I'm waiting on my blueberries to ripen also. And my blackberry bushes are just heavy with blooms. A local farm market opened one of its Upick strawberry fields. Big berries too. I might wait and go later in the month to get some
Garden 2019.
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I planted out another 14 zucchini plants because I may have to rip out the other 16 I planted in a bed that doesnt get enough sun.
Something ate my pole bean plants and some of my cucumber plants. Lots of critters running around so I have no idea what got them. Maybe time to set out a trap or 2.
The beans were an unexpected freebee that I had not intended to plant but I'm still not happy.
I spent several hours weeding the garden today. I am bound and determined to win the battle with the weeds this year since the weeds won last year.
I have a Hoss high wheel hoe with sweeps on it and that thing works well and covers a lot of ground wedding.
I think my garden got too much water. We've had rain and I didn't remember to turn off my water timer. I'll leave the water off for a few days and see if my plants turn back green instead of the yellow they are now.
Looks like most of my new raspberry starts are going to make it. I was worried for awhile. Now I need to get some blackberry starts from my Nephew.
I have figured out that gardening is like hunting or fishing. You have to do it because you like it not for the food because the food would be a lot easier, and probably cheaper to buy.
The beans were an unexpected freebee that I had not intended to plant but I'm still not happy.
I spent several hours weeding the garden today. I am bound and determined to win the battle with the weeds this year since the weeds won last year.
I have a Hoss high wheel hoe with sweeps on it and that thing works well and covers a lot of ground wedding.
I think my garden got too much water. We've had rain and I didn't remember to turn off my water timer. I'll leave the water off for a few days and see if my plants turn back green instead of the yellow they are now.
Looks like most of my new raspberry starts are going to make it. I was worried for awhile. Now I need to get some blackberry starts from my Nephew.
I have figured out that gardening is like hunting or fishing. You have to do it because you like it not for the food because the food would be a lot easier, and probably cheaper to buy.
Backlash, I just bought a bunch of blackberries. They told me to plant them at least 75 to 100 feet away from raspberries.
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My mtm neighbor just texted to say the lost their garden today. Snow and ice at the end of May?????
Did they say why?
I want to plant blackberries pretty close to the raspberries.
Your post made me remember all the stories about too much rain, too little rain, early frosts, hail, plant disease, locust, and all manner of disasters that have plagued farmers for centuries.
Here is a link to their advice on blackberries, this should answer your question and many more.
https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/how-to-grow/berry-plants/blackberry-plants
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I have 5 gallon buckets on my meager tomatoes. I went to my daughter's place and covered her garden plants with 5 gallon buckets as well. A day or so ago the news said 5 - 10 inches of snow in the mountains, an inch or two in the foothills. Then it went to 15 inches in the mountains, and today I heard 18 inches. Time will tell how much snow we get. It is still early enough that we can replant. We have had bad hail storms in June and lost everything.
I don't know how high a squirrel can jump but I think that if you wrapped a section of aluminium flashing around your peach tree, just below the lowest branch, it might make access a bit tough on anything that ran across the ground to your tree.
@timmie Back when my dad and I had 200 peach trees... The most damage we got from critters was, believe it or not, woodpeckers! They don't eat peaches but bugs and worms on the peaches... I've seen them wipe out an entire tree in a day! Just pray you don't get a nesting pair of woodpeckers. The amount of damage a pair can do in a month is mind boggling.
Don't rule out groundhogs either. I once found a groundhog up in a tree eating a peach. Coyotes will eat any peach that drops to the ground also.
Funniest thing I ever saw in an orchard... A spot of ground all torn up maybe 10ft in diameter... Coyote tracks were everywhere. I first thought it was a kill site but there was no fur or blood. I walked around the area several times before I solved the riddle.
At one edge of the circle was a peach pit with poop on it.
It looked like the coyote spent about an hour trying to pass the peach seed! To funny!
Thanks. Her is the answer I was looking for. I'm not sure I can keep them separated that far.
- Do not plant Red, Gold or Purple raspberries and blackberries closer than 75-100 feet to Black raspberries. Black raspberries are susceptible to viral diseases carried by aphids from nearby plants.
I picked up a soil test meter a couple of days ago. The Ph tested at 7.5 so I added stuff to bring the number down to 6.5, no luck so I added more chemical, and yet more. It would appear that the meter only reads 7.5. 
As best I remember you have to wait for a change. It is not instant and can take several days or weeks. You may find you are now low.I picked up a soil test meter a couple of days ago. The Ph tested at 7.5 so I added stuff to bring the number down to 6.5, no luck so I added more chemical, and yet more. It would appear that the meter only reads 7.5.
I put some of the dirt in a pot and poured water through it. The water tested, with litmus paper, at 6.3 but the meter said 7.5 when put in the soil. The meter doesn't move no matter which pot or pile I stick the two probes into. It doesn't make sense for everything, whether soil from my property or soil from the nursery in potted plants to test exactly the same. I really don't know what I'm doing and I find that frustrating.
Maybe you have a defective meter. What does the meter indicate without it being in anything? I would return it and try another one. I have one that tests pH, moisture and light. It seems to work OK.
I'd guess that we have the same meter. Mine has two probes, one copper and one aluminium and a three position switch.
@Bacpacker did you know that with potatoes you can cut them into pieces and as long as you plant a piece with one eye on it it will grow a plant. This way you can get multiple plants from one potato and a larger crop. Thought I would pass this on unless you didn't know that.
We have now dug through our cement silt soil with our rototiller and dug 7.5 garden beds and removed the soil and have 2.5 more garden beds to dig. I have lined the garden beds that are now dug with weed mat and well composted grass clippings. On the weekend we will mix the soil we have taken out with cow and horse manure with more well composted grass clippings and pour it in both the above ground and in-ground garden beds.
I usually do that Sewing. Just thought I would try the bucket trick this year and see what the results were. I've grown taters since I was 9 and always cut them. But these planted whole are putting up multiple stems. Being in a bucket I dont expect a big crop, but with a bad back should be much easier harvesting.
Let me know how you go with the bucket potato gardening too @Bacpacker as we would like to try it too. I see know why you planted them that way and the stems will be closer together and easier to pull. As you said they probably won't produce as many potatoes or perhaps smaller potatoes.
I want to try to grow some next year in a large container and instead of dirt to cover them as they grow use straw. Saw it on a gardening channel on youtube and thought I'd try it that way
There are two types of potatoes. One type produces potatoes from the root and one produces potatoes from the stem when it is covered. I found that out trying to grow potatoes by layering mulch up the plant.
I had the wrong potatoes for that and the buckets absorbed the heat from the sun and cooked the roots. Whether the temps are high or the bucket is just exposed to the direct sun it will cook the plants. Adding water to try to keep them cool just boils the roots instead of baking them. Now we grow them in the raised beds and just keep the potatoes covered. With sweet potatoes you bury the runners to make more potatoes.
I had the wrong potatoes for that and the buckets absorbed the heat from the sun and cooked the roots. Whether the temps are high or the bucket is just exposed to the direct sun it will cook the plants. Adding water to try to keep them cool just boils the roots instead of baking them. Now we grow them in the raised beds and just keep the potatoes covered. With sweet potatoes you bury the runners to make more potatoes.
It's hitting the 90's here now. So far the plants look great, growing visably every day. But I can see it getting too hot for them. I may move them to a more shaded area this weekend to try and help with that. Time to fertilize them a bit to. I'm gonna use a 46-0-0 mix, but just a small amount of it. Maybe again in a month if the plants are still good and green.
Finished tilling the last 2.5 garden beds, removed the soil and lined them with well composted grass clippings and watered them in. Saturday all the 10 garden beds will be filled with lovely amended soil once we till in the manures and hay and hopefully our posts will be put in for our kangaroo and bird proof garden enclosure too.
We have not had any kangaroos in the property since we put up the front gates .
We have not had any kangaroos in the property since we put up the front gates
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I planted more raspberries yesterday. Also planted some different types of tomatoes, some bell peppers and some flowers.
I have been working in my garden a lot and I have the weeds under control, for now.
I have been working in my garden a lot and I have the weeds under control, for now.
I am thrilled. I use a lot of herbs in cooking. Savory has become difficult to find. I tried growing some a few years back with no luck. Up the mountain, we were zone 4-5. We are now in zone 7. I mentioned to hubby that I wasn't finding savory (plant or dried herb.) Then I thought, I wonder if I have any seeds left. I did. They were from 2014 so went ahead and planted a pot rather thickly thinking even if a couple sprouted, maybe I could nudge them along. I think every one of those little buggers sprouted! I will have to thin them and will probably try transplanting the thinnings. Will also try to get some seed from them. I like to use those little mesh gift bags over the seed heads when they are getting close so I can catch at least some seeds even if I'm not there and the wind blows.
Backlash, if you are out of weeds, come on over. Ours appear to be thriving!
I've had real good luck with a weed burner and a garden hose.
