2015 Vegetable Garden

[Tidybuoy]

For years I've been planning on building some raised beds. And, once again I did not get it done in time for spring. However, I decided to get started with "something" even though it's not the pretty raised boxes that I will someday build. My driveway is in the back of my house and on the side is an unused space that is about 10' wide x 40' long. This area gets full sun from about 11am till 5ish. So far I've only used about a 3rd of the space.

This year, I brought home blue plastic barrels from work and cut them in half to use as planters. These containers were previously used for food surface soap. I rinsed them very thoroughly before using and they cleaned out very easily. In the bottom of each tub, I made a circular donut of 4" flexible drain which is then covered with a sock to keep dirt from plugging it up (this will create a 4" water reservoir). The I covered the drain pipes with sand, added an overflow hole 4" from the bottom, covered with landscape cloth, then potting soil.

Here are some pictures of my progress:
May 1st Progress:


Tomatoes:


Hot Peppers:


Various Lettuse & Beets:


Watermellon, Cantelope, & Zucchini:


1/2 Barrel with 4" Landscape Drain in Sock & Added a Fill Pipe:


Covered With Sand:


Added Landscape Cloth to keep potting soil & roots out of bottom:


April 1st - Planting Day:


Baby Preying Mantis - They eat bugs:

[HardDrive]

Looks great. 🌱

We're just planting this weekend. Had a few frosty nights in the past 2 weeks.

[herr_oberst]

Those look great. I like the way you fashioned the reservoirs.

Apropos of nothing, in July 2015 Oregon residents can grow up to 4 plants, legally!

[mreid]

Love the praying mantis sentries. Nothing will get by them. Nice job!

[john70t]

An infestation of powdery mildew was included in the mulch pile delivered by a company many years ago.
I thought it would disappear over a hot summer.
It didn't.

Growing anything successfully has been a challenge.
Add in crappy soil with doggy pee-of-death, and it's a miracle anything survived.

Finally decided to take action.
A light copper sulfate and neem oil with a little dish soap application is starting to take effect.
Much less mildew and rot so far.
Even the air even smells cleaner.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Those look great. I like the way you fashioned the reservoirs.

Apropos of nothing, in July 2015 Oregon residents can grow up to 4 plants, legally!

My mother lives just outside Salem. If I stop by, you best share dammit.

[wdfifteen]

Those are praying mantises? What kind of plant is that they're on?

[slodave]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Those are praying mantises? What kind of plant is that they're on?

Romaine...

[wdfifteen]

Interesting. The praying mantises around here are six inches long and green.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Those are praying mantises? What kind of plant is that they're on?

They are crawling on romain lettuce leaves.

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Interesting. The praying mantises around here are six inches long and green.

These should grow to 6". These are brand new hatchlings, I bought seed pods at the local nursery and they hatched in about 2 weeks and now I have hundreds of them crawling around - hope they survive. These guys are about 1/2 to 1 inch long and are just starting to change from clear to green.

[Tobra]

I am getting a late start on my garden. Just finished getting the plot ready today, been super hot so I sort of want to hold off on putting them in the ground. Going small this year, no more than 18 or 20 plants. All the fruit trees look good though.

[TimT]

I'm just starting to get tomatoes

Brandywines... One was 1.5 lbs the other 1.0 lbs... have had random fruits ripening... but the tidal wave is about to start.... My pear tree has never borne so many fruit..

And this year I am gardening by the "neglect" method...

I also have San Marzanos, Boxcar Willies, and Beefsteaks... and they are all ready to pick at the same time.... The little old Italian widow who lives across the street will be happy... my other neighbors don't seem to like fresh veggies....Their loss...

[rfuerst911sc]

Zuchini has been growing like a weed for the past 6 weeks. Cucumbers coming along good along with tomatoes. Next year going to try some corn.

[Tobra]

Corn pollinates by wind, so you won't get much corn on the first row

Hardly gotten any peppers at all, been kind of cool all summer

[tevake]

It's such a bummer when this sort of thing happens.
Weed seed infested compost, mold and fungus spores. Some service they are providing.
We ordered a bunch of topsoil to improve the sandy soil at our place near the beach.
And received red clay filled with all kinds of debris from a sight the company was clearing from another location. Sticky red clay, yuck!

Glad you are turning your situation around.



QUOTE=john70t;8605395]An infestation of powdery mildew was included in the mulch pile delivered by a company many years ago.
I thought it would disappear over a hot summer.
It didn't.

Growing anything successfully has been a challenge.
Add in crappy soil with doggy pee-of-death, and it's a miracle anything survived.

Finally decided to take action.
A light copper sulfate and neem oil with a little dish soap application is starting to take effect.
Much less mildew and rot so far.
Even the air even smells cleaner.[/QUOTE]

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by john70t

A light copper sulfate and neem oil with a little dish soap application is starting to take effect.
Much less mildew and rot so far.
Even the air even smells cleaner.

I'm glad you were able to turn it around. Our season has been so wet the bell peppers didn't produce at all. I didn't think I was going to get any tomatoes but they started coming on about 10 days ago. We've canned over 100 jars of pickles and salsa. They keep disappearing whenever someone visits.