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

[changed]

Sherry, if you can find a Super H Mart in Atlanta, they sell the purple potatoes.


That's where I got the Asian chestnuts also, but they are out of season right now.

 

[Norma]

Forecast is for 60 today, 65 tomorrow and the rest of the week in the 70's and this is NW Iowa. The ground never did freeze this winter.



Norma

 

[Calfisher]

Here is our urban garden...

Here is our urban garden...

 

[Rustic Rose]

I've been growing purple potatoes for about three years. They're the best-tasting potatoes I've ever eaten. But I don't know what kind they are.

Also, they seem to be more susceptible to scab than the others I grow. Just have to peel them a little deeper.

I've been told they are better for diabetics, less starch. Don't know.

Fried some up this morning for breakfast. Yum!

 

[Loon]

We're getting spring fever early here in mid Michigan. It was in the 60's today and I spotted a bunch of robins in the field. We let the chickens out to free range after being cooped up all winter. My daffodils are up about 4 inches already. I uncovered my roses and they all made it through our mild winter. It felt so good to be outside in the sunshine and fresh air. We've been pruning all our fruit trees. We have so many so it's very labor intensive. We only have three more to go and we'll be done. Have to get them all sprayed with dormant oil before they start budding out. Lots of work and chores but when it's fun it doesn't seem like work. We ordered six more fruit trees but they won't be in till mid April. We took the snow blade off the tractor and we'll put the auger on to dig the holes for the trees. It makes the job much easier. I'll be starting my seeds in about two weeks. I have a feeling we're going to have a good garden this year. Can't wait for the asparagus spears to come up. Yum! We planted too many. I believe we planted 125 crowns about 5 years ago. Good thing we like asparagus.

 

[TXKajun]

I've been plotting and planning a partial Back To Eden style garden in the back yard. I've got a long, skinny area along the west fence, bout 3' wide by 60' long, an area on north wall bout 3' wide and 20' long and a couple of S shaped rose garden beds in the back yard, bout 3' wide and 30' long with space for 5 or 6 tomato plants. I'm going to do the newspaper/manure/compost in spots in the rose beds and along the west wall. Probably just compost on north wall since I've already got seeds in the ground there.....some already sprouting.

I put about 7 different kinds of heirloom seeds into little planter holders a few weeks ago and they're doing well....got at least 1 plant coming up from each, 3 or 4 in a few of them. Also, after trying for 3 years, I finally got some tobacco seeds to put out sprouts! YAAAAYYY Finally, last weekend, I potted my herb seeds and got them into the sun. Man, some of those herb seeds are almost as small as tobacco seeds! Sheesh!

Today, I got enough newspaper and manure and mulch to take care of the spots in the rose garden that I plan to put tomato plants in.......in between the roses. Got the newspaper laid down, manure on top and about 2" of compost on top of that. Gonna water it in tonite and just let it sit for a couple of weeks until I'm ready to transplant the tomatoes and other plants. I warned my 15 yo DS we have lots more manure and compost to haul either today or next weekend so we can finish off the wall portions of the garden. Lots of work for a FOWG like me (fat, old, white guy LOL), but hopefully this will be the only time I'll have to do this for many years to come.

Last, but not least, I spread a little Thompson's Water Seal on a wooden table I finished putting together last weekend. It's gonna be an outdoor table and isn't fancy, but looks pretty darn good.

Spring has sprung here! How can I tell? The turkey buzzards have returned. Each spring and fall, they give our town a visit for about a week or so.

Kajun

 

[Loon]

We got the chicken coop and run cleaned out and put the compost on the vegetable garden. It was dry enough today to till it all in. It has cooled off now into the 50's. Hoping to get the garden planted a bit early in May if this keeps up.

 

[Calfisher]

Well, we blanked out the garden area yesterday and spread out the compost, then topped it off with planter mix. The whole area is now about 8" deep. We will plant next weekend.

 

[Vicki]

on page 3 we we're talking American Chestnut trees and I just want to report I have now in my possession original 100% American Chestnut growing in my greenhouse. They are not bigger than about 5 inches high but they are doing well. I'm very excited about that!

How's everyone's gardens doing?

Vicki

 

[changed]

How many Vicki? And when will you transfer them to the ground?

My back to eden garden is doing better than any of my previous attempts at a garden. I am still waiting on a camera so that I can take pics.

 

[Vicki]

How many Vicki? And when will you transfer them to the ground?

My back to eden garden is doing better than any of my previous attempts at a garden. I am still waiting on a camera so that I can take pics.

I have 3 right now Changed but started a dozen so there's still hope for more. I'm thinking of putting them in big tree pots for now and try to baby them this year. I don't want to lose them.

Can't wait to see your pictures. I always take a few pictures of my start and then take them later on to compare. I should start a picture book of my gardens over the years. I hope you have much success! I did it the old fashioned way once again and finally just yesterday got the rest of the plants in. I did more tomatoes this year then ever before because I plan on canning like crazy come fall. I did 4 rows with two deep per row. lol I also did alot of corn this year. All non-hybrid and it's looking good so far. maybe it'll make up for the lack of fruit due to the frost.

Post them pictures when you can!

Blessings to ya'
Vicki

 

[Loon]

Could have sworn I replied to this topic yesterday but I don't see it. I guess I forgot to hit send or something.

We need rain bad. Got the garden in but have to hand water it all. Have so much asparagus I don't know what to do with it. It grows overnight. We're working on all the fruit trees weed whacking inside the cages around them and putting down old carpet to block weeds so we don't have to keep weed whacking. It's slow. We're slow. I think we have 20 more trees to go. Hope to get it done tomorrow as it's going to be in the 90's on Sunday and Monday. Hopefully we'll get a shower.

 

[KenGin31]

You need rain bad! You ought to be here the desert south east. We've got about a quater inch in the last month . Temp today was 96 to 99 depending where you were standing. Have had to water every other day to keep every thing from dying every thing is wilting as it is.

 

[Loon]

You are in worse shape than we are KenGin. It is 60 degrees and cloudy this morning and looks like it COULD rain but they say it will be scattered and not till tomorrow and Monday. I hope we're one of the areas that gets it. At least it's a tad cooler but tomorrow it's going to be 92. We'll keep watering daily on the new transplants and new trees we put in. My broccoli is planted in the afternoon shade of my elderberry bushes so I hope they won't grow up and bolt. I'd love some broccoli this year. I guess we'll have to haul out all those heavy hoses and run them out to the garden as soon as we're done cutting down the grass around the fruit trees and mulching them with old carpet. The older trees are good as we live in a high water table flood zone area down the road from the lake. They can reach way down and get a drink when they need one. It will be interesting to see how much fruit we do wind up getting this year after the late frosts. I know we'll have some apples because I can see them on the trees. Gardening is never an exact science that you can count on each year. There are so many things weather wise that can go wrong. It's why I put up as much as I can when the harvest is heavy because you never know if you'll get anything the next growing season. Happy Gardening....hoe-hoe-hoe

 

[Sherrynboo]

Kengin that is the beauty of the Back to Eden concept. The thick layer of wood chips holds in the moisture. I just checked down in my potatoes, nice and moist underneath and I have not watered them one time since they were planted in Feb. We have had some rain here and there but if i was using the traditional method I would be watering frequently as I have to do with my corn since I don't have the wood chips over that part of the garden yet. There is a tropical storm forming off the coast of SC that should bring some rain to a good portion of the state by Tuesday. I am going out now to take some pictures of my garden since I haven't posted any in awhile.

Sherry in GA

 

[KenGin31]

I was talking to my neighbor yesterday and was telling her about the back to eden way to garden. We both agreed that it would be a lot easier. Here the problem would be where to get all the mulch. Neither of us have a truck.

 

[Calfisher]

Two months later, this is how the garden looks now...

 

[Sherrynboo]

Beautiful Calfisher! Ken, the tree service brought the chips to me. I need to get them to bring me out some more as I have a few thin spots where weeds are cropping up.

Sherry in GA

 

[changed]

I was talking to my neighbor yesterday and was telling her about the back to eden way to garden. We both agreed that it would be a lot easier. Here the problem would be where to get all the mulch. Neither of us have a truck.

I don't have a truck either. What I have been doing is putting two garbage cans, a tote, and two five gallon buckets in the minivan and go to the dump. Several trips, but it works.

 

[BadMedicine]

So I had about 3 fat loads of woodchips dropped off last year and spread them out to about 8" deep as far as it would go. I'm going to do another area right next to it of approx the same size, amd waiting on wood chips...

I head that having MSOTLY wood depletes nitrogene fast and you should have lots of green foliage too... so will be getting plenty of strait grass clippings... but am wondering how I should go about mixing the green into the wood, and how the nitrogen is depleted...

Is it best to go and re-mix the wood I laid down with it, or will spreading it over the top evenly and watering it down hold the nitrogen?

I guess because I'm unclear on how it is lost I don't know the best way to prevent it. So any suggestions for mixing the grass with the wood chips that are already down, or the future chips?

I've sure been enjoying this thread!!

 

[BadMedicine]

btt

 

[changed]

Nice pics.

As long as you don't till the chips into the soil you shouldn't have a problem with the soil microbes using up all of the nitrogen. Just leave the chips on the surface.

 

[tm1439m]

Nice pics.

As long as you don't till the chips into the soil you shouldn't have a problem with the soil microbes using up all of the nitrogen. Just leave the chips on the surface.

From what I have read the chips will leach the nitrogen from the soil even if you put them on the surface. I have heard that for many years. Landscapers say never put green chips on your plant beds because of the loss of nitrogen. I may be wrong but that is what i have heard.

 

[tm1439m]

So I had about 3 fat loads of woodchips dropped off last year and spread them out to about 8" deep as far as it would go. I'm going to do another area right next to it of approx the same size, amd waiting on wood chips...

I head that having MSOTLY wood depletes nitrogene fast and you should have lots of green foliage too... so will be getting plenty of strait grass clippings... but am wondering how I should go about mixing the green into the wood, and how the nitrogen is depleted...

Is it best to go and re-mix the wood I laid down with it, or will spreading it over the top evenly and watering it down hold the nitrogen?

I guess because I'm unclear on how it is lost I don't know the best way to prevent it. So any suggestions for mixing the grass with the wood chips that are already down, or the future chips?

I've sure been enjoying this thread!!

You could in the future incorporate alternating layers of clover hay (high in nitrogen) and wood chips as you put new beds down. I have heard that you can sometimes find old hay that has molded and no longer good for feed that can be bought cheap or even get it for free. It does not hurt to use it in the garden and it will add the nitrogen you need to break down the wood chips.

 

[changed]

From what I have read the chips will leach the nitrogen from the soil even if you put them on the surface. I have heard that for many years. Landscapers say never put green chips on your plant beds because of the loss of nitrogen. I may be wrong but that is what i have heard.

The loss of nitrogen is due to microbes in the soil. The carbon in the wood chips provides one type of food for the microbes, but if the chips are only on the surface, then that is the extent of the nitrogen depletion.

 

[BadMedicine]

Thanks for the explanations!! I just spread it out mostly but did kick up and stir lotsa woodchips in the process, esp around the edges where I pulled the woodchips back to make it more uniform. Am going to get some lodge-pole pines to frame it in and will probably make it square, but maybe open on one end for expansion, it has room to be twice this size if I get the mulch. It is probably about 40' around now.

Here are some pics I just took when I finished. It was 10:35pm when I took them, about 15 mins ago, and it's a VERY overcast/ gloomy day. I could def still read a book outside and probably for another hour.

The 4th and 5th pics are is 1 yr worth of about 12 rabbits poo and straw bedding..and some rocks because I racked it off of a gravel lot, they are now moved to a wooded area in the hutches. It's all headed to the mulch heap too (I dont plan on planting it this year.. to late already unfortunately ) Im not too worried about the little rock and gravel in it, I can pick it out as I go, and how little it is shouldnt really effect anything other than stretch my soil

The last pic (will be in the next post because it wont fit) is some couple week old moose tracks next to the garden.. there were some fresher ones on the trail but I raked them smooth before I thought about pics for yall because I am 'monitoring' moose traffic on my trail.. archery season opens in 2 months and 2 days.. not that I'm counting

 

[BadMedicine]

In the last pic i nthe last post, the right side I scooped to the gravel and is one trailer almost full, is atleast 1.5 times that much on the grounder there, even though it's hard to see, that pile is about 18" deep.. the trailer was too heavy for me to roll by hand (plus it has a flat-ish tire..) Gonna have a slayer raised box for next year.. will probably 'mini-greenhouse' it covered-wagon style with some PVC and 6mil clear plastic.

also meant to say was super hard to get the grass even. it was about 30+ half to fulkl trashbags.. the ones that were half full were already fermenting and composting and some were like pouring sourkraut out of a bag!! So some of the mulch was supper dense and wet and some was fresh and green and fluffy from being cut yestreday/ few days ago... I'm sure it will compact and settle uneven but.. I got a rake

The moose tracks:

 

[changed]

BadMedicine, is that a shipping container we see in one of your pictures?

 

[rolenrock]

Beautiful garden. I don't understand why everyone is not gardening instead of wasting good money on landscaping plants that you can't eat. I wonder if we will get back to a time where everyone grows a garden nearby. The good food and the exercise all provide excellent benefits.

 

[BadMedicine]

BadMedicine, is that a shipping container we see in one of your pictures?

Yeah, its a 45' connex. They are cheaper and more durable than sheds. we bought it for about 2500 and 300 delivery from anchorage.Thats a good deal, usually about $1000/ every 10' long.. so it's worth about $4500... We're going to put another one next to it, with space for a two-car garage overhead door between them, and gable the roof... lotsa those up here

 

[Vicki]

I really wish I could do a video walking around my yard instead of these pictures but these are going to have to do for now. I have stuff planted everywhere from blueberry bushes to grape vines to an orchard to my herb beds. It's really fun to walk around and show others my edible landscaping. I don't want to jinx myself but I think I'd be hard pressed to go hungry now. lol I also have fish in the pond so gosh darn it, we WILL eat.

Anyway, here's a few shots I took today and I hope to post some more later on when everything is in full bloom. Don't mind the asparagus bed in the first garden shot to the front right. I haven't gotten a chance to weed that yet. To the left of that is a potato bed, then a garlic bed and to the far left a strawberry bed. The very large plant to the far left of the garden is horseradish and behind the garden is all rasberries. The potato bed needs straw and I still haven't finished working there.

My rototiller is in need of repair so I have been doing this all by hand with alittle bit of help from my youngest son. I'm awaiting the rototiller being fixed but the weeds between the rows will be hopefully yanked tomorrow. It's hard to keep up with it all but it's so rewarding and I'm so stubborn that it will get done.

The thyme I just transplanted into the small clay pots a few days ago so they aren't filled out yet. Give me time k!

 

[changed]

Vicki, nice nice garden, did you have a chance to get wood chips yet?

 

[Vicki]

No chips yet Changed. I do have 4 or 5 bags of cedar chips that are probably 3 or 4 years old now stacked up against my makeshift greenhouse and my son just said to me, why don't you throw those down between the rows to keep the weeds down? I told him I'd only have enough to do a couple of rows so that wouldn't be very good right now. Besides, money is still a bit tight so I'm saving them for where I really need em. For now I'm still doing it the old way. lol

I found I can dry seed in the makeshift greenhouse too and it works great. Here's my kale from last year that I let go to seed and then replant the area I yanked them from. Here's a picture.. and heck, I'll throw on a picture of what I did for dinner tonight along with the strawberry shortcake I made from the strawberries I picked this morning. Yum!

Wish I had a truck! I know where to get the wood chips and a whole lot of horse manure too.

My garden is about 2 to 3 foot deep of pretty awesome soil btw. It took me over ten years to get it that way.

 

[Sherrynboo]

Vicki what is the tall green stuff on the left in the second photo? Garden is beautiful!

Sherry in GA

 

[Vicki]

Might as well tell ya that in the greenhouse you can see the containers up against the plastic all the way to the back. In those I plant carrots every year along with the ones I put in my garden. The carrots in the containers are from last year. I don't dig them up. I let them go to seed and collect the seed for the following year. In other words, carrots don't go to seed until the second year. Sometimes I leave some in the garden but I found the deer always get them through the winter so that's why I started doing them in containers.

 

[Vicki]

Vicki what is the tall green stuff on the left in the second photo? Garden is beautiful!

Sherry in GA

Everyone asks me that Sherry. That is horseradish. It's been there 4 or 5 years now and I have yet to dig it up. It keeps shooting up babies around it and I dig those up and give them to others. I just had a fella from the electric company next to me ask me the same thing and I let him dig up the two big babies that were growing near the big one. He was a nice guy and helped me fix my water hose so I could spray my fruit trees. We bartered.

 

[West]

Some pics from our little BTE garden...

 

[Vicki]

What state are you in West? Looks like you've got a head start on me for plants growing. My cabbage is real small still. I'm on the southern end of Lake Ontario so I think I'm now 6b growing zone.

Good job West! I'm so glad to see others doing this.

 

[West]

Oklahoma! where the bugs are many and the gardens are half eating. Puts a whole new meaning too sharing with mother nature. In fact the bugs inside the vegetables and fruits would have to be free protein if and when I'll have to depend on the garden for all my food.

 

[Vicki]

Oklahoma! where the bugs are many and the gardens are half eating. Puts a whole new meaning too sharing with mother nature. In fact the bugs inside the vegetables and fruits would have to be free protein if and when I'll have to depend on the garden for all my food.

Was that seven dust on your veggies? I use that on my eggplant when I first transplant them into the garden or they get eaten right up. Did you try the garlic spray? I don't like bugs either. I don't have a problem with them thankfully but I do have a problem with snails and slugs. I think I've got them pretty well beat again this year but it's a battle every spring. I use salt for them. You might want to consider planting lemon balm or even mints around the perimeter of your garden. They can be invasive if you're not careful but seem to help greatly in keeping bugs away.

Just looked and found some info on that here... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_repellent_plants

General insects

Ants
Pennyroyal
Spearmint
Southernwood
Tansy
Aphids
Anise
Chives
Coriander
Garlic
Nasturtium
Pennyroyal
Petunia
Spearmint
Southernwood
Tansy
Asparagus beetle
Tomato
Cabbage maggot
Hemp
Mint
Tomato
Rosemary
Sage
Cabbage Moth
Catnip
Celery
Hemp
Hyssop
Nasturtium
Rosemary
Sage
Southernwood
Thyme
Wormwood
Carrot fly
Black salsify
Coriander
Rosemary
Sage
Salsify
Wormwood
Chinch bug
Soybean
Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Dead nettle
Flax
Green beans
Horseradish
Cucumber beetle
Radish
Tansy
Japanese beetle
Garlic
Pelargonium geraniums
Larkspur, Rue
Tansy
Leafhopper
Pelargonium geraniums
Petunia
Mexican bean beetle Epilachna varivestis
Marigold
Petunia
Potato
Rosemary
Summer Savory
Plum curculio
Garlic
Rose chafer
Pelargonium geraniums
Onion
Petunia
Squash bug
Nasturtium
Petunia
Striped pumpkin beetle
Nasturtium
Whitefly
Marigold
Nasturtium
Nicandra (Peruvian Ground Cherry.)
Wireworm
White Mustard

Moths and their larvae
Cutworm
Tansy
Fruit Tree Moth
Southernwood
Tomato hornworm
Borage
Marigold
Opal Basil

Parasitic pests
Eelworm
French & African Marigold
Mites
Chives
Garlic
Onion
Nematode
Asparagus
Dahlia
Calendula, French & African Marigold, Salvis
Slugs & Snails
Prostrate Rosemary
Wormwood

Mammals
Moles
Castor bean
Mole plant
Spurge
Squill.
Gopher
Castor Bean
Mice
Mint
Neem cake
Rabbit
Allium Family
Neem cake