They're ALIVE!!!! 2013 Edition -- Garden growing tips, tricks, pron

[mmmmeat]

I may be jumpin' the shark, but it's time to get the garden ready here in AZ to plant in Feb. so that's what i did this afternoon.

have that pesky AZ clay it's feeeeeeet thick, i dont even know how thick but i removed upwards of 8" of it (by 2.5" by 12 feet) with the help from the rototiller, it's a bear to do it ALL manual labor.

adding another Hugel to the garden, started with the past year's Christmas tree and added buncha organics.



and logs




then buried it with the topsoil i removed before i got down to the clay i used the tiller to help me get out.


Ready now for a nice thick blanket of compost from the city, and i'll be ready to move on and prep up the other hills.

if you arent familiar with the Hugels check this out http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/ it turned out some awesome results last year for me, here's hoping this year will be even better on the existing hills and not too shabby on the new one.

also, not doin any big box seeds this year. on top of the seeds i harvested from last years crop, i picked up one of these buckets of seeds, from the local seed place, they harvest locally, and regional seeds dating WAY back.


Have a good growin year all!! it should be an interesting one!

[BobBrisket]

That's one way to keep it making its own fertilizer from below. Dude, that can o seeds came with its own crotch and feet! LOL! I got a few more weeks till I start doing stuff outside.

[caseydog]

I do my planting after the 15th of March. I have been tossing psycho-poodle's poo into the gardens for the last few months, and he eats good, organic dog food. As far as I know, that is the secret to my success.

CD

[TIMMAY]

I actually kept one of my habanero plants alive in my kitchen, and the other habanero plant outside in the elements has not died yet, even though the temp has gone into the 20's several times. Its actually trying to produce more fruit!

Shortly I will be planting tomatoes and maybe yellow squash. Tomatoes did pretty good last year...

[Pugi]

We cannot plant here until the middle of may for most plants, potatoes get planted as soon as the ground thawes out. Some time in march I will till it up for the first time with mulch, I will till again just before planting to break up the hard crust and airirate.

[Q Junkie]

Originally Posted by BobBrisket

That's one way to keep it making its own fertilizer from below. Dude, that can o seeds came with its own crotch and feet! LOL! I got a few more weeks till I start doing stuff outside.

Not to mention the stack of pancakes and dog azz.

[Jason TQ]

Originally Posted by caseydog

I do my planting after the 15th of March. I have been tossing psycho-poodle's poo into the gardens for the last few months, and he eats good, organic dog food. As far as I know, that is the secret to my success.

CD

I thought dog manure wasn't recommended regardless of their diet. Parasites, ringworms and such.

[Hoss]

Originally Posted by fnbish

I thought dog manure wasn't recommended regardless of their diet. Parasites, ringworms and such.

No poop of Any kind is recommended unless it is composted first. After composting,all poop is cool.

[captndan]

And stay away from the conifers. They can really whack the soil Ph.

[HankB]

After days of below freezing weather including the first subzero (Fahrenheit) temps in over a year, our ground is frozen solid. Even the compost pile (which is a cold pile) is frozen. My garden tractor will have the snow blade on it for a while longer before I can even think about swapping it to the tiller. I used it for the first time yesterday. We are breaking all kinds of 'no snow' records here in Chicago.

I should start perusing the seed catalogs and placing an order or two.

In the mean time I'll have to settle for a few herbs on a window sill.

[Jason TQ]

Originally Posted by Hoss

No poop of Any kind is recommended unless it is composted first. After composting,all poop is cool.

For certain types of fertilization it is cool. But still not recommended for food. Not according to the USDA for growing crops for human consumption. Under the section for "Uses for Dog Waste Compost".

ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/AK/Pub...omposting2.pdf

I guess done properly it would theoretically be safe as any other compost. So it is one of those "you could roll the dice" kind of things if you do it properly vs just buying stuff that is safe from a garden center .

[mmmmeat]

Originally Posted by Q Junkie

Not to mention the stack of pancakes and dog azz.

hahaha those are coasters!!!

[BobBrisket]

I did leave all of the leaves and deadfall in the garden beds and they are out there rotting away. I'll till those into the soil and that will make for some good fertilizer until my lawn kicks in and I can start tossing the clippings on everything. Lawn clippings make for the best mulch! Keeps the moisture in and as it rots, feeds from the top of soil down very gradually. Gonna go with my usual. Maters, peppers, I bought some Thai peppers at Albertsons and dried em up. Gonna try those too. My son will plant his carrots, radishes, onions and corn.

[mmmmeat]

nice, like it says on the bucket, im doing upwards of 27 varieties of plants, along with a few extras, and seeds saved from last year..

This year i have been asked to double the okra output... so i'll have upwards of 20 okra plants yeesh!!! that's a lot of okra!!

im also gonna try my hand at growin popcorn, should be interesting, gotta nice colorful popcorn seed.

Tabasco peppers they'll be new to me, and of course im bringing back the chiltepins

[mmmmeat]

Anyone ever do Tabasco peppers?? Any this special bout em?


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