How does your garden grow?

[Larro Darro]

Tonight's supper was almost all out of the garden. {peas, peppers, acorn squash and cilantro} The next peas still need a day or two. Fog was so heavy this morning it was like it had rained.

 

[dragoneggs]

Really getting close to the end of the season. Today's harvest.

 

[dragoneggs]

Really getting close to the end of the season. Today's harvest. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/rural-living/444005-how-does-your-garden-grow-image-3067388965-jpg"/>

Wife laughed weakly at my baby bear, mama bear, papa bear reference to her butternut squash she picked this evening.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Getting my late season crop of tomatoes just now. They are as delicious as the earlier ones, but not quite as big and robust. One reason I like the Super Fantastic variety, they will produce when others won't.

 

[DFB]

Touch of frost last night the online weather location showed +34F but my truck's cab and the shed roof were coated white. A wet rain/snow predicted for Saturday night. My first weekend off in almost two calendar quarters...I need to do yard and garden work! :laughing:

 

[Duwop]

First frost last night only patchy though. We are still wait for the broccoli to come and we've been turning some of the garden to get ready for planting garlic, shallots and more onions and this afternoon Anne and I went to pick some of the fall veggies for the coming weeks dinner. Our second corn crop is in and it's not looking great but we will harvest what we can and feed the rest to our chickens. I've got to say that we feel we are so fortunate to live the lives we have, where we are, and for all that we can provide. Today we harvested 2 cabbage, enough English peas for supper, corn, bell peppers, mild banana peppers, and onions. Friday I havested 1/2 bushel of salad greens and also a dozen eggs this past week. Our best to everyone may your gardens be bountiful.

 

[Rustyferrious]

To help avoid too much back strain as we age, the wife and I decided to build raised beds this year. Built three 4 x 8 beds, (lined with HD plastic sheeting on the interior wood surfaces). Filled with mushroom compost. I swear you could watch the plants grow!
By august, the (3) tomato plants completely covered the box and spread out along the patio for another three feet or more. We got bushes of tomatoes and they are still coming. The pepper plants were loaded and are still producing. The only thing that did not so well this year were the cucumbers. They got crowded out by the zucchini. Even the asparagus did very well. The raised boxes were much easier to tend and it was easy to keep them weed free. Next year I am going to install soaker hoses to make watering easier and I might add a few more beds.

June:










July:

 

[dragoneggs]

Rusty... very very nice! Well done. :thumbsup:

 

[Larro Darro]

First frost last night only patchy though. We are still wait for the broccoli to come and we've been turning some of the garden to get ready for planting garlic, shallots and more onions and this afternoon Anne and I went to pick some of the fall veggies for the coming weeks dinner. Our second corn crop is in and it's not looking great but we will harvest what we can and feed the rest to our chickens. I've got to say that we feel we are so fortunate to live the lives we have, where we are, and for all that we can provide. Today we harvested 2 cabbage, enough English peas for supper, corn, bell peppers, mild banana peppers, and onions. Friday I havested 1/2 bushel of salad greens and also a dozen eggs this past week. Our best to everyone may your gardens be bountiful.
View attachment 444270

Your late corn looks better than mine did. I got a couple dozen decent looking ears and a whole lot of nubbins. But it is October and I'm eating fresh corn.

 

[Larro Darro]

Rusty, those raised beds look great. Did you use straight mushroom compost? I've been mixing mine with peat moss, along with an assortment of amendments.

 

[Larro Darro]

These pictures are from yesterday. {I went to sleep trying to post last night} I got out after supper and picked about half of the first of the peas. Dark made me finish today. The 2nd planting of turnips are doing good. And we had another inside cucumber. Not getting a lot, but they are pretty.

 

[Rustyferrious]

Rusty, those raised beds look great. Did you use straight mushroom compost? I've been mixing mine with peat moss, along with an assortment of other amendments.

The materials dealer I got this from mixes it with a proportion of topsoil to give it some body. I also added in some aged chicken manure cleaned from our coop in late winter. The compost mix cost $35 a yard and it took 4 yards to fill the 3 boxes, but I am very happy with the results. We're expecting a hard frost tonight so I covered the tomatoes and peppers with a tarp, hoping for the best!

 

[Larro Darro]

The materials dealer I got this from mixes it with a proportion of topsoil to give it some body. I also added in some aged chicken manure cleaned from our coop in late winter. The compost mix cost $35 a yard and it took 4 yards to fill the 3 boxes, but I am very happy with the results. We're expecting a hard frost tonight so I covered the tomatoes and peppers with a tarp, hoping for the best!

That is not a bad price. I pay $20 a scoop {about .9 yard} for the mulch then do the mixing myself. My mix is always changing, but right now it is 3 five gallons buckets of mushroom mulch, 2 buckets of peat moss, 1 of Black Magic {Big Lot's brand} potting soil, 1 of lava rocks, half a bucket of cow manure, 1 cup each of Epson salts, bone meal, blood meal, lime, worm castings and 2 cups of coffee grounds. I want to buy a cheap cement mixer to help with the mixing, but so far I'm doing it with a shovel and hoe.

 

[Duwop]

Larro, those were the better ears most are very small and will be for feed for the birds I will break off the pieces that I can put up as many have kernels but only half full.

Rusty, great job on those beds how are going to amend the soil as needed when your depleting the nutrients. We started a area for asparagus this year and are looking forward to when we can harvest some next year but know it will be probably three years before we get a full harvest. I have been looking into different ways to grow mushrooms I am currently leaning to growing them in old logs places around the farm.

 

[DFB]

Well the party is over around here...grabbed whatever was left in the garden yesterday afternoon some hot cherry peppers some small green bell peppers and a few more eggplant. Then moved all my herb pots onto the porch.

Yup got hammered with +25F last night. Snow on the roof this morning!

 

[Larro Darro]

Well the party is over around here...grabbed whatever was left in the garden yesterday afternoon some hot cherry peppers some small green bell peppers and a few more eggplant. Then moved all my herb pots onto the porch.

Yup got hammered with +25F last night. Snow on the roof this morning!

Yikes! It was in the low 50's when I got out in the garden this morning, and I had to go back for a thicker shirt. With my peas just coming in, I'm hoping for at least three more weeks before frost. Like I always do, I'll wait until the last second before throwing together a greenhouse for the young peppers and tomatoes. We have decided to wait on a big greenhouse until later, and I will just do a little hoop house for now.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yikes! It was in the low 50's when I got out in the garden this morning, and I had to go back for a thicker shirt. With my peas just coming in, I'm hoping for at least three more weeks before frost. Like I always do, I'll wait until the last second before throwing together a greenhouse for the young peppers and tomatoes. We have decided to wait on a big greenhouse until later, and I will just do a little hoop house for now.

You Florida boys! 50degF is short pants weather for me and it's relatively mild here. I gotta think our friends around the great lakes are laughing at you :laughing: :cold:

 

[Larro Darro]

You Florida boys! 50degF is short pants weather for me and it's relatively mild here. I gotta think our friends around the great lakes are laughing at you :laughing: :cold:

You mean like this?

 

[Larro Darro]

I had office relief today, but I got out early and planted a few rows of spinach. Also got in some rye-grass in one of my food plots. Then tonight at work I put a few collard seeds in rockwool cubes.

 

[Rustyferrious]

HaaaRRRRRd frost last night. Garden fountain all frozen up. Tomatoes, lettuce, peppers all wilted in spite of the tarp. Picked what I could salvage and gave the rest to the chickens. Emptied & took the fountain down. Put the hoses away. Dug out the winter coats and gear. Worst part was disconnecting the outdoor shower, wife tells me it's one of the best things I ever built. I don't think we used the indoor showers all summer. Can't wait until spring gets here!