How does your garden grow?

[Larro Darro]

I set out 36 Crimson Sweet transplants last night. It is one of the best tasting watermelons I have found. I will plant a row direct seeded this weekend.

Also set 36 cantaloupe transplants and will do a row direct seeded this weekend.

When I truck farmed, the Crimson Sweets were always our best seller. With our sandy soil, they sure turned out good. I have some banana cantaloupe planted. The seeds are from what I saved last year, so I'm hoping they didn't get cross pollinated. If they turn out to be true, I have enough seeds saved for years to come.

Larro

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I had about 25 get sunburned in the field last year. They were close to being ready to pick, had about 3 cloudy days and then boom sunny 95* the next day.

Is there anything you can do to prevent this other than covering them? Watermelons don't continue to ripen after being picked so I could not pick them early.

 

[Larro Darro]

I had about 25 get sunburned in the field last year. They were close to being ready to pick, had about 3 cloudy days and then boom sunny 95* the next day.

Is there anything you can do to prevent this other than covering them? Watermelons don't continue to ripen after being picked so I could not pick them early.

When I was hoeing, I would leave a few weeds to shade the melons. {that is what I would tell Daddy anyway, when he complained about my work} It seemed to help some, but with the Florida sunshine, you were always going to get a few sunburned ones. When you have a bigger field, there is not much you can do about it.

Larro

 

[Western]

Larry, you will like the stirrup hoe, quick little tool for short weeds.

 

[lakngulf]

We have had some "sho nuff" growing weather in central Alabama. Tomato plants and corn have doubled in size in a week





Lettuce and Blue Berry bush enjoy their location as well

 

[Larro Darro]

We have had some "sho nuff" growing weather in central Alabama. Tomato plants and corn have doubled in size in a week


Lettuce and Blue Berry bush enjoy their location as well

You have everything looking good. My sister has some loaded blueberry bushes, but they turned their young peacocks out on the yard, and had to fence off all the fruit trees. It has been sunny and warm in NW Florida as well. It hit 91F today while I was working in the garden. As much as I was wanting the rain to leave a couple of weeks ago, it would be nice to have a little now.

Larro

 

[General Lee]

I'm doing some raised beds this year. A first for me.

Just got them all situated last weekend. I have Tomatoes, Banana peppers, sweet peppers, Cukes, Cantaloupe, zucchini and strawberries.

 

[Larro Darro]

I'm doing some raised beds this year. A first for me.

Just got them all situated last weekend. I have Tomatoes, Banana peppers, sweet peppers, Cukes, Cantaloupe, zucchini and strawberries.

Mamma is after me to find the old hog troughs so she can use them as raised beds. At 86 she isn't kicking as high as she used to, and is looking for an easier way to garden.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

Larry, you will like the stirrup hoe, quick little tool for short weeds.

I used the new hoe to work the peas, banana cantaloupe and corn this morning. It worked like a dream in the cleaner, older part of the garden. But in the new part, the grass roots caused it to be a little harder to push and pull. Not that long ago, it was lawn, so it will take me a while to get all the roots out. I rake it every time I plow, and I'm still getting a big pile of grass roots. Not sure if this is what folks mean by grass roots gardening

Larro

 

[Western]

:laughing: I pushed and pulled one day, now it's an all pull only rule Pr-tilled dirt sure does work easier and for several years after. In those conditions it is a handy, speedy tool, more like "raking" than hoeing.

 

[Larro Darro]

:laughing: I pushed and pulled one day, now it's an all pull only rule Pr-tilled dirt sure does work easier and for several years after. In those conditions it is a handy, speedy tool, more like "raking" than hoeing.

My tiller had an oil leak, so I used our old disc. I thought I had done a good job, but when I ran the push plow between the rows, there is still lots of the grass roots under the surface. As soon as the peas slow down, I will till them under and plant again. It will be better next time.

My shoulder would be in favor of the pull only rule. I worked out there three hours this morning, a good deal of that with the hoe. Part of what I was doing was thinning the pink eyed purple hulls. I bought a new hand planter this year, and the first three rows were sowed. I taped up half the scoops on the pea plate, and after that it did better. It is a shame to kill so many good looking pea plants, but they were just too thick. The stirrup hoe did a good job on them. And you are right about it being easy to use in tilled soil. I did the black eyed peas {in the old part of the garden} in just a few minutes.

Larro

 

[Western]

A couple more photos, yes, allot of grass in the rows. Hard to keep it under control working out of town during the week. Everything is growing like gangbusters. I think because of several reasons. This is only the 2nd season in this spot for a garden, was previously woods

Things I think that have made a HUGE difference this year.

1. I got a soil sample a month before planting ( I can post the results if interested, I did post them in the Texas Spring/summer thread)
2. Used hay last year for mulch and tilled it in several times over the fall and winter, soil has much better "feel"
3. Using ALLOT of soaker hose directly to the base of each row, (thanks to following Jinmans lead)
4. Have been using Greenlight Spinosad for bugs, namely, thrips, leaf hoppers, green cuc beetles. applied just before dark and so far NO damage from theses bastages. ( Thanks to Farmgirl19 for the heads up on Spinosad, love it and earth friendly)
5. I use a small propane torch to get ride of plant eating stink bugs, works like a charm and is quick results. Hard to eat your garden if they dont have legs:laughing:

Photo from my FEL since the corn is getting high enough to block a ground photo.


Photo from my "unfinished gate" the squash and zucs on the left are around 20"+ tall and loaded with yellow crookneck . On the right along the fence, my wife planted a row of giant sunflowers, growing like weeds!

 

[Larro Darro]

It's looking great Dennis. I used soaker hoses last year, but haven't strung them yet this year. I had thought about one of the drip systems for the peppers and tomatoes, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. My BIL works at Lowe's and can give me a pretty good discount. But he is laid up with a bum knee right now, so I'm trying to wait until he gets back to work before I do anything. I extended my line of faucets, and might replace one of them with a sprinkler head. All I need for that is a inline valve and the head. It would cover most of the garden until I decide what I'm going to do.

Larro

 

[Jstpssng]

A couple more photos, yes, allot of grass in the rows. Hard to keep it under control working out of town during the week. Everything is growing like gangbusters. I think because of several reasons. This is only the 2nd season in this spot for a garden, was previously woods

Things I think that have made a HUGE difference this year.

1. I got a soil sample a month before planting ( I can post the results if interested, I did post them in the Texas Spring/summer thread)
2. Used hay last year for mulch and tilled it in several times over the fall and winter, soil has much better "feel"
3. Using ALLOT of soaker hose directly to the base of each row, (thanks to following Jinmans lead)
4. Have been using Greenlight Spinosad for bugs, namely, thrips, leaf hoppers, green cuc beetles. applied just before dark and so far NO damage from theses bastages. ( Thanks to Farmgirl19 for the heads up on Spinosad, love it and earth friendly)
5. I use a small propane torch to get ride of plant eating stink bugs, works like a charm and is quick results. Hard to eat your garden if they dont have legs:laughing:

Photo from my FEL since the corn is getting high enough to block a ground photo.
[Snip photo]Photo from my "unfinished gate" the squash and zucs on the left are around 20"+ tall and loaded with yellow crookneck . On the right along the fence, my wife planted a row of giant sunflowers, growing like weeds!

[snip photo]

Do you find that using hay causes more weeds, or do you sterilize it first?
(I hope you don't mind my removing photos from your quotes, it seems rather redundant and can make things load slowly)

 

[Western]

So far the hay has been great, I have even used oat and wheat hay with no issues. Seeds may sprout in the fall, but that is more biomass tilled in later. All the weeds I deal with now, are the same I'd be dealing with anyway.

Straw is good, but the coastal is easier to work with, much finer grass. I have never "inherited" weeds from using hay, especially if its a high quality horse type hay. I usually will try to get the second cutting or later if I can (less chance of weeds), but it usually fetches a higher premium. I bought a 600# round last year for $30 that was 2 year old wheat straw, even better now on the bottom.

 

[lakngulf]

So far the hay has been great, I have even used oat and wheat hay with no issues. Seeds may sprout in the fall, but that is more biomass tilled in later. All the weeds I deal with now, are the same I'd be dealing with anyway.

Great looking garden there Western. Looks like your plants are enjoying the soil and hay very well. Is that black Preen cloth down some rows? I have used that on occasion with mixed results. Seems to always collect dirt, and slippery when wet. One year I was trying to do something in the garden, hit a slick spot, and zap I was broadside in a hurry. Tougher on the 60s body.

Always difficult to handle weeds in a garden, especially one as big as yours. At some point the veggies become big enough that you just have to let them compete with the weeds, as hoeing, etc does more damage than good. Then just wear high boots for picking.

 

[whynot162]

I have planted a few things, but I struggle every year getting the carrots up, grow good when finally up. Plant them really shallow. Any idea what I am doing wrong?

 

[TomSeller]

I use soaker hoses a lot. I have an artesian well that puts out about 5 to 10 psi which is perfect for soaker hoes with a long cycle time on the timer. I have it come on every few days during the night so there is plenty of time for the water to soak the roots.

I had not seen Spinosad before, that sounds like a great product. It looks like a good combination with soaker hoses not washing it off the plant.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have planted a few things, but I struggle every year getting the carrots up, grow good when finally up. Plant them really shallow. Any idea what I am doing wrong?

Do you mean that you get poor germination? Or do they just not come up as soon as you expect?
Carrots are slow to emerge, and in certain soils (like mine) a crust can form on the surface after rain or watering, which they need to push through.
I sometimes take a rake and tamp lightly to break this up after the soil dries, although the last few years I've been planting in beds of short rows about 3" apart; and radishes in between. The latter come up quickly and achieve the same result.
(This year I'm trying pelleted carrot seed. I always plant too thickly and never get around to thinning.)

 

[Jstpssng]

So far the hay has been great, I have even used oat and wheat hay with no issues. Seeds may sprout in the fall, but that is more biomass tilled in later. All the weeds I deal with now, are the same I'd be dealing with anyway.

Straw is good, but the coastal is easier to work with, much finer grass. I have never "inherited" weeds from using hay, especially if its a high quality horse type hay. I usually will try to get the second cutting or later if I can (less chance of weeds), but it usually fetches a higher premium. I bought a 600# round last year for $30 that was 2 year old wheat straw, even better now on the bottom.

That's good to know. I have so many weeds anyhow that I don't know why I worry about a few more! ;0