Post by: sideways on February 20, 2016, 06:51:38 PM
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160220/21890133b67454966317d032c13232c6.jpg)
Started to till for onions but the ground is too hard. We are going to wait for the rain tomorrow. Current state.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160220/ba514c14f8ca088aa63b23d0c90c32aa.jpg)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: Flyin6 on February 20, 2016, 09:58:30 PM
Where is that little piece of heaven?
Post by: sideways on February 21, 2016, 09:42:26 AM
Post by: sideways on February 21, 2016, 10:47:16 AM
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160221/52d42fb8298b6d527ac1b951d455d2c8.jpg)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: Flyin6 on February 21, 2016, 06:34:07 PM
Post by: TexasRedNeck on February 21, 2016, 08:58:21 PM
Navarro Mills, Texas. It has been a very warm winter here. I think the lowest temp we had was 29 degrees.
That's not far from here. Houston during the week and Crockett on the weekends
Post by: Farmer Jon on February 22, 2016, 07:35:45 AM
Post by: KensAuto on February 22, 2016, 09:09:59 AM
Post by: sideways on February 22, 2016, 01:37:54 PM
I just need to go get the lumber and fill clean fill dirt sometime this week.
Post by: sideways on February 22, 2016, 01:43:15 PM
Navarro Mills, Texas. It has been a very warm winter here. I think the lowest temp we had was 29 degrees.
That's not far from here. Houston during the week and Crockett on the weekends
I shot a few pigs on a ranch just outside of Crockett a few years ago.
Post by: TexasRedNeck on February 22, 2016, 10:58:07 PM
I just started heirloom tomatoes, squash, cucumber, cilantro and zuchini in my peat pots. waiting to sow the onions directly into the ground and getting my hot pepper and bell pepper started later this week.
Post by: sideways on February 23, 2016, 07:42:50 AM
Weeds don't grow in raised beds??? Someone needs to tell my plants that....
I just started heirloom tomatoes, squash, cucumber, cilantro and zuchini in my peat pots. waiting to sow the onions directly into the ground and getting my hot pepper and bell pepper started later this week.
yes they do but they are easier to prevent and pull.
Post by: Farmer Jon on February 23, 2016, 08:10:21 AM
Post by: TexasRedNeck on February 23, 2016, 09:05:35 AM
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: Bob Smith on February 23, 2016, 10:37:34 PM
Yep. Same here. Hay for just that reason
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Straw would work better, no seeds
Post by: TexasRedNeck on February 24, 2016, 08:08:25 AM
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Post by: Nate on February 24, 2016, 08:28:34 AM
http://www.gardensalive.com/product/dont-confuse-straw-with-hay-or-hay-with-straw-what-about-straw-bale-gardening/you_bet_your_garden
Post by: Bear9350 on February 24, 2016, 10:20:13 AM
here yah go RN
http://www.gardensalive.com/product/dont-confuse-straw-with-hay-or-hay-with-straw-what-about-straw-bale-gardening/you_bet_your_garden
Growing up on a farm I am always surprised when I run into people who do not know the difference between hay and straw. Around here people also bail or chop a lot of Canary grass to use as bedding. Usually it is grass that grows in low/wet areas machinery can't get into to plant but in the middle of summer you can get into. Generally they don't feed this to the animal but because it is being bailed or chopped whole there would be seeds in it also.
Post by: Dawg25385 on February 24, 2016, 02:49:41 PM
Post by: stlaser on February 24, 2016, 03:05:08 PM
What's the difference? Sorry for the ignorance.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I'm allergic to hay not straw..... ;)
Post by: KensAuto on February 24, 2016, 03:34:50 PM
Hay is a generic term for bailed feed. There's alfalfa hay, bermuda hay, etc.
Now, come to think of it, I've never heard anyone ask for straw hay....just a bale of straw. hmmm my head hurts again.
Post by: Bear9350 on February 24, 2016, 03:46:31 PM
So, you get hayfever?
Hay is a generic term for bailed feed. There's alfalfa hay, bermuda hay, etc.
Now, come to think of it, I've never heard anyone ask for straw hay....just a bale of straw. hmmm my head hurts again.
Just like hay you can have oat straw, barley straw, wheat straw etc. Hay is harvested with the intent of feeding. Generally it is more grass like. It is cut at a certain time while it is still green and has nutrients in it, generally dried in the field and then bailed or somehow collected off the field.
In my area oats are commonly planted. When the oat seeds (grain) dries on the plant it is harvested. The stalk of the plant is left in the field. If that by-product is bailed it would be called a bail of straw. Straw generally comes from your grain plants.
Post by: stlaser on February 24, 2016, 03:50:34 PM
So, you get hayfever?
Hay is a generic term for bailed feed. There's alfalfa hay, bermuda hay, etc.
Now, come to think of it, I've never heard anyone ask for straw hay....just a bale of straw. hmmm my head hurts again.
Kinda, have seasonal allergies normally twice a year. I take a nasal spray and I'm good. Unless I'm around the dozen or so other things that I'm allergic to such as cats and horses (now you know why I shoot cats). Alfalfa hay will straight put me down, causes me to have severe asthmatic symptoms. My wife didn't believe me when we were first married. Her Dad who has screwed up shoulders (injured beyond repair long ago) brought home a wagon of alfalfa hay. Long story short I unloaded it to prove my point.......... She didn't ask me to ever do that again!
Post by: TexasRedNeck on February 24, 2016, 09:53:01 PM
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: Farmer Jon on February 25, 2016, 07:33:06 AM
FYI Wheat straw is more absorbent than oat straw.
Post by: Nate on February 25, 2016, 11:30:00 AM
https://www.facebook.com/AgricultureTechnologies/videos/1320214691337561/?fref=nf
Post by: sideways on February 27, 2016, 11:11:42 AM
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160227/cb69ffcef1009b68d0fd42ca70202335.jpg)
The ground softened up after the rain so I could till it (wife working again)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160227/29822c88f8f0d5d9704a85647817f4bf.jpg)
Post by: stlaser on February 27, 2016, 01:49:05 PM
Post by: sideways on February 27, 2016, 02:09:27 PM
onion sets in the ground and reneck mulch is on.(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160227/9c901bcaa53271180f976e532fcd8905.jpg)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: sideways on February 28, 2016, 04:59:00 PM
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160228/2441052bd54ce61b4ec6403032d07f93.jpg)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: Farmer Jon on February 29, 2016, 08:02:22 AM
Post by: sideways on March 07, 2016, 12:22:34 PM
Picked some asparagus today
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: Wilbur on March 25, 2016, 12:00:10 PM
I am a huge fan of mulching gardens to lessen the amount of weeds I need to pick (no lazy comments needed ha!). Growing up we used hay, but as others have said the seeds do bring more grasses to the garden overall. I should probably use straw. I dump all my grass clippings in the garden. What started for me as pretty lousy soil is right now after 15+ years the most fertile soil I have ever seen. Deep black and rich it will grow stuff like the dickens.
I saw a video a few years back that was a guy that has a huge garden in the PNW somewhere who uses wood chips in his garden. He just keeps adding them to the garden but it does the same thing as hay or straw, holds moisture and adds nutrients as the wood chips break down. I am thinking about going that route.
My garden is not too big- about 50x35. I plant the usual suspects. Have never done corn although I would like to try it. Get tons of beans, tomatoes, peppers, squashes. The squashes are dangerous....the dang leaves get so big they hide them if Im not careful. I've had zucchini's that are 20" long and 6 inches across, and surprisingly still pretty good (although I like them smaller).
I use a modified Japanese tomato ring for my tomatoes. If you aren't familiar with them they're worth a look- its basically growing tomatoes around a wire cage that over time as the plant grows you fill with mulch. As the tomato plant grows taller the branches on the "ring side" grow into the cage (sometimes you have to help them) and then as you add additional layers of mulch covering the branches they become additional root systems holding the plant in place and feeding it nutrients (kind of like when I first plant tomatoes I put the whole plant except the top couple of inches in the ground- the existing branches just change into more roots once buried. Anywho it holds the plants upright pretty well as the whole side is "anchored" to the ring and it gives it a much larger root system to get nutrients and water from. so the tomatoes grow like mad. I don't use a true wire ring I just made 6 "columns" out of wood and wrapped them with 2x4 inch welded wire fence. I fill the bottom few inches or so with rocks for stability and plant four plants around each one. Some times the plants get so big I have to stake the columns down. But it works really well. Plus in the summer I don't water the plants I just water the "column".
I also tried some "panels" to grow cukes on. These are tilted at sort of a 45 degree angle. The premise is that the leaves cover the wire, the cukes themselves hang down through the welded wire panel for easy picking. But also they provide shade to grow lettuce underneath so the lettuce doesn't bolt. It sort of worked but I need to adjust the angle or something as it was a total pita to get to the lettuce so that's a work in progress.
Another thing I always like growing is pea pods. Grow them on one of the outside fences. When the kids were little I would always grow about 30-40' of them. But for years that I grew them I think we actually got one meal out of them? The kids would just line up picking and eating them right off the vine. I never minded that we didn't get any meals from them. Best snacks ever and never any whining about "we want candy" or whatever. They would be playing hard, take a break, munch some pea pods, right back to playing.
You guys with asparagus are making my mouth water. For some reason (and every darn year I kick myself) I never put in an asparagus bed. Growing up we had one and nothing better than cutting some, bringing them right in, give them a rinse and steam them- from bed to plate in like 10 minutes. I have always been meaning to but I just haven't. I LOVE asparagus!
I'll shut up now. ha!
Post by: sideways on March 25, 2016, 12:03:20 PM
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160325/946b4ad812fc409f9080af428d05ac33.jpg)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: sideways on March 25, 2016, 12:04:10 PM
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160325/4e9b61a5b7aa39bd03754e3f5969ea2f.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160325/fef7268369a9d5b9df85514f4b685b1b.jpg)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: sideways on March 25, 2016, 12:06:29 PM
I had to make two trips at 4 yards each trip. ( forgot to take pictures)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: sideways on March 25, 2016, 12:08:05 PM
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160325/8ad4f208ab8f43c5bfdea5fe4bfe803f.jpg)
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Post by: Wilbur on March 25, 2016, 06:20:38 PM