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The Gardening Thread

Discussion in 'Permanent Threads' started by bewildered, May 27, 2017.

  1. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    ER Frequent Flyer Platinum Member

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    They’re insanely useful. Plus their eggs are delicious. Especially for baking. Once you’ve made brownies with duck eggs you’ll never touch a chicken egg again.

    It’s a game changer.
     
  2. Nettdata

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    Just picked up the lumber for the new wicking raised beds... 12 pieces of proper 2"x10"x12' rough cut red pine... less than $20 a board from the local sawmill. I say proper because it's a true 2" thick and 10" wide, not like the 1.5" thick and 9.5" wide bullshit you get from a big box store.

    The bed itself will be 12'x6'x30" when done. (The length and width might be just a bit under that depending on how much I have to trim the ends to get rid of the checking, but that won't matter or be noticeable).

    It's thick and sturdy enough that I won't need to stain or weatherproof it... it'll just weather and still be plenty structural for years, unlike thinner wood that would fall apart.

    IMG_5150.jpeg

    The pond liner I got is 16'x32' so I can cut it in half and save the other piece for the second one of these I might build, depending on how this one goes.
     
  3. bewildered

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    I had a plastic yogurt container full of frisbee hibiscus from the year 1999 that my aunt gave me when I was a kid.....and they are ALL coming up...
    [​IMG][​IMG]




    I sprinkled diatomaceous earth on everything this afternoon so hopefully they can survive past germination. It looks like it snowed out there. All but like 2 zinnias have been eaten. They even found tiny gaps under the edge of coverings I made for Utah sweetvetch and ate all but one or two of that.

    Gardening is turning me into a cold hearted killer. I have been smashing slugs left and right. Fuck you! And you! And you! AAAAAAnd YOU TOO!
     
  4. Nettdata

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    Got the main framing done tonight, which I'm thankful for, as it's supposed to dump down rain for the next couple of days. Much rather do this part in the warm and dry while the wood isn't wet. All that's left is to make some interior supports, some decorative corner posts, and a top rail... but that can all come later.

    IMG_5153.jpeg

    IMG_5155.jpeg


    IMG_5156.jpeg


    IMG_5157.jpeg

    The long term goal is to have the wood weather just like those sheds beside it... same wood, so it should get pretty close in a couple of years.

    Next comes the pond liner install, then draining pipe and crushed gravel.
     
  5. bewildered

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    Beer baits work! But I think they lose efficacy really fast, that first day when the smell is strong I could see slugs coming out of the woodwork to approach it but later not so much. I will definitely be buying a case of cheap beer for this project. No more Yuengling will be sacrificed on this one.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    I was telling Mom about the slug issues and apparently even for this area I am having an unusual problem. I had seedlings on the porch a month ago and could literally see slugs climbing up the louver windows to crawl into the cracks and get the seedlings. If I sat outside long enough they'd probably eat me too.

    Edit:NExt up, Yeast + sugar + water = yeasty smell, cheaper than beer.
     
    #385 bewildered, May 6, 2018
    Last edited: May 6, 2018
  6. Kubla Kahn

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    Thing is getting a cover for them to keep out rain. They make little covered dishes for this, depends on if you want to spend the money.
     
  7. Nettdata

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    I had to take a break from the wicking bed to redo all of my outside plumbing. When I went to turn the water on, some of the copper that was originally run for outside water lines was so thin that the air pressure blew it out. It wasn't frozen pipes... it was like the pipes had blisters that popped (you could hear them pop), and then the running/hissing of air, and then the spraying of water.

    Needless to say, ripped out all the old copper and replaced it all with outdoor irrigation lines. At least I now have water take-offs for some automated watering for the deck, a new hose up on the deck to make cleaning/watering easier, and some other better placements of drainage and hose valves.

    Only took me 5 trips to the Home Depot to get the right sized and angled $0.80 plastic pieces parts. Then I was ONE hose clamp short from finishing the job.

    At least it's all done now and I have water to the back yard again.
     
  8. bewildered

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    That's true, but they only seem to draw slugs for the first 12 to 16 hours because the smell Fades away, so they should be fine as long as it is not pouring down. Most of my containers are also on their side at an angle, so I can bait them with less liquid and they are slightly covered. A couple containers I have that are long and low I just covered partially with a brick. It might work out differently than I am expecting but I don't think there is any need to spend money on this project at this point.
     
  9. Nettdata

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    I am SOOO ready for the weather to stay nice and for my raised wicking bed to be magically completed by little elves.

    Seedling update:

    IMG_5178.jpeg
     
  10. binx bolling

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    Wow. That is much deeper than I thought it would be. You did excellent work there. Sunshine and soil is all that's left.
     
  11. Improper

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    So, I have been planting things outside here in May, and it has generally gone well.

    Sadly, one of the smaller jalapeños got snapped off in the fierce wind around here, broke it clean in half despite a stake and a cage. That's the stinky part.....here is the happy bit.

    I dried some Anaheim seed, but it was too late this year to really come from seed, so I zip locked it and got it stowed for next year. Earlier today, I picked up 50 feet of 4 foot wire to make more tomato caged, and what was sitting there at the box store, small, sad and lonely? A single Anaheim plant! Stocky, glossy.....a buck. $1. I totally bought it and replaced the broken plant.

    Solid upgrade.
     
  12. Nettdata

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    I basically built it based on what materials I had... I got a great deal on 2x10", so that's what I used. I didn't want to rip any of the boards, so used them as is from the mill. I thought 20" was too short, so 30" high it is. That works out pretty well... 15" of water reservoir (drainage pipe and washed gravel) and 15" of soil. I think it'll work out.

    It's also on par with the height I've seen other wicking raised beds.

    Since then I've only added some structural tie-ins (corner posts and mid-span ribs) to keep the 3 stacked boxes attached to each other, and haven't really gotten any further yet due to other things coming up and taking precedence.
     
  13. Nettdata

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    Well, some more rearranging of the indoor garden while they get bigger and I wait for good weather so they can be moved outside.

    Already have flowering tomatoes.

    IMG_5183.jpeg IMG_5182.jpeg
     
  14. Esian

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    The 5 year old was pretty desperate to start her garden again this year so we got busy yesterday.

    16' x 50' tilled up and planted with some assorted goodies for her to have some fun with.

    We tried a little smaller space last year but ended up with Sweet 100 Tomato plants seemingly everywhere. So we tried to go a little more sparingly with the planting this year in hopes that having more room around shit will make keeping up with the hoeing easier.
     

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  15. Improper

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    That looks like heaven for a 5 year old, Esian! Outstanding.

    Your soil looks awesome, too.
     
  16. Improper

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    I am getting a great snap pea harvest!

    I have 30 feet or so of them planted, they were direct sown in March. I am eating them three times a week, and they are still accelerating. Enjoying it now, the real heat of full summer will hit them hard.
     

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  17. Esian

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    It was pretty much sand 1/2 an inch down when she and I dug into it last year. So, we threw an entire pallet of cow manure in when we 'tilled it up last year. This year we added a few feet to the end to try and give some extra room and added a bunch of Morgan Composting's Dairy Doo.

    We did it last year together because she really wanted to grow tomatoes. The things I managed to learn last year were that Orange Zingers are by far my favorite cherry style tomato. I had been a Sweet 100 fan, but those things were just dynamite flavor wise and the growth habit was soooo much more manageable. The other was than San Marzano Heirloom tomatoes were packed with flavor, didn't go to shit on me, and are awesome for sandwiches as there was nearly no juice.

    Oh, and most importantly, everything outdoors can be awesome to a 4 year old. We have more potatoes planted this year than we could possibly eat just because digging them up was pretty much the best day of her life.
     
  18. Improper

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    Picking every night.
     

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  19. Nettdata

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    Got the pond liner installed tonight, along with the drainage pipe and the main feeder pipe.

    I have a trailer sitting in my driveway with 2 yards of 1" round gravel in it. I'm not looking forward to the next few days.

    IMG_5246.jpeg
     
  20. bewildered

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    My tomatoes are starting to look swell and now it is time to move. On the plus side, I looked up the average weather and precipitation and while there's not a lot of rainfall the weather is just perfect for tomatoes. If we get a house more on the outskirts of town we may have well water, which means cheap irrigation. There won't be a dead zone in the middle of the summer for tomatoes like they're usually is here because it gets so hot. I will be taking my seedbox and grow lights with me so all is not lost.

    The real bummer is at the rainbow plumeria stick that I got from my mother-in-law almost a year ago is now finally showing signs of life. This plumeria has been slapped by a little frost, rotted on the bottom, emergency amputated, and dumped over be a very uncoordinated gardener about 12 times. And NOW it is growing. I was going to take two plants with me that were given to me but now it looks like I'm up to 3. I am so glad el hubs is understanding. I already warned him about all of this. He gets me.
    [​IMG]


    I love looking out from the porch. But I did it once, and I can do it again.
    [​IMG]