Swatching for vegetables
Here are the garden maps I made this weekend. I feel like I’m going public with my wonky first knitting. My last attempt at vegetable gardening was at 6 years old, and you can imagine I had a good deal of help with it. The range of dates indicate date of sowing and expected date of harvest.
Spring
Summer
Fall
The maps are for the raised bed, which is 6′ x 8′. I also plan to have containers with tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, a fig tree (which will eventually get planted in the yard), and herbs (cilantro, basil, mint).
I haven’t planted anything yet, so if I’ve made some grave mistake, please feel free to chime in now.
I think the garden looks pretty good! Shoot me an email if you want more advice. I did a garden last year and swiss chard, pacific lettuce and bibb lettuce did fantastic throughout the summer. In fact the swiss chard is still out there growing even though I haven’t been out there to take care of it. I also did tomatoes in the sun in pots and they did fantastic. Just make sure they are in a sunny spot in the summer. Move them around if necessary. Oh I love gardening!
Posted by: Rebecca
The only gardening advice (superstition) I have is that my Grandpa always said root vegetables had to be planted as the moon waned, and above ground veggies as the moon waxed.
My gardening adventures consist of growing cherry tomatoes on a third floor balcony in a plastic 5 gallon bucket! They were pretty good.
Posted by: ToniC
As a NYC apartment dweller I’m jealous. Your plan looks wonderful. Just remember, as in knitting, some things just don’t work out. I once had a plot out at Floyd Bennett Field and I could never get a good crop of Kale and never figured out why. Sometimes there’s no reason…
Posted by: LizD
I think the garden looks pretty good! Shoot me an email if you want more advice. I did a garden last year and swiss chard, pacific lettuce and bibb lettuce did fantastic throughout the summer. In fact the swiss chard is still out there growing even though I haven’t been out there to take care of it. I also did tomatoes in the sun in pots and they did fantastic. Just make sure they are in a sunny spot in the summer. Move them around if necessary. Oh I love gardening!
Posted by: Rebecca
The only gardening advice (superstition) I have is that my Grandpa always said root vegetables had to be planted as the moon waned, and above ground veggies as the moon waxed.
My gardening adventures consist of growing cherry tomatoes on a third floor balcony in a plastic 5 gallon bucket! They were pretty good.
Posted by: ToniC
As a NYC apartment dweller I’m jealous. Your plan looks wonderful. Just remember, as in knitting, some things just don’t work out. I once had a plot out at Floyd Bennett Field and I could never get a good crop of Kale and never figured out why. Sometimes there’s no reason…
Posted by: LizD
I haven’t had luck with okra in the NW, but zuchinni does extremely well. And when I say extrememly, I mean that even the postman starts staying away when it comes on around here because it comes on big time.
Posted by: Karen
The seriousness with which you are approaching this garden is impressive!
My one caution is that squash and zucchini plants have a tendency to explode and take over, so you might want to consider giving them more space (say, planting some of the spring crops around them while the squash are young, and then giving the squash more space once the spring crops have passed).
On the tomato front, I would recommend ‘Sun Gold’ as a variety. They’re a gorgeous, sweet, and prolific cherry tomato, and their orange color looks beautiful in a mix with other tomatoes.
And I might encourage you to plant more herbs … at least with my little garden in Vermont, I found that I could always get good standard veggies from the farmers’ markets, so the biggest value-added of my garden were the herbs. I especially fell in love with marjoram, lemon thyme, and lemon basil.
Please keep us updated with your garden adventure!! It’s so exciting to see your plans.
Posted by: Hanna
We are just about to start our seeds indoors here in Boston … you lucky girl!
I would encourage you to think about that 12″ aisle. You’re going to want to bend down/squat to weed, prune, and pick – I had a 2-foot aisle last year, and it was close quarters.
Otherwise, it looks great!
Posted by: Dina
Oh, the zucchini. I was not prepared for how much and how quickly and how huge it grows.
Otherwise, I’m coming for the kale harvest.
Posted by: Michelle
Whatever you do, don’t let the mint seed ANYWHERE NEAR OTHER SOIL!
Mind spreads like wildfire.
Posted by: Miriam
That should say Mint, not Mind. Doh!
Posted by: Miriam
I haven’t had luck with okra in the NW, but zuchinni does extremely well. And when I say extrememly, I mean that even the postman starts staying away when it comes on around here because it comes on big time.
Posted by: Karen
The seriousness with which you are approaching this garden is impressive!
My one caution is that squash and zucchini plants have a tendency to explode and take over, so you might want to consider giving them more space (say, planting some of the spring crops around them while the squash are young, and then giving the squash more space once the spring crops have passed).
On the tomato front, I would recommend ‘Sun Gold’ as a variety. They’re a gorgeous, sweet, and prolific cherry tomato, and their orange color looks beautiful in a mix with other tomatoes.
And I might encourage you to plant more herbs … at least with my little garden in Vermont, I found that I could always get good standard veggies from the farmers’ markets, so the biggest value-added of my garden were the herbs. I especially fell in love with marjoram, lemon thyme, and lemon basil.
Please keep us updated with your garden adventure!! It’s so exciting to see your plans.
Posted by: Hanna
We are just about to start our seeds indoors here in Boston … you lucky girl!
I would encourage you to think about that 12″ aisle. You’re going to want to bend down/squat to weed, prune, and pick – I had a 2-foot aisle last year, and it was close quarters.
Otherwise, it looks great!
Posted by: Dina
Oh, the zucchini. I was not prepared for how much and how quickly and how huge it grows.
Otherwise, I’m coming for the kale harvest.
Posted by: Michelle
Whatever you do, don’t let the mint seed ANYWHERE NEAR OTHER SOIL!
Mind spreads like wildfire.
Posted by: Miriam
That should say Mint, not Mind. Doh!
Posted by: Miriam
Have you seen this? Ravelry for gardeners! http://www.myfolia.com/
Posted by: Emily
Wow – I am so ridiculously jealous. I live in an apartment, but I wish I was lucky enough to have a garden like this. I can imagine that gorgeous baby Thumper is going to have fun helping Mom in the garden too!!
Posted by: Christiane
Awe-inspiring, that chart. I was just thinking about trying to grow some spearmint in a pot on my fire escape and thinking that was pretty ambitious.
Posted by: Lizbon
I can’t wait. We are “staging” our place this week for an open house on Sunday, and it’s crazy. But the prospect of a garden is wonderful… keeping the eye on the prize!
Posted by: abby
My family of 6 would be hard pressed to use zuchinni from 4 plants. I think 2 plants TOPS would be enough. Once they set fruit and start going…they really start going.
My CSA has a fig tree that I am really jealous of. They grow nice and plump up here (Outside of Seattle) so you shouldn’t have any trouble 🙂
I love the variety you have picked. It should be a great garden year!!!
Posted by: Stephanie
Have you seen this? Ravelry for gardeners! http://www.myfolia.com/
Posted by: Emily
Wow – I am so ridiculously jealous. I live in an apartment, but I wish I was lucky enough to have a garden like this. I can imagine that gorgeous baby Thumper is going to have fun helping Mom in the garden too!!
Posted by: Christiane
Awe-inspiring, that chart. I was just thinking about trying to grow some spearmint in a pot on my fire escape and thinking that was pretty ambitious.
Posted by: Lizbon
I can’t wait. We are “staging” our place this week for an open house on Sunday, and it’s crazy. But the prospect of a garden is wonderful… keeping the eye on the prize!
Posted by: abby
My family of 6 would be hard pressed to use zuchinni from 4 plants. I think 2 plants TOPS would be enough. Once they set fruit and start going…they really start going.
My CSA has a fig tree that I am really jealous of. They grow nice and plump up here (Outside of Seattle) so you shouldn’t have any trouble 🙂
I love the variety you have picked. It should be a great garden year!!!
Posted by: Stephanie
You are an inspiration! I have wanted to get started on my kale…maybe this coming weekend!
Posted by: LeAnne
I’ve just moved to a house with a backyard large enough for a garden (and a house we’re not planning to leave any time soon!) I’m planting my first garden this spring too! (Very nervous about it!) I bought my starter kit to plant my seeds that need to get started now (6-8 weeks before last frost) and it’s my project for this week (to plant the seeds!) The only advice I’ve gotten so far is that zuchinni grows like weeds! (A friend said she planted too much and was eating zuchinni grilled and zuchinni jam and zuchinni this and zuchinni that!)
I’m a long time lurker finally commenting!
Posted by: Robyn (Knit & Purl Mama)
So, here is one of my real failures– I despise gardening. I love to cook, always with lots of fresh produce from the farmers’ markets. I can’t make myself play in the dirt, though. I guess it always felt like punishment when I had to work in the garden growing up. So, hats off to you. I’ll look forward to seeing pictures of all the fruits of your labor (and I’ll always be happy to take one of those zucchini off your hands).
Posted by: Anna
Ditto re huge and prolific squash plants. You might want to plant two in another space, instead of the raised beds, such as a corner of your yard. Planting in a raised bump of soil (leveled on top), about a foot across, few inches high, can work well.
Posted by: Tanya
I have no earthly idea, but it sure looks good. Keep us posted as to how it turns out – I’d be very intersted.
Posted by: Sarah
I have no earthly idea, but it sure looks good. Keep us posted as to how it turns out – I’d be very intersted.
Posted by: Sarah
You are an inspiration! I have wanted to get started on my kale…maybe this coming weekend!
Posted by: LeAnne
I’ve just moved to a house with a backyard large enough for a garden (and a house we’re not planning to leave any time soon!) I’m planting my first garden this spring too! (Very nervous about it!) I bought my starter kit to plant my seeds that need to get started now (6-8 weeks before last frost) and it’s my project for this week (to plant the seeds!) The only advice I’ve gotten so far is that zuchinni grows like weeds! (A friend said she planted too much and was eating zuchinni grilled and zuchinni jam and zuchinni this and zuchinni that!)
I’m a long time lurker finally commenting!
Posted by: Robyn (Knit & Purl Mama)
So, here is one of my real failures– I despise gardening. I love to cook, always with lots of fresh produce from the farmers’ markets. I can’t make myself play in the dirt, though. I guess it always felt like punishment when I had to work in the garden growing up. So, hats off to you. I’ll look forward to seeing pictures of all the fruits of your labor (and I’ll always be happy to take one of those zucchini off your hands).
Posted by: Anna
Ditto re huge and prolific squash plants. You might want to plant two in another space, instead of the raised beds, such as a corner of your yard. Planting in a raised bump of soil (leveled on top), about a foot across, few inches high, can work well.
Posted by: Tanya
I have no earthly idea, but it sure looks good. Keep us posted as to how it turns out – I’d be very intersted.
Posted by: Sarah
I have no earthly idea, but it sure looks good. Keep us posted as to how it turns out – I’d be very intersted.
Posted by: Sarah
I planted one zucchini plant last year (in California) in a 4 x 8 foot garden bed, and the plant took over almost half of the raised bed, and ran out of room on the 4 foot side, so it jumped the bed and went into my 2 foot aisle. My husband and I had zucchini with almost every meal for about 2 months, and when we’d go out of town, we’d come home to some 4 pound zucchinis. One plant might be enough for you, especially if you’re growing yellow squash as well.
I’d suggest planting zucchini on the North side of your garden, as the leaves also get quite tall and will shade out smaller plants like carrots.
Posted by: Chrystie
I admire your plan! I wish some of the things you are planning on did better here in the inland areas of the northwest. It gets really hot here in the summer, so some of them go to seed fast. Thumper will love gardening!
Posted by: Kathy
As someone who has never had a real garden, nor plans for one, colour me impressed. And completely unhelpful.
Posted by: Rachel H
The Square Foot gardening book is a good one for raised beds if you haven’t seen it yet.
And I second the advice to give more space than you think you need for squash and the like. My resolution this year is to not plant more cukes than my family (and friends and neighbors) can possibly eat and to not put them where they threaten to come in the bedroom window while we’re sleeping!
Have fun!
Posted by: Lynn in Tucson
You said you would, but please make sure you plant that mint in pots or it will take over. The roots grow horizontally thus producing ginormous roots balls.
Posted by: KT
I planted one zucchini plant last year (in California) in a 4 x 8 foot garden bed, and the plant took over almost half of the raised bed, and ran out of room on the 4 foot side, so it jumped the bed and went into my 2 foot aisle. My husband and I had zucchini with almost every meal for about 2 months, and when we’d go out of town, we’d come home to some 4 pound zucchinis. One plant might be enough for you, especially if you’re growing yellow squash as well.
I’d suggest planting zucchini on the North side of your garden, as the leaves also get quite tall and will shade out smaller plants like carrots.
Posted by: Chrystie
I admire your plan! I wish some of the things you are planning on did better here in the inland areas of the northwest. It gets really hot here in the summer, so some of them go to seed fast. Thumper will love gardening!
Posted by: Kathy
As someone who has never had a real garden, nor plans for one, colour me impressed. And completely unhelpful.
Posted by: Rachel H
The Square Foot gardening book is a good one for raised beds if you haven’t seen it yet.
And I second the advice to give more space than you think you need for squash and the like. My resolution this year is to not plant more cukes than my family (and friends and neighbors) can possibly eat and to not put them where they threaten to come in the bedroom window while we’re sleeping!
Have fun!
Posted by: Lynn in Tucson
You said you would, but please make sure you plant that mint in pots or it will take over. The roots grow horizontally thus producing ginormous roots balls.
Posted by: KT
I agree with the many who said you might want to rethink all your squash. It will do very well here and you will likely be overburdened.
My caution surrounds broccoli. Maybe others have been more successful than I at keeping aphids out, but each time we’ve grown broccoli (three years), I could not keep the aphids out (I don’t use chemicals in my garden). I find myself squeamish about eating aphids, so I would wash it, cut it and then cook it,thinking I was in the clear and then find many many dead aphids on the broccoli or in the pan.
Good luck with it! Plant more basil and cilantro than you think you’ll want! You’ll probably want to do successive plantings of cilantro every few weeks to prolong your supply!
Posted by: jenny in pdx
The only comment I have is borne of frustrating personal experience! If you think you might ever expand this garden, be sure to put your asparagus crowns in a section that will be unchanged. We planted ours at what was the front edge of our previous garden, and when we doubled the size three years later they ended up right down the middle. Definitely one of those types of mistakes a person only has to make once! Enjoy your garden!
Posted by: Katie
Are you planning on going up with the zucchini & squash? I’ve found they take over all the space! I’ve also found it’s sometimes hard to get them to grow because the flowers get wet and thus don’t pollinate well and the like it HOT. So spring might not yield many squash.
When I grow Squash in my 12′ x 5′ garden, I put in a trellis (like for my pole green beans use) or tomato cages for them to grow. Much more ground space for other veggies.
Good luck!
Posted by: Amy
I’ve never actually grown asparagus, but decided against it because it sounded like it would take up a lot of space for a short harvest. You might consider some gourmet baby/round zucchini instead of all regular. They are less prolific. I would vote for lemon cucumbers, they keep producing all summer. Also arugula, it is delicious and easy to grow in the spring and fall. Sugar pie pumpkins, butternut, and Marina di Chiaggio are my favorite winter squashes. Okra isn’t known for doing well here, it needs a lot of heat. You might try red plastic mulch, it could help.
“Tristar” is a good container strawberry that is very tasty, and I agree with with the Sungold cherry tomato recommendation. Have you thought about tomatillos? They are yummy and do well here.
Posted by: Andi
Hi,
I just wanted to pass on what I read recently about figs- they like to be root-bound. I am planning on adding a dwarf varity fig to my new garden this year, so after reading that I am going to plant mine in a large plastic pot first and then bury the pot in the ground. I may also “make a pot” with large buried rocks. I hope your garden is fruitful!
Posted by: Trista
Oh yikes – zucchini and summer squash are way too squished. They’ll be unhappy as well as crush everything around them. I have some diagrams for square foot gardening which allows for intensive planting but doesn’t allow the veggies to over run each other. I’ll email you a copy as soon as I can! A day or two at most.
A couple of recommendations:
1) the book, Square Food Gardening by Mel Bartholemew is FAB. I got a copy of it 2 years ago for about 4 bucks from Amazon (used of course). It gives great advice and lets you plant a ton in a small space.
2) I agree that Sun Gold tomatoes are wonderful (they’re orange and cherry-tomato-sized). But they’re scraggly and wouldn’t be happy in a pot unless it’s a big ol’ 5-gallon thing (or a wine barrel), in which case it would be fine. If your container isn’t that big, choose what they’d refer to as a ‘patio’ type.
Posted by: no-blog-rachel
I agree with the many who said you might want to rethink all your squash. It will do very well here and you will likely be overburdened.
My caution surrounds broccoli. Maybe others have been more successful than I at keeping aphids out, but each time we’ve grown broccoli (three years), I could not keep the aphids out (I don’t use chemicals in my garden). I find myself squeamish about eating aphids, so I would wash it, cut it and then cook it,thinking I was in the clear and then find many many dead aphids on the broccoli or in the pan.
Good luck with it! Plant more basil and cilantro than you think you’ll want! You’ll probably want to do successive plantings of cilantro every few weeks to prolong your supply!
Posted by: jenny in pdx
The only comment I have is borne of frustrating personal experience! If you think you might ever expand this garden, be sure to put your asparagus crowns in a section that will be unchanged. We planted ours at what was the front edge of our previous garden, and when we doubled the size three years later they ended up right down the middle. Definitely one of those types of mistakes a person only has to make once! Enjoy your garden!
Posted by: Katie
Are you planning on going up with the zucchini & squash? I’ve found they take over all the space! I’ve also found it’s sometimes hard to get them to grow because the flowers get wet and thus don’t pollinate well and the like it HOT. So spring might not yield many squash.
When I grow Squash in my 12′ x 5′ garden, I put in a trellis (like for my pole green beans use) or tomato cages for them to grow. Much more ground space for other veggies.
Good luck!
Posted by: Amy
I’ve never actually grown asparagus, but decided against it because it sounded like it would take up a lot of space for a short harvest. You might consider some gourmet baby/round zucchini instead of all regular. They are less prolific. I would vote for lemon cucumbers, they keep producing all summer. Also arugula, it is delicious and easy to grow in the spring and fall. Sugar pie pumpkins, butternut, and Marina di Chiaggio are my favorite winter squashes. Okra isn’t known for doing well here, it needs a lot of heat. You might try red plastic mulch, it could help.
“Tristar” is a good container strawberry that is very tasty, and I agree with with the Sungold cherry tomato recommendation. Have you thought about tomatillos? They are yummy and do well here.
Posted by: Andi
Hi,
I just wanted to pass on what I read recently about figs- they like to be root-bound. I am planning on adding a dwarf varity fig to my new garden this year, so after reading that I am going to plant mine in a large plastic pot first and then bury the pot in the ground. I may also “make a pot” with large buried rocks. I hope your garden is fruitful!
Posted by: Trista
Oh yikes – zucchini and summer squash are way too squished. They’ll be unhappy as well as crush everything around them. I have some diagrams for square foot gardening which allows for intensive planting but doesn’t allow the veggies to over run each other. I’ll email you a copy as soon as I can! A day or two at most.
A couple of recommendations:
1) the book, Square Food Gardening by Mel Bartholemew is FAB. I got a copy of it 2 years ago for about 4 bucks from Amazon (used of course). It gives great advice and lets you plant a ton in a small space.
2) I agree that Sun Gold tomatoes are wonderful (they’re orange and cherry-tomato-sized). But they’re scraggly and wouldn’t be happy in a pot unless it’s a big ol’ 5-gallon thing (or a wine barrel), in which case it would be fine. If your container isn’t that big, choose what they’d refer to as a ‘patio’ type.
Posted by: no-blog-rachel
Wow, I’m really impressed with your organization. It didn’t occur to me to be so organized. I’ll follow your lead and plan mine out better.
A fun thing to keep in mind, maybe not this season, but raspberries do really well here. They are climbers and stickery but yum!
Posted by: Laurie
Looks good, my only advice is just to give it a try, don’t know much about what the climate would be like where you are, so can’t really comment on planting times etc, but from my own experience, don’t expect plants to be mature and ready for harvest by the time on the label, especially in winter if its cold. Enjoy it though, Thumper will love ‘helping’ too!
Posted by: Sharon
I have found that gardening in the northwest is very dependent on the amount of sun you get. Tomatoes need every bit of sun you can give them. I also like to put some of my containers where they have shelter from the rain. A really rainy summer can wreck a harvest. (Except mint. It’s unstoppable.)
Posted by: Sara
I second the idea of herbs. Make a permanent part of the garden just for herbs. Make sure you can easily reach your middle sections from the aisle or edges. If you don’t mind vines wandering onto the lawn, I recommend some butternut squash: it has a huge vine with tremendous output. One year I got 25 squashes off 2 plants. Pumpkins are also fun but make sure you get the eating kind: Halloween decorations and then pies, breads, muffins. Can’t wait to plant my garden, and I’m really hoping we don’t have a drought this year –not that YOU have to worry about that!
Posted by: Ellen
Agree with Hanna, Miriam, Stephanie, and others!
I think you’re going to have more zucchini than you’ll know what to do with and it will crush everything around it if you plant all those squash plants.
My parents used to do 4 zucchini plants, the four of us would eat it every single night with dinner (big veggie eaters), we would give baskets of it away to the neighbors, and then and my mom and I would spend a weekend baking zucchini bread/muffins, enough to fill a deep freeze and a regular freezer, and some would still go bad before we could eat it.
I think you’ll be overwhelmed with just two zucchini plants. My dad won’t even plant it anymore because he can’t give enough away to make it worthwhile – and he thinks it’s too wasteful to put in the compost heap when he could be growing peppers/beans/something else in their place.
The only other suggestions I have are:
Plant tomatoes in the ground instead of a container. They grow MUCH better in an environment where it is a cycle of drying out completely and then soaking.
Plant A LOT of cilantro, and let a good bit of it go to seed once or twice and get good and bushy before you take any. It has a very short life/seeding cycle and it needs to really get well established before you start stealing it 🙂
And one little tiny pot of mint is going to be more than you’re going to know what to do with. (I grew some in a pot 6″ diameter and about 8″ deep – it was MORE than enough) And KEEP IT AWAY FROM EVERYTHING ELSE.
Italian Parsley is really easy to grow and will probably continue to grow/produce year round in the PDX. And yummy, and really good for you.
Don’t know how you feel about chili peppers, but they (and other hot peppers, like jalapenos) are really easy to grow and are very compact plants. I grew them in containers last year and we wound up giving a lot of them away. Plus, they would produce well into the winter for you.
Oh how I wish I had a decent plot of land to plant in, instead of two dozen pots on my 10’x 10′ patio. Cursed city living!
Posted by: Marisa
Wow, I’m really impressed with your organization. It didn’t occur to me to be so organized. I’ll follow your lead and plan mine out better.
A fun thing to keep in mind, maybe not this season, but raspberries do really well here. They are climbers and stickery but yum!
Posted by: Laurie
Looks good, my only advice is just to give it a try, don’t know much about what the climate would be like where you are, so can’t really comment on planting times etc, but from my own experience, don’t expect plants to be mature and ready for harvest by the time on the label, especially in winter if its cold. Enjoy it though, Thumper will love ‘helping’ too!
Posted by: Sharon
I have found that gardening in the northwest is very dependent on the amount of sun you get. Tomatoes need every bit of sun you can give them. I also like to put some of my containers where they have shelter from the rain. A really rainy summer can wreck a harvest. (Except mint. It’s unstoppable.)
Posted by: Sara
I second the idea of herbs. Make a permanent part of the garden just for herbs. Make sure you can easily reach your middle sections from the aisle or edges. If you don’t mind vines wandering onto the lawn, I recommend some butternut squash: it has a huge vine with tremendous output. One year I got 25 squashes off 2 plants. Pumpkins are also fun but make sure you get the eating kind: Halloween decorations and then pies, breads, muffins. Can’t wait to plant my garden, and I’m really hoping we don’t have a drought this year –not that YOU have to worry about that!
Posted by: Ellen
Agree with Hanna, Miriam, Stephanie, and others!
I think you’re going to have more zucchini than you’ll know what to do with and it will crush everything around it if you plant all those squash plants.
My parents used to do 4 zucchini plants, the four of us would eat it every single night with dinner (big veggie eaters), we would give baskets of it away to the neighbors, and then and my mom and I would spend a weekend baking zucchini bread/muffins, enough to fill a deep freeze and a regular freezer, and some would still go bad before we could eat it.
I think you’ll be overwhelmed with just two zucchini plants. My dad won’t even plant it anymore because he can’t give enough away to make it worthwhile – and he thinks it’s too wasteful to put in the compost heap when he could be growing peppers/beans/something else in their place.
The only other suggestions I have are:
Plant tomatoes in the ground instead of a container. They grow MUCH better in an environment where it is a cycle of drying out completely and then soaking.
Plant A LOT of cilantro, and let a good bit of it go to seed once or twice and get good and bushy before you take any. It has a very short life/seeding cycle and it needs to really get well established before you start stealing it 🙂
And one little tiny pot of mint is going to be more than you’re going to know what to do with. (I grew some in a pot 6″ diameter and about 8″ deep – it was MORE than enough) And KEEP IT AWAY FROM EVERYTHING ELSE.
Italian Parsley is really easy to grow and will probably continue to grow/produce year round in the PDX. And yummy, and really good for you.
Don’t know how you feel about chili peppers, but they (and other hot peppers, like jalapenos) are really easy to grow and are very compact plants. I grew them in containers last year and we wound up giving a lot of them away. Plus, they would produce well into the winter for you.
Oh how I wish I had a decent plot of land to plant in, instead of two dozen pots on my 10’x 10′ patio. Cursed city living!
Posted by: Marisa
RAWR! Tomatoes grow better in an environment where it is NOT a cycle of drying out completely and then soaking. Sorry about that.
And for my novel length comment – I guess gardening is as big of a passion for me as knitting is!
Posted by: Marisa
Your summer squashes will spread and take over a lot of space. You might be able to grow some winter squash as well (butternut and acorn) in that space as they last well if you can keep them dry and cool. Asparagus takes years to mature and the yield is small – it grows amazingly fast, though – you can almost see it grow. Herbs do great in big containers, and you can bring them indoors in the winter and continue to eat them (some are annuals or last just two years, like parsley.) Finally, nothing tastes as good as a fresh picked carrot, but scrubbing the dirt off is a big pain!
Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport
I may have (or tens of others have) already pointed you to this book, but it’s indispensable when it comes to PNW veggie gardening, so it’s worth another mention:
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9781570615344
I’ve had good luck growing tomatoes in big rubbermaid containers – not pretty, but very cheap compared to what you normally have to pay.
P.S. Yes, mint really is that aggressive.
WOOHOO! I love me some gardening.
Posted by: Tina
Some thoughts on the fig tree:
First, you lucky duck! Figs don’t grow in MN and it’s pretty rare to find fresh figs in the grocery store.
Next, my parents live just north of you in Vancouver, WA and planted a fig tree a few years ago. Based on how fast it grew, don’t plan on leaving it in a container for too long. I was amazed at how shot up.
Last, their dog steals figs off the tree: fair warning!
Posted by: Karen O
Good grief, you are a beacon of vegetable organization. Once I am done posting, I am going outside to prep my beds for my peas and sow my next seeding of salad greens.
Beware the mint! We have mint contained in raised herb beds right near our patio, so we can make mojitos outside. It helps keep it under control 🙂
I am going to be brave and actually plant zucchini this year. I am going to try Territorial’s Portofino – it doesnt get soggy when cooked. However, I am getting the sampler packet and planting two seeds. Yes, just two.
Sungold is great, and because its such a sprawler, a trellis is a great way to grow it. We also like Costoluto Genovese, Saucey, Stupice and Siletz.
Jenny mentioned aphids on broccoli and other brassicas. I plant mine for winter harvest (brussel sprouts in Mid May up here, cant remember the dates for broccoli, collards, cauliflower and kale) which helps. I also installed my drip irrigation system (just T tape from Dripworks) and had a big reduction in my aphids because the plants were no longer drought stressed, which attracts pests.
If you dont have the fig already, Raintree Nursery has a bare root sale each Father’s Day weekend. I am going to try to wait until then to snag my blueberries. Thanks for the inspiration!
Posted by: Alyssa
the only advice: asparagus comes back year after year, and usually like a bed to themselves..or off to one side. They may also grow tall, so will need support stakes, or to be grown against a wall.
Squash-type plants will run every which direction, so grow them along an edge of a bed where they won’t interfere with anything else, or get stepped on. Also, they have a tendancy to get a grub or insect that bores into the stalks and eats the inside – powdered pyrethrins work BEFORE they get in, or cutting off the “trespassed” runner will save the rest of the plant.
Posted by: knittykim
RAWR! Tomatoes grow better in an environment where it is NOT a cycle of drying out completely and then soaking. Sorry about that.
And for my novel length comment – I guess gardening is as big of a passion for me as knitting is!
Posted by: Marisa
Your summer squashes will spread and take over a lot of space. You might be able to grow some winter squash as well (butternut and acorn) in that space as they last well if you can keep them dry and cool. Asparagus takes years to mature and the yield is small – it grows amazingly fast, though – you can almost see it grow. Herbs do great in big containers, and you can bring them indoors in the winter and continue to eat them (some are annuals or last just two years, like parsley.) Finally, nothing tastes as good as a fresh picked carrot, but scrubbing the dirt off is a big pain!
Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport
I may have (or tens of others have) already pointed you to this book, but it’s indispensable when it comes to PNW veggie gardening, so it’s worth another mention:
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9781570615344
I’ve had good luck growing tomatoes in big rubbermaid containers – not pretty, but very cheap compared to what you normally have to pay.
P.S. Yes, mint really is that aggressive.
WOOHOO! I love me some gardening.
Posted by: Tina
Some thoughts on the fig tree:
First, you lucky duck! Figs don’t grow in MN and it’s pretty rare to find fresh figs in the grocery store.
Next, my parents live just north of you in Vancouver, WA and planted a fig tree a few years ago. Based on how fast it grew, don’t plan on leaving it in a container for too long. I was amazed at how shot up.
Last, their dog steals figs off the tree: fair warning!
Posted by: Karen O
Good grief, you are a beacon of vegetable organization. Once I am done posting, I am going outside to prep my beds for my peas and sow my next seeding of salad greens.
Beware the mint! We have mint contained in raised herb beds right near our patio, so we can make mojitos outside. It helps keep it under control 🙂
I am going to be brave and actually plant zucchini this year. I am going to try Territorial’s Portofino – it doesnt get soggy when cooked. However, I am getting the sampler packet and planting two seeds. Yes, just two.
Sungold is great, and because its such a sprawler, a trellis is a great way to grow it. We also like Costoluto Genovese, Saucey, Stupice and Siletz.
Jenny mentioned aphids on broccoli and other brassicas. I plant mine for winter harvest (brussel sprouts in Mid May up here, cant remember the dates for broccoli, collards, cauliflower and kale) which helps. I also installed my drip irrigation system (just T tape from Dripworks) and had a big reduction in my aphids because the plants were no longer drought stressed, which attracts pests.
If you dont have the fig already, Raintree Nursery has a bare root sale each Father’s Day weekend. I am going to try to wait until then to snag my blueberries. Thanks for the inspiration!
Posted by: Alyssa
the only advice: asparagus comes back year after year, and usually like a bed to themselves..or off to one side. They may also grow tall, so will need support stakes, or to be grown against a wall.
Squash-type plants will run every which direction, so grow them along an edge of a bed where they won’t interfere with anything else, or get stepped on. Also, they have a tendancy to get a grub or insect that bores into the stalks and eats the inside – powdered pyrethrins work BEFORE they get in, or cutting off the “trespassed” runner will save the rest of the plant.
Posted by: knittykim
being in the South I can’t comment on gardening in the PNW, however, if you DO find yourself with aphids, mix A TEASPOON (yes, one teaspoon!) of Murphy’s Oil Soap in a 1 quart sprayer and spritz your plants TOP & BOTTOM and it will take care of them.
Posted by: robin
I hope you like zucchini, a whole lot. It thrives, it dominates, what can I say, there will be much of it. Otherwise, it looks great.
Posted by: Otter
the zucchs will take over. i am planting one plant at the end of one of our beds. you’ve got quite a bit more going in than we do…i figured i would start small so i had fewer plants to kill with my potentially black thumb! 🙂
Posted by: shanny in oregon
I would cut the zucchini down by at least half and add soybeans.
Posted by: Juliette
I’m not much of a gardener, though I plant a few things each year, but I definitely second the ‘Sun Gold’ tomato variety. They are the most delicious tomatoes ever and do really well in our raised bed each year. We get our tomatoes and herbs to plant (all organic) at the Saturday farmers market by PSU, which is a fabulous place. The market opens April 5th for the season. Have you been there? It’s my favorite. Fun with kids too since they always have live music. I agree about the mint, squah and zucchini taking over. Watch out there. Blueberries are great. We have those. I love our raspberries, but they are a pain, a weed actually, of course. How about lettuce? We had great luck with that and it kept going and going – a very long season. Blah, blah… let’s go to the farmers market sometime.
Posted by: Tereza
being in the South I can’t comment on gardening in the PNW, however, if you DO find yourself with aphids, mix A TEASPOON (yes, one teaspoon!) of Murphy’s Oil Soap in a 1 quart sprayer and spritz your plants TOP & BOTTOM and it will take care of them.
Posted by: robin
I hope you like zucchini, a whole lot. It thrives, it dominates, what can I say, there will be much of it. Otherwise, it looks great.
Posted by: Otter
the zucchs will take over. i am planting one plant at the end of one of our beds. you’ve got quite a bit more going in than we do…i figured i would start small so i had fewer plants to kill with my potentially black thumb! 🙂
Posted by: shanny in oregon
I would cut the zucchini down by at least half and add soybeans.
Posted by: Juliette
I’m not much of a gardener, though I plant a few things each year, but I definitely second the ‘Sun Gold’ tomato variety. They are the most delicious tomatoes ever and do really well in our raised bed each year. We get our tomatoes and herbs to plant (all organic) at the Saturday farmers market by PSU, which is a fabulous place. The market opens April 5th for the season. Have you been there? It’s my favorite. Fun with kids too since they always have live music. I agree about the mint, squah and zucchini taking over. Watch out there. Blueberries are great. We have those. I love our raspberries, but they are a pain, a weed actually, of course. How about lettuce? We had great luck with that and it kept going and going – a very long season. Blah, blah… let’s go to the farmers market sometime.
Posted by: Tereza
Boy are you getting good advice! The book suggested at Powell’s really has the best advice. Another I would suggest is Carrots Love Tomatoes. Companion planting really boosts yields and the health of plants. The year I surrounded my Asparagus crowns with tomatoes those tomatoes were the healthiest ever. Basil also loves tomatoes. Garlic keeps aphids away from roses. They are a problem here if it is a dry Summer. Portland Nursery is a great resource for herbs. And I would just say about the squash–if you plant them in the corners of your raised beds then they can grow over the edges. Oh yea, little boys love green bean teepees:)
Posted by: deb
Wow! You are going to have quite the garden! I am still jealous that you can plant all year. We had a lot of fun with our Brussels last year. Cabbage and cucumbers are fun too. I especially enjoy making bread & butter pickles with our cucumbers.
Posted by: knittripps
Marigolds also keep aphids away. Generally speaking, smaller blueberries have more flavor than the large berry varieties. Additionally the easiest way to keep them, is to spread them out on a cookie sheet and freeze them from dry. Then put the frozen berries, like little marbles, into containers.
Posted by: PICAdrienne
Boy are you getting good advice! The book suggested at Powell’s really has the best advice. Another I would suggest is Carrots Love Tomatoes. Companion planting really boosts yields and the health of plants. The year I surrounded my Asparagus crowns with tomatoes those tomatoes were the healthiest ever. Basil also loves tomatoes. Garlic keeps aphids away from roses. They are a problem here if it is a dry Summer. Portland Nursery is a great resource for herbs. And I would just say about the squash–if you plant them in the corners of your raised beds then they can grow over the edges. Oh yea, little boys love green bean teepees:)
Posted by: deb
Wow! You are going to have quite the garden! I am still jealous that you can plant all year. We had a lot of fun with our Brussels last year. Cabbage and cucumbers are fun too. I especially enjoy making bread & butter pickles with our cucumbers.
Posted by: knittripps
Marigolds also keep aphids away. Generally speaking, smaller blueberries have more flavor than the large berry varieties. Additionally the easiest way to keep them, is to spread them out on a cookie sheet and freeze them from dry. Then put the frozen berries, like little marbles, into containers.
Posted by: PICAdrienne