How does your garden grow?

[dkff49]

In the off season and through the winter months add as much organic material as you can to build up the soil.
When I rake leaves, instead of burning them or hauling them , I rake them up on a cheap tarp and slide them to the garden area. Easy and works great. I spread them over the garden area about 6inches deep and let them compost in place. Before gardening season when tilled in this make the soil very rich , fertile and also loosens the soil. You just want to make sure to allow enough time before gardening season so all the leaves will compost and rot. Fresh leaves and trimmings that are not fully composted will eat up the nitrogen in the process, so you want to allow plenty of time . Just have to plan ahead a little.

I do that with the leaves too. However aside from the PH suggestion which I will check, I figured that maybe the grass that was there had depleted the area of needed minerals and it was just going to take effort and time to replenish.

I continuasly add material to a composting bin all year from the kitchen and from different collections around the yard and every year I add this to the garden. I figure the more foreign material the better.

Thanks for your replies. There are always people wiling to help.

 

[ROX]

You've gotten some good advice already.  Your County Extension Office should do a soil sample free for you if you bring them one.  They can also give you advice on what to do specific to your plot of land right there in the land of tasty pretzels.

Idea for next year:  you mention "high end" and "low end".  If you think moisture is an issue, instead of long rows from high to low, try shorter rows across the current grain and plan out your water "needy" crops on the low end and and not so needy on the high end.  Your extension office folks (and the internet) can help you on that.  Hot peppers seem to do just fine in heat with low rainfall, while tomatos and corn will whither & dry up with out watering if you haven't had much rainfall.

It's too easy to over-water.  Most gardens don't need it.  If you haven't had much recent rain and the plant leaves turn a light green and look wilty--wait until almost dusk and give it a good soak.  Check the weather Channel first.  To quote one of my clients down in Stuttgart, AR:

    "We had just got a fresh watermellon out of the milk cooler (used to keep fresh milked product at 33F until the dairy can come pick it up)
     and cut it open...Daddy mentioned how it just didn't taste right.  I told daddy that watermellons ain't a derned rice field and if you keep
     a layin' the water to 'em when they don't need it they ain't gonna taste as good."

Rabbits:  Since mama there wont allow you to blow Buggs Bunny's head off and have a tasty stew (trapping and releasing elsewhere is kind of a waste of time) next year plant marigolds around the perimeter of your garden in , say, 7 to 10 foot intervals.  Rabbits HATE the smell of marigolds and will avoid your garden as if it were a Pauly Shore film.


Good luck!






ROX

[Jackal1]

If a Pauly Shore movie didn`t kill em, double ought buck wouldn`t stand a chance.

[dkff49]

You've gotten some good advice already.  Your County Extension Office should do a soil sample free for you if you bring them one.  They can also give you advice on what to do specific to your plot of land right there in the land of tasty pretzels.

Idea for next year:  you mention "high end" and "low end".  If you think moisture is an issue, instead of long rows from high to low, try shorter rows across the current grain and plan out your water "needy" crops on the low end and and not so needy on the high end.  Your extension office folks (and the internet) can help you on that.  Hot peppers seem to do just fine in heat with low rainfall, while tomatos and corn will whither & dry up with out watering if you haven't had much rainfall.

It's too easy to over-water.  Most gardens don't need it.  If you haven't had much recent rain and the plant leaves turn a light green and look wilty--wait until almost dusk and give it a good soak.  Check the weather Channel first.  To quote one of my clients down in Stuttgart, AR:

    "We had just got a fresh watermellon out of the milk cooler (used to keep fresh milked product at 33F until the dairy can come pick it up)
     and cut it open...Daddy mentioned how it just didn't taste right.  I told daddy that watermellons ain't a derned rice field and if you keep
     a layin' the water to 'em when they don't need it they ain't gonna taste as good."

Rabbits:  Since mama there wont allow you to blow Buggs Bunny's head off and have a tasty stew (trapping and releasing elsewhere is kind of a waste of time) next year plant marigolds around the perimeter of your garden in , say, 7 to 10 foot intervals.  Rabbits HATE the smell of marigolds and will avoid your garden as if it were a Pauly Shore film.


Good luck!






ROX

Thanks for your input here, some very good suggestions and detailed too. The problem here is the when I planted the corn last year it was in the lower part of the garden and never got over 18 inches high. It was funny to see the ears of corn that were only big enough for 4-5 kernels on them. The difference in level is only about 2-3 over 70 feet but I am sure that is probably enough to provide a difference in moisture conditions. I will take a closer look at the watering side though thanks.

As far as the rabbits, mine must be mutants because the other day I saw a rabbit standing 2 feet from the marigolds that I planted around the garden. Mother suggested the same thing last year, but this year my Amish relatives told me to get lime and make a line just inside the edge of the garden. This supposedly will keep out most wild animals. We'll try that next year with the marigolds.

thanks again guys excellent help being given out here

[morfiend]

 I try to put a garden in every year,simple and small,not a long growing season up here.

 I've managed to grow two different flowers, papaver somniferum and a brite indica.

[ROX]

     


LOL Dkff.

My late grandfather was a past Mississippi Secretary of Soil Conservation.  I come from a long line of farmers, however, when asked, we say that-- "our family was in textiles".     





ROX


 

[DieAz]

I highly recommend the tomato varieties PURPLE CHEROKEE and PAUL ROBESON. You will never grow another kind after you taste these! Link below. 
http://rareseeds.com/
Frodo

do you save the seeds to plant next year?

[Frodo]

Yes I try and save enough for the following year. Tomatoes we start inside in Feb., and always start more than we will need in case of bad weather. The others we keep enough for 2 plantings in case of bad weather. If I have anything left I trade with a couple of neighbors.

Frodo

[ROX]

do you save the seeds to plant next year?

I'm one of those that do, (not just because I'm cheap), I really try to continue top plant "children" of the adults that did well.  If the parent seeds did well in your location the seeds from that plant should work well next year.

Like I posted earlier, I got some seeds from great peppers last year and planted them this year (yeah, I planted late) but less than 10% came up.

Weren't my seeds though.

If you had a really nice pepper, tomato, pumpkin, or watermellon that really grew well for you dry and save some of the seeds for next year.  I normally plant indoors in 6" plastic posts indoors in early February.  Whatever comes up can be transferred to 5 gallon buckets in early May.



ROX

[DieAz]

never had any luck with saving tomato seeds for some reason.

reading this http://rareseeds.com/guide/

Saving seed for next year
    If you want to save seed, there are several books available on the subject. You can learn how to keep plants pure so that their seeds run true-to-type, as growing parent plants properly is the key to producing good seed for subsequent years. As a very general rule for the beginning seed saver, note that any plant with the same Latin name as another plant has the ability to, and most likely will, cross pollinate. In layman’s terms, planting Hubbard True Green Squash (Cucurbita maxima) and Big Max pumpkins (also Cucurbita maxima) in the same garden means that you should not save seed from either as they are insect pollinated. In all likelihood, the bees that went to one plant’s flowers also went to the other one so you will have a crossed seed resulting. If the plants have different Latin names, like cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), they cannot cross. On the other hand, several varieties of self-pollinated plants like beans, peas, tomatoes, and lettuce can be grown together without too much fear of crossing. If in any doubt, please consult a book on this fascinating topic.

    Having grown your vegetables for seed, select the best specimens from the best plants and let the fruit fully mature to ensure that the seed within is at its best too. Cucumbers, for example, must be grown till well past their eating stage to grow seed useful for saving. Tomato, squash, pumpkin, melon, and cucumber seed all benefit from fermenting the seeds and the surrounding pulp for about three days before cleaning and then drying. The pulp should be put into a jar with a little water and shaken or stirred twice daily for three days. At the end of this time the pulp and immature seeds will be floating on top as scum, and the mature and useful seeds will have sunk to the bottom. Take these and dry them on labeled paper plates for about two weeks before placing in a cool, dry place; for instance, in a bag or tub in the freezer ready for planting next year.

I think I see why.

anyway Rox how do you do it? the same way or something similar?

[dkff49]

mostly my garden is full of weeds. I have become very discouraged this year. Last year was the first year for my garden. I had just turned it under and planted and ht eonly thing that survived and managed to produce was tomatoes and green beans and carrots and bell peppers, with only a couple medium sized pumpkins. I planted peas, corn, and watermelon with the above.

This year the only things that were productive was the green beans and carrots are still growing. most everything else is dieing off or barely growing. this year I also planted tomatoes, bell peppers, a new kiind of pepper "can't remember the name", peas, pumpkins.

What I have noticed is that the plants that grow reasonably well are always at the same end of the garden. The weird thing is that this is the higher end and the garden is not overly wet at all, so this leads me to believe that it is not a water issue. I do have a tree that grows over the garden that is about halfway down the garden but I even have problems above the tree as well as below. The sun is on the garden probably at least 10 hours in the area that gets the least amount of sun. I was thinking that probably is not the issue. What I have thought about trying is to fertilize the crap out of it this fall and next spring and then maintain with compost after that.

Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.


As a side note though I have noticed that my garden produces rabbits very well. The problem there is that my wife won't let me kill the rabbits to eat and in that way my garden would be productive no matter what.

I know this is a year old thread but decided that I wanted to pass along the massive improvement this year.

I decided this year I was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at it (figuratively speaking of course).

In the fall I added alot of corn husks that came from my sister-in-laws house as well as the usual leaves and turned all that under before everything froze over. This spring I was speaking to someone that owns a green house about my problem and suspicions just for conversation (since I did not know at the time what his experiences were). While we were talking one of the things he suggested was to put mushroom mulch in with the soil to help break up the clay that is so prevalent around my house. It performed that very well plus added much needed nutrients as well, not to mention it's ability to absorb moisture and keep it. We have also had a great deal of rain this year at just the right time. Plus nearly everyday that it did not look like rain by dark,I would water the garden. On top of all that I was very particular about weeding and keeping the ground loosened up too.

Turns out that the only real downfall I had this year was the increase in rabbits yet again and this time they ate all the fresh bean plants and half the pea plants down to knubs. Oh well they left everything else alone small trade off since the bean plants have come back with a vengance. I have had bigger, better, and more veggies than I have ever had from my garden.

The only thing I think I may change next year will adding more of the mushroom  mulch (advice from the guy with the greenhouse after he stopped over to look at what I have) and space some of the plants a [sarcasm]"LITTLE"[sarcasm] bit more.

Anyway here are some pics of my first successful garden.


tomatoes, peppers,onions



peas, beans, broccoli, cauliflower


cucumbers, zucchinni, cantelope, corn


closer look at corn, pumpkins (won't be mixed with  corn next year/ what a mess)

Can you tell I am a very happy person right now? My biggest problem is who to give what we can't eat to.

[ROX]

Since this thread was intended to help folks who are th epowers that be see this ressurection as an wonderful opportunity to compare and contrast comments and photos from the original thread that we will not have if the thread gets locked.  As gardening is an annual thing, it's really no big deal to leave the thread up so we CAN compare and contrast comments and photos of how we have learned from our mistakes both last year and this year.

I have some very importaint info to pass on in learning from mistakes from last year and this year:

1)  Tomatos do NOT grow well in the large pots.  I experimented with 4 different tomato varieties in large 3' high buckets and all 4 failed. The soil was perfect--they bloomed and then did nothing.  When I ripped them out of the buckets to give the buckets to deserving pepper plants not enough root room was NOT the problem--there was still plenty of root room in the 3' deep bucket.  I have no explination for the failure.

2)  Arkansas had it's MOST wet May on record.  It also had the MOST wet July in record.  While most rice farmers were unaffected, most all other farmers and gardeners suffered stunted plants if not some plant loss.  While my plants were in buckets, I could easily move then under the deck awning and out of the rain. 

[ROX]

3) Since the plants were in very large buckets--weeding was almost not even needed.  I only found a couple of weeds that found their way up to the deck.

4)  I experimented with other pepper plants (for hot sauce) this year with New Mexico Big Jims, Tobasocs, and Chili reds to suppliment my habenero, yellow sweet peppers, and Sweet Basil.  The tobasos are over 4' tall and have more peppers on them than I can count.  The New Mexico's are 4' tall and have huge red georgous peppers ripening on them.  If you haven't checked the produce market lately yellow sweet peppers run from $3 to $4 each.  My plants have already given me over 20 of them and there are at least 15 more ripening.  I save the seeds from all varieties to dry in labeled paper bags (never plastic!) to pre-plant indoors Christmas week.

Photos to follow agter I clear of my camera that is currently full.

Good luck!


ROX

[VonMessa]

Much better, this year   

[mensa180]

No garden for now, although I'd like to grow some peppers, squash, and tomatoes.  Got a great apple tree though.  Peach and plumb tree died, and something is wrong with our pear tree...