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Garden progress

8K views 88 replies 15 participants last post by  longwinters 
#1 ·
We've been pretty well socked in with the wet weather since Monday. The garden is about 1/2 in - wish we were farther along, but still making better progress than the two previous years. Everything that's been planted is up and looking pretty good, so far. Still need to get tomatoes and peppers transplanted and some melons and squash in the ground. How's everyone else doing?
 
#2 ·
doing about the same as you. The sweet corn, "critter corn", and cowpeas are all a few inches tall. I'm just waiting for a break in the mud season to get the squash, broccoli, tomatoes, brussel sprouts transplanted. I also need to get the melon seeds in the ground.
 
#3 ·
just hoed the weeds in my rows
and pulled weeds in the containers
a bit ago. raised bed onions tomorrow.
onions about golf ball sized, some
small maters about quarter sized,
some teeny peppers maybe pencil
eraser sized, collards about 2" leaves,
okra about 5" tall, accidental surprise
volunteer maters about 4-5" tall.


FERRY-MORSE SEEDS- NADA! SQUAT!NO WAY HOE ZAY!
bad on me is all i can say.
 
#4 ·
Ranger, I think it's safe to say you had a bit of a head start on us. I'm actually kinda glad my maters aren't in the ground yet. Supposed to get down to 35 tomorrow night, so they'll be sleeping indoors, of course! Corn, cabbage, lettuce, peas can handle it. Beans are in the ground, but not up yet. Figure it's bet they don't pop up till Saturday...everything else is better off without the cold snap.
 
#5 ·
well. . . i haven't ate anything
from it yet.
yall may kick me on the harvest amount.
after the spring rains stop for the summer,
i won't be getting anything 'till it cools off
for the fall. i think the northern growing season
and climate allows for a faster maturity
for your vegetables.
i'm looking forward to that first grilled cheese
with freshly harvested thin sliced maters
and onions. ;D




( i wonder where the watch-toads from
last year went ? :-\ )
 
#6 ·
cjc
you may need a load of sand
if your spot is soupy.
 
#7 ·
I've got most things planted. I'm just waiting for the weather to warm up so things will grow. 34 degrees last night didn't help much. At least I didn't see any frost. Gonna need to dry a little so I can get some weeding done. I've had a few radishes but they were mighty small.
 
#8 ·
i see you've had some luck
with the licorice jelly beans ;)
 
#9 ·
Everything here is a little soupy now. We got several inches of rain over the past week. Soils here drain well enough - we just need a little sun and wind to dry the top few inches off. The only real problem will be the cold snap tonight, but it'll warm back up soon.
 
#10 ·
My wife is using 'greenland gardener' raised bed boxes and some large containers. She planted on Good Friday and everything is coming along nice. I planted too in my raised beds, but am putting in more compost to help my plants along. They weren't looking good and I pulled some up. I intend to replant this next week. Apparently I need much more compost than I thought.
 
#12 ·
Ranger,

I think its loess where I am. Though the garden was row cropped for many years by previous folk who used tillers, tractors and plows, and it produced well, I'm trying to build up the soil using raised beds, miracle grow, various market stuff, and hay for mulch. The veggies I planted a month ago just seem stunted, while my wife's garden boxes are taking off. I intend to put in the same stuff we used in hers.
 
#13 ·
barabbas,


miracle grow and other chemical based fertilizers work by feeding the plants. They do not feed the soil nor build soil. If you treat the soil like a bank account, that is adding more than you take out, you will build soil. Humus and lime are what worked for me on my ground. For 20 years my ground was a tobacco field that was abandoned and left fallow when it quit producing well.
 
#14 ·
if i'm thinking right today, miracle grow is
basically epsom salts with some other
ingredients. the epsom salts is not a bad
fertilize by itself in moderation, and a lot
cheaper than m.g.
if i were to use a chemical fertilizer (which
i do) it would be an inexpensive 13-13-13
side dressed very lightly. i agree with keith44
in building your soil. a load of plain old
cow manure with some sand probably
wouldn't hurt you. and maybe some pelletized
lime if you can find some.
 
#15 ·
Ranger99 said:
if i'm thinking right today, miracle grow is
basically epsom salts with some other
ingredients. the epsom salts is not a bad
fertilize by itself in moderation, and a lot
cheaper than m.g.
if i were to use a chemical fertilizer (which
i do) it would be an inexpensive 13-13-13
side dressed very lightly. i agree with keith44
in building your soil. a load of plain old
cow manure with some sand probably
wouldn't hurt you. and maybe some pelletized
lime if you can find some.

just don't add manure and lime together, they will cancel each other out and just be wasted money. (manure first, in the fall, then lime it in the spring.)
 
#18 ·
keith44 said:
just don't add manure and lime together, they will cancel each other out and just be wasted money. (manure first, in the fall, then lime it in the spring.)
woops! shoulda stated this too. . . . . :-[
 
#19 ·
Well, it just occurred to me that when I said Miracle Gro, I meant the potting soil type stuff, or garden soil, not the liquid or chemical fertilizer. I have not used the fertilizer, just endless bags of the garden soil it seems like. Does this make a difference in what you were telling me?
 
#20 ·
not really, but it will add a little humus to the soil. Mulch with leaves and grass clippings, keep the soil covered through the winter, till it all under in the spring and check for earth worms (the easiest way to check for soil health) A lot of worm activity will indicate a healthy soil. Adding chemical type fertilizers to the soil tends to kill off the beneficial bacteria and run off the worms (and other life forms). These chemicals break down into various salts and cause the soil to become acidic over time. Adding lime binds the salts and allows them to be washed from the soil when it rains. Brand name potting soils and growing soils have plant feeding chemicals added, and will show good results for a season or two. After that, you're back where you started.
 
#21 ·
Here's where I get my "fertilizer",



and here's one of the guys that makes it! lol



He's not always happy that I take it though! lol



Anyway, I move it to my gardens in the fall,



And they till up pretty nice... :)

[img]http://www.fototime.com/3BEEF2E6E6BC35E/standard.jpg

That spot was a long depression in the ground, years ago when I started doing this! 8)

DM
 
#22 ·
I planted 4 more rows of sweet corn today. I like to plant corn every 2 or 3 weeks so I'll have it to eat all summer and into the fall. That is if it rains at the right times. Also like to have enough to freeze & can for the winter months.
 
#23 ·
I put in 3 more rows of sweet corn and all my tomatoes. I cut back on varieties this year. In the main garden, I'll just have beefsteak, better boy, Roma, and San Marzano. I have another small patch where I'll put a few oddball varieties for evaluation. The large scale variety trial I attempted last year was too big to manage and ended up more of a pain in the rear, than useful.

All that's left now is peppers, squash, zucchini, cukes, and melons. I'm beginning to wonder if I need to rethink the size and scale of my whole operation here...
 
#24 ·
LOL In a way I scaled down, in a way I scaled up, cjclemens.


I have the melon patch and pumpkin patch down in the back field with the "critter corn" The taters and onions are next to the orchard, and everything else is out by the barn in the main garden area.
 
#25 ·
keith44 said:
LOL In a way I scaled down, in a way I scaled up, cjclemens.


I have the melon patch and pumpkin patch down in the back field with the "critter corn" The taters and onions are next to the orchard, and everything else is out by the barn in the main garden area.

Hey, if it streamlines the operation and makes everything easier to manage, I say go for it!
 
#26 ·
This is more for folks that may have water shortage issues or if you just have the want. Our County Extension office is now advising folks to get a box of disposable diapers, used diapers can work if you can stand the smell and wear gloves. You are after the super water absorbing crystals in the diaper. Wash them if previously used. Let them absorb water. They will be almost 10 times their dry size when full of water. Mix into the soil. Now when you water, these crystals will absorb the water and hold it in place for the plants to use. You will cut the amount of water in half to keep your plants well watered. I haven't tried it yet but I will when the fall stuff goes in. As of now, I have collards, collards, and more collards. I can pick a full basket every day. Kale is doing great and we are enjoying salads daily. Carrots, not so good. Tomatoes are putting on 12-15 per plant. Gonna have lots of tomatoes. Peas have come and gone but they didn't do as well as I expected. I only have a couple of pepper plants and they all have given more than I thought I get out of them and they are still blooming. I use Miracle Grow but only about every 2 weeks. I'm looking for chicken crap to compost. I've composted it before and it will bring back dead plants but you can also use too much of it- it's hot! We mix it with washed, dried seaweed and oyster shells that we grind up via hammer.
 
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