2022 Gardening Thread

[Man]

Lot of that depends on variety... Semi-erect cane plants will allow you to put more than a running cane plant... I have Prime-Ark Freedom Thornless flowering primo-cane blackberries and they require at least 2 foot spacing to give them room to grow. They are semi-erect cane plants and I let 'em get about 4 feet high, then top them. That makes them grow lateral canes and that's where most of your berries will come from. The more lateral canes you have, the more berries you will get as opposed to just letting a main cane grow tall and lay over... With only 4 feet of growing space, you'll not get but maybe 2 plants in that box. To give you an idea of what those Prime-Ark Freedom berries look like, here's a couple pics...

Thanks...I will plant 2 and space them out evenly in the box this weekend then. Them pies are our end game as well! Good to know I can top them off and they go wide like a pepper plant!

[SaltwaterSlick]

Thanks...I will plant 2 and space them out evenly in the box this weekend then. Them pies are our end game as well! Good to know I can top them off and they go wide like a pepper plant!

Buy the biggest plants you can get. We got ours from Stark Brothers. They shipped overnight packed in cellulite/potting soil and bagged to preserve moisture. Put 'em in the ground and they took off right away... I give 'em a little shot of 10-10-10 when they start blooming (right about now)...
Been too wet for me to get my mower or tiller in the area yet... I'm running way behind this year! They show to be available to ship now!

https://www.starkbros.com/products/berry-plants/blackberry-plants/prime-ark-freedom-primocane-blackberry

[deano70]

Charlie, I'm ready to get me some of those berry plants started in my setup but the ones you talk about state that they won't do well for my area (Conroe). I seem to recall you mentioned something about that on another thread a while back but can't recall what you said about it.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Well, we're about 9 miles SE of Cleveland, and they survived the "big freeze" last year... I've been well pleased with them... The more you prune 'em and keep the new canes topped, the more laterals you'll grow and the more berries you'll have... The first season (2018), We planted about the first of March, and we picked a fresh berry cobbler for Thanksgiving dinner! Suckers grew fast and bloomed all summer... They are a prima-cane berry meaning the new canes that grow will fruit the first year (though not as much as the flora-canes (second year canes)). Unlike the local wild dewberries and blackberries, these suckers just kept blooming all spring long... didn't slow down until probably late June, then picked back up in about mid-September... We picked over 11 gallons off of 24 plants... Probably 2/3 of that was off 12 plants... We ordered twice. First time we got the bigger plants. Second time we got the small starter plants and they just did not take off like the big ones did.


These pics were taken May 4, '18...

[SaltwaterSlick]

Oh yea, before anyone asks about my "trellising"... I tried a split wire deal I saw on YouTube the first year and it just did not work very well... Best I've found is good old cattle panels and T-Posts and tie the canes up with one of these!! This little taping tool is the best thing since sliced bread for tying up any garden plant!! Buy this, a box of the tape rolls and box of the specialized staples, and you'll be set for years! It will literally change your life if you grow tomatoes, peppers or cukes, or pole beans, etc!!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CDQTMJC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[dxtbowhunter]

I have the prime ark travelers. they perform very well too. I planted 24. only loosing one. have you noticed when the best time to pick them? I think early morning or late evening for the best taste.

[SaltwaterSlick]

We try not to leave black ones on the vines more than a day and preferably not overnight... so we try to pick before dark. I had an issue with coons for a while but I've thinned them out with Dukes and my pellet guns to where they're not much problem any longer... Birds so far have not been a problem but did have an invasion of a small bug last year like a click beetle... Hope they do not return. didn't want to spray the plants with anything after they began fruiting... Not sure where they came from. Never seen 'em before.

[tps7742]

Berries are looking great Mr Charlie. Those are still on my to do & want list and that cobbler looks lip smacking good.

My onions are looking up and I notice two tater plants peaking through the soil today.

[Gumbo Man]

We try not to leave black ones on the vines more than a day and preferably not overnight... so we try to pick before dark. I had an issue with coons for a while but I've thinned them out with Dukes and my pellet guns to where they're not much problem any longer... Birds so far have not been a problem but did have an invasion of a small bug last year like a click beetle... Hope they do not return. didn't want to spray the plants with anything after they began fruiting... Not sure where they came from. Never seen 'em before.

Charlie when I first saw the size of those berries I immediately thought cobbler. And then you posted cobbler pictures. You got it goin on my friend.

[toomuchsun]

What are y’all making raised beds from? Lumber is so expensive i might wait to make beds till later and just till a smaller area with a simple border

I "used" to have abundance to lumber due to my work as a builder commercial and residential. No More so: I have the same question! First do not use treated. 2nd is common pine, fir etc will not last long. I would love to use cedar as it will rot part buried but its safe for the food. My next box will likely be salvage cedar fencing which people often give free when repairing replacing(I would Not pay for it to Note) . It will not last a long time but 6" pickets could be stacked and brace with pickets pieces and make a nice minima raise bed and cost nothing but some labor. My main bed was salvaged 2 x 12 western cedar I ripped to 5 1/2" and made a modest 8 x8 bed. It stands today. I also got some clearance man made stuff (plastics) to build a cool trellis. That stuff might leach a little cr@p in soils but I am ok. Its not a perfect world. Sorry for long post. I love my vegis.

[toomuchsun]

Oh yea, this is what those berries do best!!


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yes!

[sqiggy]

Well, I didn’t get any loads of chicken litter on my garden this fall like I wanted to. So I bought some fertilizer the other day and it’s just plain stupid but I got to have it in that sugar sand I got.
Anyway, got it all busted up and planted 13 rows of sweet corn. Last year coons got about half of it. I’ll get a early jump on them this year though. Wanted to plant some snap beans as well but could not find any seed. If I can’t find what I’m looking for, might have to go with something else.

[Killer]

First year here. I have a soil test question. What fertilizer should I be looking at? Also rows or flat planting opinions? I don’t have very nutritious soil it’s doesn’t look like. I made some rows to see how it would look, but I’ve been told flat planting is good.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://aesl.ces.uga.edu/soil/fertcalc/

Use this fertilizer calculator to show what type fertilizer you need
You need a lot of lime to raise your PH for vegetables. It may grow blueberries good! They like acidic soils

[lmartin5]

Oh yea, this is what those berries do best!!


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My all-time favorite!

[locolobo]

Just gettin going

Gettin my winter cover crop incorporated. Should be ready to plant in a week. I
start everything in the garden except the few stuff I buy @ Wally world or the feed store.
I still have cabbage type stuff, and lettuce, and onions goin from the winter garden. I have a few onions starting to swell already so I should be harvested by late next month.
Sweet peas didn't do very well this year. but we have made a few meals off 'em.
I also have some perennials that should be showin soon, Asparagus and some Filipino veggies that I can't pronounce, much less spell.
Good luck on Y'alls gardens. May the weather co-operate. For a change.