general gardening topics

holdenboy1960 (Shane )

Tractorologist
Senior Member
Member
Catch up time

this summer gardens was a flop for me with a long harsh nasty drought 1"+ cracks in the ground ect and me being not well , watering the plants came at a loss and got no veggies all summer , have started to get tomatoes parsley ect since it cooled off a bit

it was that dry even the animals were eating stuff not normally touched example , the crows ate watermelon , figs ,tomatoes oranges ,, king parrots and crows ate most of my corn , i had to use cages over the melons and pumpkins to save them so i got a few in autumn , i did manage to get 8 pumpkins and 3 melons so better than nothing so far and more pumpkin flowers on now as long as they don't get frosted

possums ate everything else like parsley, tomatoes and the whole plants they even ate my potted fig tree bare , ate every leaf. i had to water all the adult fruit trees to keep them alive also , lemon, fig , orange ,lemonade ,purple grapefruit ,and lime trees 2 gals of water every 2 weeks just to keep them but was worth it .

my potato plants looked really good so when they died off i dug them to find nothing but a mass of roots and no taters , i was so disappointed

we had a little rain in march but that's gone , oh well back to out winter drought , as i feel better i will soon start and work up a new section of ground for a garden come spring next to the pumpkin patch and remove the divider fence to make it one large garden

Shane
 
We have to watch for grackles. Our honey berries are almost ready. Last year grackles took every berry one day
Wife’s picking Swiss Chard daily. It’s one thing we get lots of. Eat it daily as well as freezing plenty
Pumpkins and herbs a couple months from ready
 

Attachments

  • 54733962-28C8-43FE-8896-8F949A28357D.jpeg
    54733962-28C8-43FE-8896-8F949A28357D.jpeg
    462.4 KB · Views: 8
  • 05F8728C-246C-4817-B4E4-9CCF8214C6D0.jpeg
    05F8728C-246C-4817-B4E4-9CCF8214C6D0.jpeg
    402.6 KB · Views: 8
Picture of torch. And I use map gas. Gives them a good sunburn.
And if things get out of hand, I get the big one out.
Hehe. This one I use for weed control.

Noel
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    335.5 KB · Views: 1
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    155.1 KB · Views: 2
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    183.1 KB · Views: 2
We have used Seven dust for years on the garden with good success. Don't plant Potato's so don't know how it would work with them. Picked the 3 Broccoli heads this morning. They were real nice size but wouldn't last another couple days. Goats got to eat the Cauliflower as it was junk. So far the plastic rings have kept the Mellon's, Pumpkin, Cuc's, etc. safe from the bunnies. First year we have had a problem with those little critters. Tomatoes are looking good but nothing big or red as yet. No Beet's as the rabbits got them too. Ton's of lettuce and still getting some but it is about over. About dry enough to get in with the weeder and tiller but chance of rain the next 4 days. Have to mow again tomorrow. Got a few Strawberries this morning. New plants this year so may have to water them if it don't rain soon.
 
I was picking Swiss Chard yesterday and discovered hoards of mushrooms throughout the Swiss Chard. Not sure the source whether manure or the soil I bought
Anyone know if these are edible or do I just fry and serve a plate for Beakers lunch
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4467.JPG
    IMG_4467.JPG
    182.9 KB · Views: 4
Last edited:
plowed up heaps more stones from the 2nd section of garden and most grass is gone from there now aswell , mulched one pile of grass back into the 1st section and harrow drag spread it around , but still got 3 piles of grass to mulch up yet and 1/2 tonne of stone to move yet lol . i will use all the stones outside the garden on the top side to stop water wash and erosion-if it ever decides to rain again , no photos at the moment slow net

Shane
 
22-23" between rows. Straddle the rows, don't drive between them. Brinley cultivator with shovels, not the points. Wastes to much room 5' apart. I'd only have 5 rows in my garden. Once the plants are up the Preen goes down and only a couple trips with the cultivator after that. Vine plants are put in about 12-15' between the hills. Use the walk behind tiller as it is much more maneuverable.
 
all my vine type are in other places not in the main garden , my rockmelons, cucumbers and most of the watermelons are now planted in the rock wall
IMG_20191010_081912.jpg IMG_20191010_081819.jpg in these 2 sections and i laid drip hose in both sections to keep the new transplants wet in the soil and grass mulch , got a 1000 litre tank feeding them will last a few days if i set the tap right to slow trickle water , i don't have a photo of the other melons and pumpkins, in all i have round melons , shampaine melons , and the long watermelons and rock melons

this is a 2500 litre tank IMG_20191010_082237.jpg about 80 feet up the hill i set up during last week ready to lay 1" black poly pipe for the watering of the garden instead of running the bore pump for 3 hrs or more at a time to water ,this way it's only 20 to 30 minutes to fill the tank , will make a little saving to my power bill

here is the 1st row now planted IMG_20191010_082000.jpg got 8 tomatoes in ,set into wire rings 4 are table tomatoes and 4 are cherry tomatoes , in between them 12"space i have planted dwarf beans from seed then next in line is 12 squash then and the last 1/3 of the row planted corn seed 90% strike

2nd row i have got carrots (full row) just coming through 2 days ago before i left out bush,

IMG_20191010_082037.jpg and a photo to show how crooked the rows are lol and are 5' to row centers just right for my machines

Shane
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20191010_082015.jpg
    IMG_20191010_082015.jpg
    320.9 KB · Views: 3
not sure where to post this thread ,

been doing a collection of all my gardening spray and sprinkler bits and pieces ,including some black poly hose regular garden hose size , anything to do with watering a garden

IMG_20191030_141907.jpgclose up>IMG_20191030_141932.jpg IMG_20191030_142033.jpg

IMG_20191030_142100.jpg IMG_20191030_142153.jpg IMG_20191030_142209.jpg is some spray sprinkler tops and part rolls of poly pipe 3/4 to 1"1/2 not shown here

IMG_20191030_142253.jpg IMG_20191030_142313.jpg IMG_20191030_145526.jpg

just another sorting stage of my system to get everything sorted and a home for it all where i can find things when i want them .
But it don't look much looking at the photos , ended up with 4 timers 1 of which is a electric battery operated type AA batts .

in the 3rd last photo is 3/4 full of pop-up sprinklers

Shane
 
some plant progress
IMG_20191105_133441.jpg picked the 1st tomato few days ago IMG_20191105_133455.jpg 8 plants under the white covering and also 7 dwarf beans in between the tomatoes which are flowering now too , the corn is not a happy camper this year

IMG_20191105_133709.jpg IMG_20191105_133717.jpg also my first rockmelon set on big as my fist .

IMG_20191105_133522.jpg < squash is flowering and some just set on , thumb size , IMG_20191105_133629.jpg < radish is up about an 1" now

IMG_20191105_133841.jpg IMG_20191105_133901.jpg IMG_20191105_133927.jpg cucumbers are looking good , heaps on and picked the 1st 6 on wednesday just nice and full , not over ripe and deep green , it's great to eat our own home grown veggies ect i reckon ,

even with the drought i'm pouring the bore mineral water on it all to keep the plants in top shape

Shane
 
Back
Top