The Garden Thread

[Raoul]

Weeds happen.
I hoe.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Wife read in the sunday supplement last year about using ordinary broke-down cardboard boxes as ground cover. Eventually rots, and the rain soaks down in holes in the cardboard where the desired plants are poking up. The cardboard slows evaporation, but there is enough ventilation to avoid growth of too much mold and fungus in the shaded ground, as one can get with plastic sheet ground cover.

 

Last summer she tried the cardboard in a corner of the back yard that is usually a jungle by the end of May and over yer head in weeds by the middle of summer, and it worked great.

[gunwhatgun]

Thanks for the ideas guys. Last year we got over run by grass.

[Guest USMC 2013]

Here are a couple pics of my suburban garden/livestock area.  I will have raised a total of 20 meat birds this year once these are harvested.  The garden, rabbits and broilers are helping keep the grocery budget a bit more reasonable.

 

Joe

 

[/URL]">http://[URL=http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/Joe_n_TN/media/growoutpen_zps42bfc375.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[/URL]">http://[URL=http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/Joe_n_TN/media/raisedbed_zps0951d460.jpg.html][/URL]

[whiskey]

I am doing a square foot garden this year. First try, got a buddy helping me.

This was taken last weekend. Everything is twice as tall now.

[thundersnow]

Nice looking plot Whiskey. I've got four of them now myself. Square foot is a simple system that doesn't require much maintenance. Fresh veggies are contagious!

[Jamie Jackson]

It's amazing how fast things can grow with a bit of warmth and a little rain. :pleased:

 

 

 

[center][b]May[/b][/center]

[center][URL=http://s783.photobucket.com/user/Prag03/media/Garden%202013/garden2013002_zps4e70b78c.jpg.html][/URL][/center]

 

[center][b]June[/b][/center]

[center][URL=http://s783.photobucket.com/user/Prag03/media/Garden%202013/garden2013014_zps8c83e2a7.jpg.html][/URL][/center]

 

 

 

The below cukes are from just this week....

[center][URL=http://s783.photobucket.com/user/Prag03/media/Pressure%20Canning%20Adventures/814cb637-eb5b-4474-8290-d428152898e3_zpsd86b8a9e.jpg.html][/URL][/center]

 

 

 

3 of those baskets total this week, and this is what happens...

 

[center][URL=http://s783.photobucket.com/user/Prag03/media/Pressure%20Canning%20Adventures/KosherDillPickles23June20132_zps591f6459.jpg.html][/URL][/center]

 

 

[center][URL=http://s783.photobucket.com/user/Prag03/media/Pressure%20Canning%20Adventures/KosherDillPickles23June20131_zpsf4dfc63a.jpg.html][/URL][/center]

 

25 quarts of Kosher Dill pickles.  Ummmm.... :clap:

 

 

I guess I'll make Bread & Butter pickles next week.

 

My bush beans are almost ready to pick...the pole beans are about a week behind them.

 

It just goes to show you, even in the suburbs, gardens can be productive..But beware...gardening is a gateway activity that can lead to canning.

 

:hat:

[gunwhatgun]

looks great!! We need to learn to can, and I would love to learn to make pickles.

[Jamie Jackson]

looks great!! We need to learn to can, and I would love to learn to make pickles.

 

 

Thank you gun.

 

Canning is really pretty straight forward. Like handloading, you learn the concepts and adhere to the guidelines.

 

These are Kosher Dills. I added dill we planted earlier (in May), garlic cloves, grape leaves (for crispness), and dill seed.

 

I would highly recommend [url=https://www.lehmans.com/p-514-ball-blue-book.aspx] The Ball Bluebook[/url], if anyone is interested.

Edited June 24, 2013 by prag

[Mark A]

Our new raised beds are doing well. I can tell that having good dirt is going to vastly increase our production.

We had some killer looking cabbage that caterpillars got a hold of and basically destroyed overnight. Waiting to see if they survive.

Canning is the bomb. It can be a lot of work sometimes but having good fresh no preservative food is worth it.

Mark

[peejman]

Good stuff.  I was late getting my garden planted this year.  Hope to start getting cucumbers and tomatoes in another week or two.  We've gotten a few green beans.  The snap peas were growing fine and just turned brown and died, I haven't a clue what happened. 

 

We've talked about getting into canning but it doesn't look like we'll have enough yield this year to bother.  We froze a bunch of tomatoes last year and they were great for salsa, spaghetti, etc. through the winter. 

[Jamie Jackson]

peejman;

 

I don't know what happened to the snap beans my friend. Our greatest nemesis has been the below:

 

 

 

 

Garden Eating Herd of Rabbits!

 

 

 

[url=http://s783.photobucket.com/user/Prag03/media/Garden%202013/garden2013008_zps6bcb2eb5.jpg.html][/URL]

 

 

Our solution?

 

 

chickenwire!

 

[center][url=http://s783.photobucket.com/user/Prag03/media/Garden%202013/garden2013005_zps90dc52a3.jpg.html][/url][/center]

 

 

Your production will kick up. Learning to waterbath and pressure can are great skills to have, and will save you money in the long run.

Somebody will have surplus, or there are occasionally good buys at farmer's markets. 

 

Come on, jump in Buddy. :pleased:

Edited June 24, 2013 by prag

[peejman]

 

Your production will kick up. Learning to waterbath and pressure can are great skills to have, and will save you money in the long run.

Somebody will have surplus, or there are occasionally good buys at farmer's markets. 

 

Come on, jump in Buddy. :pleased:

 

 

We used to can a lot when I was a kid.  Dad loved green tomato pickles and we had tons of them.  I think it wore me out on them because the only pickles I eat anymore are either sweet or spicy.  If/when I get back into it, I'll do the heating on the grill. 

 

Mostly I need more garden space.  I had planned to build at least one raised bed but spent more time/money than I expected building stairs and a walkway and just didn't get it done.  It'll be on the list next spring. 

[Jamie Jackson]

I love pickled green tomatoes...and pickled okra. But I can understand the burnout factor my friend.

 

And believe me, I also understand financial priorities. We build our raised bed one at a time. We have several...but could certainly use a few more.

 

Best of luck and success to you.

[gunwhatgun]

peejman;

 

I don't know what happened to the snap beans my friend. Our greatest nemesis has been the below:

 

 

 

 

Garden Eating Herd of Rabbits!

 

 

 

 

 

Our solution?

 

 

chickenwire!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your production will kick up. Learning to waterbath and pressure can are great skills to have, and will save you money in the long run.

Somebody will have surplus, or there are occasionally good buys at farmer's markets. 

 

Come on, jump in Buddy. :pleased:

Dude that is awesome! You planted rabbits! There is nothing better than rabbit stew fresh form the garden. :D

[Raoul]

Dude that is awesome! You planted rabbits! There is nothing better than rabbit stew fresh form the garden. :D

 

Shucking them is a pain though.

[Jamie Jackson]

A renewable protein source ain't a bad thing is it? Neither is a pellet gun. :pleased:

 

You just gotta let them get ripe Raoul. LOL.

[Dennis1209]

It's amazing how fast things can grow with a bit of warmth and a little rain. :pleased:

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

 

The below cukes are from just this week....

 

 

 

 

 

3 of those baskets total this week, and this is what happens...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 quarts of Kosher Dill pickles.  Ummmm.... :clap:

 

 

I guess I'll make Bread & Butter pickles next week.

 

My bush beans are almost ready to pick...the pole beans are about a week behind them.

 

It just goes to show you, even in the suburbs, gardens can be productive..But beware...gardening is a gateway activity that can lead to canning.

 

:hat:

 

 

 

Wow! I thought I had an excess of cucumbers! They are coming out my ears and they're just starting?

 

I made 14 pints of bread & butter pickles just an hour ago and didn't use 1/16 of the cucumbers I picked today. Going to do 14 pints of dill pickles tomorrow. A lot of work making pickles isn't it?

[TrickyNicky]

I don't know if anybody is interested at all but I usually garden hydroponically during the winter. This year I plan on doing a lot of fun stuff, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, of course tomatoes, peppers(Carolina Reapers anyone?) cucumbers, and probably some okra and greens as well.

If anyone is interested I will update here in the fall to show you guys how else to keep food on the table during the winter.

Plus I may, key word "may" be starting aquaponics either this fall or next spring if anyone is interested.

[Raoul]

I'm curious. I had a buddy into hydroponics once. A little different fruit though.

[Jamie Jackson]

LOL. I agree Dennis. Waterbath canning can steam up the kitchen...but it's well worth the effort.

 

We picked, and blanched 7 quarts of bush beans (from the two 4x4' beds) yesterday. Those went into the freezer for now. When we have about 15-20 quarts in there, I'll pressure can them. We use the freezer as a temporary storage device, allowing for volume and time.

Our pole beans a blooming out, and with last night's rain, should kick into gear pretty well.

 

I'm starting a 5 day stretch of 12 hour shifts at work...my routine...so this system works best for us.

 

 

 

 

TrickyNicky;

 

I would definitely be interested in a tutorial and explanation of your system when the time and situation works out for you.

I'll be looking forward to the fall. Thank you. :up:

Edited June 27, 2013 by prag

[peejman]

I don't know if anybody is interested at all but I usually garden hydroponically during the winter. This year I plan on doing a lot of fun stuff, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, of course tomatoes, peppers(Carolina Reapers anyone?) cucumbers, and probably some okra and greens as well.

If anyone is interested I will update here in the fall to show you guys how else to keep food on the table during the winter.

Plus I may, key word "may" be starting aquaponics either this fall or next spring if anyone is interested.

 

 

A coworker built a green house at his place.  He made us quite jealous eating fresh, home grown veggies all winter.

 

 

LOL. I agree Dennis. Waterbath canning can steam up the kitchen...but it's well worth the effort.

 

 

 

Use your grill or a turkey fryer to boil the water.  Works just as well and keeps the heat out of the house.  The AC works hard enough already...

[Jamie Jackson]

 

 

 

 

 

[i]"Use your grill or a turkey fryer to boil the water.  Works just as well and keeps the heat out of the house.  The AC works hard enough already..."[/i]

 

I think I'll follow your advice with my next batch my friend. :pleased:

Edited June 27, 2013 by prag

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Wife decided to small-scale test straw bale gardening. Only thing I've done is carry the bales, buy some sevin and fungicide, and look at the progress every once in awhile. We laid four bales leaning up against the tiny back yard chain link fence line. The ground starts tilting down a couple of feet before the fence line, then tilts further down for about three feet on the other side before dropping off about 8 feet of retaining wall with decades of erosion dirt forming a natural slope behind the retaining wall, so you can only see about 3 feet of the top of the wall. That natural angle of dirt on the back of the retaining wall hopefully keeps the wall in good strong shape.

 

So that little piece of yard against the fence line is useless for anything else. The only thing the strip of yard on the other side, in front of the retaining wall is good for, the hound likes to hunt little furry critters that live in holes in the ground and chinks in the retaining wall. He climbs and jumps great, nimble fella. When he finds a critter in a hole it is good for a whole day's entertainment for him.

 

Anyway, she planted maters and two kinds of squash, but it was a late start and will be awhile before we see any fruit though the plants seem to be doing OK. If it works out we can run hay bales down that whole fence line next time.

 

After she "cured" the straw bales a couple of weeks, she got me to take some scissor-type limb cutters and cut out planting holes in the bales, filled the holes with garden soil and planted her sprouts. Cutting some holes in the straw beats heck out of getting beat to death running a tiller. :) We can tie the tomato plants to the chain link fence for stakes once they get a little taller.

[thundersnow]

Lester, love to see some pictures of this once it gets settled in...