Gardens

[mitchntx]

8 inches tall ... 2x8s - 2x4s would have been fine.

Like I said, the August sun was brutal. But we kept the tomatoes alive and overtime harvested another short bushell up until late October.

Worms were horrible, but seemed to be most active at dusk. The wife diligently combed the plants and gave them a soapy bath.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Have you found an effective method of controlling Horn-worm infestations? We plant flowering herbs to attract braconid Wasps but it doesn't work. Hand-picking is effective but time consuming and nasty.

I haven't had issues with them.

I do lightly spray everything with a mixture of garlic, peppers and a touch of dish soap a couple times a week.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I have three main raised beds, all 12" high. They're about 4' wide by about 25' long, each.

I used the wood planks from an old fence I replaced, screwed them into some 2x4 stakes I pounded into the ground every 5'. Used to be pressure treated but after being in the elements on the fence for a decade or so anything that was going to leach out would have already. Cheap and effective.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I have a little different setup now but still using these beds.

I'm espalier 'ing some dwarf apple trees on the south side of that fence. I have another bed about the same size not in the picture for blackberries and herbs.

 

[HKaltwasser]

Go to natural gardener and get a couple of yards of hill country garden soil. Mix some perlite , vermiculite, and Worm castings. Liquid seaweed is great to fertilize with.

Perlite, vermiculite and castings are great soil conditioners. Castings have a lot of micro nutrients that keep plants healthy. Ironite is another great product for Iron and Nitrogen.

Water with rain water if possible, Austin and well water are hard.....making it block essential nutrients. PH level.

If you are near the hill country, you're welcome to use my trailer to get some.

 

[breakingcontact]

View attachment 26434

I have a little different setup now but still using these beds.

I'm espalier 'ing some dwarf apple trees on the south side of that fence. I have another bed about the same size not in the picture for blackberries and herbs.

This pic helps a lot.

This is pretty well what I've envisioned doing. Thanks!

Now I need to learn what plants can grow vertically (other than tomatoes).

 

[breakingcontact]

Go to natural gardener and get a couple of yards of hill country garden soil. Mix some perlite , vermiculite, and Worm castings. Liquid seaweed is great to fertilize with.

Perlite, vermiculite and castings are great soil conditioners. Castings have a lot of micro nutrients that keep plants healthy. Ironite is another great product for Iron and Nitrogen.

Water with rain water if possible, Austin and well water are hard.....making it block essential nutrients. PH level.

If you are near the hill country, you're welcome to use my trailer to get some.

I'm in Leander. Much appreciate the offer.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I use the A frames for cucumbers, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and watermelon.

This pic was from earlier in the summer. By late summer my okra in the background was over 7' tall and my tomatoes were over 6' tall. Basil grew really well and my sweet potatoes turned out great. I still have sweet potatoes on the shelf and pickles in the pantry enough to last me through to summer.

I'm still experimenting with others but okra, tomato, cucumber and sweet potatoes will be annual staples for sure. They produce really well and we like em. I think I'm dropping the melons this year; I'm going to use that space for something different.

There's some vertical grow towers that are supposed to work well if you want to run aqua or hydroponics, but I haven't had a chance to check them out. You might check them out...
http://brightagrotech.com/#2723

 

[HighplainsMudder]

If you add beer to the soap spray it works a little better, soap breaks the surface tension and the alcohol kills. As for the cantaloupe and cucumbers I set 2 4x4s upright and the attach 2x4s from one to the other at top and bottom. Add chicken wire between and in the fall you just have to cut the plants at the ground and disconnect the wire row it up and toss.

 

[breakingcontact]

Ordered the book Sapper mentioned. Measured off my plots last weekend. Now I just need to get some seeds, dirt and building materials.

 

[breakingcontact]

Worked on it all week! Thanks for all the tips

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Worked on it all week! Thanks for all the tips

Nice!

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

My seeds are all started except for Okra and my sweet potatoes are sprouting as well. Can't wait for another grow season!

 

[breakingcontact]

So I need to plant like soon?

 

[mitchntx]

Our garden ...

Two of these trays started about a week ago.

100 plantings of varieties of tomatoes, green beans, squash and zinnias.

New spot is tilled ... 12' wide and 40' long. Glad the wife tending to it.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

So I need to plant like soon?

No,don't plant until after your last freeze date. I won't plant outside until probably the beginning of April here in Fort Worth to be safe.

I start mine under grow lights and put them outside on nice days.

 

[SE7EN26]

Ill need to make up some frames like yours BreakContact. Only thing that seems to grow in my yard are weeds. Grass couldnt be more dead if it tried LOL

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Don't forget to heavy mulch your beds as well to retain the moisture and protect your soil biology. I just pull back a little mulch here and there when I plant.

 

[PhulesAu]

Only thing that seems to grow in my yard are weeds. Grass couldnt be more dead if it tried LOL

Have you been in my back yard????? only green thing we've got is a tangerine tree.

 

[mosin]

Ive got a carolina reaper and some habanero peppers going in pots on the balcony. Winter beat them up but theyre comin back now. Parsley and chives wintered no problem. Had so much basil I didnt know what to do with it. No luck with tomatoes though, not enough sun.

Started the habs and reapers off way late, got a few small pods off the habs but none off the reaper.