2021 garden season

[southpaw]

Sounds better then the mountain clay I got lol. Got a lot of leaves and wood dirt mixed in for this year. Last year got a truck load of peat moss. It's looking better this year. But well see how she produces.

A couple winters ago the utility company had a crew cutting limbs along their distribution lines and they had good sized truck with chipper & box , I asked the guys if they would like a place to dump at end of day and invited them to my place right down the road .

Believe it was 60 total yards they dumped that week and I just spread it out with the plow on my ATV , the following year I grew some nice sugar babies through that stuff.........my place use to be a dairy farm so the soil is plenty fertile to begin with and the mulch is mostly intended for weed control but is a great soil builder also.

Nice simple and free way to get mulch , in the summer I'll take a 2 yard trailer with sides that I built from an old boat trailer and go to the local burn site where they accept all yard waste ........there are several mounds of wood chips , leaves , grass clippings and black dirt there also free for taking, I usually take 2 yard load of heavily composted grass clippings & wood chips to put in the gardens .

Always people dumping and people loading up like myself for their gardens , there should be such sites right in your area to take advantage of .

 

[sean donato]

A couple winters ago the utility company had a crew cutting limbs along their distribution lines and they had good sized truck with chipper & box , I asked the guys if they would like a place to dump at end of day and invited them to my place right down the road .

Believe it was 60 total yards they dumped that week and I just spread it out with the plow on my ATV , the following year I grew some nice sugar babies through that stuff.........my place use to be a dairy farm so the soil is plenty fertile to begin with and the mulch is mostly intended for weed control but is a great soil builder also.

Nice simple and free way to get mulch , in the summer I'll take a 2 yard trailer with sides that I built from an old boat trailer and go to the local burn site where they accept all yard waste ........there are several mounds of wood chips , leaves , grass clippings and black dirt there also free for taking, I usually take 2 yard load of heavily composted grass clippings & wood chips to put in the gardens .

Always people dumping and people loading up like myself for their gardens , there should be such sites right in your area to take advantage of .

My township doesnt offer anything like that. Yet. We dont have the population density for it. Yet.... more people moving in every day. When I lived in north lebanon we did the same. I did offer the tree guys a place to dump, but was told I was too late for this trimming lol. Guess on of the neighbors beat me to it lol. It has greatly improved in the garden area, and I think this years wood waste will help out bug time. Just gonna run the bigger pieces through my little chopper a few times to break them down a bit more. We also started a compost pile, so once that starts breaking down well have that as well.

 

[sonny580]

We compost most anything that rots here ---makes for some real killer dirt after about 2 years, so we have at least 2 piles going at the same time.
The horse manure we get dont have much hay in it so what few seeds in it are killed in the compost cycle. I have one 3-year old pile that we use for potting soil --- I still stir it when I am on the skidloaders , keeps weeds from growing in it. Right now it just looks like black dirt and plants love it. also start seeds with it in trays or pots and put a bunch in our hotbed by the house to start more plants out there later on for the maincrop. --- house started plants are for the earlier crop.

 

[sean donato]

We compost most anything that rots here ---makes for some real killer dirt after about 2 years, so we have at least 2 piles going at the same time.
The horse manure we get dont have much hay in it so what few seeds in it are killed in the compost cycle. I have one 3-year old pile that we use for potting soil --- I still stir it when I am on the skidloaders , keeps weeds from growing in it. Right now it just looks like black dirt and plants love it. also start seeds with it in trays or pots and put a bunch in our hotbed by the house to start more plants out there later on for the maincrop. --- house started plants are for the earlier crop.

There was a guy selling his horse manure, but I just couldnt see paying for it. May have to stop by and see if we can come to some sort of arrangement. Our compost pile isnt even wheel Barrow worthy yet lol.

 

[farmer steve]

There was a guy selling his horse manure, but I just couldnt see paying for it. May have to stop by and see if we can come to some sort of arrangement. Our compost pile isnt even wheel Barrow worthy yet lol.

I have a barn full of sheep manure Sean. Your not that awful far from me. I haven't been able to haul to the field's because of the mud. It's been sitting in the barn for 2 years. I can load with the tractor. My thing with horse manure us the possibility of herbicide carryover. Some horse a hay farmers use it to kill the weeds because some horse people are picky about their hay. I don't think it is a widespread problem but know some other produce farmers that had problems.

 

[sean donato]

I have a barn full of sheep manure Sean. Your not that awful far from me. I haven't been able to haul to the field's because of the mud. It's been sitting in the barn for 2 years. I can load with the tractor. My thing with horse manure us the possibility of herbicide carryover. Some horse a hay farmers use it to kill the weeds because some horse people are picky about their hay. I don't think it is a widespread problem but know some other produce farmers that had problems.

May take you up on that. I'm gonna stop off this weekend and talk to the horse guy down the street and see what's up. I'll keep you in mind, thanks!

 

[southpaw]

Sounds like you have pretty good handle on how to get compost materials and your are correct you should not have to be paying for it, most are generous and like being good neighbors helping one another out .

I'll give away lot's of produce thru the summer and never ask for money , usually I am rewarded later with firewood , venison , fish and other things that good people like to share with their neighbors ......gardening is a wonderful social event and it attracts some of the best people you can find.

 

[sonny580]

The neighbor and I have been taking his skidloader and big dump truck around here within 15 miles of us and picking up their **** for free--- they dont even have to get their tractor out of the shed.
We give away most all of our produce here except for the small amount we process for us to last a year or two.
Onions and sweetcorn are freeze-dried and will keep for many years IF stored in cool dry dark place.
Most of our produce goes to a church food bank where they pass it out to neighborhood needy and elderly folks who cant garden anymore.
Friends on facebook come get a fair amount and usually come christmas time they show up with something to let us know they remember the goodies. A couple guys deer hunt and make some great burger, and they bring us some along with other meats. --- GOTTA love friends! lol!

Manure and all compost fixins should be free---IF you dont take them--they most likely will have to pay to have the stuff hauled away!
One lady 13 miles form here wanted to sell her horse and donkey manure and later had to pay somebody to haul it away because of the way she treated the guys about it. --- several years ago she gave me a few loads then said that was all there was---big pile left on the other side of the barn, and her excuse was that it was seasoned 5- year old stuff and she had it sold but had to get rid of the fresher stuff in front so she could get into the old stuff to load it out! --- by the way she was a redhead with freckles , and had a live in!! IF that means anything!! LOL!

 

[farmer steve]

I know it's the 2021 Garden thread but, I had to clean up the 2020 garden. We are supposed to go down to the single digits tonight and these little guys weren't going to make it so I figured I'd better pick them.

 

[AKTrailDog]

I know it's the 2021 Garden thread but, I had to clean up the 2020 garden. We are supposed to go down to the single digits tonight and these little guys weren't going to make it so I figured I'd better pick them.
View attachment 885574

Picking fresh veggies on Jan, rough!

They look delicious!

 

[sonny580]

sprouts are good! ---- tried growing them here but season is too short! --- They claim the cold brings out the flavor in them too, so you should have some great eating there! lol!

 

[AKTrailDog]

In the last two weeks, we just started getting sunshine back in the house (up to 2hrs now, ha). Greenhouse is getting a bit and the raised beds are too. Broke the threshold of 5 min gain of sunshine a day last week. Spring will be here soon, in 3 months or so. Gotta re-panel the greenhouse this spring and fence in the raised beds. Add it to the list of things to get done! Never ends

Starting to think of setting up indoor grow room.

And if you're wondering, yes those are Christmas ornaments/figurines still up. Wife is swedish, they looooooove Christmas!!! Ha

 

[sonny580]

We used to leave our artificial tree on year round for nightlight in the bedroom! --- made just the right amount of light. Have the tree in a cabinet 4 x 2 x 2 feet with a door on the front. tree stays decorated, just close the door when not in use and the clock sits on top of the cabinet ---- double use! lol!
I still LOVE the pictures of Alaska! Been wanting to visit there since 1964 when I got out of high school, but it will never happen!
Great picture in the window!

 

[AKTrailDog]

We used to leave our artificial tree on year round for nightlight in the bedroom! --- made just the right amount of light. Have the tree in a cabinet 4 x 2 x 2 feet with a door on the front. tree stays decorated, just close the door when not in use and the clock sits on top of the cabinet ---- double use! lol!
I still LOVE the pictures of Alaska! Been wanting to visit there since 1964 when I got out of high school, but it will never happen!
Great picture in the window!

Thanks, got the stained glass for my wife this past fall.
'64 would've been a heck of a year to come up here pre/post earthquake.
Why won't the trip ever happen?

 

[sonny580]

Cant afford it! Low income and a lot of bills keep us broke! --- its still a dream for us!
Ya, the 64 earthquake was a bad one from the pics and from Tom,--my buddy from Kodiac. He sent me pix of it and the flooding that he took while it was going on. He lived thru it and still lives there!

 

[AKTrailDog]

Cant afford it! Low income and a lot of bills keep us broke! --- its still a dream for us!
Ya, the 64 earthquake was a bad one from the pics and from Tom,--my buddy from Kodiac. He sent me pix of it and the flooding that he took while it was going on. He lived thru it and still lives there!

Crazy, can't imagine what it would be been like with an earthquake that big. I've been thru a couple 7+ and that's fun, haha.
Well, keep the dream alive! Never know what the future holds. I believe everyone should at least see this place once. It'll put things into perspective on a lot of levels.

 

[farmer steve]

sprouts are good! ---- tried growing them here but season is too short! --- They claim the cold brings out the flavor in them too, so you should have some great eating there! lol!

Those were planted around July 10? If you can start plants and have them in the ground around July 1 you should be able to grow some. Find a 100 day variety. They will stand temps down in the low 20's.and keep growing. You can force them by pinching out the tops after the sprouts form.

 

[sonny580]

We like to have cabbage, cauliflower, broc., etc. in the ground by May 1 or sooner if possible. some years that dont happen.
Our onion plants will come in the week of March 23 and if the ground is not froze we plant them right then. In the last 10 years we have always been able to get them in within a few days after arrival. I have planted cabbage plants at that time and put gallon jugs over them til frost danger is at a min.
We have had golden acre cabbage heads ready to use by June 24, but gotta push them! Lotta fertilizer, water, and compost for them usually does the trick.
Several varieties we plant have different days til maturity giving a steady supply over longer periods of time. We stagger plant sweet corn and green beans too. Gets more use from the crops when you can control the time they are ready and also gives more time to process the crops. IF one planting dont make for some reason the one before or after might, so it works for us that way.

 

[muddstopper]

This year is going to be a whole new gardening experience. Last year, I moved into my new home in March. I had a lot of things to do and didnt have time to do more than throw in a few plants in the one large raised bed that was already here. My onions rotted in the grown and where replanted 3 times. I never got a decent mess of green onions. My taters didnt return the seed they where planted with. My cukes did so so and squash and zucchini produced a little, but blooms would fall off and not set fruit. Peanut beans did excellent and produced all summer, which is way more pickings than is usual for this type of bean. At my old home, I had years of composting, and soil building I had done to turn waste fill dirt into a garden soil. I hauled out tons of boulders, rocks, gravel out of the garden and replaced with wood mulch compost, horse manure, grass clippings, etc. I could grow football size taters, and baseball size onions I dont have the area to build another full size garden on at my new place. I could remove some trees but the area I would gain isnt worth the effort and the final results would still be steep. This year I plan on doing container gardening. buckets of plants placed around the sides of the porches, along the driveway, beside my shop. I will use horse manure to fill the bottom of the containers and top off with store bought potting soil. For tall growing plants like corn, okra, and inground stuff like potatoes I will be planting at my sons place. I intend to use biochar in my containers and each year after the growing season I will dump the container soil into my large raised bed. I wont be producing tons of veggies, but I should grow enough to keep me fed.

 

[AKTrailDog]

I intend to use biochar in my containers

Sounds like you have a plan at least! I'm curious to what contents you have for your bio char. Haven't heard many folks talk about on here. You buying it? Making it? I've been experimenting the last year with making it with what I have on my property, we'll see how it goes in the test plot. Been practicing Hugelkultur in some other areas.
Was in a similar situation last year, first full year in a new house and property. Didn't even try to have a garden bc I wanted to do it right and figure out what I have. There were raised beds, greenhouse etc but didn't have any idea what the soil content was.