Misc/Chat Pics of my start of a "Back to Eden" garden

[changed]

Hey Change, went with my friends again yesterday for lunch and had to drive by "our" chestnut tree again. lol The reason I giggle is that while we were driving by I said to the Hubby, "Hey, there's OUR tree" and his wife laughed so hard as if it was his and mine. It was really cute. Anyway, that tree is 100% American and it is the only one left they know of in NYS. It's crucial for me to get these to sprout. I love the challenge.

It's almost 50 degrees here today and I keep thinking instead of sitting here typing, I should be outside doing something! Anything outside!



Thanks for the pictures and the thread!

Vicki

Vicki, you might consider planting those chestnuts in pots. Then when they get about 3 feet tall transfer them to the ground.

 

[Vicki]

Vicki, you might consider planting those chestnuts in pots. Then when they get about 3 feet tall transfer them to the ground.

I think you are right and it sounds like a plan.

 

[tnhillbilly]

Folks, I just called my electric company and ask them if they needed a place to dump some wood chips after they cleared the power line right away, Told them I had a place. The person in charge came and talked to me and I showed him where I wanted the chips. I told him I would take 2 loads. The next day they dumped me 2 loads for free. Each load weighted 4 tons. If you want chips you might try this. tnhillbilly

 

[BadMedicine]

Score TNH!! 16,000 lbs!!
I just thought of another thing, up here they do the giant-cabages and weigh-offs, early in the spring the trench out their gardens and place PVC pipes several feet into the dirt so that they can water the pipes at the surface, and have them go 3' down to the tap root...

with this method you could lay out an automattic wattering/ irrigation system UNDER the dirt by laying all the pipes will holes drilled along them, under the be, before you dump all the wood chips/ compost. then watering regularly will speed the composting/

Could have a timer on the hose that turned it on for 1/2 hr and filled a huge basin with a PVC coming out of the bottome, flowing into all your different pipes, and the gravity would push it all out, you could find out how much water for how much area, and make your out hose small enough that it only waters as dfast as it can absorb, or will be held in the tank by the back pressure... not sure this will be this years, but I am going to take all the compost I can get and will not be turning any down! we have very rocky/silt glacer soil, and in some places it is very deep, but in my yard the very gravelly is right on top basically, only a few inches of recent compost, and very poor soil mixed with endless rocks after than.

 

[Sherrynboo]

My onion bed

Here is a picture of part of my onion bed I worked on Friday and Saturday! Sure hope this method works like it does in the video I will add more chips as the plants get bigger.

Sherry in GA

 

[changed]

Sherry, is this growing now in Georgia? I was going to wait until spring, but if you are getting things to grow, maybe I should try planting some cool weather vegetables.

And folks, if you look at the right side of Sherry's picture you can see that red Georgia clay that we have to deal with. In mid summer when it is hot and hasn't rained it is literally like bricks.

 

[Leigh19717]

Like the brick labeling! Everything looks great!

 

[Sherrynboo]

Changed, now is the time to get onions in the ground for our area and past time to get garlic in the ground. I still have some onion sets if you want some. The garden centers don't get them in until April and that is just too late to make good onions here in Ga. I never had much luck until I started planting in Jan or Feb.

Sherry in GA

 

[Sherrynboo]

This is an excerpt from a newsletter I get from a lady in East TX. She is in the same zone as I am so most of her info is pertinent to my area.


It is time to get your onion plants in the ground here in the south! My very best onions are always those I plant in early January! You should have already planted your garlic in the fall (October around here), BUT, you can still put some out if you will hurry! You have lost some time for growing your prime garlic, but it will still be worth the effort. If you didn't get your garlic out yet and want the article on how to grow it, then contact us and we will send it to you.
Remember, both garlic and onions love soft soil, lots of manure, lime, other rich additives (or fertilizer if you are not an organic gardener), to be kept well watered and be sure to keep all blooms pinched off for more bulb growth! Watering well and growing them early keeps them sweeter. When your onions get dry they get hotter.
Below is our original 1999 article on raising onions that has been updated with additions through the years.
--Linda
Bluebird Hill Farm

ONIONS, "OH WHAT BREATH"!
Onions are easier to grow than some things, in that the majority of its growing season is when most of the weeds are growing making them easier to take care of. Onions love to be side dressed with straight chicken manure (one of the few crops that can take that) and lots of ashes, lime, cottonseed meal (if you didn't have a strong enough or sufficient amount of manure), and phosphate. I get chicken manure straight out of the hen house to do my onions, garlic, okra, corn, broccoli, collards and cabbage. Cottonseed meal can be used economically for those who don't have livestock to help keep an organic garden fed. Some people think they would keep chickens just for eggs and meat, but they forget the important aspect of using their valuable manure to keep themselves fed in other ways. The same with the rest of your livestock. Livestock can even be kept penned up in areas you want to garden and then moved on to leave you a place that has already been fed and ready to be turned under.
Let me also remind you that those of you who have fisherman in the family can enjoy wonderful fertilizer from the remains from cleaning the fish! Last year (2010) one of the greatest productions I had in my tub garden was the tub I put a bunch of fish scraps down into from one of my grandsons fishing outings!! Don't waste this valuable asset. Add it to your garden or compost!
Putting phosphates out on your garden (or containers) will last for 3 years!! Good news!! On using the super-phosphates. It is not AS organically correct, but OK and so much cheaper if you struggle with your budget. It doesn't take very much to go a long way. We use mostly side-dressing methods (which means we do not broadcast, but put the additives right on the rows where we are growing). Phosphates keep plants growing more rapidly. Slow growing, yellowing or stunted crops often indicates a need for phosphates. If your green beans or corn show red streaks, that is supposed to be a sign that your phosphates are low (but not on Kandy Korn it is naturally red streaked).
Our onions grow sweet, large and keep well, despite what they say about 1015's not keeping well. I am still using my spring 1015's and normally do. Sweet onions come from growing fast (which means the soil was rich enough to KEEP them growing), consistent water supply and lime. If it gets hot and dry before they mature (mature is when their tops fall over, then they are ready to pull) supplement them with water or manure tea to keep them going and sweet! Onions without plenty of constant water are hot onions! (Another word about storing onions here in the South--mine are in an open vegetable shed and even with these 20 degree temperatures they usually only freeze the outside layer, if we are not staying at 20 degrees). So when storage room runs out, don't despair. I know my grandmother, who lived in the Timpson area of East Texas, used the well pump-house, under the house, and even in a deserted chicken house to store potatoes. A whole lot of the "perfect" storage we are hear about is for the FAR north, or for PERFECT conditions. My great grandfather stored his sweet potatoes by mounding some dirt in the fields where they were harvested (he had a plantation) to keep them out of wet ground, put some straw (or hay) on top of that, then the sweet potatoes, more hay and some boards or old shingles, etc. to knock rain off and "there they kept very well". Again, this is here in East Texas.
Never let onions or garlic bloom. This robs the growing nutrients that need to be going to the bulb. Leaving the blooms on sends it instead to the flower, and thus seeds! Keep them snipped off as they appear! Yes, they are beautiful, but they rob flavor and size. After pulling your onions, usually by first of June, allow them to lay out to dry some in the sun (but, not if it is 100+ degrees--I find a shadier area if our temperatures have risen this high). We then cut the tops and let them finish drying under shade trees, or in flat ventilated trays in our vegetable shed. If you put them up too wet, they will spoil!
You can use the old method also of braiding the tops together to make a "rope" of them to hang in the attic, or wherever you can keep the rats out of them.
Store away some onion seeds in an airtight container, or even in the freezer, for growing your next year's onions if you want to grow your own plants, or if you foresee difficulties in the future where plants may become available. (As long as the seeds are available, they are cheap and easy to get). The seeds will be grown in the fall in a small bed where the seeds are sprinkled and grown very closely. They will then be pulled up (in bunches just like you buy in the store) the next January to transplant with wide spacing to give your onions room to grow large.
You never knew it took so long to raise onions did you?!! Basically 9 months to get an onion! This little bed of onions will need to be very clean and free of weeds, and kept watered consistently and carefully. You also want the soil to be rich. (A word of wisdom from one who has had to learn everything the absolute hard way. Poor soil means poor crops! Rich soil means abundant crops! You CANNOT just go out, till a piece of ground, go throw out some seeds, and think you are going to eat heartily. This is especially true since many of us live on worn out soil. Your yield will be in relation to what you do for your soil. Your yield will also be in proportion to how weed free the area is kept and plants kept thinned enough to make room for their growth without competing with other plants for the nutrients, water and sunshine)!
Remember your local county extension agent has many free materials you can get for the asking, and keep the answers jotted down that people give you when you ask questions. When you can't remember who you asked and their answer, you will be so thankful for all the information you can find. Keep a GOOD notebook with planting times, varieties of seeds you planted and their yields, lessons you learned, failures, successes, varieties of fruits you planted and whatever amendments you gave the soil and when. This will be wonderful resource material for next year, and the years after, and as you try to put together what works for YOU and YOUR land!
As we have told you MANY times, fill your libraries with farming, canning and how-to books. You will have some handy information at your fingertips when you can't find someone to answer your questions. Computers and internet are wonderful to find answers, but should difficulties come, what will you use? Even without national difficulties, we still have power outages in our area, sometimes a week at a time. If you are trying to accomplish something (or have something to do during a long outage) you need information. Again, computers are wonderful, but I need hard copies of information, writings, and etc. to hold onto!
Things learned in small quantities (backyard gardening) can help teach you for large quantities when you are ready to garden in earnest or in hard times (i.e. financial, disasters, war or otherwise)! Remember the wars could increase at any time and leave you needing to grow your own foods (as in the Victory Gardens of World War II!). Wisdom keeps us from feeling "too comfortable" and ready to take care of ourselves and our families as needed! Don't leave yourself without basic "survival" knowledge. Most people today cannot survive for longer than a week, if they can make it that long!! Start, or keep, learning now and enjoy the "fruits of your labor"!

Sherry in GA

 

[pauldingbabe]

This is an excerpt from a newsletter I get from a lady in East TX. She is in the same zone as I am so most of her info is pertinent to my area.


It is time to get your onion plants in the ground here in the south! My very best onions are always those I plant in early January! You should have already planted your garlic in the fall (October around here), BUT, you can still put some out if you will hurry! You have lost some time for growing your prime garlic, but it will still be worth the effort. If you didn't get your garlic out yet and want the article on how to grow it, then contact us and we will send it to you.
Remember, both garlic and onions love soft soil, lots of manure, lime, other rich additives (or fertilizer if you are not an organic gardener), to be kept well watered and be sure to keep all blooms pinched off for more bulb growth! Watering well and growing them early keeps them sweeter. When your onions get dry they get hotter.
Below is our original 1999 article on raising onions that has been updated with additions through the years.
--Linda
Bluebird Hill Farm

ONIONS, "OH WHAT BREATH"!
Onions are easier to grow than some things, in that the majority of its growing season is when most of the weeds are growing making them easier to take care of. Onions love to be side dressed with straight chicken manure (one of the few crops that can take that) and lots of ashes, lime, cottonseed meal (if you didn't have a strong enough or sufficient amount of manure), and phosphate. I get chicken manure straight out of the hen house to do my onions, garlic, okra, corn, broccoli, collards and cabbage. Cottonseed meal can be used economically for those who don't have livestock to help keep an organic garden fed. Some people think they would keep chickens just for eggs and meat, but they forget the important aspect of using their valuable manure to keep themselves fed in other ways. The same with the rest of your livestock. Livestock can even be kept penned up in areas you want to garden and then moved on to leave you a place that has already been fed and ready to be turned under.
Let me also remind you that those of you who have fisherman in the family can enjoy wonderful fertilizer from the remains from cleaning the fish! Last year (2010) one of the greatest productions I had in my tub garden was the tub I put a bunch of fish scraps down into from one of my grandsons fishing outings!! Don't waste this valuable asset. Add it to your garden or compost!
Putting phosphates out on your garden (or containers) will last for 3 years!! Good news!! On using the super-phosphates. It is not AS organically correct, but OK and so much cheaper if you struggle with your budget. It doesn't take very much to go a long way. We use mostly side-dressing methods (which means we do not broadcast, but put the additives right on the rows where we are growing). Phosphates keep plants growing more rapidly. Slow growing, yellowing or stunted crops often indicates a need for phosphates. If your green beans or corn show red streaks, that is supposed to be a sign that your phosphates are low (but not on Kandy Korn it is naturally red streaked).
Our onions grow sweet, large and keep well, despite what they say about 1015's not keeping well. I am still using my spring 1015's and normally do. Sweet onions come from growing fast (which means the soil was rich enough to KEEP them growing), consistent water supply and lime. If it gets hot and dry before they mature (mature is when their tops fall over, then they are ready to pull) supplement them with water or manure tea to keep them going and sweet! Onions without plenty of constant water are hot onions! (Another word about storing onions here in the South--mine are in an open vegetable shed and even with these 20 degree temperatures they usually only freeze the outside layer, if we are not staying at 20 degrees). So when storage room runs out, don't despair. I know my grandmother, who lived in the Timpson area of East Texas, used the well pump-house, under the house, and even in a deserted chicken house to store potatoes. A whole lot of the "perfect" storage we are hear about is for the FAR north, or for PERFECT conditions. My great grandfather stored his sweet potatoes by mounding some dirt in the fields where they were harvested (he had a plantation) to keep them out of wet ground, put some straw (or hay) on top of that, then the sweet potatoes, more hay and some boards or old shingles, etc. to knock rain off and "there they kept very well". Again, this is here in East Texas.
Never let onions or garlic bloom. This robs the growing nutrients that need to be going to the bulb. Leaving the blooms on sends it instead to the flower, and thus seeds! Keep them snipped off as they appear! Yes, they are beautiful, but they rob flavor and size. After pulling your onions, usually by first of June, allow them to lay out to dry some in the sun (but, not if it is 100+ degrees--I find a shadier area if our temperatures have risen this high). We then cut the tops and let them finish drying under shade trees, or in flat ventilated trays in our vegetable shed. If you put them up too wet, they will spoil!
You can use the old method also of braiding the tops together to make a "rope" of them to hang in the attic, or wherever you can keep the rats out of them.
Store away some onion seeds in an airtight container, or even in the freezer, for growing your next year's onions if you want to grow your own plants, or if you foresee difficulties in the future where plants may become available. (As long as the seeds are available, they are cheap and easy to get). The seeds will be grown in the fall in a small bed where the seeds are sprinkled and grown very closely. They will then be pulled up (in bunches just like you buy in the store) the next January to transplant with wide spacing to give your onions room to grow large.
You never knew it took so long to raise onions did you?!! Basically 9 months to get an onion! This little bed of onions will need to be very clean and free of weeds, and kept watered consistently and carefully. You also want the soil to be rich. (A word of wisdom from one who has had to learn everything the absolute hard way. Poor soil means poor crops! Rich soil means abundant crops! You CANNOT just go out, till a piece of ground, go throw out some seeds, and think you are going to eat heartily. This is especially true since many of us live on worn out soil. Your yield will be in relation to what you do for your soil. Your yield will also be in proportion to how weed free the area is kept and plants kept thinned enough to make room for their growth without competing with other plants for the nutrients, water and sunshine)!
Remember your local county extension agent has many free materials you can get for the asking, and keep the answers jotted down that people give you when you ask questions. When you can't remember who you asked and their answer, you will be so thankful for all the information you can find. Keep a GOOD notebook with planting times, varieties of seeds you planted and their yields, lessons you learned, failures, successes, varieties of fruits you planted and whatever amendments you gave the soil and when. This will be wonderful resource material for next year, and the years after, and as you try to put together what works for YOU and YOUR land!
As we have told you MANY times, fill your libraries with farming, canning and how-to books. You will have some handy information at your fingertips when you can't find someone to answer your questions. Computers and internet are wonderful to find answers, but should difficulties come, what will you use? Even without national difficulties, we still have power outages in our area, sometimes a week at a time. If you are trying to accomplish something (or have something to do during a long outage) you need information. Again, computers are wonderful, but I need hard copies of information, writings, and etc. to hold onto!
Things learned in small quantities (backyard gardening) can help teach you for large quantities when you are ready to garden in earnest or in hard times (i.e. financial, disasters, war or otherwise)! Remember the wars could increase at any time and leave you needing to grow your own foods (as in the Victory Gardens of World War II!). Wisdom keeps us from feeling "too comfortable" and ready to take care of ourselves and our families as needed! Don't leave yourself without basic "survival" knowledge. Most people today cannot survive for longer than a week, if they can make it that long!! Start, or keep, learning now and enjoy the "fruits of your labor"!

Sherry in GA

excellent!

 

[bev]

I'll post more pictures in the next couple days. We're at about 18' x 25' now!!!!

 

[Sherrynboo]

I worked on adding more chips yesterday until I broke my yard cart! I have to move them uphill about 60 feet. I hope I am not making a grave mistake but I am not putting down paper. I was putting down a good layer of leaves or compost but kind of ran out of both so now I am just laying down the chips. I did use the paper under the chips for the onions. My whole garden is 100x100 ft and I probably have an area 75x30 done. Very slow process!

Sherry in GA

 

[Metolius]

Folks, I just called my electric company and ask them if they needed a place to dump some wood chips after they cleared the power line right away, Told them I had a place. The person in charge came and talked to me and I showed him where I wanted the chips. I told him I would take 2 loads. The next day they dumped me 2 loads for free. Each load weighted 4 tons. If you want chips you might try this. tnhillbilly

I loved reading the thread, but couldn't imagine where I'd get wood chips from, out here in the high desert, and for little to no cost (eta: we have trees, but no chipper - and chipping isn't as common out here as it was in the more forested valley where we used to live).

And of all the surprises, the next day Dh ran into the power co. guys down the road, who told him that they wanted to cut trees from their line on our property and were bringing a chipper. I told dh to tell them they could do it, if they dumped the loads in my garden.

So I have two entire loads at the end of my garden, waiting to be turned into my garden of eden here, plus some extra firewood that they cut from the larger trees along the line for our use. All for free, and I'm pretty excited about getting started on this.

 

[Leigh19717]

oh my! That is surely God sent! He always knows when we really need something. I am getting a free queen mattress this week and a free frig/freezer combo for the back porch. They will sure come in handy and off my need lists! Sorry, back to topic lol

 

[changed]

I loved reading the thread, but couldn't imagine where I'd get wood chips from, out here in the high desert, and for little to no cost (eta: we have trees, but no chipper - and chipping isn't as common out here as it was in the more forested valley where we used to live).

And of all the surprises, the next day Dh ran into the power co. guys down the road, who told him that they wanted to cut trees from their line on our property and were bringing a chipper. I told dh to tell them they could do it, if they dumped the loads in my garden.

So I have two entire loads at the end of my garden, waiting to be turned into my garden of eden here, plus some extra firewood that they cut from the larger trees along the line for our use. All for free, and I'm pretty excited about getting started on this.

Isn't it odd how this stuff is coming together for us? Its like God is the one doing the prepping.

 

[Metolius]

Leigh19717 and changed -

I've read through this thread many times as I keep culling tips, and yes, I am struck by how many people have been asking and receiving (which is why I shared the tale of my own "gift" received).

I'm looking out at a scattering of snow on the ground. It has been an unusually mild winter here, ie we should have 8" to a foot by now at least, yet we've only had a handful of single snow days since Nov. which melt off shortly thereafter. Of course, seeing bare ground here and there drives me crazy as I count the months until I can dig up some ground safely.

But also because of this thread, I started some basil and tomato seeds inside yesterday, and will do a few more herbs this week as well. And plan to do quite a few in March, to be ready to plant in June (in probably one of the planet's shortest growing seasons Am also researching what kind of berries and varieties might do well here as permanent plantings, and figuring out my larger planting scheme here, ie what goes where and with what and why. At 5,000' it will be a challenge, but now I think I can do even better than I've done to date by changing some things. ETA: am looking at the reviews for Sepp Holzer's book (which I saw on these BTE threads), as he is gardening at my elevation. My, if I could have the same results!

 

[changed]

Leigh19717 and changed -

I've read through this thread many times as I keep culling tips, and yes, I am struck by how many people have been asking and receiving (which is why I shared the tale of my own "gift" received).

I'm looking out at a scattering of snow on the ground. It has been an unusually mild winter here, ie we should have 8" to a foot by now at least, yet we've only had a handful of single snow days since Nov. which melt off shortly thereafter. Of course, seeing bare ground here and there drives me crazy as I count the months until I can dig up some ground safely.

But also because of this thread, I started some basil and tomato seeds inside yesterday, and will do a few more herbs this week as well. And plan to do quite a few in March, to be ready to plant in June (in probably one of the planet's shortest growing seasons Am also researching what kind of berries and varieties might do well here as permanent plantings, and figuring out my larger planting scheme here, ie what goes where and with what and why. At 5,000' it will be a challenge, but now I think I can do even better than I've done to date by changing some things. ETA: am looking at the reviews for Sepp Holzer's book (which I saw on these BTE threads), as he is gardening at my elevation. My, if I could have the same results!

Metolius, I haven't read Sepp's books. I have only seen the youtube videos on him. The reason he can grow warm weather crops at such high elevation is because he places rocks around them. They absorb the sun's heat. The other thing he does is plants them against the side of the mountain where the sun can heat up the rocky face of the mountain and it creates a microclimate favorable for the plants. You can do a similar thing if you have a brick house or south facing rock retaining wall. Another thing is he has constructed pools and ponds that absorb the sun's heat and help to moderate air temperatures.

 

[bev]

It took a little longer than I thought, but here are pictures of what we've done so far. We've used up the wood chips (still have lots of newsprint!), and the size at this point is about 25' x 18' and we may still shoot for 25' x 50', although that might not happen this year. What we have done is about 6"-8" deep.

We've had a good amount rain since we got this last part done, so hopefully things are starting to "cook" by now. No snow yet though. It's funny watching DH squatting down to feel in the mulch/chips and try to tell if there's any difference in the soil yet.

Not sure yet if we'll get more wood chips at this point. We did have to pay for them, and would have to again. But now that we're thinking of which plants to (try to) grow, and how much space they will need...we may end up ordering another load. With all the time and expense (minimal expense, really), I really want to do this right, meaning allowing ample room for each plant, and timing the plantings accurately. All that stuff.

It's so exciting to see how God is providing!!! Keep the stories coming!

 

[changed]

Bev, I think Paul Gautcshi had success with wood chips because they had years to decompose. When Mark McComber tried it in their first year, they didn't have as much luck. What they figured out was that the seeds or plants needed contact with soil. I am new to this Back to Eden Gardening also and what I am wondering is if you created furrows in your wood chips and then placed a narrow row of topsoil from bags in the furrows, then plant seeds if that will work. When the seeds germinate, carefully push the wood chips over the soil and around the plants.

BTW. your plot looks awesome.

 

[changed]

bump for bev

 

[Sherrynboo]

Yes you HAVE to plant BENEATH the chips in the dirt underneath! you may also need to add some amendments the first year due to the pulling out of the nitrogen from the decomposing wood chips. So far my onions are looking good!

Sherry in GA

 

[bev]

Changed ;-)

One thing I read was that you have to plant in the soil, and someone had tried planting in the mulch. So I'm hoping to have some luck, knowing we may have to go down a ways and possibly add some good topsoil in there as well.

 

[changed]

Bev, if you are worried about lack of nitrogen, one trick I have done is to buy a bag of alfalfa pellet rabbit food. I then throw a handful of alfalfa pellets around each plant.

 

[changed]

Anyone else getting itchy to get the spring garden party started? Come on spring, hurry up.

 

[TXKajun]

Last weekend, I took the time to watch the Eden Garden video. It really fired me up! There was a woman a loooonngggg time ago who did almost the same thing, but used hay and straw instead of mulch. Same principal.

I ordered some heirloom seeds last week that I hope will be here soon. I didn't want to break into my LT storage can. Yep, I'm itching to get out there, too. My plum tree is firmly convinced it's spring and has started putting on buds....they're opening enough that I saw bees around it today.....and my peach tree is starting to bud out.

I started pulling some weed clumps today, but they're gonna need more attention than I can give today. Also, gotta start saving the newspapers. I looked at the local gardening depts at Lowe's, Wallyworld and Sutherland's. Looks like Lowe's is gonna get my business for compost and mulch.

We have tons of pecan trees here, but all the leaves are dead and brown when folks bag them up. Would those work, too?

Kajun

 

[trkarl]

On the side of my house I put down about 1 inch of compost and raked into it Azomite, Greensand, and some organic vegetable fertilizer and then put about a 3 inch layer of mulch over it. This is just around 2 avocado trees, a carambola tree, and 4 papayas. When the rainy season gets here I will probably plant several types of annuals and herbs to attract beneficial insects.

Anyone else getting itchy to get the spring garden party started? Come on spring, hurry up.

Wooo slow down. I think we are already way past Spring here. Only had 2 days of light frost this Winter. Now the days are running in the mid to upper 80s. Never before have I run my ac in February. I know... waaa waaa waaaa.

 

[Sherrynboo]

I got my potatoes in the ground last weekend and planted some beets yesterday. I was going to plant some carrots today but after yesterday afternoon and evening rains it was just to icky to work with. I am getting my chips down though

Sherry in GA

 

[bev]

About 6" of snow on top of the wood chips now!

 

[Moe and Curly]

good substitute for a wood chipper.

Some of you have mentioned that you do not have a wood chipper. Some of you may have one and not even know it. I have a tractor mounted brush hog which is a rotary mower mounted behind the tractor. It makes an excellent chipper. I simply make a pile of wood chips, branches etc. raise the brush hog, put it directly over the pile, engage the power takeoff and slowly lower it over the pile. I drive the tractor forward and backward over the pile, lower the spinning blade and it pulverizes the brush and wood chips into soil with small chips remaining. It rots quicker when it is chopped up and is almost the consistency of soil. I do the same thing with piles of leaves and grass.

 

[changed]

Thanks to advice by Sherrynboo, I have onions growing in my Back to Eden Garden right now.

 

[Sherrynboo]

Glad you got your onions in Changed! Mine are doing well but I may need to fertilize them soon. We are having the strangest weather this year! Lots of rain and warm temps. I need to get my tomatoes and peppers started under lights this weekend. Gonna be time to get them in the ground before you know it!

Sherry in GA

 

[changed]

Are there other frost tolerant vegetables I should be planting about now?

 

[Vicki]

Are there other frost tolerant vegetables I should be planting about now?

You could build a hot house over some things. Frost tolerate food plants here... http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/cold-weather-vegetable-gardening/

The chart from the farmers Almanac is helpful. Planting by the astrological signs is a real good idea. I have excellent results when I do and usually disastrous results if I don't. Here's the list from EC..

February 2012
Fine For Planting Beans, Peppers, Cucumbers, Melons And Other Aboveground Crops, Where Climate Is Suitable.


2nd-3rd Any Seed Planted Now Will Tend To Rot.


4th-5th Fine For Planting Beans, Tomatoes, Corn, Cotton, Cucumbers, Peppers, Melons And Other Aboveground Crops, Where Climate Allows. Plant Seedbeds And Flower Gardens.


6th-10th Clear Ground, Turn Sod. Kill Plant Pests.


11th-12th Favorable Days For Planting Root Crops. Fine For Sowing Grains, Hay, And Forage Crops. Plant Flowers.


13th-15th Plant Carrots, Turnips, Onions, Beets, Irish Potatoes And Other Root Crops, In The South. Lettuce, Cabbage, Collards, And Other Leafy Vegetables Will Do Well. Start Seedbeds. Good Days For Transplanting.


16th-17th Neither Plant Nor Sow On These Barren Days.


18th-20th Any Root Crops That Can Be Planted Now Will Do Well.


21st-22nd Barren Days. Fine For Clearing, Plowing, Fertilizing, And Killing Plant Pests.


23rd-24th Plant Peppers, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes And Other Aboveground Crops, In

Southern Florida, California, And Texas. Extra Good For Cucumbers, Peas, Cantaloupes, And Other Vine Crops. Set Strawberry Plants.


25th-26th Seeds Planted Now Will Grow Poorly And Yield Little.


27th-28th Fine For Planting Beans, Peppers, Cucumbers, Melons And Other Aboveground Crops, Where Climate Is Suitable.


29th Any Seed Planted Now Will Tend To Rot.

 

[Vicki]

They list these from the link but each one will tell you such as Broccoli, plant one month before last frost. If you did a hot house over them. You may be able to start them now in your area. My guess anyway.

Sorry.. forgot em. lol

Spinach, Swiss Chard, Radish, Peas, Pansy, Lettuce, Chives, Carrot, Calendula, Cabbage & Broccoli.

 

[Sherrynboo]

Radishes, carrots, sugar snap peas, potatoes. I don't have good luck with broccoli here in GA in the spring, do much better with it as a fall crop. It tends to get too hot too fast for the heads to form properly. It may do better in your area Changed since you are more north than I am.

Sherry in GA

 

[changed]

Hey Bev, heads up. Back to Eden is having a Back to Eden garden picture contest. You should submit the pics you posted here to the contest. I thought about submitting my before woodchip and after woodchip pics.

The March/April Back to Eden Newsletter is out:

http://backtoedenfilm.com/newsletters/March-April Newsletter Better.pdf

 

[changed]

Bump because it was like spring out today.


Also, today I planted more onions and purple potatoes, red potatoes, yellow potatoes, and Russett potatoes.

Ya'all ever seen purple potatoes?

 

[Kathy in FL]

Bump because it was like spring out today.


Also, today I planted more onions and purple potatoes, red potatoes, yellow potatoes, and Russett potatoes.

Ya'all ever seen purple potatoes?

Yeah, the one I planted was called "All Blue." It was OK; not the best potato I have ever grown. But it retained that lavendar color when it was cooked. Now that was a hoot to put on the table. LOL!

 

[big kumara]

We grow blue fingerlings at work, but they're a pain to dig because the skins are so dark.

 

[Sherrynboo]

One of my clients gave me a blue sweet potato last year. They got it at Fresh Market. I am going to try to find some of those and see if I can get them going in addition to the regular ones. Boy spring has sprung here in west central GA! I am about ready to just start planting my warm weather crops. Gonna be in the 80's later in the week with no sign of frost in the forecast.

Sherry in Ga