REAL MAN TRUCKWORKS & SURVIVAL

FOOD CORNER => Farming, Gardening, and Raising Your Own Food => Topic started by: CLEMON on April 25, 2019, 07:30:13 PM

Title: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 25, 2019, 07:30:13 PM: I live outside of DC where land is expensive. I spent my summers on my grandparents farm in southern ohio so gardening reminds me of those days. My wife and I lived in a townhouse closer to DC and moved out to our current house with 1.5 acres 3 years ago. I started with a simple garden.

(https://i.imgur.com/lpyX4GH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Id0ujBb.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/X3oRWWL.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CJSqPeE.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ox5l7SV.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tNh53Q1.jpg)
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 25, 2019, 07:33:31 PM: Last year i had some trouble with diseases. I thought about bring in new soil but the cost deterred me. I start research straw bale gardens. This year i decided to give it a try.

I started by putting down a weed barrier:
(https://i.imgur.com/7WBLMhh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/m9hcoXP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/imOTVIO.jpg)
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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 25, 2019, 07:36:11 PM: There is a process where you put down fertilizer and water it in. Water everyday and fertilizer every other day for 2 weeks. This starts the composting process.

I also got tired of hauling water out to my garden since its a 100 yards from my house. Started with installing a drip irrigation system.

(https://i.imgur.com/Z37NVHT.jpg)
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 25, 2019, 07:37:21 PM: Thats where im at now. Ive started seeds in my shed. I also bought a rain barrel and plan to setup a battery powered, timed, pump for the irrigation.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Bigdave_185 on April 25, 2019, 08:38:37 PM: You plant the seed into the nails of hay? Interesting idea
Looks like the years past were fruitful. Love a fresh tomato

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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 25, 2019, 09:33:11 PM: If you want to plant seeds then once the bales are conditioned then you put a layer of soil down and plant the seeds. For plants, create a space, put in a little soil and then the plant
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Farmer Jon on April 26, 2019, 06:34:58 AM: Looks real nice. I was going to try that with the straw bales but then changed my mind. Instead of using plastic for a weed barrier I busted open the straw bales and spread it on the ground. That worked pretty good. Then I just till it all up in the spring and start over. I didn't want to pull up all that plastic.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Flyin6 on April 26, 2019, 11:11:54 AM: Very interesting!

I grew up North of you near the chesapeake Bay in a once little town, Abingdon, Maryland. Dad grew everything in his gardens. I was the weed puller and harvester. Things grow very well in that area. I so loved the corn, and how they cooked it!

Carry on!
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: DOOLEY on April 26, 2019, 12:04:26 PM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkJtNJqKM34, THIS COUPLE IENJOYING THE SAME TYPE OF GARDEN NORTH OF THE BORDER.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 28, 2019, 07:34:03 PM: Picked up a 50 gal rain barrel on criagslist. Bought a 12 volt pump from harbor freight and wired up a timer. Also picked up some plants from a local nursery.

(https://i.imgur.com/ht3eRY5.jpg)
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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 28, 2019, 07:34:56 PM: I'm looking to add a solar panel charge for the 12v battery. Any recommendations? I don't know much about them.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Bigdave_185 on April 28, 2019, 08:20:50 PM: Man you said some starts. Those aren’t starts. Those as big as we get around here all year

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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: stlaser on April 28, 2019, 08:43:38 PM: Dave it’s called rain, they get it we don’t. Back in Indiana those were starts and they’d end up looking like bushes....
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Bigdave_185 on April 28, 2019, 10:35:14 PM: Tomato’s the size of basketballs?

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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: wyorunner on April 28, 2019, 11:19:19 PM: Quote from: Bigdave_185 on April 28, 2019, 10:35:14 PM

Tomato’s the size of basketballs?

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No, just softballs!!!
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on April 30, 2019, 07:50:16 PM: Quote from: Bigdave_185 on April 28, 2019, 08:20:50 PM
Man you said some starts. Those aren’t starts. Those as big as we get around here all year

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Yeah, first time buying from them. I was impressed by the size.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on May 02, 2019, 08:36:18 PM: Got the tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and lettuce planted this week.
(https://i.imgur.com/HNhOibY.jpg)
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on June 23, 2019, 08:31:30 PM: Update:
(https://i.imgur.com/QsYDx5u.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/HLY1AFe.jpg)
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Bigdave_185 on June 23, 2019, 10:26:38 PM: Oh man. Fried green tomatoes and hot sauce!!

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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Sammconn on June 25, 2019, 11:52:35 AM: That was fast. Interesting with the bales.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Flyin6 on June 25, 2019, 08:52:36 PM: very nice!
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on June 25, 2019, 10:00:43 PM: Quote from: Bigdave_185 on June 23, 2019, 10:26:38 PM
Oh man. Fried green tomatoes and hot sauce!!

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Never had them before but i cant wait till these are ripe.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Bigdave_185 on June 25, 2019, 10:42:10 PM: Try it out, lots of good recipes on line. I like egg, flour, fav seasoning, and some butter in a frying pan

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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: TexasRedNeck on June 25, 2019, 10:57:45 PM: Quote from: CLEMON on June 25, 2019, 10:00:43 PM
Quote from: Bigdave_185 on June 23, 2019, 10:26:38 PM
Oh man. Fried green tomatoes and hot sauce!!

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Never had them before but i cant wait till these are ripe.

That’s the beauty. You don’t wait until the my are ripe.

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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on March 30, 2020, 09:18:43 PM: Its getting to be garden season again. This year i want to create a top structure that i can tie supports to and get plants to grow up to. I was thinking about using stainless wire to create a mesh top. I want to create something like below but im not sure how to connect to wires together at a 90 degree. Any suggestions/tips.

I could run lumber between to post to tap the wires into but was hoping to avoid that.
(https://i.imgur.com/pr3GGLz.png)
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Bigdave_185 on March 30, 2020, 10:06:30 PM: Any reason you couldn’t build a grid like rebar is in a floor? Use tie wire and when attaching it to the wood use barbwire fence nails.

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Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Atkinsmatt on March 31, 2020, 07:24:40 AM: What size? You could get a hog panel that is already welded and all. They are about 4' by 12' around here. Tractor supply.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: cruizng on March 31, 2020, 09:48:18 AM: I use this for almost anything with Stainless wire. You can do almost any size and it holds like crazy. you just wrap a couple of times and then screw it down, fold it over and cut off the tails.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/clamptitetoolplated.php?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1Iv0BRDaARIsAGTWD1uoZw0MrYQX4xT9JyXyAloZSXZh4qGgDdx9_suFzOfg-mXxGLef_u0aAkeIEALw_wcB
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: Nate on March 31, 2020, 11:52:25 AM: Quote from: cruizng on March 31, 2020, 09:48:18 AM
I use this for almost anything with Stainless wire. You can do almost any size and it holds like crazy. you just wrap a couple of times and then screw it down, fold it over and cut off the tails.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/clamptitetoolplated.php?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1Iv0BRDaARIsAGTWD1uoZw0MrYQX4xT9JyXyAloZSXZh4qGgDdx9_suFzOfg-mXxGLef_u0aAkeIEALw_wcB

that is an awesome tool!!

that just went into my cart at amazon!
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: KensAuto on March 31, 2020, 01:40:15 PM: That is pretty cool.
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: CLEMON on March 31, 2020, 10:17:55 PM: Quote from: Bigdave_185 on March 30, 2020, 10:06:30 PM
Any reason you couldn’t build a grid like rebar is in a floor? Use tie wire and when attaching it to the wood use barbwire fence nails.

I could but not really what i want.

Quote from: Atkinsmatt on March 31, 2020, 07:24:40 AM
What size? You could get a hog panel that is already welded and all. They are about 4' by 12' around here. Tractor supply.

its 14' x 16'

Quote from: cruizng on March 31, 2020, 09:48:18 AM
I use this for almost anything with Stainless wire. You can do almost any size and it holds like crazy. you just wrap a couple of times and then screw it down, fold it over and cut off the tails.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/clamptitetoolplated.php?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1Iv0BRDaARIsAGTWD1uoZw0MrYQX4xT9JyXyAloZSXZh4qGgDdx9_suFzOfg-mXxGLef_u0aAkeIEALw_wcB

Not completely understanding how this allows me to tie a wire to wire and not have it slide. ill look into it some more
Title: Re: Small Garden
Post by: cruizng on April 01, 2020, 08:58:02 AM: Not completely understanding how this allows me to tie a wire to wire and not have it slide. ill look into it some more
[/quote]

Similar to rebar. Wrap diagonal and then cinch it up with device. The stainless wire would bite into to grid wire.

https://youtu.be/ckwo7Bznvpk