Moved away from raised bed and built a hugelkukture. This year it's essentially a raised bed, but it should start it's intended benefits in year 2.

Gardening is still 2 months away here in TN. Hell, I've not even ordered my seeds.

Planning on it! That's what the stuff is in the bottom right of the picture

This year I actually spaced out the tomato plants better. I say I will every dang year, but this time I actually did.

I planted onions in December. They are doing great, but I have no idea how to tell when they are done. Guess I will just sacrifice one a week to see, starting in a week or two.

I know SA meteorologist had been predicting another possible freeze in a week or so for SA and hill country, but last night said it might slip more East and we'd just get the tail. Still holding off planting for now.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

---

This year I actually spaced out the tomato plants better. I say I will every dang year, but this time I actually did.

I planted onions in December. They are doing great, but I have no idea how to tell when they are done. Guess I will just sacrifice one a week to see, starting in a week or two.

---

I've heard that to have better tomatoes, put a couple of Tums in the hole before you plant them, and plant them deeper (cut some of the bottom stems off) so they have better support.

I also use t-posts about every 3-4 feet with 2 plants in between and use twine about every 6 inches (weave it in and out of the plants and t-posts) to support the plants better.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

---

This year I actually spaced out the tomato plants better. I say I will every dang year, but this time I actually did.

I planted onions in December. They are doing great, but I have no idea how to tell when they are done. Guess I will just sacrifice one a week to see, starting in a week or two.

---

Your onions Once you see the ground cracking and If you planted to deep you really need to pull all the dirt away except for the roots

Then once they start bulbing water at least once a week

And then when the tops start falling over do not water for two -3 weeks and pulled them

If you are going to store leave in the sun for 3-5 days and then put in wire rack in garage

Ground hasn't thawed enough to dig yet. We did start our stuff that goes in before the last frost inside last weekend

I plant my onions end of January. I always wanted to try planting in December but I've never in 32 years recall being able to find sets in December at my feed stores or nurseries in SE Texas unless I order online. So, January it is.

Every year Nov 10-20th. Is when they start showing up
Supposedly big advantage of planting early but not for sure

I dont remember but the last couple of years somebody had posted a onion pic of the harvest and they know how to grow onions

Yep. Mine also but this year I tried a different fertilizer and looks like maybe April1. But I am sure itnhas to do with this 80 degree weather more than the fertilizer

Edit. Pic. The stalks are just bigger this year

Havent planted yet but getting ready.

Ive had really good luck with companion planting to boost production.

Tomato and basil together help with pests and when I started doing that both my tomatoes and basil did better than they ever have.

Dixondale Farms in Carrizo Springs. Bruce and Jeanie Frasier are good people.

BenderRodriguez said:

---

Havent planted yet but getting ready.

Ive had really good luck with companion planting to boost production.

Tomato and basil together help with pests and when I started doing that both my tomatoes and basil did better than they ever have.

---

I've planted basil along with tomatoes for a while, to the point where I don't have to plant basil any more, as it pops up all through the garden every year!

After reading about crop rotation in home gardens from the extension service, I decided to start a more formal rotation pattern this year. I use a raised bed that's about 50'x3' or so. Measured off 10 foot sections.

Also, added corn to the mix this year. If it doesn't work out, I'll just drop to 4 sections in the rotation.

Previously, I just tried to plant tomatoes and squash in a different location each year, but hadn't really set up a good rotation. My long term plan for any given section is Tomato/pepper -> corn -> beans -> squash/cucumber -> okra/greens/cabbage.

I put everything but the tomatoes and peppers I started in the ground this week. Those are still too small.
I suspect that I'll end up making my bean section smaller in the future, as well as corn if I decide to keep it. Not sure I have enough space for it to actually have adequate pollination, anyway. Did plant corn and beans in another bed that isn't technically for my garden, but is currently unused otherwise.

I'm about to pull out the rest of the spinach today, and the lettuce will be coming out next week. I'm going to do three tomato plants (one Large Cherry, and two Tycoon plants if I can find them). If I plant more than three, my wife will kill me. Then one pot of squash, a pot of cucumbers, and deciding if I'm going to do peppers or just more squash.

I've had onions in since late December, and planted red potatoes on Valentines day as old timers told me to.

We have sandy, "sugar sand" and do well with also with purple hull peas, tomatoes and bush and Kentucky wonder green beans.

Absolutely no luck with squash and okra-- which we have grown in the past at other homes and crops were prolific.
Folks telling me its nematodes in soil that gets the squash and okra. Should I mix other soil in or like some folks say, lay plastic barrier down and let heat kill nematodes and plant in holes in plastic?

Root knot nematodes are worse in sandy soils. Hence why okra does well in the south with black clay soils.

I've included marigolds around my tomatoes to ward off insects for years. I also plant parsley, basil and garlic along with my tomatoes for pest control.

My local garden center I've used to 38 years told me yesterday to remove the marigolds as new research indicates they attract insects that then jump to the tomatoes. What say you Outdoor Board?

Fishing Fools said:

---

That's a lot of work. Should equal to sex about once every 3 months.

---

Nope, you still aren't doing it correctly.

So, is this the official 2026 Gardening thread? If so, could we get this pinned to the top?

Milwaukees Best Light said:

---

This year I actually spaced out the tomato plants better. I say I will every dang year, but this time I actually did.

I planted onions in December. They are doing great, but I have no idea how to tell when they are done. Guess I will just sacrifice one a week to see, starting in a week or two.

---

https://dixondalefarms.com/onion-planting-guide/


these guys do nothing but onions. been following their advise with great results. I put just over 300 in the ground first week of Dec.

HTownAg98 said:

---

Root knot nematodes are worse in sandy soils. Hence why okra does well in the south with black clay soils.

---

yup

Thoughts on super fantastic and beef steak tomatoes? We only plant celebrity and early girls but I had trouble finding enough of them this year. Typically we just eat them raw and make salsa.

I've got a blackberry plant that I've had for years. It hasn't done much or gotten much bigger. I get around 15 berries (all plump) every year. Sometimes I get a fall harvest as well. I started fertilizing with a berry specific organic fertilizer and mulching it this year. It's liked this but, it's still not very (full). It has st. Augustine around it but. It touching due to the mulch.

Are some varieties just bushes? I'm thinking about getting some cattle panel and treating it like a vine, which it is. Maybe this would help make it bigger. Thoughts?

Have you ever pruned it