What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

Jerry. My plan is to order rootstock, and apple scions this year. ANd use the peach and cherry trees I already have for scionwood. Oh and pear as well. I am struggling with what rootstock to buy, as there are so many companies, and they seem to offer different stock. I know my peaches and pears were grafted on roostock and they have all done well here... just don't know what was used.

Apple scions, about 40 min north of me. Minimum of 4 at $3.50 each totalling $14. Includes shipping. Limited time to order, as these need to collected during the dormant season of winter. http://www.towerhillbg.org/files/3213/6501/4578/th_scionwood_ord08-09.pdf

http://www.raintreenursery.com/Rootstocks/ This is where I ordered mine .

 

[lazy gardener]

It should heat up very well during the day but nighttime will be different. It will cool as soon as the sun goes down and will be the same temperature as the outside by morning unless the compost heats it some. My experience has shown me that kerosene heat is the least expensive if you decide to heat. Our nighttime temps. have been moving into the teens and I have had to use some outside heat. My small greenhouse can be heated with two small kerosene lanterns. I made a propane heater for my bigger house out of an old turkey fryer. I took out the timer and set it very low. I also took an old stock pot and put holes in it to sit on top of the burner. A very low flame can make it toasty warm in there.

I tried making candles to burn out of pig fat (lard) but it didn't turn out very well. When I can afford it I will buy a small kerosene heater for the big greenhouse.

I have noticed that water storage for heat is fine if...you have enough water ....it has enough time to store up heat.

Good luck!

Thanks. I have no intention of heating my green house, at least for now. It's just a CP affair, designed to give me a jump start on the season, and extend the season. It also affords some protection to tomatoes from LB if I grow them in the green house all season. I use it in the off season to give the flock a nice space for dust bathing, and to just hang out and work on their sun-tans! But, there may come a day when I do decide to heat it. I'll remember your suggestions!

 

[3goodeggs]

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Thank you!!!!!!

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
LG --- Ive been struggling with the idea of how to heat a green house, but without using anything that will cost money.... I have been thinking about what decaying material can add.... as well as heat sinks and use of dark colors in general, angles of the roofing, etc.. A green house will not get built until I feel enough obstacles have been covered to make the structure worthwhile. Of course it will be frugal in structure.......as much "found" material as possible.

 

[Beekissed]

Was out digging around in the deep leaves and wood chip covering over the garden today, just to get a look under there. Was delighted to find worms in every move of the tool under there....more than I had been able to find earlier in the year, so am thinking the leaves added an extra dimension to this BTE wood chip covering of the garden, one that was a good move. God is so good and knows exactly what I was needing in my garden!

Did a little exploration of the potatoes I planted late in the fall...got sprouts and many fine roots growing off each one. I can't WAIT to see what the taters look like this year!

All these potatoes were from my brother's tater crop this past garden season. I chose the largest of all those he gave me and planted those...a mix of red, white and golden. I didn't cut them into pieces, but planted the whole potato.

The next string of good weather I get here I'm going to plant some garlic. Been rainy here the last few days and supposed to drop into the single digits again next week.

Compiled a list of the things I'm planting in the garden this spring, though I may find I left out a few things as I go along:

Sweet Corn~Ambrosia
Potatoes~mix of red and white
Tomatoes~one row of paste(Romas), the rest are beefsteak varieties(Brandywine, Pruden's Purple) and a few cherries~Sweet One Millions
Beans~half runners
Squash~straight neck yellow
Pumpkins~Rouge Vif Detampes
Melons~Moon and Stars, Crimson Sweets
Canteloupes
Lettuce~various romaines, one butter crunch variety
Spinach
Bell Peppers~Kaleidoscope mix
Hot banana peppers~Hungarian Wax
Jalapeno peppers
Cilantro
Celery~have never tried this before, am trying two different kinds
parsley
borage,nasturtium~both edible flowers but have never eaten them before, so would like to try...they also both serve a purpose as companion plants
radishes
Sweet Onions~Candy...lots of them!
Garlic~elephant
Asparagus~never did this before either, doing regular and purple
carrots~red, purple and orange ***have never had luck with carrots here but willing to try in the BTE
Rhubarb~red
Strawberries
Sugar snap peas
cukes~Boston Picklers
Chives
dill
Chamomile
lavender
honeysuckle
red grapes~have never done these but hope to get them started
Various flowers, including but not limited to~zinnias, marigold, blue flax, black oil sunflowers, black eyed susans, calendula, and whatever else that suits my fancy at the time.

 

[gjensen]

Jerry. My plan is to order rootstock, and apple scions this year. ANd use the peach and cherry trees I already have for scionwood. Oh and pear as well. I am struggling with what rootstock to buy, as there are so many companies, and they seem to offer different stock. I know my peaches and pears were grafted on roostock and they have all done well here... just don't know what was used.

Apple scions, about 40 min north of me. Minimum of 4 at $3.50 each totalling $14. Includes shipping. Limited time to order, as these need to collected during the dormant season of winter. http://www.towerhillbg.org/files/3213/6501/4578/th_scionwood_ord08-09.pdf

Hit upon a site via a google search. Might be just the info I need. Maybe others can use it too , if interested. Will add more info on this post as I find good sites, and as long as the edit feature will let me.

http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/apple-rootstocks-and-tree-spacing

Others
http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/rhode-island-greening

Call your local extension agency, and ask them what root stock is best for your area. Choose from the options they give you. Unfortunately, we have to be very specific. Otherwise they have short life spans.

 

[randr ranch]

Today and the next day and for many days after that I'm digging up bermuda grass. It's the only way I've ever been able to really get rid of it. The previous owners tried weedkiller with little success. The weedwacker helped it spread far and wide. Covering it kept it's roots moist in our dry desert allowing it to get a foot hold. Burning it made it denser then ever. But once done digging it out, the gravel will be cleared and the soil aerated from sifting out roots. Sounds like the start of a new garden to me.

 

[lazy gardener]

LG --- Ive been struggling with the idea of how to heat a green house, but without using anything that will cost money.... I have been thinking about what decaying material can add.... as well as heat sinks and use of dark colors in general, angles of the roofing, etc.. A green house will not get built until I feel enough obstacles have been covered to make the structure worthwhile. Of course it will be frugal in structure.......as much "found" material as possible.

Arielle, a green house does not have to be a big expense. As far as heat, what about using Hot Bed concept? The old timers used to dig a pit 18" or so deep and fill it with horse manure. They would then set up a cold frame (technically, it's now a hot frame) over that, cover with a bit of soil, and then plant. The compost action would work through the winter, keeping the heat up, by spring the heat will have mostly dissipated, resulting in a super fertile bed, with out a lot of heat. Found materials: check out your habitat for humanity store. Lots of used windows to be had. Buy your windows, then frame to fit your windows, put a clear roof on it. Every spring, I can pick up all the windows I want at my local dump when folks are remodeling. Voila. Or you could go cattle panel route. (that's all I have) 2 panels, some framing at base, ends, and ridge, I've used a combination window at each end for doors. Upgraded to a green house tarp this year. Even without an active heat source, it will add MONTHS to your garden season. Most likely 2 months at either end. You could build your green house at least 8' wide, and put a walking path down the middle, line that with slate, or other dark stone. Instant thermal mass for heat retention. Black barrel of water = More thermal mass, as well as available water. You could even put a stock tank heater in it so if you're hit with a lot of cold, you could provide some heat at night with that. For every layer of protection you provide in comparison to bare ground, you raise the micro-climate 1.5 planting zones. For example: My zone 4 green house brings my planting zone in the green house up to 5.5. If I have a bed IN the green house covered with plastic or glass, the interior of that bed = zone 7. Of course with those added layers, there's also a bit of loss in terms of sunlight, but you get the idea. You might want to go to your local library and check out some books. Check out "The 4 Season Harvest" by Eliot Coleman.

But, I find that the green house is SO much more to me than a green house! It's a place to go in the winter to play in the dirt. It's a place to feel the sun on my face without freezing in the winter. It's a place to let the chickens dust bathe to their little heart's content in the winter. It's a place to take baby chicks out in the early spring to get their first spring greens and gut load of soil microbes.

Today and the next day and for many days after that I'm digging up bermuda grass. It's the only way I've ever been able to really get rid of it. The previous owners tried weedkiller with little success. The weedwacker helped it spread far and wide. Covering it kept it's roots moist in our dry desert allowing it to get a foot hold. Burning it made it denser then ever. But once done digging it out, the gravel will be cleared and the soil aerated from sifting out roots. Sounds like the start of a new garden to me.

Good plan. Are you planning to mulch that new garden? I'd suggest that you mulch the whole thing with cardboard or newspaper followed by leaves, wood chips, lawn clippings, and what ever mulch materials you can get your hands on. Have you viewed the Back To Eden film?

 

[politicalcenter]

Today and the next day and for many days after that I'm digging up bermuda grass. It's the only way I've ever been able to really get rid of it. The previous owners tried weedkiller with little success. The weedwacker helped it spread far and wide. Covering it kept it's roots moist in our dry desert allowing it to get a foot hold. Burning it made it denser then ever. But once done digging it out, the gravel will be cleared and the soil aerated from sifting out roots. Sounds like the start of a new garden to me.

If I lived close by I would take that bermuda grass off your hands and make plugs to put in my pasture. It would be great for my goats.