STARTING OUR 2012 FALL/WINTER VEGGIE GARDENS - PT. 2

Anybody here use a homemade compost tea bubbler?

After careful thought, I am not gonna have homemade compost in time for my fall/wtr garden, and I'm curbing the garden $$ for a minute. But, all is not lost! I've been reading how to stretch the compost I DO have available and spread the benefits to the veggie garden by using just a small amount of finished compost (like 1/2 a 5-gallon buckets worth), and making compost tea!

I was gonna raid the HUMONGOUS finished compost pile at the DH's home (he owes me...), but, if I make compost TEA instead, I'd only need a bucketful of the finished compost every so often (much less likely he'll object...)

Please send me some feedback on how ya'll apply compost tea in your veggie gardens, ok? Your contributions to my gardening education are very much appreciated!

Now. For the weekend:

My first batch of cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower seedlings are at least 1.5" tall and trying to throw out a 1st set of new leaves already. They were sown on August 6th (same date I sowed seeds last year.)

I attribute this fast growth to the hodge podge seed starter mix I used this time (TWO different seed starter mixes + the Roots Organics potting mix that got dumped together in a huge Rubbermaid tub at the end of last season). I just sterilized the mix in the microwave before I used it. Based on our observations from last year, I knew the RO would kick in and make them grow faster than usual -- a good thing when you need a seedling to hurry up and grow!

So, since the hands-on "How to build raised beds" class I signed up for tomorrow morning is rescheduled, I'll be separating the multiple seedlings instead, starting seeds for a second batch of cabbages, cauliflowers, and broccoli, and starting the mustards, collards, Brussels Sprouts (gonna give them another shot), and onions.

And, mixing up the 2nd half of the mix for RB #2. I've got to get some garden soil from the dirt yard. Ya'll and the research has convinced me of why I don't have any active garden life (earthworms, et al) -- they need the microorganisms that live in the dirt! I'm too sterile!

Steph,
Is it too soon to start a batch of Wando and Little Marvel Green Peas outdoors? You grew these last season, yes?

Check ya'll on Monday! Post ya'lls weekend progress, ok?

Bye, and be safe out there!

Linda

The compost tea will help get you going, but I've never seen the need to constantly reapply once the soil is alive again. The microcritters do need organic material to multiply... not necessarily more critter infusions.

It might be different in climates where they freeze up good in the winter. No doubt the microcritters are acclimated, but the tea might help give their populations a boost in the spring.

The boy installed another one of the raised beds while I was at the grocery store. 2 more to go and then I can start filling them, getting the pathways down, fencing... okay, I'm not that much closer to done. But a little bit. This weekend the plan is to get the other two in and also get a couple of loads from the city compost pile.

What else are you adding to the compost?

Well, they call it "compost" but it's really just semi-composted leaf litter. I use it for mulch in the landscaping beds mostly, and around the strawberries, brambles and fruit trees. When the new raised beds are done, I'll probably use some of that as well coffee grounds and anything else I can scrounge, including my own meager compost pile.

Last time I used a lot of manure, but with the new persistent broadleaf herbicides I don't think I want it. I don't even know if straw is safe anymore. My meat farmer raises everything on pasture, and I know he doesn't spray anything, but since there's no feed lot or barn there's also no manure pile! He might have composted chicken manure since the chickens tend to congregate together anyway. I have a local source of mushroom compost, but it isn't organic and mushroom growing is *very* chemically oriented. Same problem with cotton gin compost.

I need some more bulk organic matter but at this point I don't know what else to add.

Some chemicals are organic, just boosted with special additives, mushroom compost is mostly chicken poop and straw, I love it before they start cookin it down, but I worked with some Really fast drainin poor soil at the time. Weeds, pulled green, packed tightly into a bucket you can cover, pour rainwater to cover and allow to stand I think overnite? Is a good tea

Depends on where it is made as to what is in it and it can contain a lot more than manure and straw. Here is one article from Oregon U, but I suggest a Google search for more info on what is in your area. http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/mushroom-compost-use-carefully

We have broccoli sprouts!! Woohoo!

Mark planted some beets that I didn't know about. They're doing good, too. I'll plant more in a few weeks.

Hurray for Brocoli. I love brocoli.

We have Monterrey Mushroom in Madisonville- and if they get the chemicals mixed a bit off, it smells like a beef slaughterhouse, peeuuw! Sigh,but my plants and irises thrived.

Very nice, Stephanie! I think seedling stage is my favorite part! Especially when they first come up. Babies. :)

My broccoli babies are flopping all over. Potting them up to their cotyledons tomorrow.

I know, "mushroom compost" sounds so nice and organic and safe, but mushroom farming is nasty business.

Last spring I was able to get a trailer load (4X9) of aged horse manure it turned out to be the best additive i have used ..As soon as this latest round of rain dries I am headed to get more Very wet and foggy here this morning

Info on potential persistent herbicides on manure form North Carolina State:
http://orange.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/68/Herbicide%20Carryover.pdf (PDF file)

I'm starting to think I just have to buy a bunch of sterilized bagged stuff... only I need about 6 cu yards! I will call the best local source we have for bulk soil and amendments tomorrow and grill him on what he has. I know he's a stand-up guy -- he'll tell me what he knows about his sources, and what he doesn't know.

Today I cleaned up old tomato plants, taking cuttings from the Porter tomato, and raked smooth, and planted 4 rows of goodies for this fall.

The last 20 feet of each row is for corn (early and often -- should be done in 64 days).

In the first 20 feet of row, I planted cauliflower (cassius), and cabbage (derby day), split the next 20 foot row with cauliflower (all the year round) and kale (nero di toscana {dinosaur}). Filled another 20' with spinach (space), and the last row was broccoli, two kinds (arcadia and pircicaba).

I hope some of it comes up. Planted plenty! Hoping to have to thin.

Still want to plant lettuce, several varieties of butterhead. And carrots, beets, turnips, kolrobhi, swiss chard in the flower beds, and bush beans. And more corn! I figure if it doesn't get done before the first freeze, the goats could use it as feed, stalks and all.

Also want to research more on strawberries -- in TX. I keep trying and keep failing in the berry department. This will be my last year to invest (waste) money on it -- It is almost time to admit defeat.

I have high hopes. And trying to plant by the moon signs -- need all the help I can get!

Well, I have no cabbage seedlings yet, but I have TONS of broccoli seedlings!

Wichita Falls is very dry, sea level, but dry enough to give you nose bleeds when you aren't used to it, you need a raised bed- and I believe we use wood shavings heavy in the beds in that area for strawberries, you will have slugs and pill bugs

Not sure about Wichita Falls, but in deep south TX we grow them as annuals, just like Bernie in MN does, except we plant ours in late fall to winter for a spring crop. We just plant in raised beds in a compost/soil mixture. When they're through bearing we toss them out. It is cheaper and easier for us to buy new plants instead of trying to baby them thru the hot summer.

Greta,
That's a GREAT list! Have you grown the Arcadia Broccoli before? I did last season, and it is on the top of my short list for the cole crops. Absolutely gorgeous blue-green leaves, pretty enough for the landscape garden, too! And, they are prolific, so once you cut the main head, it will continue to throw out NICE sized side shoots, right on up until either the aphids or the heat makes you take it down!

Ya'll, I have a question about planting orientation. Seems like Greta and I are growing the same stuff, and I'm in raised beds too (two 4x8'). The 8' long side of my beds runs east-west. The beds are toward the south end of the yard. Which direction should I place the tall stuff like the broccoli and cauliflowers so they don't shade the cabbages too much?

The root stuff is going in the 2nd bed next to the 1st, since it gets a bit less sun that the 1st bed. I also have a couple more planting areas availble. One 3x12' area is on the west fence line running north-south on the north end, and one 3 x 10' area is on the north fence line running east-west. Both of these areas get full sun most of the day.

Only RB #1 has stuff in it right now. Bell peppers (fruiting nicely), eggplants (just starting to fruit) and okra (just fruiting). I'm in the process of filling RB #2.

Seedlings are indoors under fluorescent lights. My targeted plant out date is mid-September

Thanks!

Linda

Update on the mushroom compost: I spoke with the supplier and he agreed with my concerns. He said that the spend mushroom media he gets is only used once, which is much cleaner and gets a fraction of the chemicals. He had other stuff, but that was what he recommended for my beds. I'm getting a truckload next week.

Linda - In Houston, I don't think you need to worry about shading your cabbages too much unless the broc and cauliflower are already large and the cabbages are tiny and close to them. A little shade early on may be a boon if it gets hot again.

Thanks, Nicole!

The way the plants are set in RB#1, they make a perfect stairstep growth from front to back. The bells are first on the east end, then the squash a little taller in the middle, then the okras in the back. Very nice. The morning sun starts from the bottom on the bells, then moves directly over the bed til around noon, then starts moving over the okra from around midday on, setting in the west, behind the okras.

Hmmmmmmm. You know, the more I explain things to you guys, the more I answer my own questions! I just figured out how to orient the brocs, cauliflowers, and cabbages in that bed! Same way as it's planted now! Cabbages on the east end, then the cauliflowers, then the broccs in the back. Duh!

You guys are so much help to me!

Hugs!

Here's the way they sat on the same pad, only in buckets last season.

That might be why neighboring tomatoes produced differently for your neighbors- diff side of the street, beds oriented north to south instead of east to west- protection of walls/fences in differing sides of the plants so that sun and air were 'applied' atdifferent times. Just noting..

I had garden room so I decided to plant more peas. I had a 1/2 pound packet of Cascadia Sugar Snaps so I just planted them. Funny thing is the ones already growing I planted 7/21 and these now a month later at 8/21. It might be really late. But my gut tells me those on 7/21 went in slightly early and these are going in slightly late. We will see what happens.

OMGoodness, Kit!

You are so right! I never considered all the OTHER growing factors, except maybe the differing types of soil we use. But, what you point out makes lots of sense.

You know, gardening is a lifelong learning experience. And, anybody who says they get bored with gardening, well...........well, you know...

Hugs!

Is that your cabbage *this* year Linda? Mine are only like 2" tall now!

No, NicoleC,
That is a pic from last fall-winter. I believe that shot was taken on 1/13/11, and was from a batch of very late transplants, I believe in November.

There were other first batch seedlings that went in around mid-September. Like this one.

My cabbage seedlings inside are around 2" too. And growing fast. The broc and cauliflower seedlings are 3.5" tall. I need to transplant them to drinking water bottles yesterday, so they'll stop flopping all over the place. Not going out for hardening off until 9/8 and transplant into the RB on 9/15.

Starting another batch of seedlings Labor Day weekend. Staggering the plant out for every 3-4 weeks September 15 until December 20th. That's the cut off date until January 8th when the second batch of onion transplants go out, and the tomato seedlings will be almost ready for hardening off and plantout by mid-February.

Linda

This message was edited Aug 22, 2012 3:24 PM

What a gorgeous plant. Great job you're doing, Gymgirl. Wow.

THAT CABBAGE IS FROM LAST YEAR!!!!

Don't offer praises til after this year's harvest, and I see what I get!


LOLOLOLOL!

thank you.

Other than succession planting of garden turnips and radishes, what I've got now if what I've got time for. Getting cabbage to grow to full size before it gets cold and just sits there is always a challenge here.

I'm loving the mild temps and low humidity this week and so is my garden. 90 day, 60 night? 38% humidity? Whee...this is like So Cal again. Gonna be 57F tonight. I may have to get a blanket out.

I hope everyone in Florida and along the coast is ready to batten down the hatches and stay safe for Isaac.

We are ready with out most important things in the truck and ready to head north should we need to. I can't get my Dad and his wife to come with us, but seeing as how they manage to survive a lot worse I think they would be ok. We have two collies and even through there are shelters here that will allow you to bring your pets, I would rather go inland or north to move from it. The rest of our belongs are just belongs and should something hit here and take it all, so long is all I have to say to it...LOL, but seriously I'm hoping for it to say way east out in the atlantic and pray for it to never come near land anywhere.

TD Debbie was enough, we only had minor damage, roof, pool cage and fence which are fixed now...

Jan

Stay safe if it doesn't!

Planted potatoes and green beans today. Dang, I'm tired and a bit sore. Yesterday, I managed to get some butterhead lettuce planted (little gem and vivian). The beans (tendergreen improved) should be ready in 52 days. That should be a three weeks or so before our first predicted frost. The potatoes were leftovers from this summer's scant harvest, mostly yokan.

Strawberries --
-- Nicole, I have not heard of any problem with nematodes. Hope I don't get the privledge of discovering them anytime soon.
-- Kittriana, thanks for the advice (you need a raised bed- and I believe we use wood shavings heavy in the beds in that area for strawberries, you will have slugs and pill bugs). I did have a raised bed and managed to keep the berries alive most of the hot hot summer. Sadly, that particular bed has been hijacked by butterhead lettuce. Pill bugs we do have, but thankfully no slugs to speak of -- so far.
-- Calalily, I have finally decided to quite trying to get strawberriesthrough the summer -- can't do it here either! Please tell, what variety do you plant and where do you get them. I thought I'd get a bed ready for planting - once I get my fall plantings in.

I'm planting in a large garden (think country living) and the rows run east to west. My biggest problem is the 5 huge pecan trees that are providing way too much shade. And once those pecans fall, I fear my veggie plants will get trampled. It will be interesting.

I still want to order a few seeds -- nothing decent can be found in town! I sure wish I had done this when this thread started a while back. . . just could not get motivated then. . . too too many other things on the burner then.

It has been fun getting outside again and playing in the dirt, just wish it did not hurt so much come evening.

Still no cabbage seedlings, so I think we'll have to plant more. Wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that hubby didn't water them when he planted??? Hmmmm....!!!

We're going to pull out most of our Hill Country Red okra to make room for more fall planting. Need to plant bush beans, lettuce, and cukes this weekend. I need to look for some pickling cukes or regular cuke seeds as we only have Lemon cukes leftover from this spring.

Steph,
I checked this morning and my cabbage, brocc, and cauliflower seedlings are all a full 4" tall and laying over on the trays, so, I have got to pot them up to the drinking water bottles this weekend. And, then they need to be moved to the "cool" room to keep growing comfortably, and so I can put the next set of seedlings under lights in the "warm" room.

I still haven't finished filling the 2nd RB, but the pedal is to the metal! I'm going tomorrow get a 1/2 yard of compost and 1/2 yard veggie garden soil to mix in with the pine bark fines. Thanks for all ya'lls input about the need for some DIRT. I need/want worms!

It's gonna be a long day, cause I've got about three other engagements on tomorrow's schedule, too.

Do other people hate it as much as I do, when stuff crowds out the garden schedule?

Naw, it's planned so you can rest from the hard gardening chores- you'll get the timing down soon!

Kitt ,
I can't wait to meet you!

I prefer playing Wilson, chuckl, more fun! Gonna have my daughter riding herd on me, too, keep my alzheimer oltimers in control that way!

Playing Wilson?

On Tim the Toolmans show? There in the background hidden somewhere? Hmm, it can't have been on tv THAT long ago!