Just getting started - Newbie alert :) (2 new questions p9)

[AL]

So yesterday my dad brought his lawnmower up and mowed my garden for me - pulling pea vines in 100* heat was just getting to me, besides, I figure maybe tilling them under will be good for the soil? I did pull all of my nasty tomato plants and put them in the trash. I left my pepper plants because they are still making well... my eggplants had several blooms but they met their fate by lawn mower blade when I wasn't watching where my dad was cutting.

I tilled half of the garden yesterday, will try to get the other half tomorrow. Then I will spread what little compost I have and till that under just before I am ready to plant.

Lessons learned from my "epic fail" on this garden:

- rows wider apart - otherwise the plants overcrowd each other and the weaker one dies

- mulch... and more mulch!!! (will fresh beddign straw work for this?)

- as long as it is raining, don't water unless you use a drip / soaker hose - otherwise you risk damaging the blossoms or knocking them off, and uneven watering


any other tips before I get started? The plan is for peas, okra, pumpkins and cabbage. (subject to change at any whim )


ETA: Anyone garden in tubs / buckets? I have some huge rubbermaid tubs I had purchased for hauling horse / dog gear / moving to my new place...... can I plant something?

 

[dagaul101]

For the okras it's best to plant them in the beginning of summer, as it wilts in the cold

 

[TanksHill]

Every garden is a learning experience. Not sure if your straw/ bedding would be to hot. What type of animal is it from?

Lost of people garden in buckets and tubs. I even used a cardboard box this year for radish. They grew was faster than the box deteriorated.

Good luck with the fall veggies. How long will your warm weather last?

g

 

[AL]

I actually skipped out on the summer garden. It was just too hot. The garden may have worked in 116* heat index, but I wasn't going to, especially since at this point I am still hobby gardening. (and it is a good thing or we would all starve on my gardening skills). LOL
Actually, from where we mowed and then tilled back in July I have an "accidental" garden. My crowder and pinkeye purple hulls came back up. There arent' many, but I'll take labor free veggies!

This is our last month to plant, and we can repeat spring crops. I have tilled and will compost one more time before planting on Friday or Saturday - blackeye peas, mustard and squash. I am wondering if it will be a lost cause though, because my 28yr old horse is putting on her winter coat - and she predicts weather better than any TV forecaster.

As for the straw bedding - I dont actually use bedding for my horses so I was talking about just buying a bale of straw and using it for mulch? The only other thing I have available is if I go to a friends house and get truckloads of oakleaves.

Which brings me to something I have been wondering about. After this garden is done and pulled up... what do you think of me tilling everything under, covering the lot with oak leaves/ horse and chicken manure to rot in place, buying 1000 redworms or earthworms for it...., then tilling it all under with oyster shell bits a month or so before time to plant for spring? My garden lot is probably small enough I could cover it occasionally for a few days to heat up the leaves? or would that just be a disaster in the making?

 

[Farmfresh]

DO IT! That sounds like a good spring garden in the making!!

 

[TanksHill]

Your horse predicting the weather intrigues me. I read in another thread about someone looking at persimmon seeds. Who was that? Anyways the signs pointed to deep snow. I think we are having some extreme weather. This year worries me.

But you live in Fl., so how cold could it really get? I am surprised your horse wears a coat.

As for mulching your garden before winter. I say heck yeah, pile any organic material you have on there. With the rain and natural decay you will have a great start for next year.

gina

 

[AL]

But you live in Fl., so how cold could it really get? I am surprised your horse wears a coat. ........ gina

I'll have you know we had like 13 days straight that were below freezing this past winter! ( I know, most people on here want to throw things at me for that comment ). It even SNOWED one day... the county cancelled school so we got the kids and found an open field to play in all day long. I think it was about 3 inches?


Our first / last frost dates are November and March, so there won't be a lot of 'composting' time for the stuff I throw out over the garden. This year my feedstore said it sounded like I was low on calcium (tomatos had horrible blossom end rot), so that is why I was thinking the crushed oyster shells?

 

[AL]

Couple of questions....

Garden - normally we don't have cool temps until first part of November. It is supposed to be in the mid 60's tonight. I , of course, just planted my late garden yesterday. Normally I would have 3 months of growing time.
How cold is too cold?


Dehydrating - I am saving to buy a dehydrator, but I have seen on here (somewhere!) about people dehydrating /d rying on their dashboard of the car?? How do you do this and what are some drying candidates?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey AL!

check online for your "first frost date" - thats generally too cold for just about everything.

unless you have a cold frame or some kind of plastic thingy to cover them up the frost will kill most things - some greens will keep on going but may 'wilt' from the frost and will spring back when it warms up. things will grow much more slowly in cooler weather but they will keep chugging along.

dont know much about the dehydrating... shhh.. i'm still a skeptic
;-)

 

[freemotion]

I dry some stuff in the car, but also use a small dehydrator in the house. I dry herbs only in the car, and sometimes if it is too cool or too humid they won't dry quickly enough. Then I bring them in and finish them in the little dehydrator. Still saves time and electricity!

I line up trays on the back seat, lined in tulle (think wedding veil, it is cheap and readily available at any fabric or craft store) for air flow. Remember leaves shrink as they dry! I park in the sun and leave the windows open a tiny crack.

DH's old car worked far, far better than our only living car. His old car had rust on the floor and lots of holes, so there was really good air flow....

Some of the things I dry and store in antique canning jars:

Sage
oregano
basil
parsley
mints
rosemary
stevia
nettles
comfrey
red clover blossoms
various herbs for teas

I'm sure there is more but that should give you some ideas.