The 2013 Garden Thread

[Capt Worley PE]

Found a good site for how tos on canning, freezing, and drying stuff.

http://www.preservingyourharvest.com/

This is the first year we messed with herbs. Planted dill, thyme, parsely and basil. Have room for one more. Oregano maybe?

Also, i'm giving up on the chives. No joy on them. Need something to fill that area now.

 

[envirotex]

oregano is pretty easy to grow...

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^I almost got some yesterday, but there was no price on it.

I spoke too soon! At least six chives are poking their leaves up right now.

 

[Master slacker]

Bell peppers have started to fruit. Same with the strawberries.

 

[knight1fox3]

Hey CW, I was trying to find the thread where you mentioned some type of "yard cart" as opposed to a wheelbarrow. I think it was on Amazon too IIRC. Getting ready to lay down some mulch for the year and I think I might want to pick one up.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I've got a wagon: http://www.amazon.com/Tricam-GOR200B-Gorilla-600-Pound-Capacity/dp/B0026RGNJ2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1367860111&sr=8-2&keywords=garden+wagon

And a cart: http://www.amazon.com/Ames-Easy-Roller-4-Cubic-Feet-2463875/dp/B0009J796U/ref=sr_1_17?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1367860144&sr=1-17&keywords=garden+cart

I didn't get em through Amazon, they're cheaper elsewhere. Wagon is pretty tippy with heavy loads, cart will 'trip' at times if you don't pick it up high enough.

I've had the cart 11 years now, and its been pretty useful.

 

[knight1fox3]

^ thanks for the info.

EDIT: Looks like Home Depot has the cart at a pretty good price. For once Amazon doesn't have the best price.

 

[ktulu]

We participate in our local CSA (community supported agriculture). Each week we get a load of vegetables that are ready for harvesting, plus a dozen fresh eggs.

We love it because it forces us to go outside our "box" when it comes to food. So far, we have had mizuna, red mustard, pac choy, leaf broccoli, lettuce, and some outstanding strawberries. Plus the eggs...

We got all the mixed greens together one week, so I found a stir fry recipe. Damn tasty!!

 

[knight1fox3]

We participate in our local CSA (community supported agriculture). Each week we get a load of vegetables that are ready for harvesting, plus a dozen fresh eggs.

We love it because it forces us to go outside our "box" when it comes to food. So far, we have had mizuna, red mustard, pac choy, leaf broccoli, lettuce, and some outstanding strawberries. Plus the eggs...

We got all the mixed greens together one week, so I found a stir fry recipe. Damn tasty!!

lusone: We also do this and really enjoyed it. The price is more than reasonable as compared to the local grocery store. And the eggs are phenomenal! Really got spoiled on farm-fresh eggs as compared to what we were getting at the store.

 

[snickerd3]

so do strawberry plants start producing strawberries their first year or do you have to wait til the second? Found one of those hanging upside strawberry plant holders and need to find strawberry plants. But if they take a couple yrs to grow that isn't worth the effort...as we still need to find a place to hang it that isn't head level for the resident deer family.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I'm hoping the first year...

 

[snickerd3]

ok did a quick search....everbearing and dayneutral will bear fruit the first year june bearing will not...

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Good deal; albions are day neutral!

 

[pbrme]

Got around to posting some pictures from the weekend. The FIL and I moved over 3 yrds of dirt on Sunday, and the rock separator worked like a charm. Five wheel barrels of lava rock, large river rock & organics pulled from the ground, all in about 4 hours.

Here's a shot of where the garden will be, the shed is 12x14, and the garden will be to the left w/ same footprint.

We have potatoes planted in the big flower pots. The old lava rock is mixed in with over 30yrs of windblown dust and extends 20 ft. or so from the fence out to where the potatoe pots are, for the full 97ft of back fence.

Here's the area we dug on Sunday, starting from the old planter boxes and worked to the shed, out six feet from the fence for an area of 14'x6' by 1ft deep. We started with a 6'x6' pit next to the planter boxes, and sifted the dirt directly into the planter boxes. Once the pit was cleared, we moved down there and started making piles, clearing an area and moving the box... then repeat.

We took a lot of breaks as it was high 80's out, and the palm sander would start to heatup, but so far it's working great. Seemed to work the best to throw about 4 shovel loads on, and then use the flat blade to scrape across the grating as some of the organic materials would hang up the rock. The shovel would gather some of it together and then the rocks would just peel off. Also, if anyone is looking at duplicating this design, I'd say go closer to a 20 deg. angle for the screen. The 15 deg. in this Rev. works, but we found if we dug the front leg's down a little and increased the angle it worked better.

So my back is wrecked now. While clearing out the first pit, we were shoveling rock/dirt into 5 gal. pails and hauling it over the planter boxes for sifting. All that initial hauling, lifting and dumping has ruined any progress my back has made in the last month, feels like I'm starting over. So yesterday I checked craigslist for some help and found a 16yr old kid willing to shovel the rest (over 7 yrds) for $250. He and his dad came by in the evening to check out the job. Worth it to me if he can do a good job. Supposed to be there to start as I type this, I'll report on the progress as it's made. Hoping he has it cleared for me to start chicken proof fencing on Friday. The wife wants to put the seedling sprouts in the ground next week. Ahhh, my back. ld-025:

 

[pbrme]

Just went home to check on my hired helper, the kid's got another 6' wide row done (woohoo!) and wants to stay till 6 tonight. Thinks he'll have it wrapped up before lunch tomorrow. Not bad for a 16yr. old going for his GED. I am soooo glad I'm not the one working that shovel like I want a raise. I'll put up some pics after he's done tonight.

 

[snickerd3]

THat's a lot of $ spent on a garden...that will take awhile for ROI. WOuldn't it just have been easier to bring a couple trucks of dirt and just build up?

 

[pbrme]

^ True, but the piece of mind that those damn rocks are gone is worth it. I want to keep the garden down level with the bottom of the shed, we're inheriting a nice rear tine tiller, which will work nice with this system.

 

[Supe]

This thread is reminding me that I somehow have to mow my back lawn, which has been unmowed for about 2.5 weeks due to rain, and is probably about 6-8 inches high in spots. May need to weed-whack the entire damn thing first.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Anyone know how long centipede seeds last? I really need to put some down, and found a bag in the laundry room from God knows how many summers ago.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Anyone know how long centipede seeds last?

Human or otherwise?