Gardening Thread 2020

a reply to: silo13

HUGE HUG!!!! LOL
I didn't know about Epsom salt. And the crazy thing is, I have a BUNCH of it, from a failed business venture! And for some reason, I kept it around.

Now I know why!
Thank you Silo!

a reply to: chiefsmom

10 Ways to Use Epsom Salts in the Garden

This is super interesting - I didn't know that ES helps seed germination and a natural pest repellent.

Enjoy the article!

*HUGS*

Round #2

Already have (18) "peekers" from seeds I planted just 3 days ago. (6) Cucumbers, (6) Leeks and (6) Beets. All are more than one plant, but I'll deal with that later.

So Round #1 of the green and wax beans are all about 8-10" tall now. Round #1 of beets are going strong. Had about half of my cantaloupes come up. Turnips are rockin', all about 8" now. Carrots are all up, but still pretty spindly. Bok choy seems to be doing well so far. Jalapeno peppers are all about 2-3"

Didn't have as many beans come up as I thought I would.

Still waiting on the tomatoes, the basil and the Big Jim peppers.

Everything is from seed this year (first time). Well, all except for the Jalapeno's, those I bought as seedlings.

That's the update for now, FWIW.

Well, I wanted to have a pic to with this update, but that didn't work out.
We had beautiful weather this past weekend, so we worked outside both days, on the chicken run, and the garden.
I got 3 double rows of peas planted, with a cattle panel in between each. I also got a row of carrots in, mounded. Not sure if I am going to do 2, as we don't eat that many, even when canned.
I also planted 7 herbs, each in its own plastic jug. Never tried that before, but after years of failure to get lavender to come back in our zone, I figured this way I can bring them in the house in the fall, and maybe they would make it?
We'll see. (I did put fish tank gravel in the bottom of each, so with them being clear, I can see if they have too much water.)

Our weather is tanking right now, supposed to be in the 60's/40's and we are getting 50's/30's, with a chance of a winter mix on Friday. A little late in the year for that, but at least it isn't raining every day like last year.
I'm going to try to get the cabbage in this weekend.

I had planned to have a much bigger garden this year but circumstances prevent that. I'm still able to plant a good bit. I've got tomatoes, pepper and herbs growing now. I'm going to put some cinder blocks up against the fence and plant cukes, beans and peas this fall in them. I have some giant cardboard boxes that medical equipment came in so I'll put dirt in them and plant beets, bush bean in them. I"m also going to plant some taters in one of them, come time to harvest I'll cut them down and since that's where I want to put a raised bed leave box and all right there. For long slow watering of tomatoes I take a gallon jug and poke holes all over it and put them in a hole next to the plant and just fill it up when needed.

Gardening has been a huge help while hubby was in hospital since I couldn't visit him.

a reply to: chiefsmom

Epson salts - aka Magnesium sulphate, is used as a commercial fertilizer. Plants need magnesium to produce chlorophyll, so is necessary. Just looked it up to confirm that magnesium is important in helping plants create sugars, oils et al. I guess if you have soil with a good amount of magnesium then adding more may be a bit of a pointless exercise. That is to say, you only need to add magnesium if your soil is deficient.

a reply to: gallopinghordes
Hi GH!

I actually just got a couple 55gal plastic drums, that I am going to cut in half, (they were free from work) that I am going to plant potatoes in. I was going to try a tower that I saw on you tube, but it got mixed reviews.

Sounds like you know how to make good use of space. I struggle with that still, sometimes.

a reply to: chiefsmom

I've seen 55 gallon drums but have never used them. This year with the medical bills I'm using whatever we have around the place. It seemed wasteful to send those boxes to landfill or burn them figured we use them that way don't know if it'll work or not.

Thanks for starting this thread; I'm learning some interesting things and I'm totally going to rip off some of the good ideas I've seen. I planted strawberries in a half whiskey barrel they are really doing well. I'm also going to use ash from the burn pit to spread in and around the beds I read that ants won't cross ash. I'll be planting butterfly weed to shield plants from Bambi and Thumper, it's toxic to mammals so they stay away but butterflies love it.

DOH!! I've inadvertently figured out how to cultivate...mushrooms!!

Pulled the cover off one of the seedling boxes today and I've got about 5 mushrooms starting! Real tall spindly lookin' things. I wonder if they're the 'whacky' kind? LOL!

I had actually added some miracle grow fruit and vegetable mix to some of the seed pots (and there's a a lot of mulch and compost in this stuff), so I'm guessing this is where the mushroom spores came from.

I uncovered them for now, and I suspect the mushrooms will die, but I thought that was weird!

a reply to: chiefsmom

Here's my garden so far:







I will be making second plantings this week.

a reply to: Liquesence

Wow...looks great!

a reply to: Liquesence
It does look great.
Our weather is finally supposed to warm up again, hopefully for good this time. I will be working on potato's and hardening off the seedlings I started.
By the end of the week, I should be able to get a few more things planted, and maybe by memorial weekend, have it all in.
I got a good early start, but then this cold snap put the hold on everything.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

a reply to: chiefsmom

Thanks!

I usually plant first of April, but there was an early April cold snap, so I waited. I planted mid-April, and it took 2 weeks for the peas and beans to come up, 3 weeks for the squash.

I made second plantings of green and lima beans today, as well as black eyed cowpeas. Try for cucumbers, cantaloupe, and maybe pole beans this week, if I can get the area ready with the trellis for the pole beans.

Supposed to be in the mid to upper 80s this week, so I have a feeling things will start to come along.

This is from several years ago, and what I hope to achieve this year:

Well, I wanted to add pics, of what I have planted, and of my potato barrels, but for some reason, I can't get my pics to upload, no matter how small I make them! Ugg.

Peas are coming up!
We took the plastic off the area where we are putting the tomato's, and rototilled it so we can get the arches up tomorrow. We couldn't get them up today, as we are also working on the chicken pen and it was actually hot today!

I'm hoping to get the majority of the garden in tomorrow. My soaker hose came in for the tomato's and I can use the sprinkler on everything else.

HA! I resized them with paint, and got it to work. Weird.

Anywhoo:


I have the potato's in 1/2 55 gal. plastic drums, with small drainage holes drilled in the bottom.


Here are my 3 rows of peas, 1 row of carrots, and a row of cabbage. I didn't put the cabbage close together, as I figured I have the room, might as well use it.
Besides the tomato's, I still have onions and some peppers to get in the ground tomorrow.

a reply to: EarthShine
Hi Earthshine. I checked out Hummingbird but you have to have a business account to order from them. Do you happen to know of a site that offers their products to the general public? All that sounds like superb snacking!


Oooo I may have found it!
MilkRun

a reply to: Liquesence

Beautiful! I'm so jealous of your dirt!! lol

a reply to: chiefsmom
OOO Awesome!! Can't wait to see your potato harvest! Congrats on the pea emergence too!

Yay my beans are up and my tomatoes and peppers are blooming. It looks like I'm going to have a bumper crop of blueberries too.

a reply to: gallopinghordes

I really want to try blueberries again, but will have to do a lot of work to the soil, as we have heavy clay in most of the yard.
I still have a lot in the freezer though, from going picking last year.

Heading out shortly, to get working in the garden, and getting the new bird netting up over the back chicken run.