2017 Gardening thread

[Man]

Got in my shipment of 500 red wigglers from Jims Worm Farm to add to my raised beds. Hoping those little guys help give my garden a good boost!!

[Junkers88]

A few weeks ago I tore down about 80% of our aquaponics garden and converted it into raised beds. I filled the beds with a mixture of leaves from the yard and chicken manure from our almost 50 hens. I've been given the green light to collect horse manure from the property behind us and mix than into our compost pile for later in the year. Our soil is almost 100% sand so I've been collecting coffee grounds from Starbucks for the past few weeks and mixing that in as well. I hope like heck we can get some veggies this year.

Richard.

[steve morton]

I've been working on fertility in mine this year. Put a load of quail litter on the garden and have been tilling as often as possible. Was pretty rank around here for awhile especially if it's humid.I just hope that it doesn't flood everything this year. Last year onions rotted. Squash rotted. Did have one heck of a zipper cream pea crop though.

[El Viejo]

I've only got about 300 sq. ft. available for a garden due to our postage stamp sized back yard. I'm gonna put down some horse manure (plenty available this political season coming from the left). I'm thinking of planting some green beans and maybe some squash. This will be a project for me and the 4 year old grandson.

[steve morton]

Squiggy I wish I had your problem, I believe that I could get a grip on the deer activities real quick.

[Junkers88]

I've only got about 300 sq. ft. available for a garden due to our postage stamp sized back yard. I'm gonna put down some horse manure (plenty available this political season coming from the left). I'm thinking of planting some green beans and maybe some squash. This will be a project for me and the 4 year old grandson.

Just a heads up on the horse manure. Unless you can ensure there are no weed seeds in the droppings you might want to compost it for a while. Hot composting will kill all the seeds in manure.


Richard

[El Viejo]

Just a heads up on the horse manure. Unless you can ensure there are no weed seeds in the droppings you might want to compost it for a while. Hot composting will kill all the seeds in manure.


Richard

Good point. Will do. Thanks, Richard

[Gil67]

Thought you was going to be talking about food plots

[staplehawk]

in for the education.

[sqiggy]

Squiggy I wish I had your problem, I believe that I could get a grip on the deer activities real quick.

No, no you don't!!! I had pea plants waist high and LOADED with pea pods about 5 inches long. Another week and I would be picking bushels of peas. A couple of deer came in and wiped them out in one night.

[GGTexas34111]

I've got an abundant amount of chicken poop/shavings all mixed together. Anyone had luck with this combination when added in during the tilling or filling garden beds process?

[SaltwaterSlick]

I've got an abundant amount of chicken poop/shavings all mixed together. Anyone had luck with this combination when added in during the tilling or filling garden beds process?

It works but chicken poop is a VERY strong fertilizer and can burn your plants if over applied. It is best to compost it first, or what my dad/grandfather used to to is spread it at the end of the season when they plowed the old garden under and let the garden itself be the composting... Also if the wood chips are pine, too many of those can turn your soil very acidic too if they are not decomposed in a compost first as well... All good stuff, just not when used "fresh"... Well fresh may not be the best term, but hopefully you get what I'm sayin'...

[Junkers88]

I've got an abundant amount of chicken poop/shavings all mixed together. Anyone had luck with this combination when added in during the tilling or filling garden beds process?

Chicken manure is "hot" so you can't just apply a lot of it to your garden without burning the plants. You'd be better served to compost it for a few months or put it in at the end of the season and let it compost directly in the garden. Also if your shavings are pine then those take forever to break down and might cause the acidity of your plot to raise and damage the plants. Best bet is to separate the shavings from the poop, compost the poop for use later and burn the savings in your burn pile then add the ash to the garden/compost pile.


Richard.

[GGTexas34111]

Thanks for the responses.
Just what I needed to hear

[Wood Man]

I have a good row of turnip greens and a nice row of mustards coming up now. I have about 500 10/15 onion sets planted looking good.