Starting Peas in a Gutter

[DoubleDogFarm]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC02052.jpg[/img]

Planted peas in this gutter about a week ago. When they reach about 2" tall or so, I'll take them out and plant. Should be able to remove the end cap and slide the whole mass right into a prepared trench. I'm also trying this with Scarlet Runner beans.

If this works, I could see it used for all kinds of greens, but maybe not root crops.

What do you think

[Lupinus]

Provided they put off enough roots to hold the soil together and slide out nicely sounds like a good idea for anything you plan to put into rows, and will be small enough at transplant time that the depth of the gutter is sufficient of course.

[DoubleDogFarm]

lupinus,

I'm think on the next test, I will lay down a strip of burlap before the soil. The roots would grow into it. Then I could pull the mass out of the gutter or stake down the burlap and pull the gutter away.

[GardenJester]

so... pea in the gutter?

[DoubleDogFarm]

yeah yeah better peeing, the sleeping

[DoubleDogFarm]

Photo update. I think I should have sown a little more heavy.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC02092.jpg[/img]

[DoubleDogFarm]

Well, I think it's a winner! With a little shaking the peas and soil came right out.

These are Oregon Sugar pod II. NowI'll plant snap peas.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/DSC02093.jpg[/img]

[applestar]

Wow, and instant garden!
They look so healthy too. Great job!

[jal_ut]

Hey! Looking good. I grew the Oregon variety last year. They did well here. I did not trellis them. I think the sugar snaps will grow much taller.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Here's another update.

Scarlet runner beans, almost ready to go outside.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC02114.jpg[/img]

Second planting of peas. Snap peas this time.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC02115.jpg[/img]

The peas I transplanted earlier are doing well.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/DSC02117.jpg[/img]

[barbelle]

Wow!! That's a great idea! I 'll have to try that out when I have more space. I am currently working out of containers.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Thank you,

It gets the the starts ahead of the birds also. Last year I direct seeded my beans and the birds chewed them off.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Well it's that time of year again and my mine is back in the gutter.

I'm starting off with Super Sugar Snap. These will definitely need trellised. The packet says 5 1/2 feet tall.

My seed mix is half horse stall manure and half seed starting peat moss. I believe the peat has a little lime in it. The seed were not inoculated. The mix scares me a bit. I'm thinking it's way to rich. Will see.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03183.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03186.jpg[/img]

Eric

[Duh_Vinci]

Clever idea, and looks like it's working great for you, well done!!!

Regards,
D

[Bobberman]

Very good idea! if you added sand or perlite to the very bottom it may slide out easier. I will try it with shorter lengths. The way I use to do it was to take sections out of my boxes like I would a slice of cake. Lettuce works great that way by planting it in 6 inch square slices and just setting it in a wide row. I also do something similar with my cold frames and use a flat small shovel and take what I have growing out is small 9 inch areas then lay it in my garden just dig under the plant a few inches and don't disturb the roots. I transplant sunflowers all the time even when they are 3 feet high on a wet day only.

[Gary350]

That is a very interesting idea. My house gutters get full or rotted leaves and it looks like compost. I wonder if I can throw a hand full of peas on the roof and let them roll down into the gutters and grow. Wonder how it would work to have peas hanging from the gutters all the way around the house.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Frank,

I like your perlite in the bottom idea. It may help a little with drainage along with the ball bearing idea of sliding out.

Gary350,

I think you should try it. I wonder if the vine would kink under the load or pull out of the gutter.

Eric

[DoubleDogFarm]

Photo update March 10th 2011
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03240.jpg[/img]

Eric

[Bobberman]

When I load manure on my pick up I put a rug down upside down on the bed then when the manure is mostly off the truck I slide the rest of the manure off by sliding the rug off and have no mess in the bed! What if you placed a piece of netting or burlap in the drain pipe under the dirt and it would slide off when you pull the burlap. Just leave the burlap rot underneath the dirt in the garden! Even a old bed sheet would work cut in a strip or something else I know you will think of!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Frank,

Read back earlier in this post. I thought about the burlap idea and your right, it should work.

Eric

[Bobberman]

I think I have even a better idea yet. A flat piece of something like aluminum layed in the gutter that is thin and will slide easy is the key! Put your gutter down on the ground in front of the row & just slide the aluminum strip onto the row. Now you have the dirt in place with no harm to the roots and a thin piece of alum under the new row. now just slide the alum out from under the ground and everything is in place. Wet the soil before you slide the thin piece out and it should come straight out! A thin piece of plexaglass would also work! A little sand under the thin piece would make it slide out easy. I think this is a nice way to start a whole row at one time. I will try this this weekend. Thanks for the idea! The pictures really help!

[alaskagold]

I won't be doing this method until next year. I just don't have the room.

ddf you have some very good ideas.

bobber you do as well.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Thank You.

[GardenRN]

Way nice Eric! I may have to try this next year. Would it help to have a piece of wood in one end to push everything out or did it slide out that easy? Must have required minimal effort if you're doing it again. I like it! This could be useful for all kinds of beans and everything. I'd especially like it for lettuce since I seem to have a problem transplanting it.

Big thumbs up!

[applestar]

You slid them out by tipping the gutter along the long edge, right?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Last year I slid them out the end. I guess if they give me trouble I will just remove in chunks with a hand hoe.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/Topbmp-1.jpg[/img]

Eric

[Bobberman]

Just like pouring cement! Don't worr by this time next year the dog will have it down pat! I am happy today they ran my bobber article I wrote in the Skuttlebutt great lakes magazine spring fishing issue! Maybe we can get something printed in mother earth magazine soon! This forum has lots of great ideas!

[DoubleDogFarm]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/DSC03267.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/DSC03269.jpg[/img]



Planted the Super Sugar Snaps in one long row. Theses will be trellised. I will fill in East and West with lettuce, chard, spinach, etc..

Covered with a low tunnel mostly to be protected from the Flying Muscovies.

Eric

[garden5]

Looking good, Eric. I like the idea of planting the cool crops all together so that by the time the heat comes, you will have one large area that you can plant all up with beans, squash, etc.

Usually, I have my cool-whether crops scattered about, so I only have a free row here or there.

Oh, and your comment about the muscovies got me thinking. Some folks have ducks and chickens and let them go in the garden and have not trouble with them at all. Others.....well, you can imagine. I wonder why that is? Different breeds perhaps?

[soil]

Others.....well, you can imagine. I wonder why that is? Different breeds perhaps?

its all on how they are raised from birth imo. chickens that eat bugs all day long from a chick will go look for bugs and the occasional green. chicken that get fed kitchen scraps, and garden scraps. will immediately go for your food crops as that's what they recognize as food, and of course instinct will tell them to eat bugs too.

[DoubleDogFarm]

My ducks and Muscovies are pasture raised. I encourage them to forage for themselves. They only get layer pellets when I put them away at night. Muscovies are a lot like geese, main diet is vegetation so all the leafy greens is fair game. I always win in the end, if you know what I mean.

Eric