Posted: 6/9/2016 9:07:01 AM EDT
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I like seeing how others garden as well as getting feedback on my own.
Please take a moment to post a few pictures of your own gardening projects - big or small! My spring project was to make a small 10x20 row garden - first time I've done something outside of a raised bed or deer food plot. The spot chosen is preciously flat ground - rare here - and where I had overwintered some of my chicken tractors the year prior, so Nitrogen levels should be pretty high. We had a very wet spring - and I have very dense clay soils - so chances to work it properly were limited. First step was to break the ground with my tractor and box blade's scarifiers and clear out the rocks: 
Then work it with my new tiller. Also worked in several yards of compost and "clay breaker" ammendments: 
Given that it rained (a lot) nearly every day, I was faced with either giving up for the year (or at least the spring planting season) or risking poor soil texture. I opted to press on - the results of which of course are lots of clay balls: 
To mitigate the texture issue as much as possible, I hilled into wide rows (runs north-south) and topdressed each row with compost to make for a good seed bed. 
Between the rows is fairly hot, barely composted bedding from my brooder boxes. Figured it would dillute/weaken as the nutrients wash in and the wood pulp helps support when I'm walking between the rows. I'll be heavily composting this bed after this season and should have the clay much improved in a few years. Ended up with 9 rows. The north end of each row has a planting of Mammoth sunflower. The rows east to west are: 1 - sweet corn from ears I saved from last year - forgot the variety but they did great for me last year 2 - G90 sweet corn 3 - bush beans blue lake 274 4 - Several varieties of eggplant (hansel, orient express, long) 5 - a few tomatoes (had extra seedlings - may cull them and replant something else) 6 - Sugar snap peas 7 - Broccoli with icicle radish in between 8 - mixed carrots 9 - pumpkin and watermelon Since I had a few more watermelon and pumpkin seedlings - and space - I'm trying them in an "instant" raised bed/hill next to row 9. I took two bags of garden soil, cut the back side out and set that side down, then planted on the front side through a slit. Near zero effort or cost, so not much lost if it duds. 
My youngest brought home some bean seedlings of unknown variety on the last day of school. They were tiny things they germinated on a paper towel in a ziplock bag. She didn't want them wasted, so I threw together a "kratky method" hydroponic bucket for them and they took off! Look like a bush variety and they are already flowering - so she may get a few beans from them after all! 
Next are the raised beds I put in a few years ago. Looking north: 
Looking south: 
The two closest narrow beds (2x8')with the trellis arch are planted with pole beans, cucumbers and gourds to fill the arch. The remaining bed space has various radish and carrot plantings. One bed also had some strawberries and the other chamomile. 
The three 4x8 beds are a mix of tomato, peppers, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, carrots, various greens, garlic, etc. 
The grapes on the trellis are in their 2nd year and really taking off with lots of clusters. 
Beyond that is a row of blackberry (2nd year): 
Then a mound hay bedding (sheep) with 2 plantings each of squash and zucchini. The hay was to be composted, but never was moved to the pile or turned. The squash are volunteers from last years garden from where a few squash were tossed on the hay pile and decomposed. I have a soft spot for volunteers, so I kept them and the pile and planted the zucchinis. The rogue tomato there is also a volunteer. 
This will become another 4x8 raised bed - was an unframed patch of potato last year: 
On the far north end is my fledgling attempt at tall spindle apples. Cedar rust here is a major issue and I've not yet gotten a spray regime and my poor production reflects that. I plan to take it more seriously next year as well as look into more resistant root stock: 
Lastly - I moved nearly all of my greens production into an indoor, LED powered, "Kratky method" setup - and couldn't be happier. Near zero effort aside from replanting every 30 days or so and little energy used. Best of all, no pests and I can finally grow all the varieties we enjoy that usually fall to the flea beetles and other bugs here. 
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Excellent!
Mine is much more modest, but here's what I have going on this year. Everything in containers in anticipation of a summer/fall move. Habaneros, Jalapenos, bell peppers, cukes, crookneck squash, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and okra. Just started some peas and beans as well. 
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Quoted:
You really want my pictures of bare dirt? I just planted a week and a half ago! I do have wheat, corn, peas, beans JUST popping up! This is kind of a dirty crowd, so don't be shy. 
That said, before and after pictures are great. I know a few folks have there own dedicated threads - I thought a general one for the rest of us to share a few pics would be fun. |
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Quoted: This is kind of a dirty crowd, so don't be shy. That said, before and after pictures are great. I know a few folks have there own dedicated threads - I thought a general one for the rest of us to share a few pics would be fun. Quoted: Quoted: You really want my pictures of bare dirt? I just planted a week and a half ago! I do have wheat, corn, peas, beans JUST popping up! This is kind of a dirty crowd, so don't be shy. That said, before and after pictures are great. I know a few folks have there own dedicated threads - I thought a general one for the rest of us to share a few pics would be fun. I'll see what I can do. |
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My little raised garden behind the house. I have a couple of tomato plants in containers as well. I get the wood frames from work, we get our grade 100 lifting chain delivered on pallets with the wood frames stacked up, plenty of free beds!
Cantaloupes, Peppers & Jalapeno, 2 types of Lettuce, Broccoli, Swiss Chard, Corn, Green Beans and Cucumbers. 
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Quoted:
Here is my entry. This was when I got it expanded a few weeks ago. Last week I finally got everything planted. I will take some pics tomorrow http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j477/jpmako19/Mobile%20Uploads/3A784C34-8D06-4F62-A19B-1F8E371BDAE0_zps99jwpx2y.jpg Nice plot and Kubota. Wish I had that much flat land. I'm on 25 acres and all of it rolling. If I drove my L3800 around with the FEL up like that I'd be tipped in no time! |
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Quoted:
My little raised garden behind the house. I have a couple of tomato plants in containers as well. I get the wood frames from work, we get our grade 100 lifting chain delivered on pallets with the wood frames stacked up, plenty of free beds! Cantaloupes, Peppers & Jalapeno, 2 types of Lettuce, Broccoli, Swiss Chard, Corn, Green Beans and Cucumbers. http://i.imgur.com/C3HPMxa.jpg Nice - Making the most of a small space! |
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OK, I'll play. Here is what is planted so far. I'm afraid a LOT may get cover crop if I can't get in soon here, or I may just do a bunch of dry beans or something. Been tough finding time, plus it has been storming every other day for the last month. I can barely keep it weeded. My gardens are spread all over (life on a hill), so its kind of hard to follow if you are trying to make a map in your head. Most of the gardens are long and narrow. I did weed the garden after I took these pics  Anyway:  I have (probably over-ambitious) plans for this year...  I wasn't going to do corn, but then I did. Popcorn and sweet corn in this little patch  Peas and green beans. I need to go back and re-seed. Very low germination rates (seeds planted every 2 inches)  Drastically cut back on potatoes this year. Literally could not give enough away from last year, and we try not to eat too many.  Giving a northern adapted peanut variety a shot. Hopefully we have a warm fall to make it work  Small patch of wheat. For educational purposes so my son can see what it takes to put a slice of bread on the table. Spring wheat.  The bee hive  My son found a patch of wild black raspberry in the grove the other day  More stuff with low germination rates. Carrots in the background completely washed out. Needs to get cultivated and re-planted. Note to self: never plant carrots there again. Both times I tried, we get a spring storm that dumps 4" rain in 5 hours and ruins the carrots. Just happens to be the best soil I have for carrots  ETA: Those flags on either side of the garden are 4 feet apart. I use cattle panels to trellis everything. That is all I have gotten planted so far this year. I may just do a bunch of clover/buckwheat cover crop for the rest if I cannot get everything planted by the end of this weekend. |
I started most of mine in the greenhouse again.
I had a new plot this year, more sand. 
Lots and lots of rain this year. 
Then one day we started picking and it hasn't stopped. 
I finally bought a bigger canner, but I still cant keep up with it. Gave a bunch away, used a bunch as goat feed. 
First batch of salsa. 
This is just what I picked last night and that doesn't count the peppers. Cayenne peppers are finally coming in. 
Just been a really busy year. I put soaker hoses in my garden, I've ran them only twice, looks like I'll need to run them regularly starting this week. I fertilized once and the freaking cucumbers went crazy! We might get a few more weeks out of the garden, but it's getting to be too hot to do much outside. Freaking hogs were trying to get in the garden, but the electric fence kept them out. We built a hog trap, nothing so far, but now that it's hot, we may not see them again till October. |
