ckatNM said:

Hehehehehehehehe.

texaskitty, Thanks so much for the big laughs! I think we all know one or two people who are not the experts they think they are. And some are experts with one thing, but not necessarily getting many brain cells fired with other things.

When I'm out working in the garden, I talk to myself and the plants. It seems to help me stay focused and really give my garden the attention it needs, along with a bit of pampering. I used to spread myself too thin and start, but not finish, too many things at once.

One of my goals this year is to have a bigger variety to harvest because last year was so pitiful. This means no more trying to get an entire row of okra to grow. Like others, I only need a few plants. No need to plant a few more okra seeds so the rows are even. Empty spots where seeds don't germinate are perfect for adding a few herbs and companion plants.

Such a big mistake, I should be ashamed to admit this. This is NOT zone 5! Seriously! I could probably save on my energy bill by cooking outside in the summer. I could save myself a lot of discomfort by slowing down the hard work in the dead of summer. To this end, mulch is my friend because it means less weeds, less time spent watering and watching it dry up just as fast, and less seeing sheets of my good soil traveling down the street in wind storms. Plus, I get the benefit of the straw I chose for mulch breaking down and improving the soil as it ages. And mulch keeps the bare spots from becoming a jungle of weeds - just toss on the mulch while I'm trying to decide what to plant there.

It's a mistake not to use the garden charts I made and haven't studied enough. This one is self-explanitory and obvious if you habitually manage to stay organized and focused on the task at hand. I have a lot of head-scratching moments because I don't want to stop and get my chart, but instead have the insane idea that I will remember a deviation from my plans.

I'm sure there is more, but my psyche won't let me dig up all those bones.

....a lot of philosophical fabulous in this message. The best gardens for me are always just a tad underworked it seems. The plants tell us what they need is my concept. If they are wilting it doesn't always mean they need more water for instance. In our clime it could just be the Sun a 2pm and more water would not be necessary. I usually poke a finger in the dirt to check.

Free mulch is truely blessed. One of my favorite Florida growing books from the early 50's and still is right on;.... speaks of using Oak, Pine, whatever leaves in the gardens as mulch. At that time colored rough, cheap and occassionaly attractive modern day bag mulches were not then available. (dont'cha just hate those big ole' long shreads that come in those bags?)

and, FYI - my garden is doing much better this year, after turning a deaf ear. So, I'll have to come up with a new mistake.........
OK, I think this years mistake is not planting enough seeds in each row of my tray. Then, if none of them germinate, I have no eggplant, etc. I'm too focused on not wasting a single seed.

Yes, DofD, I hate the big ol' shreads. Bleech!

Sounds like you're off to a good start, texaskitty. We're now at the point that it's fairly safe to plant or transplant. Finally!

I'm trying to be careful with all my seeds. With luck, I can use them again in the fall or next spring. Although it seems unlikely I will have any pepper seeds for next year. None have germinated and I keep planting more. I may have to wait for pay day to cave in and buy the plants. I will just hope there will be some decent plants left by that time. I have my heart set on Anaheim and Serrano. Anaheim, so I can finally learn to make chili rellenos. My neighbor and I are planning a big cooking day with goodies from our gardens and the rellenos is the top choice. I might be willing to get another pepper to replace the Serrano for something hot, but I want something that has long peppers and a good producer.

I had jalapenos last year, which aren't really my favorite peppers. Just not the right kind of heat for me unless I'm making green chili. Last year I was too hot and miserable to make any green chili in the already too hot kitchen. I should have kept some frozen. This year, the crock pot will go out on the porch for making green chili and soups. No more getting roasted alive every time I walk in the kitchen. Speaking of roasting outside. I should get a food dehydrator for my peppers. Especially if all the seeds I have planted suddenly decide to make an appearance. Twelve each of serrano and anaheim so far. I'm planting more each week until they surrender and grow.

I won't be saving all the seeds. Just a few. I still want to enjoy the thrill of buying new seeds in preparation for spring. And I always like to add something new or different each year. Next year I'm already thinking butternut squash and Swiss Chard. I might try the chard this year if I find a plant because they look so pretty and my garden wouldn't look so bare.

I made the mistake of being too quick to plan to fill a bare spot in my garden. I didn't think all the spaghetti squash seeds would germinate, but so far, all of them have made an appearance. I already put butternut squash on the seed list. If I decide to get the seeds, I will have to wait to plant until the spaghetti squash plants get bigger. So I can dig them up and give them to my neighbor or someone. Assuming they won't mind being transplanted. I think I counted 14 seedlings. And I already spaced them out quite a bit when I planted the seeds and sprouts, so I wouldn't have to waste time thinning them. If they all grow into plants of a decent size, they get the award for being the seeds with the best germination rate and hardiness in my garden this year. I thought the beans and peas would win, but while they did germinate, they aren't all that hardy, growing at a snail's pace so far.

My other big mistake is that I still haven't updated my chart. I started to do it one day after taking inventory of what seeds I have, but then I got sidetracked playing with ATP's List feature. That will be very useful, so I think the distraction was a beneficial one I don't regret.

I got a pack of about 50 tongue depressors to use as markers because they were so inexpensive as the dollar store this winter. However, I didn't see this mistake coming. Moving the hose around always catches on those markers and I find the markers everywhere except in the soil. I need a better plan for markers. The roommate keeps asking what is planted where because the markers that I keep returning to their appropriate spots, are nearly invisible with the straw mulch. Now why didn't I see that coming?

You can drill holes in the tongue depressors (or mini-blind slats) and tie them to plants where they will be more visible.

That is a great idea Rick. I can put the markers in the ground in all the places where I planted seeds, then attach them to the plants when they get big enough to have something hanging around their necks. I have found a few markers from last year. Unfortunately not useable because the roommate apparently attacked them with the pitchfork when turning everything over in the fall. It is amusing.

Now i can't wait until the wind dies down so I can get started on some projects without being blinded by debris.

Next year I plan to use cut up strips from milk jugs as markers. Only because I can't think of anything else we use regularly enough to get enough material to make markers. And speaking of which, I just had an idea for all the small coffee cans we have been saving. I haven't thought it would be safe to use them as planters, although they are about the perfect size. I have been using a few for my dried herbs. I take the lid off the lavender can often because it smells so wonderful.

Darn wind storms makes me want to nap all day.

>> Next year I plan to use cut up strips from milk jugs as markers.

I found a set of plastic mini-blinds that someone had thrown away. That was a 5-10-year supply of plant markers. I like 0.9 mm mechanical pencils for writing on them. And you can punch clean holes in them with a paper punch.

I found a set of CLEAN mini-blinds at a Habitat for Humanity Restore. Only $2-3! Now I have a 10-20 years supply, half of which are clean and bright white.

>> Moving the hose around always catches on those markers and I find the markers everywhere except in the soil.

I forget where I read this one, but it sounds effective.

Identify the corners of the areas where you don't want a hose to drag into a bed.
Hammer in a length of rebar, 6-16 inches, or whatever depth it takes for your soil to get a firm grip. The rebar sticking up out of the ground has to be tall enough to catch the hose as you drag it around. 8"? 12"?

[b]Then drop a length of PVC pipe over that rebar. It should be long enough to hide the rebar from sight.

Now, when you drag a hose around that corner, the rebar will keep it from dragging into the bed and the PVC will spin freely like it had ball bearings, and the hose will go around the corner with very little friction. As if it were in a pulley!

You could fine-tune that by dropping another length of PVC pipe, wider in diameter, over the first PVC, to give you a "bigger pulley".

I don't like dragging hoses, and I like to fiddle with gadgets, so I bought a roll of drip irrigation mainline (black polyethylene, 1/2" is big enough for 240 gallons per hour. $10 for 50 feet. $16 for 100 feet.)

I ran that mainline from my spigot to all my beds, using a few Tee fittings.
Then I added another Tee fitting with male hose threads anywhere I wanted a spare hose spigot!

Plastic "Y" fittings with hose threads AND valves are so cheap that I use those almost everywhere. That give me TWO spigots everywhere, which is surely more than any sane person could want. (I DO use some of the branches for irrigation sprayers or dripline. You can't beat a fine spray or mist for watering a direct-seeded bed!)

Then I cut my existing long hose into several very short lengths, with brass "hose menders" on each end. Each of those shorty-hoses is now used for only 1-2 beds, and I never drag anything more than 15-20 feet.

If I had planned better, I would have used those Ys with valves for every branch of the mainline, and then I would have a spigot at every branch, and not really need any more.

The cost after putting in the mainline is only $3 or $4.50 per double-spigot, plus the hose menders.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/R...

Closeup of Compression Tee on 3/4" mainline with plastic Male hose thread
+ Brass 2-Valve Y (I like brass even if it does cost several dollars more)
+ black plastic EZ-Loc connector to ½" irrigation mainline for spritzing seedling trays & pots
+ cut garden hose with brass Female Hose Mender from Home Depot

Tarev, I have done something similar for my mobile home lot. The pvc over the rebar also prevents damage when string trimming around them. Ask me how I know. I have used the dual spigots for many years, as I only have 1 spigot and it requires a 100' hose to reach all the way around. To solve the problem, I ran pvc , complete with spigots to each flowerbed and use short hoses to connect that to the main spigot. I have soaker hosed in each bed and control them from those spigots. The only problem is that those " Y" or Quads are cheaply made, and the valves don't last very long, at least not here, and you do need a backflow preventer at the main source. Still well worth the effort and pvc is cheap and easy to work with.

I made the same mistake I've made more than once... again!

I planted out some cool-season annuals a week or so ago to enjoy while my warm-season seedlings mature. Made the mistake of thinking it wouldn't go straight to broiling hot from the high thirties...so, I didn't mulch right away. Yesterday I really had to scramble to get it done...


All of today's transplants did get mulched right away! The ones in full sun with logs...

Speaking of blunders, I have neglected to check out my asparagus bed this spring, thinking as cold as it's been I was OK, but went to check it this morning (It's not easily seen from my house or yard for that matter) and there were stalks 3 feet tall! Ugh! I cut them off anyway, and harvested the good ones. I think they should still grow some more. But I missed some good meals! Oh well, live and learn. I'll still have a good bunch for lunch!

Cream of asparagus soup?

Nope, just steamed and buttered, with a touch of fresh grated parmesan, (I'm eating it now as I type this) Next batch I'll brush with garlic infused olive oil and grill it. Add a bit of sea salt and fresh gound pepper just before serving it. Then there's alway some left to blanch and add to a salad, and of course mixed in with scrambled eggs in the morning. Oh my. By the end of the season, I'm glad to wait till next year, but until then the glut is on!

How long of a asparagus bed do you have? I have about 10 plants

I have two rows about 8 ft each.

One of my blunders that paid off?

I all but forgot my pole beans a few years ago as I'd forgotten to hang dropper strings from my clothesline. The devil grass had consumed the front end of my garden and was closing in on some Oriental lilies so I decided to dig them out. I noticed something awry, a single green bean? I started tugging the vine and found I had a nice crop of beans hidden in that grass! Just one little harvest but they were extra tasty!

Last year I had a problem with weeds growing among the watermelon vines. I couldn't pull them out without stepping on the vines. So, this year, I put down frost cloth thinking the melons could grow on top:


Only the weeds would push up the frost cloth in bubbles. So I spread bags around with potatoes in them:








Only, the weeds would grow out of the holes made for the melons, and, they can't be pulled out without pulling up the melons too, as they are entangled. Also, when I step on the bubbles, all the grass burrs would bend towards me, and leave hundreds of burrs in my pants. This is what it looks like now:




Any ideas for 2015?

I don't have a system I'm happy with either. Maybe @tveguy3 or @farmerdill could offer us some suggestions on weed control in melons.

I love looking at these garden shots, for instance; mine never look this clean!
http://garden.org/thread/view_...

I have found that using a plastic mulch works well, or even re-purposing old tarps that I use to cover the hay works well. I also learned that they have to be dark colored to eliminate any light getting through, or else weeds will grow under them. I bought a new blue tarp to fit the area that I still needed to cover this spring, and I found that weeds grew under it. Black is best.
You can see the plastic mulch with the watermelon and other vine crops on the left, and the black tarp under the tomatoes, also the blue tarp under the peppers that didn't work to well.
Other years, I've used the large tarps as area for vine crops and that worked really well, as it's so hard to weed once the vines get growing. You can place a soaker hose under it to water, and that works well too.


Photo taken in about July of this year.

Thanks Tom.

So the hay part...is it chunks of flakes set in a row and planted between? I can see that your under-plastic area is raised and almost looks squared off...that's why I'm wondering.

Also, did you use a tiller, a hoe, or both to get that lovely-looking weed-free space to the right of the watermelons? I mean...you don't even have any weeds showing at the edges of your tarps. That's clean!