tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post6151785439872234863..comments2023-05-13T09:49:31.999-05:00Comments on 14 Acres: On deckUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post-2787913527762363072010-06-06T12:02:48.533-05:002010-06-06T12:02:48.533-05:00Hi Erin -- Thanks for the help. I'm really lo...Hi Erin -- Thanks for the help. I'm really looking forward to seeing what actually happens with these eggplants. The fruit is so pretty!<br /><br />Hey Mama Pea -- The fruit of this variety is supposed to be small, so maybe I can get away with not staking, like you do. Thanks for the advice.<br /><br />Hello Liz -- I still have the silverline melons to plant, and I'm toying with the idea of just using a smallish (2'x2') square of the black plastic just around the plant. Much easier to handle, and I've heard that melons really like the extra warm soils. We'll see!<br /><br />Hi Thistledog! In MN we don't have much in the realm of slugs and snails, guess it is just too dry. Good to hear the zucchini are flowering! I'd love to see some photos when they start producing!<br /><br />Hello Corinne -- Yes, I thought so too! I knew keeping all these extra things (baby gates, broken totes, etc.) would come in handy. Thanks!<br /><br />Hey Karen! The eggplants you serve at Olive Garden must be the bland, commercially produced kind that are grown for transportation rather than flavor. It's true they don't have a lot of bold taste, but I know a lot of people that grow them in their garden and LOVE them, so I'm willing to give it a go! It's fun to experiment!Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09941280453570504094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post-88430634091911384882010-06-05T18:13:42.053-05:002010-06-05T18:13:42.053-05:00Seriously? Why would you want to grow an eggplant...Seriously? Why would you want to grow an eggplant? I serve them at the Olive Garden, and they are bland, yucky things! We have to cover them with parmigan (sp?) breading and fry them for them to even be edible and even then they're tasteless! Give up on them, girl and go on to something else!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post-19119197565174305812010-06-02T12:59:50.219-05:002010-06-02T12:59:50.219-05:00I love the baby gate... adds a touch of character ...I love the baby gate... adds a touch of character and gives a peek into the world inside the house.<br /><br />The deck garden looks great!Corinnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17655848054831483918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post-56019508545799361212010-05-31T22:34:00.328-05:002010-05-31T22:34:00.328-05:00Concur on the eggplant - it's a bushy grower n...Concur on the eggplant - it's a bushy grower needing only a little stake perhaps to prevent wind toppling. As for the black plastic, though it doesn't sound real "green" it does have its merits. I'm a fan of the landscape fabric, which is also probably made of petrochemicals...yeesh. Here in SoCal we have lots of slugs and snails, and I have no ducks or chickens to feast on them, so I'm careful with the mulch. Using unfinished compost on my one bed so far, working great.<br /><br />The French Zucchini are flowering! My mouth is watering, it's been so long since we had fresh veggies from the garden.Thistledoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685461283886507370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post-56067843955646037182010-05-30T14:55:03.963-05:002010-05-30T14:55:03.963-05:00Beautiful deck garden--probably closer to the kitc...Beautiful deck garden--probably closer to the kitchen too for pinching off an ingredient here or there!<br />The black plastic works wonderfully to warm and kill weeds. Once the weeds are gone you can use black landscape fabric (some light and hydration will get through), which will still cook the soil somewhat until you are ready to plant there.<br />I love the thick straw for walkways and non-planted places.Lucky Lizard Ranchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04143959640703758547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post-32552540054497694992010-05-29T19:24:39.395-05:002010-05-29T19:24:39.395-05:00My eggplants have never been "climbers."...My eggplants have never been "climbers." As Erin said, they grow in a fairly compact bush much the same as peppers. Mine have never even needed staking (probably because the fruit never got that big up here near the frozen tundra!) but I can see if the fruit was big and heavy, staking might be a good idea because of wind damage.<br /><br />That's one heck of a deck garden you got going there, lady! Looks great.Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838004838772936244.post-72956095109843298272010-05-29T18:16:50.693-05:002010-05-29T18:16:50.693-05:00My eggplant grew very bushy and erect on strong st...My eggplant grew very bushy and erect on strong stems, I found they only needed a basic support once the fruit was heavy and as extra protection in wind. I used those screw type metal stakes but a simple stick with the main stem tied on would suffice, they don't "climb". They are actually really tidy looking plants, like peppers or bush beans, good luck with your deck garden!Erinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06916896512933101955noreply@blogger.com