What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

Good afternoon gardeners

I am not doing a thing today. My head is screaming and my stomach is questionable from medication.

Our temps are in the 80s to 90s. I need to water a few things but they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

My experiment with composting in a ring around the mesquite tree is coming along. The aloe is drying out now and it helps the soil underneath stay damp longer. I think I'm going to get some wood to build a raised bed around it. I think 6" would suffice.

I'm planning to use some pallets to grow some xeriscape grass around a couple more hibiscus to shade the North wall of the yard from sun and give the flock some greens year round.

I'm also thinking about using some pallets for a walkway through the area I'm working to xeriscape with desert plants near the tree. Break them down and use the boards flat.

I've sketched a few things out for now but I'll need to measure and see if I can make it all work.

 

[MissChick@dee]

My garden scoot is a GorillaCart. I can't get my photo to load. DS is home from University and is sucking all our bandwidth.

Link to it
https://gorillacarts.com/product/gor-rgc/

I love my gorilla wagon !

 

[MissChick@dee]

So I have a friend who used red lights to start his tomatoes . He and another guy tried this . So they put them on the porch to Harden off . Both guys lost all their plants . So I think perhaps UV rays that maybe were not in the red lights . Anyway red lights = bad idea .

I could never put my seedlings grown indoors out directly in the sun. I have a courtyard type patio that depending on how much of which light (morning vs full sun) controlled by where I sit them.
The only thing I can come up with is that some six packs or cells we’re moister than others....
I agree UV bulb vs. Sunshine
Mother Nature wins.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Seems I am not getting a ton done has gotten way to hot we do normally have the temps in the 80's at least not from 68 to 83

 

[jerryse]

I could never put my seedlings grown indoors out directly in the sun. I have a courtyard type patio that depending on how much of which light (morning vs full sun) controlled by where I sit them.
The only thing I can come up with is that some six packs or cells we’re moister than others....
I agree UV bulb vs. Sunshine
Mother Nature wins.

They both had them on the porch . So a roof over them .

 

[MissChick@dee]

Good morning gardeners. I mowed and weed whacked the front yard yesterday. Got my two herb & flower garden frames set up. I just need to fill them with dirt. So I can finally move the dirt pile out of my driveway. Fortunately we did not get frost last night. It did get down to 36F, so it was close. I have a dentist appointment this afternoon which is near a store I used to buy my plants from. I'll be stopping in to pick up more herbs for the garden. So I mentioned it in a previous post about this exotic looking plant in my yard (it came with the house). It's starting to bloom so I took a picture. Can someone please tell me what this is?
View attachment 1769017

What a treasure!
Very exotic.
I have no idea...there are apps that will identify plants for you from a photo. I found one that gave me my first one free. It’s something like 1.99 to join per month. But I only had one question so I took the freebie

 

[MissChick@dee]

They didn't offer, but I would not have accepted because these beds need digging their full height. My pitchfork goes down on a slight angle, as far/deep as I can, then up and over. Across the 4' of width, I am getting in about 6 deep digs, and turn over. I dig and turn, then I add about half my amendments, turn again, then add other half and turn for a third time (64 cu ft per bed x3!) Then hoe it more or less level, then make rows. The tiller would not have dug deep enough for my purposes. Once I increase the organic material in the garden, and to a good depth, then I could move to a tiller, but I have at least one more year of hand turning, I think. It really is terribly clay-filled dirt....why they would have done that (use terrible soil) is beyond logic, but from living in this home, I get the feeling that the path of least resistance and cheapest, was the one followed by the previous owner - thankfully that owner did not fancy himself as a fixer-upper.

The neighbors are really nice and they had an old tiller last year (20 years used), which died, causing them to buy a new one. I'll guess that if I asked, they would have said sure - I could borrow it...but I wouldn't know unless I asked - maybe they would say no way. On the other hand, we had tween digging up dandylions - so much $ for a 5 gallon bucket full. They offered their nice dandelion digger to tween to use (its one you can stand up and use - and works pretty well), which tween appreciated.



I sure hope so! It is frustrating to amend the clay soil and break up, by hand, all the large clumps of clay, to then have the soil dry out a bit and basically have hard clay rocks and pebbles all over the top of the soil. It will take much more organic matter to improve this soil. Working on that compost pile! The chickens are pooping up a storm and soiling the wood shavings (more compost material!) We are eating veggies and fruit, and composting the extras and trimming! We are mowing the grass and dumping the clippings! We are putting all coffee grounds, tea bags, and all egg shells in the compost pile! But, we need to collect it all together a bit better, in one place so that it can compost more quickly. Currently, most wood shavings are in the run, along with most grass clippings andy any straw given to chickens - while the egg/tea/coffee and some grass are in the temporary compost bin. Also, we need to make sure it stays moist consistently.

Sounds like you’ve got a good thing going with your amendments.
Silly me I just giggle when my pitch forks slides into the soil like a warm knife in butter... it’s a
Gardeners Thingie

This picture is of my very simple compost bin just a chicken wire circle. It’s about 3 yrs old.
I’m so curious to see inside. I put it between my grapes so what ever leaches out into the soil is close to their water wells.
It’s going to be like a Christmas present!
If I’m happy with it I’ll make more for sure. I’m just thinking it’s too easy.

 

[Acre4Me]

Sounds like you’ve got a good thing going with your amendments.
Silly me I just giggle when my pitch forks slides into the soil like a warm knife in butter

One day, I will too. For nowI still push the pitchfork in with a fair amount of force, and then using my body weight and arm strength I move it through the soil...which is why all the amendments! But, it was slightly easier than last year!

This picture is of my very simple compost bin just a chicken wire circle. It’s about 3 yrs old.
I’m so curious to see inside. I put it between my grapes so what ever leaches out into the soil is close to their water wells.
It’s going to be like a Christmas present!
If I’m happy with it I’ll make more for sure. I’m just thinking it’s too easy.

Nice - I'm sure that will be very nice compost! I've been tempted to try a method I read about years ago for growing tomatoes. Take an older bale of straw and dig out a pit or two. Water it well, maybe add some soil or compost. Plant the tomato plant and let it grow - supposedly works well and is a quick method for some tomatoes and to use up the otherwise spoiled straw. Your straw lining helps to keep in the ever important moisture for the compost!

 

[MissChick@dee]

Now tomatoes growing in straw...that would just look cool~
Great for a patio or creating a boarder. Lots of cute ideas with that suggestion. Humm....

 

[pennyJo1960]

Sure is think we will pick up a few from our feed store love the kids that have it