Your 2024 Garden

[NanaK]

I have read up on Voles. I don't don't how they found the sweet potato ridge as much as I kept the adjacent areas tilled up that would have destroyed their tunnels. The are here according to what the State of AL has on file on them. They are down right out nasty mean destructive garden predators. There reproduction rate is phenomenal. I may have to go to a protected raised bed method of raising a few hills of sweet potatoes if we are to have any to preserve.

Sorry about your sweet taters.

Last spring I had a 4x8 bed of carrots. I just broadcast the seed and let them grow. I start thinning when they get to baby carrot size. When I started pulling there was nothing but the greens. Those voles took over half my carrots.
They did not touch the onions or garlic on either side. I will plant carrots again as the weather cools. I'm thinking about planting them with garlic around all sides.
Yes, voles are nasty pests!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have a lot of voles (they literally turn up while mowing the lawn and hubby stomps them) but they don't impact the veggies since I grow everything in raised beds, with a sheet of hardware cloth over the bottom.

 

[fuzzi]

I dug rotted leaf compost into raised bed #3, then planted rutabagas, carrots (Danvers and Nantes Half-long), and Purple Top turnips:

Then I added mesh to discourage kitties.

I have another small roll of chicken wire, I may create a fence around this bed as I did with bed #2.

 

[Sally PB]

I have a lot of voles (they literally turn up while mowing the lawn and hubby stomps them) but they don't impact the veggies since I grow everything in raised beds, with a sheet of hardware cloth over the bottom.

I have thought about making some raised beds and putting hardware cloth over the bottom to keep the voles from eating the roots of the plants.

 

[Nomadicus]

After we picked what we thought would be the last of the peas as aphids were taking them over I mowed them off. They are back from their stump sprouts. Looks like in a week or so they will be blooming again. May get another months supply out of them yet.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Bleh, as if picking dozens of caterpillars off half my garden wasn’t enough, OF COURSE I would choose to plant pole beans the year the building is pressure washed. Once the sky stops spitting on me I’m going out to finish untangling them from the railing.

Next year, bigger trellis!

 

[fuzzi]

Our cooler than normal spell is about to end, so I headed back to the gardens after church and lunch today.

I decided to plant peas in a bed that's not yet been used, the east side of raised bed #4.

It's been sitting fallow with wood/branches, covered with leaves and yard clippings.

December 2023

It's the one closest to the hose caddy.

Today

I dug trenches and added newspapers that had been left out for four years. They were soaked through with lots of evidence of insect activity.

I added partially composted clippings and leaves.

Then I added soil I dug from under the compost barrel. It was moist and dark.

It looked pretty good, but needed something else...

Several shovelfuls of black gold (finished compost) topped it off, and was worked in.

I planted the remainder of a packet of snow peas, and threw in a short row of older carrot seeds to finish up.

All planted, and with a cat deterrent added on top!

And now I think I am done.

 

[Nomadicus]

The process of digging my sweet potatoes has started and I hope to fine at least a couple of meals in the ridge that voles and fire ants have not ruined. I mowed the sides of the vines off and left the middle of the ridge alone so I can easily find the hills. Digging will not start until later in the cooler part of the day. Right now our heat index is well into the upper 90's.

 

[fuzzi]

I watered all my newly-planted raised beds.

Left to right: Bed #2 (collards, etc.), Bed #3 (tomatoes, rutabagas, carrots, turnips), Bed #4 (Bush beans, peas, carrots), Bed #5 with straw on top is fallow until the Spring.

Look what came today!

Last chance for Baker Creek.

I think I will pull the remaining beans from Bed #4 and plant turnips and beets.

 

[Nomadicus]

I dug half the sweet potato ridge. I was totally surprised at what I got. We may very well get a 4 month supply. I had planted for a years supply. Some hills none and one on each side of it very good. Way to many had all of them rotten to the core. I'm about go get down to where I found what looks like vole damage. First thing I'm doing once I get the rest of them dug is annihilate Those yam fire ants. They tried to eat me alive today. Have to many neighbors to shuck my jeans out there. Then evil little ants crawled up my legs.