Author Topic: Planting / Growing your own 2018  (Read 94138 times)

nessness

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #600 on: August 24, 2018, 09:13:32 AM »
Hmm. Wavering over trying to start some fall plantings. Greens, maybe peas. I have the seeds. But I can never get anything to germinate in the fall. Should I bother? I wonder if cilantro would work? I hate that my cilantro always has already bolted in the heat by the time I'm getting tomatoes (and would like the cilantro for salsa canning).
I've never grown cilantro but supposedly it does better in the fall. I planted carrots, lettuce, and cabbage a couple weeks ago. The lettuce germinated within a few days but I only have one cabbage seedling and no carrots yet. But my carrots took a few weeks to germinate in the spring too.

Livethedream

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #601 on: August 26, 2018, 10:38:17 AM »
Growing some extra large pumpkins for first time, this one is up to a large watermelon size so far.

Planning on planting a lot more plants next year and doing our own miniature pumpkin patch next year to invite friends and family over to pick and decorate. Figure we can save some seeds from the big pumpkins, and $20 should give us enough for a bunch of average and small size pumpkins, then collect those seeds and continue.

Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #602 on: August 26, 2018, 04:04:25 PM »
@Livethedream Nice pumpkin you've got there. I used to grow them but they took up so much space it started climbing up the fenced sides of the garden.

This was a busy animal weekend. I treated all of the beehives with a sugar shake for varroa mites. Don't use chemicals in the hives. Finely ground sugar, that's whipped in the mini chop, is a light coating that gets sprinkled on all of the bees but mostly the drones. This encourages them to groom themselves and the mites get pulled off in the process. Will get some 2nd cut hay bales to put around the hives as a winter break.

Harvested another 12 frames of honey. With all of the rain this August, we haven't really had a pollen/nectar dearth, though the weather pattern can still change. The bees have plenty of food to get thru the winter. Cut up chunks of honey filled comb and put it into wide mouth canning jars for  friends and family holiday gifts. Filled up 36 more 8 and 12 oz bottles. Might try to sell a few bottles at upcoming community events because this is such a huge harvest, that I'm out of bottles.

Cleaned out the chicken coop today. Put all of the used shavings into two garbage cans where it will age. In Oct, I will put it in 2 raised beds where the soil needs supplementing. When it's spread out, it will decompose faster. Will test nitrogen levels in Spring. Still want to rebuild/reinforce chicken run but not sure I will have time this Fall.

Harvested about a gallon of hops.

Zucchinis succumbed to mildew. Was kinda relieved because I was tired of canning.

Still drying lemon balm, tulsi basil and mint for winter teas.

Penn42

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #603 on: August 26, 2018, 05:40:40 PM »
I'm a super inexperienced gardener.  This is my 3rd season with a little plot a tend.  This year I planted carrots, spinach, cabbage, and snow peas in March.  The peas and spinach did great.  The carrots have actually not done well despite doing well my previous two seasons.  This was the earliest I planted them, though the package directions fit the conditions this season.  Oh well.  The cabbages got decimated by something, not sure what ate them.  They didn't do well at all. 

Once it got warmer in May I planted green beans, zucchini, cucumber, and tomatoes.  Last year the green beans did terrible.  This year they're coming in in droves.  Last year the zucchini and cucumber did amazing, this year only a few per plant.  My tomatoes are doing better than my previous two seasons, which is nice.  I actually have some full fist size tomatoes on a couple plants, but there's still not the numbers I think there should be. 

Gardening is proving to be very fickle; I think i need to do some more research.   

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #604 on: August 26, 2018, 07:56:13 PM »
Our last few falls have been so mild that I am taking a chance with a fall garden.  Today I planted 8 short season broccoli plants and 3 rows of snow peas.   If we get an early killing frost at least I will have kept the soil covered and added some organic material to the soil.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #605 on: August 27, 2018, 08:09:14 AM »
Yesterday was a great day in the garden.
I harvested and prepped for storage a huge number of onions. Anyone made pickled onions?  We had some while on vacation and they were tasty.  And I have a ton of tiny onions that were growing in the very poor part of the garden.
The squirrels are having a field day with the pumpkins and squash.  Very disappointing.
The asparagus roots that I planted in the spring are really going gang busters.
I have never ever grown as many green peppers and the plants are still flowering.  The ones in the greenhouse are developing woody stalks at the base.  I am curious to see if I can keep them going into the fall and for how long.  I was going to do a big clean out of the greenhouse in October so that it was completely ready for startup in February again.  But if it is still full of thriving pepper plants then maybe I should be planting greens in there then for late late fall harvest? 
I fed the over ripe beans to the chickens.  Then I thought I should have kept some of them for seed.  I collected coriander seed for next year.
The tomatoes are still trying to grow and shooting out new growth despite all the death of the more mature stems.  I have got the new soil in bags sitting in the sun cooking for next season.
Another thing I noticed is that the carrots are not growing well.  The soil is not deep enough. 
My plan is to work on really building up the soil with a huge amount more organic matter.  I am going to increase the depth of the wood chip pathways and every leaf I rake is going to go on an enormous compost row where I am currently growing flowers and vines.  Since one end of the garden was so poor, I am going to use it for three potato towers next year.  As I want to have no solanaceae in the actual soil next year, I think I can put a plastic barrier down on the ground and grow the potatoes in cages filled with manure, compost, straw and leaves.  I have to figure out a way to ensure stable moisture in case of a drought.
Once the potatoes are harvested all that organic super soil will go straight onto the beds and that end of the garden should also be ready to have nightshades after a year of rest.  The tomatoes will grow at the opposite end of the garden against the greenhouse in a row of pots.  The middle of the garden will grow a bunch of other stuff. Hopefully, after two complete seasons without solanaceae all the mildews/fungi and such in the soil is gone. 
I am hoping that I can get some manure that came out of the barn in July on all the beds in mid fall so that it can be heating the soil with a little activity and start to work on any leaves I add.  Maybe I should be using the floating row covers to keep it warmer?  Just not sure how to really maximize the productivity of this small space.  I could really use double the space and just plant a green manure cover crop and alternate years growing each part. 
I also planted a bunch of seeds - with the expectation that I may not harvest them - but using old seed so if it germinates poorly - then but for the effort, no loss.  Spinach, arugula, buttercrunch lettuce, mesclun mix, beets, beans, peas, freckles lettuce should take us into the fall.  I might try some more kale and spinach once the rest of the onions finish up.  I was going to plant some more carrots and peas - but was disturbing the roots of the asparagus so that area is now off limits.

After eating delicious steamed carrots, some baby cukes and roasted fingerlings with paprika last night for supper sitting at a table with a bouquet of zinnias- this garden doesn't owe me a thing.

@Penn42 - gardening is fickle.  Some plants are really particular about moisture levels and temperature when they are flowering.  A little bit of drought or too much rain for a pepper will cause it stop flowering.  Carrots are really tricky with germination.  I can use the same package of seeds planting every two weeks and have completely different results.  In my experience, carrots don't do well in seasons that peas and spinach does.  The trick is to have a balance of different crops so if you have a lot of cool nights or really hot days - you still have some success.  I have been gardening for more than 30 years and am still learning.  It is a wonderful pastime IMO.

nessness

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #606 on: August 27, 2018, 03:42:54 PM »
One of neighbors apparently complained to the HOA about my chickens and now we're probably going to have to get rid of them. We knew they're technically banned, but other neighbors have them and the HOA just turns a blind eye. I am so upset right now. I'm sure it was the roosters and guineas that the neighbor was upset about, which we already got rid of last weekend, but because they went straight to the HOA instead of talking to us about it we have to get rid of our hens as well.

ETA: My awesome neighbors (who also own chickens) are going to help me fight the HOA on this. I think we have a pretty solid case.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2018, 09:21:46 PM by nessness »

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #607 on: August 28, 2018, 04:53:07 AM »
One of neighbors apparently complained to the HOA about my chickens and now we're probably going to have to get rid of them. We knew they're technically banned, but other neighbors have them and the HOA just turns a blind eye. I am so upset right now. I'm sure it was the roosters and guineas that the neighbor was upset about, which we already got rid of last weekend, but because they went straight to the HOA instead of talking to us about it we have to get rid of our hens as well.

ETA: My awesome neighbors (who also own chickens) are going to help me fight the HOA on this. I think we have a pretty solid case.

Good luck! I’ve been on the receiving end of numerous anonymous complaints that could have been resolved so much easier if the complainer had just talked with me first.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #608 on: August 28, 2018, 05:56:29 AM »
@nessness - Hope that this works out.  I love my neighbours chickens, except when they vandalize my garden.

Cranky

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #609 on: August 28, 2018, 06:58:09 AM »
The butternut squash suddenly put out another round of female flowers last week, and now we've gone from lots of squash to LOTS of squash.

I need to cut the dill heads and dry them.

Lots of tomatoes, raspberries, basil.

A groundhog and I have waged war over the lettuce all summer, and the groundhog has pretty much won. S/he is a better climber than an I would have guessed!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #610 on: August 29, 2018, 07:01:52 AM »
A groundhog and I have waged war over the lettuce all summer, and the groundhog has pretty much won. S/he is a better climber than an I would have guessed!

I used to have a groundhog who sunned herself each day on top of the compost pile.  She stared at the garden while sunning, I am sure she was trying to figure out how to get past the fence and electric wires.   ;-)

Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #611 on: August 29, 2018, 09:58:46 AM »
One of neighbors apparently complained to the HOA about my chickens and now we're probably going to have to get rid of them. We knew they're technically banned, but other neighbors have them and the HOA just turns a blind eye. I am so upset right now. I'm sure it was the roosters and guineas that the neighbor was upset about, which we already got rid of last weekend, but because they went straight to the HOA instead of talking to us about it we have to get rid of our hens as well.

ETA: My awesome neighbors (who also own chickens) are going to help me fight the HOA on this. I think we have a pretty solid case.

@nessness I had a fight with my town over my chickens because my neighbors lied about problems. Over 3 years, the town sent over inspectors 4 different times from wetlands, health, environmental, and community. Police came several times too. I let them all inspect and they found no problems, until 1 police officer, trying to advance his career, decided that the chicken coop was too close to an unused well in my backyard so therefore it was a health code violation. I consulted with 3 different attorneys, on free calls, to get info to defend my position that I wasn't breaking any laws. It went to the state level and I fought it myself, without attorneys. It was so ridiculous at the state hearing, there was the judge and stenographer. On the other side of the table, the town had 3 attorneys, 2 experts and loads of photos and evidence from all of the inspections they did over the years that I willingly let them do and at no point did they indicate I was in violation of any ordinances. On my side of the table, it was me and my 2 kids who were both under 8yo. I figure the town was in about $75K in time to fight about a 30 ft surface fed well that is used only to water my gardens and doesn't even access the aquifer. I won the case because the well was grandfathered, which they all knew, because it was in the town records that we all had access to. Then I chastised them for wasting taxpayer money on pursuing a neighbor's vendetta.

Besides reliving this great moment, my advice is to contact local attorney's who specialize in environmental issues and ones that specialize in unreasonable HOA guidelines, and get their input. My chicken meetup group even has an attorney in it, who gives locals advice about town laws.

nessness

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #612 on: August 29, 2018, 10:24:24 AM »
Thanks @Indio. My county allows all types of poultry without a permit on lots over 10,000sf (which mine is), so  no issues there.

My neighbors were able to defend a past complaint about their tree house by insisting that if they enforced that rule, they enforce all the restrictions on backyards, which included bans on fences and pools, which many homes have. The HOA dropped the complaint and subsequently got rid of those rules - now they just say that you have to get fences and pools approved prior to building them. We might use the same tactic with animal-related regulations and say that if they're going to enforce this rule they need to enforce the rule that animals must be under their owner's control at all times and make everyone get rid of their outdoor cats, of which there are many.  I've been mentally composing a list of all the reasons letting cats roam freely is far more problematic than chickens that are confined to my property. We're also going to offer to move the coop closer to the border we share with the awesome neighbors (at their suggestion), where it will not be visible by the neighbors that we assume made the complaint.



Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #613 on: September 04, 2018, 10:59:02 AM »
I have two questions about compost:

At what point during the year do you stop putting stuff in your composter because it won't break down before it freezes? Or, do you even stop? Our average first frost is 10/15.

Second: Anyone have a neighbor complain about your composting? My landlord gave us a composter that he found discarded in the alley. It is enclosed - one of those rotating barrels on a stand. We just had a new tenant move into the first floor apartment (two-flat, we're on the top floor) and she's horrified that I am composting. She is certain we're going to have rats.

I told her that our landlord had encouraged me to do so - and that I'd asked him the same question about whether it draws rats and he said he's never had that problem (he lives a block away from us and composts in just a loose uncovered pile). I have seen no rats - and I'd think that, given that I have a vegetable garden right there too, I'd have seen some evidence in the form of nibbled tomatoes and such. But, maybe not. Anyway - any advice on pacifying her? I really don't want to stop composting.

Cgbg

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #614 on: September 04, 2018, 11:45:23 AM »
I’m glad I live in an unincorporated part of the county where I can have all the chickens and roosters I want. I like my neighbors so I don’t keep roosters.

On the compost question, I have three round black bins. I lazily add stuff to one bin until it’s full. Then it sits until it’s ready. Once it’s full, I don’t turn it or do anything with it for months. It’s been pretty well layered with greens and browns, including a weekly load of shredded paper+chicken poop from the hen house poop board so it tends to break down pretty fast. But I don’t keep adding to it even when it clearly reduces in volume.

If my compost smells I don’t notice it. Usually that means you don’t have a balance of browns and greens. If all you are throwing in is veggie scraps then you need something to layer in that is a brown- leaves or shredded paper. When I dump some veggie waste, I tend to spread it so it’s a thin layer in a circle. Then I throw some leaves on - I keep a few open wire bins nearby that I can pull the leaves from as needed ( just a bottomless round of wire that fall leaves go in; when you eventually upend the round you’ll find some nice black gold there.)

I live in the maritime PNW so I compost all year round. Since I’m adding chicken poop, I give the bins almost a year to decompose. I don’t find it useful to stir my compost- lazy and all that.

Cranky

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #615 on: September 04, 2018, 11:47:54 AM »
I'm in NE Ohio, and I compost all winter. It stays hot in there!

Cgbg

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #616 on: September 04, 2018, 11:51:56 AM »
Also an enclosed bin won’t attract a rat, or, at least a rat that stays around. If they can’t get to the food source they’ll seek out one that they can get to.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #617 on: September 04, 2018, 11:56:14 AM »
My compost doesn't smell bad, though I probably am too veggie-heavy with not enough brown. I should be able to remedy that soon enough when the leaves start falling.

Cgbg, that is my theory too. This thing's totally enclosed and on legs. Unless rats start growing opposable thumbs there is no way they can get it open. But she's completely grossed out at the thought of vegetable scraps rotting in the back yard, even in a container, so I'm not sure reasoning is going to work with her. :(

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #618 on: September 04, 2018, 04:22:35 PM »
Composting most definitely can attract rats, though a tumbler style on legs? Not likely. Your landlord with the open pile on the ground would have 5-10 rats a night in my neighborhood unless there’s a healthy population of feral cats, foxes, coyote, etc. The natural predators do a pretty good job here but every so often I need to lend a helping hand with bait and/or traps.

You’re a bit south of me, but I’d expect a tumbler unit to freeze solid in the winter. Even my 2 cuyd piles freeze solid in the depth of winter unless the feedstock is something super hot like poultry litter.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #619 on: September 05, 2018, 04:31:17 AM »
At what point during the year do you stop putting stuff in your composter because it won't break down before it freezes? Or, do you even stop? Our average first frost is 10/15.

We stop when the Shadowy One decides it is too cold to go outside in teva sandals, or when the lid freezes shut. The lid generally freezes shut first, but we also don't tend to get much snow. There are only two of us, so we don't really generate enough compost to worry about speed of breakdown.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #620 on: September 05, 2018, 06:08:32 AM »
In winter not much compost material is generated, meal prep leftovers go in a bucket outside that gets dumped into the compost in the spring.

After the summer drought we have had 2.7" of rain in the last 9 days.  My lawn grass is so happy.  So am I, I get a break from watering the vegetable garden.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #621 on: September 05, 2018, 08:50:04 AM »
In winter not much compost material is generated, meal prep leftovers go in a bucket outside that gets dumped into the compost in the spring.

I feel like an outdoor bucket would definitely attract rats!

We are only 2 people, but we eat a lot of fruit and vegetables (the husks from Boyfriend's corn on the cob alone are taking up tons of space) so I feel like we're generating a lot.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #622 on: September 05, 2018, 08:57:43 AM »
We keep filling our bin until it won't hold anymore during the winter.  And then switch to the second bin that I try to have empty in the fall.  During the summer the material is composting so it takes a long time to fill it, but come January it is just freezing solid so the capacity of the bin is reached really quickly.  I don't worry about rats or raccoons or skunks.  As long as they all keep the bickering and brawling to a dull roar so it doesn't wake me in the night, I am good.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #623 on: September 07, 2018, 01:19:23 PM »
In winter not much compost material is generated, meal prep leftovers go in a bucket outside that gets dumped into the compost in the spring.

I feel like an outdoor bucket would definitely attract rats!

We are only 2 people, but we eat a lot of fruit and vegetables (the husks from Boyfriend's corn on the cob alone are taking up tons of space) so I feel like we're generating a lot.

It is frozen solid.  Great White North and all that . . .  If there are rats around here I haven't seen them.  They would be hanging out in farmers' barns where the pickings are better.

Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #624 on: September 07, 2018, 09:28:14 PM »
We keep the compost going all winter. If the snow is too high, we throw it into the basement worm bin. I keep a pile of leaves next to the compost pile to add brown layer. Any critters in the compost are just helping with the aeration and turning it over.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #625 on: September 08, 2018, 03:36:33 AM »
When we lived in Wisconsin we would keep throwing things in the compost all fall and winter but it did freeze solid eventually.  Now down here in the southeast it never freezes, and cooks all winter.  I don't care what critters get in there -- no harm to anything.  We have an open chicken wire bin, and I've seen birds and lizards visiting it regularly.  I'm sure things go in at night too, but whatever they are they are neat visitors; nothing has ever scattered it about. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #626 on: September 08, 2018, 05:14:19 AM »
When we lived in Wisconsin we would keep throwing things in the compost all fall and winter but it did freeze solid eventually.  Now down here in the southeast it never freezes, and cooks all winter.  I don't care what critters get in there -- no harm to anything.  We have an open chicken wire bin, and I've seen birds and lizards visiting it regularly.  I'm sure things go in at night too, but whatever they are they are neat visitors; nothing has ever scattered it about.

Where in Wisconsin did you live? Just curious. I’m in Milwaukee.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #627 on: September 08, 2018, 05:32:06 AM »
When we lived in Wisconsin we would keep throwing things in the compost all fall and winter but it did freeze solid eventually.  Now down here in the southeast it never freezes, and cooks all winter.  I don't care what critters get in there -- no harm to anything.  We have an open chicken wire bin, and I've seen birds and lizards visiting it regularly.  I'm sure things go in at night too, but whatever they are they are neat visitors; nothing has ever scattered it about.

Where in Wisconsin did you live? Just curious. I’m in Milwaukee.

Southwest driftless area -- small town.  :)

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #628 on: September 08, 2018, 06:26:38 AM »
When we lived in Wisconsin we would keep throwing things in the compost all fall and winter but it did freeze solid eventually.  Now down here in the southeast it never freezes, and cooks all winter.  I don't care what critters get in there -- no harm to anything.  We have an open chicken wire bin, and I've seen birds and lizards visiting it regularly.  I'm sure things go in at night too, but whatever they are they are neat visitors; nothing has ever scattered it about.

Where in Wisconsin did you live? Just curious. I’m in Milwaukee.

Southwest driftless area -- small town.  :)

A part I’ve never visited even though I’ve lived here my whole life (excepting undergrad).

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #629 on: September 08, 2018, 07:01:22 AM »
I've found bumblebees and ring-necked snakes in past compost bins - they like the warm (not hot) areas.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #630 on: September 08, 2018, 10:24:16 AM »
This is all good to know. I'm just not sure how to prove to the neighbor that we won't have rats. How do you prove a negative? I mean, I haven't seen them, or evidence of them, but they come out at night.

I'd say that the garden is more likely to draw rats than the compost bin, but I don't want to plant (ha, no pun intended) the idea in her head that I should rip out the garden - not happening!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #631 on: September 08, 2018, 10:33:14 AM »
This is all good to know. I'm just not sure how to prove to the neighbor that we won't have rats. How do you prove a negative? I mean, I haven't seen them, or evidence of them, but they come out at night.

I'd say that the garden is more likely to draw rats than the compost bin, but I don't want to plant (ha, no pun intended) the idea in her head that I should rip out the garden - not happening!

Just brainstorming . . . do the ads for these tumbler style bins say anything about "rodent proof" etc.?  Maybe seeing it in black and white would help the neighbor believe that rats won't be a problem?

EDIT:  or how about this -- get a letter from one of your county Master Gardeners with their opinion that this style of bin is fine and won't attract rats?  People tend to respond to the 'Master Gardener' title...
« Last Edit: September 08, 2018, 10:34:54 AM by Trifele »

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #632 on: September 10, 2018, 11:08:01 AM »
Had my first compost rat trauma this summer- (free) black plastic squares that have lids but have open access to the ground. Went to turn pile with garden fork after having it sit a month or two and had rat jump out at me. Screamed and laughed to the great amusement of neighbors at the community garden. Unfortunately there was continued squeaking come from pile... ugh. Found a nest of baby rats at the bottom of the pile which my neighbor "relocated". Shudder. Am still giving my bins a big kick before opening the lid and am definitely turning the pile more frequently. No cozy rat nests allowed!

On a more pleasant topic- harvested the 'Glass Gem' corn this weekend. SO pretty! Looking forward to popcorn already!

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #633 on: September 10, 2018, 11:50:05 AM »


Just brainstorming . . . do the ads for these tumbler style bins say anything about "rodent proof" etc.?  Maybe seeing it in black and white would help the neighbor believe that rats won't be a problem?

Yeah, so, I looked it up on Amazon, the same model I have, and there's a negative review that says a rat CHEWED THROUGH the side of the thing and nested in it.

!!!!!

Ew ew ew ew ew. Well, there goes that argument.

I mean, I know they can chew, but this thing is so hard and sturdy, I never ever would have thought that possible. Plus, how did they climb up the slippery legs and stay there long enough to chew the hole?

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #634 on: September 12, 2018, 04:13:22 PM »
We had another 1/2" of rain.  Still harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes, wax beans (finally), sweet peppers and basil.  Sweet potatoes will get dug in a few weeks, when the warm weather is totally gone.  Got some local garlic for fall planting.  Apparently around here the day to plant is Halloween - I can just see the vampire jokes about that date!

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #635 on: September 13, 2018, 05:06:54 AM »
We had another 1/2" of rain.  Still harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes, wax beans (finally), sweet peppers and basil.  Sweet potatoes will get dug in a few weeks, when the warm weather is totally gone.  Got some local garlic for fall planting.  Apparently around here the day to plant is Halloween - I can just see the vampire jokes about that date!

Interesting, that seems a little late to me but there’s a lot of schools of thought on garlic (including folks who don’t mulch it, or grow mainly spring planted, etc). I think I plant mine a bit earlier than that here but I do it by the seasonal progression, not a date. The rule of thumb I’ve been using is to wait for the first really strong frost and then get them planted. Usually that’s mid-October but sometimes closer to Halloween.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #636 on: September 13, 2018, 05:34:30 AM »
My late July planted beans yielded a couple of handfuls of yellow beans for supper last night.  All the plants have started flowering. 
Squirrels are hopping the fence and digging up everything - why the leeks I ask?
The peppers are slowing down but man was it a super year.  To try and keep them ripening up, I have put the floating row cover over them last weekend when it was particularly chilly
Fall greens are coming along.  One packet of old seed did not germinate and another pack of spinach only managed two plants out of a quarter packet.  Arugula and beets are looking good.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #637 on: September 13, 2018, 09:05:11 AM »
I've saved some garlic to plant- in Northern California October looks to be the month too. I grew some last year and I have to say it was very little work for some fun rewards of harvesting great garlic! And it's a wonderful feeling to cook with garlic I've grown.

@Frugal Lizard Oh my gosh. Squirrels!! I seriously googled if it was legal to kill them the other day. They have been digging up the new lettuce, completely destroyed the new seedlings I had started the other day and they just love to knock over my pots. I'm now the crazy lady who chases the squirrels out of my yard if I spot one. Darn things!

Still getting pounds of green beans a week- have been sharing extras with neighbors and friends. Has anyone had success in freezing them?

The seasons are shifting and I'm enjoying harvesting lettuce, kale, arugula and herbs to make delicious salads. What are you excited about in your garden this week?

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #638 on: September 13, 2018, 09:19:56 AM »
Yes I've frozen loads of green beans.  It works great.  I trim the ends and dunk them in boiling water first for a short time, then drain, cool, package and freeze.  I think if you skip the 'blanching' step their texture will just not be as good after you freeze them, and they won't be as bright green, but they should still be fine. 

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #639 on: September 13, 2018, 09:57:40 AM »
My first season of gardening was more or less a success. Still getting quite a few tomatoes. Made list of what I want to plant next spring. Posting here mainly so I can reference it when I inevitably forget. :)

- Sungold tomatoes. These were the star of the show this year - great production and the kids ate them by the handful.
- Full size tomatoes. I wasn't super impressed with the Celebrity plant I planted this year so I'm going to try a different variety, TBD.
- Carrots. Easy and fun.
- Melon, variety TBD.
- Bell peppers. Not too successful this year (peppers are kind of tough and bitter) but want to give it another shot next year.
- Snap peas. Haven't tried this one yet but they're one of my family's favorite veggies.
- Maybe a pumpkin if I have space. The kids would get a kick out of that.
- Will leave the strawberries in but not plant any more. I only got a handful of strawberries this year but hopefully next year will be better.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #640 on: September 22, 2018, 09:09:03 PM »
Still getting a few ripe cherry tomatoes every day as the weather cools off.  My fall cabbages are looking pretty good, although some of them will be harvested early because...

Mr. krmit and I have bought our first house! Closing is scheduled for Oct 15. It has 3 former raised beds in the front yard (no wood sides) that have fully overgrown with the lawn, which I'm definitely interested in converting back to beds. I was thinking about spreading down a layer of cardboard and a thick layer of wood chips to give me a head start on soil for next spring. I'll wait on adding any additional beds until the spring. Is this a good idea?

Thanks, all! Any and all first time homebuyer garden advice gladly accepted :D

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #641 on: September 23, 2018, 04:54:51 AM »
Congrats on the house @krmit !  That sounds like a good plan to get those three raised beds back into production.  A thick layer (8-12") of leaves or organic straw also make a great 'blanket' for fall in an area you plan to plant in the spring.  You can also start composting over the fall and winter to have some nice stuff to add to the beds come next year.

Excellent day here yesterday!  We picked our Kieffer pear tree (we only have the one old tree producing currently) and we got 124 pounds of pears.  That's a little less than last year, but I expected it because I did a major pruning on the old gal last winter.  Love that tree.  It's a champ.  And we have three young pear trees that may start bearing next year.  We also continued to harvest figs.  They don't all ripen at once; it's really gradual which is nice.  We've got one old tree and two young ones producing, and we've gotten about five quarts so far. 

And -- AND! -- I met a neighbor very recently who has chickens and bees!  She invited me over yesterday to watch her inspect her hives.  It was thrilling.  She is new to beekeeping, but was able to teach me plenty, and now I have a neighbor to call with questions or exchange animal care with.  So happy. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #642 on: September 23, 2018, 05:22:12 AM »
@krmit congrats! I’ve started new garden beds in the past by smothering grass, tilling it in, or by cutting the sod and removing it to compost. From a soil biology perspective smothering the grass is best but if your fall ends up super busy with the moving in, the other two methods will work just fine if you can’t prep anything until spring.

Cardboard (get as much tape off as you can) or 5+ layers non-glossy newsprint (my parents still get the paper every day, so I’ve had them save me a week or two’s worth before), get it soaking wet, then put something down to keep it from blowing away.

Crops that I’ve found do better in the first year after grass: potatoes, squash family, beans. Tomatoes and peppers will do okay too. You don’t need to amend heavily for nutrients typically the first year. Pick something that will be easy to weed around, as there will be lots of weeds.

krmit

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #643 on: September 23, 2018, 04:04:25 PM »
Thanks! I've been reading a ton of gardening books but haven't had much opportunity to get my hand in the dirt so it's nice to know my instinct was right. Trying to take it slow to not overwhelm myself while also wanting to plant ALL THE THINGS.


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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #644 on: September 25, 2018, 08:10:55 AM »
My post yesterday got vapourised - drat.

I want to share my black bean harvest.  I think they are a variety called rattlesnake but I have no idea for sure.  They came in a seed swap and the writing on the paper faded to illegible.  When on holiday this summer, my hubs family were growing beans that looked exactly the same - creamy yellow / white with red mottling on the pods.  Through poor translation and hand signals we determined that I shouldn't eat them at that point in time.  And they tasted really chalky as green pods.  (At least I could make the entire hubs uncle and family laugh as I had to spit out this bean in their garden).  So I gathered that I was to dry them and shell them and then use them in soup.  To my surprise look what I got this past weekend -

And I also harvest a great bunch of peppers and gave the bay leaf tree a big haircut.  I am really enjoying making cut flower arrangements for my tables.  Not spending 12-15$ every week on fresh flowers has been one of those reformations that I had to make on my mustachian journey. 
« Last Edit: September 25, 2018, 08:14:05 AM by Frugal Lizard »

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #645 on: September 25, 2018, 08:35:03 AM »
I'm still getting tomatoes though it's cooled off a little, and my yellow bell pepper is finally making a pepper - ?? I hope it ripens before it freezes.

The basil is pretty much kaput, though. I pulled the two plants that still looked good for one last round of pesto, as we're looking at lows in the high 40s (!) in the next couple days.

I tried for a fall crop of arugula and lettuce - it all sprouted but has just stalled there, with its baby leaves, no true leaves, and it's been a couple weeks. So I guess that is another fail. I've never been able to do fall greens from seed and am unsure of what I am doing wrong.

Strange thing happened with the blueberry bush I've had for 3 years (Top Hat). I got a pretty decent crop off of it, picked them off as they ripened and ate them right off of the bush. There was still a handful of berries that weren't quite ripe. So I left them to do their thing. It's now late September, while the others ripened in July/August, and they are still not ripe. So I guess they're not going to be. Is that normal? Never happened before. I did get a decent harvest so I'm not that worried about it, it just seems weird.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #646 on: September 25, 2018, 08:54:46 AM »
I am really enjoying making cut flower arrangements for my tables.  Not spending 12-15$ every week on fresh flowers has been one of those reformations that I had to make on my mustachian journey. 

I SO agree- love growing my own cut flowers! It's so much fun to cut a big bouquet to give away and wonderful to able to fill my house with beauty I grew. I have been fantasizing about having whole beds dedicated to growing flowers for picking. Also- have you checked out Floret Farms? They published a great book on cut flowers but their website is gorgeous with all the things they're growing. So beautiful!

Your dried beans look lovely and it'll be so satisfying to cook them up!


Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #647 on: September 25, 2018, 09:08:19 AM »
I am really enjoying making cut flower arrangements for my tables.  Not spending 12-15$ every week on fresh flowers has been one of those reformations that I had to make on my mustachian journey. 
Also- have you checked out Floret Farms? They published a great book on cut flowers but their website is gorgeous with all the things they're growing. So beautiful!

OMG - flower porn. 

Now I am going to need plant some bulbs for cutting.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #648 on: September 29, 2018, 07:55:59 PM »
My cool-season garden is kind of a dud. Most things either failed to germinate or germinated and quickly died - the only thing doing well is the broccoli.

My bell peppers are redeeming themselves with a late crop - I don't know why it took them so long to mature. Sungold tomato plant is still producing but slowing down. Weirdly, one of my strawberry plants produced one perfect, delicious strawberry, after not having had any for like 3 months.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #649 on: September 30, 2018, 04:46:53 AM »
@nessness often you need to germinate indoors because the summer soil temps are too high for some of the typical fall crops.

I’ve never had much luck with anything other than fall snap peas or broccoli. Our falls here are typically warm, then suddenly very very cold.

 

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