How does your garden grow

[Moho81]

For those of you that have raised garden beds or boxes do you add anything at the beginning of the year to boost the nutrients in the soil? 

[phade]

15 minutes ago, Moho81 said:

For those of you that have raised garden beds or boxes do you add anything at the beginning of the year to boost the nutrients in the soil? 

raised beds garden mix

1/3 peat moss

1/3 vermiculite or split the 1/3 between this and basic clean soil

1/3 mushroom compost

This mix typically gives you good PH and a starting spot.

Mushroom compost tends to provide good organic matter yet not impact things like carrots. Using manure tends to cause problems in raised beds. Mushroom compost can be challenging to find bagged but I've had luck at Lowes specifically at multiple Lowes locations so I suspect they'll have it for you. I generally will top off raised beds with a bag of mushroom compost each spring. Vermiculite allows water retention. 

[Moho81]

3 minutes ago, phade said:

raised beds garden mix

1/3 peat moss

1/3 vermiculite or split the 1/3 between this and basic clean soil

1/3 mushroom compost

This mix typically gives you good PH and a starting spot.

Mushroom compost tends to provide good organic matter yet not impact things like carrots. Using manure tends to cause problems in raised beds. Mushroom compost can be challenging to find bagged but I've had luck at Lowes specifically at multiple Lowes locations so I suspect they'll have it for you. I generally will top off raised beds with a bag of mushroom compost each spring. Vermiculite allows water retention. 

The beds where new last year and they where started with bagged soil made for raised beds. I don't remember the brand name but it was from a local place. So if I understand you correctly just top the beds off with the mushroom compost and they should be good to go?

[phade]

1 minute ago, Moho81 said:

The beds where new last year and they where started with bagged soil made for raised beds. I don't remember the brand name but it was from a local place. So if I understand you correctly just top the beds off with the mushroom compost and they should be good to go?

Yes, about every third year I'll run a soil test just to ensure proper PH and micro nutrients are maintained. I think I've added lime once across 10 years or so based on the tests. I do supplement with fertilizer as needed based on the vegetable/fruit. 

[Five Seasons]

55 minutes ago, Moho81 said:

For those of you that have raised garden beds or boxes do you add anything at the beginning of the year to boost the nutrients in the soil? 

My beds are only a few years old and I've just been adding miracle grow garden soil every year. Mostly to raise the height of the soil in my beds and allow better access to sun. I want to start composting too, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I also have a pH probe but haven't used it. 

At other houses I've grown some of my best veggies in beds that had dinosaur dirt in them. This is horrible advice, but I'd only be too worried if I wasn't getting the growth and yield I expected, and knew variables like sun and water were not the issue.

[helmut in the bush]

I'm a fan of the black plastic, keeps the moisture and heat around the root systems, no weeds and you're not walking in mud.

Edited April 13, 2020 by helmut in the bush

[corydd7]

I'm having an issue with a couple tomato plants but besides that I'm hoping the last frost comes quick. I have about 600 sq feet to till (still) and then add cow shit. Besides that my t posts are in the ground and ready for a fence to be added. 

I sprayed some neem oil on the tomato plants, I hope they recover. 

[BizCT]

So 30lb of fast acting organic lime got delivered today. When should I put it down? I got one of those 3in1 soil test kits coming to check pH but not for another week or so. Do I wait?


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[suburbanfarmer]

On 4/14/2020 at 10:17 AM, Biz-R-OWorld said:

So 30lb of fast acting organic lime got delivered today. When should I put it down? I got one of those 3in1 soil test kits coming to check pH but not for another week or so. Do I wait?


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Best time is now . But wait for the PH test results. What if you dont need lime?

Edited April 15, 2020 by suburbanfarmer

[corydd7]

On 4/14/2020 at 10:17 AM, Biz-R-OWorld said:

So 30lb of fast acting organic lime got delivered today. When should I put it down? I got one of those 3in1 soil test kits coming to check pH but not for another week or so. Do I wait?


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Put it out asap. 30 pounds isn't going to increase your ph in a extreme way. 

[Five Seasons]

tonight looks like it may be the last night that we dip below freezing for a while in the Roc area. I plan to put stuff in the ground this weekend.

[BizCT]

Put it out asap. 30 pounds isn't going to increase your ph in a extreme way. 

It says it covers 2500-3000. The area I plan to garden with is much much smaller. Maybe 100-200sqft only. I think I’ll wait a week for tester to come.

 

 

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[BizCT]

How many square feet do I want garden? I have 56ft x 6ft to work with. So 336Sqft but I don’t want it that big. Do I make it 24x6? I want to use 8ft intervals to match fence. Or 16x6?

 

Each red line is 8ft intervals

 

 

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[BizCT]

Nobody responded in time. Dug up and turned over 12” and threw lime


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[crappyice]

Pretty pathetic!!!
Cucumber is the only thing doing ok...just transplanted the tomatoes today- basil has stayed that size for day and eggplant and jalapeño ain’t happening- only 3-4 watermelon too



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[sbuff]

Mine looks the same but it's still way early to plant outside.  We need some warmth for sure .

[Five Seasons]

may have screwed up. A few of my plants were outgrowing their seed starters and i was anxious to get them in the ground, so I put everything in last night. My plan was to cover the 2 nights this week that called for below freezing. But this morning there was a frost and my beans and cukes were all bent stalks. Corn was fine and squash is too small to bend yet. Leafy stuff all looks ok. Not sure if they will fix themselves or not. It's early and not the end of the world, and I can easily restart but I'm bummed. 

Edited April 20, 2020 by Belo

[corydd7]

I started hardening my indoor plants today and plan on putting them in the ground in about ten days. I planted about 500 parsnips 100 carrots and a row of spinach today and it feels good to get seed in actual dirt. 

Harris seeds played a little trick on me, the fencing I ordered was out of stock even though the website didn't state that so I'm going to buy some fencing for this section while I wait on the other stuff to arrive. 

Btw my wife spent about 15 minutes playing in the dirt with me before the gnats got to her.

[Otto]

20 hours ago, Belo said:

may have screwed up. A few of my plants were outgrowing their seed starters and i was anxious to get them in the ground, so I put everything in last night. My plan was to cover the 2 nights this week that called for below freezing. But this morning there was a frost and my beans and cukes were all bent stalks. Corn was fine and squash is too small to bend yet. Leafy stuff all looks ok. Not sure if they will fix themselves or not. It's early and not the end of the world, and I can easily restart but I'm bummed. 

Beans, Corn,, squash and cukes are easily started right in the ground.  Wait until soil is at least 55 degrees and plant away.   No need for started plants, they grow fast! 

[Five Seasons]

yeah the corn i think will be fine. A bean plant or 2 may survive. I'm not talking a ton of crops here, just kicking myself for jumping the gun.

[BizCT]

So does May 2-3 weekend still look good for Northern Westchester County to buy veggie plants from local nurseries and plant in ground? 

On a side note, I ordered fencing and posts but the company accidentally sent me this big tent contraption. https://www.gardeners.com/buy/3-season-raised-bed-garden-cover-4x8/8598282.html#q=3%2Bseason&simplesearch=submit&start=1  I think it would be an eyesore, so I may sell it.

[Jeremy K]

29 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

So does May 2-3 weekend still look good for Northern Westchester County to buy veggie plants from local nurseries and plant in ground? 

On a side note, I ordered fencing and posts but the company accidentally sent me this big tent contraption. https://www.gardeners.com/buy/3-season-raised-bed-garden-cover-4x8/8598282.html#q=3%2Bseason&simplesearch=submit&start=1  I think it would be an eyesore, so I may sell it.

You'll be fine biz . It's not hard to grow a garden ,the weather in our area is very forgiving for gardening. 

[Otto]

I like that cold frame thing you got.  You could put your plants in pretty early and not worry about frosts.  Take it down during the warm season, and put it back up in the fall and extend your season again.  But if you think it is an eyesore, then it does not matter.  

Personally, I would wait another week.  it was 27 degrees this am with 2 inches of snow on the ground.  OK for peas, but tomatoes would be toast.  The plant is growing in the container just as it is in the ground.  Waiting a week will not delay your crop much at all.  On the other hand, plants are pretty cheap, if you lose them unexpectedly, it is easy and not too expensive to replace.  Again, up to you. 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Otto

[BizCT]

1 minute ago, Otto said:

I like that cold frame thing you got.  You could put your plants in pretty early and not worry about frosts.  Take it down during the warm season, and put it back up in the fall and extend your season again.  But if you think it is an eyesore, then it does not matter.  

My fence arrived today actually, so i'll put the tent for sale.

[BizCT]

Pushed this soil test thing into the garden ground. First was pH, read 7 everywhere. Either all that Lime worked or I was ok anyway.

 

2nd pic is moisture which shows right In the middle, good.

 

3rd pic is sunlight. Full sun as I knew midday like this. This spot is shady all morning then sun all afternoon.

 

 

 

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