WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD NOVEMBER 13, 2015

freerepublic | November 13, 2015 | greeneyes

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

oldvirginian :" I have red clay that can be hard as concrete during a dry summer.

I would suggest that you use anything to add humus / fiber to the soil will keep it broken up , water permable, and the fibers will retain moisture for plants.
Use your leaves, and your neighbors leaves after they have been broken up with a lawn mower.
If your community bags leaves, get some and you can add them as you harvest crops so that you have a three season supply for next year.
If you have the space , create a compost pile for your kitchen (no meat/ no fat) scraps.
Also , worms which are 'natures soil enrichment converters' thrive in moist leaves and compost.
I would save the pine needles as a weed suppressent and to use as a top mulch for the garden.

[oldvirginian]

Way back when I would have planted a cover crop for the winter. But as this is only my second year here I just tilled my leaves into the soil last year.

I am in a rural township with farms across from me and a microbrewery behind me, so I have all the leaves I want.

I am going to approach one of the farmers to see if I can get some manure from him.
I am a huge believer in cow crap. Chicken manure is best, but cow flop does fine.
If I wasn’t renting I would probably build a small chicken coop and have manure and eggs.
My landlord and his wife are in their late eighties and their children are all business, so I think I will leave well enough alone.

Come spring, when I start cutting grass again, I am going to start a good compost pile.
I will probably use pallets from the local store to build a three sided bin and woven wire for the front.
By spring I will have the bin built and a nice layer of dry leaves ready for the clippings.
The local store sells worms during fishing season, so I should be set.

I have several potted plants, legacies from the previous resident, that I am getting rid of.
I will add that old potting soil to the garden. About two yards total. Did I say several plants? More like many!

[Arkansas Tider]

Save those pine needles and use them to suppress weeds next spring. I mulch 1000 tomato plants with pine needles every year. The results are amazing, check out my farms Facebook page and see for yourself:

https://www.facebook.com/Flint-City-Farms-1533223683572101/?fref=ts

[oldvirginian]

Thanks for the link.

I was hoping the needles would work. They break down slowly and really help keep moisture in the ground!

It’s odd.
I used to plant around one hundred acres of crops plus hay.
Doing things small scale is making me reconsider everything.
Small scale calls for different methods.

It is interesting doing things differently though.
I used to stake our tomatoes.
Last year I used circular cages. I staked the cages but they still wanted to tip over.
Next year I am thinking of running woven wire down the row and gently tying the plants to the wire.
I noticed one man even did that for his cukes.

Living and learning.
The older I get, the less I realize I know.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Late report from Joe Bastardi ,Weatherbell .com :
Apprently submitted late (musta been a Penn State game),
#1 - very wet in eastern 2/3rds of US in next 6 -10 days;
#2 - the excessive ocean warmth off the coast of California will cause a trough east of the Rockies bringing unusual cold right from Siberia (Siberian Express) before Thanksgiving ;
#3 - the cold will make thanksgiving interesting and cold throughout the U.S. #4 - later Joe spent the the last 1/3 of his report saying that many of the allegations by Sect. of State Kerry are factually wrong in regard to drought being a Glow-Bull warming contributor to Arab and Nigerian migration, using (NOAA) their own Fed Govt. data .

[cherry]

we are surrounded by pine needles so I'll chime in and say that they don't break down very well....even if you mix them a little at a time into your soil, you'll still see them in their form for a good long time...

however, I think putting them in your rows or as mulch for berry plants or apple trees is a good idea....

I had my husband pile a whole bunch along the fence to prevent weeds from encroaching into the garden area, and it works....

and pine needles are excellent if you live in the cold climes to cover your roses or similar plants that need a little protection....

[DollyCali]

Hi Johnny! So nice to see your name n post!

Hi all!

Here for a rare visit to FR. Checked Sunday talk show thread, Amy’s , pings and now here.

Normally at work at front desk at hotel Sat n Sun. For 12 hr shifts- but off due to Shingles. Starting my fourth year off grid. Not by intelectual choice but more so economics. Rough in NE ohio

Always enjoy your sharing of stories and pics.

[JRandomFreeper]

Good to see you, too, Dolly.

Sorry to hear about your shingles. Been there, done that, ain't no fun.

Hope you get some electricity soon. Being without power is..... inconvenient.

/johnny

[greeneyes]

Thank you very much for that report!

[ladyjane]

Beautiful tomatoes you have!

I have a problem of rot with heirlooms. How do you get such perfect ones?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

cherry:"..even if you mix them a little at a time into your soil, you'll still see them in their form for a good long time..."
"to prevent weeds from encroaching into the garden area, and it works...."
"pine needles are excellent if you live in the cold climes to cover your roses or similar plants that need a little protection...."

Exactly ! Pine needles as a weed suppressent
Pine needles as a mulch - allows moisture penetration , while preventing weeds access to sunlight and the weed seeds from sprouting.
Good call all around !
Pine needles are your friend !

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

ladyjane :" ..I have a problem of rot with heirlooms."

Blossom end rot occurs generally from irregular watering - either too much ,.. or , a mineral deficiency.
I have heard that some folks use 'epsom salts' ,episodicly, while watering to provide extra magnesium to overcome the mineral unavailablity.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

oldvirginian:"..I staked the cages but they still wanted to tip over.
Next year I am thinking of running woven wire down the row and gently tying the plants to the wire.
I noticed one man even did that for his cukes.
Living and learning.The older I get, the less I realize I know."

"Living and learning.The older I get,.." - True that !! Thats why we have the gardening forum .
We each have different climates , different climate zones, but we're here to help answer questions , and make suggestions...
Treat tomatoes like grape plants, except have 3 or 4 lateral wires , but weave the folliage
If you need to tie the foliage to the wire, use a wide soft cotton ( like kitchen twine) so it won't cut into the stem .
Prune off the unproductive side shoots hich are just foliage.
We are all here to learn how to be more productive, and to see what works , ..and what doesn't work (trial and error)!
P.S. - My circular tomato cages blew over too ! Three times ..dang ! Wish I had started with latteral wires - Too late Schmart !

[oldvirginian]

I remember when I was a kid, the older folks would sit in the living room talking on rainy or cold winter days.

The topics varied through the years.
I remember hearing about the advantages of work horses vs tractors, what type of tractor to buy, how long to season fence posts, the different varieties of seeds and how to plant and nourish each.
I wish I had written it all down!

One of the reasons I like Free Republic is it reminds me of those days.
Like minded people sitting around the wood stove sharing their opinions on all things.
I even manage to learn something every now and then!

Just this week I’ve learned that pine needles are much more than a nuisance. They can actually be my friend.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

(in my best German accent)" TOO Late SCHMART !"
Yeah, most of us try to learn something new , or experiment, or try new varieties and cultivers .
My suggestion to you : contact your local Farm Extension , or Co-Operative Extension for recent plant developements, or suggestions to overcome problems.
Also , many have mid-winter classes or instructions, or they know of innovative growers in your area;
also ,they have specialists for home gardeners, road-side stands, orchardists,forestry, commercial agriculture, as well as helpful bulletins and handouts.
If, on a cold wintery day you might want to review some of the earlier gardening forum entries from here, go to :
www.freerepublic.com/tag/gardening/index?tab=articles

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

I failed to mention that the forum information goes back 13 years about crops, cultivers,plant disease, seed starting indoors, plant reccommneds, etc.,etc.
Also , that the Farm bureau and County Co-Operative Extension Office information is FREE for the asking !

[Augie]

We’re getting some much-needed rainfall here in Central Missouri this morning.

It was another busy weekend at my house. Had a colonoscopy done on Friday. That was all clear so I don’t have to that again for another five years. The big winds we had late last week did some damage to my cold frame. One pane of glass is totally shattered and another is badly cracked so I have some cleanup and repairs to make on that.

Saturday was the opener for firearms deer season. Spent a few hours in my tree, then went back to the house and did some chores. Took the trailer back to the sawmill and dropped it off. Spent most of the afternoon in the garden cleaning up. I’m more than half done with that.

Shot a nice buck yesterday morning. It was too warm to let him hang so I worked him up and packed the meat away in the freezer. Dumped the offal in the compost heap and turned the pile over while I was there. It’s cooking down quite nicely and gets better every time I turn it over.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

THanks to Freeper struggle: Joe Bstardi's Winter forecast (issued in august , 2015) :
www. http://www.weatherbell.com/public-winter-15-16-forecast