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Thread: Pics of my garden's progress

  1. #1

    Default Pics of my garden's progress

    The last two years I've had very spotty results with the soil in these GA Mountains. This year I've tried sheet mulching in raised beds in an attempt to enrich the soil. This is a totally new experiment so we'll see what happens! Here are some pics:

    Kinda, more or less, how I do sheet mulching (Idea from the book "Gaia's Garden")
    1. Break the soil down about 10" with a broad fork to loosen and aerate.
    2. Spread ammendments: Horse/cow/chicken manure, Blood meal, Bone meal, Green sand (whatever the soil analysis requires)
    3. Layer of newspaper, cardboard, carpenter's paper, any natural weed block (I like carpenter's paper cause it's already 3' wide)
    4. About 6-8 inches wheat straw or hay (any good mulch)
    5. Heavy layer of wood chip mulch
    6. Couple inches Compost on top

    If the bed's "cooked" for 6+ months I just plant right in it after putting the compost on top.
    If it's a new bed I dig down through the straw, cut the paper, fill the hole with potting mix and plant in the potting mix.

    Some peas, sugar snaps, Cabbage with a huge volunteer mullen in the back ground in a bed I'm letting "rest." Gonna let the mullen grow and save the seed.
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    Some tomatoes, peppers, onions, basil, squash and cukes in the background
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    Some Rattlesnake beans just pokin' their heads up. Beds in the background for Purple Hull Peas.
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    Some Bloomin' Cukes!
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  2. #2
    Senior Member cowgirlup's Avatar
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    Well, it looks good to me! I hope to get some manure on mine and get it tilled by tuesday. It's been slow going because there seems to be a shortage of composted cow poopie in this area.
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  3. #3

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    Good luck on the cow poopie. I've got a horse stable just across the road and now that I have my tractor with a loader I'm gonna haul some poopie!!!
    when it comes to relationships, the line between helpful & hurtful is difficult to draw, but easy to cross

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    Junior Member angelhelpreiki's Avatar
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    We lucked onto a source of horse & chicken manure recently. I hope this weekend we can make another trip to his farm and fill my back seat one bag at a time. I line the car with a tarp, then fill bags and plop 'em in the back.
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    Could be quite odoriferous but your plant buddies will love it.
    when it comes to relationships, the line between helpful & hurtful is difficult to draw, but easy to cross

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Chicken manure is pretty good stuff. Very high in nitrogen in most cases. However, unlike cow pockey chicken manure varies not only by what kind of chicken but what they are fed. Chicken poop isn't just chicken poop any more. Here's a good source from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to tell you which is best and what it contains and how best to use it.

    http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publication...cts/AG-439-05/

    geron - A good way to test your soil is called the jar of water test. It's free and easy and will give you some great information on your soil type.

    Here's a good source that explains it and a follow up diagram.

    http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jar.../bocal_eau.htm

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    I like raised beds a lot. My whole garden is raised in fact. I'm broken hearted looking at all these pictures. I can't garden this year and it's killing me.
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  7. #7

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    Wealth of information on manure.
    I've done the jar test and was much more "sandy" than I had thought. Stands to reason though, being in the flood plane of a creek. Going to do the jar test again with a broader sampling just to confirm.
    when it comes to relationships, the line between helpful & hurtful is difficult to draw, but easy to cross

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Melons should do great if you are sandy. They love sand.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Your garden is looking good Geron.
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    Senior Member Solar Geek's Avatar
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    Geron how are you keeping out deer, coons, etc? I did not see any fencing and was fairly sure you don't stay up all night waiting for the varmints?
    Good to see you here also
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  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Solar Geek View Post
    Geron how are you keeping out deer, coons, etc? I did not see any fencing and was fairly sure you don't stay up all night waiting for the varmints?
    Good to see you here also
    I've not had difficulties . . . yet!!!! We have numerous deer but the dogs seem to keep them at bay. Just trapped and disposed of 2 groundhogs. Rabbits are scarce around here most likely due to coyotes, fox, and "barn cats." I'm just hoping it stays that way.
    when it comes to relationships, the line between helpful & hurtful is difficult to draw, but easy to cross

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