Let's see those '10 gardens

[shilala]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

Big STEAMING pile!
I stick a piece of rebar in it and stir it every day and it steams from inside. Adding chicken and kitchen compost to it this weekend. Next year I will top dress the boxes with more about a month before planting. I don't want a repeat of this year even if the weather is bad again.

Don't put no meat in there, broham.
That's the only thing you don't want. Newspaper is good for compost, too. That'll get that potassium up, as well. They say India Ink has good stuff in it for the garden, I don't remember what. I don't even know if they still use it for newsprint, either. It's still good stuff though.
You can turn that pile into your garden asap.
Warning though:
Horsepoop has TONS of weed seed in it. Try to keep it at least three inches deep if you can, and don't till. The worms will come up and till it.
If you cover the beds with black plastic from this seasons end till planting time, the worms will get lots of extra time to work that stuff.
You should also know that plants grow in the top six inches of soil, so you can add that to your strategy.
I can't remember how deep your beds are from the pics, but it'd be a good idea to poke a hole in the center of the black plastic if you decide to use it.
I'd go with landscape material like DeWitt Sunbelt and be done for good. Same stuff that's on my garden. It holds weeds out and keeps heat in. It's a bit expensive, but lasts forever.
When I plant my plants, every other year I use a 1:5 mixture of hydrated SAP and composted cow poop and throw a handful in each hole. That keeps water and food to the plants all years long.
I actually cheat and don't hydrate the SAP. I know an ounce makes a gallon of hydrated SAP, so I just calculate it against the amount of cow poop I'm using.

100% fresh stall sweepings. It steams during the day. It is so hot it's cooking the weed seeds. Too hot to hold your hand in. If it were drier it would smolder.
Maybe this weekend I will turn the chicken beddings before it cools down.
I use cheap weedblock from the garden supply. The same as under the pea gravel.

[ucla695]

The only thing I have in my garden is a Serrano chili plant. The squirrels eat everything so it has a body guard.



Here's a closer view of the chili, but the cam is focused on gnomey cheese.

[shilala]

I have a picture of Lisa's garden basket. I told her that we generally use our shirt or a five gallon bucket to carry vegetables, but she thought this thing would be cute. It is.

[rack04]

Originally Posted by shilala

I have a picture of Lisa's garden basket. I told her that we generally use our shirt or a five gallon bucket to carry vegetables, but she thought this thing would be cute. It is.

I think she's right.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by rack04

I think she's right.

She's always right, Justin. It's her rule. It's working out GREAT!!!

[ucla695]

Originally Posted by shilala

I have a picture of Lisa's garden basket. I told her that we generally use our shirt or a five gallon bucket to carry vegetables, but she thought this thing would be cute. It is.

Wow....great looking haul!!

From G00gle's spyplane a couple of years ago.


The hill slopes down towards the bottom (south). The garden was the green lines on the right.

[Chainsaw13]

Finally broke down the rest of my garden this morning. I hadn't touched these plants in probably a couple of months, but as you can see by the yield, they liked the cooler weather. Now what to do with all of the peppers?

I still have onions and celery that are not finished yet, but otherwise I should be getting ready to prepare next years garden soon. If the organic amendments don't work I am going to waste no time and go to regular chemical fertilizer, which are mostly just naturally occurring salts. I am not going to put up with another unproductive garden.

[shilala]

I pulled up my landscape fabric and that garden is a memory. I'll be fighting really awful soil with you next year, Lance. I'll fix it with composted cowpoop and SAP thrown right in the holes with the plants. Lots of Miracle Grow along the way, too.

[shilala]

I just cleaned a Jack be Little pumpkin out a couple days ago so I could save the seeds. It got pushed around and carried around for months till it ended up on top of the fridge where it got lost.
Lisa pointed it out to me last week and I set it down where I'd see Orval I'd remember to clean it. The seeds are just about dry enough to put away now.

My Park Seed catalog showed up a few days ago. All my seeds are lost right now, so I'll probably just order all my seeds for this year unless I get finished moving and unpacking and find my seed boxes.
I don't usually get stoked about garden season this early, but I'm already getting itchy.

[Chainsaw13]

Tell me more about this Park Seed catalog. Do they sell heriloom varieties? I'm going to expand my garden next year and want to plant a larger variety of plants. I'm thinking corn, squash, carrots, maybe some potatoes. Not sure what yet, but I'm already thinking of next year.

I did get my garlic in the ground back in early November. Should have around 20 heads this time around. Not sure of the variety, it was something my sister gave me.

[wayner123]

Park seeds has a nice selection. They have all varieties of heirloom and hybrids. But if you want strictly heirlooms, check out Baker's Creek seeds. For my hybrids I'd go with johnnyseeds.

New '11 thread started:
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...15#post1203315