Post by Terri on Jun 4, 2006 15:42:16 GMT -5
IRRIGATION:
I am using a 200' weeping hose, and it is just too long. The far end does not have enough water pressure to force the water out of the sides of the hose so the plants on the second half are not getting what they need. I had woven the hose up and down the rows to water a large section of the garden all at once.
Since it is too long, I intend to cut the hose in half, and perhaps put a new end on the far half of the hose so that I will water each half separately.
THE GREENHOUSE:
The heat cable didn't help much. Perhaps the problem is lack of light? NEXT year I am going to try shining turkey brooding lights on the seeded areas for heat AND light.
The beets, kale, and later the marigolds did well enough, but then they would have anyways. They always have.
THE POTATOS BURIED IN LEAVES:
Some of the plants are blooming, but no spuds yet. The neighbor has spuds, perhaps all this mulching is slowing things down a bit?
The bed was framed with logs that were perhaps 3" thick, and tied together with a bit of rope. That took me a couple of days because, for me, wood that is 4' by 3" is heavy. The TOP framing wood is MUCH thinner and lighter and is working well at staying up and keeping the leaves and grasses in.
I had INTENDED to fill this 3' deep with litter, and swing out the fat lower piece of wood out so that I could get at the bigger spuds, repack it with mulch, and leave the smaller ones to grow. Since I only got around to heaping it 1' thick, it really will not matter as I can just feel around for the big ones.
That means that thin sticks would have done as well as the 3" logs. So, perhaps to save on labor I would do better to make the potato beds twice as big and only 1 1/2 feet deep.
I did not cover the spuds heavily with mulch at first, just put it on a few inches at a time to cover up the leaves as soon as they broke through.
Half of the sprouted seed potatos rotted and had to be replaced, but that might not have been because of the mulch. One bright and frosty morning I came out to find the seed spuds had been exposed and were somewhat frost bitten: the chickens had gotten out the afternoon before and had scratched the leafy covering off of the spuds!
So, I clipped their wings for them! THAT gave me some peace of mind! LAter, when the spuds were up, I filled in the blank spots with more seed potatos.
WEED CONTROL:
I used strips of plastic that were placed over the weeping hose. Now that they are in they are working, but they were aBEAR to get in!
Oh, the platic is light enough, but we get a lot of wind in Kansas so they had to be sucured. The things come with cute little pins but that isn't enough for Kansas in the spring.
In an excess of enthusiasm, I buried the edges of the first 50' strip, and it half killed me. That one works the best, but it is way to strenous. I have not the body that I used to have.
I decided to use sticks of firewood for the nexy one. That was better, but I had much to do and I couldn't spare the energy to do all 6 strips.
So I paid the kids to do the other strips. ;D THEN, I spent time fiddling with the strips to make them more secure but that is alright, they are IN. And the kids really DID do what they understood what I wanted.
And, they are supposed to last for 6 years. I will cover them with lawn cuttings to help protect them also.
THE VEGGIES TO DATE:
The zuccini looks the best.
There is an assortment of other vines up but germination is spotty, which is not unusual. I will just fill in the holes with other veggies, as I always have.
So far, it looks like a garden!
I am using a 200' weeping hose, and it is just too long. The far end does not have enough water pressure to force the water out of the sides of the hose so the plants on the second half are not getting what they need. I had woven the hose up and down the rows to water a large section of the garden all at once.
Since it is too long, I intend to cut the hose in half, and perhaps put a new end on the far half of the hose so that I will water each half separately.
THE GREENHOUSE:
The heat cable didn't help much. Perhaps the problem is lack of light? NEXT year I am going to try shining turkey brooding lights on the seeded areas for heat AND light.
The beets, kale, and later the marigolds did well enough, but then they would have anyways. They always have.
THE POTATOS BURIED IN LEAVES:
Some of the plants are blooming, but no spuds yet. The neighbor has spuds, perhaps all this mulching is slowing things down a bit?
The bed was framed with logs that were perhaps 3" thick, and tied together with a bit of rope. That took me a couple of days because, for me, wood that is 4' by 3" is heavy. The TOP framing wood is MUCH thinner and lighter and is working well at staying up and keeping the leaves and grasses in.
I had INTENDED to fill this 3' deep with litter, and swing out the fat lower piece of wood out so that I could get at the bigger spuds, repack it with mulch, and leave the smaller ones to grow. Since I only got around to heaping it 1' thick, it really will not matter as I can just feel around for the big ones.
That means that thin sticks would have done as well as the 3" logs. So, perhaps to save on labor I would do better to make the potato beds twice as big and only 1 1/2 feet deep.
I did not cover the spuds heavily with mulch at first, just put it on a few inches at a time to cover up the leaves as soon as they broke through.
Half of the sprouted seed potatos rotted and had to be replaced, but that might not have been because of the mulch. One bright and frosty morning I came out to find the seed spuds had been exposed and were somewhat frost bitten: the chickens had gotten out the afternoon before and had scratched the leafy covering off of the spuds!
So, I clipped their wings for them! THAT gave me some peace of mind! LAter, when the spuds were up, I filled in the blank spots with more seed potatos.
WEED CONTROL:
I used strips of plastic that were placed over the weeping hose. Now that they are in they are working, but they were aBEAR to get in!
Oh, the platic is light enough, but we get a lot of wind in Kansas so they had to be sucured. The things come with cute little pins but that isn't enough for Kansas in the spring.
In an excess of enthusiasm, I buried the edges of the first 50' strip, and it half killed me. That one works the best, but it is way to strenous. I have not the body that I used to have.
I decided to use sticks of firewood for the nexy one. That was better, but I had much to do and I couldn't spare the energy to do all 6 strips.
So I paid the kids to do the other strips. ;D THEN, I spent time fiddling with the strips to make them more secure but that is alright, they are IN. And the kids really DID do what they understood what I wanted.
And, they are supposed to last for 6 years. I will cover them with lawn cuttings to help protect them also.
THE VEGGIES TO DATE:
The zuccini looks the best.
There is an assortment of other vines up but germination is spotty, which is not unusual. I will just fill in the holes with other veggies, as I always have.
So far, it looks like a garden!