How many grass clippings?

Gloria - Rain!! That's good, right? Any more in the forecast?

We're having showers and some thunderstorms, which are unusual for us. Typically, it's drizzle that we get. But we haven't had "typical" for awhile.

Yeah - I'm with you all. I moved here from Phoenix, AZ last fall and I think Phoenix got more rain than we did here.

And mid 80's in October... sheesh. It's just not right. I don't suppose that says anything about what kind of winter we're going to have, eh?

Nope that's it. One cloudburst for 8 minutes. Projected hot dry weather over the holiday weekend.

It's supposed to stay hot and dry here, too, for another week., cooler temps by the end of next week. I sure hope so. I still have so much fall yard work to do- transplanting, yanking annuals, mulching beds. Most important---it's almost leaf season. It takes a lot of time to collect and shred the leaves, mulch beds with them, store for next year. I also have a batch of compost to spread, but it's just too hot. And I'm still watering!

Karen

Crazy. And our leaves will start to drop with this rain, but it's 10 degrees colder here than usual. My hands get so cold picking up wet leaves. And with the colder temps, that doesn't help, either. I need to fork over the money for waterproof gardening gloves.

Can't believe that you guys are still watering. Praying for rain for you.

I sure can't complain about our "Indian Summer" weather this year. For three weeks we've had sunshine with highs about 80 and lows about 60 - and another week of the same is predicted.

The rain has been perfect, too - two nights we had thunderstorms this week for a total of 1 1/2" in the rain gauge. It's even been considerate enough to come about midnight each time, so we haven't had any rainy days.

I tilled my vegetable garden and planted buckwheat, and it's really growing in this good weather. I think it'll make a good cover before it freezes.

That's pretty perfect.

My sister-in-law's folks live outside of Cross Timbers. Is that anywhere near where you are?

Cross Timbers is about 100 miles straight north of us. Here, we're just about 35 miles north of the Arkansas line.

Oh. Okay. Thanks.

It was 32 degrees again this morning, lawn covered with frost this time as the humidity is higher. That is about typical for here. We had a couple of rainy days, thankgoodness, last week. But it is still dry lower than 6" in the ground, but i haven't had to irrigate for a week or so and that is good. Irrigating takes a lot of time. There were clouds around all afternoon yesterday, an I drove thru one little shower but no rain here.

I picked the last of my vine string beans yesterday so will enjoy those. Also one lone red tomato, with cold nights I don't really expect any more of the green tomatoes to ripen. A few days of above 70 would be nice, but prediction is for more of the same, some clouds and in mid 50s.

Donna

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/138/

rutholive: there are some tips here for extending the gardening season.
Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch garden all through the winter in Maine. References are in this article.

Ugh - I saw your article just a little too late, Gloria - I should have planted a month ago, no? Oh well, I guess I don't need yet *more* to water.

Hey, Ozark, send some of that rain a little east, wouldja?

Thanks Gloria, Too late here to plant anything outside so will have to go with what I can grow in my small gh. I did plant some mixed lettuce seed a month or so ago, didn't think to cover with Remay cloth, and darn birds ate all the seedlings.

Donna

rutholive: You can wintersow, it's very easy and fun to do. It lets you play in the dirt all year. This will be my 3rd year doing it. . You aren't limited by the size of your greenhouse.

Wintersowing site: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/wtrsow/

Karen

Karen,

Thank you for the Link to the "wintersowing site"

2007 was my first year gardening and I realized how late it was started.

Wasn't quite sure how I was going to start early next year until reading the threads concerning wintersowing.

So now I have gotten a biostack composter, and will have plenty of flats made from the carry out meals to put together my garden for next spring.

The fun will now continue through the winter!

Bill sends...

Uh-Oh. First a lovable Biostack, (well, I love mine), and now the wintersowing bug. Your life will never be the same!

Be sure to join in on the wintersowing forum here on Dave's.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/coldsow/all/

Karen

The one thing to remember on compost is quantity over quality. I only have one source for compost and that is leaves that people in a gated community rake up for me. I gather about 6,000 bags a year and do not have a tractor to turn it. I have to let time do its thing. I am in pure red clay and people are amazed at what I can grow. Pictures speak for themselves.

kenboy
www.vonrussellfarm.com

My gosh, Kenboy - that's AMAZING! She grew just like that? With a glass in her hand and *everything*???

Hmmm - hope you don't have any rats or moles!

We do have cats.

and how big are they?
I know you grow everything big in TX.
Clay and leaves make the nicest soil, especially when time and the worms get involved.

Pagancat - too funny. LOLOLOL.

One in every crowd, and it's usually me...

I have cats too, and they just love to poop in my compost piles. So here I am when I need to be adding to it, I'm taking cat poop out.
Kenboy, I suffer right along with you on the clay. I have almost dug to china getting rid of it and putting good stuff there

I'm with you, Lorraine. I have a dog who likes to "go" on top of piles of things. Go figure.

I love my mattock for pulling up sod, edging and working at clay. If you have a hand-held one, you can change position a lot so you don't overdo it with any particular muscles. Seems like everybody battles clay.

Kathy

Ok, now I'm going to let my dummy self out to play. What is a mattock?

http://www.uniontools.com/product.asp?Cid=9&Cat=38

a mattock is a tool for cutting roots and heavy soil. Sort of like a heavy duty hoe, but they usually have a handle that is more like a pick axe.
There are also shorter hand versions that are handy for closer work in heavy or rooty soil. Great for cutting roots that are in your way, or moving a smallesh perennial or shrub.

Some have a forked prong opposite the blade so you can use it to pry.

This message was edited Oct 27, 2007 1:41 PM

Oh, yeah, I got one! It's a small one, a little longer than my forearm - fabulous for digging in rocky clay soil.

Leaves, leaves, leaves. It was a beautiful autumn day in the Pacific Northwest. I raked for hours and have beautiful piles of big leaf maple leaves composting - some in with the grass clippings and some making themselves into new beds. I think I'm more excited this year about leaves and the magic they do composting than I've been in years. Thanks, DGers!!

A little more ibuprofen and then another big day raking tomorrow. And I'm on the lookout for small business landscaping trucks full of leaves. I'm going to tell them they can dump the leaves at my place. :-)

katie! I think youv'e got it! The spirit of a true gardener! Becareful and don't get hit by one of those leaf trucks. Some times those truck drivers don't understand ladies standing in front of their trucks demanding their leaves.

Hee hee. Will do.

ok, so now I have to have a mattock.
Hmmm, with all these tools and things to get started, or at least to make it easier, I could probably buy compost. BUT, would it be as much fun, would my back hurt as much, would my fingernails be ruined forever? No, none of these things would happen But I wouldn't be anywhere near as proud as I am when I spread that compost and know I did it myself!!!!

You will love your mattock - to death. ;-)

Yes, much better to know that you're working with Mother Nature to do what she does best - recycle. Not to mention keeping your little wigglers well-fed and happy.