How does your garden grow?

[Western]

Tim, looks good, I see you have a big shortage of sand!:laughing:

Probably need to fertilize that corn, I usually start when I get to 3 leaves or 6-8". I use either 13-13-13-, or 10-10-10 depending whats at the feed store. Corn is a nitrogen hog.

 

[Larro Darro]

Tim, looks good, I see you have a big shortage of sand!:laughing:

Probably need to fertilize that corn, I usually start when I get to 3 leaves or 6-8". I use either 13-13-13-, or 10-10-10 depending whats at the feed store. Corn is a nitrogen hog.

Yes, there is just a little sand on the Larro Ranchero. If I could find a market for prickly pear, I wouldn't have to worry about working anymore.

The corn that isn't doing good is older than what is in the picture, and is only about 6". I use triple 13 on everything, and will apply some as soon as it dries out from where I ran the sprinkler on it. If that doesn't do the trick, I have one of those hose attachments for Miracle Grow. That should kick it in gear.

Everything else is really growing. My melon plants seemed like they are twice as big as just two or three days ago.

Larro

 

[Western]

I bet that sand leaches out quick. Have you got a soil sample?

 

[Larro Darro]

I bet that sand leaches out quick. Have you got a soil sample?

Not since we stopped farming it. We used to have to add lime every few years. I'm sure it could use a little again. I have used hay for mulch, and tilled it in after the growing season for several years on the old part of the garden. That helps put a little something back. But the 'new ground' doesn't have that advantage. All that heavy rain we had when the corn was just coming up probably didn't help either. It did beat down some of the tomato plants I had in trays. I'm going out as soon as the dew dries and work the corn with my stirrup hoe, then side dress and plow it. But I'll pick up some more seed while I'm in town today. If it doesn't come out of it's funk, I'll just replant.

Larro

 

[Western]

Sounds like a plan, adding lime right now wouldn't help you much for some time anyway. Bet you can grow some "danm" good melons in that sand as well, or is it to salty?

BTW, I was born in Orlando, but it has been around 42 years since I have been there:laughing: Everyone I talk to from there, or has recently traveled there, say's it has been so over populated, I would hate it? We didnt live ther, I was adopted and my parents lived over the border in Savanna "Gawga" at the time. To this day, I can remember trips to okefenokee (sp) swamp.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Hilled the potatoes last night. I probably should not say this but I have not seen one potato bug this year. I usually start battling them as soon as the first leaves appear. Maybe the cold temps this winter killed a few off.

I plant the other crops on the other side of the field to keep the potato bugs off them with corn, watermelons, cantaloupe between them and the potatoes.

And I love the hiller I purchased last year:thumbsup:take a lot of the work out of planting potatoes.

 

[Western]

Daum David, looks great!:thumbsup: Got a photo of the "hiller"? Looks like it is 3 pnt, which would be a no go for my small garden. Hilling is the worst part.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Dennis, I don't have a picture but it is still on the tractor so I will take one tonight.

 

[Larro Darro]

Sounds like a plan, adding lime right now wouldn't help you much for some time anyway. Bet you can grow some "danm" good melons in that sand as well, or is it to salty?

BTW, I was born in Orlando, but it has been around 42 years since I have been there:laughing: Everyone I talk to from there, or has recently traveled there, say's it has been so over populated, I would hate it? We didnt live ther, I was adopted and my parents lived over the border in Savanna "Gawga" at the time. To this day, I can remember trips to okefenokee (sp) swamp.

Dennis, you are right about the melons. The sand brings out the sweetness for sure. I've only been to Orlando a few times. The first two or three times was when I was a kid and went to see the Mouse, and the last was in 1980 when I was in bootcamp. I'm up here between Panama City and Tallahassee. It is a whole 'nother world here in the panhandle compared to south Florida. Folks call this area LA for Lower Alabama.

As proud as I am of my bike plow, it is hard to control. Not to mention the fact it has been killing my back because the handlebars are too low. So I bought a push plow in town today. I haven't got it put together yet, and I have office relief tomorrow. But I will post pictures as soon as I can.

I had a nice shower this morning on my peas. It lasted about 45 minutes. Then a few minutes later it started on the cucumbers and melons. It also lasted about 45 minutes. What are the odds? I saw the first blooms on my jalapeno tonight.

Larro

 

[Western]

As far as I know, I have 7 older brothers/sisters (don't know the ratio) in that area, at least that was the info in 1962. The hospital I was born at has be demolished I believe years ago. My Birth mother may still be living there, IDK, don't even know if she is still living. All I know was her name and she was 38 years old with 7 kids (if that info was correct.

What do you use the "push plow" for? Looks tilled pretty good.

 

[Larro Darro]

What do you use the "push plow" for? Looks tilled pretty good.

I've been running between the rows with the homemade plow every couple of days, just to keep the grass and weeds down. I've also been using it when I side dress, to cover as much of the fertilizer as it will, so I have to do less with the hoe.. It is hard to control, and I am afraid I will get too close and do some damage to the roots. The new one will be easier on my back, it will go where you point it, and it came with a reversible chisel point, a turning plow and a five tine cultivator kind of like the one I borrowed from my BIL. The three attachments were almost half the cost of the plow if you bought them separate.

Larro

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Got a photo of the "hiller"?

And...here you go

 

[Larro Darro]

And...here you go

That would save the old back for sure. I found a really old set of those in a scrap pile at the old house. The blades were about wore out, but with lots of oil, they might be made to turn. These just attach to a cultivator frame.

Larro

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Larro,

I planted 11 rows, 100#, this year and never touched a hoe. I hilled, then ran a potato plow down the middle of the hills, dropped the pieces of potatoes in, and ran the hiller back over to cover. :thumbsup:

Then when it came time to hill once they were up, adjusted the hiller and ran down the rows.

 

[Larro Darro]

And...here you go

That would save the old back for sure. I found a really old set of those in a scrap pile at the old house. The blades were about wore out, but with lots of oil, they might be made to turn. These just attach to a cultivator frame.

Larro

 

[Western]

And...here you go

OK, I have seen those, but never used one. If I had a larger, un fenced garden, that would work great!

 

[bcp]

Inch by inch, row by row...

That's the way my garden grows.

Brown thumb versions:

Inch by inch, row by row
Gotta let this garden go
The Trojan Heron: Lyrics & Titles


Slug by slug, weed by weed,
My garden's got me really teed
Tired of the Rain/Anti-Garden Song « Observations Along the Road

Bruce

 

[Larro Darro]

I transplanted 16 Rutgers tomato plants this morning. There was a cold northwest wind blowing 10mph with 20mph gusts. I hadn't got around to tying the other tomatoes, and they have been growing like crazy. The wind had the taller ones laying down. My stakes were down at the river field, and even though the river has gone down, it didn't take all the water with it. I waded where I had to, but I brought the stakes back home and got started on the Florida weave. I've never done it before, so I can't say for sure, but I think it would be easier without a cat playing with the jute as you are trying to get it done.

Larro

 

[lakngulf]

Windy here today as well. I have some corn laying on the ground, and my green beans got slammed against that arbor.



On the left of this picture you can see the corn laying over on the tomatoes. Thank goodness the tomato cages worked to keep the maters upright.

 

[CalG]

The watermelon radishes are up! Never tried a spring planting before, but I like 'em so much. Butter bread sandwich with a sprinkle of salt, or on a slab of Vermont Cheddar cheese.

Oh! I do hope the weather stays cool...... ;-)