Jeanette, last year we had to get our straw from a different supplier because the guy we usually get it from was feeding it to his cows!
Straw bales for the wealthy!
Better than dirt I guess. My dogs are going to be eating snow soon I think. How are you doing over there Woofie? Did you get a lot more snow last night?
Jeanette
Snow is a four-letter word. Got about another 4 inches to add to the stuff sitting on the barn roof with nowhere to go. Eeeek! Pray for rain!
My cows are eating straw, too. Surprisingly (at least to me) this straw is full of seeds. I may not be able to bale garden this year (which would be sad, very sad) because the cows need to eat, and hay is soooo expensive, if you can even find it.
Well catmad; If that is the case. You can use my old standby system. Save newspapers. Then when you plant, lay down newspaper, at least three layers between the rows. Wet the paper and hold it down with grass clippings. Ask neighbors for their grass clippings or even saw dust. Fill sand will also work. It is a big help for keeping the weeds down. If you have clay soil, The sand will help the next year to help loosen the soil. The saw dust will tend to rob nitrogen the next year as you will till it under in the fall so if you use saw dust, it would be wise to add more nitrogen.
I am still useing that method for all the root crops. as well as what all the bales can't hold. Last year I was given extra tomatoes at the RU. I didn't have enough bales for them all so they went in the ground as well.
I like to raise extra for some of the elderly. Older than me anyway!
These are the extra tomatoes. No weeds comming up between the rows. but you can see weeds off to the left, where I didn't use paper and grass.
Russ, I did that in my perennial bed 3 years ago. The only weeds that are in there found holes where I didn't overlap the paper. Also, seeds the birds drop in the mulch need to be picked off. They are very shallow. Just in the mulch so you need to get them before they get a toe hold. I don't know if they would root thru the paper or not.
I used 12 sheets of newspaper everywhere.
Jeanette
Yes the new seeds can get a start. There won't be nearly as many as what would come up without a good cover. It sure beats keeping the weeds down just by hoing
Here is a pic where I didn't have enough grass clippings in time, so I had to till between the rows.
Russ, you have a beautiful garden, but big enough that it is a lot of work. Nice onions.
Jeanette
Jeanette ;
Thanks for the compliment. I just like raising enough to last through the winter, and to share some as well.
I will enclose a pic of the iris that I couldn't turn down. Even though they kept me on my knees a long time. Both when I planted them, and also when I weeded them then spent about three days putting paper down between them and using sand to hold the paper. They came in 2 five gallon buckets. Both buckets filled within three inches of the tops.
One with weeds and I hope I have one after I put down paper and sand.
Then I hope this is the other one.
Nope, It is an in between picture. I had weeded . then was going to use wood chips. Saw how many bags it was going to take. that is when I decided to use sand. After all this is only a temporary spot for them untill I can note the different colors. Sorry. I'll look harder
This message was edited Feb 8, 2008 9:53 PM
Good grief Russ, you sure planted a lot of them. They are gorgeous. so healthy looking. Where did you get them? Don't you love the newspaper? I can't believe it took me so long to hear about it.
Jeanette My SIL Oldest brother's Wife. .She thined hers out and only has a small lot. She tried to give them away in the park where they live. No takers, so If We didn't want them they were going in the trash.
The iris origanaly came frpm her mothers flower bed. When her mother passed away she dug some up. and made a small flower garden in memory of her mother.. Incedently ( I know you are going to laugh at this) my brother's wife is also Barbara Jean same as my DW. How is that for coincedence.
I just couldn't see the iris going in the trash.
I still need to plan just where would be the best spot for them. But when I get that far I will have to put in a barrier to keep the brome grass from choking them out.
We got them in the fall. and didn't have a spot picked out or even worked up. So they were priviledged. They got garden space Between the rhubarb and the front edge of the garden. They should all bloom this year. Only had one bloom and that was this last fall. For some reason or another it didn't know it was suposed to bloom in the spring. Well at least now I know where a yellow one is.
When they bloom this year I'll have to get a picture of them.
Russ
They are going to be beautiful. :)
I agree with Doccat5. They will be. Russ, how about instead of having them all together, maybe planting them all around your yard in different spots with a half a dozen in each place. Rather than one large plot. That way you would be able to use the large plot for your garden and have the color of them in a lot of different places.
I know it is terrible to try to get that grass out from between them and out of the roots. Awful stuff. Is there something you can use to kill it without hurting the Irises? Maybe something to wipe on the grass that would go to the roots like Roundup or something? Couldn't be worse than trying to dig it all out.
Jeanette
Jeanette I like the idea of having several beds with iris in them. The colors are probably mixed pretty good. but I don't know one from the other at this time. I have some pictures from another DGers back yard, We have been there a couple times. It always changes a little each year. I will include a pic of her iris. And say a thank you to Wanda's flowers.
I think when spring finally does come, I will use Roundup first. When the grass is dead. Run the tiller in the patches. and take all the dirt out of the hole. They have a 25' roll of fiberglass 6" high , that I will sink in around the edge. Then sift out any root system left in the dirt. before refilling the hole or depression. Then plant and do the paper and wood mulch. Some will have to have sand, untill I can buy the extra wood mulch.
I am thinking of the first patch will be along the edge of the gravel in front of the garage. there is a 12' wide strip between the gravel and the property line. which can be viewed from the dining room window as well as from the parsonage next door.
This pic is all along one of her fences. The iris had a set back due to weather. but this is just one fence
This message was edited Feb 9, 2008 3:29 PM
That sounds like a good plan Russ. Who are those people? Looks like mother & daughter.
Jeanette
Well the one with the flowers on her Tee shirt Is Wanda. The other lady you see the back of her head is Becki we also toured her garden. And the other lady is Barbara. The one I go home with. :>)
Russ
That's funny. I think Barbara and Wanda look enough alike to be related. Barb looks like she is a very happy person. Always cheerful. Now, you will have to tell me Russ if I can read people by looking at them. LOL
Jeanette
Well I think I can answer with a yes for Barbara
Wanda seems very cheerfull too. I know She took some teasing from me At the RU.
She had given very good directions to her house. I found a website with old penny post cards. of Cedar Rapids. I made up a story. of how her directions Lead us through the oldest part of town. I had also printed out the post cards. I had Arlene (Twin Lakes Cheff) Hold up the photos so every one could see them as I told the story of getting lost. Almost running into the horse and buggy, and the horses bolting. Being directed through various parks that are no longer. Every body was laughing. Wanda first thought I was serious . When I finished She said that the scary thing is that she reconized most of the places.
I gave her my script and the pictures. and later posted the web site for her.
We have fun at the RUs
I will try find the site and send it. You will then see the joke in my story.
Russ
www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/special/ppcs/ppcs.html
I seem to have trouble posting this. But you can just google it or even if you just google penny Post Cards. It will get you close. If you find it click on Iowa. then click on Linn county. There are som interesting cards there.
Enjoy.
Russ
edited to say I think it worked. Enjoy
This message was edited Feb 9, 2008 6:32 PM
That was pretty cool Russ. Neat post cards and story. Sounds like you kind of enjoy yourself wherever you are. LOL
Jeanette
Russ, that's priceless. Wish I could have been there to hear and see the story unfold. :-)
Well you missed out, but If you have a North western RU sometime. If it were anything like ours. You would have just as much fun. We have a wonderful potluck lunch, There are door prizes, and a plant swap. This year there was a BOOBY PRIZE . Talk about laughter.
Of course it was given at the beginning of the prize drawing. They already had her picked for it. She was sitting next to a close friend. and they posed for pictures. LOL
Just read the article on building a sun room on a budget. That is what I need.
I could do all my seed starting out there.
I remember last summer I was one person too late in getting 3 large plate glass windows. from a clinic. That would have been sooo nice.
Russ
What was the sunroom under Russ?
Did you get my message about the Hydro-culture?
Jeanette
Jeanette;
Got the message! Very interesting, printed a bunch of it still searcing some of the extra sites on it.
The articles that are on the right side of the home page of DG. is where I found the sunroom article. I found it interesting.
I know we can't all get all the materials together as they did but it does stir some thought. It is by Caleb Garvin.
Russ
This message was edited Feb 10, 2008 5:02 PM
Hi! I used to live in Ocala and always wondered why more folks down there don't compost! It can make such a dramatic improvement in your soil and is FREE! Kitchen scraps (no cheese/dairy or meat/fish), plus leaves/grass cuttings/hay/straw plus any manure you can get- in no time you'll have beautiful black soil.