Gardening 2022

[tim87tr]

We got an earlier start this year. The recent rain and warm temps have really helped. The cardboard no till ground section I set up last fall seems to be working out so far.

 

[snapping turtle]

So I am wondering if for the first year if I should turn in some lime then put compost around each plant of till it all in?

Can not hurt. Amend away. Test the soil see what it needs.

Rake the grass place in between rows for weed control (going to need it) til that in when it becomes stiff and add more. Kinda a spot compost method. I would also think if it is newly created then it is more than likely lower than the rest of the garden as the first tilling of new areas often requires removal of the grass turf top to the compost pile. (At least for me. I normally add peat moss sawdust no walnut $ ect whenever I can get ahold of it.

Looking at the third garden patch project as the wife wants to take over my main garden.
This will be more of a row crop area but I have been blessed with some rather nice soil here. I might cut real low then roundup the turf before tilling this one. Never been a fan of roundup but also not a fan of taking 4 times more work than my normal ways. Grandpa always had 3 or 4 gardens growing up and he did the weed killer before tilling. I normally use an old couple pieces of outdoor carpet. Lay dow. Black side up and with the sun beating down it kills all even seeds after a few weeks.

 

[Expat]

If I already had alkaline soil (which I do), I certainly would not be adding lime, but that's just me.

 

[bwframe]

Hoping to keep the birds freaked out about the berry patch...

 

[Jaybird1980]

For all of you seasoned Gardeners out there. So our main food plot has had years of organic material, soiled hay from the Goat barn, compost and wood mulch that gets turned in each year.

This year we are adding 3 runways in front of the House they will be about 3 feet by 250 in length. Our Fruit trees, blackberries do fine out there but it’s never been used for veggies before.

So I am wondering if for the first year if I should turn in some lime then put compost around each plant of till it all in?

I already have alkaline soil so no lime for me. I would suggest doing a PH test to give you an idea of where you are. I have to add sulfur instead.

 

[tim87tr]

Hoping to keep the birds freaked out about the berry patch...

View attachment 200529

If you look in my pictures, I'm trying something new and similar also, the shiny ribbon from China King.

 

[snapping turtle]

Hoping to keep the birds freaked out about the berry patch...

View attachment 200529

I have red painted rocks and something moving around like yours. The red painted rocks have seemed to limit the damage. Starlings like the berries and they make good targets so those and the dogs help out

 

[bwframe]

If you look in my pictures, I'm trying something new and similar also, the shiny ribbon from China King.

I hung old CD's last year. The pinwheels were more expensive than I wanted to pay, but we'll see if they hold up or work any different?

My experience with the shiny stuff is that it works for a while. Eventually though, some birds get used to it.

I have red painted rocks and something moving around like yours. The red painted rocks have seemed to limit the damage. Starlings like the berries and they make good targets so those and the dogs help out

Wonder if the red rocks would work on the slugs?

I like the idea of the red rocks, but I don't want to complicate the pinwheel project just yet. Thanks for the reminder. If and when the birds get to ignoring the pinwheels...


.

 

[wcd]

I have red painted rocks and something moving around like yours. The red painted rocks have seemed to limit the damage. Starlings like the berries and they make good targets so those and the dogs help out

Wonder if something similar would work for the blackberries?

 

[wcd]

Can not hurt. Amend away. Test the soil see what it needs.

Rake the grass place in between rows for weed control (going to need it) til that in when it becomes stiff and add more. Kinda a spot compost method. I would also think if it is newly created then it is more than likely lower than the rest of the garden as the first tilling of new areas often requires removal of the grass turf top to the compost pile. (At least for me. I normally add peat moss sawdust no walnut $ ect whenever I can get ahold of it.

Looking at the third garden patch project as the wife wants to take over my main garden.
This will be more of a row crop area but I have been blessed with some rather nice soil here. I might cut real low then roundup the turf before tilling this one. Never been a fan of roundup but also not a fan of taking 4 times more work than my normal ways. Grandpa always had 3 or 4 gardens growing up and he did the weed killer before tilling. I normally use an old couple pieces of outdoor carpet. Lay dow. Black side up and with the sun beating down it kills all even seeds after a few weeks.

Thanks I will also let two to three round bales get wet and nasty then spread it on top of the plants for weed control. So far there has been minimal weeds from the hay itself.

 

[bwframe]

Thanks I will also let two to three round bales get wet and nasty then spread it on top of the plants for weed control. So far there has been minimal weeds from the hay itself.

David the Good on YouTube talks about making sure your hay or straw comes from fields that have not been sprayed with some sort of herbicide that has a residual which can kill your garden plants. Might be worth a check?

 

[wcd]

David the Good on YouTube talks about making sure your hay or straw comes from fields that have not been sprayed with some sort of herbicide that has a residual which can kill your garden plants. Might be worth a check?

While I do not believe that we qualify as organic by any means. But we do not use any chemicals at all. We get a lot of bio matter, brush leaves
etc so we do not have to worry much.

Also with the goats we do not allow any chemicals or herbicide as it can have far reaching consequences. Contrary to popular belief it can be a challenge to create a healthy eco system for goats.

But you are right it always helps to know what you are utilizing.

thank you

 

[bwframe]

They were pretty knarly looking and few, but the first berry's. Running later this year, with the cold ground temps.

Still a good reminder of why we do this. Grocery store berry's really really suck.

 

[wcd]

They were pretty knarly looking and few, but the first berry's. Running later this year, with the cold ground temps.

Still a good reminder of why we do this. Grocery store berry's really really suck.

View attachment 200629

Right up there with store bought tomatoes not even close to being good.

 

[Twangbanger]

Anybody else having terrible germination on green beans this year? I normally get all my seeds from Cox's plant farm in Clayton, but this year I must have got a bad batch. Just barely over 10% in inside starts, and even worse outdoors. Think I will buy some old standby Blue Lakes and just re-plant.

Carrots and corn are doing well, and some taters in buckets are a foot high. We took a chance and planted a week or so before last frost danger, and it paid off. Asparagus is a little hesitant this year though.

I had to laugh at my mom cracking me up. I took some leftover composted manure from the garden to pot her up some flowers for Mothers' Day, and she texted me yesterday and said her front porch smells like a gut wagon! Said she had sxxt stains running down her front porch. Oops. Guess that wasn't composted enough...

 

[Leadeye]

Anybody else having terrible germination on green beans this year? I normally get all my seeds from Cox's plant farm in Clayton, but this year I must have got a bad batch. Just barely over 10% in inside starts, and even worse outdoors. Think I will buy some old standby Blue Lakes and just re-plant.

Carrots and corn are doing well, and some taters in buckets are a foot high. We took a chance and planted a week or so before last frost danger, and it paid off. Asparagus is a little hesitant this year though.

I had to laugh at my mom cracking me up. I took some leftover composted manure from the garden to pot her up some flowers for Mothers' Day, and she texted me yesterday and said her front porch smells like a gut wagon! Said she had sxxt stains running down her front porch. Oops. Guess that wasn't composted enough...

What kind of yield do you get with the potatos in buckets? The gardener is looking at growing these in some kind of container, I'm looking at tires as I have a lot to get rid of and it's costly.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Anybody else having terrible germination on green beans this year? I normally get all my seeds from Cox's plant farm in Clayton, but this year I must have got a bad batch. Just barely over 10% in inside starts, and even worse outdoors. Think I will buy some old standby Blue Lakes and just re-plant.

Carrots and corn are doing well, and some taters in buckets are a foot high. We took a chance and planted a week or so before last frost danger, and it paid off. Asparagus is a little hesitant this year though.

I had to laugh at my mom cracking me up. I took some leftover composted manure from the garden to pot her up some flowers for Mothers' Day, and she texted me yesterday and said her front porch smells like a gut wagon! Said she had sxxt stains running down her front porch. Oops. Guess that wasn't composted enough...

My green beans are probably 95% germination outside. Beans grow to fast, never started them indoors.

 

[spencer rifle]

We had terrible germination this year, mostly from saved seeds. Most are at least 3 weeks late. Planted a month ago and only now getting big enough to transplant.

Put potatoes in straw bales, finished covering/layering all the garden, put in watermelons, cantaloupe, radishes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, green peppers (bleah), various brassicas. Peas are way behind though they were planted in mid-March. Rhubarb and asparagus doing well. Can't find any carrot seeds, and they never seem to thrive in our soil. Looks like the local apple tree will have no fruit this year. Last year it was loaded to breaking, so we made a LOT of apple sauce/butter anticipating a down year.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Hoping to keep the birds freaked out about the berry patch...

View attachment 200540

I have strawberries in one of my 4'X20' raised beds, and it looks like we're going to have a good crop this year. I hadn't thought about birds until I saw your post. I have a couple of rolls of black plastic netting and I think I'll bust that out and set it up to cover the bed.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

David the Good on YouTube talks about making sure your hay or straw comes from fields that have not been sprayed with some sort of herbicide that has a residual which can kill your garden plants. Might be worth a check?

I had seen the same thing on another Youtube channel, and I've been doing some research too. From what I've learned, you're more likely to get the persistent herbicides from grass hay or from the manure from animals that graze on sprayed pasture. Unless you know where the manure came from, and can trust the person if they tell you their pasture hasn't been sprayed, then it's like Russian Roulette.

With wheat straw, the persistent herbicides aren't used as much, since farmers like to rotate wheat with other crops that wouldn't tolerate the chemical. I use a couple of bales of wheat straw each year for mulch.