Posted April 1, 201015 yr I am starting this thread because its getting warm outside again, and I am attempting my second year of gardening in my yard. I thought maybe some other UO'ers would want to talk about gardening too. I am trying to start vegetable seeds inside. I have an LED grow light all set up and I have already set up my seed starter kit and planted the seeds. Last year I did it without the grow light and ended up getting nothing to sprout. I had to just plant them all outside when it was warm enough, which was frustrating because some of the plants didn't get to full growth until it started to get cold out and by then it was a waste. Does anyone else grow their own food?
April 1, 201015 yr We try every year. Problem is, we live too close to the Euclid Creek Metropark and the deer are multiplying every year. I see packs as big as 10 wandering around the 'nabe. They even came up on my deck last year to get the rest of our tomatoes. Those f'ers also clean us out as soon as the Lillies bud too. The only thing we have consistent luck with is the herb garden.
April 1, 201015 yr We had a lot of deer last year for some reason, which is odd for where we live. They are usually sleeping in and eating up my neighbors beautiful flower gardens in her front and back yard. They came up on your deck???? Wow. That sucks. I haven't had a problem (yet) with animals...mostly because we put wire and stuff around the garden...but you can tell that they are trying to get at the plants.
April 1, 201015 yr While I was totally against the sniper program in Solon, I see the argument somewhat now. The Bucks are scarce and I usually don't run into them, the Mama Deer with their babies can lead to some sticky situations. 2 years ago, a Doe put her newborn somewhere in the bed of the creek that runs behind my house. My dog (a 105 lb German Shepherd) goes back there a lot and will usually frighten any deer to keep their distance. He also chased a Coyote out of my yard once, the only time I have seen one of those. But this Doe was having none of that. I was on my deck when they tangled up and I started hollering for him to come back to the house. He turned and headed back in a dead sprint. The freaking Doe chased him! She caught him right by my deck and jumped on his back and started trying to stomp. Luckily he fought back and I picked up a chair and threw it at her. She eventually retreated, but there was a real uncomfortable stare down before she eventually trotted off. It's funny, because I probably only live about 3/4 mile from where I grew up and I NEVER ONCE saw a deer as a kid. Currently, I do live on the tip of the metropark and the Cutter's Creek development on Anderson and Green wiped out a dense forrest, so maybe that explains it. But it just seems like there are more and more every year. [rant off]
April 6, 201015 yr I am trying to start vegetable seeds inside. I have an LED grow light all set up and I have already set up my seed starter kit and planted the seeds. Last year I did it without the grow light and ended up getting nothing to sprout. I had to just plant them all outside when it was warm enough, which was frustrating because some of the plants didn't get to full growth until it started to get cold out and by then it was a waste. This is funny that you posted this, because I had the same problem last year. This year I got two seed mat heating pads, which made a huge difference. All my seeds sprouted a lot faster. I am not using them right now, as it has gotten pretty warm and I don't want to make them too warm. They are kind of expensive, I got two that are about 20" x 20" and they cost about $45 apiece, but hopefully they will last a long time. You plug them in and they give bottom heat to the seed trays. I don't have a grow light, but they are in a nice, sunny room. Most everything seems to be growing well so far. Although the marjoram I started several weeks ago seems to have stalled out and isn't getting any bigger. I think they have enough room, I don't know what the problem is. Anyone try to use peat pots? My BF got me some peat pot trays for individual seedlings and I tried to start some seeds in them but they almost immediately start to break down once they get moist. I have to water the stuff, I don't get how I can keep the stuff wet without it turning into wet cardboard and falling apart.
April 7, 201015 yr I used to have 5 or 6 hostas in my front yard around the walkway to the front door. Living in my house for 8 years now I've never once seen them bloom because the f-ing deer eat them every single year. 2 years ago I took a scorched earth approach and just started mowing them to the ground. If I can't enjoy them, then I sure as heck don't want the mother f-ing deer eating them. And I'm all for the sniper program. The deer are like rats around me. Too many, and not enough food sources. Re: gardening. I'm taking on a semi-ambitious re-landscaping project this year. My back yard has always had a pretty weak lawn to begin with, due to a lot of shade, and poor soil conditions (a lot of clay). This spring, when the snow melted, I saw more mud than green. So in two weeks I'm ordering about 10 yards of top soil, renting a roto-tiller, and re-scaping the back yard. I'm going to even out the yard (there's a couple areas where bowls have formed that create pretty significant 'ponds' when it rains), and re-seed the whole thing. As part of this, I'm going to put in a flower garden as a border to my patio. I'm still a relative novice when it comes to perennials / annuals, etc. So I have a question for the board: what are some native / hearty perennial and shrub types that would do ok in a low / moderate sunlight area? I'm looking to border the back of the yard with shrubs and then have a flower garden by the patio.
April 7, 201015 yr Re: gardening. I'm taking on a semi-ambitious re-landscaping project this year. My back yard has always had a pretty weak lawn to begin with, due to a lot of shade, and poor soil conditions (a lot of clay). This spring, when the snow melted, I saw more mud than green. So in two weeks I'm ordering about 10 yards of top soil, renting a roto-tiller, and re-scaping the back yard. I'm going to even out the yard (there's a couple areas where bowls have formed that create pretty significant 'ponds' when it rains), and re-seed the whole thing. As part of this, I'm going to put in a flower garden as a border to my patio. I'm still a relative novice when it comes to perennials / annuals, etc. So I have a question for the board: what are some native / hearty perennial and shrub types that would do ok in a low / moderate sunlight area? I'm looking to border the back of the yard with shrubs and then have a flower garden by the patio. Rhododendrums need low to moderate sunlight. If you put them in full sun, they fry (I learned the hard way). You would need to clear out the clay though... digging a hole at least twice the size of the root ball (both width and depth). Last bed I did, I had to dig up a bunch of clay and I found embedded in the clay a ton of "bluestones" (hence "Village of Bluestone") and I used them for the border.
April 7, 201015 yr I say buy cut flowers. My mom has these invisible fence things in here gardens because we get racoons, woodchucks, squirrles, chipmonks and skunks. AJ93 My dad, my brother and my nephews were out sodding, seeding and fixing "dips" in the lawn this past weekend. I so glad I dont have to do that crap anymore.
April 7, 201015 yr I say buy cut flowers. My mom has these invisible fence things in here gardens because we get racoons, woodchucks, squirrles, chipmonks and skunks. My mom has pretty extensive gardens (both floral and vegetable) and she found that taking Irish Spring, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied to a stake, goes a long way to keeping the critters at bay. They can't stand the smell. Mothballs work pretty well too. AJ93 My dad, my brother and my nephews were out sodding, seeding and fixing "dips" in the lawn this past weekend. I so glad I dont have to do that crap anymore. I used to do landscaping work during my summers off from college. Plus, my folks live on an old farm in Upstate NY, so I'm not scared away by a little labor. By comparison, my postage stamp lawn now is significantly easier to maintain (even with the re-seed). Lawns I'm good with. Flowers, not so much. They die when I even look at them.
April 7, 201015 yr I say buy cut flowers. My mom has these invisible fence things in here gardens because we get racoons, woodchucks, squirrles, chipmonks and skunks. My mom has pretty extensive gardens (both floral and vegetable) and she found that taking Irish Spring, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied to a stake, goes a long way to keeping the critters at bay. They can't stand the smell. Mothballs work pretty well too. AJ93 My dad, my brother and my nephews were out sodding, seeding and fixing "dips" in the lawn this past weekend. I so glad I dont have to do that crap anymore. I used to do landscaping work during my summers off from college. Plus, my folks live on an old farm in Upstate NY, so I'm not scared away by a little labor. By comparison, my postage stamp lawn now is significantly easier to maintain (even with the re-seed). Lawns I'm good with. Flowers, not so much. They die when I even look at them. My mother and a family of wood chucks did battle . She tried everything and they would find a way into the garden. In addition, she occasionally gets ducks, geese and birds from the lakes.
April 7, 201015 yr I moved into my house five years ago. After moving back from NC, my wife and I rented a small house in Mayfield Hts while I was finishing up school. Racoon, skunks, etc. were a major hassle over there. Especially the skunks... my dog would get sprayed two or three times a year. However, my new house has a shed in the back with a Groundhog living underneath it. For whatever reason, the skunks and racoons won't come near my house and the Groundhog has not been a nuisance at all (he's actually kind of cute frolicing about). Someone told me that Groundhogs will keep skunks away because they compete for the same food. Not to take this too far off topic, but if anybody who owns a dog doesn't know about the "skunk mix", you need to educate yourself. Tomato juice just covers the smell up. But a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and Dawn dish detergent (don't ask why but it HAS to be Dawn) knocks the smell right out. In fact, it works so well with my dog's fur and sensitive skin that I use it to bath him now.
April 7, 201015 yr what are some native / hearty perennial and shrub types that would do ok in a low / moderate sunlight area? I'm looking to border the back of the yard with shrubs and then have a flower garden by the patio. I would recommend hostas... but apparently, you have bad luck with those. :shoot: How much sun is "moderate" sun? http://gardening.about.com/od/gardendesign/qt/SunExposure.htm My neighbors have black-eyed-susans planted against the north side of their house, and they seem to do well. If you have a spot that is especially shady and protected from wind, you could plant Christmas Roses. http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS311&ie=ISO-8859-1&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=Helleborus I have one against the north side of my house, between two other bushes, (I don't think it ever gets direct sunlight) and it seems to do just fine.
April 7, 201015 yr We put an electric fence around our 1000 square foot garden. We bait it with strips of aluminum foil with peanut butter dabbed on it. The deer test it with their tongues and don't come back. My fun project last year was sowing lettuce, spinach, and mache in a cold frame in August. We harvested salad greens until January 16 when we ran out. A few of the mache started growing and I harvested those on Sunday.
April 7, 201015 yr We had one of those sound barriers thingies but it bothered the neighbors dog. My mom swears up and down gardening is relaxing and theraputic. Although she looks upset while shes out there with tape measurers, markers, spray painting one side of the garden and drawing diagrams of where things are and when they will bloom. You would swear she's building a damn building out there. but it always come together for her garden opening. I say hire a gardener! We put an electric fence around our 1000 square foot garden. We bait it with strips of aluminum foil with peanut butter dabbed on it. The deer test it with their tongues and don't come back. My fun project last year was sowing lettuce, spinach, and mache in a cold frame in August. We harvested salad greens until January 16 when we ran out. A few of the mache started growing and I harvested those on Sunday.
April 9, 201015 yr This is funny that you posted this, because I had the same problem last year. This year I got two seed mat heating pads, which made a huge difference. All my seeds sprouted a lot faster. I am not using them right now, as it has gotten pretty warm and I don't want to make them too warm. They are kind of expensive, I got two that are about 20" x 20" and they cost about $45 apiece, but hopefully they will last a long time. You plug them in and they give bottom heat to the seed trays. I don't have a grow light, but they are in a nice, sunny room. Most everything seems to be growing well so far. Although the marjoram I started several weeks ago seems to have stalled out and isn't getting any bigger. I think they have enough room, I don't know what the problem is. Anyone try to use peat pots? My BF got me some peat pot trays for individual seedlings and I tried to start some seeds in them but they almost immediately start to break down once they get moist. I have to water the stuff, I don't get how I can keep the stuff wet without it turning into wet cardboard and falling apart. Are Peat pots like those seed starting kits? The ones I have breakdown in the soil so I can plant them into my garden along with the dirt (I don't have to take them out). They are pretty good about not falling apart. I also put little bits of newspaper in the bottom of each little area so they can keep water and soil better. I am interested in these heating pads, where did you get them? I have beans that are sprouted and about 5 inches tall. The carrots and cucumbers are a little shorter, but I have sprouted seeds, which is way better than last time. I was going to plant everything outside this weekend but with it being cold tonight and last night...I am not sure I should put them in the ground this weekend. According to OSU Extension the last frost in Cincinnati is April 15th. Has anyone started planting vegetables or perennials already? How difficult is it to grow lettuce? I have not tried that. I would love to grow my own vegetables year round, but I don't think that would be possible unless I had a set up somewhere in my house. Those greenhouse things look really expensive.
April 14, 201015 yr Heating pads are for sale at the Gale's Garden Centers near Cleveland. You might be able to find them at Lowes or Home Depot. I don't recall whether they had them. "Didn't look". Soil has to be warm enough to germinate seeds. The temperature is written on the seed pack or you could look it up "on the web" or at the seed company's website (like www.burpee.com ). Lettuce might germinate in chilly soil. Spinach *wants* cold soil to germinate. I put fabric row covers on my plants through May to keep them warmer. Your cucumbers might struggle with the cold nights yet to come. The other plants would be better able to handle cold . I used a cold frame with no heat to grow lettuce "year round" http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,22771.0/msg,476826.html
April 2Apr 2 First year in the 'burbs. What kind of deer fence do I need? My backyard abuts some woods and we frequently get deer.
April 2Apr 2 1 hour ago, YABO713 said: First year in the 'burbs. What kind of deer fence do I need? My backyard abuts some woods and we frequently get deer. What’s wrong with the deer?
April 2Apr 2 Just now, Ineffable_Matt said: What’s wrong with the deer? I've heard from everyone that if I leave a garden open without any sort of fencing, the deer will take everything.
April 2Apr 2 Just now, YABO713 said: I've heard from everyone that if I leave a garden open without any sort of fencing, the deer will take everything. You can spray the fox pee on everything in the wintertime. It also depends on what else they have around to eat. I’m in Aurora, on a lake where deer swim all the time, and I haven’t heard any complaints from neighbors with gardens. Maybe they just got lucky though 🤷♂️
April 2Apr 2 They don't eat everything but they do eat a lot. In my experience hostas (the flowering stem), day lilies and hydrangea with get destroyed. However, I use deer repellent, which you can buy at any garden or hardware store, and it seems to work very well. Our house backs up to a huge wood and deer are pretty much in our yard every day.
April 2Apr 2 9 minutes ago, Htsguy said: They don't eat everything but they do eat a lot. In my experience hostas (the flowering stem), day lilies and hydrangea with get destroyed. However, I use deer repellent, which you can buy at any garden or hardware store, and it seems to work very well. Our house backs up to a huge wood and deer are pretty much in our yard every day. 32 minutes ago, Ineffable_Matt said: You can spray the fox pee on everything in the wintertime. It also depends on what else they have around to eat. I’m in Aurora, on a lake where deer swim all the time, and I haven’t heard any complaints from neighbors with gardens. Maybe they just got lucky though 🤷♂️ So my garden will be bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, basil, kale, and carrots. Still just use the repellent?
April 2Apr 2 13 minutes ago, YABO713 said: So my garden will be bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, basil, kale, and carrots. Still just use the repellent? Yeah I would fence that it. You might have problems with rabbits and racoons if you don't, as well as deer. I was speaking about general landscaping around the house which is of course generally hard to fence in unless you do your whole yard, and that still leaves the front yard exposed in any event (yes deer go there as well-they are like squirrels-at least here in Solon. I would talk to a knowledgeable garden center guy or gal. They are usually very helpful with questions like this. I am a big fan of Pettiti's. Edited April 2Apr 2 by Htsguy
April 2Apr 2 I usually listen to Gardening with Angelo at 8:00 am every Saturday morning on WTAM. He has lots of good tips.
April 2Apr 2 22 minutes ago, YABO713 said: So my garden will be bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, basil, kale, and carrots. Still just use the repellent? I would listen to @Htsguy in that case and fence it. Dunno what type of fence, though.
April 2Apr 2 I wouldn't trust deer repellent. It just takes one to ignore the spray to ruin your garden for the year. If you can't fence the yard then at least fence the garden. It should be as tall as you can stomach looking at. You can get away with a 5ft fence depending on the arrangement of the garden. Things like tall bushes and tomato trellises can discourage deer from jumping in (which they can easily do). But 6ft+ is preferred.
April 2Apr 2 https://redbrandstore.com/products/deer-orchard-fence-2672-6-14-1-2 @YABO713 I recommend this fencing. It's 72" inch tall and not too heavy to handle and attach to steel t-posts every three or four feet on the perimeter.
April 2Apr 2 1 hour ago, Mendo said: I wouldn't trust deer repellent. It just takes one to ignore the spray to ruin your garden for the year. If you can't fence the yard then at least fence the garden. It should be as tall as you can stomach looking at. You can get away with a 5ft fence depending on the arrangement of the garden. Things like tall bushes and tomato trellises can discourage deer from jumping in (which they can easily do). But 6ft+ is preferred. There are some expensive treatments that work (Deer Scram) and some cheaper ones that mostly work (Irish Spring soap), but you have to be diligent about application and worry about rain. Fencing and planting (so that they don't have a clear landing area and/or have a take-off area pushed back from the fence) are key to ensuring that they stay out. They can very easily jump over a 5' fence -- pretty amazing, but also pretty annoying. We have used a wire fence around our garden for a while, but are in the process of having a permanent fence our back yard to facilitate my wife's desire to expand her little farm yet again. (Like the cost of curtains, the cost of a well-built fence is surprisingly high!)
April 2Apr 2 22 minutes ago, DO_Summers said: https://redbrandstore.com/products/deer-orchard-fence-2672-6-14-1-2 @YABO713 I recommend this fencing. It's 72" inch tall and not too heavy to handle and attach to steel t-posts every three or four feet on the perimeter. This is excellent - thank you! My garden is going to be 12' x 15' Appreciate everyone's help!
April 2Apr 2 9 minutes ago, Foraker said: There are some expensive treatments that work (Deer Scram) and some cheaper ones that mostly work (Irish Spring soap), but you have to be diligent about application and worry about rain. Fencing and planting (so that they don't have a clear landing area and/or have a take-off area pushed back from the fence) are key to ensuring that they stay out. They can very easily jump over a 5' fence -- pretty amazing, but also pretty annoying. We have used a wire fence around our garden for a while, but are in the process of having a permanent fence our back yard to facilitate my wife's desire to expand her little farm yet again. (Like the cost of curtains, the cost of a well-built fence is surprisingly high!) Yep. I have a 5ft wire fence similar to the one linked above but with tall tomato trellises in sight line to discourage them from jumping in. Plus the beds are raised a foot. Deer are smart enough to realize it's not a safe landing so they don't bother.
April 2Apr 2 1 hour ago, YABO713 said: My garden is going to be 12' x 15' Perhaps you could purchase a shorter roll length, but I don't recommend going any shorter on the height. At our home, we turned the extra length into 5 or 6 ft diameter cylinders for caging tomato plants. You will still need need support poles because the fence isn't stiff enough to support itself on its own. If you continue gardening, you will never run out of future uses for extra fencing. Edited April 2Apr 2 by DO_Summers
April 3Apr 3 1 hour ago, DO_Summers said: Perhaps you could purchase a shorter roll length, but I don't recommend going any shorter on the height. At our home, we turned the extra length into 5 or 6 ft diameter cylinders for caging tomato plants. You will still need need support poles because the fence isn't stiff enough to support itself on its own. If you continue gardening, you will never run out of future uses for extra fencing. I already have the poles, funny enough. Just need the fencing. Any recommendation for raised beds vs on ground?
April 3Apr 3 1 hour ago, YABO713 said: Any recommendation for raised beds vs on ground? Raised beds are better if the native soil is high in clay and thus has poor drainage. Also, it makes it easier to control weeds and you don't need to bend over as much. If you can afford it and can get a large volume delivery of high quality soil, raised beds are great choice. Buying bags of soil at the big box store is cost prohibitive. Edited April 3Apr 3 by DO_Summers
April 3Apr 3 14 hours ago, DO_Summers said: Raised beds are better if the native soil is high in clay and thus has poor drainage. Also, it makes it easier to control weeds and you don't need to bend over as much. If you can afford it and can get a large volume delivery of high quality soil, raised beds are great choice. Buying bags of soil at the big box store is cost prohibitive. Raised beds also cost more and dry out more quickly. Pros and cons. We have both raised beds and ground-level beds. For our ground beds, we removed a "row" of sod (we also have an extensive compost system so it didn't go to waste) and added sand and garden soil (truckload delivered to the driveway was cheapest). Then between the rows we lay down flattened cardboard and newspaper and covered that with mulch. At the beginning of the next year, we rake the mulch (now much broken down) between the rows over the planting rows (along with soil from the bottom of the compost pile), and put down new mulch between the planting rows. After a few years we have pretty good soil. The soil in our raised beds has sunk well below the tops. Several of our raised beds are starting to fall apart from the weather, and as our "garden" starts to look like a farm we're wondering whether we want to replace the raised beds. We have one that is almost all herbs, and one that is almost all strawberries (strawberries like to spread, this keeps them contained and is easy to cover to keep the birds off) -- we'll replace those when they go, but we'll probably just remove the others when they fall apart. Good luck!
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