2020 Gardening Bug has bitten.

[Greentored 3,214]

On 6/10/2020 at 10:20 AM, pullstart said:

Found more tracks.  Deer.  
 

I need that fence up, along with deterrent scents...

 

 

 

 

Pick up a couple boxes of "Deer Ban" off Amazon. Theyre synthetic coyote pee/whatever capsules and they dont stink. My buddy had major deer issues and swears by them. I put some down around the perimeter and also picked up a gallon of natural deterrent spray- peppermint/garlic/clove oils and sprayed everything. My issue was rabbits and it stopped them. All cheap stuff- its worth a try! If all else fails- nuisance permits? Venison pairs nicely with those veggies haha

[Greentored 3,214]

Dug the taters yesterday! 12-13lbs from a 50ft row certainly not what I expected, but this was my first attempt at gardening and I literally tossed 'whatever' in rows to see what works and what doesnt. This NC clay is not the easiest to grow stuff in, its like digging concrete.

The snap peas are succumbing to the heat- theyre falling over, leaves turning yellow, but theyre still flowering and producing beautiful, super sweet pods, so I just keep socking the water to them and am picking a decent container sized amount every 2-3 days.

 

[Greentored 3,214]

This thread is really interesting- seeing some of us well on our way and even harvesting, and others just planting, things just poking through, etc...depending on our location. Very cool!!!

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

2 minutes ago, Greentored said:

This thread is really interesting- seeing some of us well on our way and even harvesting, and others just planting, things just poking through, etc...depending on our location. Very cool!!!

We had a late hard frost here a couple weeks before Memorial Day... So basically just like back home in WV everything in the ground around Memorial weekend then most out by Labor day weekend I too have clay but I hear potatoes do excellent in it... Our cucumber seeds must have been no good as non have come through and most of our plants didn't make it. Will definitely update every week till done enjoy the "fruits" of your labor.

[Greentored 3,214]

25 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

We had a late hard frost here a couple weeks before Memorial Day... So basically just like back home in WV everything in the ground around Memorial weekend then most out by Labor day weekend I too have clay but I hear potatoes do excellent in it... Our cucumber seeds must have been no good as non have come through and most of our plants didn't make it. Will definitely update every week till done enjoy the "fruits" of your labor.

 I put the squash, cukes and peppers in a month ago, which was about a week early for us here.  No sign of peppers or cukes, and only about 1/3 of the squash popped up.. Wonder if the unseasonably cool spring messed with things a bit?

Was my understanding that taters do well in clay too, but dang, my neighbor had about 10-12 plants in her raised garden which is full of good topsoil and mulch- bet she got 25lbs. All enjoyable regardless, right? 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

My parents' place in WV is Sandy Loam... 10-13 bushel every year till I graduated high school and moved on.

Edited June 13, 2020 by WVHillbilly520H

[Andy N. 2,154]

Weeded, tilled and watered the garden today. Almost everything is coming in nicely. Also, our rose bushes are in full bloom so I picked a few for the wife to enjoy since I'll be going to Appleton for most of the week.

 

Oh yeah, and a big shout out to the Carol Stream Enterprise Rent-A-Car for hooking me up with a sweet ride for the week! They said it's been sitting there for a couple weeks and they really needed somebody to drive it. Downside is I won't be able to do much tractor part shopping in WI while I'm there.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

My weekly update,  potatoes are starting to bloom and rest is growing nicely.

[Cvans 1,009]

Nice clean looking garden. 

Don't think our spuds have quite started blooming yet but look about the same height as yours. 

[Cvans 1,009]

Spuds started blooming today. Hauled water to the garden yesterday for everything but the spuds and sweetcorn. Maybe some rain tomorrow night or Thursday. 

[Pullstart 62,889]

Guys... when spuds are blooming... at what point do you hill them?  I have one plant creeping on 8-10” high currently.

 

Did some water switcheroo-ing today.

 

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

5 minutes ago, pullstart said:

Guys... when spuds are blooming... at what point do you hill them?  I have one plant creeping on 8-10” high currently.

 

Kevin I hilled ours a few times before they bloomed I'm sure my plants are nearly 2' tall... So if you haven't hilled them already you should get at it.

[Pullstart 62,889]

On 6/10/2020 at 10:20 AM, pullstart said:

Found more tracks.  Deer.  
 

I need that fence up, along with deterrent scents...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

@pullstart here is our potatoes as of this evening...

[Cvans 1,009]

By the time they are as high as the ones above mine have been hilled twice. 

We had 1.5 inches of rain two nights ago and we should get more tomorrow or Sunday. 

Very good idea using well water instead of soft water. 

 

[Andy N. 2,154]

"I think it's time to put up the fence." 

 

This is the second year that we've had the garden (3rd year in the house). Last year the squirrels ate about 90% of my sweet corn. Yesterday morning I was out picking fresh greens for the iguana and heard some munching behind me and when I turned around, there was a squirrel looking at me. While I took him out with the pellet gun later that day, I decided it was time to put up the fence. My wife did a great job helping. She didn't have a vegetable garden growing up so a lot of this is new to her.

 

As a result of the fence installation though, I can't till the rows with the old Montgomery Ward big tiller so today on OfferUp I found this little Mantis 2 stroke engine tiller for $120. This thing is a little beast and can easily be picked up over the fence and put to work (last pic).

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

I bought a used tiller attachment ($40) for my TORO weed eater as I too couldn't use the TroyBilt when we put up our fence.

Edited June 20, 2020 by WVHillbilly520H

[Cvans 1,009]

These are the hills in our garden. I won't make them higher but will spread the discs to make the hills wider.

Hiller and hitch were fabricated here. The discs and associated parts came from Agri supply. https://www.agrisupply.com/disc-tillage/c/c10000/

[Greentored 3,214]

Got some much needed dragging done between the rows. I replanted cucumbers, peppers, and some more squash as those never popped up. Pretty sure the issue was me and lack of water, as although its rained here MORE than enough, the top layer of dirt is bone dry within 2 days in this heat- pretty sure the seeds dried up. This is tough as I am only at this property a couple times a week. Bought a sprinkler timer back in the beginning and it stuck 'on' once, luckily while I was there. Don't trust em anymore....

The peas are STILL hanging in there, looking worse by the day, but still kicking out a handful of sweet pods every couple days, so as ugly as they now are, I'll let em go til they stop producing.

Beets, onions, carrots all seem somewhat delayed but coming along, corn is flying up, beans are doing great but need to figure out what bug is eating some of the leaves and address it.

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

Try self rising flour for an insect repellent on your plant leaves.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

Our garden as of this evening I caged the tomatoes Saturday afternoon...

[Greentored 3,214]

Tuesday: beans starting to flower, signs of replanted squash and cucumbers poking up, 12 peas picked, didn’t make it past my mouth
Thursday: squash and cucumbers have exploded out of the ground, peas are finally done- picked and ate three. 
And we have beans!! Amazing how much things grow and change in a matter of a couple days. 

I don't think the second pepper planting is gonna make it either. Should've started them indoors like most people do.

Edited June 26, 2020 by Greentored

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

Weekly update... Last week's new plantings of corn cucumbers and watermelon are busting through... Everything else seems to be growing but bugs (Japanese Beetles) are chewing on everything especially my cabbage and lettuce... Here's my 30cc TORO tiller I used to freshen up the soil and weed today. 

[Greentored 3,214]

I envy you folks with the beauty gardens and wish I had more time to devote to mine!

The peas finally cashed in their chips. I mowed them back with the 1277 then tried out the new custom to see how she pulled a plow, which was pretty effortless.

Picked a sandwich bag full of beans, replanted a few marigolds, socked some water to it. No sign of peppers yet

[Stormin 9,981]

On ‎6‎/‎22‎/‎2020 at 3:49 PM, WVHillbilly520H said:

Try self rising flour for an insect repellent on your plant leaves.

 

S.W.M.B.O. asks what happens when it rains? Does it get washed off or stick?