What did you do in the garden today?

[hennible]

In reading the last blog link, it was noted that container gardening has issues with leaching nutrients. Does anyone use compost ? Better yet what is the problem and how is it solved??

I water with compost tea often, but my raised beds are huge, so not sure if notice any thing any how... Most of my "containers" are open to the earth below also. The few real planters I do use never do as well as the other plants, thought it was hot roots or lack of water, could be the nutrients leaching also... Interesting
And yup, I use compost and manure...

 

[hennible]

Looks like it has to do with the increased watering containers need, and the solution is just feeding your plants a fertilizer of your choice (compost tea)... Or if you have Bottomless containers where your plants can reach down to the real soil could possibly help...

 

[jenn-]

I was totally supposed to get all of the plants I bought yesterday into the garden today. The 3 gigantic fire ant hills won though and they have to be treated before I am shoving my hands into the dirt. Any good suggestions on how to get them to get out and stay out of the garden at least?

 

[hennible]

No clue if this applies to fire ants, but ants in your soil are a good sign its dry, increase watering and they go away. Hope you can get rid of the piles!

 

[Meaghan]

I just hung up foil around my plants to try to maximize reflected light.

I'm reducing the areas that my chickens have access to. ALl m y beautiful flowers and plants are gone and I miss them. Fencing the chickens out of some areas, and" in" in other areas. I cant imagine allowing my birds onto a neighbors property. At least NOT here. Heck most people dont even have dogs here anymore.

That's an interesting tactic. Hmm, I'll have to see if that helps...

The long story short about the neighbor's chickens is that our houses used to be owned by the same people, but they got divorced and one took in a lot of "free" farm animals while he lived there. Unfortunately he was also a bit mentally unstable, so his ex wife decided to sell the house she lived in (now our house), so he moved as well but left the chickens and goat behind. So the new neighbors are working on a chicken pen, but it's going to be a while.

 

[jenn-]

No clue if this applies to fire ants, but ants in your soil are a good sign its dry, increase watering and they go away. Hope you can get rid of the piles!

Yeah, that's not the problem right now. We've had every single day for the last 2-3 weeks. It's the reason why the garden is going in so late (deep south means it goes in the first week of April).

 

[aggiemae]

I get garden envy every time I read this thread! We are in zone 7A so no hot weather veggies to plant till mid May.

We finished putting together our new greenhouse. It took us 2 weeks. we have to level the spot where it will sit but I put my starts into it. It's a Solexx 8x12. we are squeezing it in between the pool and the chicken run. I plan on brooding my chicks in it next spring.

I also tied up the berry canes and transplanted a few strawberries that had escaped from their patch, I have 100 "Hood" strawberries starts that need to get planted and also 50(ish) fiddle head ferns that we hope will eventually be enough that we can harvest and eat them. The snow/pod pea area is ready and I,ll plant some this coming week.

Our asparagus bed is still going strong, maybe two more weeks of harvesting. The bed is four years old and this is the first year we had enough to share some with friends. I estimate we got about 35 pounds from our 16x3 foot bed.

 

[justplainbatty]

WHIle research is helpful, I have started to loose faith in "research" as the sole evidence. I'm jaded by a number of factors. Who does the research and why; research can be biased; some research can be incomplete with only one or two studies; government h as its reasons to not tell us the truth. Generally I prefer non-governement sources. OR at least NOT US government sources. lol

Thank you for posting these links. ALways worth reading more information to make informed decisions the best we can.

TY for answering my other question! x2 on this! I think British, German, Australian, and Swedish studies are closer to the truth and sometimes more advanced than we can rely on in this country.

And, world health, my feathered butt (I won't say who) 'nough said, I don't want to offend....

 

[A-K-A]

No clue if this applies to fire ants, but ants in your soil are a good sign its dry, increase watering and they go away. Hope you can get rid of the piles!

Been raining here for a week. I got into some fire ants this morning. I tired to driwn the one on my hands i attempted to drowned them in a bucket of water. No help. The bucket full of rain water. I wish i had a organic method to rid them. Guinnies (spell?) possibly? African ant eaters?

 

[Beekissed]

WHIle research is helpful, I have started to loose faith in "research" as the sole evidence. I'm jaded by a number of factors. Who does the research and why; research can be biased; some research can be incomplete with only one or two studies; government h as its reasons to not tell us the truth. Generally I prefer non-governement sources. OR at least NOT US government sources. lol

Thank you for posting these links. ALways worth reading more information to make informed decisions the best we can.

I so very much agree with this sentiment!

Got the first tilling done today...still too wet to be in the garden, so had to till barefooted as my shoes were just mud balls after the first pass. Just got the sod broken up a bit this time. It's going to rain for the next couple of days, so not sure when I'll be able to get in there to till again.

Waiting on loads of wood chips, as I'm trying a Back to Eden garden this year....I'm really excited about that! Have put in wooden fence posts around the garden but need to trim them and put up the fencing yet, plus make some gates from cattle panels.

Seedlings are up...got them in a week late, so will probably have to plant them later than I usually do.