From the garden

[OO1]

2 minutes ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

For some reason, in 2020, I thought I might grow some here for a change... keep a tan going. 

we gotta be careful as to what we touch and eat ,  in 2020  ,aint no normal times we live in any more , and with less Pesticides and chemicals --so much for the better -

[BigStewMan]

41 minutes ago, Thaddeus Smith said:

 

And thornless!!

My very first job when I was a very young teen ... picking blackberries.  Got paid $1 a box.  Foreman would walk up the rows with a stick and pointing out the berries that we missed. 

I think I made $20 that day ... not bad for early 70s. With some cash in my pocket I decided I didn't need to work there anymore.  It was just a summer gig while visiting my Aunt. 

But man, I sure love those things. 

[grasshopper]

I miss my garden. I used to grow heirloom corn, beans, tomatoes. Cilantro, basil, parsley, cukes, melons...snap peas are one of my favorite things to grow....

since we moved to the top of the hill.... no soil.  I've been trying to generate some, but may give in and have some topsoil trucked in.

 

 

[BigStewMan]

What can you do with an Octopus's Garden that's in the shade?

[OO1]

On 7/25/2020 at 4:19 AM, grasshopper said:

I miss my garden. I used to grow heirloom corn, beans, tomatoes. Cilantro, basil, parsley, cukes, melons...snap peas are one of my favorite things to grow....

since we moved to the top of the hill.... no soil.  I've been trying to generate some, but may give in and have some topsoil trucked in.

that bad , do you mean the land is all stone , and sand , or just poor soil, then yeah  make a big hole , and bring a truck of good soil in  , but my guess is , the wind will blow it all away unless you cover it up -

[grasshopper]

folks that have seen my "garden" here, tease me about growing in a soil-less medium

What soil we might have, gets washed to the bottom of the hill... where my other place [and real garden] was.

 

this is just a rotten piece to try gardening on. Sand, rock and decomposing rock.. shale and granite. The weeds don't even do good. A backhoe is the first impliment you need to soften the ground up. "Topsoil" might be 2inches deep. Shovel goes "Tink" and stops abruptly every attempted plunge.

 

 

[Woofers and Tweeters]

2 hours ago, grasshopper said:

What soil we might have, gets washed to the bottom of the hill.

I'm sure that you have thought about planters.
A couple of months ago, I made some bucket hangers for my Mom that worked out well for the smaller plants (beats, peppers, etc..). I also got several plastic barrels that had food product in them, cut them in half, bought a roll of galvanized fence for cages and made large planters for larger plants (tomatoes in this case). Used some rich soil from the barnyard which should not need any additives for a few years. Pictured, the planters are not were they will stay, I am making a fenced in garden to move them into. More than likely, I will make more large planters, and rather than cutting the barrels in half, I will cut the top 1/3 to use for not so deep rooted plants and 2/3 for the tomatoes. What I have is working great, I just want want deeper planters to be higher and maybe need to water less often.

 

[oldtimer]

Or raised beds.

[Woofers and Tweeters]

4 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

Or raised beds.

I believe raised beds would be better: Holds more water and soil / less watering; larger area which will hold heat better, especially in the fall as the growing season slows. 

[OO1]

24 minutes ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

I'm sure that you have thought about planters.
A couple of months ago, I made some bucket hangers for my Mom that worked out well for the smaller plants (beats, peppers, etc..). I also got several plastic barrels that had food product in them, cut them in half, bought a roll of galvanized fence for cages and made large planters for larger plants (tomatoes in this case). Used some rich soil from the barnyard which should not need any additives for a few years. Pictured, the planters are not were they will stay, I am making a fenced in garden to move them into. More than likely, I will make more large planters, and rather than cutting the barrels in half, I will cut the top 1/3 to use for not so deep rooted plants and 2/3 for the tomatoes. What I have is working great, I just want want deeper planters to be higher and maybe need to water less often.

 

 

extremely well planned and done the right way  , and how about a few speakers to add some music to the fun gardening -------

[Pete H]

Hundreds of simple designs out there for raised beds using 2x's and metal roofing that gets them off the ground, easy to tend to and they can be layered and built up with organic material to retain water well and compost while you're growing in the top layer of medium.  I didn't get mine built this year (too much other sh!t going on), but have friends that did them and it's absolutely the way I will go for next year.  3' wide 9' long uses materials so there's no waste and I think they end up about $100 per planter, depending on the design.  For those of us in more northern climates, you can utilize a simple dome for starts and to start the growing season earlier.  

[babadono]

3 hours ago, grasshopper said:

Shovel goes "Tink" and stops abruptly every attempted plunge.

Been there, done that. Have not even attempted a vegetable garden here on the "rock" yet, too many other projects. But when I do get a round tuit it will definitely be raised beds, no question.

@Pete H any links to plans?

[Woofers and Tweeters]

1 hour ago, RandyH000 said:

extremely well planned and done the right way  , and how about a few speakers to add some music to the fun gardening -------

I wish it was better planned. I was building a stone wall to make a garden area and didn't have the time and didn't want to use the money to make large planters, especially since I couldn't put them where they belong. I like the plastic buckets and barrels in that they will last for several years without any degrade. Also, the only money I am out, ~ $120, for the fence, which I was able to make 24 cages for my Mom, 25 for myself and still have ~ 1/2 roll for future use.  

[Coytee]

1 hour ago, oldtimer said:

Or raised beds.

 

I prefer a Murphy but, keep your dirt out of it.

[Woofers and Tweeters]

Friday evening to Monday morning (moved the shell closer is all)

 

 

 

 

[grasshopper]

2 hours ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

will hold heat better,

 

too much heat here. Southern AZ

I have gardened in heavy clay and sandy loam... For above ground things, except cubrits, I prefer the clay. Sandy loam, like at our place at the bottom of the hill,  would grow anything as long as you kept it watered. The clay would crack before stuff needed water.

[Pete H]

1 hour ago, babadono said:

Been there, done that. Have not even attempted a vegetable garden here on the "rock" yet, too many other projects. But when I do get a round tuit it will definitely be raised beds, no question.

@Pete H any links to plans?

Just go to youtube and search for raised planting beds with metal and you will find tons.  Some people have done their spin on the basic design but in a nut shell, if you get 12' material, cut it to size, run a band of 2x4 around the inside of the metal, at the top, get metal outside corners and cut 4 of those and screw those on and add a top plate (seat) 2x4 or 2x6 to cover the metal edge and add stability.  This is one variation.

 

 

[grasshopper]

1 hour ago, babadono said:

Been there, done that. Have not even attempted a vegetable garden here on the "rock" yet, too many other projects. But when I do get a round tuit it will definitely be raised beds, no question.

@Pete H any links to plans?

 

you can use about anything or nothing to make raised beds... DO NOT use railroad ties. creosote in/on them

 

I am using "raised" beds in my little garden. Keeping up with proper watering is a must. A couple years with drip, at this place[ I used it with great success at the other house] taught me that I don't know how to use it correctly or...and resulted in crop failure. Back to hand watering and doing better... so far.

[Pete H]

Check out Hugelkultur as well.  This can be done in the raised beds.

 

[babadono]

Logs? What's a log? Ain't got none of of those within 100s of miles of here