Garden Thread 2013

[Hiltonizer]

Wasn't there a method similar to this using tires?

there's as many ways to do it as there are materials to do it with... the tire thing though IIRC ran the risk of chemical uptake in the potatoes.

They sell sacks for this that you unroll upwards, or you can use a burlap bag.

 

[Nicole]

What??? No snosberry bushes?

One of the blueberries is "pink lemonade"...close enough?

 

[Stryker]

Had great success last year using the square-foot garden methodology (raised beds with 1x1 ft grids using 1/3 each of blended compost, vermiculite and peat) so expanded from 2 to 6 boxes this year. Space for 96 different crops.

Cleared grass, built boxes and mixed 2/3 of the soil this weekend

A work in progress as I still need to mix more 'soil, build some more grids and put up the trellises for the beans, cukes and tomatoes planted in the back row. Planted 2 out of the 6 boxes so far, will stagger the planting a bit to keep harvest from coming all at once. Tomatoes put in this weekend as well (although looks like I am going to need to cover them tonight and hope we miss a frost) - Still need to put in the trellises for the back 3 boxes.



From last year:

- The beans on the left and the tomato on the right both grew to about 8' (just above my reach) and required a ladder.

 

[Bill Katt]

One of the blueberries is "pink lemonade"...close enough?

Works for me.

 

[Stryker]

Update from 5/13 - mostly everything planted more grass cleared and fence up.

Planted tomatoes, broccoli, peppers and cukes as plants from the local nursery as I started to late this year - next year will start these indoors early.

 

[NHAtHeart]

Bought my tomatoes tonight, and some other started veggies. Spent way more than I intended to and bought way more. Total damage is:

30 Tomato plants in 6 packs
6 Single tomato plants (heirlooms)
4 pack of sweet peppers for the girls
5 pack of spaghetti squash
5 pack of cantalope for the wife
5 pack of zuchini to make pickles from since we can't grow cukes to save our lives
all for the low low price of $45

hoping to get them in the ground tomorrow, didn't have time tonight.

 

[Buggin]

Update from 5/13 - mostly everything planted more grass cleared and fence up.

Planted tomatoes, broccoli, peppers and cukes as plants from the local nursery as I started to late this year - next year will start these indoors early.

Nice set up

 

[coastie]

Got 8 yds of compost delivered yesterday. Tomato cages are finished. Hopefully get the stuff in on Mon afternoon or Tues once this rain is done. We are actually going smaller this year due to other time commitments. Going to grow more corn to take up the rest of the unused garden space. I am going to let the chickens run through it and the potatoes. I want to see if the chickens will control the potato beetles and control the weeds in the corn. I might try to let them into the squash if the squash bugs get bad. One of our biggest time sinks is picking the bugs off as we try to use as little pesticide as possible. If the girls can do it for us without too much damage to the plants then we are ahead of the game.

 

[pernox]

Got 8 yds of compost delivered yesterday. Tomato cages are finished. Hopefully get the stuff in on Mon afternoon or Tues once this rain is done. We are actually going smaller this year due to other time commitments. Going to grow more corn to take up the rest of the unused garden space. I am going to let the chickens run through it and the potatoes. I want to see if the chickens will control the potato beetles and control the weeds in the corn. I might try to let them into the squash if the squash bugs get bad. One of our biggest time sinks is picking the bugs off as we try to use as little pesticide as possible. If the girls can do it for us without too much damage to the plants then we are ahead of the game.

Squash bugs die when you spray them with dish liquid/water mix. They breathe through their carapace and the soap suffocates them within seconds of contact.

 

[Prepper]

What do people suggest for automated watering? I have 4 raised beds each 4x8 with space between them. I used two sprinklers last year, but most of the water lands outside the beds and makes the grass grow too fast.

I have heard of drip irrigation, but isn't that for individual plants? I'm not individually watering several hundred plants. I need a good way to just water the beds.

 

[Golddiggie]

I have my tomato plants in 20 gallon slop buckets now (transplanted from the 5 gallon buckets I was going to use before it got too late). They're doing really well. I have some hot peppers (one each Thai, mammoth jalapeno and habanero) in one window box (3' wide) and herbs (basil, box-basil, parsley and oregano) in another. Even though I planted early (we had a couple of close to freezing nights) they didn't get hit/hurt it appears. I did cover the tomato plants with a tarp those nights. I used a burlap bag over the peppers. Didn't do anything for the herbs (cheaper to replace if needed). I just have to water the window boxes more often. With the bigger rain storms we had, I put drainage holes into the buckets the tomatoes are in.

In the tomato buckets, I used a bag of top soil in each and split 3 bags of composted manure between the four. I also added what was in the 5 gallon buckets, getting them to a good depth of soil. With two different types of tomato plants, it's easy to tell them apart.



I took these pictures just today.

As for any watering, at this scale, it's easy to do it manually. I just use a watering bottle I made out of a Tropicana OJ bottle (drilled holes in the cap) for the window boxes, and use a hose with sprayer for the tomatoes (as needed). With the way the tomatoes are planted, I don't need to water too much (right now). Everything has at least tripled in size since being planted a couple of weeks ago. I think the larger tomato plants have increased in size 4x (or more).

 

[Stryker]

What do people suggest for automated watering? I have 4 raised beds each 4x8 with space between them. I used two sprinklers last year, but most of the water lands outside the beds and makes the grass grow too fast.

I have heard of drip irrigation, but isn't that for individual plants? I'm not individually watering several hundred plants. I need a good way to just water the beds.

I use 1/4" drip line with emitters that are spaced 6" apart - I run that off 1/2" mainline that is connected directly to my water source (a well)




Easy to work with and easy to put together - you can find most components on Amazon if you want to hunt them down.
I used a company called dripworks as they have always had great customer service and have a great selection of product.
Drip Irrigation - DripWorks Drip Irrigation Systems & Supplies

Specifically used these products:
Drip Irrigation | Dripworks | Tubing - 1/4 Soaker Dripline
1/4 Fittings - Dripworks Quarter Inch Transfer Barb
Tubing - 1/2 Mainline Polyethylene Tubing (0.600 I.D. x 0.700 O.D.)
[and a few others like a timer, filter, pressure regulator, none of them too expensive]

It works like a charm - I work and travel too much to water by hand so this helps tremendously if I am out of town for the week

 

[Prepper]

That looks good. Do they just "drip" or actually spray? I'm wondering if I would just have the hose on a timer to come on twice a day for a little while, or if I am supposed to leave this on all the time.

 

[Stryker]

That looks good. Do they just "drip" or actually spray? I'm wondering if I would just have the hose on a timer to come on twice a day for a little while, or if I am supposed to leave this on all the time.

They just drip (rate is determined by PSI) - about 1 GPH per emitter IIRC at 30 PSI - I need to go back to see if my 2x 5 minutes a day is putting down too much water - definitely have to have a timer as these would drip all day long with just a straight connection without a timer.

 

[Viper22]

I'll have to update with a picture later, but everything I planted is coming up. Great news for a first time gardener.

I planted:

Spaghetti Squash
Summer Squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Sugar Snap Peas
Greenbeans
Carrots
Spinach
Iceberg Lettuce
Mixed Greens
Tomato
Green Pepper

Also have inside:

Habanero
Jalapeno


And growing naturally around the yard:

Rasberries
Grapes


And in another small garden patch near the patio I have Parsley and Garlic Chives

 

[dans]

The rabbits got all but one oft peas. I expect they are too skittish to go after the carrots and beets. I planted them in the far side side the garden this year.