Whatcha Up To???

[Mr_Yan]

I still need to empty the rain barrels but they won't be hurt yet. We're supposed to hit 25 to 28 F tonight with rain/snow mix for the drive to work tomorrow.

I need to grab the rest of my basil tonight and possibly remove the volunteer avocado from my garden and pot it up for a coworker.

If you don't work in the garden by headlamp you're not a real gardener.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Hello Everybody,

Been busy doing everything else since the Garden is almost done for the year. Picked sweet peppers, asparagus and ripe black figs today, but just a small picking box held everything. Fescue lawn is loving this cooler weather. Some leaf fall for the Pecan trees, but everything else is still too green to prune.

Sam, Your garden setup is real nice and pretty sure that rebar top rail will keep the bull out of it.

Going to order my winter onions from Dixon in a few days, but am not planning much in the way of other things.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Our topsoil, compost & sand have finally all been delivered to our local 'dirt yard', so now they can start mixing it prior to delivery. That probably won't be for a few days though... we've finally had abundant rain the past few days (7.29" thus far for October) & the ground is still pretty soft & will not support the weight of their truck. Hopefully it will dry out enough by Friday.

I had to order the additional dirt as I was unable to stockpile a sufficient amount from down in the back which is REALLY soggy now. I just want to get this portion of my garden project done at this point...

In the meantime I have been killing the fire ant mounds that 'popped' up around the homesite as they seek high ground.

 

[Mr_Yan]

In the meantime I have been killing the fire ant mounds that 'popped' up around the homesite as they seek high ground.

Are you killing them with molten aluminum and casting the colonies?

 

[w_r_ranch]

LOL!!! No just insecticide... Fast, sure & foolproof. I hate them things, the only purpose they serve is to bite every other living organism on the earth.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Got 4 truckloads of dirt delivered today (they didn't sink in to bad) & started distributing it with the loader. They will deliver 6 more truckloads tomorrow. I'm just glad to be moving again on this project...

 

[Mike]

Whats the total square footage once its all said and done?

 

[w_r_ranch]

4000 sq. ft for the main garden & 100 sq. ft. for the asparagus bed.

 

[Mike]

WOW... that is very impressive to say the least. I'd say that should keep you busy during the growing season.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Only the 2x a year tilling/prep. Weeding takes about 20-30 minutes every other day (thanks to heavy mulching). Irrigation will be a snap (no more than the old garden really), just turning valves while we have our daily margaritas.

It will get extra busy starting when we start canning. We also give a lot away to our neighbors, especially the ones that are getting old & have difficulty gardening at this point in their lives. We enjoy bringing them stuff & visiting with them. It's a win-win situation for all of us.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Sorry, I meant to add a couple of photos, but my wife was sitting on the porch & said she heard hogs so I went out hoping to kill something (I think they are still just in the brushline so I'll go back out in a bit...

 

[w_r_ranch]

The last 6 truck loads were delivered yesterday. I have been busy distributing the dirt for 2 1/2 days now & I have to admit, I'm starting to feel my age... LOL! Seriously, raking dirt seems to exercise muscles that I long ago forgot that I had... Time for a hot bath & some Bengay... and a drink.

Maybe another week to finish the dirt work.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Sam,

That is a lot of shoveling, to get the dirt to the middle. Shoveling used to be a lot more common than it is now. But that is sure going to be a beautiful setup when you finish.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Yeah, I figure I'll be sore for a good while... no getting around it, although it is a one time job. On the other hand, it is raining pretty good here (1.3" thus far) so I won't be doing any dirt work for a few days at a minimum.

 

[Mr_Yan]

4000 sq. ft for the main garden & 100 sq. ft. for the asparagus bed.

4000 sq feet of garden. I'm jealous and my wife is nervous because of it. Heck that is the 80% of my entire lot.

 

[Mike]

We also give a lot away to our neighbors, especially the ones that are getting old & have difficulty gardening at this point in their lives. We enjoy bringing them stuff & visiting with them. It's a win-win situation for all of us.

That's pretty awesome of you Sam! This world certainly needs more giving people.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Just paying them back for their friendships over the years. Living "in the woods" is a different type of life... when we first moved here, it was not uncommon to stop at other folks homes to see if they needed anything if you were heading to town just to save them a 30 mile trip. They also were the source of advice on countless occasions on how to do things, who to deal with & were the first to offer you assistance if you needed it. It remains a close-knit community of like minded folks. Both my wife & I feel lucky to have conscientious friends & neighbors, so this is the least we can do.

 

[45 ACP]

Sam, you've been working on that project for a while now. Please do post up pics when you get it all done. I have been wanting to see the finished product ever since you started posting the pictures on the other board.

Please dont take offense to this, but that is a huge project and you are no spring chicken anymore, LOL!! Which makes it even more impressive that it is only you and Mrs. Ranch doing all the work. Very, very nice.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Please dont take offense to this, but that is a huge project and you are no spring chicken anymore, LOL!! Which makes it even more impressive that it is only you and Mrs. Ranch doing all the work.

No offense taken, we are getting older & we know that. We just do what we can & take frequent breaks. It will get done eventually. When I'm energetic, I can work pretty good still... when I feel tired, I just kick back, cook & drink (I've always been pretty good at that anyways). Ernie is right on though, filling in the middle is going to be challenging.

I will continue to post pictures as I go & thank you for the kind words, Wader.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Still too wet to do dirt work. I wrapped the 'tree wells' with weed block & set the cap stones. Now there is absolutely nothing but dirt work & the bull panel trellises (& is to wet for for those). There is a high probability for rain the next couple of days...

 

[ErnieCopp]

Our six month dry season ended last night, i hope. We had a half inch, and need a lot more. That will dry out pretty fast if we do not have more soon.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Will drop off a sample of the garden soil for a soil test tomorrow, so I can find out what I have to add prior to planting this spring. The routine test + micro nutrients test is $21 during the month of November.

The routine test determines the soil pH, salinity, nitrates& levels of the primary nutrients (P - phosphorus, K - potassium, Ca - calcium, Mg -
magnesium, Na - sodium, and S - sulfur) available to plants. The routine test also will provide the basic N-P-K fertilizer recommendation for application.

The micro-nutrient test estimates the levels of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the soil that are available to plants.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Sam,
How will you handle the different requirements of your assorted plants in the garden? I have never been able to resolve my problems, so have not been able to benefit from soil tests. On the Nursery it was bottomland, but not uniform, like a lake bed would have been, so my soil varied from heavy silty clay to open sandy soil, often with the difference between a swale and a ridge.

Similar situation here, with heavy soils in the low corner, and open DG in the upper corner. So, i have had to react to the individual trees or plants actual growth , or lack thereof. Now, you will have a much different situation when you finish, with a perfect soil of any recipe you choose, but not all of your plants will like the same menu.

So, I, and i am sure many others, would be very interested in how you solve this conundrum.

Thanks,
Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

How will you handle the different requirements of your assorted plants in the garden? I have never been able to resolve my problems, so have not been able to benefit from soil tests.

I've never really worried about it as I've never had a problem over the years, to be honest with you.

I personally consider soil pH to be the most important part of a soil test, followed by the major nutrients (NPK). I also consider soil structure to be very important, although that is a ongoing process & will take time to achieve. When I had it blended, I specified 70% topsoil, 15% compost & 15% sand to give me the base that I believe I needed & will adjust it over the next 5 yrs. to build the soil structure I want.

In general, the majority of vegetables I grow will thrive when the soil pH is at 6.0 to 6.8. When the soil pH is adequate, the availability of both major and minor nutrients is maximized. The soil test will give me the baseline that I'm starting with & their recommendations will tell me the amounts that I need to incorporate into the soil.

 

[ErnieCopp]

I have always had pretty good luck growing things, but always looking for tips on how to do it easier or better. I agree pH is the most important, and have always had to watch for it getting to high. The way i stay on top of it without soil tests is to watch for brown leaf edges, as the salt will collect there. Do not recall any problems with veggies, but they are not in the ground very long.
I have planted a few Jap maples, and even with lowering the pH around them, they are still showing signs, so i suspect the irrigation water is causing the problem. We do not get any rain during the growing season here.

Ernie