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> There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that appeals to my engineer brain Agreed, and it's also not a stressful task in itse

> There's something about planning, planting, and then caring for a garden that appeals to my engineer brain Agreed, and it's also not a stressful task in itself for some reason. I'm somebody that's over analytical and tends to succumb to analysis paralysis, but when it comes to garden work I never experience that. (possibly because I know plants are resilient and it's hard to mess up?)

Pfhreak 8y ago
The only thing that stresses me is when my plants fail and I don't know why.
- jrumbut 8y ago
  Edit: I just saw your other post, this one in isolation made me think you had tried gardening once and given up. That just happens sometimes! Hard to explain failures are often caused by one or more of over watering, pests (including at the root level), too little soil, or bad soil PH. Symptoms of pests include visible bugs, mold, eggs, or webs (check under the leaves) or a weird smell. PH problems sometimes manifest as discolored leaves. Also like animals plants have very different levels of vitality, there is strength in numbers! If you want to try again let me recommend herbs and leaf vegetables. Mint, basil, arugula, lettuce, and mustard greens grow fast and mint in particular is somewhat invasive and hard to stop it gets going. It can be tough to grow a tomato that looks like the ones at the grocery store without experience and more time and care. There's an art to it.
  - perfmode 8y ago
    i’ve had great results growing basil. I had a plant we named Harry, who thrived in Palo Alto despite erratic care. Harry would drink as much water as we could give it and would be visibly wilted when thirsty. Otherwise, incredibly happy sitting in the sun and producing leaves.
    - Pfhreak 8y ago
      I'm in the Pacific Northwest, and I've had mixed experience with basil. I'm trying to grow it hydroponically at home now, and it seems to be going pretty well.
      - jrumbut 8y ago
        Yeah basil really takes well to that kind of setup and has the ability, given sufficient light, to grow so vigorously that it creates a wide band of acceptable fertilizer levels which can be a real challenge.
    - vram22 8y ago
      >i’ve had great results growing basil. I had a plant we named Harry, Wow, really cool idea, naming individual plants. Much better than the pet rock concept ;) Going to give it a try, next time I plant something. Related, as a kid doing organic gardening, I once read a book called Talk To Your Plants. Just searched for it: https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Jerry-Baker/dp/B000H2OYWQ https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Jerry-Baker/dp/B000H... That's the one, I'm pretty sure. There is also this one which I have not read: https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Will-Eisner/dp/0897310357 https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Will-Eisner/dp/08973...
- dekhn 8y ago
  I moved to "easier" plants and was a lot happier. Once I mastered growing an ivy, I felt more comfortable. For me the general problem is that plants just stop growing because they've exhausted the nutrients in the soil, and then I bungle the fertilizer (too much) and the plant dies.
- fillskills 8y ago
  Happy to help out. When you are ready to plant the next one we will be happy to help
- benj111 8y ago
  Hail storms just after you've planted something (normally none hardy) out. That's stressful!
jrumbut 8y ago
Yeah it really breaks through the paralysis because once you get the seeds wet the plants are coming on their own schedule whether you're ready or not. Plants are definitely resilient. I like experimenting with high densities/small pots on the very unlikely chance I find some plants with synergy (or just lack of space). In 2017 this resulted in tiny (but tasty!) jalapenos (about a quarter of the normal size) growing off a plant that had sat on the windowsill doing nothing for 2 years. If anyone has advice on plant pairings/symbiosis I would love to hear it!
- vram22 8y ago
  >Plants are definitely resilient. I like experimenting with high densities/small pots on the very unlikely chance I find some plants with synergy (or just lack of space). >In 2017 this resulted in tiny (but tasty!) jalapenos (about a quarter of the normal size) growing off a plant that had sat on the windowsill doing nothing for 2 years. Very interesting. Must try that out some time. >If anyone has advice on plant pairings/symbiosis I would love to hear it! You probably know this, but nitrogen fixation via legumes is one such symbiosis, of a kind. You can plant non-legumes interspersed with legumes. The native North American "Three Sisters" concept [1] is an example of that - they discovered that corn, beans and squash work well in symbiosis - beans being the legume. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture) Edit: In fact, with the Three Sisters, it is not a two-way symbiosis - it is three-way: >The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent the establishment of weeds. The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch", creating a microclimate to retain moisture in the soil, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. Corn, beans, and squash contain complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and all nine essential amino acids, allowing most Native American tribes to thrive on a plant-based diet.[7]
  - jrumbut 8y ago
    I was aware of nitrogen fixing in theory but was wholly unaware of the maize/beans/squash combo. That's 100% the sort of thing I'm after although I would prefer it on a container friendly scale.
sf_rob 8y ago
I come to gardening with the same attitude. Basically if it doesn't grow well in my temperate climate then I just grow something else next year. Tomatoes, mint, and squash all grow like weeds and are super easy, peppers are finicky, and leafy greens are a battle against aphids. That said, I know plenty of other hobby gardeners who treat their gardens as an exercise in optimization. Heck, I even know one engineer with a grid of (legal) marijuana plants who varies the nutrient composition of the soil in each planter to play with his quality/yield.
- Cerium 8y ago
  I have had good luck in the battle against aphids on my kale by spraying them with a (1:1) mixture of 70% rubbing alcohol and water with a small amount of dish soap (I use about one sponge load worth in a full spray bottle).
  - nanomonkey 8y ago
    I have a similar recipe, only I add in a tablespoon or so of neem oil.
    - vram22 8y ago
      Neem is great. We use it a lot in India. It's one of what some people informally call super-plants or wonder-plants, some others being banana, coconut, and bamboo. All have various uses, for different parts of the plant, not just the obvious ones, e.g. in the case of banana, people in India eat the flowers and stems too, made into curries). Edit: Also garlic, ha ha. What would we do without it, for both food and (informal) medical uses.
  - hanniabu 8y ago
    Just get a container of lady bugs, they're natural predators
  - Cactus2018 8y ago
    I've had success against bugs using liquid Castile soap (Dr Bronner) in a recycled "foaming spray bottle" (Clorox Foamer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticidal_soap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticidal_soap

Pfhreak 8y ago

The only thing that stresses me is when my plants fail and I don't know why.

jrumbut 8y ago
Edit: I just saw your other post, this one in isolation made me think you had tried gardening once and given up. That just happens sometimes! Hard to explain failures are often caused by one or more of over watering, pests (including at the root level), too little soil, or bad soil PH. Symptoms of pests include visible bugs, mold, eggs, or webs (check under the leaves) or a weird smell. PH problems sometimes manifest as discolored leaves. Also like animals plants have very different levels of vitality, there is strength in numbers! If you want to try again let me recommend herbs and leaf vegetables. Mint, basil, arugula, lettuce, and mustard greens grow fast and mint in particular is somewhat invasive and hard to stop it gets going. It can be tough to grow a tomato that looks like the ones at the grocery store without experience and more time and care. There's an art to it.
- perfmode 8y ago
  i’ve had great results growing basil. I had a plant we named Harry, who thrived in Palo Alto despite erratic care. Harry would drink as much water as we could give it and would be visibly wilted when thirsty. Otherwise, incredibly happy sitting in the sun and producing leaves.
  - Pfhreak 8y ago
    I'm in the Pacific Northwest, and I've had mixed experience with basil. I'm trying to grow it hydroponically at home now, and it seems to be going pretty well.
    - jrumbut 8y ago
      Yeah basil really takes well to that kind of setup and has the ability, given sufficient light, to grow so vigorously that it creates a wide band of acceptable fertilizer levels which can be a real challenge.
  - vram22 8y ago
    >i’ve had great results growing basil. I had a plant we named Harry, Wow, really cool idea, naming individual plants. Much better than the pet rock concept ;) Going to give it a try, next time I plant something. Related, as a kid doing organic gardening, I once read a book called Talk To Your Plants. Just searched for it: https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Jerry-Baker/dp/B000H2OYWQ https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Jerry-Baker/dp/B000H... That's the one, I'm pretty sure. There is also this one which I have not read: https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Will-Eisner/dp/0897310357 https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-Plants-Will-Eisner/dp/08973...
dekhn 8y ago
I moved to "easier" plants and was a lot happier. Once I mastered growing an ivy, I felt more comfortable. For me the general problem is that plants just stop growing because they've exhausted the nutrients in the soil, and then I bungle the fertilizer (too much) and the plant dies.
fillskills 8y ago
Happy to help out. When you are ready to plant the next one we will be happy to help
benj111 8y ago
Hail storms just after you've planted something (normally none hardy) out. That's stressful!

jrumbut 8y ago

Yeah it really breaks through the paralysis because once you get the seeds wet the plants are coming on their own schedule whether you're ready or not. Plants are definitely resilient. I like experimenting with high densities/small pots on the very unlikely chance I find some plants with synergy (or just lack of space). In 2017 this resulted in tiny (but tasty!) jalapenos (about a quarter of the normal size) growing off a plant that had sat on the windowsill doing nothing for 2 years. If anyone has advice on plant pairings/symbiosis I would love to hear it!

vram22 8y ago
>Plants are definitely resilient. I like experimenting with high densities/small pots on the very unlikely chance I find some plants with synergy (or just lack of space). >In 2017 this resulted in tiny (but tasty!) jalapenos (about a quarter of the normal size) growing off a plant that had sat on the windowsill doing nothing for 2 years. Very interesting. Must try that out some time. >If anyone has advice on plant pairings/symbiosis I would love to hear it! You probably know this, but nitrogen fixation via legumes is one such symbiosis, of a kind. You can plant non-legumes interspersed with legumes. The native North American "Three Sisters" concept [1] is an example of that - they discovered that corn, beans and squash work well in symbiosis - beans being the legume. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture) Edit: In fact, with the Three Sisters, it is not a two-way symbiosis - it is three-way: >The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent the establishment of weeds. The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch", creating a microclimate to retain moisture in the soil, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. Corn, beans, and squash contain complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and all nine essential amino acids, allowing most Native American tribes to thrive on a plant-based diet.[7]
- jrumbut 8y ago
  I was aware of nitrogen fixing in theory but was wholly unaware of the maize/beans/squash combo. That's 100% the sort of thing I'm after although I would prefer it on a container friendly scale.

sf_rob 8y ago

I come to gardening with the same attitude. Basically if it doesn't grow well in my temperate climate then I just grow something else next year. Tomatoes, mint, and squash all grow like weeds and are super easy, peppers are finicky, and leafy greens are a battle against aphids. That said, I know plenty of other hobby gardeners who treat their gardens as an exercise in optimization. Heck, I even know one engineer with a grid of (legal) marijuana plants who varies the nutrient composition of the soil in each planter to play with his quality/yield.

Cerium 8y ago
I have had good luck in the battle against aphids on my kale by spraying them with a (1:1) mixture of 70% rubbing alcohol and water with a small amount of dish soap (I use about one sponge load worth in a full spray bottle).
- nanomonkey 8y ago
  I have a similar recipe, only I add in a tablespoon or so of neem oil.
  - vram22 8y ago
    Neem is great. We use it a lot in India. It's one of what some people informally call super-plants or wonder-plants, some others being banana, coconut, and bamboo. All have various uses, for different parts of the plant, not just the obvious ones, e.g. in the case of banana, people in India eat the flowers and stems too, made into curries). Edit: Also garlic, ha ha. What would we do without it, for both food and (informal) medical uses.
- hanniabu 8y ago
  Just get a container of lady bugs, they're natural predators
- Cactus2018 8y ago
  I've had success against bugs using liquid Castile soap (Dr Bronner) in a recycled "foaming spray bottle" (Clorox Foamer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticidal_soap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticidal_soap