The Garden Thread

ckruzer said:
Weeds are your friends. They turn on and grow due specifically to an excess or deficient nutrient. You can tactically target that with a diverse variety cover crop to outperform the weeds.
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I know this to be true, but I havent been able to find a source that tells what different weeds are indicating.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
I know this to be true, but I havent been able to find a source that tells what different weeds are indicating.
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Here is a starter. Lots of information out there, but its not presently used as its not capitalism oriented, so you have to dig or learn it first hand.

www.almanac.com

What Weeds Tell You About Your Soil

Did you know that weeds can tell you a lot about your soil? Learn how to use weeds as a natural soil test so you can improve your soil!
www.almanac.com www.almanac.com

A big one for fields in this SE area with hay. Buttercups = too much potassium. Dandelions too little calcium.
 
hunterdan said:
Just got a tractor and need a little knowledge.
Ok, so I've never done a garden other than a small one with a manual tiller.
What 3 point implements will I need? I was thinking a ripper to remove rocks etc., Then a plow to turn over ground, then a disc.
Am I close to right😕
I doubt it so what steps to take when putting a garden on undisturbed ground?
Thanks
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A single bottom plow, disc, row hiller/cultivator combo or separate hiller and cultivator.
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
You forgot the most important part, what color tractor are we working with here?
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It's a 94 Belarus 250as with loader and backhoe.
I had read good and bad on these. After working on it I lean towards good.
It only had 1/2 & 5/6 gears when I got it. About an hour with a couple wrenches and I got all gears working. I have changed all fluids and cleaned filters. Filters are reusable for hydraulic and oil. Just take apart and clean. Hyd oil is 30w engine oil. Even air filter is cleanable and uses oil bath to catch dirt. Very impressed with how easy it is to work on. Most parts can be found on eBay. A new hydraulic pump is $50. A new fuel injection is $250😁.
 

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hunterdan said:
It's a 94 Belarus 250as with loader and backhoe.
I had read good and bad on these. After working on it I lean towards good.
It only had 1/2 & 5/6 gears when I got it. About an hour with a couple wrenches and I got all gears working. I have changed all fluids and cleaned filters. Filters are reusable for hydraulic and oil. Just take apart and clean. Hyd oil is 30w engine oil. Even air filter is cleanable and uses oil bath to catch dirt. Very impressed with how easy it is to work on. Most parts can be found on eBay. A new hydraulic pump is $50. A new fuel injection is $250😁.
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Seems like a great deal and a pretty good fit for what you need.
 
With my previous backhoe hyd. Fluid level was checked in transport position.
With my mini x blade up and hoe fully extended on ground.
What position would this little tlb(3 post back) need to be in for hyd level check?
Thanks
 
Alright so i have my garden turned over and ready to plant. I had a thought this year,

Any disadvantage to putting down hay in between the rows and around the plants to block out some of the weeds?
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
Alright so i have my garden turned over and ready to plant. I had a thought this year,

Any disadvantage to putting down hay in between the rows and around the plants to block out some of the weeds?
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If you're not going to plow it every week it will work fine. My mom always puts down newspapers with straw on top around her tomato plants
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
Alright so i have my garden turned over and ready to plant. I had a thought this year,

Any disadvantage to putting down hay in between the rows and around the plants to block out some of the weeds?
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Mulch, straw … will work for that.
 
We planted tonight. Worn out but happy. Rain tomorrow so perfect timing 😃
 
Been watering every evening. Supposed to rain tomorrow and Saturday.

Corn and green beans are coming up.
I used seed from last year that I kept in the deep freeze.
 
Hey, this is a damn steal.

I have a row hiller myself and it is invaluable.

winstonsalem.craigslist.org

Garden cultivator - farm & garden - by owner - sale

I have a leinbach garden cultivator plow. Used but like new. Asking 125$ thanks call or text 33sixfour8880fortytwo.
winstonsalem.craigslist.org
 
Kids got some bucket gardens at the YMCA Healthy Kids Day last weekend so we planted some peas and a squash in one bucket and some green beans in the other. They also got some okra and cherry tomato seeds in the Dixie cups too. My daughter was really excited to see the okra/tomato seeds starting to sprout yesterday.

They put some Swiss chard and the sugar pea seeds they got with the bucket gardens in my dads actual garden. Im hoping the rabbits/deer will eat those instead of my dads stuff lol.

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Just planted some green beans and sweet peas. We are trying raised beds again. Not sure exactly what we are doing, lol!
We had a raised bed once before with about as little planning as you could ever imagine. This year has always been a want to but time has slipped up on us.
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Our first ever raised bed looked like a art project of scraps. These are all shed clean out pieces but less art. I used screws so I can break them down if needed. Or when they rot down.
Started with card board on the ground wet down. Added a layer of leaves from last fall with a blend of sawdust horse poooo from another board member. Added several handfuls of pelletized lime for good measure.
 
After the manure and leaves I went after some top soil.
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Got about four yards worth. Placed all of it with buckets. Sifted some unwanted trash roots and such as we went.
Done some reading and decided compost would be a good. Done a goggle search and found
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They sold me some beautiful compost at 30 dollars a yard.

This is where I could have kicked myself. I spent the next while mixing all the compost in each bed. Six shovels of dirt to three of compost. Yep I unloaded all that dirt to tediously unload each bed section at a time into a wheel barrow and mix compost.

The result was some dang fluffy beds!

Edit: because of the fluffing a actually built more beds for the total above. Hind sight was triple the effort. It was for good though the wife bought plants like we had 3 acres tilled.
 
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jeepin' jen said:
My mini garden this year - maybe if my black thumbs can keep these alive, I'll get to expand in the future.
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Nice. Our maters we set out Thursday look horrible. We have got a lot of rain. My beds are draining well so I hope my soil isn't the issue. Fingers crossed.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Nice. Our maters we set out Thursday look horrible. We have got a lot of rain. My beds are draining well so I hope my soil isn't the issue. Fingers crossed.
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You can do a soil test through the local cooperative extension office and find out where it stands.

Had you hardened off the plants before setting them out? Could be all the water; big down a few inches in the dirt and see how moist it is.
 
Corn and beans are growing fast! maters and peppers too! Cow poop FTW 🐮
 
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Around 25-30 5 gal buckets this year. I have jalapenos, banana peppers, habaneros, ghosts, zuchinni, squash, 4 kinds of tomatoes, okra, broccoli, brussel sprouts, green bell peppers, purple bell peppers.

My zuchinni leaves are starting to turn brown and shrivel up. I think its white flies so hopefully the sevin dust I put out helped. I also trimmed all the dead leaves. Already got some cherry tomatoes coming in as well as some peppers.

I set up the buckets with potting soil, chicken poop/shavings, and potting soil. So far it seems to be working well.
 
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