Your 2025 Garden

[NanaK]

I have used plastic sheeting and fabric landscape cloth in flower beds with pinestraw mulch on top. I had a lot of problems with slugs. Grass and weeds grew through it, both broke down pretty quickly. It was a pain to remove. Now I just use pinestraw(we have lots so free) for flowerbeds. It I get a weedy
spot, I pull back the straw and cover with cardboard and pull the straw back in place. This has worked well.

In the veg garden about once every week to 10 days or so I used a stirrup hoe. It's easy to use and keeps things mostly weed free. My favorite garden tool! Sometimes I also mulch around plants with leaves/straw.

Stirrup hoe will let you weed standing up.

 

[TOMTE]

I have used plastic sheeting and fabric landscape cloth in flower beds with pinestraw mulch on top. I had a lot of problems with slugs. Grass and weeds grew through it, both broke down pretty quickly. It was a pain to remove. Now I just use pinestraw(we have lots so free) for flowerbeds. It I get a weedy
spot, I pull back the straw and cover with cardboard and pull the straw back in place. This has worked well.

In the veg garden about once every week to 10 days or so I used a stirrup hoe. It's easy to use and keeps things mostly weed free. My favorite garden tool! Sometimes I also mulch around plants with leaves/straw.

Stirrup hoe will let you weed standing up.

View attachment 4055175

We did get a skidger which is amazing for weeding. But not as great for grass because while it chops through the roots easily, any roots that are left behind just end up regrowing. I pulled a grass root last spring that was about 4ft long. I wish we could just rewild our entire property, it would be so much easier in the long run.

 

[NanaK]

We did get a skidger which is amazing for weeding. But not as great for grass because while it chops through the roots easily, any roots that are left behind just end up regrowing. I pulled a grass root last spring that was about 4ft long. I wish we could just rewild our entire property, it would be so much easier in the long run.

I've not used a skidger but it looks useful too.
Sometimes with the stirrup hoe I can get under the roots a bit but not down 4 ft! Wow!

 

[TOMTE]

I've not used a skidger but it looks useful too.
Sometimes with the stirrup hoe I can get under the roots a bit but not down 4 ft! Wow!

Oh no, the roots were only down 6" at most on average, but then they start growing horizontally, and multiple blades of grass will grow from one root system. That's where the term "grassroots" comes from.

 

[Sally PB]

I'd REALLY like to try growing nasturtium, mexican gherkins, and tomatillo.

I'm planting mexican gherkins, aka, cucamelons. Last year was my first year, and I love them! 3 vines, very prolific. The were a great snack and they made good pickles too.

Re: tomatillos... have you ever grown them before? They grow much like tomatoes, ie, they need to be started early, and need a cage to keep them up off the ground. Tomato cages work well. The green ones aren't as sweet as the yellow and purple ones. I liked the purple ones I grew the best.

 

[TOMTE]

I'm planting mexican gherkins, aka, cucamelons. Last year was my first year, and I love them! 3 vines, very prolific. The were a great snack and they made good pickles too.

Re: tomatillos... have you ever grown them before? They grow much like tomatoes, ie, they need to be started early, and need a cage to keep them up off the ground. Tomato cages work well. The green ones aren't as sweet as the yellow and purple ones. I liked the purple ones I grew the best.

I have a whole "fancy" note on my phone with info on the garden plants I want it's a WIP but I like to have all the info ready beforehand before I do something.

Are the different color tomatillos different varieties or just stages of ripeness?

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

If you have a Walmart or Lowes nearby check where the household lighting fixtures are. I purchased 2 ft LED plant grow lights for about $25 each. I added more last year. You can safely link up to 10 together.

I like these better than the same size Ferry Morris lights I had previously. The FM lights I had quit in there 3rd year.

I have both of those, I will look! Thank you!

 

[Nomadicus]

I tried weed barrier a long time ago. Had to cover it with dirt to keep it from blowing away. The dirt on top gave a place for the weed seeds to grow.

It also deteriorated over time making a real mess.

I've got a lot of clay in the soil here and have 6" staples to hold it down. I also have a lot of landscape timbers that I can use to old it down if needed. I inherited a lot of patio blocks too I can used. I used to use solid black plastic long ago and had to cover the edges to keep it down. Then I used wheat straw to cover the dirt to stop weeds.

 

[Sally PB]

Are the different color tomatillos different varieties or just stages of ripeness?

They're different varieties. I believe they all start out green.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

Did you make the arch from a full 16' long panel?

I am so sorry I just saw this. I am still trying to get the notifications on here figured out! I did arch my panel and I believe it's 16'..it worked well!