My 2014 Spring Garden

[Travis_R]

What, NO OKRA in Louisiana ?? How can you make Gumbo?

Oh yes! I haven't mentioned it yet but I do plant okra. The Cow horn variety. I love okra any way it's cooked!

 

[Travis_R]

Quarter acre about to get plowed. My first ever garden with my first ever tractor and the first implement ever hitched to it.

That is a fine setup you got! One day I will have a 2 bottom plow for my tractor.
I've always been a tractor enthusiast. It's my main hobby. Not that I actually need a plow, but "a plow and a Massey" just go together...

 

[Travis_R]

Ok I just got my tractor back together and turned the garden over with the tiller! Gonna geep turning it over until it dries out.
If we don't get anymore rain I'll be able to plant this coming week, although I may wait until Good Friday to plant depending on the weather forecast. It would be the 1st time I planted on Good Friday.

 

[TomSeller]

Ok I just got my tractor back together and turned the garden over with the tiller! Gonna geep turning it over until it dries out.
If we don't get anymore rain I'll be able to plant this coming week, although I may wait until Good Friday to plant depending on the weather forecast. It would be the 1st time I planted on Good Friday.

I hope you post pictures throughout the year. Looking forward to them

 

[Travis_R]

I hope you post pictures throughout the year. Looking forward to them

I sure will Tom. That's 1 reason I started this thread so I can go back and look myself.

Also, THANK YOU for all your help with the tractor on my other thread. Everything is fine now. The radiator cap and temperature gauge was the problem.

 

[gks]

I did it. I'm tickled pink. I feel like I really achieved something huge. First plowing a field. Soil looks great too.

 

[Travis_R]

I did it. I'm tickled pink. I feel like I really achieved something huge. First plowing a field. Soil looks great too.

Looks good! That is some fine lookin soil. Breaking ground in new soil for the first time usually always makes the best garden.
I sure hope you got a cultivator for that tractor. If u don't, you'll know why I said this later on in the year!

 

[gks]

Looks good! That is some fine lookin soil. Breaking ground in new soil for the first time usually always makes the best garden. I sure hope you got a cultivator for that tractor. If u don't, you'll know why I said this later on in the year!

I plan to buy the Everything Attachments Garden Bedder and use it also as a cultivator.

 

[Travis_R]

I plan to buy the Everything Attachments Garden Bedder and use it also as a cultivator.

You're not gonna regret that purchase. Smart move! Make sure you get the right size "sweeps" that u need. You want to take out your tire tracks as much as possible. Especially with those wide R4s.

 

[Travis_R]

Ok I re-tilled the garden twice today. I could have done it a few more times earlier this morning but I slept in and it took a while getting the tractor back together. Not that it was a lot to do, but the hood is very frustrating to get back on.

Anyway, I might end up planting Monday. I think there's a slight chance of rain this coming week (maybe 50% Monday evening?) so I need to get seeds in the ground. Plus it takes a little time hooking up different attachments and taking pictures.
If it looks like it isn't gonna rain between Monday and Good Friday then I'll plant Friday. If we don't get any rain between now and Monday, I think I'll only have to till a couple more times before the ground is ready for the fertilizer and row discs.

Them tater vines sure are lookin' fine!! I noticed more sprouting up through the dirt today! If they don't get destroyed somehow, these plants will look much better than the 1st time I planted potatoes 3 years ago. I just hope the yield is better.
As for planting potatoes, I have learned to BE SURE not to plant them deep and add that fertilizer! Only 2 or 3 inches of dirt on top of the seed potato.

I plan on getting some new pictures up of the garden tomorrow.

 

[TomSeller]

I sure will Tom. That's 1 reason I started this thread so I can go back and look myself.

Also, THANK YOU for all your help with the tractor on my other thread. Everything is fine now. The radiator cap and temperature gauge was the problem.

I am glad it all worked out for you, just in time for gardening season.

 

[Travis_R]

Here is some info that I go by where I live. I hope y'all can see the pics.
Notice the suggested planting dates here for Irish Potatoes. I planted March 18th, which was out of date compared to the planting guide. As I've posted several times, the potato vines are looking perfect coming out the ground.

 

[Travis_R]

Well I went on ahead and planted today. Chance of rain is near 100% tomorrow. If I didn't plant today there no telling when I woulda got back in the garden!
Several neighbors were trying to get their garden done in a hurry also. They put me behind on getting mine done before dark, but no big deal. I used the headlights on my truck.

The garden finally has seeds in it. Germinate baby germinate!!

I planted 3 rows about 100+ ft. long of the new sweet corn seed I'm trying, Serendipity TripleSweet.
1 row about 70 ft. long of Contender Bush (snap) Beans and Cowhorn Okra.
1 row about 70 ft. long of Contender Bush (snap) Beans.
1 row about 70 ft. long of Yellow Straight Neck and Early Prolific Crook Neck Squash, along with Dasher II Cucumbers.
1 row about 70ft. long of Black Diamond Watermelons

***NOTE***

The 3 rows of corn, each 100 ft. long, took a total of almost 3 ounces. Had a little seed left.

Here are some pics of working in the garden today.





Getting ready to cultivate spuds



Fixing to bring dirt back up to the plants after cultivating.

Will post another pics tomorrow on the garden. Was just too pushed for time this evening.

 

[Daver1963]

I hope that was three pounds of corn seed. Three ounces isn't that much!
We bought 1.5 pounds for six 25 ft rows.

 

[Travis_R]

I hope that was three pounds of corn seed. Three ounces isn't that much! We bought 1.5 pounds for six 25 ft rows.

I agree. But this is how it came out to be using the EarthWay and sweet corn seed plate. I like for my con to be spaced out som. Looks like we'll have to wait and see. I used the EarthWay with the same seed plate last year and had to give corn away, it's a waiting game now!

 

[Travis_R]

Here are the pics from all the rain today, with more coming tonight. Glass I planted yesterday evening!!

Look at those potato plants though! I sure hope they make as good as they look.

Just by cultivating yesterday, not so much of the tiny grass, but by breaking up the soil close to the plants (aerating) they literally grew over night. Huge noticeable difference. If it dries up enough, I may end up having to hill them the end of this week or middle of next week. If they keep growing like this I'm pretty sure I will.

 

[motocephalic]

Looks great, but I can't believe you don't sink a foot down with that kind of water. I drove over a part of my lawn yesterday and sank 8" fast. I put it in reverse and considered it done. I won't get into my fields before mid May, hopefully.

Here are the pics from all the rain today, with more coming tonight. Glass I planted yesterday evening!!

Look at those potato plants though! I sure hope they make as good as they look.

Just by cultivating yesterday, not so much of the tiny grass, but by breaking up the soil close to the plants (aerating) they literally grew over night. Huge noticeable difference. If it dries up enough, I may end up having to hill them the end of this week or middle of next week. If they keep growing like this I'm pretty sure I will.

 

[Travis_R]

Looks great, but I can't believe you don't sink a foot down with that kind of water. I drove over a part of my lawn yesterday and sank 8" fast. I put it in reverse and considered it done. I won't get into my fields before mid May, hopefully.

Trust me when I tell u there's absolutely no way I could have got in there after all this rain. That's why I rushed to till, row, bust open furrows down each row, apply fertilizer to each row, and then plant yesterday. PLUS I had a neighbor's small garden plot to till AND a small plot for a man a mile up the road! Needless to say, I had my truck lights shining on the EarthWay til about 8:15 last night getting seeds in the ground before the rain... Luckily it's all done but I owe it ALL to that EarthWay seeder. No way I could have planted all that without it, in the timeframe I had. There's no doubt I planted different seeds on top of other seeds on a couple short rows. It was hard to see and got confused between changing seed plates and having to plat by hand. I don't mind helping people when I can, but I've learned this year that I will get all my garden work done before I take my tractor anywhere else. I HATE being in a rush, especially getting the garden done. It shouldn't have to be like this when preparing/planting a garden. Rushing almost takes the fun out of it in my opinion. Makes you feel like you HAVE TO get it done, instead of CHOOSING when YOU wanna do it. But those exact same people help me when I need them so I didn't mind at all. And I knew I could get all my stuff in the ground yesterday evening. They wouldn't have been able to plant theirs if wouldn't have tilled for them.

***EDIT***
It's raining here again right now as I type this post.*** 11:00 pm...04-14-14

 

[TomSeller]

Look at those potato plants though! I sure hope they make as good as they look.

As long as the rain does not hang around they should survive very well. That's my bet.