Jump to content

2018 thread of gardening like a boss


Walden Ponderer

Recommended Posts

How do you walk around in there?  Do you have a path between rows?
Yes, they are planted in rows with good spacing in between. Have tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, strawberries, green beans, snap peas and okra. Once everything gets really established it will be easier to not accidentally step on something and supports for maters and cucumbers will be going up shortly.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

a3e581fab3c19543da9d4836dac6d2e8.jpg1e3083d2e9f0d7ff3953bd3164b368c1.jpg

 

Like I said. Our first attempt at gardening. We are in Portland Oregon. Planted is some carrots, lots of leafy shit. Kale and lettuce and cauliflower and broccoli. Asparagus( does it really take three years before that can produce?) onion, beets and some herbs.

 

Carrots said to mend soil with lime? Is that something y’all have done? We haven’t tested soil here but there were tons of volunteers that came up last year in the form of tomatoes and squash.

 

Tomatoes are in the green house seeded.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a3e581fab3c19543da9d4836dac6d2e8.jpg1e3083d2e9f0d7ff3953bd3164b368c1.jpg
 
Like I said. Our first attempt at gardening. We are in Portland Oregon. Planted is some carrots, lots of leafy shit. Kale and lettuce and cauliflower and broccoli. Asparagus( does it really take three years before that can produce?) onion, beets and some herbs.
 
Carrots said to mend soil with lime? Is that something y’all have done? We haven’t tested soil here but there were tons of volunteers that came up last year in the form of tomatoes and squash.
 
Tomatoes are in the green house seeded.
 
 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If you have an acidic soil it helps. It's the opposite end of the pH scale in many parts of Texas. We have to add sulfur instead or lots of compost. Compost helps bring it to neutral range from either end. Most stuff likes it from 6.5-7.5.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/25/2018 at 1:35 PM, cactusflinthead said:

Cayenne, banana, tiny Thai, and jalapeño in the dirt today. Sugar snap peas are coming along. 

The wife wanted to plant a blueberry so I am going to give it a try. It will probably hate our dirt and give up the ghost in July but wth, might as well give it a shot. 

Why don't you put it in a pot? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/29/2018 at 9:21 AM, Walden Ponderer said:

I love skunks. Fun fact: roughly 20% of the population lacks the olfactory sensations that make skunk odor unpleasant. We lucky few actually kind of enjoy the smell. It's a similar deal to why some people hate cilantro.

I got skunked once going back to the house from my Papaw's man cave. The tamato bad that ensued made me want to throw up more than the skunk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/1/2018 at 4:45 PM, Mother mopar said:

I tried this last yr out here in So Cal and didn't have the greatest of luck. The buckets continually dried out and the fruit wasn't near as big...obviously due to water issues.

 

e1f5b7aad45715b74c01af12c71087b0.jpg
 

 

For the last 2 years, I've had toms in self-watering containers. Nothing more than one bucket stacked inside another, with room in between to hold a water reservoir . You don't have to water them constantly, which is nice. And when you do, just fill it up until it runs out the overflow. Even in the heat of the summer here, where I would have had to water a conventional planter twice a day, I was only watering every 2-3 days, sometimes 4-5 days.

Making them is simple, and cheap as well.

 

Supplies needed:

  • 2 - 5gal plastic buckets
  • 1 - 5gal plastic lid
  • 2ft of 2" PVC
  • 3ft of 1" PVC
  • 6" of 1/2" PVC (or clear flex tubing)
  • 1 quart plastic container (Like this...)
  • 1 old t-shirt/rag of good size
  • big bag potting mix
  • bone meal, blood meal, calcium

 

Tools:

  • Drill w/ 1/8", 1/2", and 1" bits
  • jig saw or heavy sheers
  • miter box/saw
  • pencil/pen/sharpie

 

PVC Pipe Prep:

  • Cut the 2" PVC into 8" lengths. (3 pieces)
  • Cut a 45* angle in one end of the 1" PVC, then clip the very end to make it flat instead of a sharp point.
  • Drill 4 to 6 1/2" holes in each of the 3 8" PVC lengths.

Bucket 1 Prep:

  • Turn the bucket upside down. Take the plastic container and turn it upside down on the bottom of the bucket, and trace its circumference.
  • Cut out the hole, staying just inside the line (so it won't fall through.)
  • Drill a lot of 1/8" holes in the side and bottom of the plastic container, with a 1" hole in the center of the bottom.
  • Drill a lot of 1/8" holes in the bottom of the bucket. Start about 1" from the edge of the middle cut out, and work to within 1/2" of the edge in a row. About 5 or 6 rows (kind of a star pattern) will do. Place the hole about 1"-1.5" apart.
  • Drill a 1" hole in the bottom, about 1/2"-1" from the edge.
  • Cut about a 4"-6" circle in the center of the bucket lid.

Bucket 2 Prep:

  • Place one of the 8" pieces in the other bucket at the side. mark the top of the pipe on the side of the bucket.
  • Drill a 1/2" hole about 1/4" below the mark on the side of the bucket.

Assembly:

  • Stand the 3 8" PVC pipes inside Bucket 2. Spread out about 1" from the edge.
  • Place the 6" length of 1/2" PVC/tubing 1/4 to 1/2 way into the hole in the side. (This is the overflow.)
  • Place Bucket 1 into Bucket 2, so it rests on the PVC Pipes.
  • Take the length of 1" PVC, and place the 45* end into the 1" hole in Bucket 1, and push down until it contacts the bottom of Bucket 2.
  • Take the t-shirt/rag and stuff one end into the 1" hole in the middle of the plastic container. Ensuring there is at least 10" of the material hanging below the container.
  • Place the container in the center hole of Bucket 1.

 

Adding soil:

  • Gently scoop out some soil and place it in the center plastic container. Leave as much of the rag sticking up in the center, and gently pack soil around it.
  • Once the plastic container is full, gently water with a light hose/watering can. Pack gently, add more soil. Wet, repeat. Do this until the plastic container is settled and full.
  • Now fill Bucket 1 about 1/3 of the way with soil. Wet it, and fill back to 1/3. Rinse repeat until soil is settled at the 1/3 mark.
  • Add some bone and blood meal (not a ton, maybe 1/8 cup of each, give or take, spread across the top of the soil), as well as calcium. For the calcium, I just crush up a bunch of generic calcium chew tablets.
  • Fill soil to the 2/3 mark. Wet, add, wet, add dance again, until it's stable at 2/3 full. Add another dose of bone/blood/calcium.
  • Fill soil to about 1" from the top. Do the wet/add dance, and add more bone/blood/calcium.

 

Planting:

  • Slowly fill contraption through the 1" pipe sticking out the top until water runs from the overflow pipe in the side. Wait about a minute, and top it off.
  • Add your tomato plant in the center.
  • Mulch around the plant, and put the plastic lid on.

 

 

Additional options:

1) You could add a funnel (or a pvc drain bowl that would act as a funnt) at the top of the 1" section to make for easier filling.

2) You could use a plastic bag with a hole in the center instead of the plastic lid. (or both, even)

3) You could use sand as the mulch on top of the soil instead of other alternatives. Sand being a big deterrent to a lot of bad insects.

4) You can drill holes in the lid as needed to add a support cage.

 

 

The end result is you end up with an 8" deep water reservoir, that you fill through the 1" pipe as needed. You can't over fill it, and if it rains the soil will drain into the bottom. If it rains too much, it ends up out the overflow. (With the plastic cover, it isn't near the problem.) Although if you add a funnel type deal at the top of the fill pipe, when it rains it can help fill it up, saving you a little work. Speaking of which, the 1" pipe may seem a little tall, but you don't have to bend down quite so far to water it.

The goal is to keep the soil evenly moist, and it only retains the water it needs. It's all about balance.

 

These work excellent for tomatoes, but you could also get creative with other plantings as well. You effectively have about 1sqft to play with in terms of planting space, if you follow the SFG stuff.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/27/2018 at 9:12 PM, cactusflinthead said:

If you have a patio with sun you can have tomatoes and peppers. 5 gallon bucket redneck tech.

I've had good luck planting squash in an old beat up wheelbarrow. This year I decided to try a couple of poblano plants.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I come back to Texas, ill ask for one if you don't mind sharing. I've always wanted my own. Oh, I was taking if they were the ones south of the border. 

Pss.. I always liked the story of how the Christians taught the native about Christ using the petals and seals.

Edited by workswithseed
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/13/2018 at 7:00 PM, workswithseed said:

When I come back to Texas, ill ask for one if you don't mind sharing. I've always wanted my own. Oh, I was taking if they were the ones south of the border. 

Pss.. I always liked the story of how the Christians taught the native about Christ using the petals and seals.

I'm always happy to share. Those, blackberries, and muscadine grapes are the three things I give away the most of. Along with amaranth seed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well mother tucker. Frost last night wiped out everything, including items I just planted yesterday. I hadn't looked at the weather forecast but knew that warmer weather was moving in. Didn't know about the frost warning last night or I would have thrown on a cover. Can't catch a break this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Walden Ponderer said:

Anybody grow Mexican plums? I'm curious about them, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

my neighbor has one that hangs over my fence.  Pretty blooms but I hate the branches and fruit.  The excess fruit contributes to rodents and Plum Curculio and other pests that attack my peaches. 

Edited by TexasEd
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, TexasEd said:

Also if we're doing plant swaps I can offer up 

  • Dewberry
  • Mexican Buckeye seeds
  • Eve's Necklace seeds
  • Mountain Laurel saplings
  • Chili Petin

I have a bunch of German iris that I have to thin out this year, solid canary yellow. Will have some hollyhock seeds later this season. 

I don't spray passionflower. It's not necessary and since it's a host plant for frittilaries that would be especially rude. The only flower spraying I have had to do this year at the house so far was a protective fungicide on the roses. They caught a bad case of shot hole fungus last year. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/17/2018 at 11:36 PM, Bone3421 said:

I have my corn breaking ground in garden....think the cold last week in north texas might have ruined the rest

I only planted enough corn to be decorative. It's about knee high right now, in just one row, surrounded by sunflowers.  Probably enough to get one good meal out of, if we have guests over. Two meals if it's just the family. I'm debating how much I should water it, actually, given that it's not going to be yielding much. But what the hell, it's corn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I only planted enough corn to be decorative. It's about knee high right now, in just one row, surrounded by sunflowers.  Probably enough to get one good meal out of, if we have guests over. Two meals if it's just the family. I'm debating how much I should water it, actually, given that it's not going to be yielding much. But what the hell, it's corn.
You'll be lucky to get corn with a single row planting. They rely on rows and wind to pollinate.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Both Tacos said:
11 hours ago, Walden Ponderer said:
I only planted enough corn to be decorative. It's about knee high right now, in just one row, surrounded by sunflowers.  Probably enough to get one good meal out of, if we have guests over. Two meals if it's just the family. I'm debating how much I should water it, actually, given that it's not going to be yielding much. But what the hell, it's corn.

You'll be lucky to get corn with a single row planting. They rely on rows and wind to pollinate.

I don't remember where I saw it, but there is a method of planting corn in circles for smaller plots. Same three sisters of squash, beans, and corn, but in sort of a circle in knots rather than lines. I did a plot like it one year and it made ok. Mostly it is having them available for the pollen in the wind. Better odds in a sort of circular shape than lines. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Both Tacos said:
22 hours ago, Walden Ponderer said:
I only planted enough corn to be decorative. It's about knee high right now, in just one row, surrounded by sunflowers.  Probably enough to get one good meal out of, if we have guests over. Two meals if it's just the family. I'm debating how much I should water it, actually, given that it's not going to be yielding much. But what the hell, it's corn.

You'll be lucky to get corn with a single row planting. They rely on rows and wind to pollinate.

I have had success in this particular wind alley before. I ain't skeered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of corn, I finally got around to bringing in some premium soil for the garden outside of the fence. This is going to be for corn and melons.
I've got the soil prepped and straw put down. Ran out of energy and sun to get things planted. See what the rain brings tomorrow to see when I will get the plants in the soil. a2fd7522a48f765acc38fbfc8162609d.jpgc529a9948ffeeb29fc56858e1ee85f8c.jpgdaad628a1e275b1e552d0dbe0836e115.jpg098b9e6542d7d3bda636c2c71b63c98c.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Badass.  It must be nice to have some good sunny areas like that, as well as decent soils (and not rock 2" below the surface).
Soil is all black clay. Had to bring in 1 1/2 yards of Covington's Premium bedding soil that has scale in it to help break it down, plus added cow manure. Going to side dress the corn with blood meal for more nitrogen. Figure that after a few seasons, I'll get the soil the way it needs to be. Going to try and use the Back to Eden method.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got six 4x4 box gardens in my yard. Doing well aside from neighborhood cats suddenly shitting in them at night. Recs, aside from shooting said cats, to keep them out? I don't really want to cage around them.

Just let them shit. Not going to hurt, other than you possibly stepping in a fresh pile.  

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Deej said:

I've got six 4x4 box gardens in my yard. Doing well aside from neighborhood cats suddenly shitting in them at night. Recs, aside from shooting said cats, to keep them out? I don't really want to cage around them.

Something sticky on the top of the boxes. Pine tar, something like that. Cats hate that shit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...