The fence was in one piece this morning. No sign of deer.

I won't be able to move tomorrow but I got a lot accomplished today!!!!<groan>

I completed the fence last Thursday. But this basically is what I started with this morning in regards to the garden soil.
IMG_5014a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr

I fertilized and tilled today, then laid the beds and paths out....3' beds and 2' paths. Then shoveled some of the soil from the paths to the beds to level them up some. Here are a couple of pictures of the results.
IMG_5045a_gardenbeds (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr
IMG_5044a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr

And finally...what kind of grass is this?
IMG_5021a_grass (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr

My body hurts,
Ed

The garden is looking great, Ed!

Dennis Quaid put hair around the baseball field in "The Rookie" to keep the deer out. It seemed to work well haha!

Intheswamp said:I won't be able to move tomorrow but I got a lot accomplished today!!!!<groan>

I completed the fence last Thursday. But this basically is what I started with this morning in regards to the garden soil.
IMG_5014a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr

I fertilized and tilled today, then laid the beds and paths out....3' beds and 2' paths. Then shoveled some of the soil from the paths to the beds to level them up some. Here are a couple of pictures of the results.
IMG_5045a_gardenbeds (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr
IMG_5044a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr

And finally...what kind of grass is this?
IMG_5021a_grass (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr

My body hurts,
Ed

Fantastic job!! My garden should only look so good.

Everything, the beds, the paths are so straight and level. No wonder your tried. Great, great job well done.

Grass looks like crabgrass.

Well, supposedly we're supposed to be getting some rain for about the next week...good percentages for small amounts .10-.25". I wanted to get some things planted and had this afternoon to get it done it. I don't think I used the space as well as it could be used, but I'll (hopefully) learn. Remember, I have no idea what I'm doing.

The nearest row is filled with tomatoes...36" apart. The tomato plants had all gotten quiet big. I'm not sure how they will turn out. They were probably close to 20" tall. I trimmed most of the limbs off to the top, dug a 1-1/2' long hole, strew a pinch of fertilizer in there, laid them down and covered them up. The white you see in the picture are some collars I have for cut-worms, actually the top of the styrofoam cups the plants were in...again, I have no idea what I'm doing. As you can see, there are three types of tomatoes...all from seed, Mortgage Lifters, Brandy Wind Red, and some Roma VF. Now...I gotta figure something to hold them up with...stakes, trellis, cages, hovercraft...

The next row to the right is a mix. 17 hills (maybe too much?)of Clemson Spineless okra at the far end, yellow crookneck squash this side of them, and a couple of bell pepper plants at the near end.

The next (third) row to the right starts with a couple more bell pepper plants. Beside the peppers and going a little over half the length of the row/bed are two rows of zipper cream peas. They are planted 2" apart and the rows are 18" apart.

The final (fourth) row to the right is basically a copy of the third row without the pepper plants.

All of this leaves a little less than 1/4 the planting area empty. For now, the last things on my mind to plant are cucumbers, cantaloupes, and watermelons. I can probably only have one hill of watermelons, maybe a couple of hills of cantaloupes, and a few hills of cucumbers.

The only thing I feel that I made good use of the wide rows is the peas. More to come.... :)

(sorry for bad image quality...it was about dark)
2017_May28_Garden-planted_today_labeled (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr

I'd say you are doing awesomely well. And next season you'll learn from this season and do even better.

On the tomato plants I think you did just right. They will develop strong roots and grow like crazy. And they will straighten themselves up if need be.

A suggestion I have is too set up some sort of trellis system to grow the cucumbers and cantaloupe vertically. You can grow more plants that way and they really do well. Keeps the veggies off the ground and away from the bugs and animals.

Cattle panels work well but simple set up (that I use) is simply to order plastic netting. Comes with 5 or 6 inch grid holes. You want to be able o reach thru. Then I simply bought those green plastic coated U Channel fence posts for my supports. I like the 7 foot tall ones best but I also have 6 footers.

But really, your garden set up is great!!

Thanks for the encouragement, Newyorkrita. The tomatoes I'm hoping didn't get too leggy. But, hopefully they will indeed establish a strong root system. I've still got to get together some type of support system for them. If they produce well I'll have to get creative in using/gifting them all. :)

I've heard that especially the cucumbers do well trellised. I'm still debating the melon situation...I've kinda hemmed myself into a corner, you might say. I'm thinking *maybe* two hills of watermelons in the very corner, then a fringe of some cukes and cantaloupes between the watermelons and the rest of the garden. Getting the vegetables and fruit off the ground is definitely a good move...just gotta figure out how. But bugs, animals, and disease all love ground level...got to get stuff surrounded by air.

I've thought about cattle panels...would have to ea$e into those. But, would make some rigid supports. I've got some mesh fencing that was left from a construction project in town...it must be 6" or better squares. I've got probably 30' of it which might get me started. Also, a stretch of nylon netting I bought years ago...if I can find it. The u-posts are a good idea...may pursue that.

Thanks for the feedback!
Ed

Watermelon vines are massive. They run forever with huge leaves. So not sure of you have room for them plus the cukes and cantaloupes.

As to the tomatoes getting leggy, now you have done the right thing. They will grow now in the sunshine and no more being leggy.

duplicate of message above for some reason....

Well, I planted a few hills of watermelon and cantaloupe in the empty spot. Just on the outside/far-right bed so that leaves an empty bed beside the melons with the grass area on the right side of them...I'm hoping they'll sprawl over those areas. The cucumbers ended up being planted over not quiet half of the hills of squash. I'll probably end pulling up two of the hills of squash when they come up. The reason that I did that is that I read that you don't want to plant cucumbers close to melons due to the cucumbers attracting cucumber beetles that will move on to the melons so I figured why tug on Superman's cape. :)

I think you're right about the tomatoes...they seem happier. Now if those bell peppers will start looking better. But, what I need right now is a nice rain....seems today we missed most of it.

Ed

I agree with Rita -- you may not "know what you're doing," but you're doing an awfully good job on your garden anyway! Planting the tomatoes deeply will give them a strong root system and you'll be quite surprised at how well they will grow. You're off to a great start on that garden

Thanks for the encouragement, Weedwhacker. Well, the "proof is in the puddin' " will be in how the garden produces.

I woke up to the sound of rain this morning, but it looks like a light sprinkling for now...less than .10 inch, but...I'll take it. The good thing is that it still looks overcast and "rainy" and we're predicted for .25-.50" today...hopefully more to come.

The closest Tractor Supply to me is about 20 miles away and the closest Lowes about 30, so I don't just "drop by" one of them, but.... I dropped by <grin> TSC yesterday and looked at the 7' t-posts. I decided to stop on the way back home and pick some up for using for trellis supports. Naturally, when I stopped back by on the way home they had closed early (that's ok, too). One thing I noted on my first stop was that the "mulch-trailer" had some type of hay in it...not pine straw which is the norm in our area. I was going to inquire about it but I may just call today...from what I saw it looked clean...no seeds laying around like with bahia...seemed more grass blades than stems/stalks as with bahia. I could use pine straw in the paths and if this is good and safe use it for mulching the beds. As much area as I've got to cover it'd be too $$$ to cover all of the garden beds but this along with leaves and stuff that I come up with around here might just work for around the plants....depends on what they're asking for it.

Hopefully those tomatoes will do good along with hopefully the other vegetables.

Ed

Oh as to the cucumber beetles the cantaloupes will attract them just was well as cucumbers will so that will not make much of a difference.

On mulch. Use fall leaves saved over winter. Pine straw or just plain common straw that you buy in bales. Straw is better than hay as hay usually has too many weed seeds.

You can make it stretch further in the pathways by putting down afew layers of newspaper in the path and then straw on top. And yes leaves, pine straw and straw are all good to put around your plants.

You can also use grass clippings from the lawn provided you don't use anything like Weed N Feed on that grass. Don't put the green grass clippings directly on the plants, they get too hot as they break down.

On the posts make sure you get those U Channel ones. You will see those U channels on the fence posts which is how you attach the trellis netting.

Your doing great!!!!

Newyorkrita said:Watermelon vines are massive. They run forever with huge leaves. So not sure of you have room for them plus the cukes and cantaloupes.

Intheswamp said: I read that you don't want to plant cucumbers close to melons due to the cucumbers attracting cucumber beetles that will move on to the melons so I figured why tug on Superman's cape.

Anyone that doesn't have room for watermelon.... doesn't have enough garden space.

Leave a few pigweed (amaranth sp) cucumber bugs will eat the amaranth, and leave everything else alone.

Newyorkrita and stone, thanks for the feedback.

I called TSC today. They said the hay was bermuda and the cost was $8.49 a bale. I'll pass. I'm still pondering the idea of pine bark from the harvested pine plantation across the road. Go down with some newspaper and then the bark on top of it? It would be a chore getting it up, but would the effort be worth it for the paths? I'll be putting in the drip-tape soon (man, I wish we would get some rain...it keeps teasing us!!!). It would be nice to get it underneath some mulch...probably will be pine straw. This fall I will definitely be gathering leaves. And...I still haven't checked in with the local town's street department about what they might have... Ah well, Rome wasn't built in a day, but I'd like a buffer over that dirt before the hot southern sun comes back out with it searing heat.<sigh>

As for grass clippings...I'm scared of them. We live basically in the middle of a bahia grass hayfield and that (along with other things) is what our yard is. I've pulled so much grass out of the tilled garden area that I'm so afraid of putting grass clippings back into it. I'm definitely no landscaper nor much of a yardman...I mow the grass so I can find the house when I turn into the driveway so the grass usually goes to seed in some spots before it's mowed. Ah well, when I get the drip-tape laid down, maybe I can start scrounging for organic material.

Btw, when I planted the tomatoes I left the leaves that I trimmed off laying where they fell...that's ok, isn't it?

stone, I'm glad you said that about the pigweed (red spiny down here...OUCH!!). I recall about 18 years ago when I started a garden and hauled in some peanut hay for mulch...man, I had pigweed growing *everywhere*!!!! Must've been a plant or two in the bale I got.<groan> I'll keep it in mind if some sprout in the garden...but it'll be gone before it goes to seed!!!!

And yes, being in the south I've *got* to grow some watermelons.

Ed

" I left the leaves that I trimmed off laying where they fell...that's ok, isn't it?"

I wouldn't think that would cause any problems -- I never compost my old tomato plants, because by the time the season is over they all have some sort of disease, but when I plant and trim the leaves I don't worry about it.

On the other hand, maybe someone will say I'm wrong and that's why my plants get diseased...

Ed, I would be more than happy to send you some of our rain if you could send me a few degrees of temperature -- not asking a lot, I just want to be up in the 70s!

Weedwhacker, your thoughts on the tomato leaves was exactly what I was wondering about...being these were leaves of young plants hopefully they have no disease. Do you pull the old tomato plants up by the roots or cut them off at ground level? Do you plant them in the same area each year?

Man, I wish you *could* send some rain my way. There's been rain to the west and north of us, but little in the southeast part of Alabama. Seems there is a ridge or something that runs from down around Mobile and follows Interstate-65 northeasterward to Montgomery and then Y's off onto Interstate-85 that runs toward Atlanta...the rain many times follows along this path. Unfortunately, I'm a few miles on the wrong side of I-65.<sigh>

The humidity is like a low-temp incubator down here. The temp has been hovering in the mid to upper 80's with a few days toeing their way into the very low 90's. But, we're dealing with our usually wonderful humidity that's great for growing kudzu, privet hedge, fungus, mildew, and armadillos (I won't mention the coyotes and deer). I tell folks if they want some of our humidity to give me their address and I'll cut a slab off and mail it to them.
Here's a link to some weather graphs...some show the last 24-hours and some the last 30 days: http://www.beeweather.com/wxgr... The wx station is fairly local...about 25' from the garden. :)

We've got rain predicted everyday for the next seven days. Most of it for 1/10th inch. Hopefully towards the end of that time the amount will increase a little bit. So far, we've just gotten a dusting of rain since we planted. But, I might get the drip-tape set up this weekend which will be a game-changer (I hope!). The issue there is having a garden hose stretched out 175' or so. If my body can handle it I may try to trench in a run of pvc pipe...down here we don't have a "frost" line...we just have "lawn-mower" and "run-over-it-with-your-vehicle" lines so it won't have to be too deep.

Ah well, maybe we'll get that predicted "tenth of an inch" today.
Ed

Intheswamp said:
Have you spoken with your neighbors about these trees? About thinning/pruning them? If they're junk they're most likely a nuisance/liability for them and might be welcome to thinning them down some. Have you ever been to Toomer's Corner in Auburn, Alabama, to see the big oaks?

I understand about the venison, I'm hoping to can some this year...but hopefully none from my garden. ;)

Ed

The neighbors say they want the trees for shade. For 1 of them, that makes no sense as the shade isn't even on their yard at any time of day. They are just being territorial. I even offerred to plant dogwoods and or star magnolias to replace them. Wouldn't even discuss it.

The other side is a rental property and the owner likes "natural".

The 3rd side is huge mature gumball trees across the entire back yard and would cost $10,000 to cut them all down.

One house is for sale. I'm considering buying it as a rental investment (but really to break even cutting down the morning sun shade trees. Is that desperate for sunlight, or what?