Redneck Watering System Back in Action
This may be the earliest need for watering in the gardening season yet. We are not really in a drought; but my rain barrels are almost empty. Yesterday I even had to water the new grass. The redneck watering system was laid down Sunday. It needs repairs and improvements from last year.
The garden must have grown some; because I don’t seem to have enough hose. One of my connectors that connects a single hose to 4 hoses is also defective. I bought new soaker hoses to install this afternoon; but I forgot to buy the connectors. I tried to make it neater and hopefully more efficient this year. No irrigations system can really compete with rain though. Not only does the tap water bring salts and chemicals into the soil, much of the water seems to be wasted. Almost everything has sprouted so it all needs water to avoid drying up or being stunted.
Fire ants are really getting worse every year. The “mound destroyer” seems to work to eradicate the hill; but it seems as if the ants just move somewhere else. They never seem to just completely go away. “Mosquito Dunks” were really helpful in keeping the mosquitoes down last year. They are just starting to bite this year so I’m putting new dunks in the bird bath and the rain barrels. They work with Bacillus Thuringienses (or something like that). It is a disease that kills mosquitoes and some other plant pests.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Greens, Greens and More Greens
Greens, Greens and More Greens
The greens, both salad and cooking are the stars of the garden right now. There are turnips, mustard, kale and Swiss chard. All are growing faster than we can eat them. We are giving away a “mess” a day and eating them every night. These are great sources of Vitamin C, and A and folic acid. The flavor is great with a little Texas Pete. I even ate some leftovers with my eggs Sunday morning.
Spinach of course can go both ways. We are cooking the spinach from the fall garden and using the spinach from the spring garden for salads. The other part of the salad greens is mesclun mix. I don’t remember what the show was; but there was a lady on TV harvesting mesclun with scissors. It is so easy. Just grab the top of the plant and give it a “haircut”. Picking really goes fast and the mesclun grow back faster too.
Probably the possibility of a complete salad from the garden is impossible here. By the time tomatoes and cucumbers are coming in, the spinach, lettuce and mesclun will have bolted. There are, at least, radishes and spring onions. Radishes, carrots and beets were planted together. As the radishes are harvested more room is available and the soil is loosened for the slower growing carrots and beets.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
The greens, both salad and cooking are the stars of the garden right now. There are turnips, mustard, kale and Swiss chard. All are growing faster than we can eat them. We are giving away a “mess” a day and eating them every night. These are great sources of Vitamin C, and A and folic acid. The flavor is great with a little Texas Pete. I even ate some leftovers with my eggs Sunday morning.
Spinach of course can go both ways. We are cooking the spinach from the fall garden and using the spinach from the spring garden for salads. The other part of the salad greens is mesclun mix. I don’t remember what the show was; but there was a lady on TV harvesting mesclun with scissors. It is so easy. Just grab the top of the plant and give it a “haircut”. Picking really goes fast and the mesclun grow back faster too.
Probably the possibility of a complete salad from the garden is impossible here. By the time tomatoes and cucumbers are coming in, the spinach, lettuce and mesclun will have bolted. There are, at least, radishes and spring onions. Radishes, carrots and beets were planted together. As the radishes are harvested more room is available and the soil is loosened for the slower growing carrots and beets.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Garden is Growing
The Garden Is Growing
Please forgive my long absence from the blog. I have been traveling and trying to keep up with the garden and my work. A little progress report follows.
Only the part of the rows where the planting would take place was tilled this time. The leaves were left in place as much as possible; but where small seeds were involved the excess had to be raked off after tilling and before planting. Where seeds were used two furrows were made in each bed and filled with compost. Then, three furrows were made for planting. Seeds were dropped in the furrows and covered. Almost everything has had at least a few sprouts come up.
Three varieties of summer squash were planted: Crookneck, Zucchini and Patti-pan. There were 3 hills of each and all but one hill has sprouted. The hills were made by digging a 1 foot deep hole with the post hole digger and filling it with compost. The hill was then mounded and three holes were made like the finger holes on a bowling ball. 3 seeds were dropped into each hole and the hole was covered with loose dirt. The hills were on 3 foot centers.
I set out 15 tomato plants along the tomato fence. 5 days later I had 5 plants. I suspect cut worms. Replacement plants are growing in the greenhouse. I may lose my patience and buy some plants. 14 pepper plants were set out. I now have 2. Same story. 7 eggplants were set out. Now there is 1. A row of pole beans was planted on the other side of the tomato fence. They are up and growing. A row of cucumbers was planted on the other side of the cucumber fence. A few of them have sprouted.
The fence for the grape vines was extended to the end of the garden and spaghetti squash was planted there. It has not come up yet. The grapes are really growing fast though. Something ate some of the growing tips; but it does not seem to have harmed anything.
The sugar peas and fall onions are really growing fast. Sugar baby watermelon was planted between the furrows. The sugar peas and onions will be finished by the time the watermelon plants have any size. Then the watermelon fence can be assembled. We are eating ( and giving away) onions, greens, mesclun, spinach and collards. On the whole I am pleased with the garden’s progress. I am extremely disappointed in the results from the greenhouse and the plants that were grown there.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Please forgive my long absence from the blog. I have been traveling and trying to keep up with the garden and my work. A little progress report follows.
Only the part of the rows where the planting would take place was tilled this time. The leaves were left in place as much as possible; but where small seeds were involved the excess had to be raked off after tilling and before planting. Where seeds were used two furrows were made in each bed and filled with compost. Then, three furrows were made for planting. Seeds were dropped in the furrows and covered. Almost everything has had at least a few sprouts come up.
Three varieties of summer squash were planted: Crookneck, Zucchini and Patti-pan. There were 3 hills of each and all but one hill has sprouted. The hills were made by digging a 1 foot deep hole with the post hole digger and filling it with compost. The hill was then mounded and three holes were made like the finger holes on a bowling ball. 3 seeds were dropped into each hole and the hole was covered with loose dirt. The hills were on 3 foot centers.
I set out 15 tomato plants along the tomato fence. 5 days later I had 5 plants. I suspect cut worms. Replacement plants are growing in the greenhouse. I may lose my patience and buy some plants. 14 pepper plants were set out. I now have 2. Same story. 7 eggplants were set out. Now there is 1. A row of pole beans was planted on the other side of the tomato fence. They are up and growing. A row of cucumbers was planted on the other side of the cucumber fence. A few of them have sprouted.
The fence for the grape vines was extended to the end of the garden and spaghetti squash was planted there. It has not come up yet. The grapes are really growing fast though. Something ate some of the growing tips; but it does not seem to have harmed anything.
The sugar peas and fall onions are really growing fast. Sugar baby watermelon was planted between the furrows. The sugar peas and onions will be finished by the time the watermelon plants have any size. Then the watermelon fence can be assembled. We are eating ( and giving away) onions, greens, mesclun, spinach and collards. On the whole I am pleased with the garden’s progress. I am extremely disappointed in the results from the greenhouse and the plants that were grown there.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Lessons From Experience
Lessons From Experience
As a new gardening season begins old experiences are incorporated into the new plan. New ideas will be tried to see what will work. Some of these new ideas will stay in next years plan, others will provide valuable lessons. Some of the changes coming for this year:
1) The direction of the rows is changing from east west to north south, in hopes of maximizing sunlight.
2) The tomato fence is changing structure. In the past It has been a rail fence with rails used as uprights on 4’ centers to raise the height to 8’. This year the rails will be the posts on 4’ centers. There will be a few extra rails incorporated diagonally for bracing. The tomatoes will only be on the east side of the fence. I’m not sure whether the west side will have beans or cucumbers. I need to check the companion planting chart.
3) The watermelon fence was a great idea. This year it will have a finer mesh plastic fence on top to keep the little melons from falling through the wire.
4) The winter squash will be planted on a rail fence with 2”X4” wire backing. Spaghetti squash has not been a very successful venture in the past. It is so good that it is worth trying again.
5) The rows are heavily mulched with leaves now. These will be tilled into the soil. Excess will be raked into the pathways. The pathways will not be tilled at all. The hope is that this will discourage weeds in the pathways and kill fewer earthworms in the tilling process.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
As a new gardening season begins old experiences are incorporated into the new plan. New ideas will be tried to see what will work. Some of these new ideas will stay in next years plan, others will provide valuable lessons. Some of the changes coming for this year:
1) The direction of the rows is changing from east west to north south, in hopes of maximizing sunlight.
2) The tomato fence is changing structure. In the past It has been a rail fence with rails used as uprights on 4’ centers to raise the height to 8’. This year the rails will be the posts on 4’ centers. There will be a few extra rails incorporated diagonally for bracing. The tomatoes will only be on the east side of the fence. I’m not sure whether the west side will have beans or cucumbers. I need to check the companion planting chart.
3) The watermelon fence was a great idea. This year it will have a finer mesh plastic fence on top to keep the little melons from falling through the wire.
4) The winter squash will be planted on a rail fence with 2”X4” wire backing. Spaghetti squash has not been a very successful venture in the past. It is so good that it is worth trying again.
5) The rows are heavily mulched with leaves now. These will be tilled into the soil. Excess will be raked into the pathways. The pathways will not be tilled at all. The hope is that this will discourage weeds in the pathways and kill fewer earthworms in the tilling process.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
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