Plown' Garden

[milkman]

Calling for rain tonight and possible next few days, so although a little heavy, I decided to go ahead and plow the garden today. Last year, I kept getting requests for different things to add as the season went on and I ran out of room early, so I made it bigger. I will pick up some chicken manure on Friday and maybe I can grow some big squash this year. Pic of last years vines.

 

[Onthesauk]

Still too wet to till here, (little stream still running through the edge of the garden.)

Discovered that we can no longer get chicken manure in our area. Big farm where it used to be available says it's because of the bird flu concern. Dairy farm where I use to get cow manure has closed, urban growth got them. Now down to trying to find horse manure.

 

[Thomas]

Notice you folks got taste of late spring weather temps...t-shirt weather.
Nice healthy looking plants and the best to you this year in growing Milkman.

Spring has finally sprung up here in the pucker brush,for the frost has started upwards which means mud and I mean mud everywhere...yikes...still a good foot of snow in the deep woods,which means about another couple before we can drop the seeds and plants in the garden.

 

[CDsdad]

How are you plowing milkman? Turn it over and then disc it down?

Squash look great. My boss has me put hers in raised beds, as well as tomatoes and peppers. She says it's easier to weed.

My peas, corn, potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, and snap beans go in the garden. Planted taters, beans, corn, and watermelons 2 weeks ago. No rain yet, so may have it to do over. Good luck with yours.

 

[jinman]

It's lookin' good, Milkman. Your squash from last year look very healthy. What kind of soil do you have? It looks like it has a bit of clay. Does it break up to soft and fluffy, or is it chunky? Mine can be chunky, but it stays pretty soft if I keep it moist. You don't want to walk thru my garden when it's wet though. Your feet become as large as clowns feet from all the clay mud sticking to your shoes.

Here's a picture of our garden from last weekend. We got 2-3/4" of rain yesterday and now I have happy plants. We have planted onions, potatoes, radishes, turnips, English peas, bush beans, Kentucky wonders, pintos, cucumbers, tomatoes (66 plants), squash (36 plants of various varieties), blackeye and purple hull peas, and gourds. Whew! Only watermelon, canteloupe, and okra yet to go.

I think we are gonna be busy.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Discovered that we can no longer get chicken manure in our area. Big farm where it used to be available says it's because of the bird flu concern. Dairy farm where I use to get cow manure has closed, urban growth got them. Now down to trying to find horse manure.

We've got several tons of horse manure if you want to come pick it up!

BTW, horse manure is dramatically lower in fertilizer value than chicken or pig manure. It really is basically just grass clippings with some of the carbs taken out. Some of the ag books, especially on organic farming, have charts that compare fertilizer (N/P/K) values of different kinds of manure, and horse is way down at the bottom of everything. I do imagine you can get it for free if you're willing to haul it yourself, though.

 

[milkman]

The t-shirt weather is most welcome, but I bet we still get a good frost. I'm using a breaking plow, then when it lays a while and gets warmer and dries, I'll use the tiller to finish it and get it ready to plant. We'll get potatoes in probably two weeks, then it will be a couple more weeks before I really get started, weather permitting. The boss still doesn't have her list complete, last year she just kept adding stuff and we ran out of room, hopefully with a list, I can do some better planning. This is the first year to try the CM, but if the environuts get much worse, they'll have the chickens wearing diapers, that'll be more jobs for the illegals, where I'm getting the manure, they only have a small operation 80,000 chicks at a time, can just imagine how long it would take to keep all those diapers changed.

 

[RalphVa]

Nice squash and good plowing. I didn't plow mine this year. Just mulched the raised rows and put plastic down between the rows because I has a solar blanket and some erosion fence and a couple old tarps to cut up. Never had so many worms while planting my potatoes. Got one row of carrots down there, too. Otherwise, waiting until about mid April to start my corn then about May 1st for the rest.

I've had a pill of a time getting nothing other than yellow crook neck and butternut squash to grow. Squash beetles get the little spaghetti squash (my favorite); what they don't get, the borers get any that grow big.

Ralph

 

[milkman]

The garden spot is on the site where we removed a barn that has been there since 1942, maybe that's why the squash did so well. I didn't have a problem with the bugs so maybe I'll try the spaghetti squash this year.

 

[JeremyL]

When I saw the pictures of the beautiful land, I looked and saw that you are in Kentucky. Where in particular? I go between Jefferson Co. and Warren Co. to work in our three "outdoor gymns."