Posted on 11/13/2015 1:55:12 PM PST by greeneyes
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.
No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - there is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.
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.
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!
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
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.
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....
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.
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
Thank you very much for that report!
Beautiful tomatoes you have!
I have a problem of rot with heirlooms. How do you get such perfect ones?
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 !
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.
"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 !
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.
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.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.