What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

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

I purchased some powdered milk and use it to add calcium. I know some people like to use smashed up eggshell. But this is a great tip...

 

[TJAnonymous]

I had to do that. I loved watching them root through the tomatoes and one even laid her eggs among the squash. The sight of chickens roaming across freshly mowed green grass in the afternoon was beautiful.
But, after they destroyed over $150 in roses, ate the figs off my young fig trees and ate all the young bean and pepper plants, I decided to fence them off. I have spent untold amounts of money buying dirt to fill in the divits in the yard the chickens made and it still isn't quite level.
Now, I plant a couple of tomato and squash plants in the chicken yard for them to enjoy and I can enjoy the rest myself.
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How did you keep them from tearing up your plants?

 

[Sally PB]

For those that do a cover crop - what do you do with it in the spring? I don't till my beds so I'm thinking either weed whacking it or covering with plastic.

I found when I planted winter rye that if I tilled it in, about half of it came back up. It took two tillings to knock it down. I haven't planted rye since, and I very rarely use my rototiller anymore.

Alfalfa is another one that is pretty tough to take down too. I had a small bed of it that is now going to be raised beds -- just mounds, no sides -- and I will probably have to battle the alfalfa this season. I'll be digging up whatever I can for chickie snacks before I put the tomato plants there.

Buckwheat is easy to kill. Just whack it down before it sets seed. It's a spring/summer cover crop, not at all frost tolerant. It's great for shading out emerging weeds, though!

 

[TJAnonymous]

I found when I planted winter rye that if I tilled it in, about half of it came back up. It took two tillings to knock it down. I haven't planted rye since, and I very rarely use my rototiller anymore.

Alfalfa is another one that is pretty tough to take down too. I had a small bed of it that is now going to be raised beds -- just mounds, no sides -- and I will probably have to battle the alfalfa this season. I'll be digging up whatever I can for chickie snacks before I put the tomato plants there.

Buckwheat is easy to kill. Just whack it down before it sets seed. It's a spring/summer cover crop, not at all frost tolerant. It's great for shading out emerging weeds, though!

I really want to seed some alfalfa in my pasture.... I was talking to a hay farmer this weekend who told me that it gets FAR too hot in Arkansas for alfalfa to grow well. I'm still going to try but I am not expecting miracles.

I do rototill my garden each year even though I've heard that is not good for the living organisms in the soil. I have a lot of crabgrass and other weeds that are pretty prolific around the garden. I don't like use roundup because of environmental concerns so I'm just going to cover everything with a thick landscape fabric that I am repurposing from feedbags and hope that keeps anything from growing back. The weeds are what killed most of my garden last year except for my tomatoes and squash. I was pretty diligent about keeping them weeded but I lost most everything else.

 

[wyoDreamer]

It's likely because the water table in those areas is extremely low. Areas like parts of Colorado and California are at risk of or already suffering extreme drought. Collecting rainwater and preventing it from replenishing the water table can speed up the problem. That said, you would think that collecting rainwater in closed vessels prevents evaporation loss and it would add to the water table once it's used. The problem there is much of it could go down drains from home use or get contaminated with pesticides and other chemical agents from the way it's used before entering the water table. With a low water table, contaminants would have a larger impact. The theory then is let nature take its course and stay out of its way.

Actually, it is mostly because there is a rancher down stream that "owns" the water in the stream and needs it for his cattle. It is called "water rights" and when you collect rainwater, you "divert if from the stream" and you are stealing his water. Many a range war happened about water rights.
For instance, the US actually pumps water from deep wells into the Rio Grande in certain areas to make sure that the water volume in the river meets the treaty requirements we have with Mexico.

 

[Sally PB]

I have a lot of crabgrass and other weeds that are pretty prolific around the garden.

Both of my gardens are surrounded by grass fields. It is a constant battle. I might be building a chicken moat around part of one of them. Put those birds to work!

 

[ackie]

I have spent untold amounts of money buying dirt to fill in the divits in the yard the chickens made and it still isn't quite level.

"lucky" for me, none of the property is level unless we level it, so the chicken divots arent a huge deal.

I have a lot of crabgrass and other weeds that are pretty prolific around the garden. I don't like use roundup because of

my biggest issue is wild blackberry

 

[Sueby]

I found when I planted winter rye that if I tilled it in, about half of it came back up. It took two tillings to knock it down. I haven't planted rye since, and I very rarely use my rototiller anymore.

Alfalfa is another one that is pretty tough to take down too. I had a small bed of it that is now going to be raised beds -- just mounds, no sides -- and I will probably have to battle the alfalfa this season. I'll be digging up whatever I can for chickie snacks before I put the tomato plants there.

Buckwheat is easy to kill. Just whack it down before it sets seed. It's a spring/summer cover crop, not at all frost tolerant. It's great for shading out emerging weeds, though!

I planted hairy vetch in the fall. Supposedly if it gets cut down before it seeds it's good to go. I'm kind of thinking just weed whacking it & leaving it in place as mulch. I chose it because it is winter hardy & supposed to be simple. I looked at rye too but read exactly what you said!

Actually, it is mostly because there is a rancher down stream that "owns" the water in the stream and needs it for his cattle. It is called "water rights" and when you collect rainwater, you "divert if from the stream" and you are stealing his water. Many a range war happened about water rights.
For instance, the US actually pumps water from deep wells into the Rio Grande in certain areas to make sure that the water volume in the river meets the treaty requirements we have with Mexico.

I know that because I watched Yellowstone (with Kevin Costner).

 

[ackie]

I've just left down weed mat and mulch between plantings to keep weeds at bay but I do love the idea of planting something that replenishes nutrients.

 

[Sueby]

I've just left down weed mat and mulch between plantings to keep weeds at bay but I do love the idea of planting something that replenishes nutrients.

Right!? It's like a win win!