Misc/Chat Reclaiming My Garden This Winter

[Rabbit]

This garden is either going to cure me or kill me. It has gone from a beautiful Back To Eden to a back to a jungle garden in four years. During those four years, I have gone from getting older to fully arrived at old you could also throw in decrepit too.

As cooler weather has finally arrived so has my resolve to get it back. Also, I hope that the new and hidden inhabitants of my suburban jungle are now or soon to be in hibernation. Over the years of gardening, I have learned to stifle my screams when said hidden inhabitants have shown themselves, but now I've lost the ability to run. I'm not even sure I can stand there and stomp.

Anyhow, being the frugal person that I am, I have ordered 700 sq. ft. of heavy-duty weed block. So the money is spent and it is going down period.

Thoughts and prayers welcome.

 

[Jeff B.]

Good luck…. Spending a bit of money for something that’ll save some labor is a good move, IMO…

Jeff B.

 

[Raggedyman]

good luck Rabbit . . . a vegetable garden is a worthy project. done properly it's also a lot of work. a natural product called PREEN Preen Natural Vegetable Garden Weed Preventer is a good assist in weed prevention - and mulch (grass clippings in my case) is your friend from the standpoint of limiting weeds as well as amending soil.

BE AWARE that there are many "Preen products" be sure of which one you're getting

 

[bracketquant]

This garden is either going to cure me or kill me. It has gone from a beautiful Back To Eden to a back to a jungle garden in four years. During those four years, I have gone from getting older to fully arrived at old you could also throw in decrepit too.

As cooler weather has finally arrived so has my resolve to get it back. Also, I hope that the new and hidden inhabitants of my suburban jungle are now or soon to be in hibernation. Over the years of gardening, I have learned to stifle my screams when said hidden inhabitants have shown themselves, but now I've lost the ability to run. I'm not even sure I can stand there and stomp.

Anyhow, being the frugal person that I am, I have ordered 700 sq. ft. of heavy-duty weed block. So the money is spent and it is going down period.

Thoughts and prayers welcome.

Doesn't every prepper own a flame thrower?

 

[ioujc]

Rabbit>>>I hear you!!

I ordered heavy duty garden mulch also and I do happen to have a propane flame thingy to make holes in the mulch with also!! Cool huh!

Yes, I plan to get things back up to speed this winter too>>>>it just gets VERY cold here during some winters. I am in SE Missouri and the only deal is, my joints are shot and winter isn't helpful.

I have never enjoyed summers, with Spring and Fall my favorite seasons, but if the joints continue to degrade, I can see where summer might become more enjoyable. After all, there's always the lake available to cool off in.

 

[summerthyme]

Be careful using an open flame on garden plastic... I'll admit, I haven't tried it, but I suspect you might not get the small, neat hole you're planning on!

I use a redneck invention to cut holes... a 30" piece of threaded 3/8" rod, which I insert into a cordless drill. I remove the lid AND RIM from a tin can... the "safety" can openers that cut the rim and all off work great, but you could use a dremel or hacksaw.

Drill a 3/8" hole in the *exact center* 9f the bottom of the can. Put a nut on the rod, slide the can on, put another nut on. Tighten.

Sharpen the can edge occasionally with a diamond file. I can cut several hundred holes an hour with this rig...

Summerthyme

 

[kyrsyan]

Some of my garden beds have gone wild. Some just need some basic care. I started the fall maintenance this past weekend. Two of the large beds are cleared and buried under a foot or more of leaves. Same for two of the smaller beds. The garlic got a light covering of leaves.
More will get done next weekend.

 

[fish hook]

This garden is either going to cure me or kill me. It has gone from a beautiful Back To Eden to a back to a jungle garden in four years. During those four years, I have gone from getting older to fully arrived at old you could also throw in decrepit too.

As cooler weather has finally arrived so has my resolve to get it back. Also, I hope that the new and hidden inhabitants of my suburban jungle are now or soon to be in hibernation. Over the years of gardening, I have learned to stifle my screams when said hidden inhabitants have shown themselves, but now I've lost the ability to run. I'm not even sure I can stand there and stomp.

Anyhow, being the frugal person that I am, I have ordered 700 sq. ft. of heavy-duty weed block. So the money is spent and it is going down period.

Thoughts and prayers welcome.

I REALLY feel your pain. Spending money is sometimes a great motivator. I hope it works.

 

[Rabbit]

Be careful using an open flame on garden plastic... I'll admit, I haven't tried it, but I suspect you might not get the small, neat hole you're planning on!

I use a redneck invention to cut holes... a 30" piece of threaded 3/8" rod, which I insert into a cordless drill. I remove the lid AND RIM from a tin can... the "safety" can openers that cut the rim and all off work great, but you could use a dremel or hacksaw.

Drill a 3/8" hole in the *exact center* 9f the bottom of the can. Put a nut on the rod, slide the can on, put another nut on. Tighten.

Sharpen the can edge occasionally with a diamond file. I can cut several hundred holes an hour with this rig...

Summerthyme

I have a little kitchen torch for creme brulee that I'm going to try but if it doesn't work right I will try your idea. Thank you for it.

I REALLY feel your pain. Spending money is sometimes a great motivator. I hope it works.

Steady, it is coming along a little at a time. I could never do this at any other time of the year because of the Georgia heat and all of a sudden my age is showing. I'll be 72 in a couple of months, but I'm fighting it.

Another major problem that I hope I have found a solution for is fire ants. The weed block creates a perfect habitat for them and I know DE is going to be big in my future also orange oil.

I am also battling three major invasive weeds Bermuda grass, nutgrass, and an awful weed by the name of chamber bitter also called mimosa weed. The entire plant seems to be lined with seeds awful, awful awful.

I appreciate any advice or tips. Thanks ya'll

 

[fish hook]

I have a little kitchen torch for creme brulee that I'm going to try but if it doesn't work right I will try your idea. Thank you for it.



Steady, it is coming along a little at a time. I could never do this at any other time of the year because of the Georgia heat and all of a sudden my age is showing. I'll be 72 in a couple of months, but I'm fighting it.

Another major problem that I hope I have found a solution for is fire ants. The weed block creates a perfect habitat for them and I know DE is going to be big in my future also orange oil.

I am also battling three major invasive weeds Bermuda grass, nutgrass, and an awful weed by the name of chamber bitter also called mimosa weed. The entire plant seems to be lined with seeds awful, awful awful.

I appreciate any advice or tips. Thanks ya'll

I know that mimosa weed, never had a name for it, but that description fits. an awful plague, makes me forget about bermuda grass and morning glory. Don't know where it came from, never saw it till a few years ago. I think you would have to hand weed it everyday, roots develop and run to deep to make hoeing almost a waste of time.

 

[Wildwood]

Weed block is your friend and the great equalizer in the battle with weeds!

I've also had good luck with yellow cornmeal sprinkled in and mixed in the ant beds. It's also good for nematodes. I make sure to get plain corn meal because of the salt in self rising.

My garden was so beautiful this summer but it looks plum pitiful right now and I'm too busy to work on it. As soon as I get a break in work, I'm getting started and putting down even more weed block. I'll eventually get it all down and get things ready for spring.

 

[summerthyme]

I have a little kitchen torch for creme brulee that I'm going to try but if it doesn't work right I will try your idea. Thank you for it.



Steady, it is coming along a little at a time. I could never do this at any other time of the year because of the Georgia heat and all of a sudden my age is showing. I'll be 72 in a couple of months, but I'm fighting it.

Another major problem that I hope I have found a solution for is fire ants. The weed block creates a perfect habitat for them and I know DE is going to be big in my future also orange oil.

I am also battling three major invasive weeds Bermuda grass, nutgrass, and an awful weed by the name of chamber bitter also called mimosa weed. The entire plant seems to be lined with seeds awful, awful awful.

I appreciate any advice or tips. Thanks ya'll

One other idea we've come up with, but haven't tried to implement would be sort of a "branding iron", in a 6" circle, heated by a propane torch somehow. I wonder if you couldnt adapt a wire coathanger, your little torch and some good insulating wrap (and gloves) for the handle end. Once you got it pretty hot, I'd bet you could melt at least a few dozen holes if you worked quickly. IOW, plan your spacing out ahead!

Summerthyme

 

[Rabbit]

Weed block is your friend and the great equalizer in the battle with weeds!

I've also had good luck with yellow cornmeal sprinkled in and mixed in the ant beds. It's also good for nematodes. I make sure to get plain corn meal because of the salt in self rising.

My garden was so beautiful this summer but it looks plum pitiful right now and I'm too busy to work on it. As soon as I get a break in work, I'm getting started and putting down even more weed block. I'll eventually get it all down and get things ready for spring.

How do you use the cornmeal? Spread it all over the garden or just on the ants?
I just googled it. I have heard that some kind of corn something or other will stop weed seeds from germinating but plain old from the grocery store cornmeal will do the same thing? Wow!

 

[Wildwood]

How do you use the cornmeal? Spread it all over the garden or just on the ants?
I just googled it. I have heard that some kind of corn something or other will stop weed seeds from germinating but plain old from the grocery store cornmeal will do the same thing? Wow!

For the ants, I just sprinkle it on the ant hill and kind of stir it in just a little. I reapply every day or so and stir again. For the nematodes, I sprinkle it heavily down a row that's been tilled and then retill to get it down where the plant roots will grow. I haven't heard that about weeds. I just use the cheap plain yellow cornmeal from the grocery store.

In my experience with the ants, the act of disturbing their nest daily will eventually get them to move from their current location but they will just find a new one...hopefully outside the garden. The cornmeal actually kills them.

 

[Rabbit]

I looked up Preen and the main ingredients are corn gluten, which is safe, and trifluralin that is a suspected carcinogen.

So thank you Wildwood for pointing me in the right direction, yellow cornmeal it is for fire ants and nematodes, but I don't think there is enough gluten in it to kill weed seeds, but the weed block should take care of that.

 

[Rabbit]

Rabbit>>>I hear you!!

I ordered heavy duty garden mulch also and I do happen to have a propane flame thingy to make holes in the mulch with also!! Cool huh!

Yes, I plan to get things back up to speed this winter too>>>>it just gets VERY cold here during some winters. I am in SE Missouri and the only deal is, my joints are shot and winter isn't helpful.

I have never enjoyed summers, with Spring and Fall my favorite seasons, but if the joints continue to degrade, I can see where summer might become more enjoyable. After all, there's always the lake available to cool off in.

Your winters are definately colder than mine, but like me I hope you can do the heavy lifting now that will makes things easier in the future.

The ironey is I've been trying to be prepared for these times for at least the last thirty years and now my once beautiful garden is an overgrown mess and my body is old and creaky. I just hope I have enough years left to justify the effort I'm putting forth now. On the bright side at least I'm not bored.

 

[summerthyme]

You need corn gluten meal for weed control. If you have a local feed mill, they should have it or can get it. It's pricey.

I found just using a cobra-head hoe close to plants and a neat hand hoe that's made from a knife off a hay mower, to skim the soil when the weeds are tiny works as well as the gluten, and is much cheaper! The key is to not stir the soil layers.. just kill the seedlings that sprout very early. You can eliminate the viable seeds in the germination zone (top inch) and have a fairly weed free garden .

Summerthyme

 

[kyrsyan]

I'm halfway to 2/3s of the way through. Two large beds and 3 regular size beds were weeded, hoed, and layered deep with leaves. Two others now have garlic planted, after the weeding and hoeing, and have frost covers and leaves. (Frost covers because that's the only way to keep the squirrels and cats out.) One more garlic bed to go. And then I have to tackle the really messy garden beds. The ones that are seriously overgrown with weeds.

 

[KMR58]

We just moved and are leaving our garden and compost behind so of course we are starting over. Our new place has sandy soil with lots of rocks so we decided to invest in some fabric garden bags. After watching lots of youtubes on them we are thinking they will work for us. Another plus is we only have a few spots which get good sunlight but they are not good spots for a garden so we think these bags will work well there. And we can move the bags from place to place if need be. I just ordered a mini indoor greenhouse so I can start seeds indoors as our move is up north Michigan and summers are way too short and frost can come even into early June. It really stinks to leave our fantastic garden soil behind after putting so much effort into getting it to where it is but I'd rather be up here than a Detroit subdivision any day.

 

[Martinhouse]

I'm worried that the weather may not allow for very successful gardening for the next few years.
starting this spring, I'm going to see how much actual food I can grow in my greenhouse and I will fill the outdoor half barrel containers with wild things like dandelion, plantain, clover, chickweed, lambsquarters, anything that I can feed the chickens and rabbits. If I can get turnips to grow, plus I do have several good comfrey plants, maybe I can grow to best advantage if I'm right about what's going to happen to the weather. (I do hope I'm really, really wrong!)

 

[Rabbit]

We just moved and are leaving our garden and compost behind so of course we are starting over. Our new place has sandy soil with lots of rocks so we decided to invest in some fabric garden bags. After watching lots of youtubes on them we are thinking they will work for us. Another plus is we only have a few spots which get good sunlight but they are not good spots for a garden so we think these bags will work well there. And we can move the bags from place to place if need be. I just ordered a mini indoor greenhouse so I can start seeds indoors as our move is up north Michigan and summers are way too short and frost can come even into early June. It really stinks to leave our fantastic garden soil behind after putting so much effort into getting it to where it is but I'd rather be up here than a Detroit subdivision any day.

We just moved and are leaving our garden and compost behind so of course we are starting over. Our new place has sandy soil with lots of rocks so we decided to invest in some fabric garden bags. After watching lots of youtubes on them we are thinking they will work for us. Another plus is we only have a few spots which get good sunlight but they are not good spots for a garden so we think these bags will work well there. And we can move the bags from place to place if need be. I just ordered a mini indoor greenhouse so I can start seeds indoors as our move is up north Michigan and summers are way too short and frost can come even into early June. It really stinks to leave our fantastic garden soil behind after putting so much effort into getting it to where it is but I'd rather be up here than a Detroit subdivision any day.

I feel for both of you but being in a safer place comes first.
With the mess my garden is in I did pretty well gardening in large pots. I even grew enough to put some in the freezer. I fertilized and watered more than an in-the-ground garden.

I'm out of my depth in colder northern states but a long time ago on TV, I saw some of Elliot Coleman's videos on gardening up north. It might be useful to see if he has anything on YouTube that could be helpful to you.

 

[kyrsyan]

I feel for both of you but being in a safer place comes first.
With the mess my garden is in I did pretty well gardening in large pots. I even grew enough to put some in the freezer. I fertilized and watered more than an in-the-ground garden.

I'm out of my depth in colder northern states but a long time ago on TV, I saw some of Elliot Coleman's videos on gardening up north. It might be useful to see if he has anything on YouTube that could be helpful to you.

If you're in the north, it's worth buying his book Four Season Harvest.

 

[ioujc]

I'm worried that the weather may not allow for very successful gardening for the next few years.
starting this spring, I'm going to see how much actual food I can grow in my greenhouse and I will fill the outdoor half barrel containers with wild things like dandelion, plantain, clover, chickweed, lambsquarters, anything that I can feed the chickens and rabbits. If I can get turnips to grow, plus I do have several good comfrey plants, maybe I can grow to best advantage if I'm right about what's going to happen to the weather. (I do hope I'm really, really wrong!)

What do you mean Martinhouse about the weather??

What do you think is going to happen??

 

[Martinhouse]

IOJC, I really don't know how to answer your question. If you're keeping up with the Grand Solar Minimum thread in the Earth Changes part of this forum, you should know what I'm talking about. I base the thoughts you've referred to on this information plus my own observations of the growing weather extremes that have started developing over the last few years.
I think we've reached the time that we could see sudden killing frosts after our gardens are well-started or later in season when nothing is quite ready to harvest.

 

[ioujc]

OK>>>that is kind of what I thought you meant.

Thanks for answering...

 

[marsh]

IOJC, I really don't know how to answer your question. If you're keeping up with the Grand Solar Minimum thread in the Earth Changes part of this forum, you should know what I'm talking about. I base the thoughts you've referred to on this information plus my own observations of the growing weather extremes that have started developing over the last few years.
I think we've reached the time that we could see sudden killing frosts after our gardens are well-started or later in season when nothing is quite ready to harvest.

May have to hoop the garden for frost covers. Not a bad idea for pests either. I plan on hooping my cabbage with netting to keep the cabbage moths out.

 

[pauldingbabe]

I'm halfway to 2/3s of the way through. Two large beds and 3 regular size beds were weeded, hoed, and layered deep with leaves. Two others now have garlic planted, after the weeding and hoeing, and have frost covers and leaves. (Frost covers because that's the only way to keep the squirrels and cats out.) One more garlic bed to go. And then I have to tackle the really messy garden beds. The ones that are seriously overgrown with weeds.

Sounds like we are all doing the same dance.

Yesterday I pulled poison ivy all afternoon. Want to kill whatever I can before the ascension begins in two days.

 

[kyrsyan]

Sounds like we are all doing the same dance.

Yesterday I pulled poison ivy all afternoon. Want to kill whatever I can before the ascension begins in two days.

My body shut down at Thanksgiving. I haven't been able to finish. I have one bed of garlic left to plant. And one more large bed to weed and then mulch under. I'm hoping to get them done this week since my energy levels have slowly started coming back.

 

[Toosh]

IMHO the only way to kill weeds (anything I don't want to grow in an area) is to burn them. Burn them, I say, all the way to the root and you wont see them again for a year or more. It's even organic and great for the environment! A cheap propane torch from Harbor Freight is my go-to weeder.

 

[Rabbit]

IMHO the only way to kill weeds (anything I don't want to grow in an area) is to burn them. Burn them, I say, all the way to the root and you wont see them again for a year or more. It's even organic and great for the environment! A cheap propane torch from Harbor Freight is my go-to weeder.

A propane torch, what a great idea!