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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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01-24-2013, 03:20 PM | #1 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 06-06-11
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Grow and grill?? Gardening questions
Planning on growing some of the food we cook this year. We are thinking of doing at least one raised bed and some random pots. I know we want to attempt tomatoes, peppers and some herbs. Anyone have some suggestions for us brown thumbs?
We have a small backyard and I am in hot northern California. Any ideas appreciated.
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WSM 18, Weber Performer, Smokey Joe, 18 Kettle, Genesis EP-330 (I might have an issue.) |
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01-24-2013, 03:30 PM | #2 |
Phizzy
Join Date: 10-05-08
Location: Hiding out from blood suck ghost snake gods, Nazis and scrap iron chefs trying to harvest body parts
Name/Nickname : Gore (surprise!)
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I've heard of a few brethren planting briskets in their yards, but I never heard if any of them grew.
I plant mainly herbs.
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Assistant to a Mad BBQ Scientist (and a squirrel): Primo Oval XL, Small Offset, Gasser, Optigrill, UBS "I love everything about the pig, even the way she walks." -- Spanish proverb (\__/) (='.'=) This is the rabbit baby. Invests him in yours signature, (")_(") and the help rabbit baby takes over control of the world! Hmmmm, I wonder, WWGALD? Avatar courtesy of Grillman and NorthwestBBQ Promoted by Bigabyte to "Idiot #1" , and dubbed "Phizzy" by Sir Ron. |
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01-24-2013, 03:34 PM | #3 |
Knows what a fatty is.
Join Date: 07-11-12
Location: Ashford, Kent, England
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Well in England I grow a lot of veg and fruit, and most of it ends on the Q. I grow a lot of corn that I grill with the leaves on. You can grow more than others because of your climate. Best thing to grow is what you like to eat the most. Your be amazed what you can grow in a small space and the flavour will blow your socks off!!
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01-24-2013, 04:38 PM | #4 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 01-10-11
Location: Lawrenceville, GA
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Raised beds worked great for me. I had 8 of them and grew about 25 tomato plants and about 60-80 pepper plants. I made them out of 2x10's so they would hold more soil. I spaced the tomatoes & peppers off the square foot method. So a 4'x4' bed could hold 16 peppers. Larger plants like squash/zucchini need more space and they are easy to grow too. Mine were all along a fence so the backs of the beds were tomatoes and in front were peppers. I also had a timed drip irrigation system to water it all since during the summer in GA it is hot as hell and needed to water almost daily.
So I say setup a few raised beds as you get the most plants in smaller area. Grow what you will eat. For peppers I pretty much grew bell peppers, banana, jalapeno, and cherry. For tomatoes I only grew 2-3 varieties as I found many tasted alike. Cherokee purple were my favorite. Peppers grow like crazy and can take the heat. Tomatoes you have to be a little more careful about getting them water. For herbs, they grow well in pots or in raised beds too. Just make sure if you grow mint to put that in a pot by itself. That stuff is like a weed and will choke out anything it is planted next to. I pretty much just grew mint, basil and rosemary. I miss growing stuff as I did for 4 years, but moved and might try and start up another garden soon. Oh and good soil. Good soil is key. For me it was almost as easy as get good soil, put plants in the dirt and water. Almost that easy .
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-Jason I didn't choose D-Canoe life.......... |
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01-24-2013, 05:03 PM | #5 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 05-19-11
Location: EAD
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25 TOMATO PLANTS! where you selling to Hunt's? I had 4 and couldnt keep up lol
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01-24-2013, 05:12 PM | #6 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-08-10
Location: Texas
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I now grow mainly herbs and peppers. I've grown tomatoes, and had a peach tree at the old house.
In Texas, the main problem I had growing tomatoes was birds pecking holes in them. I had to keep netting over my plants. Same with my peach tree. But, I had a big yard back then, so no big deal. I use raised gardens for my pepper plants. I water every day in the hot summer months, and the soil drains well. I use Scott's garden soil. It stays moist, but not wet. Other than my basil, my herbs are almost maintenance free. Peppers are pretty easy, too. You mentioned "hot." If your days get over 95, and your nights stay over 80, you may have problems getting tomatoes and peppers to set fruit during that time of summer. The plants will grow well, and flower, but the flowers will not turn into fruit. One neat trick I employ is getting those foam pots that look like decorative clay posts, and cut the bottoms off, and partially bury them in the ground. I cut them at an angle, so they "tilt" in odd directions. It gives me a few "mini gardens" to plant herbs and decorative plants in. I have them randomly placed in the part of my yard "paved" with decomposed granite. It works, and I like the look. Oh, I also want to warn you about mint. As Jason said, it is VERY invasive, so keep it well isolated. |
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01-24-2013, 05:13 PM | #7 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 07-29-09
Location: Sacramento, CA
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I too am in Sacramento CA, and mainly grow tomatoes and herbs. Last years tomatoes were great, this years, not so much. I have some really bad clay soil in my area, so I have to make sure that I amend the clay with topsoil and compost.
I grow herbs in two half wine barrels. I drilled drainage holes in the bottom, stapled an old t-shirt over the holes to prevent the soil from draining out, then filled with potting soil. I've grown basil, sage, thyme and oregano. The sage and oregano really do well without much tending. The sage usually shoots up like a weed, and I'm constantly lopping off large amounts to give away at work. Basil does well, but needs to be monitored when it gets really hot.
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01-24-2013, 05:29 PM | #8 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 01-10-11
Location: Lawrenceville, GA
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Quote:
Here are some pics of the setup I used to have. Here was a day where I went out to grab a few peppers and came in with this .
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-Jason I didn't choose D-Canoe life.......... |
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01-24-2013, 05:43 PM | #9 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-08-10
Location: Texas
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Quote:
CD |
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01-24-2013, 06:37 PM | #11 | |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 07-29-09
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Quote:
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22" WSM, Brinkman Smoke N' Pit "He Hate Me" & Various UDS Parts |
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01-24-2013, 07:04 PM | #12 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 11-10-08
Location: Maine
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Whatever you grow think Epsom salt as a soil amendment.
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01-24-2013, 07:15 PM | #13 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 12-31-09
Location: Hernando,MS
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Maters.......squash are easy but bugs love em.
Use a cheap drip irrigation system.Raised beds are the easiest method for small places.Use GOOD dirt. |
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01-24-2013, 07:19 PM | #14 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 07-26-09
Location: Wellington, KS
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I grow my brisket, and all my pork!
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01-24-2013, 07:35 PM | #15 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 09-21-11
Location: Idaho
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This pic was from last spring. We grow a lot! Size is 16x70 feet. I rototill leaves in soil every year to build up soil. All organic, no spray in my garden.
A small part of the harvest. This years canned salsa, we only made 10 gallons. It used about half of our tomatoes. |
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