The Garden Thread

[monkeylizard]

Raised beds are nice. You can do much more compact gardening to get more out of a smaller area, and because the sun hits the sides, it warms up faster so you get an earlier start on the growing season. Mine are on the ground, not on stands and look like these:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Greenes-Fence-4-ft-x-8-ft-x-10-5-in-Dovetail-Cedar-Raised-Garden-Bed-RC6T21B/203477958?N=5yc1vZbx7c

 

I have five 4'x4' squares connected in a U shape. I do square foot planning and it works very well. I like http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/kitchen-garden-planner/kgp_home.html for planning. You can choose some pre-panned gardens or design your own.

[Mark A]

OK, I'm officially over the rain. I've got things to do that require a semblance of dry ground...

 

I understand it is my fault. I have on my list getting guttering installed on my out building and running the downspouts to a storage tank for watering purposes. If I had already gotten that done we would have experienced the driest winter/ spring in history...

 

I'm concerned that the real farmers in our area are getting hosed on getting their spring stuff done... I don't need any excuse for food prices to go up any higher than they already are.

 

Mark

[Raoul]

So it finally dried out enough to get the tiller in the garden this weekend.

I manged to plant carrot, collard, spinach, and radish seed.

Also put out onion sets and finally got the garlic in the ground. Halleluiah!

I feel much better.

[maroonandwhite]

I tilled on Sunday and man I am worn out! Just over 800 square feet of garden with a walk behind tiller. Lots of roots and a few patches of rocks. I tilled the fertilizer in with it and am gonna wait another weekend or so to plant everything. I was gonna do some onions and potatoes but I have read to skip the root crops on the first year.

 

I believe I am going to try putting newspaper in the walking rows and covering the entire garden with hay/straw to keep weeds down. Anyone tried this?

[Omega]

I only managed to cut the barrels and get some topsoil last weekend.  I will build the frames and hopefully get some plants started this upcoming weekend.  Just wondering about the tomatoes though, I used to give them some space, at least 1 or 2 feet between, but wouldn't they get crowded in a square foot garden?

[Chris]

I believe I am going to try putting newspaper in the walking rows and covering the entire garden with hay/straw to keep weeds down. Anyone tried this?

 

Good for one season at most... I had heavy cardboard down covered by six inches of wood chips.. great for the first season, by season two, I had to get the mower out.

[monkeylizard]

I only managed to cut the barrels and get some topsoil last weekend.  I will build the frames and hopefully get some plants started this upcoming weekend.  Just wondering about the tomatoes though, I used to give them some space, at least 1 or 2 feet between, but wouldn't they get crowded in a square foot garden?

 

It's the other way around. Tomatoes will take over and shade out the stuff within a foot or two of them, maybe more depending on the variety. I'm going to try something a little different this year. I'm going to put the tomoatoes in food-grade plastic buckets. Then I can move them around to provide shade on the edges of the raised beds as needed without sacrificing 6+ squares per plant.

Edited March 31, 2015 by monkeylizard

[maroonandwhite]

Good for one season at most... I had heavy cardboard down covered by six inches of wood chips.. great for the first season, by season two, I had to get the mower out.

i was assuming this is done fresh each year.


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[Chris]

i was assuming this is done fresh each year.


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AH HA! I knew I was doing something wrong. 

[maroonandwhite]

AH HA! I knew I was doing something wrong.

from what I gathered if you use something like newspaper and whatever topping you want you can just till it in. I don't know if I will re till the garden or not. Some sites say to do it sparingly. I'll figure it out as I go along I guess haha.


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[Hershmeister]

FWIW we use EMT conduit to form a crossbar to hang string off of for climbing plants. Use 3/4" for the vertical two pieces and 1/2" for the crossmember. Use some pvc tees to tie them together on top and clamp to your raised bed. Cheap and easy

[maroonandwhite]

So I went last night and bought all of my plants and seeds and now it's going to rain all day. Will it hurt to plant in wet soil? There is one section of my garden where the soil was a little more damp than the other spots and I have some clumping of the soil but nothing very hard. I don't want to add to the problem but I can't let all of these plants sit in the garage for days until it dries up.

 

I am going to add newspaper to the rows and cover with straw once I plant.

[monkeylizard]

Nope. Unless the rain gets super heavy and washes the seeds away, you'll be fine. The wheat straw will help prevent that.

[maroonandwhite]

Nope. Unless the rain gets super heavy and washes the seeds away, you'll be fine. The wheat straw will help prevent that.

Only seeds I am planting are corn and some beans. Potatoes are large enough that they won't wash. Everything else is a plant.  :up: That makes me feel better.

[peejman]

Only seeds I am planting are corn and some beans. Potatoes are large enough that they won't wash. Everything else is a plant.  :up: That makes me feel better.

 

 

Yep, they'll be fine as long as it drains reasonably.  Put some pine straw or similar on top of it to help prevent it washing if it rains hard.

 

 

I've done exactly nothing.  I've had ideas of renting a tiller at various times over the last 3 weeks but life or the weather keeps getting in the way.  Maybe next week....  

[maroonandwhite]

So I just saw something interesting. I saw where a guy used 30lb test fishing line as an alternative to an electric fence for deer. The premise is that the deer can't see it and they will bump into it and spook. Anyone tried this? I just don't want to shell out hundreds on an electric fence setup if I can find a better and/or cheaper way.

[maroonandwhite]

Wonderful. JUST planted everything yesterday and got a frost last night. Tomatoes,squash and peppers are dead. Everything else is good though. Cost me $50. Ugh. I didn't know anything about another frost.


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[MacGyver]

There's a reason the old timers don't plant tomatoes until May 1st.

I planted seeds under the lights in February. They're getting big, quick. I'm going to chance some going in the ground around tax day to try and have some good tomatoes by July 4th.

[monkeylizard]

Bill Hall always said wait until April 15th. Then check the forecast on that day. If there's no frost in it, you're good to go.

[maroonandwhite]

Luckily I only have about 10 plants to buy and not 50. Live and learn I guess. I just tried to get in a hurry.


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[monkeylizard]

Looking at the forecast, you'd probably be OK to start now, but I wouldn't unless I had a way to protect them if another late frost comes in. Last year our last frost was around April 18th. I may put my seeds in this week, esp the frost hardy plants. I'm using raised beds and I have PVC arches over them so I can cover them if a late frost threatens. I'm doing the tomatoes in 3.5 gal food-grade buckets this year because they take up too much room in the raised beds, plus I can move them around to provide shade where needed. I can take them into the garage if frost threatens. If it's not raining cats and dogs this evening, I may get a few things in the ground. I think last night was the last cold night for the season.

[maroonandwhite]

Looking at the forecast, you'd probably be OK to start now, but I wouldn't unless I had a way to protect them if another late frost comes in. Last year our last frost was around April 18th. I may put my seeds in this week, esp the frost hardy plants. I'm using raised beds and I have PVC arches over them so I can cover them if a late frost threatens. I'm doing the tomatoes in 3.5 gal food-grade buckets this year because they take up too much room in the raised beds, plus I can move them around to provide shade where needed. I can take them into the garage if frost threatens. If it's not raining cats and dogs this evening, I may get a few things in the ground. I think last night was the last cold night for the season.

I think I will wait out another week on replanting the dead ones. The majority of the garden is OK because I did seeds. The cabbage and lettuce plants seem OK too. My guess is onions and potatoes weren't hurt by it. This whole planting season will really just be a learning experience for us and I'm sure I will find better ways to do things next year. The PVC arches are a good idea!

[monkeylizard]

Generally speaking, your leafy greens and roots vegetables will be fine. You could have probably started them a couple of weeks ago from seed. The more frost-sensitive plants tend to be the ones which grow fruits/veg on stems above ground like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc.

 

I planted a fall crop of various lettuce and swiss chard in late August last year and it was all producing up until almost Christmas.

Edited April 6, 2015 by monkeylizard

[JPS]

I believe I am going to try putting newspaper in the walking rows and covering the entire garden with hay/straw to keep weeds down. Anyone tried this?

 

Don't use hay - you'll just be seeding the garden with more weeds.

 

It may not work for those of you with bigger gardens, but after I dig up the soil in the spring, I put down landscape fabric in my garden and cut small X's to plant.  Works great, and my garden stays weed-free for the whole growing season.

[maroonandwhite]

Don't use hay - you'll just be seeding the garden with more weeds.

 

It may not work for those of you with bigger gardens, but after I dig up the soil in the spring, I put down landscape fabric in my garden and cut small X's to plant.  Works great, and my garden stays weed-free for the whole growing season.

Haha yep I had to re-educate myself on hay vs straw. I did actually purchase and use straw. I am contemplating the landscape fabric as well. Just wanted to see how the straw does initially.