General Discussions - 2010 - Chapter 30

Watching the weather for planting. On the Weather Channel on TV this AM, for our zip code, it shows lows to mid 20's Sun & Mon. Then while on computer this AM, again for our zip code, It shows 40's across the board for the 10 days. Man, is that whacked or what.

How are you doing with area flooding Russ? Looks like it is north of you, so far.

Built 1 more 8-ft frame. Had some bales left over and wanted to use some of them up.

I just didn't think I had enough room for the peppers.

OK...I have little green shoots coming up in my bales. I haven't planted anything yet, so I'll assume it's from my straw. Does that mean the bales are ready to be planted? I realize these same questions have been asked at least 100 times; however, I'm a slow learner and a first time ever gardened. :0

Those probably don't mean anything because they would be surface seeds sprouting. Not down where the roots of your tomatoes or whatever are going to be growing would be. i.e. if you have wheat or oat straw it could be a seed here and there that has seen the light. LOL, literally.

Sunflowers waiting for the sunshine.
Violets just waiting for dew.
Bees just waiting for honey and honey I'm just waiting for you!

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Great day outside today!
Great day forecast for Saturday.
70's
Sunny
Shorts & shoes and that's all - all day
I'm in a great mood!

Wow Kent, you must be in a good mood and have every right to be. 70 degrees!! LOL, I bought a pair of shorts today anticipating the day when we get our first 70. I'm ready too. But, I think it will be probably almost a month before we see that. Even this year.

Jeanette: we're still not out of the "cold" woods yet. But, I'll take it!!

I'm trying to decide what varieties of tomatoes to plant this year.

I've got room for 150.

Here's my short list so far:

Better Boys as usual - growing up, didn't know there was any other kind. It was all Daddy planted.
Celebrity
Golden Jubilee - thanks to Lena for turning me on to those!!!! Love you, girl, where ever you are!!!
Goliath - new variety for me that did great last year
Roma
Sweet Olive - cherry
Delicious - friend of mine is starting some for me
German Johnson - cutting back due to 2 years of disease issues, but will try again

Looking for some:

Kellog's Breakfast
Cherokee Purple

Anyone have any favorites they recommend, I'm all ears.

Enjoy the balmy weather, Kent.

We had it in SW Missouri today and yesterday. Near 70 with sunshine, and it was great. But they are telling us the cold will start coming back tomorrow, with freezing temperatures tomorrow night...and perhaps six inches of snow Sunday. Shouldn't last long, though. Sixty degrees again by mid week.

I have my bales treated now: three rows of three in single file and four groups of six arranged two bales wide and three bales long. Two groups of six are placed parallel to each other with cattle panels arched between them...and the other two groups likewise. I did it the "old" way with ammonium nitrate.

Two days ago, thermometer readings in the bales varied from 75 to 145 degrees. Don't know why so much difference. I need to probe them again, but they feel much cooler to the hand now. Do you all suppose they are "done"?

I'm looking forward to this first year.

Lee

Lee, that sounds good.!!

Kent, I go by what I am going to do with them:

Eating, Early Girls because they are "Early" for the craving; An owner of a local feed store highly recommended a new one she liked, Early Bush Beefsteak. 60 days!!
Brandywine for flavor and meaty and later.

Drying: Sally (Digger) sent me Black Russian for dehydrating. You saw her trays of them she posted.

Cherrys for salads: Sun Sugar, best cherry I have tried and had the last 3 years. Also, Tomatoberry, a new one that is highly written of.

Paste Tomato for Sauce and Salsas: San Marsanoes.

LOL., those are off the top of my head. Would have to look at my list which would require me to get up and go get it, which I really do not want to do.

Jeanette

Kent,I planted Purple Haze last year for the first time.Really liked it. Planted it for the name as a fun thing.It is not real big but bigger than a cherry. Maybe a little bigger than the biggest seedless type grape.There are some purple grapes pretty big.

Hi everyone, I have missed you guys!

Still no internet where I live. And still no garden of my own. Will have to wait toI find a proper home till I can start a new one. My job ends in a month, which means ill move out of my little apartment and to wherever I can find a new job. Its not easy to find work this far north in winter, the whole region goes into hibernation. The population decreases as half the people fly back to wherever they came from, Europe or the US, which leaves a lot of empty houses and a very slow local economy. I have applied for a few jobs but nothing too promising yet. Would like to stay here if possible but it probably wont be.

The garden I helped my step dad John build at home is doing really well!!! They are picking loads of colourful and mishapen tomatoes, heaps of peppers and eggplants. Cucumbers and zuchinis are dried up, beans are almost starting they were planted very late. And a bunch of young winter stuff like carrots and leafy things. I can only visit every second or third week. John is doing a great job, he is really getting into it, out there every day, and so so proud of "his" garden. So the less I interfere the better, just give advice from a distance. I really do miss my garden. I get so sad thinking about it sometimes, its easier to just shut it out and not think about it. Fill my life with other things that make me happy, until I can build a new one. Hopefully in time for next spring.

Season is definitely winding down, its getting noticeably colder at night. April is the last Autumn month, so May will be the first month of winter, its going by so fast. Which means it must be all about to begin for you in the NH!!!

Ill keep checking in, more frequently when I have internet at my new place. Cant wait to see pictures of your lovely summer gardens!!! All the best, till next time ^_^

Lena

Oh Lena, it is so good to hear from you. So sorry about your situation. You are a born gardener. Darn, it is hard for us to think about you going into winter when we are just coming out of it, but I think you need to work right now on getting situated so you can have a good garden next summer. I know that a garden is the last thing you are concerned about when you don't have a job.

Does your current employer have any contacts in a different area where you could get a job? Have you asked them? Maybe they think you are tied to that area so haven't thought about it. I think I would talk to them about it, maybe they could do some looking for you.

Keep us posted when you can, and go help your stepfather gather and can tomatoes. It's good for the soul. LOL Take care.

Jeanette

If anyone finds a source for some Ghost Chili plants, let me know!

I love growing Habaneros to give away, but want to try some of these.

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Interesting news item today: Indian military to weaponize world's hottest chili

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100323/D9EKA7GG1.html

Well I placed my start for my saw bales this year and now they are sitting in a pool of water, thanks to all the rain that we have had yesterday and today..... Hope they will survive long enough for me to get my maters in them....LOL

Janet

Kent, here is a link for plants it appears: Don't know about seeds

Wrightgardens.com

Watering the bales again today, still no heat though. There are small seedlings sprouting, hoping that is a good sign.
C

Jeanette: thanks, I'll check them out.

Man!!! What a tomato!!! Mmmmmmmm!!

What did you do Kent, take it out of the freezer?

Jeanette: LOL!!!! Close, it was from 2007 archives. Just psyching myself up for this year's crop.

Can't fool you, can I?? :-)

Well, it wasn't quite round enough for a croquet ball. LOL. Thought about that tho. Was guessing.

Hey guys sorry I've not been with yall for a while. I must have been lolly gaging or something.
But good news my big snow drift is now less than 1' deep. One side of my garden was dry enough to work a little. we have had a few days getting up into the 50's, so I planted a row of carrots and one of radishes. Not planting in bales yet, just a mite too early for those plants.
Somewhere around the middle of next month should be okay for that.

Going to plant a few potatoes next week. Going to cut them this weekend so they will have time to heal the cut area so they don't rot before sprouting.

Kent, are you really going to try Ghost Chillies, or you going to burn some brush with them??? lol :>)
I think they would make a great rabbit and deer repellent, maybe.
Russ

Russ: good morning!! I do want to try the Ghost Chilies just to see if they live up to their name. I like the idea about using the for burning some brush!! LOL

Well, I hate to say this, but this may be my last year for strawbale gardening. This year I am going to board up the sides etc. of last year's bales and add some potting soil, compost, and maybe some manure, and use those.

The only bales out there this year within 100 miles, are 3 string so they are too big for my purpose. Also too big to handle. I was talking to a lady that has the feed store and she says the reason for that is because they, the 3 string being bigger, load and transport on the trucks better. Less sway. Sooooooooo, that might be the end of my bale gardening. We'll see.

frdmfrc: at least 2 tomatoes/bale. I plant 3.

Thanks for the Cherokee Purple offer, but I just seeded some that was sent to me by another DG'er!!

Welcome aboard!!!

Kent

I made 1 more 8 ft frame tonight, butted it up against another one that already had some bales, and added 2.5 bales to the new frame.

Gonna add another section for tomatoes and cut back some on the peppers.

I think I'm finally done with my garden set up for this year.

I'm seeding some tomatoes for the 1st time since High School and can't wait to see what they do. I'm a little late with the seeding, but that's the way it worked out.

Excited and can't wait to get some veggies going!!!

Kent

hay buddy what is the big idea of not showing off what ya been doin in the garden.... cry cry cry, I want pics.... cry cry cry

lol

Janet

Hello,

Has anyone here ever planted bush beans in strawbales, and if is it necessary to inoculate them?

Thanks

I guess my bales are staying moist enough, in spite of the mid 80 degree temps and high wind, becasue I found some mushrooms growing on bale with nothing planted in it. Is that a problem? I have watermelon seeds I planted a week ago directly in/on the bale with potting soil and compost and there are no starts yet. We are expecting rain tomorrow for a day, should I cover them somehow so they don't wash away? My Tomato Plants I have planted are doing well, so far, and one bean plant from seedling has flowered and has beans growing. Should I cut the beans off, so more growth goes into the scraggly plant?

Thanks guys

Quilty; mushrooms are not a problem. You can knock them off if they are making a mess. Not sure about beans in your area but scraggly sounds like a deficiency I can only guess might need nitrogen. I'm sure someone else may have a better knowledge of that. What did you use to get your bales ready?
Russ

Janet: I did post some pics in Chap 29. Nothing much new since then other than 1 more box. I'll definitely be posting more later, for sure. Can't wait to see the new varieties of tomatoes this year.

quiltygirl: repeat after me: "Mushrooms are gooooooood!" LOL

You should be OK with the seeds. I don't think they will wash off.

KR

Russ beat me by a nose!!! LOL

The 'shrooms will shrivel right up soon as the sun gets to them.

KR

That is what is so crazy, finding mushrooms after several 85+ degree days with sun and wind. I just don't know if I should eat 'em or smoke 'em. Just Keeeeding.

The green bean plant is all of about 1 stalk, 7 inches tall! and has been in the bale about a week. I've had the bales since 2/1 and used mosdtly daily water, but did do 2 days of 29-5-5 and 1 day of blood meal. The tomato next to it is growing fine. Think the little guy just jumped the gun and tried to act too big for his britches. Will try to get a picture before trimming those beans off. Winter weather (for us) expected Wed/Thu with snow down to 3000 ft and temps for a nite or 2 back into high 30's (not ALL night).

Thought everyone might like to see what arrived in my e-mail box this morning. A link to a gardening page with a video on straw bale gardening. They go about it a bit differently in prepping the bales. Check it out. Always interesting to see what others are doing.

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/8453/video-make-a-straw-bale-garden-be





This message was edited Mar 31, 2010 10:23 AM

There is also an article in this month's Fine Gardening magazine on bale gardening. We hit the big time!!!

Doug

Thanks Nini and Doug. I'll check them out.

great link

thanks for sharing, they have some other wonderful links as well.

Janet

Hi All,

Well, I have progressed crazily with straw bale gardening from just 6 bales 4 years ago to 32 bales last year and again this year. A friend of mine and myself devised a timer based watering and "fertigation" system last year that eliminated even the need for daily attention. Although we still cant keep from going out and looking everyday anyway.... LOL.

Anyway, last year my experimental vegetable was eggplant and I had great success and plan to plant them again this year. Im having a little trouble coming up with a unique vegetable to grow this year. I was wondering if anyone had some interesting ideas.

For the regulars this year I am planting Eggplant, Pole Beans, Jalapenos, Roma Grapes, Big Beef, Better Boy and Goliath tomatoes, Straight-8 and pickler cucumbers, Okra and Zucchini.

I dont want any more squash or any other peppers, and no melons or spices. I have kicked around Black-eyed peas but am not sure yet.

What are some of your ideas?

TIA

Ron