Harvest Time

[begreen]

Man, when it decides to come in, it really comes. We've picked over 25 lbs of green beans this year. Must be a record crop for us. Lots more on the vine. Looks like the the foodbank is going to get some generous visits. My wife is canning like crazy. Peaches hit too. They are really tasty. Liking all the sunshine. And we have strawberries, blackberries and raspberries just cranking out. Next apples and pears oh my!

PS: This is the harvest from 1 peach tree!

 

[Roospike]

Super ! We didn't do so well with green beans. Tho we ended up with 60 quarts of beans and froze 16 gallons it was down about 25% from last year. Less rain . We got our peaches put up , ended with 28 quart bags of frozen peaches and gave more than half away of what we picked of the free stone . Tomato's & corn did great ....... 56 quart bags of corn + everything we could eat & gave some away . So far tomato's is at 25 quarts and more coming on , salsa is next on the list . We had cantaloupe & cucumbers get hit hard with a hail storm we had last month so all of that was destroyed .........better luck next year on that. Between the garden and finalizing the wood piles i think we are set for winter .

 

[begreen]

Sounds like serious farming Roo.

 

[Roospike]

Sounds like serious farming Roo.

Well , I dont know about "farming" ..... Just a big garden .Pictures posting ..........

 

[Roospike]

another two........

 

[Roospike]

few more .........

 

[Roospike]

cucumber pic from 2005

 

[Roospike]

Hail 2006

 

[Roospike]

Hail damage 2006

 

[Sandor]

Looking at these pics, I'm not sure whether I am motivated, or dejected.

Oh well, we are short 7 inches of rain for the last 5 weeks in this area. Poor excuse.

Great job guys and thanks for the motivation.

 

[BrotherBart]

Motivated me to keep buying my crap at the supermarket. They ususally have the two or three vegatibles that I eat in a years time.

 

[suematteva]

Roospike,

Where do you garage the 100 hp deere farm tractor????

How do keep the weeds down?

We are having a rough garden year..the rain has hammered us..The potatoes are a bright spot..planted a row of yukon golds and the plants are really vibrant looking..Better than the new and quebec local variety..

 

[begreen]

Yep, big garden. Our's are about 1/4 that size. I can't get over the green lawns. We went brown a month ago and no rain in sight for the next two weeks. Last measurable rain was 2nd week in June.

Vinatage, yukon golds are the best. We grow them and red pontiacs. You should have a nice crop to look forward to.

 

[Roospike]

Roospike,

Where do you garage the 100 hp deere farm tractor????

How do keep the weeds down?

We are having a rough garden year..the rain has hammered us..The potatoes are a bright spot..planted a row of yukon golds and the plants are really vibrant looking..Better than the new and quebec local variety..

Haven't you guys figured it out by now ? Its off season ........ The Pacific Energy Summit tills the garden and pulls the weeds ! Sheech ......... Its got to do something when its not cooking us supper and cleaning the house . HA. No 100hp John Deere Vintage . Us "hicks" in Nebraska have other ways . Note picture below . How much more "red neck" can you get !?

 

[Roospike]

Some of the basic tools ...........Troy built tiller & Cub Cadet pull tiller & 24hp Garden tractor.

 

[Roospike]

I guess you can say the garden is like the wood stove. With the wood stove you do your own work to build your supply for the winter and is so with the garden .... building your supply for the winter . Its great for the whole family to get involved with , great learning experience for the kids and tools of know how to keep with them to pass down to there kids . We use all that we plant except for the cucumbers ........... the picture showing the baskets of cucumbers is what we get X 6 - 8 a year. We take the cucumbers to the farmers market and they just sell like crazy . We take the $$ from the cucumbers and the kids get 1/2 of the total sale and the other 1/2 go towards the garden for next year . Keeps the kids off the T.V. and the computers all day and lets them have something to be proud of . There's also nothing quite like "home grown" for flavor . BTW Begreen , Vintage , all ........The picture #5 is Red pontiacs & Red Norlands potatos . The pontiacs come on early and the Norlands come on latter. We have found that the Red Norlands seem to keep better / longer in storage . I havent planted the Y Golds .

 

[suematteva]

Will let you know how them Yukons turn out. Thanks Begreen..

What are you using in the sprayer fertilizer or weed killer .. Ah should of known....Fermented manure from your 50 head dairy cow operation on the other side of the road??

I got an old Troy Built roto tiller a couple years ago, shes going to need new tines..Kinda funny I got it for 70 bucks, they want like 110-120 for a new set..trying to find some aftermarket will fits..

 

[Roospike]

Will let you know how them Yukons turn out. Thanks Begreen..

What are you using in the sprayer fertilizer or weed killer .. Ah should of known....Fermented manure from your 50 head dairy cow operation on the other side of the road??

I got an old Troy Built roto tiller a couple years ago, shes going to need new tines..Kinda funny I got it for 70 bucks, they want like 110-120 for a new set..trying to find some aftermarket will fits..

PM sent.........

 

[begreen]

Yukon Golds, try em, you'll like em.

I envy your nice flat garden space. Ours are both on a slight slope. That makes them no fun to till. The tiller wants to head downhill all the time. I finally gave up. We now hand turn the beds and weedeat + mulch between the rows. We'll be starting on a new garden in the field next to the house next year. That is where the greenhouse is going in and there is a fairly level area about 120 x 90 ft. But first we need to kill all the orchard grass there. Otherwise, we'll never get it out. Any thoughts on how to do this effectively without permanently poisoning the soil? Can't use flamethrowers, due to large fire hazard, but looking for other solutions that positively will work.

 

[PAJerry]

Blueberries are just great this year. We have variety of types so we have them from July to October. Sweet corn is really nice and the asparagus was pretty good in the spring. I got the neighbors to deliver a few loads of rotted horse manure from a stable up the road that I'm using to mulch the blueberries and asparagus, since both crops really thrived in the past when I used this. Working in the foundry, the garden is my 'therapy' and if I ever give it up, my obituary will soon follow.

 

[Roospike]

BeGreen others

------building a garden

( note: i normally start a NEW garden or area in the fall to get it set up for the spring - give your self plenty of time ) #1 first thing do is set up the garden per measurements , stake it off or paint your marks . #2 nice day , not too wet , not windy spray your garden area with ROUND-UP weed and grass killer and wait a week to do its job . Once your garden plot has all the grass killed ( you might have to spray again ) #3 till your new garden plot (A)first till to take off the grass and the very top (B) second till- till down deeper to get it all mixed up and to take the clods and chunks out . #4 Your new garden plot is on its way , your dirt is ready for your add-ins #4 Add-ins - To get your new garden ready for softer soil , richer soil you have add in to add to your garden . I would add 2-3 bails of broam , straw , hay . When adding BROWNS to your garden you need to add the same amount of GREENS for proper decomposing ( browns= straw, dead dry leaves ect..) (Greens=fresh cut grass, green leaves ect..) The extra BROWNS or broam , straw is going to get your new garden started for a loose , softer , richer soil . #5 A lot of towns local have a compost dump that has compost ready to be taken for gardens , trees , planting areas . For large garden you would want a truck load or two for your garden and then 1 truck load a year of compost ( this is what i use for my size garden ) Normally the compost at your local area is FREE or a small fee . ( our local compost yard is free load all you want - a small $5. fee for them to fill your truck with there bucket loader = well worth it ) Get all your new items into your garden ( greens , browns , compost ) final till for the fall . #6 SPRING ! Your new garden is just about ready to go . In the spring is time for adding NEW compost to tour garden ( add now for your existing garden ) ( add again to your NEW garden ) #7 Till in the spring and start planting your garden . You now should have a soft , rich ,healthy garden for the whole year . #8 for the NEW garden you may want to add broam, straw ect to the garden in the following fall to break up the soil even more if needed. NOTE: for normal BROWN add-ins i would use dead leaves after the garden is established for ease of use. Roospike

 

[suematteva]

Roospike,

Do you use the round up every fall?

 

[Roospike]

Roospike,

Do you use the round up every fall?

Not normally , But it is a good idea to keeps weeds down. If we get a lot of moisture and end up getting a lot of weeds i might "spot spray" in the fall . When you use the brand Round-up its says you can plant about 7 days after you spray. I use my big pull tiller once in the spring and once in the fall so the weeds dont have much of a chance . During the year i use the Troy Built tiller between the rows and a hand hoe . Note: the more you till during the year as your garden is growing you end up taking the crust cap off the soil and it lets the garden dry out . I watch the forcast and if there is a lot of upcoming ran i will run the tiller ........ rain soaks in and forms the crust cap again . A side note about compost in the garden ...... As i normally put it in the garden and tull it in there is another method , You can plant your garden and let the plants get a growing start and then place the compost as a top layer across your garden and this will also help prevent weeds , when it rains it gets the top compost wet and acts like a tea bag and the water soaks into the soil .

 

[Roospike]

Roospike,

Do you use the round up every fall?

Point # 2 ....... With your garden to help prevent weeds at the end of the year you can till your garden and then plant "rye grass" in your soil . The rye grass will grow and prevent a lot of weeds from forming and it also helps keep the top soil set. Now with "rye grass" it will only last one season so in the spring the rye grass will be on its way out for the end of its life and it can be tilled into your garden in the spring .

 

[elkimmeg]

Spike I am impressed with you garden. It takes a lot of time and effort to do what you do with it.
I have poor crapy soil that i do the best I can with. No where the production you have. I'm sitting on a hill with granite ledge under everwhere with my backhoe I have removed 3 ton stones just to get them out from under the loam. Those are the ones i could move Some exist that would not budge, So I raised the garden bed. Many times I start out with a hand shovel but need the backhoe to plant a simple shrub. To tell you hopw hard and how much rock i have. When I built this home I sledge hammered rock to cut a chanell threw just for the septic pipe that now is under my dinning room table. For one week I spent hours smacking the stones to just get my septic line in. One cornor of my lot had decent gravel and that's where my septic system is