The Garden Thread

[peejman]

1 hour ago, E4 No More said:

Let me preface to say that I am not an avid gardener. The only thing I've successfully grown was strawberries in a raised garden bed so that they didn't spread. I built a 10' x 5' raised bed and dumped a crap-ton of raised bed soil into it. We have the usual suspects to plant. I love corn on the cob and got some ambrosia sweet corn to plant. Since the news is saying that there will be large food shortages in the US, I'm now thinking that I need to go bigger for our stables: potatoes and corn. My land is an old corn field, but I've had no luck in growing a lot of things on it. My biggest challenge is that with two back surgeries and robust girth I cannot weed - particularly a large garden.

Any suggestions on how to keep the weeds out without getting down on the ground would be appreciated.

If you've a small garden, just get corn from the local farmer's market and use the space for other stuff.   Corn severely depletes the soil and takes lots of amendments to grow well, which could be why your field isn't especially fertile. 

As for weeding..... get a good hoe, keep it sharp, and plan to use it 2-4x weekly.

I agree that a 5 gal bucket is a bit small for tomatoes. I tried that with some extra seedlings a few years ago and couldn't keep them alive to the point of ripe fruit. They'll need attention almost every day. 

 

[Jamie Jackson]

@E4 No More

 

If we're talking raised beds, as I am a suburbanite, that is what I use. The best thing about raised beds (actually 2 things) is/are that weeds are almost a nonentity and beds can be constructed tall enough to make it easy on the back for tending.

If we're talking planting a corn field I'll just stay in my lane and leave that to folks like  @gregintenn 

With an unknown future having a productive garden adds a little piece of mind.

We're around 14 years using raised beds and we always have plenty to freeze, can and share.

 

Good luck to you Sir.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Jamie Jackson

[gregintenn]

I keep the garden clean with a tractor and one row cultivator and a gooseneck hoe. It takes some effort and time. You can buy sweet corn at the farmer's market or Mennonite stand cheaper and easier than raising it. That doesn't make my wife as happy as seeing me sweating my azz off hoeing rocks in our garden, however.

[gregintenn]

Wifey found canning lids at the local Dollar General yesterday. First we’ve seen in a while.

[peejman]

I emptied my compost bin on my beds and turned them today. I'll till them in a couple weeks. 

My wife has lots of seedlings going. She transferred a bunch of peppers and tomatoes from the seed starter to solo cups today as well. 

[gregintenn]

I sewed a pack of cilantro in the garden last year. The deer loved it! I got a little tub I’m going to try and grow some spices in this year.

[10-Ring]

15 hours ago, gregintenn said:

I sewed a pack of cilantro in the garden last year. The deer loved it! I got a little tub I’m going to try and grow some spices in this year.

I've found that cilantro does much better indoors.  

[Quavodus]

I'm wondering if the weather will get right to plant or set anything out. Weather is all over the place. 

[Jamie Jackson]

It's been crazy. 

I've got onions,  Swiss Chard,  beets and spinach coming up.

But I'm afraid to plant anything else yet. 

Want to,  just waiting for better weather. 

[peejman]

 

[peejman]

 

Farmer's almanac has the last frost around the 19th. 

[gregintenn]

The weather’s pretty nice today…..somewhere.

[Quavodus]

It rained all morning at the house but, starting clearing up around Noon. We've not set out anything much yet. Planted some taters and onions . Got a few onions coming up. 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Quavodus

[Jackalope]

Our garlic is growing really well, better than last year, so far.  I planted kale, lettuce, romaine and spinach yesterday.  Planning on planting potatoes later this week.  I'll wait until at least the end of the month for everything else, unless it's going to be planted in the greenhouse.

[gregintenn]

I got my garden in the ground this morning, except for the pepper and tomato plants. I get them from my neighbor who has a greenhouse and he hasn’t said they are ready yet.

[peejman]

I need to get my garden tilled so we can plant the seedlings she's grown. I'm having some trouble coming up with a tiller.  Apparently it's a popular item at the rental places this week. 

[TennesseeCamper]

Saw the ground and plants moving right in front of me today. I couldn’t believe it. 
It was in one of the small raised beds I just started.

i took a rake and scraped the dirt where it was happening. It stopped but I didn’t find anything. 
 

Later this afternoon I saw it again. Ground moving a tomato plant shaking. I stuck a small stick in the ground it stopped. Saw nothing a small earth worm came to the surface. 
 

What is happening? Is it moles? Is my dirt possessed? 

[gregintenn]

2 hours ago, TennesseeCamper said:

Saw the ground and plants moving right in front of me today. I couldn’t believe it. 
It was in one of the small raised beds I just started.

i took a rake and scraped the dirt where it was happening. It stopped but I didn’t find anything. 
 

Later this afternoon I saw it again. Ground moving a tomato plant shaking. I stuck a small stick in the ground it stopped. Saw nothing a small earth worm came to the surface. 
 

What is happening? Is it moles? Is my dirt possessed? 

A lizard has dug himself living quarters in the pot where I planted herbs. Maybe that’s it?

[TennesseeCamper]

55 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

A lizard has dug himself living quarters in the pot where I planted herbs. Maybe that’s it?

I don’t know, it happened twice on two different sides of the frame.  I have seen moles moving under the yard before but they make a trail. 
This was just strange. 

[Ronald_55]

4 hours ago, TennesseeCamper said:

Saw the ground and plants moving right in front of me today. I couldn’t believe it. 
It was in one of the small raised beds I just started.

i took a rake and scraped the dirt where it was happening. It stopped but I didn’t find anything. 
 

Later this afternoon I saw it again. Ground moving a tomato plant shaking. I stuck a small stick in the ground it stopped. Saw nothing a small earth worm came to the surface. 
 

What is happening? Is it moles? Is my dirt possessed? 

Pull out the holy water and crucifixes...

 

How deep is the bed? Does it have anything between it and the actual ground? We have gophers (or something similar) here. They usually make a trail too, but maybe not if below the bed level in the ground. I have seen some people put small opening wire between the bed and the ground to prevent access from below. I wondered if a few inch thick layer of packed gravel would work too. 

Good luck. If the plants start speaking latin to you..... call a professional. 

[Wingshooter]

5 hours ago, TennesseeCamper said:

Saw the ground and plants moving right in front of me today. I couldn’t believe it. 
It was in one of the small raised beds I just started.

i took a rake and scraped the dirt where it was happening. It stopped but I didn’t find anything. 
 

Later this afternoon I saw it again. Ground moving a tomato plant shaking. I stuck a small stick in the ground it stopped. Saw nothing a small earth worm came to the surface. 
 

What is happening? Is it moles? Is my dirt possessed? 

Do we have Mole Crickets in TN? I’ve seen those things come out of the ground around plants in FL before   I think they feed on plant roots, earthworms, etc.

They creep me out. Even google images of those things are hard to look at.

 

https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/mole-crickets/

Edited May 4, 2022 by Wingshooter

[gregintenn]

7 hours ago, Wingshooter said:

Do we have Mole Crickets in TN? I’ve seen those things come out of the ground around plants in FL before   I think they feed on plant roots, earthworms, etc.

They creep me out. Even google images of those things are hard to look at.

 

https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/mole-crickets/

I've never seen one of those. That's creepy!

[RED333]

15 hours ago, Wingshooter said:

Do we have Mole Crickets in TN? I’ve seen those things come out of the ground around plants in FL before   I think they feed on plant roots, earthworms, etc.

They creep me out. Even google images of those things are hard to look at.

 

https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/mole-crickets/

Used to live in South Florida south of Miami. We would catch him and see who could hold her legs together the longest with our fingers. Now we were young kids 5, 7, 9 years old and it was tough to hold their front legs together.

[TennesseeCamper]

17 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

Pull out the holy water and crucifixes...

 

How deep is the bed? Does it have anything between it and the actual ground? We have gophers (or something similar) here. They usually make a trail too, but maybe not if below the bed level in the ground. I have seen some people put small opening wire between the bed and the ground to prevent access from below. I wondered if a few inch thick layer of packed gravel would work too. 

Good luck. If the plants start speaking latin to you..... call a professional. 

The bed is about a foot deep. No voices yet. 
I did remember something today. 
A couple weeks ago, after fishing I dumped a few left over night crawlers in that bed. 
Maybe it was them. 
No activity today

Edited May 4, 2022 by TennesseeCamper

[TennesseeCamper]

Delete duplicate post

Edited May 4, 2022 by TennesseeCamper