What Did You Do In The Garden?

[Dirtmechanic]

I put out humic acid and fulvic acid-magnesium and micronutrients via my trusty 25 gallon sprayer. Its trusty because I think I have fixed it enough that it finally gave up fussing. Spraying took a while, maybe 250 gallons. I moved the rising sun redbud. It was scorching so I found a better morning sun-overhead shade location understory of the trees out front. All the garden is up. I caged the peppers. I think I will string the tomatoes instead of weaving them this year. It seems risky with our thunderstorm winds but a fun construction. I added hardwood bark to some rosebeds. The hybrid teas are doing suprisingly well considering I am a serial killer of hybrid tea roses.

 

[Zeedman]

It was finally dry enough for me to shallow-till all the gardens yesterday. I mowed the weeds on the rural garden before tilling. That garden is much improved, after the 6-7 yards of soil added to the low spots last year... definitely not as wet on the low end. I'll be bringing in another 3-4 yards of soil this year.

I started digging out the stump at the end of my longest home plot, which I plan to extend another 15' this year... but this task may be beyond my strength. The tree was a large elm, and the roots are running 6-8" below the soil surface as far as 10' away in all directions. For me to dig them all out by hand would take all summer. I think I'll rent a stump grinder, criss-cross the entire area, and pull out anything too large for the tiller to handle.

After her first vegetable garden last year, DD#1 is really going all-in. She had her trees cut way back last year (which let more sun in) and I'll be taking down a couple more to provide at least 8 hours of sun on the garden. She purchased a small tiller & more fencing, and is expanding her vegetable garden. At this point, all I am providing is advice & seeds.

 

[seedcorn]

@Dirtmechanic please explain stringing tomatoes.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

@Dirtmechanic please explain stringing tomatoes.

Vertically training them up a string or makeing a loop to stretch them up. The reason being I convinced DW we should space the tomatoes with plants like squash in between this year so that makes the horizontal weave problematic. I am not so sure I will skin them up the way the article mentions as it gets so hot here fruit will scald.

How to String Train Tomatoes - New Way to Stake Tomatoes

Commercial tomato growers use the string method to train their tomatoes. It takes less space is healthier for the tomato and easy for the home grower too.

www.theartofdoingstuff.com

 

[Trish Stretton]

I spent ages winnowing out my coriander seed to the point where...I can live with a few thin stalks in the mix.

Cleared weeds from one bed and planted out the fattest of my puny shallots, about 40 of them, then weeds out another part bed and planted out the hull-less barley that actually sprouted Only half the seed I sowed which was disappointing....oh, and sprinkled alittle amount of aged wood ash over the shallots for just in case.

 

[Marie2020]

I won't be doing anything In my garden today this wind will blow my wig off

 

[Zeedman]

I spent ages winnowing out my coriander seed to the point where...I can live with a few thin stalks in the mix.

Cleared weeds from one bed and planted out the fattest of my puny shallots, about 40 of them, then weeds out another part bed and planted out the hull-less barley that actually sprouted Only half the seed I sowed which was disappointing....oh, and sprinkled alittle amount of aged wood ash over the shallots for just in case.

I've been meaning for years to start growing a few grains. This year we will be growing a flour corn to make our own cornmeal. For me to grow the smaller grains though, the only place large enough is my rural plot... and I'll have to either get a handle on the current weed explosion there (two years of weed seed) or plant through a barrier.

 

[heirloomgal]

I've been meaning for years to start growing a few grains. This year we will be growing a flour corn to make our own cornmeal. For me to grow the smaller grains though, the only place large enough is my rural plot... and I'll have to either get a handle on the current weed explosion there (two years of weed seed) or plant through a barrier.

Last summer I tried a grain, even though I don't have tons of space, and it worked out really well. It was called Dragon's Claw millet; it's short, maybe 2 ft, produces quite a lot per plant and seems to thrive on heat and utter neglect. Two hurdles though- birds were crazy for it when the heads ripened, and it looks so much like a weed that it's hard to actually keep the crop weeded. It was slow to start, and everyone who passed my patch asked, 'why are you growing weeds here'?

 

[Marie2020]

On raised beds, I will be trying to line with cardboard but would anyone know what I can fill the bottom with please?
I won't have a heck if a lot of soil and compost and want to deter slugs as much as possible and they slither the way up from the ground.
Any advice will be gratefully received

I will be getting a load off a local builder delivered soon and could order gravel or stones.

 

[heirloomgal]

On raised beds, I will be trying to line with cardboard but would anyone know what I can fill the bottom with please?
I won't have a heck if a lot of soil and compost and want to deter slugs as much as possible and they slither the way up from the ground.
Any advice will be gratefully received

I will be getting a load of builder sand delivered soon and could order gravel or stones.

I'm building two new raised beds right now as well @Marie2020. I built one large raised bed about five years ago too. For all three all I did was till the ground underneath, which had a lot of clay. I didn't lay anything under even though there had been weeds there previously. The beds are about 1 foot high, and the 1st one has worked out really well. No weeds made there way up into the soil. I have some slug pressure, which is worse in areas that have a bit of shade at some part of the day. My most successful approach to them has been diatomaceous powder squirted from a mustard bottle.