Let's see those '10 gardens

[bigswol2]

Great looking gardens guys!

I have this houseplant, it's a Dracena fragrans.

It's called a "corn plant" in the house plant trade. This one is about 20 years old. It gets too tall and breaks sometimes. Then we stick the broken branch into another pot or back in this same pot and it will grow.
A couple of days ago my wife asked me if I had noticed the flowers on this plant. I had not. I looked up and saw these.

None had opened yet, though. Now that they are opening it is obvious why they are called "fragrans". Intense lily smell, beautiful but overpowering in the evening. We might have to cut it off if it gets much stronger. It looks like it will be opening for a while.

[HK3-]

Bump for the gardens.

Picking tomatoes like crazy down here. So far I've managed to fill two large mixing bowls with them.

My vine that was climbing my shed fell down after a storm earlier in the week. I had to hack some of the vines off and prop it back up so it will keep growing. Everyday it latches onto my pepper plants and I have to remove them. Note to self- Don't plant vines close to the veggies!

[mmblz]

the only thing we have resembling a garden so far is a big field of buckwheat.
this was all weeds / wild grass / stones / branches / roots.
growing buckwheat to improve the soil, then hopefully planting lawn this fall.
tilling it under tomorrow for the second crop of buckwheat...

[mmblz]

Originally Posted by mmblz

the only thing we have resembling a garden so far is a big field of buckwheat.
this was all weeds / wild grass / stones / branches / roots.
growing buckwheat to improve the soil, then hopefully planting lawn this fall.
tilling it under tomorrow for the second crop of buckwheat...

tilling

[HK3-]

Still eating lots of maters down here. Having to throw some out because we can't eat them fast enough. Picked my first three habaneros yesterday. <--- mouth on fire

[mmblz]

Originally Posted by mmblz

tilling

our damn (brand new) tractor keeps having problems.
didn't get enough front weights to use the tiller
fuses blew a few times while trying to till, then stopped long enough to finish front yard.
tiller was apparently installed wrong so it broke the pto shaft
then traction assist or whatever it is called got stuck on, so mowing was tearing up the lawn on turns
now fuses blow so often we can't get anything done.
tractor back at dealer

My new soil is so porous that it dries out quickly. A great hassle. The pumpkins, squash and melons are taking off. The regular green cukes are looking good but the lemon ones aren't. It has only just the last few days gotten hot enough to start setting tomatoes so we'll see how that goes. I lined all the paths with weedblock and covered them in gravel and finished the french drain (for the rainy season) this last weekend. My back still hurts. Pics when I can get to them.
I was going to put up a garden webcam with something like half hour updates. I have the camera and the site but not the time.

I think this whole thing will be much better next year.

I finally got a soil test kit. It tests N-P-K on a scale of 0-4, Depleted to Surplus.
My results are:
Nitrogen 2, adequate but most plants want more
Phosphorus 3.5, plenty
Potassium (K) 0-1, barely readable, big problem
Soil ph is 7.4
How do I fix this?

[shilala]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

I finally got a soil test kit. It tests N-P-K on a scale of 0-4, Depleted to Surplus.
My results are:
Nitrogen 2, adequate but most plants want more
Phosphorus 3.5, plenty
Potassium (K) 0-1, barely readable, big problem
Soil ph is 7.4
How do I fix this?

Dolomite Limestone or lime chips for the PH, Potash for the potassium, and tons of organic material for the nitrogen.
People here use wood ashes for the potassium, I don't.

The only way to get soil to balance so you never have to fight it is to add tons of organic material. Compost, straw, cow manure, anything.
It takes an incredible amount, but it's the only way to build and maintain good soil.
You live in the woods. Your dirt is just like it's supposed to be. It'll take some work to make your garden soil good, and it'll take a couple years.
If you gather all the stuff you can, build a giant compost heap, and get that started, you can use potash and nitrogen fertilizer and crap like that till you bring your soil around.
Don't use powdered limestone. Use limestone chips and work them rocks right in the soil. Powdered limestone lasts for a minute. Chips last forever.

I just received a note from a local tomato grower that there is a problem with the Tomato Russet Mite in this area this year. A nasty critter that is probably why my potatoes up and wilted suddenly. I am going to take a close look with a lens and find out.

How much power on the tractor? It looks small for a tiller. But then I have an 8hp walk behind that tills a 2ft swath OK.

[mmblz]

27 hp
John Deere dealer recommended and sold us the tiller...

Plenty-o-power.
There should be a shear pin that shears before the shaft snaps. Or a slip clutch link.

I hope it comes back from the shop in good to go shape.

[mmblz]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

Plenty-o-power.
There should be a shear pin that shears before the shaft snaps. Or a slip clutch link.

I hope it comes back from the shop in good to go shape.

yup, theory is the slip clutch was not set up right.

still no clue what's with the fuses.

hoping our problems are over after this round - we bought a deere in hopes it would "just work"

I used a microscope on my potato and tomato leaves and verified I have Tomato Russet Mites. So small yet so harmful. There is an organic seed extract from the Neem tree that is supposed to control these. $7 a treatment. Repeat every week. It also works on powder mildew which is hitting my squash and melons bad right now. This is the most challenging year I have had yet. My corn is dwarfed by the total lack of potassium. Everything is slowed down by the unusual cold summer. I can't wait until next year.

[wayner123]

Anyone got any updated pictures??

Here is my container garden for the Fall 2010 season:

Week 2 in the containers (Week 1 was spent in cups for germination):



Week 3:



I still have 2 more buckets with California Wonder Bells in them, but they haven't hardened off yet.

Between the non-summer out here and the poor soil it wasn't worth taking a picture of my garden. Add to that the mite infestation and it was even sadder. I am going to work on getting the Ph down and the nitrogen and potassium up during the winter so next year I'll be ready.
We got some tomatoes, squash and peppers, some snap peas but few beans, no corn, small melons and pumpkins, few cucumbers, some beets and radishes, and it looks like there will be some onions and leeks. So not a total loss.

[HK3-]

Got tired of eating tomatos so they are just falling off in the garden now. Still getting some peppers here and there.