Gardening 2023

[GaRp58]

Not very large, but I think the clay soil is too hard. I'm going to rework an area and add lots of sand and top soil to make the ground easier for growth.

Yes, we had a clay soil that was not used for almost 15 years and had to add manure, grass, hay, sand and compost now for 4 years to get it right. ALSO, something I learned from a neighbor, as your onions get growing to about the size of a pingpong ball--start digging around them a bit and get the dirt AWAY from the onions themselves!
The ROOTS need soil and water to grow...but the onions do not need to FIGHT against the hard soil/clay. They will grow better and bigger if they do not have to waste energy fighting against the hard ground. I only leave about an inch of earth around the base of the onions and just leave the roots covered.
BTW: a video on making your own fertilisers:

 

[user 7704]

Yes, we had a clay soil that was not used for almost 15 years and had to add manure, grass, hay, sand and compost now for 4 years to get it right. ALSO, something I learned from a neighbor, as your onions get growing to about the size of a pingpong ball--start digging around them a bit and get the dirt AWAY from the onions themselves!
The ROOTS need soil and water to grow...but the onions do not need to FIGHT against the hard soil/clay. They will grow better and bigger if they do not have to waste energy fighting against the hard ground. I only leave about an inch of earth around the base of the onions and just leave the roots covered.
BTW: a video on making your own fertilisers:

I think it is called spooning when you pull the soil away. Mine are barely covered now. As long as the roots stay covered is all that matters.

I need a new load of sand delivered. Need to add it to many garden spots.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Couldn’t resist putting this here! LOL

 

[Survivor_316]

View attachment 20168

Couldn’t resist putting this here! LOL

And I do LOVE gardening!

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Gonna hit a 100 today. Put a second shade cloth over the garden. The sun intensity is worse than the heat.
Harvested some cukes
One of the tomato’s is taller than my wife.

 

[DrHenley]

Up at BOL2 today installing the solar array frame I made and adding another panel. Tomorrow I will add two more batteries. I think I am close to being able to stay there without it being like camping out or running the genny.
Once I tidy things up (wires are running on the ground) I can start working on the water situation. Then septic.

 

[user 7704]

I am so happy. The hard rain and heavy winds do not damage a single plant. I think it was the ability to sway on the strings and wire. I know that if I had just used tomato cages, they would be turned over.

 

[poltiregist]

I am so happy. The hard rain and heavy winds do not damage a single plant. I think it was the ability to sway on the strings and wire. I know that if I had just used tomato cages, they would be turned over.

On the tomatoes cage thing . I have not found any tomatoes cages commercially made that are tall enough to contain the height of tomatoes . And yes they will fall over as the wire is not strong enough to bear the weight " especially when heavy with tomatoes " . My solution is to use the biggest cages that I can find and then drive about a 7 foot long metal rebar through the cage rings to give it strength to not collapse and fall over . The rebar also gives me something to tie the tomatoes to as they leave and grow beyond the height of the cages .

 

[user 7704]

On the tomatoes cage thing . I have not found any tomatoes cages commercially made that are tall enough to contain the height of tomatoes . And yes they will fall over as the wire is not strong enough to bear the weight " especially when heavy with tomatoes " . My solution is to use the biggest cages that I can find and then drive about a 7 foot long metal rebar through the cage rings to give it strength to not collapse and fall over . The rebar also gives me something to tie the tomatoes to as they leave and grow beyond the height of the cages .

I used to do that, but I love the wire and string method. I've used it for 3 years

 

[Survivor_316]

Some are tall enough for determinate, I think.

Is the wire and string method the same as the Florida weave? That's what I use but I am not great at it.

I want to try this but I haven't found the time yet.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Onions do good here, although i don't know why we bother. They grow onions down south and they're always falling out of the trucks. We just stop and pick them up off the side of the road.

 

[Survivor_316]

We grow walking onions and garlic easily. We will just have to skip some of the stuff we usually buy if we can't get it and substitute things that are easier.

I'm excited about our corn this year. I know everyone else has had trouble due to the lack of rain, but ours looks awesome! We have several varieties going. I had to stagger planting times, space them far apart, and presprout the seed. But we should have some healthy plants as long as the deer don't eat them!

 

[user 7704]

Some are tall enough for determinate, I think.

Is the wire and string method the same as the Florida weave? That's what I use but I am not great at it.

I want to try this but I haven't found the time yet.

This guy's are far more complicated. I just run the wire down the rows and attach to tposts then tie a string to the wire for each plant and wrap. Easy peasy

 

[Survivor_316]

This guy's are far more complicated. I just run the wire down the rows and attach to tposts then tie a string to the wire for each plant and wrap. Easy peasy

That sounds a lot easier than what I do, so maybe I'll try that. Thank you!

 

[poltiregist]

We grow walking onions and garlic easily. We will just have to skip some of the stuff we usually buy if we can't get it and substitute things that are easier.

I am on my 3rd year with growing walking onions . I now consider them very high in the scheme of survival after the bombs drop . They are self-sustaining , needing little care and highly productive . Mainly two things I want them for 1- frying them with scrambled eggs from my chicken flock --- 2- in stews with wild game to make after the apocalypse dining a bit more pleasurable .

 

[Survivor_316]

I am on my 3rd year with growing walking onions . I now consider them very high in the scheme of survival after the bombs drop . They are self-sustaining , needing little care and highly productive . Mainly two things I want them for 1- frying them with scrambled eggs from my chicken flock --- 2- in stews with wild game to make after the apocalypse dining a bit more pleasurable .

I really like, them, too! It's always a relief when you don't have to fight to keep a plant alive.

 

[user 7704]

I am on my 3rd year with growing walking onions . I now consider them very high in the scheme of survival after the bombs drop . They are self-sustaining , needing little care and highly productive . Mainly two things I want them for 1- frying them with scrambled eggs from my chicken flock --- 2- in stews with wild game to make after the apocalypse dining a bit more pleasurable .

I'm not smart...... never heard of walking onions. I'm off to the internet

 

[Mountain trapper]

I watered the garden yesterday and noticed that 8 of our new concord grape plants survived the snow and freeze. Everything is doing good except for the tomatoes and peppers.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I'm not smart...... never heard of walking onions. I'm off to the internet

Count me in the boat with you. Had to look them up. Am ordering some pronto! Anything I use on a regular basis that regrows without planting…I’m going to be all over! LOL

 

[Mountain trapper]

Watered the garden and orchard today. We put up 5 livestock panels on the rows of grapes and blackberry. We have a total of 12 rows of grape, raspberry and blackberry vines. Each row is 16 feet between posts and I drove in a T-post in between for support. It got up to 72 degrees today so it wasn't too hot. We have 8 tomato plants that are doing good. I'll drive in T-posts at all 4 corners and then run wire between the posts to tie the plants to. I shot a chipmunk, gassed a couple gophers and set traps for whatever is eating the strawberrys.

 

[user 7704]

I have tiny grasshoppers chewing on my plants. We had so much rain so fast, my beans are yellow at bottom of the plant, but I'm still picking every other day. I don't have tomatoes yet.

 

[user 7704]

We are having a light rain, so while checking garden, I decided to pull up Snow Peas. They produced too well this year and were shading the cucumbers. I pulled off the seed size pods and gave the rest to the chickens.

I'm going to plant a couple cucumbers to fill in holes and have a late crop.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I have tiny grasshoppers chewing on my plants. We had so much rain so fast, my beans are yellow at bottom of the plant, but I'm still picking every other day. I don't have tomatoes yet.

The grasshoppers are coming out here too. Some years they get so bad that they'll eat the whole plant down to the main stem. I'd like to find out if there's a way to control them.

 

[user 7704]

The grasshoppers are coming out here too. Some years they get so bad that they'll eat the whole plant down to the main stem. I'd like to find out if there's a way to control them.

I've been putting DE on mine, but the rain washes it off. They are only getting certain plants. Sweet potatoes, marigolds mainly

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

DE doesn’t work when it is wet unfortunately.

 

[user 7704]

DE doesn’t work when it is wet unfortunately.

It washed off.

 

[user 7704]

My bean crop is doing great. There are only 3 rows, but I am canning every other day. I haven't used any of last year's jars yet. I am going to survive on greenbeans if I must.

 

[user 7704]

Yesterday, I checked and had enough half runner beans to cook for my neighbor. Went down to garden this morning and they were gone. the plants were all completely intact so it wasn't a deer or varmint.

Am I crazy or is someone stealing my beans. There were 2 other rows of beans in a different part of garden that were not touched. Also, we had 1.5 inches of rain yesterday and there aren't any tracks. I have paper and cardboard down between rows, but footprints would have shown somewhere.

Twilight Zone.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Yesterday, I checked and had enough half runner beans to cook for my neighbor. Went down to garden this morning and they were gone. the plants were all completely intact so it wasn't a deer or varmint.

Am I crazy or is someone stealing my beans. There were 2 other rows of beans in a different part of garden that were not touched. Also, we had 1.5 inches of rain yesterday and there aren't any tracks. I have paper and cardboard down between rows, but footprints would have shown somewhere.

Twilight Zone.

Are you sure you don't sleep gardening?

 

[user 7704]

Are you sure you don't sleep gardening?

I'm beginning to wonder if I wander at night.