2020 gardens

[DJ54]

Using the new Honda, it too was pawing along in the loose soil, only tiling 2" deep. Looking at the depth stake, I noticed at the shoe it rides on at the bottom extends forward a bit, with a crook downward in it to hook in some. I'm assuming to hold it back some. It did better tlling deeper, I suppose because to forward motion of the tines helping push it along. The was a world of difference when I put the tail wheel on. Absolutely no drag on it, and I was cultivating right along in 2nd gear, with no wheel slippage.

I'm seeing a few more benefits from that wheel, than the orginal intent. Might be a consideration for a future project to build..!!

 

[Sonny580]

Troy builts all have a long angled bar instead of the stake type and nothing drags up under them. ---- My problem is traction at any depth. --- still lookin into makin concrete wheel weights for one of them and see if that works or not.----cant have a great lot sticking out past the tires either to drag on plants,----so we see!

 

[ovrszd]

Concrete weighs 150lbs per cubic foot

Cast Iron weighs 491lbs per cubic foot

While you can gain some traction with concrete weights, it's minimal.

I made some for a 12" wheel several years ago. I noticed no gain.

 

[Sonny580]

Neighbor been bringing me water for the garden in his 1,600 gallon tanker. --- I am on the third one and no rain in sight. Garden is struggling right now in the heat, 90+ every day. Hot dry dust 4 inches deep,--hard to till, no wind and dust chokes you running the tillers but weeds still coming up!



Some of the potatoes and 1 long row of summer squash.

 

[cqaigy2]

We are still in our late winter, spring weather, with a few days of 80F. Mostly cool in the 50s, woke up to rain this morning, yesterday was just sprinkles. Garden plants are still pretty small, but some of the broccoli has bolted. Actually pretty typical for this area.

 

[DJ54]

Finally got some much needed rain yesterday. 1-6/10's in the gauge when I went to feed the horses, and it rain about 1-1/2 hours after I came in.

I put potash, and phosphorous on the hay field Monday evening. That rain was perfect for setting that in. Should make for a nice 3rd cutting.

 

[RalphVa]

I'm seriously thinking of converting my other 2 raised beds (6 total; 4 now in asparagus) into asparagus. They're just so difficult to keep watering even though I have soaker hoses in them and 1400 gallons of rain tanks/barrels. The pots above the rails around the deck with a rain barrel right there and this little garden to each side of stepping stones to/from the outside shower are so easy to keep watered. Both growing well. Here's a picture of the outside shower garden. Got pole beans cascading from the 6 pots on the deck. Earlier, I had snow peas and some Yukon Golds.

Ralph

 

[Ford850]

Finally got some much needed rain yesterday. 1-6/10's in the gauge when I went to feed the horses, and it rain about 1-1/2 hours after I came in.

I put potash, and phosphorous on the hay field Monday evening. That rain was perfect for setting that in. Should make for a nice 3rd cutting.

We've been missing most of the rain up here. In June we had 3.25" of rain, but 2.75" of that came in one day. No rain since then. Not a drop in July yet. One good thing about this hot dry weather is knowing the weeds wither up and die after I hoe.

 

[Sonny580]

Did rain a half inch or so of horizontal rain last night,---didnt wet much under the trees, high winds in it knocked down all the plants, so didnt do much good.----just got another 1600 gallon tanker refill so its back to carrying water again later today.

 

[oldballs]

It's below average rainfall here too......have been watering with the garden hose.....expensive though. But the upside is like Ford850 said, the weeds wither and die after I hoe. ...except for the Milkweed....dang them....I had to use Glyphosate on them.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[Billy Bee]

Need some rain here too, it's been unusually hot, in the 90s. Water the garden about every 3 days,so crops are doing good. So far I have harvested green onions, radishes, swiss chard, zucchini, and cukes. The sweet corn is tasseling and green beans will be ready in 3-4 days. I have already trapped and dispatched 12 'coons, so maybe I will have some corn for myself this year. ( they got all of it last year) yup, all of it, I never got an ear, kinda frustrating.
Bill

 

[DJ54]

We've been using an electric fence here for years to keep 'coon, and groundhogs out. Always used the small pet containment chargers, which used to run about $20. Now, I think they are upwards of $25-$30, but last for years. Wooden stakes, with plastic insulators were screwed to the stakes, so the bottom wire was approx. 4" off the ground, and top around 12". These also will last for years, if you just put them up for amonth or so, and take down when the season is over.

Deer became a larger problem in the last couple of years, especially last year. I scarffed up some T-posts, and bought a few to put up a taller fence. About 2 weeks ago, one jumped the fence, but caused no damage. It did wander into the fence at one end, from the looks of the tracks, and didn't like the results. Lookslike it jumped back out somewhere. So, cut up 6 bars of Irish Spring bar soap into 1/4's, bored holes through it, and hung from T-posts with zip ties. I guess it really does work, as there aren't even any hoof prints in the loose dirt, beyond the fence.

Now that it seems I've got the 4-legged critters at bay, Starlings pulled up/snipped off about a half dozen tomato, and pepper plants soon after transplanting. 2 years ago, when I tried growing some popcorn, crows pulled up all but one of what I planted, at the 2 leaf stage, getting at the kernels. If I ever try that again, I'll run a double row of electric fence over top of it, and watch the fun. There have been more than several Robin's killed when for some reason touching their beaks to the wire. I can only suspect getting a bug, or cleaning their beak. I feel bad about getting those, because they are always out there eating bugs & grubs. One particular Momma' Robin is always there when I'm tilling, or hoeing, picking up the wounded worms, or grubs I bring to the surface. I had to chuckle, when I saw her spent egg shells scattered here and there in the garden, like she's trying to help, adding cacium. Every little bit helps....

 

[cqaigy2]

We used electric when the rabbits were a problem around here, it worked pretty good. I thought it was deer until I put a game camera in the garden and caught a picture two ears sticking up, into the frame of the picture. The coyote population has increased, so the rabbits have disappeared. Added heavy duty 2" plastic web fencing when the deer discovered the yummy vegies. I had some left over 1/2" EMT i use by threading it thru the webbing and zip tie at intervals to keep it in place. It's nice a light so i can pop it off at the ends to move out of the way and mow. We have a Robin that likes to show up at the garden when working it too.

It sounds like we are way behind most of you here, our cool temps have really slowed down the garden.

 

[herm0016]

still having some bug issues here. my beans and arugala are taking the brunt. our squashes are exploded. one plant must have grown 10 feet in the last 10 days.

 

[Sonny580]

had a storm come thru last night again---beat the plants around again. Have a decent milkweed patch going now, ---- hope for some butterflies to find them.

part of the patch of milkweeds

part of the corn field kinda flat but I picked up the stalks and pulled dirt up around them. ----did help a little.

 

[Sonny580]

A few tatoes scratched out to see what if anything was under the plants
the 3 are norlands, two reds are pontiacs and the whites are kennebec and and unknown which I think is superior


Plants are maturing out so hope they have a lot under them!---Not looking for big ones this year,---just nice ones, small ones are fine.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
I start digging them as soon as the blossoms fall off.
They're at their best when you just dig them, wash and cook with the skins still on. Slather on a little dairy butter, and enjoy. :licking:

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I needed some stakes for my gardens, so I made some,

I milled them at various thickness' out of a white oak log, so they should last a while.

SR

 

[DJ54]

Sure miss having Dad & the Woodmizer around, for things like that. He made a ton of stakes for the garden, hub stakes for contractors, stacking sticks for lumber, etc. Best part was the stake sharpener he also had. Good place to use up the odd ball length logs you'd get at times.

Went to the feed mill today, and had some corn gluten pellets ground into meal, and put down for weed suppressant. Ought to keep the Foxtail, Lambs Quarter, and more than several other weeds at bay for 6 week or so. The ole' Choremaster earned it's keep for a while stirring it in.