Do you have answers? You might, these are all very basic :)
1. Peas. I guess they are going to vine? And I need to encourage them to grow up onto something? There are only 9 plants in there right now- so a big trellis is too big... What will work? Can I build it? or Where can I get it?
2. My book says that I should avoid getting the leaves wet on a lot of my plants (lettuce, tomatoes, peppers). This is messing with my idyllic view of pointing the hose at the whole garden on the "shower" setting while making thunderstorm noises. How careful do I really need to be here?
Also, how much do I water? I have a fear of overwatering, but I also fear this will cause me to dry everything out.
3. Grass clippings as mulch? I heard or read this is a good thing to do around the base of the plants- But again, how much? How deep? I think you are supposed to dry them first right?
I think that's it for now :) Thanks for any advice you can offer! So far we have; Tomatoes (4th of July? *shrug*), Leaf lettuce, Romaine, Broccoli, Bell Peppers, Jalepenos, Peas, Onions and Strawberries. I've got 3 spots left - though Dude thinks we should grow some garlic, so I guess I've got 2 spots left.
5 comments:
Yay gardening!
1. Peas are vines, and are much easier to pick if you give them something to grow on -- otherwise they just grow all over each other in a big knot. They're tendril vines, and will grab onto pretty much anything. They're also pretty delicate -- they don't need a strong support, just something to keep them pointing up. Chicken wire works just fine, or you can choose something cuter.
2. This is a risk vs. reward question. If you really love watering from overhead with thunderstorm noises (and who wouldn't?!), that's miles better than not watering at all. But it does contribute to blight and scorching. You want to water well every few days. If you peek out on a 90-degree day and see wilty peppers, don't freak out and grab the hose if you've been watering regularly -- they just do that when it's hot. They'll perk back up with then temperature drops a little. It's important to be consistent with your watering, otherwise your tomatoes will develop blossom end rot, which is one of the more accurately descriptive plant disease names.
3. Grass clippings are tricky for mulch. You have to apply them in a thick enough layer for weed suppression but no so thick that it mats and prevents water from getting through, and they break down really quickly and can make that "hm, compost" smell.
Don't you hate broccoli?
Thanks Pusher :)
Heh- I do not care for broccoli, except maybe raw, with lots of dip. And even then, not so much. But Attila? LOVES the broccoli and she wanted to grow some. Who am I to argue with that?
I got this light weight decorative trellis/fence thing at target that I used for my peas last year. Worked like a charm. It got a taller one, maybe two feet. I think it was supposed to be for something pretty, like clematis or some such. However, I find fresh peas to be beautiful. Hell if I can find it this year, even though I swear I put it somewhere I could find it again. Which is sort of a bummer, because I planted enough peas this year that M won't be able to eat them all before they make it in the house.
As to the grass clippings, I'd just mention that if you use chemicals on the grass, you may want to consider whether or not you want that stuff getting into your vegetables.
Nonick- that's a good point! No chemicals here though. But in thinking about it, a lot of our grass is pretty weedy so it might not really help anyway :)
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