In Tex , years ago , they sent a female in heat in . We didn't know the difference ,then , just thought the male dog was interested , and courting her . He was , but she was serious about luring him away . We heard the attack ,but it was too late . We lost a sweet labrador . Don't know if they'll cross , but he thought they could .
General Discussions - 2010 - Chapter 30
Just found this video on strawbale gardening on Vegetable Gardener. Oh dear, they did recommend wire under the bales against gophers. But, interesting video, not really complete as far as prepping the bales or anything.
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/6115/video-early-pruning-of-tomato-plants
Today is day 10. It is rainy and chilly here in Puget Sound, WA. Suppose I should spread some compost on top and plant something in the straw bales tormrrow?
mewms, compost on top would not be bad. Have you put your plants in the bales yet? I would think you could over there. We are almost there on this side of the mountains.
Question of the day....
What do you use to get rid of slugs/snails that are eating your (my) Zucchini's?
Answer: Get the little boogers drunk and drown them in beer. Put a container (buried a bit) in the ground near the infestation. They will be drawn to the beer and drown. A wide container that is deep enough and wide enough to ensure that they can not escape easily. A bit gross looking to find floating slugs, but it does work. Have had an infestation develop in my Chinese cabbage and I am going out to invite them to have a toddy myself this afternoon. :
I've tried the beer for snail and slugs. Works like a charm! Of course, I also had a few drunk birds flapping around my yard for a few hours every day. The crows and bluejays loved the slugs soaked in beer!
Woo hoo! It's so good to be back!! I see that a bunch of my old compadres are still here- haven't been around since summer before last, because I couldn't get bales and/or help last year . . .but I'm in business this season!! Have my 40 bales (HAY, no straw!!) and a young helper who I'm teaching all you've taught me and all I've discovered on my own. I also got an older video camera and am trying to put together a film on hay bale gardening to use in teaching others.
It was funny, when I started calling around to price bales this season, I got in some discussions/arguments with the folks who INSISTED that what I REALLY wanted was straw bales (so word must be getting around)!
Kent, I'm curious- did you (or any of the rest of y'all) try hay bales, after my experiments summer before last?
Anyway- so happy to be back among this wonderful community of passionate gardeners! So far, I've started seeds for 5 kinds of tomatoes, watermelons, summer squash, sugar snap peas, pole beans, sweet peas, morning glories, 3 kinds of zinnias, beets . . . so exciting! Am planning to do some in-ground space, too, for beets and radishes and carrots, as well as a potato 'house'. Pshew! I'm getting tired just writing about it!
Happy sprouting- Suz
LOLOLOL
Edited to say: I was laughing about the birds having a drunken slug fest, hehehe.
Hi Suz, we cross-posted, good to see ya!
Well, break time is over, back to the garden...
This message was edited Apr 22, 2010 3:34 PM
Suz: welcome back.
Nope, never went the hay route. Too expensive in my area.
KR
Suz, I'm so happy to hear back from you . I did hay last year and it did great . Holds moisture better, and this year , I'm just going to plant in the compost and hay that didn't break down . I'll pack it in plastic commercial , four gallon cartons , grow it over an arbor . Did that last year with two toms I didn't have room for in the bales . Used Beefmasters and my neighbor stopped and told me she had never seen such beautiful toms .Huge crop . Lined the cartons with Left over roofing shingles , just on the sides . Gee, I'm glad to hear from you . digger
Hi Suz,
Yes, I used hay last year. What they call Orchard hay with 40% alfalfa. What as mess I had. Nothing but slime. That is as far as it got decomposing before frost and the end of the season. So, due to to the fact that I can't get any 2 string bales and the 3 string bales are too big for my space, I am going to do the same thing as Digger with the cartons and also what is left of last years bales that actually started to decompose over the winter.
So to answer your question, I will never use hay again. I guess to each his own.
'course, last year was a really bad year for almost everyone I have talked to about growing tomatoes. So, was it the hay, the weather, or??? Or as docpipe says, a virus that is sweeping the country. Sounds like it was a good year for you to take off.
Dang Suz, we missed ya! I tried year old hay last year and was not pleased with the results. I'm stickin' to straw.
Doug
Another strike against last year's crop. Maybe docpipe was right.
That's fascinating, that we'd have such different results! Not only does the hay hold the moisture much better, but the nutrients that it imparts to the plants completely changed the quality (and, with the zinnias, the flowers were so different!!) of the plants. Hardly any need to fertilize- this year, I'm going strictly with manure tea and fish emulsion. Also, this year I'm retying the bales- one string the other direction, and doing a stick-tourniquet thing to tighten them up. The neat thing is that the plants actually consume the hay and, at the end of the season, there's no sign of a bale!
Good to have my Dave's garden family back!! What do you hear from our little sweetie from New Zealand?
Sweet dreams- Suz
Lena is in between school and not finding a job. She didn't have a garden this year and that really bothered her. If she could just find a job she would be able to settle down. The one she had was in an area that pretty much closes down in the winter, which is what they are into now.
Remember they have Christmas at the summer resorts on the beaches. Hard to imagine isn't it?
I have been to the beach Christmas day in San Diego. Not sunning, but taking our new puppy there to play. But have taken the kids to sun and play during Christmas vacation - they actually go into that cold water too!
The ONLY thing open on Christmas day in Rockport , Tex is a great Mexican joint . Regular menu . Too far to Corpus Christy to eat and I won't cook for just the two of us , sooooo , Mexican it is . We eat there regular anyway .
That is the place to put out straw bales . The ground is alkaline sandy, and salty , also it gets mighty hot , they say the maters burn up mid- summer.Straw or hay bales and filtered sun ought to work . digger
Let's start a new chapter!
This one's getting long.
Click here to go to Chapter 31:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1090531/
Kent