How does your garden grow?
- Thread starter Larro Darro
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Still too wet here for tilling and the forecast calls for rain today and tomorrow. About the only thing I've done is bought my fertilizer and started the tomato seeds, probably have to up-plant this week.
lakngulf
Veteran Member
That is a big garden. I have my garden at the farm tilled, and planted some silver queen on Saturday. Who knows if too early or not. We have 35 predicted for Wed night Thurs AM. Maybe that will be last cold spell but you always have to watch out for Easter.
At home I have pots with fresh farm soil ready for some maters, and my little plants in the greenhouse are not as far along as usual, and that is probably a good thing. Temps will be warm soon and growing will be good!
robbyr
Elite Member
I wondered that also.
flyerdan
Veteran Member
I start seeds in those 5 dozen egg crates, each section gives you 30 mini pots. Got some starting to come up after a week now, I replant them into 4" pots until it's warm and dry enough to till.
Last few years I can't seem to get radishes; they grow just fine, but kind of lay over and have no root.
Last few years I can't seem to get radishes; they grow just fine, but kind of lay over and have no root.
2LaneCruzer
Epic Contributor
I have planted corn...along with peas and potatoes... as early as February. A light freeze won't hurt the peas, and I have had both the corn and potatoes nipped and they all recovered. Onlyest problem, is some things, even though planted early, don't do well at low temps.
CADplans
Elite Member
OK here is a question for the "Super Gardeners",,,,
I have added so much organic matter to my garden, that all rain is absorbed, I get zero runoff, no matter how much rain I get.
Nitrogen is water soluble, at least the kind I use on the garden,,
We have had close to 5 inches of rain over the last week, and are expecting 3 inches over the next week,,
Is it possible that 8 inches of rain over such a short period of time will leach away all of the nitrogen fertilizer?
Should I re-fertilize like there has been nothing applied?
I have added so much organic matter to my garden, that all rain is absorbed, I get zero runoff, no matter how much rain I get.
Nitrogen is water soluble, at least the kind I use on the garden,,
We have had close to 5 inches of rain over the last week, and are expecting 3 inches over the next week,,
Is it possible that 8 inches of rain over such a short period of time will leach away all of the nitrogen fertilizer?
Should I re-fertilize like there has been nothing applied?
robbyr
Elite Member
Would be interesting to know.
I can’t seem to get my watering right. Read that beans don’t need a lot. But now I think I’m not giving enough.
I can’t seem to get my watering right. Read that beans don’t need a lot. But now I think I’m not giving enough.
jaxs
Elite Member
To have no ponding and no runoff is good because the N isn't washed away to another location nor . suspended in water until it become's airborn. Most of your N has bound up with first few inches of topsoil. I wouldn't add additional fertilize to intire garden. Too much N can hender some seeds germination. You can always side dress if plants look deficient (corn will need sidedressing regardless).
bunyip
Elite Member
We have just bought two 100litre containers that had food additives in them, they have a aluminium cage, some have a gal steel cage.
Cut the cage in hal then cut the container in half and give them a good pressure washing to get the gunk out.
They then drop back in the cage and you have raised beds.
We are going for the wicking self watering type beds and will start in a couple of weeks when I have some time up my sleeve.
They cost $50 each which is a lot cheaper than buying a bed, we will put a timber frame around it when it is done to make it look decent and wrap some copper wire around the containers to keep the snails out.
This video gives you the idea but a bit long winded: How To Build A Wicking Bed Using an IBC / Tote - YouTube
This will be our vegetable garden that we will put some hoops over and cover with shade cloth so it doesn't cook in summer.
Apparently when slugs try to crawl over copper wire the slime reacts with the copper and gives them a shock and they fall off, we get sick of snails eating everything we plant and this could be the answer.
We have done corn before and we made a maze in the garden with it to amuse the kids when they were young, bonus was they could push through it and eat it when it was ready.
Snails didn't attack the corn but they love herbs and strawberries and my basil crop never ever made it.
Cut the cage in hal then cut the container in half and give them a good pressure washing to get the gunk out.
They then drop back in the cage and you have raised beds.
We are going for the wicking self watering type beds and will start in a couple of weeks when I have some time up my sleeve.
They cost $50 each which is a lot cheaper than buying a bed, we will put a timber frame around it when it is done to make it look decent and wrap some copper wire around the containers to keep the snails out.
This video gives you the idea but a bit long winded: How To Build A Wicking Bed Using an IBC / Tote - YouTube
This will be our vegetable garden that we will put some hoops over and cover with shade cloth so it doesn't cook in summer.
Apparently when slugs try to crawl over copper wire the slime reacts with the copper and gives them a shock and they fall off, we get sick of snails eating everything we plant and this could be the answer.
We have done corn before and we made a maze in the garden with it to amuse the kids when they were young, bonus was they could push through it and eat it when it was ready.
Snails didn't attack the corn but they love herbs and strawberries and my basil crop never ever made it.
dragoneggs
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I have not heard of the copper wire torture method for slugs. :laughing: Here in the PNW, slugs are too many. Wife uses salt and slug bait, but maybe it is worth trying to outline the entire garden with bare copper wire. Wondering though even if it does work... for how long? Does oxidation eventually render the wire ineffective?
bunyip
Elite Member
Mixed results on youtube but here we go
Copper Snail Barrier. Really Easy to Make. - YouTube
Someone tried pennies but I think they are alloy and not pure copper, they didn't work.
I doubt it would last forever and I don't know how you would cover a garden bed but the raised beds are easy, our big box stores sell copper tape but a little resourcefulness will save a few $$$$.
As we have dogs running around I don't want to use pellets.
Copper Snail Barrier. Really Easy to Make. - YouTube
Someone tried pennies but I think they are alloy and not pure copper, they didn't work.
I doubt it would last forever and I don't know how you would cover a garden bed but the raised beds are easy, our big box stores sell copper tape but a little resourcefulness will save a few $$$$.
As we have dogs running around I don't want to use pellets.
dragoneggs
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Now that you mentioned pennies... we were recently at a micro brewery and they had indoor and outdoor seating with glass garage doors that could be raised to really open up the patio to the brewery. I noticed hanging under each door frame was a zip loc bag filled with water and shiny pennies. :confused3:
When the owner came over to say hello I asked him what was the deal with the pennies thinking it was some good luck charm. He laughed and said no... it keeps the flies from coming inside when the doors are open. I was ready to call BS when I explained that the flies eyes could not handle (navigate) going past these objects because of their 'faceted' eyes. I laughed... he said he wasn't a believer either until he tried it. Apparently his indoor fly problem was solved.
When the owner came over to say hello I asked him what was the deal with the pennies thinking it was some good luck charm. He laughed and said no... it keeps the flies from coming inside when the doors are open. I was ready to call BS when I explained that the flies eyes could not handle (navigate) going past these objects because of their 'faceted' eyes. I laughed... he said he wasn't a believer either until he tried it. Apparently his indoor fly problem was solved.
There are several things that you can use as a slug barrier. A course rope like bailing twine works, as it seems to irritate their soft undersides.
I sometimes go around the perimeter with lime or wood ashes, which works great except it needs to be refreshed occasionally, especially after rain.
Also keep the grass down around any barrier, because it acts as bridges for them to cross over.
Cans partially filled with beer also attracts them, they fall in and drown. The last time that I had a serious slug problem though I couldn't replace the cans fast enough after they got filled with dead slugs.
For my flower garden I have a 5 gallon milk jug with 1 side cut off that I can lay on it's side, putting the beer traps inside so that they are out of sight.
The slugs haven't been bad for the last few years here, but it appears that this summer we may be plagued with them.
I sometimes go around the perimeter with lime or wood ashes, which works great except it needs to be refreshed occasionally, especially after rain.
Also keep the grass down around any barrier, because it acts as bridges for them to cross over.
Cans partially filled with beer also attracts them, they fall in and drown. The last time that I had a serious slug problem though I couldn't replace the cans fast enough after they got filled with dead slugs.
For my flower garden I have a 5 gallon milk jug with 1 side cut off that I can lay on it's side, putting the beer traps inside so that they are out of sight.
The slugs haven't been bad for the last few years here, but it appears that this summer we may be plagued with them.
Sysop
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jaxs
Elite Member
Lady I stays with bin predicting for over fifty years that's surly how I will meet my demise.
CADplans
Elite Member
Raspberries are ready to pick,,,
then first test of the DIY berry picker made from on line plans,,,
when the blackberries come in,, we may have to connect the picker to a 5 gallon bucket, instead of a plastic bag,,,
:laughing:
then first test of the DIY berry picker made from on line plans,,,
when the blackberries come in,, we may have to connect the picker to a 5 gallon bucket, instead of a plastic bag,,,
:laughing:
2LaneCruzer
Epic Contributor
Have you seen the movie? Guys about drowns in a vat of Brandy, and from then on he can't as much as taste alcohol and he is shat faced. It's called the "Big Hangover".
dragoneggs
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Hey what is with picking green blueberries? Do you fry them like tomatoes? :laughing:
dragoneggs
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Love it! Will have to make a couple. Many we can't reach and I am tired of the wounds. We are a couple months away but we have blackberry bushes that will rival anyone's! Thanks for sharing! :drink:then first test of the DIY berry picker made from on line plans,,,
when the blackberries come in,, we may have to connect the picker to a 5 gallon bucket, instead of a plastic bag,,,
:laughing:
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