Garden Growing

[Knight9]

Hi all,

Well we are finally into summer here (it is 31 degrees Celsius today) and the garden is up an growing well. Thought I would post a few picks. Funny how we were reading about Bird harvesting in his garden what seems like 4 or so months ago!!!

Anyway, this picture is of the garden back in May before planting. The next two will be the current garden as of today.

Kevin

 

[Knight9]

Picture 2 of 3. For those interested the fence around the garden has successfully kept the deer out to date. They've been all over the yard but not in the garden.

Kevin

 

[Knight9]

Picture 3 of 3.


Kevin

 

[njrqs]

Wow that sure is a BIG vege garden.!!

Cheers

 

[Bird]

Very nice looking garden, Kevin, even it is awfully late in the year./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif We're already tired of the garden this year. My wife has filled all her canning jars and the freezers and I have no idea how much we've given away. We have a grasshopper plague again this year, but they arrived late enough that we don't even care. We got all the radishes, cauliflower, and cabbage before any grasshoppers arrived, and last year they literally ate the entire tops off the onions before I was ready to pull, bundle, and hang them up, but I got them all in before any damage was done this year. And they didn't hurt the potatoes, beets, and carrots before we got all of them harvested. And last year we had a good early crop of green beans, but the grasshoppers destroyed the black-eyed peas before we got any at all. This year we gave green beans and black-eyed peas to anyone who would take them, and nine days ago I mowed them all down, even though they were still producing well; we couldn't use anymore and the neighbors and relatives had all they wanted. Then the next day (6/14/02), I pulled the last of the sweet corn and used the Beaver Blade on the DR trimmer/mower to mow down the cornstalks and blackberry vines. Day before yesterday I pulled all the squash plants; they were slowing down and the grasshoppers were getting them pretty bad, too, and we couldn't even give away anymore. So now all we have left is okra, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cantaloupe. We have some big, pretty cantaloupe, but all still green as can be. And the other stuff is going to waste; I could probably go out there right now and pick 100 pounds of ripe tomatoes, but wouldn't know what to do with them. Last week a friend came and picked 15 gallons of tomatoes one day to make salsa and we've had 3 neighbors picking tomatoes the last two days, but they didn't make a dent in the crop. Those Big Boy tomatoes sure are great this year; lots of solid meat with very small seed pockets, and big enough that one slice on a sandwich covers the slice of bread and sticks out on all 4 sides./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The only thing that didn't do well this year was turnips and that was mostly because I planted them way too thick.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I do believe you posted that first picture somewhere else on these forums. The reason I remembered it was my wife saw it and she got a look in her eyes that I've only earned a time or two. She went woozy over that dirt.

You're a lucky man.

 

[Knight9]

Harv,

Good memory!! I did post that photo already....but I forgot!! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif I should have just linked to the first one...oh well. I wanted to show the "before and after" of the plot.

I'd like to say that dirt is native to the area. Unfortunately, the ugly old clay we have around here needs a lot of help. Thus that garden plot is a composite of a lot of top soil, very aged chicken manure and the native clay. Turns out it is a pretty good mixture so far. We'll see how the underground crops go (potatoes, carrots etc). This is the first garden here so we are really enjoying watching it all happen.

Kevin

 

[Chuck52]

I'd post a picture of my little garden, but I'm ashamed of the pole bean structures I put up./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I make teepees of whatever comes to hand, and this year's creations are especially ugly. I didn't realise how they looked until I saw they could be seen from the road. The neighbors probably think I'm like that guy in the Worst Neighbor thread. The beans won't care...I hope.

Dug some new red and Yukon Gold potatoes yesterday to go with the last of the snap peas. Dosen't look like I'll get tons of potatoes, but we don't store them anyway and we'll have enough for fresh eating. Through careful planning (right), I ended up with an empty block of space I'm about to fill with sweet corn. Again, only enough for fresh eating. The wife tells me I will establish a separate corn space for next year. I expect the deer will really appreciate that as it will have to be farther from the house than the present garden, and more appropriate for their dining pleasure. So far this year, the deer have wandered through without snacking on much except the ends of the peas. Lots of hoof prints, and a few were right on new sprouts, but the dog probably trampelled more. So far, the only thing we've had a real glut of is cabbage. We didn't get geared up for kraut or relish yet and the green bowling balls got a little piled up. Cole slaw anyone? /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Chuck

 

[Steelfan]

Kevin, Nice looking garden you got there. The dirt looks great. I had my stuff planted for about a month. Starting to take shape now. The rain that we got here in Pa made the weeds grow like crazy. I ran the tiller through the rows twice already. I've got about 70 tomato plants (8 different kinds), 4 rows of sweet corn, a row of red potatoes, a row of broccoli, a row of peppers (3 kinds), and about 400 onion plants, and 2 pickleplants, and 2 watermelon. I love to see things grow. Kent

 

[Steelfan]

Here's the rest of it. Soil sure is dry now.

 

[Knight9]

Kent,

<font color=blue> I've got about 70 tomato plants (8 different kinds)</font color=blue>

Good grief!! 70 plants!! We have 3!!! You must really like tomatoes. Do you jar them? Make sauces? or eat them like candy??? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Nice looking garden. Is the windmill ornamental only, or there for pest control??

Kevin

 

[Ozarker]

That reminds me of the first garden my wife and I put in a couple of years after we got married many moons ago. I don't remember how many tomato plants we put it but it was way too many for us. We had tomatoes coming out our ears and was taking them to work to give away to anyone and everyone who would take them. People started avoiding us so they wouldn't have to take more tomatoes. We ate tomato sandwiches for lunch for weeks and weeks.

 

[Steelfan]

Kevin, We canned about 40 quarts of Spaghetti Sauce last year, 20 quarts of Chili Sauce and 25 pints of Salsa. We used all the Salsa, but got a couple Spaghetti Sauce left. Canned with my Mom, and Dad. My Mom passed away about three months ago, so we are now without the head canner. She know all the recipes by heart. I hope she taught me right. Also we give to everyone in the neighborhood. I just love to grow stuff.

Yes, the windmill is for pest control. We live next to a Beagle Club, and there are a couple hundred rabbits running around. They breed them, and release them for the dogs to chase. Very interesting thing to watch. They don't shoot them, or allow hunting, and the place has a fence around it. They still get out, and come into my garden. I figure they got to have something to eat./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The road in the picture is the entrance to the club.

 

[Bird]

Yep, 70 tomato plants of 8 different kinds is lots of tomatoes. A couple of years ago, I set out a dozen each of 4 varieties and figured we harvested about 1,500 pounds before I mowed them down, so I cut back. This year I only set out 18 each of two varieties and still have more than we can get rid of.

 

[Steelfan]

The last couple years were very ,very dry around here, so my tomatoes didn't do as well as I expected. I've got a pump to pump water from the creek in the picture, but its not like when it rains. I need to pump water tomorrow morning most likely. The worst part of tomato growing for me is picking them. I need to wear long sleeves, because the plant gives me a rash. Something doesn't agree with my system there. Kent

 

[Bird]

Kent, I've heard of people with some kind of allergy to tomato plants like that, but don't think I ever knew anyone that was bothered by them. Now okra is another matter. Neighbor behind me loves okra but has to wear long sleeves and gloves to pick it, and my wife needs to wear gloves to wash and cut up the pods or she complains about her hands itching. I usually feel some mild itching on the back of my hands and arms after I pick it, but not enough to bother me.


And unfortunately, I have to use "city" water to water my garden, and that works, but like you said, it isn't nearly as good as a good rain. Long story in the local paper this morning about the grasshopper plague and how they like the hot, drought conditions. The county agent says we need a cool wet Spring to get rid of them. We'll hope for that for next Spring, but right now I'm afraid we're in for 3 months of hot, dry, miserable weather.

 

[Steelfan]

Yeah, I started developing more allergy problems in the last 5 years or so. When I was younger I had none. I could run through Poison Ivy if I wanted to.

The creek is my best source of water. It runs all the time, pretty fair size creek. I have a Waterbug pump to pump water to the sprinkler. Works pretty good. Covers about 3/4 of the garden, and runs for about 45 minutes without running out of gas. I usually run it twice and move it the cover the other 1/4 of the garden. Still not as good as a good rain. I'm amazed by your Grasshopper Plague, I hardly ever see any around here. Course being further north, the cold weather helps with bug control. Good Luck with the Hoppers. Kent

 

[Ozarker]

If you put a solar pump on that it will pump as long as the sun shines.

 

[MrP]

Knight,

Looks good.

We just harvested the first red tomatoes last week. Not bad since any before July 4th puts me ahead of the game in my neck of the woods.

We got a frost the third week of May that killed half the garden.

 

[Chuck52]

I thought I'd better issue this warning: It hasn't rained at my place since June 11. I intend to get tomatoes from my garden this year if I have to deplete the Ozark aquifer all by my lonesome. Just figured I ought to warn anyone else who uses the same source.

Chuck