What's Growing in the Garden

[djg]

If you have access to a handy lawn care professional, grass clippings do a wonders on soil without introducing bum seeds into your weed bed. ( I mean, you garden bed). I was just thinking of my raised beds after this last 2 weeks of off and on rains. Just spent most of this morning pulling grass and pigweed out of my sugar beet planting. When I got through looking at the pathetic stand of beet, I dug out a bucket of potato starts and stuck them in instead.

You're right and referring to my garden as a weed bed. Before this last rain period, I pulled 3 heaping wheel barrow full of weed out of the garden. Looks pretty good now. Hot (high 90s) and dry weather all week. I'll be spraying weed killer between the rows and along the paths.

 

[trc65]

I'm sure glad we're not having a gardening contest like the Turning Challenge. I'd come in last for sure lol. I dug my Yukon Gold potatoes Thursday before the rain came in. This was the yield I got from a 16' row:
View attachment 290314

Pretty pathetic. Hopefully the Kennebec's will be better. I deep tilled the row and worked in my wood chip compose and fertilizer. Maybe Yukons done do well in my area.

The planting of my last tomato plants was delayed for various reasons. This is my soil. The topsoil is only 3-4" deep; then clay.

View attachment 290315

Hard to tell from the picture, but see the brown top band with the rust clay below? And the pile to the right: top soil at the 2 O'clock position and clay at the 3 O'clock position. I amend the soil now on everything I plant. I try to only use the top soil.

Yukon Gold is a tough variety to try and grow. I did for a couple of years, but just too much scab and other disease problems.

They like a sandy soil and a lower pH (5.5 and below). Besides scab, they have numerous disease problems which can cause early die back. Commercial growers don't really like growing them, but do because of the premium they can get.

Besides Kennebec (longer season storage potato), Norland are an easy variety to grow, and another favorite is Superior. It's an early season round white that yields well, but isn't the best for long term storage. Only problem with Superior is I haven't found anyone who will carry seed, and it's expensive for even a pound or two mail order.

Pontiac is a red skinned variety that is longer season (late summer to fall harvest), relatively easy to grow, good yields, and stores OK.

 

[trc65]

If you have access to a handy lawn care professional, grass clippings do a wonders on soil without introducing bum seeds into your weed bed. ( I mean, you garden bed). I was just thinking of my raised beds after this last 2 weeks of off and on rains. Just spent most of this morning pulling grass and pigweed out of my sugar beet planting. When I got through looking at the pathetic stand of beet, I dug out a bucket of potato starts and stuck them in instead.

If you get clippings from a lawn care, make sure you know the history of herbicide use on that lawn. Some herbicides, even 2,4-D can be present in clippings and can wreak havoc on a garden.

Grass clippings work well for mulch though, I use them every year on much of my garden. Of course all of it comes from my lawn which has never had a herbicide nor any fertilizer applied.

One of the best things you can do for a garden. Holds moisture, prevents disease, prevents weed growth and helps with soil tilth and organic matter.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

You're right and referring to my garden as a weed bed. Before this last rain period, I pulled 3 heaping wheel barrow full of weed out of the garden. Looks pretty good now. Hot (high 90s) and dry weather all week. I'll be spraying weed killer between the rows and along the paths.

I have two geese that really enjoy when I weed the garden. I throw 5 gallon buckets of weeds over the fence and they make sure they are not going to take root

 

[sprucegum]

I'm sure glad we're not having a gardening contest like the Turning Challenge. I'd come in last for sure lol. I dug my Yukon Gold potatoes Thursday before the rain came in. This was the yield I got from a 16' row:
View attachment 290314

Pretty pathetic. Hopefully the Kennebec's will be better. I deep tilled the row and worked in my wood chip compose and fertilizer. Maybe Yukons done do well in my area.

The planting of my last tomato plants was delayed for various reasons. This is my soil. The topsoil is only 3-4" deep; then clay.

View attachment 290315

Hard to tell from the picture, but see the brown top band with the rust clay below? And the pile to the right: top soil at the 2 O'clock position and clay at the 3 O'clock position. I amend the soil now on everything I plant. I try to only use the top soil.

I tried Yukon gold many years ago and they were a big disappointment. Now I plant red norlands and kennebec, except this year I ran out of seed on the last row. I wanted to finish the row and my wife was going to town so I asked her to pick up another couple pounds of Kennebec. The farm store was out of them so she got Yukon gold, they are looking good hopefully they do better than last time.

 

[sprucegum]

I have two geese that really enjoy when I weed the garden. I throw 5 gallon buckets of weeds over the fence and they make sure they are not going to take root

I've heard of people using geese to weed strawberry beds, apparently they love grass and weeds but don't care for strawberry plants. I also been told that they will eat Colorado potato Beatles and leave the plants alone.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

I've heard of people using geese to weed strawberry beds, apparently they love grass and weeds but don't care for strawberry plants. I also been told that they will eat Colorado potato Beatles and leave the plants alone.

Most anything except the beetles will leave the potatoes alone. The leaves are poison.

 

[sprucegum]

Most anything except the beetles will leave the potatoes alone. The leaves are poison.

Deer seem to enjoy them as much as tomato plants, also poison . They do sometimes die of lead poisoning.

 

[DLJeffs]

Deer seem to enjoy them as much as tomato plants, also poison . They do sometimes die of lead poisoning.

The only thing I've never seen our deer touch is the lavender and Oregon grape (full of stickers). Everything else I've seen them rip into. Sometimes I think it's the fawns who are still learning what's good and what isn't, but they still destroy the plant while they're at it.

 

[djg]

Worked in the garden a little today before it got too hot. My Kennebecs are starting to wilt so I might be digging them up next week. Maybe I misunderstood, but isn't it too early for them to dry up? I thought they weren't to dry up until late Summer. We had 2 inches of rain prior to yesterday's 90+ heat. So I don't think they need water.

I'm working on planting my sweet potatoes in large large pots. Probably too late in the season, but they were given to me by a neighbor, so I don't want to waste them.

Squash are taking to the trellis, but the bugs are back. Lost one of my plants. I hit them with another round of spray.



And the bees were gone the day after I found them. I don't guess they'll be back?? I want to finish removing the tree.

 

[djg]

Deer seem to enjoy them as much as tomato plants, also poison . They do sometimes die of lead poisoning.

Woke up to find my feeder had been vandalized. I had the feeder hanging on the shepherds hook but the racoon climb the trellis and knock it down. Chewed right into it this time. They come right up on my porch if I forget to bring the cat food in at night.



Time to set a trap for them after dark and apply some lead when they show up.

 

[Nature Man]

The only thing I've never seen our deer touch is the lavender and Oregon grape (full of stickers). Everything else I've seen them rip into. Sometimes I think it's the fawns who are still learning what's good and what isn't, but they still destroy the plant while they're at it.

As far as flowering plants, deer don’t seem to like Crepe Myrtle trees, nor Lantana.

 

[trc65]

Worked in the garden a little today before it got too hot. My Kennebecs are starting to wilt so I might be digging them up next week. Maybe I misunderstood, but isn't it too early for them to dry up? I thought they weren't to dry up until late Summer. We had 2 inches of rain prior to yesterday's 90+ heat. So I don't think they need water.

I'm working on planting my sweet potatoes in large large pots. Probably too late in the season, but they were given to me by a neighbor, so I don't want to waste them.

Squash are taking to the trellis, but the bugs are back. Lost one of my plants. I hit them with another round of spray.

View attachment 290335View attachment 290336

And the bees were gone the day after I found them. I don't guess they'll be back?? I want to finish removing the tree.

Don't dig the Kennebec just yet, there won't be anything under them. Even though they have lots of moisture, sometimes plants just can't take up enough water fast enough in extreme heat. To survive, they temporarily wilt. They will return to normal when conditions improve.