Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[sourland]

How has Covid 19 affected my life :

All field trial activity - canceled
May trip to California for Grandson's graduation - canceled
Easter with family - canceled
My birthday trip to Chincoteague - ain't gonna happen
August trip to Germany - Obermerrgau and Passion Play = canceled
Thanksgiving and Christmas -

So far we remain healthy, have adequate TP and food, spend a lot of time laughing and enjoying one another. My pity on anyone isolated with someone they don't like/enjoy.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I went back and looked again and that soil does look pretty bad or at least that weird stuff in the middle especially. Looks like concrete or DE or something almost? Don’t think it’s supposed to be clumps like that or white. I was looking at the outside edges where it looked a little more okay/like dirt (but still not great) and also to be fair couldn’t see the picture that well before

 

[featherhead007]

How has Covid 19 affected my life :

All field trial activity - canceled
May trip to California for Grandson's graduation - canceled
Easter with family - canceled
My birthday trip to Chincoteague - ain't gonna happen
August trip to Germany - Obermerrgau and Passion Play = canceled
Thanksgiving and Christmas -

So far we remain healthy, have adequate TP and food, spend a lot of time laughing and enjoying one another. My pity on anyone isolated with someone they don't like/enjoy.

Very good point, @sourland

 

[seminolewind]

oops

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh dear! Was that supposed to be garden soil? It looks like construction grade filler to me.

I'd push whoever sold that to you to replace at least a portion of it with compost. You can put that right on top around your plantings but not in direct contact with it. Rain and roots will still work the nutrition in. I'd still get earthworms and let them churn that all up for you adding their rich castings. Then I'd mulch it like crazy and add all the organic stuff -- like leaf mold and kitchen scraps to it that you can over time. Pull back the mulch, lay down some carrot peelings, banana skins, onion skin, coffee grounds and tea leaves, etc. then smooth the mulch back over it.

You can still make decent soil out of that but it's gonna take time, I think. The bits of sticks aren't a problem at all. They're the sort of stuff you're counting on to make that loose and organic over time. Also, keep growing in it. The roots will also mix in the more organic stuff and act as green manure as they mature and die.

When your growing season's over fork it all together -- all the layers of dirt and the dried plants and vines. Don't forget to add the bedding and chicken poo from your coop. Then water it lightly and let it rest. By Spring next year when you're ready to plant again you'll see a huge difference in the quality.

For the rest of your yard and planting beds don't forget the 2-10 rule. Dig a hole for your $2 plant and fill it with $10 worth of compost and planting mix. Believe it or not, that makes a real difference over the years too.

And all the time, keep planting! Tomatoes and roses love clay soil.

This is excellent advice!!! I might try some of it to make my own garden better.

 

[seminolewind]

I went back and looked again and that soil does look pretty bad or at least that weird stuff in the middle especially. Looks like concrete or DE or something almost? Don’t think it’s supposed to be clumps like that or white. I was looking at the outside edges where it looked a little more okay/like dirt (but still not great) and also to be fair couldn’t see the picture that well before

The stuff on the outside edges is where I turned it over.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You must not have lived in Delaware county. We have good dirt, with lots of rocks, some big rocks. Luckily my garden area has been worked for decades before we moved there, but it still grows rocks
For years now I use my troy bilt weed wacker with a small tiller/cultivator attachment to make hilled rows. Bouncing on rocks the other day I broke something inside the gear box
Guess it probably was made for loose soil.
Now I have to use a hoe... Have a big garden 50'×60'.

We have a lot of rocks here too!!! Although probably not quite as many as you.

We were thinking of renting a rototiller for our garden to mix it up before we plant it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well, my high school anyways.

Sounds like you had an interesting high school

 

[IamRainey]

So far we remain healthy, have adequate TP and food, spend a lot of time laughing and enjoying one another. My pity on anyone isolated with someone they don't like/enjoy.

YAY! for the staying healthy part. BOO! for the rest!

 

[ShrekDawg]

oops

Yeah... my apologies.

The stuff on the outside edges is where I turned it over.

Oh well in that case then if it all looks like the middle then that’s pretty bad. :/ but underneath doesn’t look too terrible so I think you should be able to add some stuff and be okay.