Fruit and vegetable gardens 2024
- Thread starter Fiddler's Green
- Start date
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Same with the cardboard. I wet the rice hulls as soon as I spread them and they kind of melt into the soil so they don't blow away and the worms love them too. I have lots of clay and rock so I know the minerals are there for all the plants I want to grow, it's just about getting the life ramped up in one spot when they have a whole forest to go to besides my garden.
Must be cool to have all that flat earth LOL
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
I grabbed 2 bales of Pro Mix today. $70.78 total.
I love this stuff. Been using it for over 50 years.
Nothing competes with Pro Mix as far as the profits you can make from a 70.00 investment.
What do you all pay for Pro Mix in your areas?
I get mine straight from the Amish Greenhouse growers locally.
I love this stuff. Been using it for over 50 years.
Nothing competes with Pro Mix as far as the profits you can make from a 70.00 investment.
What do you all pay for Pro Mix in your areas?
I get mine straight from the Amish Greenhouse growers locally.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I don't trust that the local stores haven't had it in the warehouse for a year collecting gnats. If you are rural like me and have shit for shopping options, on amazon look at the shipping. If the soil is coming direct frrom the "manufacturer" so that amazon doesn't have to keep a stock of soil then the amazon thing is just a storefront. There are some where the same distributor has multiple varieties of soil available, like "bob's greenhouse supply" or something, hard pass. That's worse than local. But if you buy from Promix direct and it doesn't have to sit at the ace hardware it's actually better.
closer to 50.00 round here!
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
Yoder's Greenhouse stocks once or twice a year. They are mainly sell vegetable plants and some flowers.
Not sure how much longer they will be in business, they're in their 80s. lol
I think the bugs and shit come from the additives in the peat moss, like Happy Frog, Roots Organics etc.. put in theirs.
Pro Mix has no additives except perlite.
I've never had bugs in any bale I have ever bought.
And for $35.00 a bale, it's very cheap.
Shipping would eat you alive if you ordered it online.
Looks like you're getting your property in order for some future high quality "output".
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
That's why I mentioned amazon - "prime" already covers shipping.
If you look there's build-s-soil stuff availlable from amazon. If BaS charges shipping for a specific item that's an option to check.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Some companies like Natures Good Guys that sell beneficial bugs have an amazon storefront - but you are still paying shipping. They have to next-day or 2-day stuff and you are still gonna pay it. But the price from their own website and amazon after shipping may be different. Good to check both. but they still all ship from NGG.
Fiddler's Green
Just a regular vato
I think I got ahead of myself lol the tomatoes and jalapeños are kicking ass.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I was watching that MIGardener podcast when it said "here's what to start now" and it mentioned peppers. If you think about it the peppers grow a lot slower than the 'maters. You're probably good there. Maybe the tomatoes can be a germ test? LOL
I starrted too early last year and lost 80% and those that were'nt dead from frost grew like a re-veg from new sprouts off the almost dead stalk - never did well. I left them to hopefully survive while I was starting new ones.
I ordered my seeds through him last year and again last week. His prices aren’t bad and he has a nice selection.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I think price-wise he's the same as Baker Creek. Theirs cost more but usually have more seeds per pack. But Baker Creek doesn't have hardly anything with that hybrid vigor. Heirlooms are great but they won't make enough to last until next year. I'm sure there are some that will but it's probably hit and miss seed to seed.
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
That's what we do! lol
I like to make sure I got something up in the beginning and sort it out later.
lol
Fiddler's Green
Just a regular vato
I still have 90 days before it's safe to plant in ground lol
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I can't do much yet because a late frost will kill the stuff I like to grow. I planted peas around the fence and micro-tuber potatoes in the pots.
One thing I did now that I have my fence and my tomato racks set up was pull out the tape measure and the graph paper for a little drafting. One square is one foot, but I had to tape two pages together so once I got the basics I took a picture then attacked it with MS paint. In the photo editor I dialed it back to black and white and printed a few copies. I want to maximize the space.
One thing I did now that I have my fence and my tomato racks set up was pull out the tape measure and the graph paper for a little drafting. One square is one foot, but I had to tape two pages together so once I got the basics I took a picture then attacked it with MS paint. In the photo editor I dialed it back to black and white and printed a few copies. I want to maximize the space.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Much ado about nothing - yet. The little micro-tubers I got from Baker Creek aren's up yet. There was about 12 in a 10-pack and I planted half outside already. a yukon gold and adirondak blue. Since they won't need light I'm starting the rest indoors, I am still building my leaf-pile 'future-soil' beds and if these get started in a decent bit of soil (mostly from outside) then adding them on top of slowly decomposing hardwood leaves should be interesting. I'll be adding top dressing, ferments and JADAM brews for feeding but there won't be soil for the taters. I can imagine just brushing some leaves off and no soil. I can also imagine the stuff getting so hot in summer that any taters just make new soil as they decompose on the vine. 
They're extra.
I planted them in the plastic pots that will be shaded by the potato vines themselves (hopefully). There's about 6" if new peat-based stuff I mixed up inside with some castings and rice hulls for real good drainage. I'll add similar on top as it grows but just with outside stuff. I planted peas around the fences and beets between the fence and the pots (loose soil) but nothing's up. I defined some tentative walking paths and got the cardboard down thick, then cover-crop and a thin layer of rice hulls on the rest. I'll keep raking in cover crop seeds until stuff takes. The area between the brush pile and the cloth bedis about 50% compost, 50% leaves. I'll be sifting through all that and storing the compost safely for future use. Really full of baby red wigglers. I see about five or six 5g buckets of vermicompost in the pile overall. Outdoor potting soil. I get high and watch the birds by that bird feeder, and this morning a red-tail hawk swooped in and snagged something. Like lightning and silent. No screetching or anything. If only the fucker would eat chipmunks
Inside I have a stand of lemon basil waiting on last frost or until I need the soil, and 3 of 4 cells of asparagus that isn't ready for transplant. The first was a hot mess and may survive or not. Not enough roots yet.
sweet alyssum (flowers) and ground cherries
My strawberries that might go in the ground by fall - 2025? LOL
And a bunch of parsley and cilantro to just stick wherever as I plant tomatoes and peppers. I will be starting my herbs as packs in a tray from now on instead of even bothering with individual plants. Having a 'stand' of celery to hack up when needed is all I want. And I'll get enough to dry, and get seeds.
I'm starting the potatoes inside and one each of the peppers I plan to grow. They may go in the leaf beds if I don't have room in the garden. I'll be starting more later on if needed but some grow slow and need that early start. If they get too big they're experimental LOL
They're extra.I planted them in the plastic pots that will be shaded by the potato vines themselves (hopefully). There's about 6" if new peat-based stuff I mixed up inside with some castings and rice hulls for real good drainage. I'll add similar on top as it grows but just with outside stuff. I planted peas around the fences and beets between the fence and the pots (loose soil) but nothing's up. I defined some tentative walking paths and got the cardboard down thick, then cover-crop and a thin layer of rice hulls on the rest. I'll keep raking in cover crop seeds until stuff takes. The area between the brush pile and the cloth bedis about 50% compost, 50% leaves. I'll be sifting through all that and storing the compost safely for future use. Really full of baby red wigglers. I see about five or six 5g buckets of vermicompost in the pile overall. Outdoor potting soil. I get high and watch the birds by that bird feeder, and this morning a red-tail hawk swooped in and snagged something. Like lightning and silent. No screetching or anything. If only the fucker would eat chipmunks
Inside I have a stand of lemon basil waiting on last frost or until I need the soil, and 3 of 4 cells of asparagus that isn't ready for transplant. The first was a hot mess and may survive or not. Not enough roots yet.
sweet alyssum (flowers) and ground cherries
My strawberries that might go in the ground by fall - 2025? LOL
And a bunch of parsley and cilantro to just stick wherever as I plant tomatoes and peppers. I will be starting my herbs as packs in a tray from now on instead of even bothering with individual plants. Having a 'stand' of celery to hack up when needed is all I want. And I'll get enough to dry, and get seeds.
I'm starting the potatoes inside and one each of the peppers I plan to grow. They may go in the leaf beds if I don't have room in the garden. I'll be starting more later on if needed but some grow slow and need that early start. If they get too big they're experimental LOL
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
I guess we are gonna try growing potatoes in these 20 gal totes I have scattered all over the property.Much ado about nothing - yet. The little micro-tubers I got from Baker Creek aren's up yet. There was about 12 in a 10-pack and I planted half outside already. a yukon gold and adirondak blue. Since they won't need light I'm starting the rest indoors, I am still building my leaf-pile 'future-soil' beds and if these get started in a decent bit of soil (mostly from outside) then adding them on top of slowly decomposing hardwood leaves should be interesting. I'll be adding top dressing, ferments and JADAM brews for feeding but there won't be soil for the taters. I can imagine just brushing some leaves off and no soil. I can also imagine the stuff getting so hot in summer that any taters just make new soil as they decompose on the vine.
View attachment 136036
I planted them in the plastic pots that will be shaded by the potato vines themselves (hopefully). There's about 6" if new peat-based stuff I mixed up inside with some castings and rice hulls for real good drainage. I'll add similar on top as it grows but just with outside stuff. I planted peas around the fences and beets between the fence and the pots (loose soil) but nothing's up. I defined some tentative walking paths and got the cardboard down thick, then cover-crop and a thin layer of rice hulls on the rest. I'll keep raking in cover crop seeds until stuff takes. The area between the brush pile and the cloth bedis about 50% compost, 50% leaves. I'll be sifting through all that and storing the compost safely for future use. Really full of baby red wigglers. I see about five or six 5g buckets of vermicompost in the pile overall. Outdoor potting soil. I get high and watch the birds by that bird feeder, and this morning a red-tail hawk swooped in and snagged something. Like lightning and silent. No screetching or anything. If only the fucker would eat chipmunks
View attachment 136031
Inside I have a stand of lemon basil waiting on last frost or until I need the soil, and 3 of 4 cells of asparagus that isn't ready for transplant. The first was a hot mess and may survive or not. Not enough roots yet.
View attachment 136032
sweet alyssum (flowers) and ground cherries
View attachment 136033
My strawberries that might go in the ground by fall - 2025? LOL
View attachment 136034
And a bunch of parsley and cilantro to just stick wherever as I plant tomatoes and peppers. I will be starting my herbs as packs in a tray from now on instead of even bothering with individual plants. Having a 'stand' of celery to hack up when needed is all I want. And I'll get enough to dry, and get seeds.
View attachment 136035
I'm starting the potatoes inside and one each of the peppers I plan to grow. They may go in the leaf beds if I don't have room in the garden. I'll be starting more later on if needed but some grow slow and need that early start. If they get too big they're experimental LOL
I've never tried it before.
I have a few packs of the "world's hottest peppers" gonna plant this year too. I'll use them for "bug spray" if they are too hot to consume. lol
wierdly
Fungas Gnat
I tried the "Ruth Stout method" for potatoes, You just put old potatoes on the ground and cover with a pile of hay and water. I had good luck with the sweet potatoes but Opossums dug up the. smaller red and yellow ones. I still have sweet potatoes popping up where they were last year. I think I will give it another try, there always seem to be old potatoes lying around.