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The Gardening Thread

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

  1. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    Think of it more like a wire mesh panel with a box frame around it, that would go up vertically beside the plants, so you can weave the plants between the mesh. The box frame would just be aluminum square tubing.
     
  2. Nettdata

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    Mr. Toast

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    The tomatoes are starting to ripen up now. Harvested 3 of them so far, hopefully the weather plays nice. (it got down to 9 deg C last night).

    I’ve never had such large and dense yields before.

    DBCC8E22-0CA3-420F-9741-C69C56EAE32C.jpeg B7F625E1-B44C-48A8-BFAD-590B34A99874.jpeg
     
  3. Nettdata

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    Mr. Toast

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    Been a few weeks, but the harvest is picking up (despite the cold weather and the dead cucumbers). Now it's pretty well a shit-ton of tomatoes and peppers:
    harvest.jpg

    Not sure how much longer it will last as we're getting really close to freezing these days, but hopefully it'll keep up.

    I've been using that tomato press a lot and have a lot of tomatoes processed and ready for use over the winter...
     
  4. Nettdata

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    Mr. Toast

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    FYI, that tomato harvest is pretty well daily, and the peppers every 3-4 days.
     
  5. Nettdata

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    Mr. Toast

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    Dehydrating some tomatoes and hot peppers in the shop:

    45A32775-C069-4C66-B596-6AF1F89D4AF3.jpeg
     
  6. walt

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    I mentioned it earlier in the year, but I went ahead and got a grow light in order to keep herbs going all Winter. Rosemary is a tough one I guess, and in the past I think I overwatered it in addition to lack of sun. So we'll see how this works:

    Screen Shot 2019-10-15 at 5.30.24 PM.png
     
  7. scotchcrotch

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    How do you store those?

    I’m afraid a ziplock bag might cause mold, even with the smallest amount of moisture left in those peppers.

    Would a paper bag cause them to go stale?
     
  8. Nettdata

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    I put them in a mason jar, lid on, with a food-safe dessicant pack in them, in the fridge.
     
  9. Revengeofthenerds

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    stomach
     
  10. Nettdata

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    The weather is starting to turn to shit, so I'm pushing to get my 2nd raised wicking bed done... so did a bit of work on it today.

    The biggest problem I have is that the wood I got from the sawmill was shit and is now warping like crazy, so I had to come up with a way to fill the gaps.

    I opted to line it with cheap plywood that was on sale at Home Despot today, so for $20 I got a half-decent liner for the box.

    I'm applying some stuff I learned the hard way from the first one... I put 4" of sand in the bottom of the box, on top of some landscaping fabric. This will help keep the weeds from growing up and puncturing the pond liner, while at the same time the sand will help smooth things out and reduce the abrasions against the pond liner.

    Same goes with the plywood liner... not only will it fill in the crazy big gaps that formed between the slabs, it'll provide a nice smooth surface that the pond liner will push up against... which can't be a bad thing.

    The other major thing I learned was how to actually attach the pond liner. Last time, I installed it, stapled it, cut it, and then filled it. Yeah... no.... totally backwards.

    This time I'm just laying the liner in there and filling it, ensuring that it fits into all the corners without any stress. Once it's full, I'll install the overflow pipe, staple it well above the water line, and then trim it to size.

    It's also pretty funny how the local racoons have been running around in the sand... I'm hoping it's because I left the wheelbarrow plank up on the end, and they just wandered up there and dropped in. I really don't want them to climb or jump into the box, full of water, and puncture the pond liner with their claws. Here's hoping.


    IMG_6955.jpeg

    IMG_6956.jpeg
     
  11. Nettdata

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    Today was the day that I decided to kill off the tomato garden and pick the final harvest. There's a bunch of cold, wet weather coming in so frost is probably going to hit sometime soon, so might as well get it all in while the weather was nice.

    Needless to say there was a fair bit left on the vines:

    IMG_3680.jpeg
     
  12. Improper

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    Nice haul, man!

    Same kind of thing is happening here, as the overnights get progressively cooler. I am down to a handful of things to harvest, but I am expecting the last harvest soon.
     
  13. bewildered

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    Spent my birthday doing some gardening stuff. BEST DAY EVER. I have a wire rack for extra plants (I propagated way too many Hawaiian air plants...and continue to do so... and am running out of space for indoor plants. Someone send help) near a window and turned the bottom shelf into a grow area. I planted basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, peppermint. Also a row of baby bok choy. The bigger pots of Hawaiian air plants were in the window but they are starting to stretch and their leaves have been brittle. I don't think they are getting enough light so hopefully I can rehab them a little with the supplemental light.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



    I have also started a mason jar of broccoli microgreens so I'll have some good stuff to eat all winter. It's cold and dark outside but where there is a will to garden there is a way. I do the jar tipped in a bowl method. Right now the jar is covered with cheesecloth which is really not ideal. I ordered a pair of wide mouth jar sprouting lids but it'll be a day or two before they arrive. I was able to find the sprouting seeds cheaper than online at the local health food store which I was super psyched about. I picked up broccoli, alfalfa, diakon radish, and a "protein powerhouse" blend that is different types of beans. I also have a huge sack of chia seeds in the pantry.

    [​IMG]


    Today I also repotted proplifted succulents that were starting to have some good healthy growth. If I am in the mood, a lot of the time when I visit home depot I pick up pieces of succulents on the ground and stick them in a big plastic multi pot on that wire plant rack. Then once I have a batch that look good (a lot will end up rotting... I probably have a 30-40% grow rate) I find a cute planter and repot for them to fill in. Here is the new one and the one from last season. That rock rose is about to come outta there, it's looking scrappy.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    I've had a lot of time to think about last season's garden. Last season was a lot of fun but I definitely learned a lot about what I'll actually use and how prolific certain plants are. I have a lot of seeds already to use for next season but will need to buy specific pepper seeds and am looking through the Baker Creek seed book now.

    Anyone else gearing up or mentally preparing for next spring?
     
  14. Nettdata

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    Mr. Toast

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    Very nice!

    I’m on track to have my new seedlings planted in my automated rig, and will have version 2 of that automation software deployed, all by the New Year. Just started 2weeks of vacation to do exactly that, and more.
     
  15. bewildered

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    Automating everything is such a cool concept. The most automation I can accomplish is timers on the soaker hoses. Luckily it pretty much never rains here in the growing season (well, not lucky for my water bill) so it's a safe bet to just water on a schedule and not be in danger of oversaturating the plants. Speaking of which, are you going to be working on your watering frame or is that a later project?
     
  16. Improper

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    Ha. Bewildered, I am right there with you on the broccoli sprouts. Great minds, all that.
     

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  17. Nettdata

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    The watering frame will be a Spring project... when the snow starts to melt and it's time to go prep the beds, I'll start welding it up. It should be pretty simple, I think, so should only take a few hours over a weekend, knock on wood. If I get bored between now and then I might do up a few inside test pieces to validate the thing. Right now my big concern is any kind of algae or bio crud that might grow in it, and I'm working through how to not let that be a problem. I think as long as I run it with fresh hose water, and drain it every time, it's not going to be an issue.
     
  18. Nettdata

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    Mr. Toast

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    In other news, @Frebis is a Nerd.
     
  19. bewildered

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    Sweet! Do you do any other sprouts or just broccoli? What do you like to do with yours?

    I've done mung beans in the past for a salad topper but with the new seeds I'm thinking greenery/crunch for sandwiches and maybe some little side salads with a tangy vinegerette.
     
  20. bewildered

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    A question for you gardeners:
    Do you have a variety of bell pepper that you love due to its big fruit and heavy yields? I'm looking for a good green and red bell pepper variety for the spring. Maybe even a yellow or orange if the variety is superb.

    I am searching now and feel like the description for each is just copied and pasted from one variety to the next. I've done emerald giant and rainbow bells in the past but wasn't really impressed with either variety.