Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[sphinxface]

My garden would appreciate some rain

 

[ochochicas]

We got rain last night. Not a lot,but it will keep the dust down for a day at least.

 

[LaurelC]

I have decided to stop watering 3/4 of my garden.
I am just doing the green beans, 1 zucchini, (that's all ya need !) and the blueberries & beets.
Done.
I am done & wells are running very slow here, after a pump, recovery takes quit a while.


Pray for rain !

I have watered my garden 3 times since the beginning of may! We are doing pretty well as far as production, but maybe not quite as good as people that are watering multiple times a week. This method has really worked for me though.

http://www.homeindisarray.com/2015/06/low-water-vegetable-gardening.html

 

[Manningjw]

I have watered my garden 3 times since the beginning of may! We are doing pretty well as far as production, but maybe not quite as good as people that are watering multiple times a week. This method has really worked for me though.

http://www.homeindisarray.com/2015/06/low-water-vegetable-gardening.html

Thanks for posting that! Looks interesting and I bet it would work well. My raised garden hasn't been doing very well even though I am watering every day when it is sunny/not raining. I have fairly sandy soil under it so it drains (too)well I think. The area I tilled for the pumpkin patch is growing very well, I tossed in a lot of bark/wood scraps/compost as recommended on the seed package. Next year I will try that with the garden bed too.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Yeah washington!

 

[Cockatrice6420]

We're on the Hood Canal. Loving our chickens

 

[LaurelC]

Thanks for posting that! Looks interesting and I bet it would work well. My raised garden hasn't been doing very well even though I am watering every day when it is sunny/not raining. I have fairly sandy soil under it so it drains (too)well I think. The area I tilled for the pumpkin patch is growing very well, I tossed in a lot of bark/wood scraps/compost as recommended on the seed package. Next year I will try that with the garden bed too.

We are in Bothell on the side of a huge hill and have no actual topsoil other than stuff we've had trucked in. Everything is just fine sand in our yard, so I totally understand! I think the biggest thing is just kind of letting your plants "do their thing." People see wilted plants and panic. All of my stuff wilts at the end of a hot day, but by the time morning has come around again, it has sucked up enough moisture that it looks fine. There are certainly things that won't be successful in my yard with the type of watering that I do (artichokes come to mind, and I get bitter cucumbers) but for the savings in water and effort (I go wander through the garden every few days to collect tomatoes and zucchini) I'll take it!

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:

Couple of comments. Don't till your beds, it breaks up the network of micro-organisms that are breaking down the compost materials and releasing nutrients used by plants and worms. When it gets broken up the process halts and so does the natural source of nutrients until it's had time to reconstruct the network. Second, it brings more weed seeds to the surface that you then have to manage. Wood mixed in with the dirt and compost (not counting branches, logs, and big pieces) sucks up all the available nitrogen as part of the decay process, therefore stealing it from vegetables. However, a thick layer of compost topped with a thick layer (4 inches) of wood chips made up of multi-sized pieces and includes the leaves and needles that were on the tree is an excellent thing to put on top of the beds. It's a super mulch, a sponge like described in that link, and it breaks down slowly over time adding rather than taking nutrients from the soil. If you want to add more compost, just toss some on top of the wood chips and water it in. It's best to add these layers in the fall to allow time for them to do their thing before you plant in the spring.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Had a hatch last night into this morning. Barometric pressure seems to work on chicks as well as women. Ten chicks accounted for so far. Thank goodness for the rain

 

[garbanzobun]

Hi! I'm looking for a buff orpington duck hen. Anyone know anyone of any available within a few hours of the tri-cities?