What did you do in the garden today?

[humblehillsfarm]

Last year I made slow drip watering jugs from recycled milk jugs. I cleaned them out really good. Filled them up with water. Put the cap back on. Then used a large safety pin to pop 3-4 holes in a bottom corner....then just set next to whatever plant you want to water thoroughly at ground level. Usually takes several hours to drain the jug. I would also add fish emulsion to the jugs sometimes but be prepared that you need to clean the jugs REALLY well afterwards because that stuff STINKS to high heaven after sitting in the sun all day.

This may be worth trying when I’m struggling to sprout lettuce and carrots in the middle of a dry summer! Regular irrigation just doesn’t do the trick for seed starting in the scorching sun. I’d like to try some shade cloth, too.

My garden/reminder app is a notebook and a calendar hanging on the wall. I don't have apps on my phone, and I would never get all the data stuff put in it anyway.

Ditto. For the garden, paper calendar has been the only way I can function. It’s hard to look ahead on a phone calendar!

 

[igorsMistress]

This may be worth trying when I’m struggling to sprout lettuce and carrots in the middle of a dry summer! Regular irrigation just doesn’t do the trick for seed starting in the scorching sun. I’d like to try some shade cloth, too.

Ditto. For the garden, paper calendar has been the only way I can function. It’s hard to look ahead on a phone calendar!

Those are cool season crops, plant as soon as you can in Spring. I’m not familiar with your growing season, mine are in now.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Those are cool season crops, plant as soon as you can in Spring. I’m not familiar with your growing season, mine are in now.

They do well in the fall too if you can get them to sprout. This year was the hottest I’d ever gardened.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

I pulled up the crop calculator and I'm perplexed by it - hoping maybe you can help, if you dont mind

View attachment 2485347
I put in 1 for me. SO doesnt eat veg really. Anyway, i find it hard to believe that one person needs 12 watermelon plants. am I missing something?

The other 11 are for the chickens/ducks/goats/pigs/neighbors/market?

 

[ackie]

The other 11 are for the chickens/ducks/goats/pigs/neighbors/market?

you're too late. we already decided it so 11 can die or not fruit.

 

[chickengr]

I can relate. I planted 3 watermelon plants. Only one went on to thrive during the growing season. It produced two softball sized watermelons which split. The 2nd plant suddenly decided to take off like a rocket right around mid-November..... Good old mother nature nipped that one in the bud pretty quickly.

So essentially, I also got ZERO watermelons. I am going to try again this year but with a different variety.

when I tried watermelons they split too. I have been told they needed more watering

 

[chickengr]

Last year I made slow drip watering jugs from recycled milk jugs. I cleaned them out really good. Filled them up with water. Put the cap back on. Then used a large safety pin to pop 3-4 holes in a bottom corner....then just set next to whatever plant you want to water thoroughly at ground level. Usually takes several hours to drain the jug. I would also add fish emulsion to the jugs sometimes but be prepared that you need to clean the jugs REALLY well afterwards because that stuff STINKS to high heaven after sitting in the sun all day.

what about burying fish heads, bones and tails near the plants?

 

[ackie]

what about burying fish heads, bones and tails near the plants?

ew is this a thing?

 

[BReeder!]

ew is this a thing?

Yes. It was actually a traditional way of planting seed for some Native American tribes.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

ew is this a thing?

Yep. Added calcium is supposed to prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes.