Ok. I'm just about ready to make
Something happen here. It was bone dry this morning, so I leveled and watered for 15 minutes.
ZONES 8-9 FALL/WINTER 2010, PART II
Wow Linda it looks fantastic, by the way what did you end up using as your box filler? I still need to build my last 2 raise beds and I am waiting for September time frame once the weather cools down a little bit. I can't wait for fall plantings definitely less bugs to deal with. By the way I am still having problems with the leaf footed bugs and the stink bugs so I am thinking whether or not I should buy a bug vac and if that would work better, any suggestions or ideas?
Carminator1,
I used EVERYTHING I had left over to fill the box. But, it's really sandy and not holding water. I watered for 15 minutes and 8 hours later, I could dig a hole with my hand. Not good.
I've asked Tapla over in soils and compost for some advice on using the calcined products, like the Turface (looks like I'll need to go buy some after all.)
Linda I know exactly what you mean, my last bed, I decided to go with top soil by the bulk, just to try to save some $ , the stuff is good but not great, lots of sand and stones etc... well I also went and purchased some cow manure to mix it in thinking this way it would help a little, plus I added some organic fertilizer, at the time of planting the box looked good, blackish etc... but now with all the rain it just seems like all the nutrients have just leaked out of it because it just looks like a glob of sand, the cucumbers did pretty good on this box but I have not had any soybeans or lima beans at all, at first I thought it could very well be the heat but now I am thinking it can be the lack of organic matter in the box. The problem is even though I compost I can't seem to be able to do it fast enough to be able to use it for my boxes. This summer has been so hot though that I have been really bad at tunring my compost every week to speed the process.
Talking about compost have any of you try to use compost that is not completely composted and filled your beds and then let it finish rotting in the beds? Is this possible?
C,
You compost question is exactly what Tapla and I were discussing over on that Soils and Composting thread under "Miracle Grow Soil problems" thread toward the top.
He does not recommend putting unfinished compost because your bed will start to shrink as the compost decomposes. The problem I'm having with no water retention is BECAUSE most of my medium is compost that's actually still breaking down. I probably have the exact opposite problem as you do! Too much compost, and not enough soil structure.
Go read the thread and let's keep in touch on this dilemma.
Linda ~ what is the composition of your native soil? Have you tried to add some peat for bulk and stability? I have 8 "square foot gardens", which were filled with weed roots and dug all the way down this spring before filling them up with plants this season. My native soil is clay, so I added peat, perlite, vermiculite, organic compost along with some minor ingredients and sifted them and mixed them well before planting. It seemed to be the right mixture as it drained well enough, yet was stable enough to hold water and other nutrients. For me, it was a lot of work and we had late cold weather as well as snow, so I worked in between storms.
I grew potatoes, carrot, several types of lettuce, broccoli, stevia (- left over from last year...), parsley, a whole bed of basil, several types of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.
Wow Evenlyn sorry but I had to comment, those are some nice looking beds there, have you had much trouble with pests in your area?
Not too much that I have had to spray or anything like that. Just a few holes in the basil, and something is bothering the peppers, disfiguring the leaves....
The basil that came back from that cut now has no holes....
Carminator1 et al,
I mixed up EVERYTHING I ever grew anything in in that raised bed. Which includes the following:
Miracle Grow Potting Mix
Black Kow Composted Manure
Bocabob's Coco Coir
A commercially purchased Rose garden blend
My homemade compost
(comprised of layered shredder paper, coffee grinds, veggie peels,
and leaves)
Some leaf mold
That bed is made up almost totally of organic matter, except for the purchased veggie garden blend (which was 50% aged manure, duh).
Tapla has recommended the addition of a 50% fraction of native soil or superfine Turface (or both) to increase stability and water retention.
So, I've got some digging to do -- again...
This message was edited Aug 24, 2010 8:36 AM
I don't think my area of TX has native soil, only rocks. LOL
My native soil is all red compacted clay, it took me forever to be able to dig some holes to place my fruit trees, one of the many reasons why I had to build the raise beds.
My seeds are up! Well, except for the cabbages, but I expect them to be showing by this afternoon or tomorrow. Pixel the cat is not happy with me. Especially since I tried to relocate her nap spot. However, she understands that this is a temporary arrangement and she will have her sunny window back soon.
To date I have sowed:
Quinoa, Broccoli, Pumpkins, snap beans, romaine lettuce, and black seeded simpson lettuce
I will be sowing:
Beets, carrots, radishes, mustard greens, collard greens, chives, corn, and maybe more oregano (once I can tell the status of the plant that died back over the summer) by Sept 1st.
At Mom's house (since we are looking at moving this winter) in November, we will be sowing:
Onion starts, Garlic
A most excellent report, Melissa! I'm right behind yah, by two weeks!
I'll sow more seeds this weekend or so.
I have a question I am starting almost all my seeds indoors to give them a good chance in the garden but I am wondering what yo do with the lettuce, should I start it indoors as well or should I just plant it in the beds outside? Last year I did both started the mesclum salad outdoors and also the arugula but the other lettuces I started indoors and then transplanted out, both did well.
Carminator1,
If the lettuce did well both inside and out, I guess your answer will be "how much space do I have to devote to growing lettuce inside, if it will do just as well if I start it outside?"
Yes space is limited right now since I still have the cabbages and broccoli and other seedlings that I started, According to my calendar for growing broccoli and cabbages I can plant them outside by the 8th of September, so once that happens I'll have more room for sure.
You can also plant greens around your cole crops. Lettuce grows fast.
Lisac are you saying I can plant the lettuce seed in between by cabbage and broccoli? That might not be a bad idea at all if it works.
Yes, as long as you can reach everything and have room to walk. Watch out for worms too, but you would have to do that anyway. I don't sow my greens for a couple more months. My 1st harvest last year was 7lbs of leaf lettuce!
Lisa
My broccoli and cabbage can go in sometime in September but I do have to wait for Oct to plant lettuces and greens. 7lbs of lettuce that's amazing! This time I will be stagering my lettuce planting every 2 weeks for a continuous harvest though, last year I had tons of lettuce for 2 months and then nothing.
I kept cutting it and it kept growing. It never froze even tho the temps got down to 8* one morning and I never covered it.
Super lettuce - lol...
C - I start all my fall veggies directly in the garden! Lettuce grows fast and Lisa has good advice to plant ina nd around the brassicas.
This weekend is supposed to be in the 90s for the first time in months, though I'm sure the 100°+ days are far from over. Tomorrow is garden clean up day as well as making a trek to Scottsdale to pick up a huge load of compost from an awesome farm out there. Will be planting some stuff by next weekend... Labor Day weekend, so I will be taking next Friday off to get in a 4 day weekend to work outside and relax!
Hey Kelly when will you be planting your brassicas? I am thinking planting mine around the 8th of Sept, I still have to do a lot of soil prep to get this babies ready. Do we need to harden them first before planting or can they go directly to the soil?
Lettuce I can start planting around the 15th of September according to my calendar, but we will see it is still pretty hot outside.
Ok. Since it looks like many of us are going to begin/continue planting/sowing around this upcoming LABOR DAY weekend, how about I start a new thread, and you start posting what and when you sow (for the lurkers)?
PLEASE DO NOT POST PAST THIS MESSAGE. GO TO NEW THREAD:
Zones 8-9 Fall/Winter 2010 Planting IS UNDERWAY! (Look for the raised bed...)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1126351/