General Discussions - Chapter 22

Let's start a new chapter.

Jeanette's got a fast connection now, and I know she's LOVING IT, but others may still be using dial up.

I think the Gals are OK. I was just funnin LOL

we really were just funning.i don't think anyone is having a bigger laugh than us !that's what i love about this dg.everyone enjoys . sally

Russ & digger: 10-4, I knew everyone was just "cuttin' up".

we werent cutting up, we were being faceious.end of this when jnette gets her 2cts in.lol sally

kent i'm going to have loads of maters,but is it normal for squash to bloom and produce nothing? plants look healthy.i don't know how to gro squash, just cook 'em sally

digger, I usually have a squash with each bloom so I don't have a good answer for you.

I have had a rash of blossom-end rot this year on my first round of squash that seems to have worked its way out.

We had some really crazy May weather.

So, keep watching and see if yours turns the corner.

male squash blossoms don't set fruit, although they bloom first... followed by female blossoms that DO set fruit... IF I remember correctly!

Digger
Don't know where I got it but the other day I found a Euro, 2 cent piece in my change.
Maybe we should give it to Jeanette LOL
I had fun being ornery too My lovely didn't really want me to say any thing but my funny side won out.
Russ

darius, it continues to amaze me ,how you have ,on differert forums,come up with ans.that are so right. if i had looked all this up, i would have known.keep on keeping on, i appreciate you so much! russ, you tell your lovely to just jump on in , bet she has lots of fun with you ,and i'd welcome her comments. and kent, we're all here to learn , the only perfect person on this earth is named Jesus. russ,on a post script,i'd love to have that coin,i collect some strange stuff. sally

Thanks Sally... I keep so much trivia in my head that I never remember names, birthdays or telephone numbers, LOL.

OK You guys (and gals) I just got home from a long day of wasting gas and spending a lot of money, one of my long forays to shop in the big city, and found a whole lot of "nothing", about my teasing Sally.

Me thinks you all took me serious, and this forum has no place for stuff like that. If I weren't having fun with her I would have D-mailed her. End of subject!

Jeanette; I have been smiling all the time. OK!!! ( UNCLE) ( I give up )
I'll be nice, Still rolling on the floor though. :>)

I am going to wait to go get $ .10 worth of gas line for my weed eater, untill Thursday. I have a Dr. apointment then. That ten cent item would cost me $8.00 in gas alone, if I were to go in just for that.
Ya know it is getting harder and harder to even imagine, that when Barb and I were still newly weds, and living in Florida, We looked for the cheapest gas stations. The best was the Rebel stations, @ $0.11 per Gal.
Russ

Russ, your age is showing!! Jeanette

Yeah; but that was only yesterday,,, RIGHT???????

Back to the question of beans- I soak my peas and beans for a few minutes in a little warm water with a few drops of honey in it, to make them sticky; then coat them in a Legume Innoculant, and push 1 seed down into a soaked peat pellet/pot, along with a little more of the innoculant, and plant the peat pot into the bale (in a little extra soil). They did GREAT, although more of the peas appeared than the beans. Don't know if some rotted or were 'stolen'. They're so beautiful and strong- I'll try to get some pictures later and post them.

I lost most of my little seedlings that I started inside- they were leggy and delicate, and I think the nearly 2 weeks of rain storm did them in. I'm replacing them, little by little, with mature 'store-bought' plants and they're doing so well! (But the peas/beans look stronger than any of the others- that legume innoculant is great stuff!)

I love showing people my bale garden! NEXT year, I'll know better what I'm doing and start everything in a little more educated way.

Suz

I don't think I am going to try beans this year Suzan, Unless that is that I put them in soil. I don't like to do that because I like Blue Lake Bush beans and they would be so low. I might break down and put some in straw but I will soak them first and then use a lot of soil around them.

Bob got the plastic on the hoop house last week and it sure is nice and warm in there. Got the tomatoes planted and the sweet potatoes Russ. They are looking good. Fat and sassy. I think they like that heat. We'll see.

Jeanette

Yup they don't mind the heat, as long as they have moisture.
I planted most of what I had left, somewhere around 50 to 60 plants. I have a few more, that some one in Montana wanted But I don't have an address yet. So they are here just waiting. I hate to remind someone, but then maybe their memory is like mine about so - long. LOL
Don't forget, when you plant them make sure the ground is worked up loose or fine which ever you want to call it. Then mound the dirt up around the plants as they grow. So that when the storage roots are filling out, they are in nice loose soil. then most all the taders will be in the mound. Much easier to dig and more uniform sized taders. The fat and sassy sounds much better than right after they got nipped. LOL

Just thought I would jump in here about my experience in strawbale gardening. Last year my horticulture class dragged in some old hay bales from the equine center. They were old and mildew looking. We weren't sure if they were already too old, but we thought we would experiment. At first we tried digging out a little square to put the plant in, then someone suggested just prying it open and slipping the plant in. That worked the best. So we added a little compost first then the little potted plant. Then we dumped more compost over the top. This was all done in the fall of 2007. Our class was over and we left with just little plants in the bales. THIS spring everything we
planted was enormous. Parsley, Kale and some lettuces. I don't know if someone watered them but whatever water they received was enough to keep them going. The bales looked like they were melting away.
So my question is this, do you all add a little compost or soil when you insert the plan? I noticed that its hardly ever mentioned. You would get the impression that this
is ' soiless' gardening.
This time at home my lanky tomatoe plants were layed down in a rectangular chanel dug in the bale then covered with compost. They aren't as green as my regular plants but seem to be thriving anyway.

Yeah Russ, I drag out your instructions about every other day and look to see what I am suppose to do next. I do remember that. To keep adding the fluffy soil and moisture, to keep them "fat and sassy". Kind of fun trying something new. I hope they do something for me. And the Blackies are looking good also.

Well Ladybeetle, I wouldn't recommend going off and leaving plants without water over the winter, but whatever works I guess. And yes, we do decompose the bales first. In the beginning of our forum it tells about spending a couple of weeks adding nitrogen etc. along with water to decompose the straw. This starts a nice place for the root system to catch hold. Let us know how your "lanky" tomatoes do, and please provide pictures.

Jeanette

For those of you planting very small home started plants....try this!

I used a heavy trowel & pulled back the straw on both sides of the planting hole...filled it with dirt & in went the little plants.....the pulled back straw was waaay over the heads of the mites & wonder of wonder...when we had all that wind & some very chill weather, including hail....the straw protected the babies & every one of them survived 2 weeks of the worst spring weather i ever saw.......Now that it's warmed up they are growing like crazy!

Foggy

Ladybeetle-

Yes, you do plant the plants or seeds in soil. I pry the bale open (I prefer hay, at this point, to straw) and put in a few handfulls of compost and soil mix, push the plant in as far as is practical and fill in around the stems or over the seeds, with more soil/compost. Actually, I've seeded lettuces on top of the bales, first covering the bale top with a good layer of soil/compost, watering it in, and then topping off with another good layer to hold the lettuce seeds. The peas and beans, I started using a legume innoculant to coat the seeds and then pushed them down into soaked peat pellet pots and planted them (as above) in the bales and covered them with another handful of the soil/compost. Hope this is helpful.

Suz

Hi, all-

As an empassioned gardener (bale and otherwise) and fearful, as many are, about the plight of our bees and, in turn, our future on the planet, I thought I'd forward this article for your reading. A friend sent me this link today- it's interesting reading and, if it does nothing more, I hope it'll get some of you interested in having a few hives where you are or, at least, supporting your local beekeepers.

Go to: [HYPERLINK@www.commondreams.org]

Namaste. Suzan

Suzan, that link doesn't work for me. Tried it 3 times.

Jeanette

Jeannette: This site (DG) changed it from what I entered. I'll try again: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/02/9365/
(It did- see if you can add - /archive/2008/06/02/9365/ - to the hyperlink address)

If it gets changed again, give me your email address and I'll email it to you.

I'll post a few photos I took today of my bales (and the beautifully strong weeds growing up outside the fence!) This one's 'maters and some little basil plants. It'll get more exciting day by day now that the temperatures are up.

I had occasion to turn a friend of mine on to Bale Gardening this evening, and she can't wait to tell her sons (who live in the city) about it.

Suz

Here's peas and a couple of beans- gotta get those teepees up in the next few days!

And here's the little lettuces, seeded into the bales.

And this is my little pride and joy- my kitchen herbs and perennials, outside my back door. It's such a sweet and peaceful spot- wish you could all come and sip some iced tea with me, and chat out there.

Suz

Suzan: thanks for sharing; keep that enthusiasm going!

Suz, nice to see your pictures and your kitchen garden area would be great for a cuppa.

It has been raining off and on for a couple of which I love. First real rain we've had this year. I haven't gotten any more beans planted. Will soak some and hopefully plant in the morning. I was going to plant some Edamame seeds but the soil is still too cold.

Donna

Lookin' good Suzan. I like the peas best. Did you sow them direct?

Jeanette

Yes, Jeannette, after coating the seed in Legume Innoculant, I put them down into soaked peat pellets and planted the pellets/Seed into the bales and covered with a little soil/ compost mix. They're very vigorous.

Were you able to get through to the bee site?

Donna, you're welcome for coffee and scones by my herb garden any time!

Suz

I think I mentioned somewhere on this forum that I am trying potatoes (these are Yukon Gold) in the debris from last year's bales. They are not in the ground at all... about 3" of bale under them, and maybe 3" over the original 'tater. Today I added about 2-3" more old bale stuff to 'hill' up. I cannot really call last year's bales 'compost'... some of it is in identifiable thick sheets where it collapsed on itself but hasn't really broken down to what I'd call compost.

Here's a 'today' photo. This row is only about 12+/- plants. My fingerlings are in used tires on the other side of the yard.

darius;
That looks good. I don't usually raise regular potatoes. I might try Yukon gold though. I was first thinking of trying sweet potatoes but I'm a little skeptical there.
I may try leaving my row of bales set this winter, just to try some of both.
Last fall I run the left over straw, leaves, SP vines, tomato vines and grass clippings all through the shredder and spread on the garden.
I can add some of the leaves to the decomposed straw and try it once.

Who knows I might like it better that way.
Russ.

Russ, I fully intend to grow sweet potatoes next year. They are easier (so I'm told) and they certainly are more nutritious. I can make slips with SP's in glass jars/water on my windowsill this winter.

I have some flea beetles in these, but Farmerdill says they won't affect the yield. That row is only 30' from the creek so I need to avoid toxic run-off anyway.

Russ, aren't you afraid you will have SPs coming up everywhere from shredding them and spreading them around?

Darius, I had several bales left from last year that were pretty decomposed. I put a few handfuls of potting soil in the holes and stuck peppers in them. Don't know how they will do, but I try. Then I had a couple of bales that were like the ones you are talking about. Not so decomposed, and I put my cukes in those. I just didn't get around to getting new bales this year. I ended up putting my tomatoes in the ground which I have never done ind the 14 years I have been here. Before strawbales, I planted them in large pots.

Jeanette

Jeanette; I would welcome any volunteers, however The winters are a little too severe for any SP vines to survive around here.
Three would be nice. To fill the spaces were a rabbit or two feasted on them.
One was bit off and part of the stem and a couple leaves. I brought it in the house, cut the the stem back a little, stuck it in water. It come out of the limp wilted look, and is perking up. Hoping for roots to appear. Then I can give it a second chance.
At last count I have 49 plants still surviving. I'm hoping for enough sweet taters so we can have them at least 3 times a week, all winter and still have some to share.
Right now it looks like I will have a place to store them. However I will still freeze some.

darius; I'm trying some Vardamans this year. They are more of a bush type, so they shouldn't take up as much room, with all the excess vines.
Of course I still had a few Centennials and the package I ordered had some Beauragards and Georgia Jets as well. I have kept them in different sections of the garden, so I can keep track of how well each does. I have had real good yields from the Centennial, by starting my own slips. This year I just wanted to try a few others.
As far as pests I think so far grass hoppers have been the worst on my SPs. If the vines fill out enough though before they get thick, I will have a lot of riddled leaves but I still seem to get a good yield. Last year at this time I was using a rabbit and deer repellent on them. It is mostly a hot sauce that has a foul odor. It seemed to help with the grass hoppers too.
This spring I had started around 80 Centennials and traded most of them at the IADGRU. If I get many more requests, I'll have to save more SPs back for sprouting. It fun trading them, I get some flowers and shrubs I don't have and they get some healthy produce as an end result.
Jeanette; We had a little surprise yesterday morning. Someone Barb and I know in the area, pulled in the yard with a rider mower. minus the mower deck. It had been setting out in the weather The shifter was locked up, can't get the key all the way in the ign. switch. and rain and snow had been getting in the gas tank. He knew I had one just like it. Asked if I wanted it for parts. Well yeah. So today I pulled the tyranny took it apart. and found that the slider ring was rusted to the shaft. Didn't take too long to get it moving. So that is back together, ready to go back under the tractor. So I'm thinking may get it running for not too much. I'm thinking I may check with him and see if he still has the mower deck. Connie kind of fell into a deal and will be able to get into a house and can buy it on contract. Brother in law's father. which would also be father in law of our oldest daughter. Any way she will need a lawn mower. Don't think I need four. Connie still seems to be getting along OK. Still has head aches with the blockage. but as long as she don't let stress get her down, she is doing OK.
I think she would have fun with a rider mower.
Russ

Russ, I wonder if you couldn't put bird netting over the SPs. Just lay it over them. I can't imagine the rabbits bother them then., and if the netting were loose enough the plants could just continue to grow. I guess you would have to do it by rows tho so you could get to them to mound the soil around them.

Sure glad for Connie Russ. You seem to do all right yourself. LOL

Jeanette

Russ, nice that you are so handy with things like lawn mowers. Glad your daughter Connie is doing as well as she is. I don't have much lawn area, just two 50 x 50 sort of circle areas, one in front of house and the at the back, so don't need a rider mower. Sure has been nice (at least the kind I like) weather here the past week. Haven't had to irrigate all week and that is unusual for this area. Maybe a little cool for some plants, but all the transplants are doing great, don't even know they have been moved.

I'll try to find a good photo to send along.

Donna