How does your garden grow?

[dave1949]

The asparagus is ready for its fourth cutting today. Had a bit of rhubarb with lots more coming. Planted some lettuce, spinach, carrots, red beets in the raised beds. Waiting for some soil warmth to plant yellow snap beans and cukes. Not going to have much garden this year.

 

[lakngulf]

I tried a new method to "stake" tomatoes last year. It worked fairly well, even though I was not able to handle weeds like I should. Thick wire cattle panels laid across concrete blocks. The plants find their way thru the wire, and then spread out across it. Here is this year's version



Hopefully the black fabric will keep out some of the weeds this year. I have it alongside my Mother's garden, where we use the traditional wire hoops for support. I will compare results. Problem is: My Mom is taking care of hers and she has the best green thumb in the county.


Here is a photo from last year. Yes there are some tomatoes in there among those weeds

 

[Larro Darro]

I just bought more tomato stakes today. And even with the BIL discount, they are costly. I had cut a few the other day when I was having trouble getting down to the river field to the stakes I had. The homemade ones didn't drive all that well, but if I run out of what I bought today, I will be cutting more. You can pay through the nose for this cheap food

Larro

 

[TomSeller]

Here is a photo from last year. Yes there are some tomatoes in there among those weeds
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weeds or not those tomatoes look good.

 

[Larro Darro]

I stocked up on new soaker hoses yesterday. Also bought what I needed to make repairs to my leaky ones. This morning I took up the worst ones and laid the new ones. Also made several small connecting hoses from old hose using male and female ends. It is nice to have water all along the row, not just in two or three places.

I have pepper plants ready to transplant, but I ran out of time today. We have a Friday wedding and it meant I had to go in early today. I'll be coming in early again tomorrow, so I doubt I'll get to them before Sunday or Monday.

I know a lot of you are ahead of me, but I'm still excited about the progress my garden is showing. The tomatoes are full of blooms and I saw a few small peppers on the Jalapeno. The corn and pole beans are looking good. I have a few small squash, but no zuc's yet. And the bush beans are blooming. The Crimson Sweets are just starting to vine, but I didn't get a picture of them.

Larro

 

[Western]

I have been out of town, but was "informed" I have snap beans to start picking That's the reason we plant veggies, but I drove home with no trailer lights, short somewhere in the trailer and I need to get that fixed.

As far as soaker hoses, I am coming to the conclusion I love'm. but anymore than 50' and they dont seem very effective the full length. Could be the hose type/brand, but do very well with just the 50' sections verses the 100'-150'

 

[bcp]

If they have the washer with a tiny hole in it, the long hoses would probably do better with the pressure regulator fitting to let more water through.

Here is one:

#105 - 25 PSI Soaker Hose Pressure Regulator

I don't know if there is a difference with those that just say for drip irrigation. Some packages say for both.

Irrigation Pressure Regulators | Dripline Pressure Regulators | Soaker Pressure Regulators

Bruce

 

[Larro Darro]

I use the inline valves between hoses. The plastic ones are only a couple of bucks. I have found it works better to have a smaller diameter first in line, then have a valve and a bigger hose. But I don't go over 75' with them. My rows are short anyway.

Larro

 

[lakngulf]

I use the inline valves between hoses. The plastic ones are only a couple of bucks. I have found it works better to have a smaller diameter first in line, then have a valve and a bigger hose. But I don't go over 75' with them. My rows are short anyway.

Larro

Larro, your plants sure do look healthy. And with that soaker hose should really perform for you.

 

[Larro Darro]

Larro, your plants sure do look healthy. And with that soaker hose should really perform for you.

My soil isn't bad, just very sandy. With water things grow fine in it. Since I had to take up the old soaker hoses, I went ahead and ran the cultivator between the rows one last time. But I have had very few weeds, and the grass isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The stirrup hoe has taken care of them with little {relatively speaking} effort.

Larro

 

[TomSeller]

.

I know a lot of you are ahead of me, but I'm still excited about the progress my garden is showing.>

You are way ahead of me, my corn just sprouted. But some a just getting rid of snow, so I don't feel bad.

 

[Depmandog]

Hi guys! You all's gardens are looking good! I took a step forward then 5 backwards! We lost all of our sets (about 100 plants) to a late season frost. Plus all of our bush beans. Our forecasted low was 38, never dreamed it would frost.

Then my earthway planter slipped a belt as my son-in-law was planting corn - he didn't notice / nor did I till we had only 10% sprout and I went to investigate the cause.

So we basically started over last Saturday. Re-tilled 95% of the garden. Got about 800' of sweet corn in. Hope to plant another 2000' in a couple of stages. Planted Bodacious, man I love that corn. Checked tonight, looks like good germination on this round, with corn sprouts poking out everywhere.

Replanted 300' of bush beans, and set about 60 plants - tomatoes, peppers of all variety, a few watermelon, squash, etc tonight. Lucky to find some decent sets...I wasn't the only one replanting due to frost.

I expanded our garden this year to be able to tractor garden as much as possible. Bought a 6' tiller, and a hiller / cultivator / middle buster. Sprung for a drip tape irrigation system. I am really liking planting in raised rows and this drip irrigation.





Pic of sweet corn and the drip irrigation.





Pic of the main line and valves for each row. Both pics from last Saturday after replanting the corn.

 

[TomSeller]

I like the drip system a lot. Mice seemed to chew up the tape when I used it, but don't seem to bother my soaker hose. I don't know why unless the soaker hose drains better than the tape. I know, I know, If I weeded better then I would have less mice.

Great thing about drip, it does not water all the space between rows so less water used and less weeds being watered.

 

[TomSeller]

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[Depmandog]

We let the drip system run all night - and here is the result.

 

[lakngulf]

We let the drip system run all night - and here is the result.

Good job on the purchase of the tiller. Certainly made the 95% re till a lot easier and faster. Good luck with your garden. That direct water application should do the trick

 

[Larro Darro]

We let the drip system run all night - and here is the result.

That looks nice. I started the soaker hoses before coming to work, and set two hours on a timer for Margie to go out and turn them off. We saw the first little tomatoes this morning. It won't be long now. I might have to eat a tomato, squash and Jalapeno sandwich, with a side of bush beans

Larro

 

[Western]

I like th main line for drip tape, may look in to that next year. Hunterridge also uses it

 

[Western]

Picked about 10 gallons of snap beans and 5 gallons of squash, my back is killing me now. (bucket on the left is a 7g)

 

[Depmandog]

I like th main line for drip tape, may look in to that next year. Hunterridge also uses it

It's pretty slick. You have a cheap coring tool that only takes a few seconds to cut a hole, then the valves push / twist into the main line. It's less then a minute to hook up the drip tape to the mainline.