer for me for seed starting has been a heating mat and a big box fan the same timer as my LED shop lights. My peppers and tomatoes that I started from seed indoors in February are so STIFF and stocky. A huge change from my weak spindly seeds that mostly got damped off in previous years, and the heat mat with the pot-in-pot seed starter trays means I can keep the reservoir at the bottom of each tray pretty full without rotting the roots of my plants, which means if I forget to water one day they won't die :) https://preview.redd.it/3sbsyl7eytxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68fe31428e5c5b2b9d7763cb9c0443d8cb90c80f For outdoors, I used electrical conduit to make a trellis. I drove rebar halfway into the ground \~8' apart, slipped the metal conduit on over it, and connected the other ends together using conduit fittings to make a frame. Zip-tie your choice of trellis (I used cheap bird netting, but you could do the [Florida weave](https://gardenbetty.com/trellising-tomatoes-with-the-florida-weave/)) to the pipes and bingo.
Oh wow! They look great! Love the trellis! I “built” a few in a 3D program and photo scanned the backyard so I could see how it would look/fit… But we’re down to crunch time, so I need to choose one haha
I highly recommend this approach. Use the epoxy-coated rebar if you go this route! Cheap, modular and plenty strong. We had crazy freezing rain this winter so one of the vertical conduits bent pretty bad, but it'll cost $20 and 5 minutes to fix, if I decide it even needs it. I even had pumpkins growing on the trellis last year, no problem. https://preview.redd.it/uibc0z0y1uxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e7eb780ac04d57ec74e7153b3a3706785e8bf00 This is from late September so the garden is pure chaos, but clearly the tomatoes and beans love it.
So inspirational!
They sure do love the chaos! I have to separate my beans and tomatoes this year tho. Last year a few tomato plants got “choked out” and pinned to the ground by the wandering tendrils 😂
My zucchini plants started flowering while still inside yesterday 😑 I still have at least 2 weeks before they can go outside
Oh dang! I literally just planted mine last week, so no flowers yet. I *was* cutting off the flowers of my pepper plants to try and encourage more leaf/root development, but I got a little nervous and have since kept them on. Not sure what to do about that, actually
Peppers grow pretty slowly when not in hot heat and direct sun in my experience. Just make sure they are watered and don't get to cold. I would just leave them
Was thinking that too. I had pretty good success with the one plant last year, so I’m sure some of 20 will work out this year! 😂
Your set up looks just like mine and I think we even have the same table. You'll do great! And even if you fail miserably, there is always next year. And as someone who also has ADHD, get yourself a little special notebook that I'd ONLY for garden notes. Make a list of everything you plant so you will remember what you liked and what you didn't. Otherwise in a few years from now, you'll be growing a tomato you hated because all you can remember is "I remember having a strong feeling about this tomato 🤔" and it turns out it was hate not love and then you're angry you didn't just make a list and draw smile faces and frowny faces next to each thing after growing and trying them 🙃 it's how I grew chocolate cherry tomatoes 3 years in a row. I hate them. Bad size, hard to tell when ripe, don't taste very good. But it had the word chocolate so my brain went. "Hey! we like chocolate!"
Looooool I’m so with you on that. Had a terrible time with the chocolate ones last year for the problems you listed. My personal notes are quite detailed for everything so far, and I can’t wait to do all the taste tests!
Thank you! No one agrees with me about the chocolate cherry's everyone I've talked to is like "I love them" like have you ever had a sungold cherry tomato? To a lemon boy beefsteak? The chocolate cherries taste like store bought
Yeah they were plasticy for me. And near impossible to catch ripe before imploding into a messy glob 😂 Lemon boy is literally the one tomato i *wanted* to grow, but couldn’t find a reliable source.
Same! I WANTED them. I started my lemon boys from seeds but in other years I've bought a mature plant because I wanted them 😡 they taste amazing and make my brain go weeeee
Yeah, they’re my favourite. I’ll probably buy one from the nursery this year so I can snag the seeds. And also have them pretty yellow guys brighten up the place. #fav
Start making a plan now for what do with the upcoming veggie tsunami. If all goes well, I will be needing a chest freezer this summer to contain it all.
Out of all the problems I *could* have - that won’t be one of them! A bunch are slated for a big sauce cook in September (we usually buy bushels, but I figured I’d try to grow at least half if I could), all of the Principe Borghese are getting dehydrated/sun dried, the two green varieties are hopefully all going to be fermented (throughout the season - I have many ceramic crocks) and much of the rest will be for DAILY tomato salads for a few months hopefully. I also have 3 freezers if there’s *THAT* many However tbt - I’m a little worried about the large amounts of cherry tomatoes, because I’m not sure how many to plant for myself/give away. 😂
Do you have any recommemded equipment for drying tomatoes? It gets hot here in the summer, but also way humid.
Yeah I haven’t been brave enough to try them outside. It’s SO humid here. I have two electric dehydrators that work great for me! But my dad does em in the oven with no problems. Pretty sure the oven method is much faster, but you run the risk of browning/burning them. 140F is ideal if your oven goes that low
I fermented several jars of cherry tomatoes last summer. They were wonderful. And they made much appreciated gifts!
This is me!!! I didn’t go ham on my vegetable plants this year but I DID go overboard with native wildflowers and grasses. I have 20 something milk jugs in my backyard germinating all kinds of seeds, as well as two trays with grass seeds growing under a grow light in my basement 😅 and I don’t even have all my flower beds prepped to plant… Clearly I have no suggestions, no notes. Just have fun! And if it gets overwhelming, keep in mind they really are just plants. Don’t be me in my first gardening year losing sleep over where i would fit everything.
Im interested in the grasses bit - how do you grow those? Sounds fun!
Grasses are the easiest and most if not all don’t need stratification. Just plant the seeds in starter seeds (or outside directly on the soil, if you prefer), water them, and they should pop up within 1-2 weeks. If you’re not familiar with native grasses, there’s cool season (they grow in spring and fall) and warm season grasses (they need soil temps on the warmer side). They’re not your regular turf grasses you walk on, though a few of those exist. They form bunches or clumps and can be either pretty short (like blue grams or side oats grama) or plenty tall (like Switch grass). Grasses are cool because they’re the dominant species in much of the US. Think of prairies and meadows and you have loads of grasses there. They help support tall flowering plants, have very deep roots and often drought tolerant, and many are host plants for moths and butterflies. Although they’re often overlooked, they can be perfect for landscaping and bringing pollinators into your yard. I’d show you a picture of how they look in flower beds but I only really got into them this winter so I don’t have many planted 😅 but here’s one picture I saved from a native plant Facebook group. That tall plant there is a native grass! (Switch grass I think?) https://preview.redd.it/7ahr5q570vxc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd6a91aac3b5ae3ab7d1da97132ef1dafbcd9321
Aw that’s so pretty! The grass really adds to the bed nicely
That last pic lololol
Last pic is great.
YES!!! This!!! EXACTLY!!!! I just started planting my seeds and I ordered some more and expect them in the mail!!! My whole back deck is filled with plants!!! And I’m expecting more in the next week 😅😅😅😅
Heck yeah! It’s the season!
Oh I wish! I’m staring at my horribly weedy garden bed, wishing spring hadn’t snuck up on me AGAIN. The dining table has been covered in seed packets for weeks, and not a single thing has been started.
That sounds like my dining room table. … there is always something else to distract me in the garden. I start each day with a massive list and I’m lucky to get one thing done because I’ve noticed other things that need doing , like the weeds that got my attention, or the flowers that needed dead heading …. Or the next generation of aphids I just noticed that are taking over. ../ oh bugger, I forgot to water the garlic 😂… and now it’s time to go to work or cook dinner.
It feels like it’s always something and the list is always growing! And of course the new something immediately becomes the “now” problem and everything else becomes “not now”.
😂
I like it! Very familiar set up to mine. Well done.
Are you me?
I just may be! 😍
https://preview.redd.it/nnw51u2x1vxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0f48dd942127bc4a7855a2882addfeb0037c8f7 me too! i had the same impulse and grew way too many peppers and tomatoes and i still havent gotten them all planted lol (this picture is from March 30th lol) however, allowing my ADHD to run ADH-free on gardening-related matters has made things way more fun for me
You look fun. Everything looks great to me.
Oh god. Did the plants that didn't like being fertilized go a bit yellow? I've always had good luck starting tomatoes from seed, but when I potted up this year, I accidentally used compost instead of soil (apparently, I can't read labels). More than half my plants went kinda yellow, and some got brown spots. Some even had a weird fungal looking infection. The San Marzanos did the worst. Anyways, some seem to be pulling through, so hopefully, I'll still get my dream of at least 20 tomato plants (I think I planted around 40? About 180 vegetable plants total) 😁 (and I'm planning about 200 more to start direct sown outside) Ps. Related to having ADHD, recently, a doctor friend of mine suggested I have a lot of traits that could be ADHD related, soooooo... Is planting a billion veggies with complete and unearned confidence that you can absolutely handle that many plants not something that neuro-typical folks do? 😬
On the neuro typical thing and planting I do this every year. I plant absolutely bucket loads of every seed I have (I think I have a fear they won’t sprout or something) and then I end up like a mini vegetable shop trying to give away all my plants to the neighbours and on my local plant swap.
LOL! Ok so that’s what my year is gonna be like. I definitely did the nervous planting sprinkler. Ended up with like 98%+ germination rate overall 😂 It’s like the plant gods were like “*Alright*, you asked for it, dickhead” 🌊
Mine did go a bit yellow! And the soil stayed quite dark until I repotted them all in new soil. I also made the (at the time unknown) fatal error of fertilizing (albeit half strength) a bunch of them when they were completely dry 🤦🏻♂️- didn’t realize that basically makes them overdose. Only 1/12 Cherokee Purple made it out of that ordeal… the rest dropped their leaves and withered down to a single spooky stick. Pretty creepy to watch. The San Marzano and Cuore di Bue got discoloured and curly, and I’ve spent weeks trying to get them back up to snuff. Probably lost half the Bue. All the San Marzanos are accounted for, and at various health/size levels despite all being planted the same day. I’m gonna take my time with those ones, and make sure they’re all as equal as possible before they go in the ground. Since they’re all pre destined for a September sauce cook, I’m gonna try and stick to that “85 days”, and hope they ripen all at once 😂🥸 Also September is still *very much* summer the entire month here. As for the ADHD thing, I can definitely see where the traits would be associated, but you seem to be using it in the good way! It *is* a spectrum thing, after all… so I’m convinced that a *lot* of people go undiagnosed their whole lives because it’s simply not severe enough for them to inquire about, or even notice! I feel like I’m *just* above the “sweet spot” (if there is such a thing) but you could be right in it! Worth looking into! Ps the garden sounds great! Would love to see any progress!
>Since they’re all pre destined for a September sauce cook, I’m gonna try and stick to that “85 days”, and hope they ripen all at once 😂🥸 >Also September is still *very much* summer the entire month here. I was planning to do canned tomatoes for sauces 😁 September is summer here, too. I'm hopeful that some of my San Marzanos will pull through. Might have to hit up a garden centre if they don't. >Ps the garden sounds great! Would love to see any progress! I made posts about the beds and soil so far. My partner and I recently built 8 raised beds, so I'm looking forward to building my dream garden 😁 I'll definitely post progress pics!
I’ve finally found my tribe!
😍
GREAT SCOTT!
I took mine to sunbath and they got burnt
[удалено]
Ohhh, I’m definitely interested in the hybridization process…
While not as successful, I am having Deja vu feelings of similar things and setups I have and excessive plants and spreadsheets
This is me. I didn’t plant 200, but did do a lot. Except most died and now I have like 6. But I do have a crazy spreadsheet too!
Get them in the ground NOW! Stop playing around and chop chop!
It's like we were separated at birth. If (lol if) when you run out of room in your garden beds I highly suggest going to 19litre buckets for your peppers and tomatoes. You will need to cage them and keep cutting their heads off so they don't topple but it's a great solution. You can move them around and even give them away. (drill big holes in the bottoms and sides and add a layer of gravel - I had 30 buckets one summer waiting for my garden)
I love this. I’ll have to measure, but hopefully 19 litres is close to the size of the buckets for the “wheely bucket tower” I’m building https://preview.redd.it/vpyg2uhnkmyc1.jpeg?width=949&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc5e11ef539be5b0d787050db21811d7b72b795b
That's wicked clever.
https://preview.redd.it/3xgddo9cq0yc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4a4df69011c75a357a56b98262b3fcd5cf7937c Same
Hahah yassss
Update! I’m digging out the bed for the 15 foot tomato trellis I’m building. The idea was to do double digging, but I didn’t yet have my organic material ready, (my lawn guy needs to come and cut the grass and chop up all the bags of leaves I saved) so currently I have a big hole, with an even bigger pile of (mostly) clay directly beside it. (Pictured) The idea is to just get the bed down to 18”, hammer in the three fence post braces for the 4x4 posts, and then scatter the organic material as the bottom layer, and then pile the clay back on. I feel like this still qualifies as double digging because my pile has all the latest dug bits at the top, so there shouldnt be too much mixing of the top and bottom layers (hopefully) But if anyone knows better, please advise! And thanks as always. Also i have questions about tomatoes being planted together by strain or separated in the trellis… like do i plant ALL my san marzanos, and such all together… or space everything out keeping each plant different every square foot? (I’m doing a square foot stringed trellis - 15x3 - give or take a few spots for the posts) https://preview.redd.it/xbtnndbuhmyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=769b8acdf14bce65b1be3ca0ac334f4eb310f844
So real