Los_Control Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 5 hours ago, Sniper said: Once I get her haphazard design out of the way I'll probably build some box planters that are low maintenance and easy to mow around. In my original post I mentioned my end goal was to lay down weed fabric, build a small deck, 8x10? then put the boxes in a horse shoe shape on the deck. Here is a photo of what someone else did. I have a similar idea. Mine I will need to step up onto the deck, wire will go to the top of the boxes and trellis above, one end will have a small work table with shelf underneath for supplies. I will run water underground to it, and then have it on drip irrigation. More effort now to build it, but later is as low maintenance as you can get. Right now I need to figure out where I want to set it in the yard. Will be interesting my first year growing a garden in this area, I will see what I can get by with in the hot weather, but looking forward to fall. You build a top kinda like this on 1 box, open it on warm days and close it at night, in our location it is possible to have a fresh green salad year around. Lettuce, spinach, radishes, onions etc... December, throw your steak on the grill and walk out and harvest a fresh salad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 I learned last night the man found a stash of green buckets in the back of the storage area....so I called and ask that another 35 be set aside for me....just picked them up a bit ago....I will set these into place soon and stagger my planting a bit.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 Awesome score! I posted earlier about ... lettuce is popping out of the ground today. I waited for the tomatoes to get going, then planted lettuce under them ... hoping the shade will keep them going longer in the hot weather. Just trim the lower 12" of the tomatoes and trim the lettuce as it grows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 I have some lettuce up and growing...it is just beside my salad onion patch...it is doing pretty good also...at this time...we are getting sufficient rainfall.... Got my inspection and a PASSED on the concrete this morning so we only hoping for good weather and no flat tires on the concrete truck come Friday morning.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 22 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said: Got my inspection and a PASSED on the concrete this morning I should call my brother and see where he is at with inspections. He lives in the PNW and south of Seattle and building his retirement home. Last I heard they would not come out to inspect the work done. And he is at the insulation inspection, last inspection before drywall, paint, finish carpenter and plumber. Only inspection after that is the final for certificate of occupancy. .... then this is Washington state ... I wonder if they did come out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulu Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 Pray for a low curl on the slab. I don't know what they're doing now days, but curling up of the slab edges seems to be an issue on lots of jobs done around here. Since the building inspectors are on lockdown here it's the perfect time to put up my new awnings and dog kennel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted May 28, 2020 Report Share Posted May 28, 2020 will have a finished edge....it is just the way this guy works...he does not like raw edge as prone to chipping...I need a new threshold pad for my sandblast building and if we have any tail on the job...will go to that...form is built...no sense to waste....no inspection on the 28" x 60" slab....? all I have left is get the water hose dragged to the site... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted May 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2020 36 minutes ago, Ulu said: Since the building inspectors are on lockdown here it's the perfect time to put up my new awnings and dog kennel. One of those issues, I just love my city and their inspectors. They will come out and discuss what you want/need and not actually charge you for a inspection fee. If you are building a new house, yes there will be paid inspections along the way. If you are working on the garage or a remodel, they will come out payment free and offer advice ... they just want you to do a good job. I LOVE TEXAS! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted July 14, 2020 Report Share Posted July 14, 2020 well garden is showing its age...the green beans are no longer blooming so pulled them and picked the last of the beans off....I then turned the soil and replanted with new bean seeds. I also transplanted a few pepper plants, pulled the squash and zucchini by the root and going instead with more cucumbers....the bucket garden has been most successful thus far...and the sweet part is...no deer, rabbit or squirrel digging and nibbling. Mums has pickled peppers, made dill pickles, frozen squash and zucchini, cooked a number mess of beans and we got a good amount of tomatoes on hand. I have not noodled the potatoes to see how they are putting on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithb7 Posted July 14, 2020 Report Share Posted July 14, 2020 (edited) This year Momma decided to nurture a garden in a little different way. Everything in pots in our courtyard. No weeds to pull. No slugs, aphids, or other critters eating anything, so far. We have easy controlled watering with a tap and hose near by. So far the deer have not dared to wander in there. Yet! They generally eat everything nice around here. We have limited veggies including a few varieties of hot peppers. A couple different types of tomatoes and a few strawberry plants. We’ve got mostly flowers. There is plenty of seating to sit out there and relax. Reading a book out there is nice and peaceful. So far we like it versus the traditional garden we used to keep. Edited July 14, 2020 by keithb7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted July 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2020 While I wont call my fist attempt at this garden zone a total waste, I am not really pleased with fruit production vrs effort put in. I have picked a few peppers so far. The tomato plant is over 5' tall, not one tomato yet. Something is eating the blossoms off it. ...no blossoms no fruit. Cantaloupe is flowering like crazy and growing up both trellis, no fruit yet, Cucumbers have just been sitting, no fruit yet, all of a sudden they are getting a burst of growth. Same with peppers, some have done nothing and just now kicking in. sweet peas hate the heat, they are not dead but need planted at cooler temps. green beans were planted a few weeks ago, they are doing fine. still have 6 weeks of triple digit temps, then plant some cooler weather crops spice garden in front is going, will need refreshed when cooler and see what comes back All first year learning experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eneto-55 Posted July 14, 2020 Report Share Posted July 14, 2020 We converted our "in the ground" garden to all box gardening several years back. Did about three boxes the first year, as a trial, then replaced the entire garden the next year, except for the rhubarb, black raspberries, & blueberries. But If you have blossoms and don't get any fruit forming, I wonder if you have any bees around. (for pollination) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted July 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2020 16 minutes ago, Eneto-55 said: If you have blossoms and don't get any fruit forming, difficult to take a photo up close with cheap phone. On the right I circled in black a young blossom. On the left in red I circled a stem where there was a blossom yesterday. Something is eating the nice fresh young flowers. .... I suspect a bird but not able to catch them yet. I may throw a net over it. A old trick is to pinch off the early blooms, let the plant concentrate on leaf and branch growth, then let flowers bloom to fruit later. I assumed by now, plant will put out enough blooms for all, but whatever it is ... is very greedy and eating all the blooms, tomorrow this bloom will be plucked clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eneto-55 Posted July 15, 2020 Report Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) 52 minutes ago, Los_Control said: difficult to take a photo up close with cheap phone. On the right I circled in black a young blossom. On the left in red I circled a stem where there was a blossom yesterday. Something is eating the nice fresh young flowers. .... I suspect a bird but not able to catch them yet. I may throw a net over it. A old trick is to pinch off the early blooms, let the plant concentrate on leaf and branch growth, then let flowers bloom to fruit later. I assumed by now, plant will put out enough blooms for all, but whatever it is ... is very greedy and eating all the blooms, tomorrow this bloom will be plucked clean. Yeah, we have to put netting over our berries, or the birds take them all. Same with the cherry tree, but we had such a late freeze, that there was almost nothing on it at all this year. (The berries were a poor crop this year as well - all over already.) Edited July 15, 2020 by Eneto-55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted July 15, 2020 Report Share Posted July 15, 2020 California back yard, no veggies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted July 15, 2020 Report Share Posted July 15, 2020 Edible flowers? DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 5, 2020 Report Share Posted August 5, 2020 The bucket garden has been a great success story. So much so that I bought 25 more buckets. Between last evening and today I managed to get these last 25 set in place, filled with dirt and cut with top soil and will transplant a couple plants to see if we can get a second crop on them also and then I wish to put in some radish and purple top turnips a bit later also. The garden is laid out for easy access with water, ability to run the mower through, wheelbarrow/wagon and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brent B3B Posted August 6, 2020 Report Share Posted August 6, 2020 On 7/14/2020 at 5:30 PM, Eneto-55 said: Yeah, we have to put netting over our berries, or the birds take them all. Same with the cherry tree, but we had such a late freeze, that there was almost nothing on it at all this year. (The berries were a poor crop this year as well - all over already.) First year in a few we haven’t had to cover the blueberries with netting in sometime. We got a cat and he has been camping out under them LOL? blueberries are now just finishing up, picked several LBS for the new freezer. (Granddaughters love snacking on them) corn is just now tasseling and silks showing... hit them with urea about 3weeks ago and WOW! My hope now is they can pollinate, I kinda planted a little close.... cause you know, more is better ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted October 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 So garden was pretty much a bust this year. First time in this gardening zone that's fine I did learn a lot. Weather is cooling down a bit finally and I think many of the birds have moved further south. October 1rst I have 2 tomato plants actually have fruit on them. First fruit all year, but the plants are old and burned out, I doubt the will actually ripen. Right now would be a perfect time to clean things up and start my cool weather crops. Temps range from 50's-mid upper 80's. I need to move the boxes, I thought the shade from the stump would help the garden in high triple digit temps, it actually hurt more then it helped. Will let the peppers finish off then remove the dirt and move the boxes, try again next year. Right now is perfect weather to work on the truck and the paint. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 sorry to hear of your poor harvest. Our garden this year was great, we still have tomatoes ripening, of course bell peppers and banana peppers seem to continue till frost gets them. Ate a couple of fall season radish the other day. My only disappointment was not getting a quality seed for the second crop green beans. Wife put away a lot of stuff for winter and made plenty of dill pickles and salsa. After the frost...will mix in some manure from the stable to compost over winter for next years planting. Will start out next year with 50 large buckets over the 25 I started with this year and I did start a bit late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted October 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 2 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said: sorry to hear of your poor harvest. May have been a poor harvest for me, birds were happy and well fed. And I learned a lot, would be interesting to start the cool weather crop ... But I learned I put the boxes in a bad location and only way to move them is a fork lift or empty the dirt ... I have no fork lift. So now is the time, just get er did. I figure life is a learning experience, as long as we are learning we are going in the correct direction. While painting today, basically was running out of paint and thinking the gun was clogged. Trying to clean the gun with the hose connected and cup full of mixed paint ....Long story short, I made a mess & I learned someway the gun was creating vacuum and paint was not gravity feeding. When I loosened the cap I could hear air escaping. And then it sprayed perfect. Just saying it was frustrating, and happened to me before, end of the day I learned something and was spraying like a pro. Only point is, I learned something new in a day and very happy ... the garden is learn something new in a season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 even a gravity gun is vented on the paint cap.....this cap must be clear and clean...they will draw a vacuum otherwise. Between coats I try to keep a small plug in my vent hole to prevent drying over between coats... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted October 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 I think I ask a ridiculous amount of questions to prepare me for painting. I never would have asked how to clear the vent hole. I needed the experience to learn the issues and then correct them. Same thing with the garden, In the past I garden in the PNW south of Seattle. Then again in Albuquerque. Just saying that ABQ is high altitude and took a learning curve. I may not be Farmer Fred but I got some decent crops. Then first year in West Texas I have issues. I have never had birds eat my crop ... That was totally out of left field. The soil I am using out of my back yard. I added a lot to it, I have some more work to get correct soil ... not perfect I just figure, as long as we are learning life is good. If I was in the 1800's and needed my crop to survive the winter we would be talking a different situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 16 minutes ago, Los_Control said: I just figure, as long as we are learning life is good. If I was in the 1800's and needed my crop to survive the winter we would be talking a different situation. you would learn to eat crow and not in a 'humbling" fashion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 We had quite the harvest this year too. We canned many pints of banana peppers and quarts of pickles. Plus a mix of tomatoes and marinara. It was interesting learning how to can food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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