Vegetable Gardens

[jimmoore]

Well folks, I am going to sell my disc and moldboard and pick my produce from the veggie department at the IGA this year!! When I plant a garden every 6 legged creature with mouth parts descend on my garden. Plus squirrels, coons and ground hogs & birds and the dry weather that we have been having the last two years, it'S NO LONGER WORTH THE EFFORT. Squirrels and birds also eat all my peaches and figs. After these 2 ice storms that we have had, I will most likely have to cut the peach and fig trees down. All the time and money spent plowing and tilling plus the seed cost, makes me think that it is cheaper to buy the veggies!! jim

 

[jyoutz]

Bird, what I do would probably also work good for you even if you don't get snow and freezing ground. I turn the old plants under each fall with a moldboard plow. Then I cover the garden with a couple inches of manure, leaves and any other organic matter. I let it set this way all winter (in your case you may get some weed growth but that's okay). Then I use my tiller in the spring to prepare the planting bed. Leaving the deep furrows open all winter lets moisture soak deep into the soil and also allows the organic compounds to leach into the soil. If you till the soil real fine prior to winter moisture, then your ground will just compact down by spring. Leave the field open and rough. This will also prevent wind erosion of the soil, which might occur during a dry period if the soil is tilled too smooth.

 

[Kevin_mc]

Jim, Try planting more so there is enough for you and the critters /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.

Kevin Mc

 

[jimmoore]

KEVIN, Maybe I should plant GARLIC? I could then smell them coming. jim

 

[Thomas]

DFB,
Have you tried some of that Highway Mix?

It contains rye..clover..grass..etc.
I tried some seem to work well.

The storm getting closer. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif




Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

Jim, I'll have to admit it would probably be cheaper, and a lot less work, to just buy our produce if it were just for my wife and me, but I do like Kevin said; I plant enough for us, the critters, and lots of other family members and neighbors (even been known to sell just a little bit each year).

jyoutz, I could spread a lot of organic matter on the garden and leave it for the winter, if I had the different kinds of organic matter handy. But I can't spread leaves without plowing them in or they'd just all blow away. My garden's on flat ground, out in the open. One material that I haven't used myself, but some others in the area use, is to plow truckloads of cotton hulls into the garden in the Fall, and leave it plowed, not tilled, until Spring.

All things considered though, I'm inclined to think what I'm doing works best in my area. If it were just tilled and left for the winter it would compact all right, but I don't leave it very long at a time. I just run the tiller over it again after every rain as soon as it gets dry enough so I don't give it a chance to get compacted very hard. I'm sure that wouldn't be best in the north, but down here it doesn't take me long to till it and the weather is usually suitable for doing that.

Bird

 

[Thomas]

MReeter,
I think Bird got the jump there,for he wrote in a couple of months about preping and planting while its still snowing up north.





Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[DFB]

Thomas, haven't used that. I try to stay away from adding clover, too invasive for me. Mostly red clover and timothy mix here. Used straw for mulch around my tomatoes last year. Really expensive if you have to buy it. I like to get a mulch layer. See the attachment. I haven't found out if its possible to use one with my 4100. I think the wheelbase is to narrow.plasticulture

 

[Kevin_mc]

You jest, but garlic is not only my commercial crop it is also the best weapon I have in organic pest control. I plant wide rows of garlic in raised beds leaving 10 foot of space between each row. I plant my garden vegetables between the garlic beds. Once I harvest the garlic in late June and early July I leave the tops lay in the beds to continue it's efforts against bugs and critters. Just don't plant the garlic the same place two years in a row.

If you don't want all the garlic try putting some garlic powder in water and spray it on the ground around your garden or at least the crops which are ready to harvest.

Then chant any of your favorite songs backward while standing on one leg under a full moon. Between the garlic and you acting like a fool in the garden all night at least the critters will leave you alone./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Kevin Mc

 

[Thomas]

jimmoore,
Than what are you going to do with all that free time. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif
How about a smaller scale garden,as they say its in your blood. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif