Lemon-Drop's Gardening Adventure

[Lemon-Drop]

Just an FYI: In the future, you might want to use a "how much materials" calculator to figure out how much soil/mulch etc to buy - here's an example: https://www.inchcalculator.com/soil-calculator/ Saves you a lot of trips and some cash too, if you can buy materials in bulk (I buy my garden soil in cu yards).

Gardening is a lot of work and it takes several seasons to figure out what works for you and your location, but it's so rewarding when it comes time to harvest.

Thank you! Just found out, according to that great link I need 8 cubic feet of soil for my small 2' by 4' garden bed that I am working on planning... for the carrots and leeks I am planning. I want the soil to be about a foot deep, as the actual bed is 16 inches (so far that I've planned) Anyway, thank you! I also buy soil in cubic feet. At the store I get them from it comes in 3 cubic feet bags for raised bed soil, and 1 cubic feet bags of manure/compost mix. So I will probably get 2 of the 3 cu ft bags and 4 of the 1 cubic feet bags. (I want some extra for the potatoes I'm planting in potato bags)

 

[Sally PB]

Carrots need very loose soil to grow into nice straight carrots. Imagine those teeny little roots pushing down and hitting a small rock... then growing off to the side to get around it.

That's why I can't grow very good looking carrots. Also, the tops of the plant are edible too. I've never munched on them... but the chickens like them.

One more thing... water the carrot seeds Every Single Day, gently. If it doesn't rain, go out and mist them until they sprout. They need moist soil to even think about growing. Dumb carrots.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Oh, and a picture of the 2 garden beds next to each other. The chicken coop and shed are in the background.

 

[Sally PB]

Your peas are off to a good start! They will happily climb up the chicken wire fence you have there.

Good job! It looks nice.

 

[Sally PB]

^^ Good advice!

After I saw time lapsed photography of a root pushing through dirt, I vowed to never walk on "their" dirt again.

Still, tree roots can and do break up cement...

Plants amaze me.

 

[BReeder!]

Just a word of warning... Nobody talks about garden math. It can become a "thing" too.

Haha! True. Here's our past 6 years of garden math in a nut shell.
At our old house we had two raised beds, 8'x2' and 12'x2'. Then I built a 3 tier triangle bed that was about 4' on each side with a 2'x2' square on top. Then I added flower beds out front and snuck a small one in the back.
That was in the city. Now we are in the suburbs with a lot more space. The garden started as 30'x35' and later reconfigured to 24'x55' plus an annexed 7'x12' area for the compost piles. And we are now adding fruit trees in a 30' long bed along the fence on on side of the yard. Flowers around the house out front. A new flower bed along the front of the garden fence and duck run. The list goes on...

 

[BReeder!]

As you may know, I have been sprouting cucumber seeds. Here’s a picture. They’re getting quite big! View attachment 2630431
When should I plant them? I’ve heard at 3 weeks or so. So at this size, how many more days?

Also, I have no clue what this is. It’s on most of the pots. View attachment 2630434

Thin then to one plant per cell ASAP. Then keep them in the light and moist (not saturated) until their true leaves grow. Those round leaves come from the seed. Wait until the next set of leaves is developed before transplanting is possible.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Leeks and carrots do well together!

Google "companion planting" and you will find GOBS of info. It's a very old "trick" for gardeners.

Wow, there is a lot of info!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Quick question, should I seal the boards? I live in the PNW, so it's fairly rainy. Thanks!

I don't treat my boards (in my case they're cedar) - I know they won't last as long that way especially in contact with the wet ground but I guess I'm always a little worried about any risk of chemicals leeching into the soil and such.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I don't treat my boards (in my case they're cedar) - I know they won't last as long that way especially in contact with the wet ground but I guess I'm always a little worried about any risk of chemicals leeching into the soil and such.

Ok, thanks!