official veggie gardener's thread

[spidey07]

Awesome! You've got your own litte baddie munching army!

 

[meltdown75]

i did a boatload of work yesterday out back... finished modifying my deck and laid purchased / cut / laid out my 2 x 12s for my new raised bed... i have a lot more work to do before planting but i had a very productive day.

let me see if i can do a before / after........

wow I don't have a pic of what the lower level of my deck looked like before 0_0

anyhoo... this is what I am working with now:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/meltdown75/IMG00086-20100515-1941.jpg

I have a lot of "fine-tuning" to do.... i'm by no means done!!

here's another angle

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/meltdown75/IMG00087-20100516-0839.jpg

the lower level of my deck used to stretch all the way to where the 2x12s stop... and those annoying spindles enclosed basically the whole thing. now i like it more because it "spills" into the back yard... the design before was very poor, i don't think it took advantage of the yard... it was also too big and seldomly used. why not make better use of the space?

as you can see the raised bed is very rough at this point. once i get everything leveled and done, and restain everything, it is going to look awesome. look forward to some great "after" pics once everything is done and planted. still a ton of work left!

 

[DrPizza]

i did a boatload of work yesterday out back... finished modifying my deck and laid purchased / cut / laid out my 2 x 12s for my new raised bed... i have a lot more work to do before planting but i had a very productive day.

let me see if i can do a before / after........

wow I don't have a pic of what the lower level of my deck looked like before 0_0

anyhoo... this is what I am working with now:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/meltdown75/IMG00086-20100515-1941.jpg

I have a lot of "fine-tuning" to do.... i'm by no means done!!

Level that thing so it matches the deck! 15 more minutes til it's not too early to start running the tractor. Hopefully I have time to plow up the garden & strawberry patch today.

 

[meltdown75]

Level that thing so it matches the deck! 15 more minutes til it's not too early to start running the tractor. Hopefully I have time to plow up the garden & strawberry patch today.

i know, that's my first job i'm going to pound in some 2 x 2s at the corners and level it off and get it where i want it... it's kind of floating out in limbo right now

 

[meltdown75]

Boomer, what did you use for your mixture again? Peat moss, sand and compost?

My raised bed is ~83 square feet. I need 10" of stuff in there. So basically I need a yard of each?

Also, should I bother with a weed barrier? I don't want to be pulling weeds out of this thing all summer long any more than I have to.

HALP

edit: oh, i'm filling it to within 2" of completely full. so, 10" deep.

so by my calculations, i need (83 x 0.83) = 68 cubic feet of mix? i suck at math, don't laugh

 

[BoomerD]

Boomer, what did you use for your mixture again? Peat moss, sand and compost?

My raised bed is ~83 square feet. I need 10" of stuff in there. So basically I need a yard of each?

Also, should I bother with a weed barrier? I don't want to be pulling weeds out of this thing all summer long any more than I have to.

HALP

edit: oh, i'm filling it to within 2" of completely full. so, 10" deep.

so by my calculations, i need (83 x 0.83) = 68 cubic feet of mix? i suck at math, don't laugh

No peat in my mixture, although I probably should have added some for the blueberries.

We have a good sandy loam here, and I amended it with some compost mix from one of the local "rock & sand" stores, then added some humus and fine bark for organics and to increase drainage. (native soil is pretty fine.) This fall, I'll probably till in some more compost)

I've been slacking and haven't got my weed cloth and mulch on the tomato beds...yet. They're turning into weed patches. I'll probably get that done this next weekend.

 

[meltdown75]

i was gonna lay my "Weed cloth" at the base of the bed. is this fail? also i wasn't going to work up the ground beneath if i laid weed cloth on it. once the tomato roots his the weed cloth, they'll just go sideways, right? is this ok?

my old "bed" was just some cedar planks and topsoil. it was only like 6" deep and the tomatoes grew like wildfire. but i'm really tryin to get this new one perfect.

 

[BoomerD]

Putting the weedcloth UNDER the bed might help stop some weeds from growing up into the bed, but won't do a thing to stop wind-blown weed seeds from landing and germinating in the bed.

 

[meltdown75]

yes. absolutely. ok thanks man. it rained tonight so i didn't get anything done except cooking my brother and i dinner... lol... tomorrow i have hockey so hopefully it is nice on Wednesday.

 

[spidey07]

Drainage is your biggest concern. I wouldn't want a wed bed blocker in water. 6-8" of gravel and then 2-2.5 feet of soil. Veggies want well drained soil. That's where the sand and peat come in.

 

[meltdown75]

Drainage is your biggest concern. I wouldn't want a wed bed blocker in water. 6-8" of gravel and then 2-2.5 feet of soil. Veggies want well drained soil. That's where the sand and peat come in.

0_0

ok plan # 2 would be to work up the existing clay-based hard as all getout soil and just dump my new mixture on top of it... :hmm:

i should probably google this but i need a reference thread and it's fun

 

[spidey07]

0_0

ok plan # 2 would be to work up the existing clay-based hard as all getout soil and just dump my new mixture on top of it... :hmm:

i should probably google this but i need a reference thread and it's fun

Yeah, just work the soil and till some sand and peat into it. I've got clay and it's a bear. The sand/peat really helps.

Or just dig it up about a foot deep, add your gravel and then your soil/soil mix and the walls around it. You don't have to do all that but the results will show.

 

[meltdown75]

Yeah, just work the soil and till some sand and peat into it. I've got clay and it's a bear. The sand/peat really helps.

Or just dig it up about a foot deep, add your gravel and then your soil/soil mix and the walls around it. You don't have to do all that but the results will show.

this is very interesting. :hmm: thanks

 

[BoomerD]

Here ya go melty...

http://www.google.com/search?source...S336&q=how+to+amend+soil+for+vegetable+garden

There are good ways to amend your soil and there are not-so-good ways.

Might as well do it right.

(which way is right for you will of course, depend on your starting soil.)

 

[meltdown75]

this is an excellent link and even describes a similar hard clay base.

http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=88

:thumbsup:

 

[spidey07]

this is an excellent link and even describes a similar hard clay base.

http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=88

:thumbsup:

I'll second it depends on your area. But clay soil is a bitch. I would HIGHLY recommend tilling it properly with amendments as mentioned.

If you want to garden with clay soil, YOU WILL buy a tiller. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when. By next year you will know why you will buy a tiller.

 

[BoomerD]

I'll second it depends on your area. But clay soil is a bitch. I would HIGHLY recommend tilling it properly with amendments as mentioned.

If you want to garden with clay soil, YOU WILL buy a tiller. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when. By next year you will know why you will buy a tiller.

Gypsum is excellent for helping to break down clay soil.

As for the tiller, shop carefully. Many people buy much larger than they'll ever need.
When we bought our house, I knew I didn't need a large rototiller for a small yard like this, so I bought a Mantis. 11 years later, I've worn that thing out, (need new tines and another replacement carb.) I found an electric Mantis on Craigslist for about 1/2 the price of a new one...only this thing is near-new. Old lady, used it about 5 times.) I've only had the electric one out a couple of times for light duty, but so far, it's done everything I've asked it to do...and no mixing gas. (I do have to watch the power cord though...I almost got it last time. )

If all you need a tiller for is raised beds, the Mantis tillers will be more than enough. If you plan to turn your whole yard into a garden...buy a full-sized Troy-Bilt.

 

[spidey07]

Boomer, agreed. But clay is a bitch. Once you till it up the mantis works very well. Clay sucks.

 

[nerp]

I never fought with clay. I just dig down a few feet and fill with compost and use raised beds above. After a few years and regular tilling and spreading of compost all around, you'll have good soil.

 

[meltdown75]

I'm an old farm boy, I'll manage. There's no way I'm buying a tiller to work up 83 square feet of soil. At the very extreme, I'll rent or borrow one... but I'm sure I will make due with my spade and some elbow grease.

If only the weather would cooperate... it's rained 2 days straight now and I'm just hoping by Friday that it's dried out enough to work with.

 

[BoomerD]

I harvested most of the first batch of radishes this morning.

about 3 dozen total...half "french breakfast radishes," half "red globe radishes."

My grandkids showed up this afternoon after school and ate most of them...:|

About half of each short row is still in the ground...I'm hoping they'll get bigger over the next week or so.

Either later today or tomorrow, I'm going to sow the seeds for the next crop. This time, it'll be "watermelon radishes" and "icicle radishes," and maybe some more of the "french breakfast" variety.

 

[eplebnista]

Well my okra plants that I bought from a local nursery(was only labeled on the flat, no small ID tag in the soil) have flowered and look to be some type of bush-type squash.

Been having doubts for a while because they have huge roundish leaves and are growing out, not up. Only grew okra once before and it was a different variety(cajun delight) than I was trying this year(clemson spineless). All of the local plant stores are now out of okra transplants, so it looks like store bought okra again this year.

(BTW, I have no desire to try and sprout seeds, so I only do transplants.)

 

[gaidensensei]

Nice work from reading some of the responses in here.

I've a question for some of you dudes. Do you guys use fertilizer of some sorts?
Read in the newspaper - quick summary it said some of the stuff they sell at home depot / Lowes contain traces of undesirable metals, and stuff like arsenic or chromium, was wowed at reading that article.

So if you use some kind of soil additive, what do you use or trust?

Should I just bury some dog and kitty poops in the soil?

 

[spidey07]

Nice work from reading some of the responses in here.

I've a question for some of you dudes. Do you guys use fertilizer of some sorts?
Read in the newspaper - quick summary it said some of the stuff they sell at home depot / Lowes contain traces of undesirable metals, and stuff like arsenic or chromium, was wowed at reading that article.

So if you use some kind of soil additive, what do you use or trust?

Should I just bury some dog and kitty poops in the soil?

I always use 10-10-10 fertilizer. Mix it in with the soil and I'll reapply about every month. You shouldn't have to pay more than 20 bucks for a 30 pound bag. Osmocote is a ripoff. And you can get fertilizer even cheaper in bulk from a landscape/gardening shop, a real one where they cater to gardeners.

-edit-
Oh, and some dolomitic lime. It's got CA, MG, etc that plants need and it doesn't adjust the pH too much.

 

[BoomerD]

Everything I plant gets a handful of bonemeal in the soil, then an appropriate fertilizer. I don't usually worry about "organic," and instead, use a good quality fertilizer...most often, chock full of nasty minerals and chemicals.

Do some fertilizer products contain undesirable elements? Probably.

Do I worry needlessly about it? Nope.

I use "granular" types of fertilizers periodically during the growing season and use "liquid mixed" fertilizers every two weeks. (I don't use Miracle Gro...I've killed almost everything that I've used MG on.)
My flowering plants get Shultz "Bloom Food" at least once per month; vegetables get either Bloom Food or another liquid "quick fertilizer" every two weeks.