The Garden Thread

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Well it’s time to get those gardens in shape!

I bought 20 yards of aged cow manure from a fellow down the road and spread it all over the garden today. Then I ran the disc over it several times and turned it in. It is supposed to rain all week so it should get that poop all down in there.

Fertilizer is gon be high as Snoop Dog this year 😮 I’m glad I scored this.

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a read that 20 year aged....at first.


I thought lawd what does vintage shit cost these days!:D

Thoughts on cheap raised bed sides??
 
Well it’s time to get those gardens in shape!

I bought 20 yards of aged cow manure from a fellow down the road and spread it all over the garden today. Then I ran the disc over it several times and turned it in. It is supposed to rain all week so it should get that poop all down in there.

Fertilizer is gon be high as Snoop Dog this year 😮 I’m glad I scored this.

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Good luck on the weeds!
 
a read that 20 year aged....at first.


I thought lawd what does vintage shit cost these days!:D

Thoughts on cheap raised bed sides??
Haha 😂 it’s 3 years old, still has that distinctive cow crap smell but it is mild.

I have had raised beds when we were in Smithfield and for smaller gardens they work well.
 
Raised beds work well. My buddy that gardens and sells at the farmers market has built about 12 now on the hill at his house. They are using them for his wife’s flower business and for the luffa plants they started raising
 
Raised beds work well. My buddy that gardens and sells at the farmers market has built about 12 now on the hill at his house. They are using them for his wife’s flower business and for the luffa plants they started raising
Yes. I was asking more about material choices for the barrier. "Sides"

Seems it like the proverbial triangle.....cheap, good, and fast.
 
Yes. I was asking more about material choices for the barrier. "Sides"

Seems it like the proverbial triangle.....cheap, good, and fast.
he went for cheap for sure. deck boards off docks that need replaced. they are true 2x8 treated. and he has a endless supply since they replace boards on docks every spring.
 
Yes. I was asking more about material choices for the barrier. "Sides"

Seems it like the proverbial triangle.....cheap, good, and fast.
I have seen a video where a guy made his from bagged concrete. I have seen folks make them with metal roofing sides. I did em from deck boards, 2 high and bought 3’ wide plastic roll to put around the inside of the wood before I filled with compost.

Trex would probably do well 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
I have seen a video where a guy made his from bagged concrete. I have seen folks make them with metal roofing sides. I did em from deck boards, 2 high and bought 3’ wide plastic roll to put around the inside of the wood before I filled with compost.

Trex would probably do well 🤷🏼‍♂️
My wife and I were just talking about making some raised beds yesterday and what we want to build them out of. She, of course, likes the ones that are clad in metal siding. She also mentioned Trex.

We're also thinking of sinking one of these in it as well. Below-ground composting that actually works!
 
I have looked at all of them. I really like the concrete all but the work and cost. Studied on the metal type. My fear is them rotting away quickly.
 
I have looked at all of them. I really like the concrete all but the work and cost. Studied on the metal type. My fear is them rotting away quickly.
I would think galvalume would be pretty durable but for long term nothing but concrete or masonry will go the distance methinks. All that land you have, why not till a nice plot?
 
I think I might be out on the gardening this year. I don't spend hardly enough time at home to enjoy it. May just do flowers.
 
I would think galvalume would be pretty durable but for long term nothing but concrete or masonry will go the distance methinks. All that land you have, why not till a nice plot?
Absolutely nothing is flat until you get to the bottoms. And they all flood. My parents tilled a patch on a slope for years. It all washed badly almost every year. The other part is I dont have the time to weed a lot of rows. My parents probably lost 3 feet of top soils over 20 yrs....what is left is horrible red dirt. I would like to try high efficiency methods and see what the yield is like. I am not terribly experienced so no need to plant acreage either.
 
Straw bales?
You can actually grow plants in straw bales.


A good way to grow potatoes is in a stack of 3 or so tires filled with soil. Harvest is as easy as taking the tires off and sifting through the dirt.
 
You can actually grow plants in straw bales.


A good way to grow potatoes is in a stack of 3 or so tires filled with soil. Harvest is as easy as taking the tires off and sifting through the dirt.

I've always wanted to try this method.

 
My wife and I were just talking about making some raised beds yesterday and what we want to build them out of. She, of course, likes the ones that are clad in metal siding. She also mentioned Trex.

We're also thinking of sinking one of these in it as well. Below-ground composting that actually works!

Typically you need atleast a yard of material for it to compost well and get hot, 3 is much better. I am not really seeing how that container is doing anything, other than letting the worms and microbes to get in there and break it down. But it will not get hot enough to actually compost and kill any bad bacteria.
 
We did straw bales a couple years when we first moved... kept us in flush in tomatoes, squash, & zucchini (nothing else did very well)

Last year, we began working the PO's small (80'x40') "garden" plot up by the shop.
Unknown how long it sat unused (as a garden) vs. large enough space to spin truck/trailer around in... but it was *HARD*
A few (dozen) trips over it with the cultivator loosened it... many bags of lime, a few tons of horse waste, some carbon, and last falls clover cover have it looking much better than "red dirt" (just got the soil sample boxes to send to VT)
We have 2 other spots that will see limited planting... a terrace near the crest of a field for will get flowers for the bees and an area near a creek bottom (typically is too soggy for the zero-turn) will get more tomatoes & cucumbers...

The big question will be what fencing to use around the garden to hinder the deer? (ain't going to stop them, just want to slow them down)
I've got 20 - 7' T-posts (sourced LAST year when they were available 🙄 ), so thinking 6' tall fencing
I like the sturdiness of wire, but hate the thought of taking it down (necessary to run the tractor thru it) and not sure plastic like "bird fence" is heavy enough, nor is "snow fence" small enough to keep out the rabbits...
Thinking maybe a hybrid approach with plastics and some 12" tall chicken wire around the base?
 
I've always wanted to try this method.


that does look interesting, but my guess is they dont have to fight with bermuda grass.


I am with Drew. Trying to determine the best way to build raised beds, so that I can stop spending time pulling grass from my garden. I reused some available lumber here on the property to build a few a couple years ago, and its already starting to show issues with rot. Metal roofing material seems to be a common way and fairly time efficient, but with the prices now, I would need to find some reclaimed stuff. I have seen where folks built smaller ones from cardboard and chicken wire. As you can imagine, it didnt last more than a yr.
 
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