I started using the black fabric weed cover over my prepared soil and it has been fantastic at stopping 98% of the weeds! I highly recommend some type of physical weed blocker. I also put mulch over that. If I'm planting rows, I cut strips and tuck them into the edges of my bed, leaving gaps to fill in with the seeds. If I'm sticking transplants in, I just cover the whole bed, tuck it in on all sides and cut a big X to sink the plant in the ground. It has made gardening so much easier for me. I get the rolls at big box. And most of the time, I reuse them.
Starting FALL GARDENS 2011 in Zone 8 - Part 2
What about when it rains?
With the plastic the water goes only on the section that has the plant, right?
or did you perforate the plastic?
I am creating this week a new bed ... weee and I was thinking to warm the soil using the red plastic that I bought for the tomatoes ...and never used
This message was edited Jan 14, 2012 5:45 PM
Kohlrabi getting bigger
Radicchio also growing and turning deep red
Cauliflower really turning Violetto
Today I found the TEXAS WORM RANCH lady at the Coppell Farmers market.
http://www.txwormranch.com/About_us.html
I bought one gallon of "just made" worm tea for $7.
I had to apply it to the garden on a 48 hours time ... or the organism on the tea will dye. I also had to keep the lid open of the jar for the same reason.
I have used worm casting before in my garden and they work like magic.
This worm tea is also suppose to work great.
I didn't mind spending the $7 to support a nice lady that try to do a good job for the enviroment, plus the worm tea was just made the day before and not shipped and stored in a retailer shelf.
Check her out on the website, but I think she comes to Coppell market once a month.
Thanks for the worm info dr!
The weed cover is a type of fabric material, not plastic, so water gets through. Your plants are beautiful :)
This evening I cut various herbs to use for dinner. One of the parsley sprigs had a monarch chrysalis on it! We just put it back in the garden. So glad it didn't end up in our dinner!
thanks
By the way PARSLEY is a hosting plant for the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.
Here is what the caterpillar should look like
and here is the butterfly Black Swallowtail
If you look close you can still see the cocoon on the left side.
It is very easy to take pictures of baby butterfly in the garden ... because they stay still to dry their wings
My fall garden is doing excellent this year.
I have not covered yet once to protect from the cold.
Here some beautiful lettuce.
Swiss chard growing in the regular flower bed, you can see all the daffodils in the back
Fennel is making the bulb and growing well
kales are producing no-stop
Brussel Sprouts and Fava Beans, which this year are just so beautiful.
I am eating the flowers and the tender shoots.
Brussel Sprouts making nice little balls
Kohlrabi growing also, but still too small to harvest.
Cauliflower Purple of Sicily is ready to harvest
Fava Beans better picture
Lots of broccoli shoots after using the Worm Wine
This is my new vegetable garden ...almost finished.
I removed some shrubs that I really didn't need and create this beauty
The new bed seat in a "L" shape with the old vegetable garden.
I luuuvvv it !
Nice bed drthor! How deep and wide is it? And what did you fill it with? I notice you don't seem to have trouble with pillbugs or slugs, either.
Discovered yesterday that my yard is FILLED with pillbugs. Will break out the Sluggo Plus, real soon!!!
Linda
The new bed is 3'x20'
I bought 60 cbft of vegetable garden mix from our local garden store (www.nhg.com) + 5 bags of expanded shales.
This was the same soil I have used on my other beds and it works fantastic.
I did have a lot of problem with pillbugs in the past three years untill I found out that the reason was the compost I was using ...
I was using the Cottonburr Compost not the fine one, it had some chunk of cotton hulls ... and that's where the pill bugs were looking for ... and also my new shooting.
I solved the problem with the fine compost. duhhh
Pillbugs will always be there. I just plant more seeds for sacrificial purpose ... I don't believe in Sluggo or other chemicals, even if the label says "organic' ... that's why I grow my own vegetables ...
Good luck to you !
Parsley growing fantastic as a ground cover around my fountain ... isn't this beautiful ?
Arugula growing in between my flowers
Hmmmmmmmmm.....Parsley as a ground cover...amazing! Great work, drthor!
Brussels Sprouts
Radish
Cauliflower Purple of Sicily still coming up ...
Finally Broccoli Calabrese
By the way, I have used again the "WORM WINE" from Texas Worm Ranch and it really works great and it is hard to belive that just after 2 days I have millions of new shoots on my broccolis !!
You can find it at the Coppell farmer's market
I went ahead and starting ripping my BS, cause they just wouldn't stay tight. I planted in Tapla's famously wonderful pine bark fines container mix, which is just too loose for the BS.
Almost cut off my left index finger in the process....
But, I discovered an interesting thing cutting down those thick stalks. On the Broccoli stalks, if you chop them into manageable pieces about 3-4" long, and boil them for awhile, you can then cut off those woody outter stems and inside is pure Broccoli "meat". Almost like "Hearts of palm!" It reminds me of a mild squash. Would be great for a cassarole!
Linda
I agree. I sue the inside of the Broccoli stalks for soup.
This will be the last year that I am growing Brussels Sprouts.
I think they need cooler weather than I have, plus it takes too long and they produce just too little ...
I rather invest my space on something I can harvest more often ...
Agreed. You'll have to send me your broccoli soup recipe. I'm a newbie at cooking!
What I meant I use the broccoli stalks to make chicken or vegetable broth.
But here how to quickly make a broccoli soup:
Soffritto = 1 onion, 2 stalks of celery, 1 carrot = cut all in very small pieces = heat olive oil or lard (I love to use lard because I make my own with the pork fat from a farmer that doesn't use any bad stuff)
Sautee' vegetables
Add some sea salt (I don't use kosher)
If you want add a spring of rosemary (this herb is full of oil and it is perfect to use when you are sautee' your veggies and not later) - Sautee' untill translucent.
Add broccoli
Add some water to cover all the vegetable and if you want some chicken broth (I only use mine)
Add 1 bay leaf
Bring to a boil and reduce heat for maybe 1 hour.
I normally puree the soup at the end.
If you want you can add a 1/2 cup of milk or cream.
Add parsley, or thyme or green onion at the end and serve.
Note: i also love to add Swiss Chard leaves all chopped with the broccoli
Thanks, Drthor!
I will try this with the next batch of broccoli I cut down. I have about 10 broccoli plants still going, depending on the heat. Taking them down slowly, one by one.
Now, tell me about using the broccoli stalks to make the chicken/vegetable broth.
You know, I have a friend who recommended I could use my small hole drill to get the pulp from the broccoli stalk. If I cut it into short pieces, the drill would bore right down the middle and I'd have a chunk of the broccoli pulp without killing my hands or cutting off any fingers!
Also, I have to remember to buy a small hatchet to chop up those stalks!
Thanks!
I'm sending you a dmail....
Linda
to make chicken stoch.
add to cold water: one all non cooked chicken, one onion, one carot, 2 stalks of celery, one potato (do not cut any of these vegetables)
bring to a boil, add sea salt and one bay leaf .... lower to a simmer and cook for one hour or more.
That's all
Thanks!
Lettuce is growing great.
I keep harvesting the outside leaves ... that's why it is always small in the picture.
I have not covered my veggie garden once this year
