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Posted: 6/21/2015 1:51:59 PM EDT
I am finally getting around to making a vegetable garden at the house. Last time I had one was about 3 years ago when we lived in a different house. This time I have a tight budget, so it may seem like I am cutting some corners. I am.
 I hope to get 5 years out of my initial raised beds, anymore will be icing on the cake.First hurdle for me was finding a tiller in my price range. The soil here is as hard as concrete so there was no way I was going to turn it by hand before placing the beds. Friend had one that had been sitting for years and he said it's free if I'd take it. Best price. It needed some work. He cleaned the carb and did a bunch of other tune-up wrenching on it, I cleaned and re-lined the gas tank, replaced the rubber on the crankcase breather, and fixed a small fuel leak. Oil looked like liquid graphite on the first change, but cleared up on the second.  Here's a picture of the crud I was getting off the bottom of the gas tank.  So yesterday I tilled the area for the raised beds. I went 6 inches down and removed all the grass I could. I also started building the raised bed frames. They are 4x10 made out of deck boards and 2x4s. The 2x4s range from 16 to 20 inches, depending. Like I said, cutting corners. I built the frames in the shade and pulled them with furniture movers and tie downs to the garden area.  This morning I started digging the holes to place the frames. They will be 36 inches apart in a single row. I had some help this AM getting them in the ground. First frame is in.  Soon after the break they decided to go play.  I got all but 3 holes done on #2 before it got too hot. I'll finish them tonight. Soil to fill the beds will come later in the week. Plan is to have a wire fence to keep my helpers out while I am not around. Fence will be 4x4s on the corners with a gate and t-posts every 8 feet. There will be 3 feet between the beds and the fence. That is about the smallest I can go due to the turning radius of my radio flyer. 1 (rotated) bed will always be green beans. I will be building a trellis t-pee I can easily move from bed to bed after the fence is complete. |
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Posted: 6/21/2015 4:05:49 PM EDT
[#1]
Looks like you are off to a good start. Good luck and post as many pictures of the progress as you can.
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Posted: 6/21/2015 4:23:02 PM EDT
[#2]
Nice!
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Posted: 6/21/2015 9:41:47 PM EDT
[#3]
Great score on the tiller.
Only better deal would have been to get him to till for you while you watched and drank beer!
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Posted: 6/22/2015 8:17:40 AM EDT
[#4]
All 4 frames are in the ground. Very glad I built them and then put them in the ground instead of how many hot-to's online show building them like a fence (posts first then built on posts). Digging the holes was the worst part. I need to barter some time with an auger before I do this again.
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Posted: 6/22/2015 8:19:44 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Great score on the tiller. Only better deal would have been to get him to till for you while you watched and drank beer! |
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Posted: 6/22/2015 3:17:57 PM EDT
[#6]
Looking good. That tree nearest the far bed will be a problem when it gets bigger
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Posted: 6/24/2015 1:00:51 PM EDT
[#7]
Are you going to lay plastic in the bottom before filling ?? Drill any holes in the bottom boards for drainage when it rains ?? The last three years my garden burned up from lack of rain - froze due to a late cold snap - got completely washed away from too much rain - in that order. I usually planted 5 to 7 acres. Done with that !!
I figure 3 raised beds about your size will raise all my wife and I need from now on. The community / family garden days have come to an end. I will be watching this closely since I have never done the raised bed gardening. Thank you for posting this. ETA - Treated lumber ?? Yay or nay ?? |
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Posted: 6/24/2015 9:08:38 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Are you going to lay plastic in the bottom before filling ?? Drill any holes in the bottom boards for drainage when it rains ?? The last three years my garden burned up from lack of rain - froze due to a late cold snap - got completely washed away from too much rain - in that order. I usually planted 5 to 7 acres. Done with that !! I figure 3 raised beds about your size will raise all my wife and I need from now on. The community / family garden days have come to an end. I will be watching this closely since I have never done the raised bed gardening. Thank you for posting this. ETA - Treated lumber ?? Yay or nay ?? The lumber is treated. The sides are deck boards (5/4"x5.5"x10' for the length and 4' for the width). For all the lumber pictured, plus five 4x4x6s and an additional eight 2x4x8s the damage was $234.40. The additional 2x4s are going to be used for a movable trellis and the 4x4s will be fence corner/gate posts. My biggest problem with this garden is going to be keeping everything watered. The beds are shaded for only 2 hours out of the day so everything will dry out quick. Here's another alabama garden thread. |
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Posted: 6/25/2015 8:53:43 AM EDT
[#9]
Thanks Sam
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Posted: 6/25/2015 9:48:13 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The soil I am getting is well-draining soil. Those are going to be nice. I doubt you have any drainage issues with those. You probably WILL have issues with grass and weeds coming up from beneath your beds though. I have always had issues with using soil to fill my beds, though. It almost ALWAYS results in some kind of unwanted vegetative pest that you really didn't want to have. As an example, I have wild onions and johnson grass in my yard that were imported in loads of topsoil. I have managed to eliminate them from my beds over the years but it is an ongoing battle to get completely rid of them. The old Mel's Mix from the book "Square Foot Gardens" says use 1/3 vermiculite or perlite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 composted manure is hard to beat but it can be expensive and you'd probably have to water it twice a day in Alabama summers. I think Mel has changed his formula in recent years if you are interested in looking that up. I suggest you put at least a 3 cf bale of peat moss on top of the soil in each of those beds and at least 4-6 bags of composted manure. Mix it into the top 4-5 inches and call it good for this year. I like to add some over the top every year or so. Almost all of the composted manure I can get around here is half un-composted wood chips or bark. It seems economical since it is $1.50-$2.00 per bag. Do youself a favor and buy a bag of the cheap stuff at your local Walmart or Lowes or Home Depot. Buy a bag of this at Lowes or Home Depot. Compare the two. The premium composted manure doesn't really have all that much in the way of the usual fertilizer rating but it DOES add something plants like. Try it in one of your beds, or just try a couple of bags in one end of one bed, and see for yourself if it was worth the price. I consider it to be almost as good as homemade compost. |
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Posted: 6/25/2015 10:34:17 AM EDT
[#11]
On the subject of compost, I prefer to sift all the compost (bagged or bulk) that I add to my garden through a 1/4" sifter I made. It's very time consuming, but I think it is worth it to not have all those wood chips that invariable come with purchased compost tying up nitrogen. Lately I have been buying bulk compost made from yard waste and even though the company that sells it first sifts it through a 3/8" mesh, I still end up removing 20-25% wood chips by volume with my sifter. Really small wood particles still make it through but most of the wood gets separated out. I use the wood chips that get sifted out as mulch for my fruit trees.
Here is an example of a bagged compost product. On the left is the unsifted compost. What got sifted out is in the middle and on the right is what it looks like after sifting. This particular product ended up being almost 50% woodchips. 
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Posted: 6/25/2015 9:28:00 PM EDT
[#12]
Post holes are done.
 I'll probably chainsaw the posts to size tomorrow and set them. I have a couple plants going in the front. Probably 2 weeks along. Not your conventional garden plant!  |
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Posted: 6/26/2015 3:37:06 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Post holes are done. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0126_zpsis3shcrz.jpg I'll probably chainsaw the posts to size tomorrow and set them. I have a couple plants going in the front. Probably 2 weeks along. Not your conventional garden plant! http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0122_zpsfigzyghp.jpg FUUuuuu - are you digging post holes with a sharpshooter ?? My old ass would die - hard enough using post hole diggers. If you barter for some auger time be careful if it's the handheld with the motor on top and not the tractor PTO type. Few yrs back I saw a couple of guys using the 2 man type power auger - got caught on something and really messed one of em up. I rented one once - dug one hole and took it back. Bastards are dangerous. Great pics. Thank you. Can't wait to see them planted and producing. |
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Posted: 6/30/2015 3:48:02 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: FUUuuuu - are you digging post holes with a sharpshooter ?? My old ass would die - hard enough using post hole diggers. If you barter for some auger time be careful if it's the handheld with the motor on top and not the tractor PTO type. Few yrs back I saw a couple of guys using the 2 man type power auger - got caught on something and really messed one of em up. I rented one once - dug one hole and took it back. Bastards are dangerous. Great pics. Thank you. Can't wait to see them planted and producing. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Post holes are done. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0126_zpsis3shcrz.jpg I'll probably chainsaw the posts to size tomorrow and set them. I have a couple plants going in the front. Probably 2 weeks along. Not your conventional garden plant! http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0122_zpsfigzyghp.jpg FUUuuuu - are you digging post holes with a sharpshooter ?? My old ass would die - hard enough using post hole diggers. If you barter for some auger time be careful if it's the handheld with the motor on top and not the tractor PTO type. Few yrs back I saw a couple of guys using the 2 man type power auger - got caught on something and really messed one of em up. I rented one once - dug one hole and took it back. Bastards are dangerous. Great pics. Thank you. Can't wait to see them planted and producing. I strive to have everything PTO driven. So far I am extremely unsuccessful. If 4 beds are big enough, I will replace the wire fencing (to come) with gothic pickets and more posts. I will almost certainly be using a PTO auger for that unless it is winter time. Thanks for the compliment. Camera does great, I just hit the setting and press the button  |
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Posted: 6/30/2015 3:48:53 PM EDT
[#15]
Messing around with the camera before the fun task of the day.
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Posted: 6/30/2015 10:37:39 PM EDT
[#16]
 All done! As you can see, the supervisor approves too. I ordered 5 yards of soil. The beds are still very soft, so the soil will go down once a good rain comes through. Total price of the soil delivered was $251.85  Delivery was a huge chunk of that price. |
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Posted: 6/30/2015 10:42:28 PM EDT
[#17]
Here is what I am thinking of planting. Anyone care to give feedback? Substitutes, etc? Planting times will be based on the Extension recommendations and I am in zone 8A.
Sierra Blanca onions Great Western onions Hercules carrots Laguna carrots A few softneck garlics? Fordhook Giant swiss chard Sparx Lettuce Diablo brussel sprouts Arcadia Broccoli Marvel of Venice beans Tohya beans Fortex Pole beans Sugar Snap peas Cargo PMR pumpkin Paisano tomatoes German Johnson tomatoes Vertina cucumbers |
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Posted: 7/1/2015 7:57:33 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/photo1_zpsls5bsd3x.jpg All done! As you can see, the supervisor approves too. I ordered 5 yards of soil. The beds are still very soft, so the soil will go down once a good rain comes through. Total price of the soil delivered was $251.85 Delivery was a huge chunk of that price.
Looking really good OP! (Raised beds are awesome.)
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Posted: 7/1/2015 10:06:50 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Looking really good OP! (Raised beds are awesome.) Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/photo1_zpsls5bsd3x.jpg All done! As you can see, the supervisor approves too. I ordered 5 yards of soil. The beds are still very soft, so the soil will go down once a good rain comes through. Total price of the soil delivered was $251.85 Delivery was a huge chunk of that price.Looking really good OP! (Raised beds are awesome.) |
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Posted: 7/2/2015 1:03:31 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Looking good. That tree nearest the far bed will be a problem when it gets bigger Good point, but maybe not. Depends on what it is. I don't know Alabama landscapes, and can't tell from that distance what it is. If it's a small tree it might not branch enough to matter. |
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Posted: 7/2/2015 1:08:44 AM EDT
[#21]
OP your gardens look awesome, and I don't think you need to feel one bit bad about "cutting corners" because I don't see that you are cutting any at all.
Your beds look great, and gardening, at its heart, goes back to needing to feed a family in both good times and bad. We might not NEED to grow our own food now, but it's really cool when we can. Everybody has lean times and flush times. You're doing great in your lean time. Being able to fill those beds with that fantastic mix is awesome. I'm a little jealous of those raised beds. 
This will be a great thread. Kitties |
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Posted: 7/2/2015 1:13:38 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Here is what I am thinking of planting. Anyone care to give feedback? Substitutes, etc? Planting times will be based on the Extension recommendations and I am in zone 8A. Sierra Blanca onions Great Western onions Hercules carrots Laguna carrots A few softneck garlics? Fordhook Giant swiss chard Sparx Lettuce Diablo brussel sprouts Arcadia Broccoli Marvel of Venice beans Tohya beans Fortex Pole beans Sugar Snap peas Cargo PMR pumpkin Paisano tomatoes German Johnson tomatoes Vertina cucumbers You MAY be a little late in the season for cole crops or greens like lettuce or chard, and for peas. I don't know your climate, and you might double check with your extension horticulture person, but up here, once it hits 85-90 and stays there regularly, any kind of lettuce is a waste of time, and peas don't do well. Cole crops like brussels sprouts bolt rather than produce. HOWEVER, you could grow all of those as fall crops, probably. Certain crops grow well in the cooler spring and fall seasons. Edited because you've had a garden before, and I missed that in your original post. In any case, especially when you move to a new area, the best thing you can do is make friends with some local gardeners. Old timers are always the best sources of information.
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Posted: 7/2/2015 8:42:32 AM EDT
[#23]
Absolutely great thread Sam - as well as the other raised bed gardeners here. Do yall have a problem with ants building in your beds ?? Here are a few pics of my place along with my supervisors - the wife and babies - my bad ass rooster - etc. Here
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Posted: 7/2/2015 10:08:11 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Absolutely great thread Sam - as well as the other raised bed gardeners here. Do yall have a problem with ants building in your beds ?? Here are a few pics of my place along with my supervisors - the wife and babies - my bad ass rooster - etc. Here You have a nice piece of land! Looks like you have some good supervisors too! |
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Posted: 7/2/2015 10:24:37 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You MAY be a little late in the season for cole crops or greens like lettuce or chard, and for peas. I don't know your climate, and you might double check with your extension horticulture person, but up here, once it hits 85-90 and stays there regularly, any kind of lettuce is a waste of time, and peas don't do well. Cole crops like brussels sprouts bolt rather than produce. HOWEVER, you could grow all of those as fall crops, probably. Certain crops grow well in the cooler spring and fall seasons. Edited because you've had a garden before, and I missed that in your original post. In any case, especially when you move to a new area, the best thing you can do is make friends with some local gardeners. Old timers are always the best sources of information. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Here is what I am thinking of planting. Anyone care to give feedback? Substitutes, etc? Planting times will be based on the Extension recommendations and I am in zone 8A. Sierra Blanca onions Great Western onions Hercules carrots Laguna carrots A few softneck garlics? Fordhook Giant swiss chard Sparx Lettuce Diablo brussel sprouts Arcadia Broccoli Marvel of Venice beans Tohya beans Fortex Pole beans Sugar Snap peas Cargo PMR pumpkin Paisano tomatoes German Johnson tomatoes Vertina cucumbers You MAY be a little late in the season for cole crops or greens like lettuce or chard, and for peas. I don't know your climate, and you might double check with your extension horticulture person, but up here, once it hits 85-90 and stays there regularly, any kind of lettuce is a waste of time, and peas don't do well. Cole crops like brussels sprouts bolt rather than produce. HOWEVER, you could grow all of those as fall crops, probably. Certain crops grow well in the cooler spring and fall seasons. Edited because you've had a garden before, and I missed that in your original post. In any case, especially when you move to a new area, the best thing you can do is make friends with some local gardeners. Old timers are always the best sources of information. Quoted: OP your gardens look awesome, and I don't think you need to feel one bit bad about "cutting corners" because I don't see that you are cutting any at all. Your beds look great, and gardening, at its heart, goes back to needing to feed a family in both good times and bad. We might not NEED to grow our own food now, but it's really cool when we can. Everybody has lean times and flush times. You're doing great in your lean time. Being able to fill those beds with that fantastic mix is awesome. I'm a little jealous of those raised beds. This will be a great thread. Kitties Many of these are fall crops. The extension lists some as July/August plantings, and many as September/October plantings. Speaking of lean and flush times, my wife has already asked me to start looking at canning equipment. I am sure it will be a while before any shows up, but she makes rounds at all the local yard sales and such and keeps a list of my "wants". She knows a food saver is already on the list. I wish we had room for a deep-freezer because that would help tremendously. Hopefully in a few years I'll have enough of the necessities stored to hold us through winter without too much grocery store produce. |
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Posted: 7/2/2015 10:26:19 AM EDT
[#26]
Fence corner posts are in the ground. Fencing, u-posts (couldn't find 36inch t posts locally
 ), clips, etc. are in the trunk of my car. I'll post pictures later tonight. |
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Posted: 7/2/2015 6:29:36 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I know I will have ant problems. I get at least a few mounds every year, but I try to take them out before they get too big. I didn't have ants in my old garden, but I also didn't live in the sticks.
You have a nice piece of land! Looks like you have some good supervisors too! Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Absolutely great thread Sam - as well as the other raised bed gardeners here. Do yall have a problem with ants building in your beds ?? Here are a few pics of my place along with my supervisors - the wife and babies - my bad ass rooster - etc. Here
You have a nice piece of land! Looks like you have some good supervisors too! Thanks Sam. Damned if it doesn't work my old ass off at times but it's all mine. At least my wife tells me it's all mine when I need to do something. Wouldn't have it any other way.
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Posted: 7/3/2015 1:17:35 PM EDT
[#28]
I put up the corner posts the other night and started putting up the fence last night. I watched some youtube videos to try to get an idea of how to hang the wire fencing. Here is the best video I found if anyone needs a tutorial.
 I had a few issues compared to what you see in the video. I didn't think to ask a friend to help before I started, I couldn't find a "fence tool" in the area, and I wasn't about to pay $80 for a "stretcher bar." So, I made my own "fence tool" out of a scrap of red oak. Sanded down the sharp edges, drilled a hole and cut it to length. Works amazing. Here's pics of the fence tool and how well it can spin wire if I am careful.    For the stretcher bar, I use some scrap wood, two bolts, nuts and washers, and a couple eye bolts. I torque down the bolts so there's no way for the fencing to shift when it is sandwiched in.  For the first two runs I stretched it using a come-a-long hitched to my tractor. That worked great for the first section because it was 1/3 the distance, but not so great long 2nd run. Both times I tightened until it pulled the tractor toward the fence. Here's a picture of the looseness in the second. It gets more loose the further from the stretcher you get.  So, for the other long side I wrapped the come-a-long around one of the 4x4 privacy fence posts. Worked much better. So well that I ripped one of the eye bolts out of the stretcher bar and had to drill a new hole for it.  I ran out of fencing after the second long run. I was hoping to make it but I need around 4 more feet. It comes in 100 foot rolls.  |
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Posted: 7/12/2015 6:54:05 PM EDT
[#29]
Fence is done.
Gate is done. It is level though it doesn't look it in the photo. Garden is on a slight hill sloping toward the camera. Both movable bean trellis are done. They're 2x4 frame with fence wire stretched across the front. I tried to make them as large as possible and didn't think to measure how the wire fence would lay on them. So I had to do two rows of wire fence with a small gap between and a gap at the bottom. Panels are connected with gate hinges. Each trellis is heavy but still movable for rotating the beds. If you notice the small green things in the bed second to the left, that is some cotton I transplanted. Other seeds will be planted in a couple weeks.  |
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Posted: 7/12/2015 8:38:58 PM EDT
[#30]
Nice setup.
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Posted: 7/12/2015 10:07:28 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Fence is done. Gate is done. It is level though it doesn't look it in the photo. Garden is on a slight hill sloping toward the camera. Both movable bean trellis are done. They're 2x4 frame with fence wire stretched across the front. I tried to make them as large as possible and didn't think to measure how the wire fence would lay on them. So I had to do two rows of wire fence with a small gap between and a gap at the bottom. Panels are connected with gate hinges. Each trellis is heavy but still movable for rotating the beds.
If you notice the small green things in the bed second to the left, that is some cotton I transplanted. Other seeds will be planted in a couple weeks. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0156_zpsgghdnaqu.jpg Did you plant the cotton just for the fun of it? I've never seen cotton actually growing. That's really cool. |
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Posted: 7/12/2015 10:20:17 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Nice setup. Quote HistoryQuoted: Nice setup. Thanks! Quoted: Quoted: Fence is done. Gate is done. It is level though it doesn't look it in the photo. Garden is on a slight hill sloping toward the camera. Both movable bean trellis are done. They're 2x4 frame with fence wire stretched across the front. I tried to make them as large as possible and didn't think to measure how the wire fence would lay on them. So I had to do two rows of wire fence with a small gap between and a gap at the bottom. Panels are connected with gate hinges. Each trellis is heavy but still movable for rotating the beds. If you notice the small green things in the bed second to the left, that is some cotton I transplanted. Other seeds will be planted in a couple weeks. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0156_zpsgghdnaqu.jpg Did you plant the cotton just for the fun of it? I've never seen cotton actually growing. That's really cool. There are some pictures on the previous page from when it first emerged. Not too hopeful on it this year because its still so small. |
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Posted: 7/12/2015 10:43:33 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks! Yup. It looks good but isn't much use other than that. Don't have a cotton gin. There are some pictures on the previous page from when it first emerged. Not too hopeful on it this year because its still so small.
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Nice setup. Thanks! Quoted:
Quoted:
Fence is done. Gate is done. It is level though it doesn't look it in the photo. Garden is on a slight hill sloping toward the camera. Both movable bean trellis are done. They're 2x4 frame with fence wire stretched across the front. I tried to make them as large as possible and didn't think to measure how the wire fence would lay on them. So I had to do two rows of wire fence with a small gap between and a gap at the bottom. Panels are connected with gate hinges. Each trellis is heavy but still movable for rotating the beds.
If you notice the small green things in the bed second to the left, that is some cotton I transplanted. Other seeds will be planted in a couple weeks. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0156_zpsgghdnaqu.jpg Did you plant the cotton just for the fun of it? I've never seen cotton actually growing. That's really cool. There are some pictures on the previous page from when it first emerged. Not too hopeful on it this year because its still so small.
Haha! I think you should do the Samiam cotton thread next year. You can do bi-weekly updates on the progress of the cotton.
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Posted: 7/13/2015 12:42:49 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Haha! I think you should do the Samiam cotton thread next year. You can do bi-weekly updates on the progress of the cotton. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Nice setup. Thanks! Quoted: Quoted: Fence is done. Gate is done. It is level though it doesn't look it in the photo. Garden is on a slight hill sloping toward the camera. Both movable bean trellis are done. They're 2x4 frame with fence wire stretched across the front. I tried to make them as large as possible and didn't think to measure how the wire fence would lay on them. So I had to do two rows of wire fence with a small gap between and a gap at the bottom. Panels are connected with gate hinges. Each trellis is heavy but still movable for rotating the beds. If you notice the small green things in the bed second to the left, that is some cotton I transplanted. Other seeds will be planted in a couple weeks. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0156_zpsgghdnaqu.jpg Did you plant the cotton just for the fun of it? I've never seen cotton actually growing. That's really cool. There are some pictures on the previous page from when it first emerged. Not too hopeful on it this year because its still so small.Haha! I think you should do the Samiam cotton thread next year. You can do bi-weekly updates on the progress of the cotton. Next spring I am thinking about planting a whole mess of peanuts. I've never planted them before and it'll be interesting to watch them grow. |
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Posted: 7/13/2015 3:38:50 PM EDT
[#35]
# Beer nuts next fall @ Samiam's
That's a nice looking garden setup that you've built! On the other hand, your dogs look like they are nuts and looking for trouble  How old are they?
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Posted: 7/13/2015 3:46:05 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: # Beer nuts next fall @ Samiam's That's a nice looking garden setup that you've built! On the other hand, your dogs look like they are nuts and looking for trouble How old are they?One in the back is ~ 3 and one in the front is ~5. Front is seldom in pictures because he likes following me around and the one in the back is nicknamed Houdini because he can escape from anywhere. Even the grooming harness at PetSmart The dog in the picture from yesterday is a friend's that I'm watching while he's on vacation. They never bite each other, they just rub their teeth on one another while horse-playing. Weird but whatever. |
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Posted: 7/14/2015 1:42:30 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks! http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0087_zpszletmoqs.jpg One in the back is ~ 3 and one in the front is ~5. Front is seldom in pictures because he likes following me around and the one in the back is nicknamed Houdini because he can escape from anywhere. Even the grooming harness at PetSmart
The dog in the picture from yesterday is a friend's that I'm watching while he's on vacation. They never bite each other, they just rub their teeth on one another while horse-playing. Weird but whatever. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
# Beer nuts next fall @ Samiam's
That's a nice looking garden setup that you've built! On the other hand, your dogs look like they are nuts and looking for trouble How old are they?http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0087_zpszletmoqs.jpg One in the back is ~ 3 and one in the front is ~5. Front is seldom in pictures because he likes following me around and the one in the back is nicknamed Houdini because he can escape from anywhere. Even the grooming harness at PetSmart
The dog in the picture from yesterday is a friend's that I'm watching while he's on vacation. They never bite each other, they just rub their teeth on one another while horse-playing. Weird but whatever. Yeah...not so different from guys who are mixing it up at the gym or sparring in the yard, right? They're just horsing around.
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Posted: 7/14/2015 8:16:11 AM EDT
[#38]
Might as well know what that big pile of dirt had in it.
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Posted: 7/15/2015 8:08:05 PM EDT
[#39]
Still a great thread Sam - thanks
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Posted: 7/15/2015 9:49:18 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Might as well know what that big pile of dirt had in it. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0157_zpsdnrqhz09.jpg Yes, that is a very good idea. |
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Posted: 7/25/2015 9:38:36 PM EDT
[#41]
Soil test is still not back.
First seeds are planed though. So I went to grab some donuts this morning and the lady at the local shop asked how everything was going. I told her I was going to plant my first seeds soon. She told me if I waited I could get some of her "special stock." I was hesitant. Since everyone loves donuts, here's an obligatory picture of her glazed goodness.  When she came back she gave me a small baggie with some stuff in it. She said they were donut seeds. I balked. We argued. Everyone in line got frazzled. She told me to plant then 4-8 inches apart and 1/2-1 inch deep. 7-14 days they will germinate and 60 days to harvest. Yeah, no. But I guess its worth a shot. So here we go.  And here's a supervisor making sure I plant everything right.  So, in 7-14 days I expect this post will still be satire. Cotton is still kicking but really late. Don't expect much from it. Beans are planted too. I'll update on types and such later. |
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Posted: 7/25/2015 10:40:00 PM EDT
[#42]
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Posted: 7/26/2015 1:02:18 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Those look like Cheerios. So I will lift a glass to your donut shop lady and you should tell her that she is famous now.
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Posted: 7/28/2015 6:40:41 PM EDT
[#44]
Cotton is first. Just had a bad wind storm. But its getting much more stalky like it should.
 Beans are next. Front right is Fortex, back right is Marvel of Venice, Front middle row is Toyha, and back left is Sugar Snap Peas. Toyha is a bush so I tried to offset it as much as possible. Also put it where it would get the most sun possible without having a trelised bean on top. Most of the close ups are Marvel of Venice with the last picture being Toyha.     |
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Posted: 7/29/2015 12:39:43 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Might as well know what that big pile of dirt had in it. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0157_zpsdnrqhz09.jpg Sam is your soil test back yet? Just wondering how it turned out. Kitties |
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Posted: 7/29/2015 6:00:14 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Sam is your soil test back yet? Just wondering how it turned out. Kitties Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Might as well know what that big pile of dirt had in it. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0157_zpsdnrqhz09.jpg Sam is your soil test back yet? Just wondering how it turned out. Kitties |
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Posted: 7/29/2015 8:17:29 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I called and asked. They said normally test comes back same day I am notified that they received the sample, but mine contained more than 50% organic matter so they have to run some saturated something-or-another test on it. I lost track of the guy midway through explanation. Science and chemistry is over my head. But he said I should have the results by the end of the week. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Might as well know what that big pile of dirt had in it. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0157_zpsdnrqhz09.jpg Sam is your soil test back yet? Just wondering how it turned out. Kitties More than 50 percent organic matter is a very, very good thing, depending on what's in that OM. ;0) I'll tell you a little story. When I was a little girl, I followed my grandmother around the garden. She had the ultimate green thumb. (I personally believe she was part faerie, but just sayin. ).
Anyway, when it came to starting out new flowers or plants, she'd think about it a while and say, "we need ta go ta the woods an git us a few buckits o' good rich dirt." What this meant was that we walked to the woods behind her house, buckets and a hoe in hand, found an old rotted stump, and started digging around it. We'd shove the old rotted wood aside and go for the part soil/mostly organic matter underneath that stump. The stuff that had rotted into ALMOST nonexistence. Then we'd scoop it into buckets with our hands and we'd haul those back to her house, where we'd dig up the dirt for whatever we were going to plant, dump in the "good rich dirt" (which was not really dirt at all) and plant the stuff. And it grew and flourished. Because that stuff she put in the hole that she called "good rich dirt" was really composted organic matter. It was compost, done up right by mother nature. (As a disclaimer, I don't recommend this method now, because there are so few woodlands left, and we need to leave those alone as much as possible and let them do their thing, the way God intended. We know enough now to create that same benefit all on our own, without digging up the woods. And we need the woods for other stuff.) Anyway, she didn't know what to call it, and she didn't understand WHY it worked. But she sure knew how to use it. So on 50 percent organic matter.
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Posted: 7/29/2015 9:13:17 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: More than 50 percent organic matter is a very, very good thing, depending on what's in that OM. ;0) I'll tell you a little story. When I was a little girl, I followed my grandmother around the garden. She had the ultimate green thumb. (I personally believe she was part faerie, but just sayin. ). Anyway, when it came to starting out new flowers or plants, she'd think about it a while and say, "we need ta go ta the woods an git us a few buckits o' good rich dirt." What this meant was that we walked to the woods behind her house, buckets and a hoe in hand, found an old rotted stump, and started digging around it. We'd shove the old rotted wood aside and go for the part soil/mostly organic matter underneath that stump. The stuff that had rotted into ALMOST nonexistence. Then we'd scoop it into buckets with our hands and we'd haul those back to her house, where we'd dig up the dirt for whatever we were going to plant, dump in the "good rich dirt" (which was not really dirt at all) and plant the stuff. And it grew and flourished. Because that stuff she put in the hole that she called "good rich dirt" was really composted organic matter. It was compost, done up right by mother nature. (As a disclaimer, I don't recommend this method now, because there are so few woodlands left, and we need to leave those alone as much as possible and let them do their thing, the way God intended. We know enough now to create that same benefit all on our own, without digging up the woods. And we need the woods for other stuff.) Anyway, she didn't know what to call it, and she didn't understand WHY it worked. But she sure knew how to use it. So on 50 percent organic matter.Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Might as well know what that big pile of dirt had in it. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll23/samiamgarden/IMG_0157_zpsdnrqhz09.jpg Sam is your soil test back yet? Just wondering how it turned out. Kitties More than 50 percent organic matter is a very, very good thing, depending on what's in that OM. ;0) I'll tell you a little story. When I was a little girl, I followed my grandmother around the garden. She had the ultimate green thumb. (I personally believe she was part faerie, but just sayin. ). Anyway, when it came to starting out new flowers or plants, she'd think about it a while and say, "we need ta go ta the woods an git us a few buckits o' good rich dirt." What this meant was that we walked to the woods behind her house, buckets and a hoe in hand, found an old rotted stump, and started digging around it. We'd shove the old rotted wood aside and go for the part soil/mostly organic matter underneath that stump. The stuff that had rotted into ALMOST nonexistence. Then we'd scoop it into buckets with our hands and we'd haul those back to her house, where we'd dig up the dirt for whatever we were going to plant, dump in the "good rich dirt" (which was not really dirt at all) and plant the stuff. And it grew and flourished. Because that stuff she put in the hole that she called "good rich dirt" was really composted organic matter. It was compost, done up right by mother nature. (As a disclaimer, I don't recommend this method now, because there are so few woodlands left, and we need to leave those alone as much as possible and let them do their thing, the way God intended. We know enough now to create that same benefit all on our own, without digging up the woods. And we need the woods for other stuff.) Anyway, she didn't know what to call it, and she didn't understand WHY it worked. But she sure knew how to use it. So on 50 percent organic matter.I was just happy they hadn't reported me to the EPA for having a toxic waste site or something |
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Posted: 7/30/2015 6:46:47 PM EDT
[#49]
ph - 6.98
Electrical Conductance - 8.7 Nitrate-Nitrogen - 71ppm Phosphorus - 24ppm Potassium - 2072 ppm Magnesium - 79 ppm Calcium - 568ppm Sodium - 423ppm Recommendation - no lime, leach salts or dillute the soil. |
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Posted: 8/1/2015 11:35:43 AM EDT
[#50]
Here's the transplant wagon. Paizano tomatoes, Cucumbers, peppers, basil, dill, and the first round of carrots. I pull the wagon in when the temps get crazy hot. Two cups for each transplant. Inner cup is cut down the side with the bottom removed. Saw it in a youtube video and made sense. We'll see how well it works
 Cotton - two are stagnant, two have taken off.  Beans  |
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