2009 - How Does Your Garden Grow?

[Watchman]

Yesterday I softened up the garden again, spread about 40 pounds of gypsum, and soaked it good! Tomorrow morning we're going to level it out and plant potatoes and onion sets and whatever else we can get in the ground before we crash.

I think my asparagus died. We only had a very few days this past winter that it hovered around -15 to -25 and they were well-protected. Besides, it grows wild around here anyway. It sprouted last year. They have not broke the surface yet so I can only assume they croaked.

[Watchman]

The asparagus did not die - we have lift-of! Here in this part of Free Wyoming our official last frost date is the 15th of May, so I guess them little buggers know when it is time to appear. BTW, we are expected to have temps in the low 30s tonight. Wife and I have planted Yukon Golds (2 rows), Blue Lake green beans (4 rows), 4 rows of onions, and one row of bush cucumbers. Saturday we're planting three varieties of squash. That day we also will border a square of ground with little cement edging and Tuesday will plant Red Oak Leaf lettuce and Arrugula in it. Next week we fill our self-watering planters and will put in 16 tomato plants and 6 bell peppers. One of our apple trees is blooming like mad, the other, so-so. The apricot tree is blooming but not too quickly - last year about this time it frosted and killed a lot of the blossoms. Maybe it knows something I don't know.

[Toepopper]

Have turned over and added topsoil and compost to my raised beds and weed whacked down all the brush for the second time this spring, in between the beds. Last week we had 7- 1/2" of rain and all the weeds took off after being watered. All the greenhouse starts are doing good except for the yellow Hungarian peppers which had a 100% non germination. Before transplanting the starts I always set a half dozen traps in the garden area for woodrats. Those little buggers will knaw down fresh shoots and pack them off to their nests for lining, so I hope to catch them before they can eat my starts. Hope to have everything transplanted by the weekend. Tie wired new fence around the veggi garden and the grapes. For some reason I have not seen a single deer in my area this spring. Very unusual but I don't mind because that is just one less critter to contend with and try to keep out of the garden. Have been working nonstop since it is still light at 8-30 in the evening. Low 40's at night, 72 thisafternoon.

[Watchman]

Wife and I spent the morning constructing a square (more or less) bed to be used this year for 5 squash hills. We bought these scalloped cement border pieces from China Mart at $1.38 each and it took 26 of them to make the bed. It measures about 7x6 feet. We used the Mantis to break it up and tear out the weeds, then leveled it and dumped about 30 pounds of compost on top of it, spread out. Will be making it into a permanent herb garden in the spring. Our onions have emerged, the potatoes are cracking the soil covering we put over each piece, so expect them this week. All we have left to plant are the lettuce and arrugula, three varieties of squash, and the tomatoes and bell peppers. The maters and peppers are being put into 'grow boxes'. We've been saving egg shells to mix with the potting mix for the planters. By the way, we're not spring chickens but we got everything done this year by compartmentalizing things - we put each segment on the calendar and work one at a time and I'll be darned if it doesn't work. I'm still disappointed with the asparagus but will reserve judgement. After all, this IS Free Wyoming and the weather here is like nowhere else.

[Watchman]

Planted three types of squash today - zucchini, yellow crookneck, and black zucchini.

[cowboy38229]

give your asparagus a little time ,it took mine a couple of weeks to get to full speed .
Getting ready to replant part of my garden ,lost 1/4 of it to standing water from all the rain in the last 2 to 3 weeks

[Watchman]

Yesterday we harvested and froze about 10 pounds of rhubarb. Will can it later this year. Should get another crop about September. Green beans and potatoes have emerged

[Watchman]

Everything is growing like mad. Here it is almost the end of May here in Free Wyoming and we have not had a @#$%^&* hail storm yet to ruin the growing plants. My fingers are crossed. Wife and I just finished filling ten self-watering 40-quart planters with organic potting mix, to which we added one cup of agricultural lime, a large handful of crushed eggshells, and two tablespoons of epsom salts. Am letting them settle for the next 24 hours then will top them off and plant young tomatoes and peppers.

[Watchman]

Today we planted the last of the food for 2009 except for some greens, radishes and fava beans later. Now its maintenance for the next couple of months. This western soil bites but we do the best we can. Because it is so alkaline, we elected to plant 15 tomato plants and 25 pepper plants in self-watering containers. Each container got a cup of agricultural limestone and lots of crushed egg shells.

Kinda late in life for us to do anything about it, we don't live out in the country but in town. We have about 2/10s of an acre and both of us are trying to prove that we absolutely CAN raise most of our plant-type food on this little spot. Its how efficiently you use the space.

Here are a few photos.

[Toepopper]

I like your idea of planting tomato's in containers. I planted some beefsteak slicers from seed and due to the long cold spring weather they took forever to germinate and poke up out of the soil. I have planted them in large pots because every square inch of area in my raised beds is planted with other crops. They have leaped out of the soil and are playing catch up with the rest of the garden. Yesterday I transplanted some brocoli from small starting containers into the beds. My snap peas had been munched on despite the fact that I had redone the perimeter fence to keep out maurading critters, but they bounced back and are 3 feet tall now. Caught a great big cottontail rabbit in a Victor rat trap. Evidently he was the culprit and I cannot figure out how he got into the garden. No new damage has occured since I caught this rabbit. Picked a 3 gallon bucket of cherries and "black cap" rasberries are almost ready to pick next. Bean plants all have little baby beans popping out and everything else is looking good. This year we planted 30 green cabbages and with this unusually cool weather they are doing very well.

[Watchman]

Help! Need some detectives. This time around we did EVERYTHING by the numbers. Our peppers and tomatoes are planted in large containers, with a self-watering bottom tank to promote healthy root growth. We used nothing buty potting mix, very liberally supplemented with agricultural limestone, crushed eggshells and epsom salts. The limestone and eggshells were added to preclude blossom end rot. The epsom salts promote healthy green growth. One variety of peppers we planted has already begun to rot on the plant. Here are some photos:





I by no means consider myself an expert but I do not believe this is blossom end rot (BER). It is unheard of in Wyoming for the amount of rain we have had in June. I think this may be from OVERwatering. What do you all think?

[Toepopper]

I think those self watering containers are the culprit. They are holding water and the plant roots are drowning. Can they be removed without destroying the container I have grown small vegetable crops in containers that did not have a drain hole in the bottom and the bell peppers and tomato's growing in these containers had the same rotten spots on them as yours have.
Also, whats with the epsom salts? I have never heard of using this drug store item in the garden. If it does contain salts in any amount this will harm, stunt or kill your plants. We use straight salt to kill thistle weeds . Any local area that had a forest fire and the fire fighting helo's dropped ocean salt water on the hillside to supress the fire, now has zero grass growth on the hill and erosion occurs during the winter rainy season. Salt kills plant life and you may be slowly poisoning your plants.

[Watchman]

I think there may be a misunderstanding.......the roots of the plants are not sticking in the water. They are in potting mix above the water. There are two little "floodgates" on each end of the container and the roots only take the water they need. It acts just like a wick on a kerosene lamp and wicks the water to the roots ----- but it does not flood or spray the roots. I don't believe the container is the problem. I believe it is residual moisture from the sky. It is a proven fact that plants with extensive roots are healthier. Now, regarding the epsom salts. Read this forum and let me know what you think.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/loa ... 11573.html

I have heard this for years, that they are good for plants. To not mislead anyone, I only put two tablespoons to the container, well mixed; the container holds 35 quarts of potting mix. I also added 1 cup of agricultural limestone to each container. Thats it!

[Toepopper]

For some unknown reason my computer will not open that web site. I will try again tomorrow. If your pots are working properly and the soil down on the bottom is not saturated with water, then I don't know what to tell you. Potting soil comes packaged with a neutral PH level. Check your PH level in the pots, maybe it is TOO sweet and the peppers are reacting to it. After all the time and energy put into that project, its enough to drive a person crazy when something like this happens.

[cowboy38229]

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Posted by Kimmsr 4a/5b-MI (My Page) on Sun, May 15, 05 at 6:46

There are many people that add Epsom Salts to their plants and soil often without a soil test to indicate whether they are really needed or not and the placebo effect takes over and they see results that are not there because they want to. If your soil test indicates adequate soil levels of magnesium add more will upset the soil chemistry enough that calcium could be unavailable to the plants.

This could be the problem since calcium reduces bloosem end rot

[Watchman]

A valid point but I still am not sure of the make-up. Remember, these are 35-quart containers and I added a cup of limestone (27% calcium), about 15 eggshells and only two tablespoons of epsom salts.

[Watchman]

This has turned into a full-blown "investigation". I've been out inspecting all my peppers on the bush. Only the "Purple Beauties" have the disease(?). The greens have no sign of rot. I've got some red and yellow bells that are just now starting to fruit and will keep an eye on them also. BTW, I see absolutely no sign on any of the tomatoes. Will know more when they start turning color.

[SS5R]

I recently purchased an electronic soil tester, Home Depot $20.00, and I have to say I was
a little skeptical at first, I have always used the test tube and solution type but this thing works really well. It is easy to use and will tell you the ph level and the fertility level of your soil. It comes with a booklet that helps identify what each plant needs.

[cowboy38229]

Help! Need some detectives. This time around we did EVERYTHING by the numbers. Our peppers and tomatoes are planted in large containers, with a self-watering bottom tank to promote healthy root growth. We used nothing buty potting mix, very liberally supplemented with agricultural limestone, crushed eggshells and epsom salts. The limestone and eggshells were added to preclude blossom end rot. The epsom salts promote healthy green growth. One variety of peppers we planted has already begun to rot on the plant. Here are some photos:





I by no means consider myself an expert but I do not believe this is blossom end rot (BER). It is unheard of in Wyoming for the amount of rain we have had in June. I think this may be from OVERwatering. What do you all think?

This could be helpfull
http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/min-def/tomatoes.htm

[Watchman]

This is helpful but the disease is only on the peppers. My tomatoes, though not ripe yet, show no signs of any BER or other disease.

[Watchman]

PROBLEM SOLVED ABOUT PEPPERS!

The county extension office just gave me the straight skinny on my peppers. It is not a disease, per se, but is called "sun scald". It happens when peppers are getting too much sun and they don't have enough foilage to protect them. Because mine are in containers, I can move them to a spot where it will get some morning sun or afternoon sun. She said that later peppers should be fine.

Oh happy day!

[bee_pipes]

Something good to know. I would have never guessed. We do get bell peppers, but they seem to have a more difficult time than the hot peppers. Cyan, jalapeno, even the lowly banana pepper all do well and bear a lot of fruit. Bells seem to struggle.

Regards,
Pat

[Watchman]

A tiny bit of additional information. Sun scald begins as a dark spot on the pepper and then, gradually, turns to the blotchy (dead) surface spot you see on the photos. The agent says that the peppers are edible in the early stages but would advise cutting the spot out when it turns tan. I am 100% positive now that this is the problem because the underside of the peppers is not affected, just those areas that are in direct sunlight.

[Watchman]

Now the @#$%^&* tomatoes have blossom end rot Each container has over a cup of agricultural limestone and about 15 crushed eggshells each. I don't know what the @#$%^&* is wrong.

[fern]

Have you ever used soft and hard rock phosphates in your soil? I have used it for almost 30 years in my gardens and our family farm even longer. I am attaching a website that gives the info on what it does to your soil. I never have a weed, never have such problems as the tomatoes or peppers. It takes about two years of treating your soil in the fall and spring to really see the difference. It is like sweetening the soil and creating such a perfect balance of nutrients that the bad stuff cannot grow and the desired crop blossoms. It is very easy to work with and plant too as it never cakes or hardens. Our entire family farm is luscious. Hay fields that are equal in height, beautiful and weedless. The best smelling stuff on earth when cut. Our corn will have 5 and 6 healthy ears at a time. You must use certain lime and good ole chicken poop to complete the process. Here is the website to begin but there is much more info on this topic if you are interested. http://www.hbci.com/~cmills/PHOSPHATE%20Reams.html