Beginning of my garden

[lazer128]

Yep. You got a problem. Those tall things are blocking the sun. Maters need full sun. Most others plants do too. Try raising taters in tires. Put an old tire down, plant your tater in the middle. When it grows out the top of the tire, put another tire on top, fill it with dirt, and so on. The taters will form in the tires. I have done it many times. I cannot grow taters here. Too hot.

I figure I can use mirrors or something to increase the daylight! :eek:

We've been able to get a few things to grow here. I used to grow almost all the veggies we ate where we used to live. We did when I was a kid. So did my wife's parents.

I've seen the tater tire thing. Paint the tires white and maybe that will reduce the heat absorption a bit?

[Rustyshakelford]

I figure I can use mirrors or something to increase the daylight! :eek:

We've been able to get a few things to grow here. I used to grow almost all the veggies we ate where we used to live. We did when I was a kid. So did my wife's parents.

I've seen the tater tire thing. Paint the tires white and maybe that will reduce the heat absorption a bit?

Yeah, but with daytime temps over 100 F, I do not think that would work. I will try them this year.

[Rustyshakelford]

Ok, today was a nice comfortable 76 degrees. My cement had set up nicely, and I am still waiting on the government burocrats to come mark my lawn so I can till the garden in. I have been looking at heirloom seeds online at http://rareseeds.com/seeds/ and I am ready to go.

So, today I got my composting material into the pit.


I loaded in grass that I raked up first, then put all of the chopped paper from my shredder at work. I generate 20 lbs or so a week, so it this breaks down decently, I will have a constant supply of material for my pit.


I then found what was left of the leaves off of my Mulberry tree that were blown up against my fence. I covered the paper with these so that I had a starter culture of molds.





I then covered the whold thing with native dirt and wtatered the heck out of it to make sure that the paper was saturated and the leaves were sloppy. 2 weeks and I should have a decent pile-o-compost.





I will be adding a bunch of coffee grounds, and some fruit peels today. I will add some sulphur in a week to help lower the PH, as we have very alkalai soil here.

After hours tonight, I will provide some great fertilizer. I have creation I call a Shakelford filter. All you do is poor Guinness Beer in one end, wait about 30 minutes and a very ammonia rich liquid comes out the hose on the other end. I will run 3 cans through this special filter this evening and sprinkle the ammonia rich liquid on the compost pile. :D

[lazer128]

We have three of those filter units here at the house. Would be four except the hose must have broke off one of them! :p

[Rustyshakelford]

We have three of those filter units here at the house. Would be four except the hose must have broke off one of them! :p

Yeah, around here too.

[sd allen]

Good luck Rusty,hope you can enjoy the fruits of your labour.I too,have the green thumb and thoroughly enjoy growing grub. Do you use buckets for maters or anything? I put a pin hole in the bottom(side) of a few buckets,collect rain water and set them next to a few plants at a time.

[Rustyshakelford]

Good luck Rusty,hope you can enjoy the fruits of your labour.I too,have the green thumb and thoroughly enjoy growing grub. Do you use buckets for maters or anything? I put a pin hole in the bottom(side) of a few buckets,collect rain water and set them next to a few plants at a time.

You gotta have rain to fill the buckets. It only rains 3-4 times a year out here, and mostly in the fall.

[sd allen]

OK, leave out collecting rain if you live in the desert.Good call.

[Rustyshakelford]

OK, leave out collecting rain if you live in the desert.Good call.

I have a water hose. That usually works.

[Rustyshakelford]

Ok. I am not sure if the gov'ment men came by and marked anything or not. I do not see any markings. I did finish up my border by using a couple of creosote soaked telephone pole pieces. I soaked the area better then a 1 year old soaks a diaper after drinking a 2 litre bottle of coke, and we should get a good ice storm tonight. I have watered the heck out of the compost with the juice from the Shakelford filter and added some coffee grounds. I will be adding some sulphur next week and will haul in some dirt to fill this up to the top of the creosote soaked poles. Then will till the whole thing up and rake out the bermuda grass as best I can.







I will sell some of the Shakelford juice if anyone is intersted.

[lazer128]

Got my own juice, thanks. Mountain variation.

[Rustyshakelford]

Got my own juice, thanks. Mountain variation.

I was thinking of $10.00 for a coke bottle full. Miracle stuff!! You pay shipping, and you have to provide an explanation to any postal inspector that visits your house in case it leaks enroute.

[Rustyshakelford]

I was thinking of $10.00 for a coke bottle full. Miracle stuff!! You pay shipping, and you have to provide an explanation to any postal inspector that visits your house in case it leaks enroute.

Oops. I guess "leaks" is not the best word. Accidently evacuates the bottle would be better.

[lazer128]

:D

What all are you going to plant in the plot? Will everything be non-hybrid?

It's dark when I get home in the evenings and my plot is out in the woods. I hope to finish the rough grading this weekend if it doesn't rain. I will put onion sets in around Feb. 15th, followed by cabbage two weeks after that. Everything else will need to wait until the soil warms a bit....probably mid April.

[Rustyshakelford]

:D

What all are you going to plant in the plot? Will everything be non-hybrid?

It's dark when I get home in the evenings and my plot is out in the woods. I hope to finish the rough grading this weekend if it doesn't rain. I will put onion sets in around Feb. 15th, followed by cabbage two weeks after that. Everything else will need to wait until the soil warms a bit....probably mid April.

Cabbage season is over. It will be too hot soon. Yep, all freaky non-hybreds from here

http://rareseeds.com/seeds/

Gonna plant the rarest seeds I can find. Been toying with the idea of planting a Frankincense tree and maybe a Myrrh Tree. I think they would grow here.