Just remember:
Posted on 04/02/2022 7:31:47 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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.
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@Pete. Low tunnel, high tunnel, is just a matter of size, materials used and features. Same concepts and basic purpose. I just grabbed the only pic I could find that showed the cross roping. People use them on all size hoop houses, low or high. Those tie downs would probably work good for your hoops along with some paracord.
@Diana in Wisconsin - @metmom. I’m in hill country and you never know what the winds will be like here. Straight line on occasion with a lot of gusts from variable directions depending on how it funnels through the hills. We’ve had 60 mph winds but it’s been a few years. There are a couple of spots within a mile where no one should ever build. Something about the land shape pummels those spots and breaks off or uproots healthy 12+ inch trees.
Our wind RARELY comes from the East, but the two times it did since the greenhouse was built, THAT’S when the greenhouse was damaged.
It’s anchored like a BOAT - the structure isn’t going anywhere, just some of the panels popped out and one vent torn off. All was easily fixable because I found all the pieces ‘just over the hill.’ ;)
I'm not a garden-variety Misery hillbilly, but I do play one on TV. lol
Geography can play much more of a role in local weather than people realize.
I got some culvert pipe potatoes going today and planted some of the onions I started from seed. The next ten days looks fantastic, and although Joe Bastardi is predicting some bad weather for Apr 14 - 21, I have straw and cardboard to cover stuff with if need be.
I have had problems putting potatoes in ground. How are you planting them?? Grow bags? Potato bags? Mounding in beds?
Throw out to everyone—Grow bags seem like might be worth a try but the potato bags seem expensive...
Last year, I used old white plastic buckets with the bottom cut off.
I placed them on the ground, put some fertilizer on the dirt, and mixed it in. Then laid the potatoes on the ground, and covered them with wood chips. As the plants grew, I would cover them with more wood chips.
The plants reached an enormous size and it seems that the ones in the buckets did not have tomato hornworm issues. However the Colorado potato beetles had no trouble with them. But it was far easier to check those plants as they were taller than the ones in the ground so there was not as much bending over to do.
I did plant some in the ground last year and of the ones in the ground, about half of them were half eaten by slugs, I’m guessing. I saved those for my seed potatoes for this year and they are in now, as of today.
A friend told me that he used wood chips to cover his potatoes instead of dirt, so I figured I’d try it, and the ones in the buckets covered with the wood chips came out beautiful They were big, came out clean, and were not eaten. I guess slugs don’t like wood chips.
This year, I am also using some sections of culvert pipe that mr. mm replaced and cut up for me. I am also going to try getting two layers out of them. I figure that when the culvert pipe sections are half full of wood chips, I will add some more dirt, fertilize that, and them plant some more potatoes, offset from the ones already coming up. I’ll let folks know how that works out sometime in the fall.
Other option than buying grow bags are to use feed bags or pet food bags with holes in them for drainage. Some of those bags can be pretty robust.
The only thing about the container potatoes, or any container crop, is to watch the moisture level. They can be prone to drying out and inconsistent watering can lead to hollow heart in potatoes. We had a dry spell last spring and I was not diligent about watering, and some of my potatoes had that.
The two varieties I am growing are Kennebec and Red Pontiac, and it seems that the Red Pontiac did better than the Kennebec.
Both the Red Pontiac and Kennebec kept very well.
For a good six months after digging them and curing them, they were still juicy when I cut into them.
Just remember:
Another handy chart from Johnny’s
SUCCESSION PLANTING Interval Chart for VEGETABLES
Similar sheet from ATTRA - https://attra.ncat.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/continuousharvest.pdf
Thanks, Pollard!
all part of lawn leveling
While I will roll the lawn this spring to take advantage of the wet spring ground, most of the leveling action will take place in the fall when reseeding will have the best chance of success.
To Do list...build a barn.
And in some locales, an Ark! ;)
Diana’s Garden Goals for 2022:
1. Make it warm up!
2. Less tomato plants, but the same amount of production based upon varieties planted.
3. Same goes for peppers.
4. Add second pole set-up for Pole Beans. (’Saychelles.’ I LOVE that pole bean!)
5. Add two rose bushes to replace two that have failed.
6. Get fruit trees fertilized SOON.
7. More flowers this season: Dahlias potted and in greenhouse. More cutting Zinnia and fillers.
8. Finish laying asphalt shingles around perimeter of garden beds for weed control.
9. Stay on top of weeding for a change!
10. More bales of straw for The Big Garden, and more Gladiolas planted for cutting.
11. Canning this season: More Salsa, less Pasta Sauce. More Dilly Beans
12. Purchase pressure canner to can more meats and soups and other low-acid foodstuffs.*
13. Move big birdbath closer to the hose so I clean it more often.
14. Put big planter here birdbath was.
15. Add Blueberry bushes this season, and add hydrangea on North East side of back deck. (All are on order.)
16. Talk to ‘The Chairman’ about adding a second rain barrel.
17. Add a third compost bin. (Materials are already on hand.)
*This woman ROCKS in all areas of Self Reliance. Read her!
https://practicalselfreliance.com/pressure-canning-recipes/
Haa, a prepper drudge report
LOL! My thought, too!
Can you afford it with lumber prices what they are?
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