A pic from my back yard of sunset through the smoke of the West Fork Complex fire about 35 miles west of here. 76,000 acres burned so far.
Strawbale Gardening: General Discussions - 2013 - Chapter 40
Sure hope you're safe if it comes your way . Keep us informed , please ,and prayers for all the people and animals caught up in it .
Beautiful picture Solace, only if it weren't so bad.
Thank you, Sally and Jeanette. I'm on the Valley floor, and there are grasslands and shrubs between me and the fire, so the only thing that concerns me about its spread down here is the smoke. That's minimal, compared to the folks living up there. They haven't evacuated Creede yet and fire is going toward there from two directions. I am concerned that they'll be trapped before they can get out if the wind suddenly picks up to 60 or 70 mph and the fire people are not expecting it. We need rain, for sure. Soaking rain.
The air currents in the mountains can be so wild I think. Normally the fire goes up, but I suppose in the mountains you never know. You keep a close eye on it and be ready.
I hilled up my potatoes that I planted in loose straw, last week, with wood shavings. They'll be blooming soon. The Bantam corn in the wheat bales is about five inches tall, now, and the squash and melons are getting their true leaves. Scarlet runner beans are blooming, beside the bales, and the okra's getting true leaves. Beets and Brassicas (volunteers) growing with the surviving sweet potatoes are growing fast. The strawberries in the bales aren't growing as fast as the ones in the ground, but they're doing well. I have more okra in the barley bales growing with the garlic which is already producing scapes. I'm transplanting tomatoes into containers filled 3/4 full with the wheat straw, then topping it with a mixture of Happy Frog soil conditioner, chick starter (finely crushed granite), wood shavings, builders sand, and fertilizer. I planted Blue Jade and Smoke Signals corn in three very large containers, with about the same mix, wheat straw almost to the top, but with vermiculite as the topper to keep the seeds moist for germination. Almost all the corn is up, and a few melons, and the pots are setting on a concrete pad, along with some Eggplant in straw/pots. It's a wait and see game... It rained for three days, one was a big rain, so that sure helps. The back yard is almost completely in shade, due to large elm and Russian Olive trees, with the canopy reaching the house, and the years of drought we've had has taken its toll on that canopy- some dead branches will have to be removed. Lost one tree. I am so thankful each time, for the blessing of rain. The fires have been so bad in this area, and many other places, this year. We definitely needed the rain for the mountains. The farmers here, now, have meters on their irrigation wells. They now have to pay for the water, as well as the electricity to pump it out. It may spell the end for some of the farms. The Rio Grande is reported to be way lower than normal flow, so it will affect New Mexico and Texas agriculture, as well, since they get a certain percentage of it. Amazingly, the volunteer Aspen grove on the north side is thriving, due to a low place, I imagine. My former neighbor tried and tried to get some more aspens to grow with the big one in their yard, but they all died. Lo and behold, a couple of years later, they started popping up in my yard, from the roots of his tree. They moved but still own that house. If they saw all those aspens, they'd be shocked.
Solace, I didn't read your post above. Too hard to read continuous text with any white space to break it up into short paragraphs.
I hilled up my potatoes that I planted in loose straw, last week, with wood shavings. They'll be blooming soon.
The Bantam corn in the wheat bales is about five inches tall, now, and the squash and melons are getting their true leaves.
Scarlet runner beans are blooming, beside the bales, and the okra's getting true leaves.
Beets and Brassicas (volunteers) growing with the surviving sweet potatoes are growing fast.
The strawberries in the bales aren't growing as fast as the ones in the ground, but they're doing well. I have more okra in the barley bales growing with the garlic which is already producing scapes.
I'm transplanting tomatoes into containers filled 3/4 full with the wheat straw, then topping it with a mixture of Happy Frog soil conditioner, chick starter (finely crushed granite), wood shavings, builders sand, and fertilizer. I planted Blue Jade and Smoke Signals corn in three very large containers, with about the same mix, wheat straw almost to the top, but with vermiculite as the topper to keep the seeds moist for germination. Almost all the corn is up, and a few melons, and the pots are setting on a concrete pad, along with some Eggplant in straw/pots. It's a wait and see game...
It rained for three days, one was a big rain, so that sure helps. The back yard is almost completely in shade, due to large elm and Russian Olive trees, with the canopy reaching the house, and the years of drought we've had has taken its toll on that canopy- some dead branches will have to be removed. Lost one tree. I am so thankful each time, for the blessing of rain. The fires have been so bad in this area, and many other places, this year. We definitely needed the rain for the mountains. The farmers here, now, have meters on their irrigation wells. They now have to pay for the water, as well as the electricity to pump it out. It may spell the end for some of the farms. The Rio Grande is reported to be way lower than normal flow, so it will affect New Mexico and Texas agriculture, as well, since they get a certain percentage of it. Amazingly, the volunteer Aspen grove on the north side is thriving, due to a low place, I imagine. My former neighbor tried and tried to get some more aspens to grow with the big one in their yard, but they all died. Lo and behold, a couple of years later, they started popping up in my yard, from the roots of his tree. They moved but still own that house. If they saw all those aspens, they'd be shocked.
Thanks!!
Solace, I think that is so wrong!! That they can put meters on the wells. I suppose they think if they do that it will watch what they use and be more careful. But, did they, whoever put the meters on, pay for the wells? Do they have any idea what it costs to drill and put a well in? It is a terrible price. That really stinks. They were talking about it in this state and a lot of people were up in arms so they never brought it up again.
Probably walk in some day with meters in hand to install. AND want to charge for them too.
How do your plants do so well with no sun? I know that tomatoes will do ok with just heat, but I think they need the sun for flavor.
Well, happy 4th everyone, must get busy.
Jnette and all of my friends,
The sad fact is, we are running out of water all over the world. If may not be long that we won't be able to get water at any price.
I have read that the Reo Grande no longer empties into the Pacific Ocean. Where there was once a rich delta is nothing more than a mud flat. By 2015 there might not be enough water in Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam on the Reo to supply Las Vegas with electricity, not to mention enough water to drink.
I have read that the next big conflicts will be over water, pitting former friends and allies against one another.
If that happens, it will make the battle over petroleum look like a basketball game.
Sorry for the bleak outlook, but I feel we need to start talking about these things.
Paul.
Lonejack, I have been saying for years that they should be putting money in desalination factories. Still thinks so. They are spending money on everything else. The thing that bothers me most at the moment is the Fracturing they are doing for oil. Are they going to keep that up until the Earth just falls apart?
If you are referring to our conversation above over meters on the wells, well the only thing about that that bothers me is the cost of the original well is sooooo much and the homeowner is not helped to pay for that and then they want to charge them for the water they use. Yet they do not give them an alternative, like furnishing water from the local systems.
Many of the large rivers are like that, your description of the Rio Grande, and yet the rivers behind the dams like the one across the highway from me, are so full they are terribly high. All the gates on these dams are wide open. I have only seen them higher once in the 20 years we've been here. I think the problem is in the Corp of Engineers managing the dams that control the water flow LJ.
Have a nice midnight, when all the fireworks hit the air. Hope they don't start any more fires. Jeanette
One more thing Paul, you mentioned the electricity in Las Vegas. Well, President Obama has been trying to get a system going to cover the country with different types of things to furnish electricity to the areas like the NE where they had the big Brownout a few years ago. All he gets instead of help is a big NO!!
I know this is not the place for politics and will get off the subject but just finishing up our last post.
Have a nice night. Jeanette
I am afraid that rivers running out of water will fuel the government's (ours and other UN countries) Agenda 21's intent to move populations into large metropolitan areas to make us dependent. Desalinization makes SO much sense, but would be easier to provide to large centralized populations.
We are in year 15, I believe, in our AZ drought and continue to not get enough precipitation. As a newcomer (north AZ-hihg elevation) I hear those who are native or have lived here much longer talk about "when we USED to have real monsoonal rains" or "when we USED to have snow". It likely won't be long before we will not have free use of our wells or that the aquifers are tapped into forcing us to city water. Of course, lol, it would take lots of infrastructure to bring us city water. So, there again that leads to paragraph 1.
My strawbale veggies are sure a lot slower here than they were in SoCal, but then again I was able to get plants in much earlier there. Have some green tomatoes so far and have had a couple zukes and A pepper. Peppers have very fruit per plant. One tomato plant is just SITTING there. Not dying, not growing. The plants in the one course of concrete block raised bed I made seem to be doing well and I am regretting not following spacing directions. Lots of flowers and some fruit starting on 3 melon plants and summer/winter/pumpkin squash - mostly at one end while there is empty space at the other end. Potatoes are going full speed ahead in one bale and that bale gives afternoon shade to Brussels Sprouts in pots that I am surprised are still alive with heat we had up to 106 degrees. Better now, but more humid with threat of rain. The wine barrel has an apricot tree.
Well, I have 9 tomato plants sitting there with nothing on them but flowers. Pretty flowers and I think, with no pollen. We have had several Thunderstorms and I think the very hard rain and hail either washed or knocked all the pollen off of them. We have another scheduled for this evening.
If they could direct some of that water that is flooding the East to you guys it sure would be nice. The water is there, it just isn't being put to good use. They do not want to spend money on infrastructure. Will wait until the country is at a standstill and can't move because bridges and roads are impassible then wonder why we can't get the merchandise from China moving across the country. All sitting on ships in the ports like LA and Seattle.
Hi all,
We have two kinds of straw bales. One wheat, that is doing little or nothing, and one of pea straw that a farmer baled after harvest. The pea straw plants are exploding, but the pea straw decomposes very quickly; which might be the reason why the plants are exploding. We have to take a stick and keep tightening the bales. I think next year I will just stomp the pea straw into plastic bins and keep a few bales to add to the top as they decompose.
I think the wheat straw might have had a herbicide spray soon before harvest. I have never had this bad of a performance. I have even applied a iron/fertilizer mix to the bales with little improvement. The sad thing is, they get great sun and little wind.
My bales are straw as proofed by my nice little wheat crop! Mostly where the bales meets the ground, but some seeds have weed growing between the new apple trees and other places. Since it is not friendly ground, the wheat only grows where there is newly planted stuff. Yes, they do not decompose fast, but that is what I had when I did this 3 years ago, and they softened nicely. Must be the climate difference for me. But, on the bright side I should be able to grown some fall veggies in them as they are holding together so well. Maybe even spring stuff.
Bales are not the same since wheat growers switched to the shorter growing wheat. It harvests better for them since it doesn't fall over like earlier and taller wheat did, but it also means more seed heads in the shorter stalks that aren't harvested.
For some reason , this thread hasn't been coming up altho I've posted on it .
Darius, you might have to start growing your own.
Sally, whatcha doing? Getting things sorted out to go to Texas? Wow, you do it all don't you?
Connie, how are your tomatoes growing? And the rest of the garden? Good I hope.
Haven't been on here for a while. Figured everyone was so busy with their harvesting.
I haven't been on much, but thought I'd stick my head in the door and say ...
Merry Christmas to all my SBG friends!
Back to you , Kent .
Me too everybody!! Jeanette
Good morning, all.
After a 2 year lay-off from straw bale gardening I'm back in the hunt - 34 bales.
Several years ago I built some frames to contain the old straw as it decomposed and started adding some other compost and landscaping soil to the point I ended up as a generic raised-bed gardener with no room for the bales.
Last year was a terrible year for tomatoes in my area and I lost 100% of my tomato crop to blight and fusarium wilt!! Grrrrrrrr!.
Well, since those issues can over-winter in the soil I decided to just put my bales right on top of my raised beds where I had the tomatoes and see if I could start this year with a sterile environment.
I did plant some tomatoes in other beds to also see if any of that soil/mix was contaminated. Stay tuned.
But, I have to have my tomatoes this year!!! LOL ....
Stay tuned!
Hi Kent!!
Gosh, here I am again, first one!! LOL.
What a terrible year you had last year. That is awful. But, I think the weather was weird all over as that is about all I've heard. Not so much diseases like you had tho.
I have had a run of surgeries so have moved to Earthbuckets on the decks for my tomatoes. I still can't get out in the yard as my last one was 6 weeks ago. Being very careful of it.
How did your crop of Ghost peppers go? That was 2 years ago wasn't it? I have been very curious about them. Are you going to grow them again? Even for yourself?
Connie, how are you guys doing down there? Still the envy of the neighborhood?
Good to hear from you Kent, and hope the rest chime in. Digger???
You're only first this time because I was in town . LOL.
We added a bunch of potting soil to the beds this year . We still had a lot of hay left , so put concrete around the bed and filled in . Hope we don't have health issues like you , Kent .
Concrete!! Wow, how far would we go for tomatoes???
Duh , I meant we lined the outside with concrete blocks to make a raised area and the beds are at the edge of a hill , so don't want the soil washing away .Don't have much sun in our yard .
I'd walk , limp a mile for good tomatoes , ride my cart if I ran out of steam .
LOL, Digger I have one of those but 3 blocks high. My compost pile. I just put black plastic over it to warm it up after the winter and am going to plant some sweet potatoes in it. Just to try.
I had used it for a raised bed before just for flowers and they were beautiful. Had all kinds with a double yellow Datura in the middle. That thing grew to be a regular tree about 6 feet tall, from the soil line, and about the same across the branches.. One day it hit me that I had better get all the seed pods off of it before I had them coming up everywhere the next year. There were a lot of them.
Sure was different. Bet it would have done really well with tomatoes. Might try that next year. This year That is if I am able. :0)
Hello, Jnette! Hope your recupe time is short and successful!!
My Ghost Peppers and Trinidad Scorpion Peppers were great last 2 years. I don't plan on growing them this year because I don't eat peppers that hot and I need the garden space.
I do plan to grow a few Carolina Reapers, now the "big boy" on the pepper block! :-)
I'm growing some cucamelons again this year! Had a blast last year! I highly recommend this delicious little cucumber variety!
Here's a link. I may have posted it before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x02CuLPYVdw
This video is what hooked me. Everybody and I mean everybody who I gave samples to last year loved them.
Hello, Digger! I certainly hope the disease issues of last year don't happen to anyone! What a disaster. Never lost 100% of a tomato crop before.
Those little guys must be pretty popular Kent, they are out of stock so I guess I will not do them this year. Darn it. I would love to try them. Jeanette
Maybe it'll stop raining and I can get something else planted . Watermelons ?
Yeah, you all have had a lot of lousy weather this year haven't you?
You bet Jnette , it was a cold winter in Texas too . Here , my figs froze to the ground , but are coming out . They were five foot high and last summer was the first good crop .Gardenas were six ft tall and just as wide . Lost a lot of branches on them too .
Started raining again today . Got my tom bed worked up before the rain got too bad .St Agustine grass had invaded . Wish it would grow where I tell it to .lol . Rather than Roundup , I use Elimenator , a herbiside from Wall Mart . Stronger and cheaper , 3 oz to the gallon of water for weeds and grass .
Sally, what kind of Gardenia do you have? I have tried 3 of them as house plants and so far none have made it. I am very determined tho so will try again. LOL Cannot believe one that big. Hope your fig snaps out of it. I have heard they do best with a cedar tree growing nearby. Is that true? A friend had a huge one off her deck in Seattle and she had tons of them, but it was a super big one, like at least 30 feet tall and across. But she also had cedar trees around.
That's odd , Jnette , that you mentioned cedar trees . I have never heard that, but actually do have a type of cedar tree from Oregon that I brought back in a suitcase on the plane .They don't smell like cedar and I don't know what they are for sure but the trees grow all over western Oregon . I got these as volunteers out of my sisters yard in the shadows of Mt . Hood
I have no idea what type of gardenia these are but the temps were low enough this year to knock them back . They will come out again but it will be next year before they are full and beautiful again . I started them from cuttings I took at my former home in southern Arkansas .They didn't do much the first four or five years , then just jumped up to huge after that. My friend in Tex bought a non hardy plant that she can take in when it gets down to freezing .It has small blooms , but oh , so fragrant .
The fig will come back , I rooted these from one in town that got pruned back a few times . It recovered fast and produced as good as before . That fig is about 80 years old .
A D G friend is sending me spinach seeds that I will put in E Buckets . Can't wait to try them and I have a lot of straw compost that will get some more seeds . Happy happy .
Just read my post and I meant that my friend's tree had tons of figs on it. That probably is a cedar if from the area you say in Western Oregon. Cedars do like humidity. Funny tho that it doesn't smell like a cedar. They usually are very aromatic. Maybe it is just too young yet? How long ago did you get it and how is it doing? They are a very hardy tree. At least here they are.
I only think it's a cedar . Not for sure . The largest is about 20' tall . The ones in Ore were 100' tall or more .They may be cypress of some sort . I compared the branches to Leyland cypress , as they look similar , but they aren't the same when compared closely . They are about 10 years old now . I wish my camera hadn't gone on the blink , I miss posting pictures . Need to have it fixed , another one of those things I haven't gotten around to , everything is so far away .
wow, Sally, 20' I would certainly think is big enough that it would have the odor of Cedar. Are you smelling it up close? They don't smell at a distance. You might be right about Cypress.
Yeah , I just pruned off some of the lower limbs .