Well ..finally , I am back! Heres the up date! I am now on my 4th day with the Ammonium Sulfate. I am soaking in the AS each afternnoon. I noticed that the bales are "settling" and seem to be flattening! Is this a good thing?
You can see the layer of Horse compose under the bales here, I dont know whether this is going to help , but we will see!
Since the temps here are well up into the 80's, and the sun is bearing right down on the bales, I covered them with a white tarp to ,hopefully, delay the evaporation in the bales.
Should help. But, are the bales tied pretty tight? Wonder why they are flattening so soon. Sounds like they are pretty loose.
Jeanette
Okay Im ready to see if this is going to work! I laid down a layer of potting soil mixed with cow compost across the top of a couple of bales....then....
I took a new "gardening tool",( it seemed to be the right shape and size for pushing a hole into the bale)........
..and it worked!
Since I had no luck finding seeds for GRAPE tomatoes this year and I cant ever seem to get them to sprout when I do, I purchased a plant for $3.50(Choke..Choke) at Wal-Mart! This 4 inch pot fit right into the hole created by the bottle and I filled it in with a little of the potting soil and compost mixture!
I sprinkled some turnip and Spinach seed into the soil on either side of the tomato.
Eufaula Looking good How are the peach trees doing.?? Did that snow storm on Mar.2nd hurt them..??
Eufaula, that is great!! What kind of tomato is it? Is it determinate or indeterminate? Are you going to need support for it??
Jeanette
Hi Tubbytee, Thank You and My Peach trees are doing great! Now that they are dropping their petals I have to get busy and locate a good source for Organic spray to deter those nasty little insects that love my peaches!
Jnette My little tomato is a Tami G Hybrid - Indeterminate. It will be a climber and I have that taken care of. The frame work over my little garden will be supporting string and wire structures for climbing.
Eufaula: I'm going to have to try out your custom bale-hole-making tool! :-)
Oh My Gosh!! What in the world is this?? I know I remember something way back some where in the threads about Mushrooms but I thought you all were kidding! Is this good or bad? What do I do?? Im ready to plant maters!!!!! Haaaay-Yulp!!
Oh yeah! Dont pay any attention to the date, I got all excited trying to take a photo and pushed something wrong on my camera!
That's not gonna hurt anything. That just shows you the bales are decomposing nicely! Plant away...
Doug
Thanks Doug, Now I feel a lot better!
Eufaula: I can't tell you how many emails I've gotten from new bale gardeners when the mushrooms first appear! :-)
They are kind of neat, how they just spring out of nowhere.
And more, and more, and more. LOL
Jeanette
Well now , here we have Mushrooms and spinach seedlings!
Mushrooms and strawberries!
...and Mushrooms and mushroom gardener!
this one tried to get away!! Fuzzy photo but I got 'em!LOL!!
Eufaula, have those little guys give the mushrooms a kick and knock them off.
Jeanette
Well we werent supposed to have a frost Nor a Freeze last night.....but Guess what! Ice all over everything this morning! I just set out my tiny Brandywine and Better boy tomato seedling yesterday. I also put out some of the climbing Kentucky wonder Beans and Italian Flat beans, Thankfully they are still just barely visible below the little bit of potting soil I covered them with.
I think for right now I will continue to cover my bales at night until I know for sure that there will be no more frosts!
Ice ...who would have thought... 37 degrees at the lowest point and stupid ICE!!!!!
How was it in your part of Georgia Fremar? Hey Sal did you get a freeze?
Yes, we got snow yesterday. On top of the ice we still have. I wonder if there are plants that require ice and snow. Anyone out there know of any???
Jeanette
Well, here it is the middle of April already! My poor little Bale garden is doing well , when you consider all the crazy weather and minor mishaps around here!
First it was the snow and ice that came through, I just covered everything up with a tarp. I only lost one tomato and three Kentucky Wonder Bean plants.
The Rain started and hasnt quit! There has been over 5 inches per day for the past month here. Whenever the Sun Comes out , like today, I look up and say "Uhhh, Whats that?" LOL! But my little Garden is fairing nicely.
I even had another round with Hail last Friday night and a small " Ahem" Tornado. I only lost one tree this time, but it needed to come down anyway, My garden kept on truckin' !
A Neighbor and dear friend was in her home when the tornado ripped it from the foundation and sent it rolling with her and her daughter in it! They both survived, but are badly shaken. Thank Heavens!
I will have photos this afternoon of my little tomato , bean, potato,and strawberry plants.
My first "experiment"! started red potatoes stolen from my kitchen Pantry! a couple of Kentucky wonder seeds and some turnip seed, just to see what would happen ...Welll here they all are.... growing great! gonna get crowded soon in this spot. the beans will trellis up soon though.
What happened to the 4 legged helper? On strike or did you lay him off in this tough economy?
Or is he in Puppy prison..LOL
Eufaula: that's the way to get the most out of your bales.
By the way, I'm referring others to your hole-make-tool as a Eufaulatum. Sounds like a surgical device. Giving you all the credit. :-)
Haaaa, Ole Deisel was right here when I took the last photo. I just got in a hurry with all the inclement weather weve had and just havent mentioned him lately. But I will get him back into action this week! Hes really a good Great Dane Puppy ... just puppy Silly right now!
Kent that "Eufalatum " word just makes me smile when I read it!! I bet my Grandma( who was the person I borrowed my 'puter name from) would be just laughing herself silly about that! She dearly loved gardening and this Strawbale thing would have been something she would definitely have tried!
By the way this is Eufaula on Digger's "Puter"!!
This message was edited Apr 19, 2009 9:02 AM
I was wondering where that name came from! :-)
IM Home again! made it in about 2and a half hours! Digger you can quit worryin' now! I made it fine! I decided to take the scenic route through Cleveland Ga.
Kent , yep Eufaula was my Paternal Gran's name! It is actually a Muskogee (Creek) name or word, meaning "laughing as she runs"!
2nd chance and TubbyT, Yep Old Diesel was in Puppy Prison today and yesterday while Mommy was away!
Heres my Taters today!
Another view with my Strawberries on the right.
Here is the tomato and Squash end still looking sparse but the plants are just now taking hold and really starting to grow! I found an organic fertilizer at Wally World and I am going to mix it with water so I can use my watering can to apply!
Oh and you can just see the Sunflowers coming up in the upended blocks. these will help provide climbing stalks for the beans and tomatoes.
" She Never lets me have any fun"!!
TubbyTee Heres a photo of my peaches , just for you!
..and the nectarines! Ice didnt even phase them!
And I don't even have my bales yet !
While you was driving home Uffie , my neighbor was cleaning up my puter and installing stuff . Got the pictures moved . Had a good nap and stuffed on chicken .
Maybe I can get the bales tomorrow , I hope I can get a better price than 3.50.I'll just get six, to get the maters started , then get more from a farmer when he bales his field in a few weeks. digger
Four legged helper looks dejected :(
Peach's look good..Diesel looks sad,poor puppy..LOL
