Whew. Okay, got the first layer of the raised bed in. Filled in about half way with dry browns, once I water it & get more in it it will be solid. Airy & poofy it fills the space but I have to break it down. I've been collecting people's fridge cleanings & coffee grounds. Got about a five gal bucket so far. Once I get the second layer down I'll pour on the food, then some more stuff I've got - dead grasses & leaves that have been mouldering a while, & a bunch of old mulch from under the bushes from the past few years.
Got my yacon - popped in a bucjet, planning a place for it. Got garlic, moved the turtle & will try to get the garlic there this week.
Mostly I just need to get ready for spring & the backyard cleaned up. All those containers are starting to look like a junkyard ....
Blueberries & bay laurel aren't in. I need containers. Still waiting on hazelnuts. Not sure what to do about them. I want to plant them but I know if we ever sell they'd have to be ripped out. I might end up raised bedding them just to make them easier to move one day. Or convince someone up north to plant them for me & keep them in the coop family.
My plan(t)s bigger than yard ....
Must do seedlings for spring next weekend ....
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Tilde
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- Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25
"Momma's building a BRICK WALL in the BACKYARD!" - comments from the peanut gallery last night as I laid most of the third layer of cinderblock in the back yard.
CB is ugly. I was going to try painting it, but I think I'll just wrap it in fleece, I've got a fat lot of it just mouldering in the back storage anyway. Boring but easy, I can yank it off and throw it in the washing machine every few weeks if needed.
About 1/3 full of yard debris. I may need to empty the composter into it! I've got nearly 10 gal of food waste to spread on the yard waste, then a lot of assorted soils from here and then, then a few topsoil and compost bags from the store. It's tempting to want to plant now, but it's too early.
Once that's done, next task is garlic and the rest of the onions. I have a space by the side of the house, just need to paint p the plastic boards that will contain it so they aren't so garish for the neighbors (heck, fabric wrap them, too!). My plan is to just plant along the side of the house all year, onions, garlic, stuff that will grow on top of the sand - lay down some short boards, drop in some dirt, toss in my starts and cloves.
CB is ugly. I was going to try painting it, but I think I'll just wrap it in fleece, I've got a fat lot of it just mouldering in the back storage anyway. Boring but easy, I can yank it off and throw it in the washing machine every few weeks if needed.
About 1/3 full of yard debris. I may need to empty the composter into it! I've got nearly 10 gal of food waste to spread on the yard waste, then a lot of assorted soils from here and then, then a few topsoil and compost bags from the store. It's tempting to want to plant now, but it's too early.
Once that's done, next task is garlic and the rest of the onions. I have a space by the side of the house, just need to paint p the plastic boards that will contain it so they aren't so garish for the neighbors (heck, fabric wrap them, too!). My plan is to just plant along the side of the house all year, onions, garlic, stuff that will grow on top of the sand - lay down some short boards, drop in some dirt, toss in my starts and cloves.
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Tilde
- Green Thumb
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- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
- Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25
okay - been very tired lately, so I haven't done a lot in the garden except watering and bug hunting.
Had some issues on the peas with caterpillars but that seems to be receding.
The potato plant is getting tall; I think I Need to carefully split it out of the bag and put it in something bigger. It's about a foot tall, needs more dirt and food.
Put more food waste in the impending garden. Spent a lunch hour digging old mulch out from under the bushes to put atop the food waste in the impending garden.
STILL have not planted my garlic, grr. Unsure if we are going to paint the house this year - if we are I don't want to plant it on the side yard. And I'm not sure it's sunny enough. Decisions decisions. Maybe since it's just a plant and forget food I'll put in in the northern garden this weekend (and tuck a couple in the garden kits for the kids).
Tomatoes are ripening. I think they are doing okay in the containers, though not prolific yet on their production. I think on the weekend I'll put the bamboo poles atop the cement block garden box and move all of the containers up there, away from the squirrels.
Away-er from teh squirrels, I don't tnink you can escape them completely.
Carrots are getting bushy but the lettuce and kale SUCK. I need to replant those and start another batch of carrots.
The Clementine is doing fabulous. but It's starting to curl over - I need to put a stick in it to grow up. Meyer is slow but steady growing.
I'm actually eating clementines right now - my favorite holiday snack. Saving the mini crates to use as plant starting containers in the new year.
I dumped a couple of the squashes and cuke plants. I planted them in way too small containers and they pretty much died. I'll start new ones soon.
Corn didn't make it (of course) so I'll chop them down and put the Brussels sprout starter plants in instead. I should have a bit more cool enough weather to get them grown.
Had some issues on the peas with caterpillars but that seems to be receding.
The potato plant is getting tall; I think I Need to carefully split it out of the bag and put it in something bigger. It's about a foot tall, needs more dirt and food.
Put more food waste in the impending garden. Spent a lunch hour digging old mulch out from under the bushes to put atop the food waste in the impending garden.
STILL have not planted my garlic, grr. Unsure if we are going to paint the house this year - if we are I don't want to plant it on the side yard. And I'm not sure it's sunny enough. Decisions decisions. Maybe since it's just a plant and forget food I'll put in in the northern garden this weekend (and tuck a couple in the garden kits for the kids).
Tomatoes are ripening. I think they are doing okay in the containers, though not prolific yet on their production. I think on the weekend I'll put the bamboo poles atop the cement block garden box and move all of the containers up there, away from the squirrels.
Away-er from teh squirrels, I don't tnink you can escape them completely.
Carrots are getting bushy but the lettuce and kale SUCK. I need to replant those and start another batch of carrots.
The Clementine is doing fabulous. but It's starting to curl over - I need to put a stick in it to grow up. Meyer is slow but steady growing.
I'm actually eating clementines right now - my favorite holiday snack. Saving the mini crates to use as plant starting containers in the new year.
I dumped a couple of the squashes and cuke plants. I planted them in way too small containers and they pretty much died. I'll start new ones soon.
Corn didn't make it (of course) so I'll chop them down and put the Brussels sprout starter plants in instead. I should have a bit more cool enough weather to get them grown.
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Tilde
- Green Thumb
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- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
- Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25
Well it's going to be warm all winter. Aren't going to hit below 60 before the new year, though some natives said it's going to get very chilly in February. Maybe I should hang onto those freezer blankets.
I'm getting anxious to start using my spring bed - especially with the potentially warm winter. I'm thinking that I'll put in the last layer of kitchen leavings, then a couple of bags of dirt on half the bed and plant the last of my cold-weather plants.
Then next weekend (new years) I can start the xplants for next year.
Spent the last couple of days packaging up the seeds for the planting projects for the kids. I hope I get them there in time for Xmas - they have a long winter break even if I don't. So much fun I can't wait to see it going!
Plants up north look good, growing somewhat more slowly than I'd like
but everything does. Going to plant garlic up there this weekend, and a bucket full for myself down here. 
Need to add more dirt to the potatoes and let them grow, also plant more carrots and some radishes.
Happy holidays everyone. See you next year.
I'm getting anxious to start using my spring bed - especially with the potentially warm winter. I'm thinking that I'll put in the last layer of kitchen leavings, then a couple of bags of dirt on half the bed and plant the last of my cold-weather plants.
Then next weekend (new years) I can start the xplants for next year.
Spent the last couple of days packaging up the seeds for the planting projects for the kids. I hope I get them there in time for Xmas - they have a long winter break even if I don't. So much fun I can't wait to see it going!
Plants up north look good, growing somewhat more slowly than I'd like
but everything does. Going to plant garlic up there this weekend, and a bucket full for myself down here. Need to add more dirt to the potatoes and let them grow, also plant more carrots and some radishes.
Happy holidays everyone. See you next year.
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Tilde
- Green Thumb
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- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
- Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25
I wonder if the pumpkin I bought from the factory farm pumpkin patch was a pie pumpkin? It kind of exploded behind the front yard bushes before I got it to teh compost pile and I was not very dillgent bout getting up the rest of the seeds - just scraped mulch and humus over it ...
Unless I kill this or transplant it, we will have pumpkins in April ... I wonder if I can just pinch flowers all spring until about May and let it grow for foliage (my original plan with my sweet potatoes). The kids' votes are to let them grow and sell them to earn money. Might be a good idea, actually ...
Unless I kill this or transplant it, we will have pumpkins in April ... I wonder if I can just pinch flowers all spring until about May and let it grow for foliage (my original plan with my sweet potatoes). The kids' votes are to let them grow and sell them to earn money. Might be a good idea, actually ...
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!potatoes!
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Tilde
- Green Thumb
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- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
- Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25
Holy moley it got cold this week. So much for "February", glad I held onto the freezer blankets. Those things are big, I hope my tomatoes survived.Tilde wrote:Well it's going to be warm all winter. Aren't going to hit below 60 before the new year, though some natives said it's going to get very chilly in February. Maybe I should hang onto those freezer blankets.
I sheeted my brassicas planted in the "brick wall" planter. Need to do more planting soon but life has me booked the next two weekends. Maybe when the kids are back in school I can get my lunch hour back to do garden work.
Need to start seedlings THIS WEEKEND inside ...
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Tilde
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- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
- Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25
The holidays and deadlines have been KILLER these last couple of months. Plus some other junk going on keeping me out of the garden.
But NO MORE!!!!
The RAISED BED IS DONE!!!
Most of the winter style weather is GONE!! Save a few exploded tomatoes (who knew!) my plants survived and will be transplanted into the raised bed with some garlic.
The herbs will be repotted with olla around them ...
And I have pulled half the carrots and will pull the other half this weekend, to start them and others ASAP.
I wasn't going for miniature carrots, but I sure got there:
But NO MORE!!!!
The RAISED BED IS DONE!!!
Most of the winter style weather is GONE!! Save a few exploded tomatoes (who knew!) my plants survived and will be transplanted into the raised bed with some garlic.
The herbs will be repotted with olla around them ...
And I have pulled half the carrots and will pull the other half this weekend, to start them and others ASAP.
I wasn't going for miniature carrots, but I sure got there: