What did you do in the garden today?

[WthrLady]

Are you on 2nd or 3rd cut?

We haven't managed FIRST yet! Barely ANYONE has! We've had ONE 3 day window since the fields started to be ready, and it was CLOSE, that was ok, but not great for haying. We just had a two day window last weekend locally. A few guys baled wet hay to let rot in a back field corner. It was ruined by excessive fog. I bet 90% of us haven't baled 1st round yet. But this whole season is still Irish green and lush, so even the fields are running late.

 

[OnlySympathy]

We haven't managed FIRST yet! Barely ANYONE has! We've had ONE 3 day window since the fields started to be ready, and it was CLOSE, that was ok, but not great for haying. We just had a two day window last weekend locally. A few guys baled wet hay to let rot in a back field corner. It was ruined by excessive fog. I bet 90% of us haven't baled 1st round yet. But this whole season is still Irish green and lush, so even the fields are running late.

Oh wow, people here are on 2nd and some are getting pretty close to 3rd. Hopefully you get a good window soon

 

[WthrLady]

Oh wow, people here are on 2nd and some are getting pretty close to 3rd. Hopefully you get a good window soon

Waiting game. 2nds here are usually 2nd/3rd week of August 3rds IF we can get them- water dependant is middle of September - 3rds here are RARE

 

[Molpet]

I bought a bag of Espoma garden lime and worked a half cup into the soil around all the tomatoes and seven pepper plants. Emptied the bag. Pruned the lower leaves from the tomatoes too.

The measured application of tablespoons per square foot of garden space is supposed to raise the pH from 5 to 6.5. When I watered it in there was a reaction around some of the plants, like a mild bubbling version of adding vinegar to baking soda.

I'll put a layer of sifted chicken run compost around the plants next, water it in, then replace the mulch I raked off before I treated with the lime.

View attachment 4182811

So what is the difference between garden lime and Barn lime? Both are ground limestone.

 

[WthrLady]

So what is the difference between garden lime and Barn lime? Both are ground limestone.

ag/garden lime is finer ground and usually more acidic
barn lime is chonkier
pretty much it

 

[Smokerbill]

So what is the difference between garden lime and Barn lime? Both are ground limestone.

Probably just the price. The Espoma is ground fine and then granulated, supposedly works faster. I could've got the hydrated lime which works quickly but it's riskier to use. Espoma is dolomitic lime. And I was in a hurry to get it around my tomatoes and it's what was available nearby.

I got a thin layer of compost spread around the tomatoes and peppers, watered it in then pulled the rotten woodchip mulch back into place around the plants to hold in moisture and stop weeds from growing.

If they all go into shock and die, no biggie. I'll try again next year.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

What is BT? I have tried squash one time and it was a fail but am going to give it another shot so excuse my ignorance

Here is what I use, but any brand will work. It's a bacteria that kills the Squash Vine Borer larvae inside the vine of your squash. Harmless to humans and is considered organic.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

Explain the BT injection please, I ‘m curious.

I mix the BT with water, I do a 1 to 5 ish ratio in a jar and with a syringe inject it into my squash plant. I start at the bottom and use the hollow leaf stems to inject into .the plant absorbs it which then kills the Squash Vine Borer larvae. It's not a perfect solution by any means, but it does usually work. The bacteria is digested by the larvae this killing them, but is harmless to us. Last year I kept a zucchini alive the entire season doing this.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

Still trying to find a window to hay. I THOUGHT I was going to cut tomorrow, but chance of rain Monday night, and we'd have to bale Tuesday after the dew burned off and chance of rain for the week starts about 3pm Tuesday. UGH. And it WILL be hot this weekend, but the humidity will be HIGH and the wind LOW. Guess I'll shove it another week or so. Good GRIEF!

The dew points are comparable to the Gulf Coast apparently this upcoming week. Good thing you aren't haying!!! That would be a heatstroke for sure! The positive side is our hay around here looks great still! These rains have been perfectly timed.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Still trying to find a window to hay. I THOUGHT I was going to cut tomorrow, but chance of rain Monday night, and we'd have to bale Tuesday after the dew burned off and chance of rain for the week starts about 3pm Tuesday. UGH. And it WILL be hot this weekend, but the humidity will be HIGH and the wind LOW. Guess I'll shove it another week or so. Good GRIEF!

I walked out in the pasture tonight... Any place I've mowed, the grass is now dead because of lack of rain. The portions where I didn't mow are still green...

We need rain badly...