Tips and Tricks for Gardening

[rdback]

Well, there's another afternoon project with an instant return-on-investment, lol.

Thanks Ron!

[Deleted]

Yeah, yer gonna love the two wheels.  It's a dolly with a bucket!  The power of leverage, love it.  

[heavyhitterokra]

Tip on Locating Good Soil 

I was reading an article on Garden Web this morning about choosing a site for a new garden. They stated something there that is very true.

"Thick grass or vigorous weed growth usually indicates soil drainage and nutrient levels that will support healthy garden plants."

I located my garden where the heaviest grass growth was, (In my case it was bermuda grass) knowing that where the heaviest growth occurs, the soil must be rich in nutrients.

[macmex]

When I see dock, lambsquarters and/or purslane I usually conclude that there's some fertile soil in that place.

[heavyhitterokra]

Today, I tried something new to me. The temperatures tonight are forecast to drop into the twenties, so while it was still in the forties this afternoon, I attached several old, plastic, bread wrappers over as many blossoms as I could reach on our peach and pear trees. I tied the wrappers in place using bread twist ties. I have no idea if this will even work, but I figured it was worth a try.  Our peach and pear trees are in full bloom right now and the temperature is currently 33 degrees and falling.

***April 1st, update, Friday morning.*** 

It got down to 25 degrees here last night.  I won't know until the ice melts whether the plastic bags worked to save the blossoms or not?

I think I taught our German Shepherd, 'Sunny' to crack ice with his paw this morning.  All winter long I've been cracking ice for him in the mornings with a scraping hoe.  This morning, I wasn't expecting ice, so I didn't take the hoe with me.  When I got to the chicken house, there was ice a little better than a quarter inch thick on the water trough, so instead of breaking it with a scraping hoe, I broke it with the palm of my fist.  When Sunny saw me do that; he broke the ice on his water bowl with his foot.  That's the first time I've ever seen him do that.  He usually just stands there licking the ice until I break it for him. 

[macmex]

I had a heater on in the greenhouse last night and it still got down to 36 F in there! Everything looked okay, though. Come on warm weather!

[heavyhitterokra]

I took the bread wrappers off of the blossoms today. They look just fine. Of course, I won't really know if it worked until they set fruit, but they didn't fall off yet, so I suspect that it worked this time.

[heavyhitterokra]

I read the following post on a thread about crazy, unpredictable, Spring weather and just thought I'd share it here with you guys. Before today, I had never even heard of gutter heat tape. This sounds like it might just work.

Here's the post: Trust me, crazy Spring weather is driving me crazy too. For 2018 I do have a small, heated hoop, I put a length of gutter heat tape in the ground, and the bed is 5'x8'. It has rebar spikes installed to hold PVC ribs for sheet plastic to stretch over, so a mini hoop house. I have used a similar setup to nurse stuff through our typical wild spring weather. (85° F one day, snow a few days later then that melts off and it hit 70° the day after the snow). It's not permanent, but it is my last hope. (a few years ago I managed to bring store-sized cauliflower and store-sized broccoli heads to my table with this method). Thanks.

[Tucson Grower]

Well, I think it's warm enough, outside, now, to sow some seeds in trays of pots in the warm sunny weather. Besides my heat mat under LED plant lights, inside, has run out of room. So I just finished loading up two 1020 standard nursery flats with 50 each of 2x2x2 inch pots. After pre-moistening the starting media (Sunshine #4), I added a dusting of garden inoculant, azomite powder, shrimp shell powder, and general purpose organic fertilizer. I then blended everything together thoroughly and filled the little pots with it. I then squeezed 50 in each nursery flat and watered to settle the media. I'll let it sit tonight, then plant them up in the morning. This worked real well, back in 2021.

My main problem is that this additional 100 starting spots is nowhere near enough. I could really use 10 times as many - maybe even more.

[Tucson Grower]

Problem is, those pots are only good for certain seed. Some, but not all, of the very smallest seed, need starting in small (2x2) trays of fine sand. I use polyethylene, snap shut, makeup carriers. I sow the seed on the surface of moistened 120 grit silica sand. As soon as germination begins I can transfer any germinating seed to cell-packs or small pots.

So now I have room for 100 more starts, but I'm also starting plants for my brother and two friends. I'm sure I have close to 100 different types and varieties of plants yet to start and need room to start, at least, 2 of each per gardener. Thank goodness the season for peas, daikon radish, lettuce, kale, and cauliflower is ending. I won't need to find/make room for them, again, until September.

[FrostyTurnip]

Yeah.  Succession sowing can become a logistical nightmare that demands precious sq footage under my lights in  a warm room.  I just potted up my tomatoes early so I can free up some plug trays for peppers.  I often start a group of seedlings in a small mushroom container, etc.  Just to save space for a week or so.  

In another week, it’ll be time for us to direct sow the hardy cole crops and x plant the rest with some protection.