Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[rjohns39]

Ok, you folks out here who know what you're doing are probably going to beat me, but here's what I used for my soil mix in the raised beds. 2 parts 2yr old saw dust, 1 part sand X2, then 1 part 2yr old manure and 1 part mushroom compost... and repeat. My 12' beds got 5 gal of perlite and 1 cube of peat, by 20' bed 2X2. I also added lime, borax and something else (sorry don't remember and book is in the living room).

When I process birds, the blood get's equally distributed between the beds and I save pink water for watering. I try to water under the greenery and will eventually get my drip irrigation system in. I still need to get my slug/snail repellent system installed as well. But it did really well this year. I'll be doing soil tests in a month or two and figuring out where I need to go next.

 

[igorsMistress]

Ok, you folks out here who know what you're doing are probably going to beat me, but here's what I used for my soil mix in the raised beds. 2 parts 2yr old saw dust, 1 part sand X2, then 1 part 2yr old manure and 1 part mushroom compost... and repeat. My 12' beds got 5 gal of perlite and 1 cube of peat, by 20' bed 2X2. I also added lime, borax and something else (sorry don't remember and book is in the living room).

When I process birds, the blood get's equally distributed between the beds and I save pink water for watering. I try to water under the greenery and will eventually get my drip irrigation system in. I still need to get my slug/snail repellent system installed as well. But it did really well this year. I'll be doing soil tests in a month or two and figuring out where I need to go next.

What are the benefits?

 

[rjohns39]

Maybe my husband will like canning. I just need to get the garden to grow more.

When I lived in VA, I got to know the local farmers. I used a spreadsheet to figure out how much of what I would consume in a year... Then I'd let the farmers know that I was looking for X amount of Y for canning. One year I got 5 bushels of tomatoes for $10/bushel another year I got a bushel of green beans for $2.00. I have yet to make those connections here and have yet to find an apple orchard... I need apple sauce and juice. But still working on it.

 

[rjohns39]

What are the benefits?

Well, I have like an inch or two of top soil, then rock and then red clay. So trying to make a soil that will work well and is easy to weed. I've probably got a hundred garden books, but still just don't really get the whole soil farming thing. So I read and look for things I have or can get a hold of and go from there. Here's a look at my garden that went in late spring.

Tomatoes and peppers are hydroponic.

 

[igorsMistress]

Well, I have like an inch or two of top soil, then rock and then red clay. So trying to make a soil that will work well and is easy to weed. I've probably got a hundred garden books, but still just don't really get the whole soil farming thing. So I read and look for things I have or can get a hold of and go from there. Here's a look at my garden that went in late spring.
View attachment 1208093
Tomatoes and peppers are hydroponic.

Wow, that's quite beautiful! I need to check out your ingredients for benefits in my soil.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Did you see my beds a few pages back? I like showing them off.

Your beds are beautiful! And as a not tall person, I'm a big fan of how you used the cattle panels. I did a similar thing with tomatoes. I fenced the yard with it too as a grape/kiwi/cucumber trellis.

 

[rjohns39]

Wow, that's quite beautiful! I need to check out your ingredients for benefits in my soil.

Like I said, I really don't understand the science. I was successful in VA (red clay) with mittlieter, but trying to get more sustainable. I found a lot of cross references between rodale, mother earth and mittlieter, so I tinkered a bit and gave it a shot. I didn't expect it to work as well as it did the first year and figured I'd give it a year to settle in and then adjust the soil with OMRI products next spring, but it surprised me. One thing to note, is that I did not put any worms in this mix (did in VA) as I couldn't afford them. But the soil is loaded with them now. About once a month I'll add a gallon of worm tea to my hydroponic system to clean out the salts and I'll spread a gallon over the beds.

 

[rjohns39]

Your beds are beautiful! And as a not tall person, I'm a big fan of how you used the cattle panels. I did a similar thing with tomatoes. I fenced the yard with it too as a grape/kiwi/cucumber trellis.
View attachment 1208107 View attachment 1208108 View attachment 1208109

That's a really cool setup.

 

[microchick]

So basically you are creating an organically enhanced soil. Sweeeeeet.

Made me remember about 30 years ago enhancing poor soil by doing an old native American thing. We would go fishing in the IL river for carp, catch as many as we could. The small ones we would freeze whole. The big ones we would cut in half and freeze. Come planting time we would drag out bags of frozen carp and one would get tossed into holes waiting for young tomato plants for an instant nitrogen boost. The soil was very poor quality. It took about three years until we started seeing rich black soil.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well, I have like an inch or two of top soil, then rock and then red clay. So trying to make a soil that will work well and is easy to weed. I've probably got a hundred garden books, but still just don't really get the whole soil farming thing. So I read and look for things I have or can get a hold of and go from there. Here's a look at my garden that went in late spring.
View attachment 1208093
Tomatoes and peppers are hydroponic.

When I started I had bad clay soil that turned into a rock by the summer. My answer was to add organic matter on top to feed my worms which in turn make more soil for me.

In spring and summer we put grass clipping on the beds as mulch. In the fall we pile our leaves on top after chopping them up a bit. Top with aged manure to hold those leaves down.

I never till my soil. It destroys it. My soil is biologically active, I have tons of works and my gardens grow without any extra fertiliser.

It takes time, but eventually you will get a rich loan. Your worms will work the stuff into the soil. It's so easy. I am big on not working too hard in the gardens. It takes the pleasure out of it.

Very nice looking garden.