Time to start working on the garden

[mommato3boys]

I have tried container gardening here but it just is not working. We have only been in this house for about 3 years and our focus at first was getting it livable. It was a HUD foreclosure so it needed some TLC and lots of elbow grease. This summer we got the chicken coop in and now have 8 chickens. We are getting about 6 eggs a day. Hopefully the other two will start laying soon.

 

This fall I will start working on raised beds in the backyard. I am going for U-shaped beds. and hope to get 3 or 4 put in. I also hope to squeeze in a green house. We have such a short growing season that I really can't plant anything til late May without working about snow and freezing weather.

 

This spring I hope to be able to afford fruit shrubs like blueberries, blackberries and plums. I have a couple of trees that need to come down and I want to replace them with dwarf fruit trees. 

 

I have my garden notebook printed off and put together. I did that last week. Now I just need to start planning on what I want to grow. Wish we were further south so that we had a longer growing season. It is already starting to cool off here and I am no where near ready to plant cool weather crops. 

[Ambergris]

What kind of fruit?

[mommato3boys]

Probably pear, and apple. Maybe peach. I am going to have to see what will survive here. It maybe a pipe dream but well I really would like to have a couple of producing fruit trees.

[Mt_Rider]

On 9/2/2017 at 6:31 PM, mommato3boys said:

I have tried container gardening here but it just is not working.

 

 

Container gardening in the arid west is probably a no-go.  Unless you want to be right on it ...supplying moisture.  It COULD be done..... 

 

The same problem for straw bales gardening ....and we tried hay bales just because that would hold moisture better.  In our area that year, the drought was bad that year and the hay/staw just acted like a million WICKS ...drawing moisture out into the arid air. 

 

 

Same with using peat pots ......that's a real good WICK.....giving up the plant's moisture to the air especially if you leave the top rim of the peat pot exposed to the moisture-grabbing air.  When peat pots are too dry, they are also way too hardened.  No way the roots can ever break thru the bottom to extend into the soil.  Peat pots are NASTY THINGS when gardening in arid conditions!!! 

 

The only containers I'l like to try would be the clay pots and keep them in a bit of water to keep the actual unglazed pot moist.   IF one forgets and allows the unglazed clay pot to dry out....it also becomes a WICK. 

 

We've done the method of burying soda bottles into the ground next to plants.  Bottom half punctured with small holes...very small.  Fill bottles with water and REPLACE THE CAP.   That will seep slowly......"time-release water".   

 

Ask the long-timers from the area....

 

MtRider .....good luck.  Adapting to whatever climate/conditions one has is the ultimate challenge to growing things. 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2017 by Mt_Rider

[Homesteader]

We're not much for hot peppers, but I decided to dry a canning jar-full of them. I'm so thankful I used the gloves. I just threw them away when I was done.    My turnips have been huge this year, but nothing compared to the rutabaga. I thought my potatoes were large until I sat a rutabaga next to them. I set a quarter on top of it to help gauge its size.  The one rutabaga was mixed with a bunch of veggies and browned stewing meat and left to simmer in the crockpot all day. We made 4 meals out of the garden produce.   

 

Because we live in sand in Wisconsin, i cover all the wide rows with leaves and grass. Then I use drip irrigation to keep the veggies alive.  I'm not sure if I'll till in the Autumn leaves or just keep adding them to the surface. I've heard many times that soil micro-organisms are disrupted too much when tilling. I may stick with the deep compost method and let the worms grab the leaves/grass and change the soil structure themselves over the next 20 years. 

[Jeepers]

That-a rutabaga is a one-a big-a root-a.  

Said in my best Italian accent.

 

Smart wearing gloves. The first time I did hot peppers I didn't wear any. I didn't know I was supposed to. I was in pain for days. Bad pain that nothing would help.

[Dee]

It all looks beautiful Homey. 

 

I did the same Jeepers.  For days, like you said, they burned and hurt so badly.  I learned a big lesson.

[Jeepers]

Yep. Some of my best lessons are learned the hard way.

[dogmom4]

On 9/25/2017 at 11:05 AM, Dee said:

It all looks beautiful Homey. 

 

I did the same Jeepers.  For days, like you said, they burned and hurt so badly.  I learned a big lesson.

I did that and rubbed my eye. Never did that again....

[Ambergris]

I wiped.  It doesn't wipe off.

[Mt_Rider]

{shudder}  Sheeesh, ladies.  Give me the creeps to THINK of that hot stuff in my eyes...or hands.   I can't even tolerate HOT spice in my mouth.

 

MtRider ...hopefully someone reading will learn BEFORE they experience! 

[Annarchy]

We got Hatch green chilies, that were supposed to be for pepper spray. OMG!!!!  My fingers got blisters and poor DH threw the food away , and the neighbor lady had 2nd degree burns on her fingers. Yikes!

[Ambergris]

DS1 and I just finished planting another half dozen 7-gallon bags of early yellow potatoes, one bag of red new potatoes, a couple of tapioca cuttings (experimental here at the edge of their range) and a bucket of water chestnuts.   I have killed two crops of water chestnuts previously, so but fresh ones taste so good.  

 

The weather is absolutely gorgeous.  While my back is really talking to me, DS1 and I agreed we feel a lot less incompetent than we have for a while lately.

[Littlesister]

I had the mop tops cut down in the front yard flower beds. Not much in there right now. So thinking of expanding that for herbs. I already have rosemary growing in one section. So want to add to that on the one side. Basil, and others. That I can handle on my own. Going to change the way the main garden in back yard is done through both raised beds and learn how to do a no till method of gardening. Just wanting the weather to hurry up and warm up enough to get out there and get it going. Still to early to plant but want to have it all ready to go. 

Those older post have some great ideas. I like them.