I'm sorry WG, I think I came off a little too harshly. I was meaning to come across with affectionate teasing, but I forget that my tone of voice and winks and twinkley eyes don't come across even on broadband! (At least I hope they're twinkley - that's the way the light is supposed to reflect off my contact lenses!)
Probably also I was boasting about having lived through the "blizzard of '06. (Which was highly overrated, imho.)
xxxxxx, Carrie
Large Diameter Pots
No problem, Carrie. I just began to wonder if I was making references to 'up here in Alaska' too often. Boy, this winter can't seem to make up its mind... first cold, but no snow, then warm and no snow, then cold, then warmer and snow, the big rain storms, then cold again.... I wish it would just settle down around freezing, snow enough for a good mulch and stay that way until next spring!
Merrymary,
I'm not allowed to sell you this huge heavy crock, am I? (thinking of divesting of myself of this large piece of delicate heaviness...)
Yes, WG, a nice snow blanket would be good for all gardens now. Except my DH works in the control tower at the airport, and pilots are not allowed to take off in all conditions, and the plane must have orecisely the right amount of fuel - too much, and they're too heavy to take off, too little and they can't make it to wherever they're going. The plane must not have so much extra fuel that landing is potentially explosive, so to speak. Ah well, luckily those are my DH's worries, and not mine. I'm worrying about whether he'll come home tonight!
xxxxxx, Carrie
Well, for your husband's sake, I hope you don't get heavy snows, and for your sake, I hope he makes it home tonight, but better to stay in bad weather than to venture out to go home, I guess.
In farming country they have "lick tubs" These are tubs about 24" across that are filled with minerals and the cows lick them to get the proper nutrients they require.most cattle farmers have a few /or lots/left after the nutrients have been used.In Manitoba (farm country)lots of our neighbours were more than happy to part with them .We always brought them some tomatoes or cucs later on.or whatever we had plenty of.Mite be just what your looking 4
Gord in BC
that's exactly what I am using for tomatos and chuks and asparagus and fun this year. even one for water lilies........If you are in a rural area,ranchers will gladly give you all you want . I drill them, put them in place and add 4 to 6 inches of gravel for drainage, then put in a fertile soil mixture
I have used the plastic 55 gal. barrel cut in half for the last two years. Works great. Go to the following link to see a picture of the tomato garden using this method. http://www.twylightman.blogspot.com
That link is a hoot! I love tomatoes, attempt to grow them all year long here, but with the hot dry weather, they do great for a while, then are so consumed with spider mites that all the spraying of water or bug control, basically does nothing and the plants die off. It's an annual ritual, but worth it anyway to get some fresh tomatoes while I can.
I listed somewhere (but I can't remember where) that my father in-law grew tomatoes and cukes in the white 5 gallon paint buckets (or pickle buckets, whatever) in only mulch chips. He watered them with Miracle Grow, and kept the mulch damp, had holes drilled about halfway down the bucket to not allow the roots to sit in water, but that was it, no soil, no nada.......just wood mulch chips and Miracle Grow water.