Portland Area Gardening!

the weather is warming here in the portland area and it is time to start laying down some crops. it is still too cold/wet for the peppers, tomatoes, corn, pumpkins, etc...i plan on waiting until may 15th or so to get those planted.

so far....



i just planted strawberries today: rainier, seascape and hecker. two of them will produce throughout the season, one of them in june only. i forget which are which.



i planted about 30~ altogether. i bought the starts in bunches of 10 for $2.99 a piece. raked over the soil (after weeding it last week) and tossed in some used soil from my indoor garden since the ground here is still very wet after several days of rain. the gap you see is a rhubarb plant, the perfect accompaniment for strawberries.



i work at a nursery and we dumped this rhubarb plant because it was overwatered and looked like shit. i hope it comes back...not much of a root system on it when i transplanted it.



this is some sort of a bulb the previous tenant of this house must have planted, likely a hyacinth. once this blooms out, i will cut it back so i have more room for other edibles.



more bulbs, mostly hyacinth. there may be some tulips and daffodils in there, time will tell.



this bush was also on the property when i got here. i gave it a much needed trim, and it is foliating very well. not sure what type of bush it is. looks ok enough.



a tilton apricot fruit tree that is starting to bud. i got this for free from work as well, and luckily it is self fertile. i have a flavor king pluot tree right next to it, but it is barely foliating and most of the branches have no green when i scrape back the bark. it will need a year or two to recover.



i started to till the back perimeter of my yard the other day, still a lot more work to do. this is where the corn will go, also some beans (they will use the corn stalks to climb) and pumpkins (they will provide good groundcover). native americans used to call corn, beans and squash 'the holy trinity' because they worked so well together.



sweet walla walla onions. i planted these on st patties day. they are taking root very nice. once they are more established i will have to weed the soil. i tilled my grass to plant these, but did not pull out the root clods...my mistake.



the potatoes are behind the onions, they have not broken soil yet but are rooting nicely last time i checked. again, this plot is an eyesore and will have to be weeded heavily.



close up of a chandler blueberry plant. said to have the largest blueberries of any strain.



all four of the blueberry plants: chandler, liberty, sunshine blue, and pink lemonade. some for early season, some for late season. a birthday gift for my wife, since i could give two shits about blueberries.



the primrose are about bloomed out, but still have some more time left on them. these were arranged to represent the US flag, along with the help of a senneti plant.



another freebie from work. this is a camellia plant, and is about ready to bud a couple nice flowers. i will probably plant this in place of the barberry bush that i took down. i fucking hate barberry!



a shirazz magnolia, another freebie from work. it is about to open. it will need some time to recover from the abuse it suffered at the hands of one of our customers.



a royal star magnolia, all bloomed out. this was the last one left and when i removed my hand, the leaves all fell to the ground. another freebie!



daffodils are almost all done for the year, at least on my property.



check out the new growth on the rose bushes! my thumb and index finger are pinching where i pruned it back, the rest of the branch is all new growth.



a different rose bush, loaded with new growth. i'm thinking this will be a good year for roses. all the ones on this property were severely neglected, they really enjoyed the pruning i gave them.

*hint: the best time to prune rose bushes is right after the coldest part of the year. here in portland, that means around valentine's day.



i germinated these cat grass seeds a month ago, and they took off! my cats have enjoyed a nibble or two, but i want to let them fill out a bit more before they have free reign.



the peony plant i bought for my wife (another b-day present, her favorite flower) is starting to bud and turn green.



the cinerraria is about done for the year, but is hanging in there nicely. this one needs a drink.

more updates to come as the weather warms.

good luck to everyone! may we all have beautiful and fruitful gardens this year!

wow great looking garden so far, cant wait for it to be done.

your the only other person i know that knows about the three sisters companion planting with the corn,squash and beans. i did it last year but with out squash and the beans grew to heavy for the corn to support and toppled over near the end of the year, i think their was not enough light for the corn.
and great deal on the strawberries, all of mine seem to already be flowering and on the move to make fruit. i also live in southern oregon to so maybe thats why. the weather is still crappy hear. i want to put out my lettuce,onions,radishes and carrots soon but i still have to go get more dirt.
any way man im subbed for the grow.
hope you dont mind me here for the ride.
come check out my garden if you like

i've been checking your garden out, mcpurple. definitely glad to have you aboard despite our various differences of opinion in the past.

weather was looking good up here for a while, but last week was all rain. we're supposed to get nice weather the next 5 or so days though. i'll be out in the yard today finishing weeding, mowing, pulling dandelions, and tilling.

i had my lawn free of dandelions as of 2 days ago, but then the rain stopped and the sun came out and BOOM. covered in them now. i am not rich enough to afford any type of product so i cut them out one by one with a pair of scissors as deep into the root as i can. a losing battle, it seems.

we have been having very odd weather, it will be spring for a few days and then back to winter is what it seems like but hey thats oregon for you. we have had stuff bloom a few times now only to be killed off by a frost the next night, things are seeming to normal out now though.

i still have some digging,tilling, and soil mixing to do as soon as i can get the soil.
any way thanks for having me along despite our differences on things.
peace.

I just hope it isn't a repeat of last May. Rain, followed by rain.

Definitely still way too cold for those warm weather things, zucchini, peppers, carrots, tomatoes. I guess it's going to be a later harvest again this year.

Looking good though. I've been checking out the nurseries around town recently to see how all the starts look. There's one near Murray I keep meaning to get to but haven't found the motivation to yet. I'm taking the summer off of bud growing to do a nice big bell pepper and basil garden. Got some interesting seeds last year, at of all places Fred Meyer. Might toss in some Hot House 'maters. We'll see.

I wish I had a yard and a little dirt. I'm stuck on a Balcony with like 5 hours of direct sun in the AM.

Take it easy.

Snow Crash said:

I just hope it isn't a repeat of last May. Rain, followed by rain.

Definitely still way too cold for those warm weather things, zucchini, peppers, carrots, tomatoes. I guess it's going to be a later harvest again this year.

Looking good though. I've been checking out the nurseries around town recently to see how all the starts look. There's one near Murray I keep meaning to get to but haven't found the motivation to yet. I'm taking the summer off of bud growing to do a nice big bell pepper and basil garden. Got some interesting seeds last year, at of all places Fred Meyer. Might toss in some Hot House 'maters. We'll see.

I wish I had a yard and a little dirt. I'm stuck on a Balcony with like 5 hours of direct sun in the AM.

Take it easy.

Click to expand...

i think this may should be better.

last year was a strong la nina. this year is a weak one.

last year, plants broke dormancy by february. i remember it getting up to 70+ degrees last feb. we had a nice feb this year, but not as nice.

i used to be on a balcony too. my problem was not that i had too little sunlight, but too much. mine was south facing, and had a huge carport directly underneath. the sun reflected off that thing and made it HOT. i have pictures to prove that i was at 118 degrees in the shade.

had to water twice daily certain days on that balcony. totally worth it though.

jesus 118 in the shade. fuck that.
i like the heat but not that hot.

i have the purple flowered plant that the old house tenants left that you think is a hyacinth all over my back yard, i always thought it was some sort of ugly ass grass untill it bloomed, i really dont like them, they seem to want to take over every thing

mcpurple said:

jesus 118 in the shade. fuck that.
i like the heat but not that hot.

i have the purple flowered plant that the old house tenants left that you think is a hyacinth all over my back yard, i always thought it was some sort of ugly ass grass untill it bloomed, i really dont like them, they seem to want to take over every thing

Click to expand...

they're just bulbs. seem to be coming up like crazy this year.

i am not too fond of bulbs like hyacinth, daffodils, or tulips as they seem to start dying just as soon as they bloom.

cut them back after they bloom and wait for them to come up again next year. or dig them up and see if anyone on craigslist wants to buy them.

once i nurse away this hangover, i will be working outside today.

i'll be planting my herb garden, and i wanted to let you guys know about the technique i will be using. it will be a slight modification of the "pot in pot" method.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot-in-pot

instead of planting the pot into another pot, i will be simply planting the pot into the earth. i will dig a hole, lay down a pot, and form the earth around it. the pot will then go into that hole with the rim slightly above the earth. this will hopefully have several positive effects...

1) slug deterrent: with the rim above the earth and some sort of glass or broken shells around it. no slug will want to come near.
2) root pest deterrent: pests that destroy the plants by the roots will be unable to do so now, at least as easily.
3) root control: plants like mint tend to take over, so this method will keep them from doing so.

i'll hopefully have some pics later tonight. right now, the herbs i have are few...

* italian flat leaf parsley
* basil
* oregano
* mint of some sort
* english wedgewood thyme
* one other, i forget, as the herb garden is for my wife

will also be adding chives and a few others. i already have some catnip going, but that will stay in 5 gallon buckets by my back stoop so as to lure my cats outside. i plan on the catnip getting monstrously tall this year.

it is may 1st, so another two weeks and i will be planting the rest of the garden. can't wait!

updates!






the camellia is blooming now.



a couple plants from the neighborhood that i am trying to clone, as per the 'can you clone anything' thread. one is a red tip photinia, the other is some sort of shrub that blooms this time of year.



the pineapple thread piqued my interest and the wife had a pineapple handy, so i am going to try to grow the fucker.



aphid party on the rose bushes! these motherfuckers are amazing. i take care of them by spraying them with a high pressure jet of water, then neeming the plants right before the sun goes down. i may resort to a systemic though. little fuckers.



catnip in a 5 gallon bucket. this thing should get to 6 feet tall and wide by the end of the year.



iceberg lettuce, most will likely die as i did a shit job of starting them.



the start of my wife's herb garden, done 'pot in earth' style. sweet basil, english wedgewood thyme, dark leaf oregano, barbecue rosemary, mojito mint and italian flat leaf parsley. still need some kind of sage, chives, and maybe a few others. i will wait until the bulbs die back before expanding.



provence lavender. this plant nearly died a number of times at the nursery, i am steadily reviving it. my sister in law gets married 11/11/11, and i am providing the lavender that will be used as centerpieces. i also have some lavender i started from seed last year not in the picture. not sure what kind it is.



strawberries are starting to flower.



sweet walla walla onions are looking good, and potatoes have broken the soil (9 so far)



the president has shut the birthers the fuck up, killed bin laden, and passed new legislation that mandates that it stay near 60 until 8pm here in portland. they attached a rider assuring that it stays sunny as well. fuck yeah!

got two new chickens last night, coco and melba.



and found an egg this morning (it is next to a store bought egg for size comparison)



about to eat the thing right now and see how it tastes. quite a diminutive omelet.

wow man great updates. thats cool your doing the pine apple. i started a few a few months ago in a bubble cloner but got no where, i am gonna try again but in soil.

and dam those aphids are outa control. i have only been getting a few every week on mine. like you i use water stream and neem every week and it seems to work, plus i smash them with my fingers to. we also have lady bugs showing up so they are helping now as well. hope you get them taken care of.

and man i might have to start my potatoes, i was waiting for it to get warmer cuz i thought they need warm weather but seeing as yours is already started and portland is usaly a bit colder then southern oregon i think i will get mine in the ground soon.

nice chickens to enjoy the eggs

mcpurple said:

wow man great updates. thats cool your doing the pine apple. i started a few a few months ago in a bubble cloner but got no where, i am gonna try again but in soil.

and dam those aphids are outa control. i have only been getting a few every week on mine. like you i use water stream and neem every week and it seems to work, plus i smash them with my fingers to. we also have lady bugs showing up so they are helping now as well. hope you get them taken care of.

and man i might have to start my potatoes, i was waiting for it to get warmer cuz i thought they need warm weather but seeing as yours is already started and portland is usaly a bit colder then southern oregon i think i will get mine in the ground soon.

nice chickens to enjoy the eggs

Click to expand...

i was hosing off those aphids the other day and the hose knocked the pineapple on its side. it came a little loose, so i checked for roots and there they were.

i am not concerned with the aphids, i am focused on the edibles. if my wife wants pretty roses, i have told her what systemic to buy. even offered to do all the application for her.

i planted those potatoes on st patrick's day (i thought that was appropriate) because that's when they arrived to the nursery. i figured that was a sign that it was ok to put them out. they like full sun and wet soil. make sure to buy seed potatoes, as they will grow a whole bunch faster. slice them up so that each section has 2-3 eyes on it and let them scar/dry for a day or two. mine might not turn out too well because i tilled when the ground was still a mud puddle and didn't get too deep.

and yeah, the chicken eggs are great. i wish i could train them to poo in the same place so i could re-purpose it as fertilizer.

congrats on getting it to root man, how long did it take?
im gonna be starting another one here soon.

thanks for the info on the potatoes, i think i am going to plant mine today.

mcpurple said:

congrats on getting it to root man, how long did it take?
im gonna be starting another one here soon.

thanks for the info on the potatoes, i think i am going to plant mine today.

Click to expand...

my pineapple already had small roots when i put it in the dirt, but they were much bigger after only about a week (probably more).

still not rooted enough to hold onto the soil when i knocked it over, but it was on its way.

quick update:



i raked rows for the corn and sowed it. mother nature did not provide the rain i expected, so i had to water 35+ rows of corn by hand without a hose.



these bushes are called spirea, i learned last weekend.



this is a pyracantha bush that i got free from work. will be good for the gaps under the fences. this plant is spiky and will deter cats from sneaking under the fence to scare my chickens.



tilton apricot tree is showing good new growth. the flavor king pluot tree is officially dead.



i nursed the lavender back to life and it is shooting tips again.



despite some chicken trampling, the lettuce is doing way better than expected. they are all alive and growing bigger by the day.



strawberries are doing well, although i have noticed one or two houses around the neighborhood that have better ones.



5 tomato plants and a pepper plant. one more tomato than planned, but i'll make room. need to pick up some more pepper plants next weekend at the farmer's market.



the catnip spends most of the day in the shade but is doing well.



potatoes are doing magnificent!



onions are doing great too!



roses are starting to bud!



carrots are starting to sprout, even though i did a shit job with the soil and though none would.



peony plant is doing great!



this egg was still warm when i picked it. we are now getting about 2 eggs a day from 5 chickens, about as much as i can eat. i am in heaven.

great update man. the corn rows are looking good, and i know how it is to hand water with out a hose, i have to do it in my garden until the irrigation is on. we hae been getting quite a bit of rain down here in souther oregon so i have not had to water much at all for awhile now. weather should be getting good soon though.

your rose bush looks about as far along as mine is, i see bloomed rose bush flowers already but mine seem to be behind every one else's down here. and if you just planted those strawberries this year then they wont produce to much, i have had someof mine for 3 years now and every year the same plants produce better and better.

i noticed you got a thorny bush to help keep some cats out witch is cool and then kept reading and say your growing cat nip. cat nip will attract cats
are you trying to trap cats in the thorny bush? j/k man i did find it funny though.

no pics this time, as most of my work is still germinating underground.

mother nature is a mother. i planted that corn and no rain for a week. i have been hand watering for about an hour a day, it sucks. but today i saw the first sign of them breaking the soil, 8 days after sowing.

i also have many hills going with pumpkins, watermelon, zucchini squash and cantaloupe. some i started indoors, some are bare hills with seeds in them.

lettuce is doing spectacular considering how small they were when i laid them down and how i had to untangle the roots, breaking many of them.

radishes are plugging along. lots of flowers on the strawberries but no fruit to speak of.

i found a couple interesting things while pulling weeds. one was a baby japanese maple tree, barely an inch tall. i carefully dug it out and replanted it. might do a bonsai with it if it lives. also found an oak tree branch that somehow rooted into the ground, i dug it up and potted it too. pics to follow once everything else breaks the soil.

also, all the chickens are laying now, and in large numbers. we routinely get 3 eggs a day from 5 chickens. i will be eating eggs all summer.

bad news: one of my chickens shat directly on one of my radishes.

good news: the corn is finally breaking the soil. not big enough for pics yet, but there are quite a few that have popped.

should be another week or two and i'll do a nice pic update. not much to see in the meantime.

just laid the footing of my greenhouse.

got all the wood for free from my friend (i did him a favor by cleaning these scraps out of his barn).

fit the pieces together like a puzzle, and went with it.

after initially laying out the wood to be 32' x 16', i decided to scale down. the end result will be 12' x 24'.

the stakes with blue dixie cups indicate where the arches will be.

should be plenty of room for 6 mature, flowering plants.