BYC gardening thread!!

[MeatTheFlockers]

They are in full sun for maybe 3-4 hours a day. The leaves are on the small side and well spaced. I did add epsom salt to the tank (.75 ounce for the 750 gallons was what I read) and I did spray them all with a mix of epsom and miracle grow a few weeks ago. I also add an organic fertilizer to the tank once a month or so. The spray and the salts in the tank is what stopped the yellowing of the leaves and it stopped it within a day of application. If it'd help I can take a close up picture of the plants tomorrow and post it for you to look at. A couple of the plants are nice and thick and have grown straight up while others are more vine like. One of them is even headed into the tree that hangs a bit over the cucumber plants. Our plan is to thin some of the trees out but I wasn't sure if I'd have to trim them all back so that the garden would be in full sun all day. If I have to move the garden I can do so next year when we plan on digging a 9,000 gallon "natural" pond to upgrade the system. There is a spot out at the fringe of the property that is wide open and we'd planned to put our swimming pool there but I can put the garden there and clear another spot for the pool if need be.

RichnSteph

I concur. 6 should be the minimum, mine get about 8-10. I deal with some sunscald on the hottest of days, but have no problem with plant development and fruit ripening. Leggy plants are almost always caused by not enough light, the plants are literally stretching for it.

 

[bwalden]

Hi everyone, ran across this thread the other day and have been reading over the past 200+ pages of it. Finally all caught up to I thought I'd introduce myself. By the way several of you I recognize your user names and may have purchases eggs from me in the past. Anyway a little background on me. I live in Arkansas and have most of my life. I grew up gardening with my parents and both my maternal and paternal grandparents. I love, love, love gardening!
My Garden today: I have a medium-large sized veggie garden with a little of everything planted. The first crops I planted this year were potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and kale. Followed by tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, squash, sweet potatoes, corn, okra, watermelons, green beans, egg plant and trying pumpkins for the first time ever this year. In addition to the veggie garden I also have a pretty good sized fruit orchard. I have apple trees, plum, peach, nectarine, pear and pecan trees. I am planning to add a couple sweet cherry trees this fall. And eventually an apricot tree or two. Last season I made a new blueberry bed on the west end of my house with 8 Southern Highbush blueberry plants. I added a row of strawberries in the garden as well.
This year I have been focusing a lot of my attention to some thorn less varieties of everbearing blackberries. I purchased some from a local grower called Prime-Ark freedom. One of the many varieties developed by the University of Arkansas. They are completely thorn less and suppose to produce a very large sweet berry. I also purchased from the same grower some Nova raspberries excited to see how those turn of as well.
My second passion is of course my chickens. Lol

 

[lazy gardener]

Welcome Bwalden. I hope you don't feel that you need to read all of a particular thread before jumping in. If we all did that, no one would be posting! I love to hear about gardening in other areas! I'm starting an orchard this year, but fear that it may be doomed b/c my available property is so wet. Heavy clay with a high water table. We'll see what happens. I'm doing the BTE approach for my orchard. Have been gardening under heavy mulch for years. My garden spot is actually wonderful soil with good sun and sandy loam, slight slope to the south. Of course it's too small! My flock consists of 15 hens, 1 roo, and 28 youngsters. I'll cull to end up with a winter flock of about 20 birds... more or less.

 

[lazy gardener]

Whoop whoop: Welcome. I'd love to hear about your gardening climate: What is your average day time winter temp, both high and low. Same for summer. How many and what months of the year can you garden. Your yard is beautiful. What do you have for a flock?

 

[KentuckyMom]

Okay, something(s) ate my cabbage. I grew a few this year, from seeds I received in a seed exchange. I have never tried to grow it before because I remembered my Dad always saying it wasn't worth it because the bugs always ate it. But, I thought I'd try it. I don't think there is any hope of saving it this year, but if I want to try again next year...What eats it and what can I do to keep them away? The plants look skeletal. I looked under leaves tonight and saw...nothing. But again, there aren't many leaves left. The plants are skeletons.

 

[bwalden]

Whoop whoop:  Welcome.  I'd love to hear about your gardening climate:  What is your average day time winter temp, both high and low.  Same for summer.  How many and what months of the year can you garden.  Your yard is beautiful.  What do you have for a flock?

Our planting season runs mid March till late May. I can plant anytime after that but it's so hot that it's a little difficult to keep things alive unless I want a $300 water bill. Tempatures vary from mid to upper 80's all the way up to 100+ deg. in the summer. Winters really vary but typically run from November thru February. Temps run in the 40's all the way down to single digits on occasion? We get a little snow most year, very seldom a lot though. My flock consist of around 50 birds. I have around 25 Black Copper Marans hens and few BCM roosters. I also have 15 Welsummer hens and 3 roosters.

 

[jerryse]

Okay, something(s) ate my cabbage. I grew a few this year, from seeds I received in a seed exchange. I have never tried to grow it before because I remembered my Dad always saying it wasn't worth it because the bugs always ate it. But, I thought I'd try it. I don't think there is any hope of saving it this year, but if I want to try again next year...What eats it and what can I do to keep them away? The plants look skeletal. I looked under leaves tonight and saw...nothing. But again, there aren't many leaves left. The plants are skeletons.

Cabbage worms . Small green worm or caterpillar . Turns into white cabbage butterflies . BT Bacillus Thuragensis ( spelling may be off ) is a safe control . Sevin dust also works .

 

[KentuckyMom]

Okay, thank you. I am familiar with Sevin.

 

[Peep_Show]

Welcome, bwalden!

Nice plums you've got there!
Isn't it convenient how chickens and gardening just naturally seem to go together?

 

[hennible]

Pretty dang cool! Mushroom used as pesticide! I want some...
http://www.ewao.com/a/1-he-holds-the-patent-that-could-destroy-monsanto-and-change-the-world