So far, I've received 12 seed catalogs in the mail. I'm itching to start another garden or two.
What will you plant this year? Are you trying anything new?
Printable View
So far, I've received 12 seed catalogs in the mail. I'm itching to start another garden or two.
What will you plant this year? Are you trying anything new?
I think I will spread the seed little earlier (late feb or maybe early mar), so that I can spready the weed-b-gone little earlier. I was seeing dandelions early march last year. I am planning to skip any fertilizer/revive/scotts stuff this year.
Have received the fancy seed catalog that I signed up for last year from your (TheGrey) recommendation. It gets me excited about gardening. In the end, I let my wife go and buy seeds from where ever (last year it was the Dollar Store) and plant what ever. So I gave it to my new neighbors that want a garden.
I ordered a "short season" variety pack of seeds from Victory Seed Co. several weeks ago: Roma II bush beans, Detroit Dark Red beets, Waltham 29 broccoli, Golden Acre cabbage, Little Fingers carrots, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, Green Arrow garden peas, California Wonder Bell pepper and Siberia tomato. I'll get those going in the beds outside after starting some inside.
I'll mainly be focussed on the aquaponics system though.
Are you going to start a thread to show pictures of your set-up as you go along?
I have contemplated putting down about 1000-2000 sq ft of corn this year. We'll see. I could do about an acre, but that sounds like a lot of work.
What would you do with it all?
Eat a lot of corn. HahaQuote:
Originally Posted by Irving
I would vacuum seal and freeze me a year's supply and give the rest to friends. Or put a for sale ad up and allow folks to come collect it.
And then dump off the rest at a gas station I assume.
Got any build plans for a still?Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
I cleared my garden and put it all into my compost pile. Now my compost is too large to effectively turn. I've mostly been ignoring the pile, but are there things I should be doing to get the best results that I can?
I'm not sure. If I had that sitation, I'd soak down the pile, and then soak newspapers and spread then over the pile. I'd then lay some black plastic bags over top of that. You coud put bricks or something down to hold the bags in place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
That'd be easy enough. What is the point of the plastic, to retain moisture?
Here's a very effective homemade compost bin. Instead of turning in situ, you move the top frame over, then shovel compost into it, then move another frame and keep transferring until the whole pile is inverted.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
http://www.vegetable-gardening-with-...mpost-bin.html
Hmmm, my pile is fixed. I suppose I could just fork it all out, then put the dry stuff in the bottom. I may do that, then soak.
My wife is debating a pumpkin this year, which means I need to deepen her garden.
Thanks for the ideas. My dumb brain needed a kickstart. I spent a few minutes and was able to satisfactorily rotate my compost pile.
https://i.imgur.com/rqpompM_d.jpg?ma...idelity=mediumPulled the motor outta the tractor need to punch it out .010 and cause some havoc in the back yard
Sorry it took me so long to get back to this. Yes, that is a major issue with my composter. Retaining moisture in the compost is nearly impossible without a lot of help.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Cool! Do you have a big back yard? What kind of havoc?Quote:
Originally Posted by DFBrews
I can go pick up one of those rotating composters, but I can tell already that I have about 3x the compost of the capacity of the tumbler.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGrey
On a standard 6000 sq fr lot but there is not grass and the soil is in poor condition going to turn plow and till in some compost
I might do a plot of barley
LOL!
Quite true. I can buy 25# of roma tomatoes for $12.50 at Sprouts through tomorrow.
Yeah but fresh tomatoes taste SO much better.
We have a couple of planters so we'll be getting tomatoes and bell peppers again.... I think.
Pitchfork or potato fork will help.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
If you're unarmed, you are a victim
And you know "what" is on them and "who" has handled them.Quote:
Originally Posted by roberth
If you're unarmed, you are a victim
I've got a pitch fork, I just have a huge compost area.
We have 2 garden plots and alternate them every other year. Grow crops on one while composting on the other. Makes composting much easier and less labor intensive.
Actually, using tractor to work compost makes it less labor intensive and tilling regularly helps keep any odors to minimum.
That's interesting as I was wondering why I couldn't just uproot everything at the end of the season, leave it in place, then just till it right into the soil. Would that be effective?
Many farmers do exactly that. Depending on crop being planted next they do not even till previous crop, just drill in new seed. Next time you drive out to family spread watch for wheat stubble from last summer standing in green field of 3" tall wheat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
This is what we do. After everything is harvested I do a "light" disc to tear everything up, usually sometime late Sept. I leave it alone to start decomposition, add moisture if needed. Sometime in Oct I will add compost and or fertilizer and disc heavily if decomposition is slow or turn over completely if good decomp. As soon as frost is gone in spring or late March I disc heavy again and turn again. Process is alot of effort but is turning the horrible clay into soil that is easier to work by hand and requires 1/3 less water.
We hope to start this year(next year realistically) providing all fresh vegetable produce for 5+ families consumption each year and some to take to farmers market to generate enough revenue to offset costs.
ETA - I won't win any awards for soul conservation. Too much tilling.
I've put up a few videos on YT. I'll get those up here, probably tonight. I figured I'd just continue the other aquaponics thread though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
That works.
Well, compost is actually composting. Went out to dump some scraps today and pitchforked some dirt out to cover. It was nice and hot and a deep black.
That's great news!
I started my seeds (pepper/tomato/squash/eggplant/etc) three weeks ago. The squash are about 6" tall, the shishito peppers are just over 2", the jalapeno have just broken the surface, eggplant is about 2" tall. Padron peppers didn't germinate at all, will be starting a new set of those this week.
If I could go back in time, I'd have started much earlier. I don't see how these plants at their current rate are going to be big enough to go in the ground by June.
I put them out in the sun in the daytime and under UV grow lights at night. They all seem happy but some are a bit leggy.
I bet they'll grow like crazy. :)
One thing that I found last year is that the plants definitely need a night cycle, without light. Try giving them at least eight hours of night.
I got my fence up which has kept all the deer out except one stubborn one. I have not composted at this house so what is the best bang for the buck to augment the soil? Thinking about doing container gardening as the raised beds may not happen this year.
Depending on volume, can till in few bags of quality potting soil or have planters mix brought in if need yard/yards. Works in pinch for season until can get compost going. Or just bring in compost from local landscape supplier or garden center. No clue on most economical.Quote:
Originally Posted by William
If you're unarmed, you are a victim
Watered my Asparagus and Artichokes.
Leaving the stubble from last years crop helps keep the cats from crapping in your garden boxes.