Garden 2020.

[Meerkat]

My potatoes, pintos, zipper cream peas, lettuce, spinach onions and green beans are coming up nicely. Can'see carrots yet. A few pumpkin and squash are up too. I have plums on one tree. One does not have plums and dug up the dead one and drug it off. Pear tree does not show any pears but berry vines look okay. I did plant two more rows of pinto, green beans and zippers last week. Fertilized the potatoes 2 times. Ate some asparagus last night that I picked. Threw some lime out today to try to control flea population. Tomatoes doing well. Will plant okra in May. Need to decide if I have time to get sweet potatoes going quickly. Worried that I should have planted more. I have trouble taking care of it by myself

Texcat, looks like your be eating great this summer.

 

[LadyLocust]

@Peanut Do you sell at farmers market? Seems like I saw that somewhere? If not- that is a HUGE garden.
@WVDragonlady That looks great! A convenient location is a must. You two did a great job. Can hardly wait to see it gilled up with plants.
@Tank-Girl Bummer about your seeds. That’s kinda frustrating- a lot of work for now results.
We got our largest plot tilled and amended today. I need to get out and plant some cooler weather things. Also need to start some flower seeds in pots inside.

 

[Peanut]

@LadyLocust I used to sell at the farmers market back when we had 200 peach trees. We'd plant another 4 acres or so of produce for the market as well. The above pics are of the old garden by the house, about an acre. We only use about 2/3rds of it now. We had to redo our septic system. Now the lower part of the old garden has field lines under it so we can't run heavy equipment over it without collapsing the lines.

I've been sowing medicinal plants on that section... no results yet.

 

[WVDragonlady]

Is that green house suitable for very cold winters?

We have been thinking about getting one or building one but it can get in the single digits and sometimes lower with the wind chill here during winter.

No its not. But I don't see why you couldn't add some type of heating to it. If you have the means maybe something solar or electric. If you have the time,wood and inclination maybe something of a wood burning or coal burning type in a corner.
It isn't glass its plastic panels and metal studs. We had most of it laying around from hubby scrounging like he does. I think we had to buy 6 or 8 of the panels but that was all.

 

[Tank-Girl]

Today I pricked out paprika chilies and white eggplant and potted them into large punnets.

I got 7 out of 30 determinate slicer tomatoes germinate. Not good.
It's time to curtail the chicken's freedom and put them back into the coop rather than letting them free access to the backyard.
The zucchinis and beans that germinated really need to be put in the ground and free range chickens and gardens don't mix.
I'll be putting orchard mesh over the beds because I have a few stubborn souls in the flock who'll be up and over the fence the second my back is turned.

 

[snappy1]

I have potatoes, okra zucchini, jalapenos and sweet potatoes up in front garden. No yellow squash yet.

Back garden- cucumbers, butternut squash, tomatoes up. No kale yet.

 

[WVDragonlady]

I got my cabbages, lettuce and celery planted this morning
Also knocked down a large amount of stuff to go into the greenhouse
Still have to move my soils and admendments yet but they're covered and I may get to them on thursday as we're to get rain tuesday and wednesday

 

[Bacpacker]

Planted taters, okra and cukes today. Went ahead and unstalled my cow panels for the cukes to climb.

 

[backlash]

We have some seeds planted in the shop. They're on a heat mat with lights over them. Germination rate was really good last year so I'm hoping for a good rate this year.
I planted some radishes in the hoop house. I took a plastic rain gutter and cut it into 4-foot sections. Filled it with potting soil and planted radishes. When they sprout I will just slide the plants and soil off the gutter and into a shallow trench in the garden. We'll see if that works.

 

[Peanut]

@Bacpacker Would you post of pic of your "cow panels"? Only way to be sure what you are referring to is a pic. Got a feeling I call the same thing a very different name... I have a lot of hogs and chicken houses around here... pic please?

 

[Bacpacker]

Here is the panel I use. 16'x48" I think is the size. They are a pretty heavy gauge so they should last a long time. Worked well last year to run climbing plants up, maters, cukes, squash, etc. Gonna try some cantaloupes this year.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h?cm_vc=IOPDP1

 

[Support Gunner]

Here is the panel I use. 16'x48" I think is the size. They are a pretty heavy gauge so they should last a long time. Worked well last year to run climbing plants up, maters, cukes, squash, etc. Gonna try some cantaloupes this year.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h?cm_vc=IOPDP1

That is exactly what we used for the cucumber plants last year and it worked out awesome.

This year we are getting more of them and are going to try to trellis everything.

Tomatoe cages suuuck. Lol

 

[Bacpacker]

I got 12 last spring and loved how easy they made things. I had cages from concrete wire that were 25+ years old. They were falling apart. These things made life much easier. Don't take up much space to store at the end of the season either.

 

[Peanut]

They are usually called hog panels in these parts... I was pretty sure I knew what you were referring to... just needed the pic. Thanks guys!

 

[Bacpacker]

TSC sells different models. Some have the grids close together on top or bottom. The ones I got are all same size.

 

[Meerkat]

Our fewplants are making but not that good. Our potato slips in the jars seem to be sprouting under the water instead of on top of potato.I know they grow roots under water but no sprouts on top yet,but looks liek sprouts in water.

 

[Tank-Girl]

I wrangled chickens back into their pen early this morning when they were hungry and shut the gate.

Cleared off a whole summer's worth the regrowth from the garden beds and planted the zucchini plants.
sounds easy but I had to wrap the stem of each plant in foil to stop the cut worms and then I banged in bamboo stakes around the edges of the bed to drape orchard mesh over to stop my stubborn chickens from destroying them.
The little devils were lined up along the inside of the fence watching me plant.

 

[Terri9630]

They are usually called hog panels in these parts... I was pretty sure I knew what you were referring to... just needed the pic. Thanks guys!

We use hog panels (3ft high with smaller holes at the base to keep in piglets), cattle panels(4ft high with 4x4 holes), goat panels 4ft high with 3x3 holes and horse panels(5ft high with 2x4 holes). They are the same length and that's but different heights with different size holes.

 

[WVDragonlady]

I planted the strawberry starts I bought at walmart in a bag. Good thing I did because they were starting to grow(!) Hope they grow this time lol
This is the 5th time I'm trying. I follow all the directions I find but nothing never works.
I also can't grow lavender, hydrangeas or roses for some reason. Nothing I do works for those either.

 

[Terri9630]

I planted the strawberry starts I bought at walmart in a bag. Good thing I did because they were starting to grow(!) Hope they grow this time lol
This is the 5th time I'm trying. I follow all the directions I find but nothing never works.
I also can't grow lavender, hydrangeas or roses for some reason. Nothing I do works for those either.

Don't get to fusterated. Out of 10 strawberry plants I have 1 living.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

G

Don't get to fusterated. Out of 10 strawberry plants I have 1 living.

And this is when you only transplant runners from plants that thrive in your conditions. Do not use runners from mediocre performing plants no matter how painful it is, not to use them.

 

[Terri9630]

G

And this is when you only transplant runners from plants that thrive in your conditions. Do not use runners from mediocre performing plants no matter how painful it is, not to use them.

I'd have done that if any of my neighbors had them but no one I know has or knows of anyone who has them so we have to start from scratch. We had an awsome bed of strawberries at our last place.

 

[Peanut]

I had hoped to get my watermelons and cantaloupes planted today... but the rains came... The weatherman said the big rains were supposed to be tomorrow. I've gotten 3/4 of an inch so far today. So much for the melons, they'll have to wait. It'll be a few days before I can get the tractor back into the field.

I did manage to get my 72 pepper plants set out. I got wet setting out the last dozen but at least they are in the ground.

I need to do some extra pruning on my fig trees next year... They have put curves in all my garden rows.,.. Speaking of which... my peppers start about 50ft out where the tomatoes end at a little jog to the right.. I took the picture as it rained...

 

[Peanut]

In case anyone is curious... These are the fig trees I'm trying to maneuver around at one end of my garden... I took the above photo standing about where the green metal T post with the white top is located. It's a pain trying to plow around these trees...

 

[Tank-Girl]

I had hoped to get my watermelons and cantaloupes planted today... but the rains came... The weatherman said the big rains were supposed to be tomorrow. I've gotten 3/4 of an inch so far today. So much for the melons, they'll have to wait. It'll be a few days before I can get the tractor back into the field.

I did manage to get my 72 pepper plants set out. I got wet setting out the last dozen but at least they are in the ground.

I need to do some extra pruning on my fig trees next year... They have put curves in all my garden rows.,.. Speaking of which... my peppers start about 50ft out where the tomatoes end at a little jog to the right.. I took the picture as it rained...

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Your garden makes my heart happy.

 

[Meerkat]

Your garden makes my heart happy.

Tank Girl ,mine too just wish we could grow crops like that.

I am so mixed up now I hope the epsom salts I put on a few hungry looking plants didn't finish them off.

 

[LadyLocust]

Yesterday, I was able to skip out on work a smidgen earlier than usual so got some things planted: onions, beets, turnips, carrots, parsnips, and radishes. Tis the season
Peanut what a great space - will be beautiful once the plants really get going.
Tank girl, if it makes you feel any better~ one year, I was working the garden, got my little trenches all made, and was plugging along setting my beans every however many inches. I got to the end of the plot and turned around, and the hens had been following along behind me "cleaning up."
As far a the cattle panels- here if you ask for cattle panels, you get the graduated sized openings. I got "high five" panels which have consistent sized holes.
I had more written last night, but wasn't able to post or save but sounds like others had the same issue. Anyways, can't remember what all I said though I'm certain is was quite brilliant

 

[Patchouli]

That's funny about your hens, @LadyLocust
I guess you don't let them help you anymore.
What is it about my seedlings? They bolt instead of growing slow and strong. Yes, this is indoor seed starting, tomatoes.

 

[LadyLocust]

That's funny about your hens, @LadyLocust
I guess you don't let them help you anymore.
What is it about my seedlings? They bolt instead of growing slow and strong. Yes, this is indoor seed starting, tomatoes.

BP or Peanut are probably more knowledgeable/helpful, but I would guess too warm and dry as those are the conditions that trigger bolting. Do you set them out during the day? I'm not good at starting tomatoes from seed so I just buy them from a little organic farm about a mile from my house.

 

[Meerkat]

That's funny about your hens, @LadyLocust
I guess you don't let them help you anymore.
What is it about my seedlings? They bolt instead of growing slow and strong. Yes, this is indoor seed starting, tomatoes.

Patch we had same problem with some of our seeds, seems like somebody is messing with them or its just my mistakes,not sure.