Gardening,organics,sustainable gardening,food crops,etc

[Inelia]

So! Time to plant the seeds. And I am worried.

My back yard was a toxic and chemical perfect landscape when I arrived here 5 years ago. The first 3 years I used only organic produce to help it as it made the transition from shallow rooted, unsuitable plants to strong deep rooted trees and plants, with a good mixture of species to make a habitable environment. I now have strong healthy trees and the lawn is really healthy.

BUT I have not grown vegetables before last year:

I have the following problems. Last year I planted the Three Sisters, corn, squash and beans. I also planted tomatoes and celery nearby. In august, all the plants were covered in some really nasty white stuff, it looked like chemical burns, it killed the corn outright, the squash did survive, and the beans were half and half. The tomatoes all split after a certain size. As it is time to plant seeds again, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what I am doing wrong.

The other problem. When we first got here there were hardly any birds, and now they are abundant. My grapevines, cherry and plumb trees were stripped of fruit even before they ripened. And the strawberry plants and blue berry plants had the same sad ending. We managed to eat two cherries, one plumb, a handful of strawberries and about 4 blueberries. We've been trying different methods to scare birds, as well as covering the plants, but they still manage to get them! Now, I am wondering, would putting a huge bird feeder during the fruit season help or make it worse? I'm thinking if the little buggers are full, they are going to leave the fruit alone, right?

[Midnight Rambler]

Posted by Inelia (here)
So! Time to plant the seeds. And I am worried.

My back yard was a toxic and chemical perfect landscape when I arrived here 5 years ago. The first 3 years I used only organic produce to help it as it made the transition from shallow rooted, unsuitable plants to strong deep rooted trees and plants, with a good mixture of species to make a habitable environment. I now have strong healthy trees and the lawn is really healthy.

BUT I have not grown vegetables before last year:

I have the following problems. Last year I planted the Three Sisters, corn, squash and beans. I also planted tomatoes and celery nearby. In august, all the plants were covered in some really nasty white stuff, it looked like chemical burns, it killed the corn outright, the squash did survive, and the beans were half and half. The tomatoes all split after a certain size. As it is time to plant seeds again, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what I am doing wrong.

The other problem. When we first got here there were hardly any birds, and now they are abundant. My grapevines, cherry and plumb trees were stripped of fruit even before they ripened. And the strawberry plants and blue berry plants had the same sad ending. We managed to eat two cherries, one plumb, a handful of strawberries and about 4 blueberries. We've been trying different methods to scare birds, as well as covering the plants, but they still manage to get them! Now, I am wondering, would putting a huge bird feeder during the fruit season help or make it worse? I'm thinking if the little buggers are full, they are going to leave the fruit alone, right?

I come from a family of farmers and I know a little about growing. I would suggest planting potatoes in your garden for a year. It is good for the soil.

The berries you must try to cover with a net and hang it around the bush so that the bird cant get to it.

And about the bird feeder, if I were a bird I would choose fresh fruit over seeds etc. always.

I hope this helps you somehow.

[norman]

Posted by Inelia (here)
The tomatoes all split after a certain size.

I don't know what the white stuff was but when tomatoes split it is usually due a sudden abundance of water at the roots after having struggled for a while in a drought.

[Inelia]

Posted by norman (here)

Posted by Inelia (here)
The tomatoes all split after a certain size.

I don't know what the white stuff was but when tomatoes split it is usually due a sudden abundance of water at the roots after having struggled for a while in a drought.

OH! yes, actually that did happen. My drip system was knocked out of the beds by my dog and it took me about a week to spot that. TY!!

That gives me the confidence to try tomatoes again this year :D

[Midnight Rambler]

Dear Inelia,

Maybe you know this already, but when growing strawberries it helps to replant them to another part of the garden after two years. the ground is depleted of nutrients for the plant.

[Inelia]

Posted by Midnight Rambler (here)
Dear Inelia,

Maybe you know this already, but when growing strawberries it helps to replant them to another part of the garden after two years. the ground is depleted of nutrients for the plant.

I had no idea, ty :D

[Beth]

Posted by ZuLiZ (here)
Same here Sister. We live in Indonesia where chickens roam around the village scratching in the dirt. However we would prefer to keep our chickens seperate - in the case of avian flu and other nasties around here. I just love your coop Beth and its given me some hope for our own. Do you ever let them out to roam?

Thank you. Yes, they get to roam quite a bit in the summer, but with over a foot of snow on the ground, they don't get out much in the winter

[iceni tribe]

dont even need a garden



water is important to

[Midnight Rambler]

Are those tomatoes?

[iceni tribe]

Posted by Midnight Rambler (here)
Are those tomatoes?

they be spuds my friend these are toms lol

[Midnight Rambler]

Great stuff!! I am going to grow some again this spring!

Wauw spuds in a bucket

I grow flowers and love to photograph them. Look here!

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by Inelia (here)

Posted by norman (here)

Posted by Inelia (here)
The tomatoes all split after a certain size.

I don't know what the white stuff was but when tomatoes split it is usually due a sudden abundance of water at the roots after having struggled for a while in a drought.

OH! yes, actually that did happen. My drip system was knocked out of the beds by my dog and it took me about a week to spot that. TY!!

That gives me the confidence to try tomatoes again this year :D

I'm not much of a gardener, but sounds like the white stuff may be a fungus? Possibly from the water debacle? (plants get a bit dry, weakend, fungus starts to creep ... just an idea). Also My farmer friend plants peas every four years instead of the usual grain crops - he said, pick your peas then work the scrap plant parts into the soil and it puts the nitrates back in, so you don't need fertilizer.

[Midnight Rambler]

Posted by Inelia (here)
So! Time to plant the seeds. And I am worried.

My back yard was a toxic and chemical perfect landscape when I arrived here 5 years ago. The first 3 years I used only organic produce to help it as it made the transition from shallow rooted, unsuitable plants to strong deep rooted trees and plants, with a good mixture of species to make a habitable environment. I now have strong healthy trees and the lawn is really healthy.

BUT I have not grown vegetables before last year:

I have the following problems. Last year I planted the Three Sisters, corn, squash and beans. I also planted tomatoes and celery nearby. In august, all the plants were covered in some really nasty white stuff, it looked like chemical burns, it killed the corn outright, the squash did survive, and the beans were half and half. The tomatoes all split after a certain size. As it is time to plant seeds again, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what I am doing wrong.

The other problem. When we first got here there were hardly any birds, and now they are abundant. My grapevines, cherry and plumb trees were stripped of fruit even before they ripened. And the strawberry plants and blue berry plants had the same sad ending. We managed to eat two cherries, one plumb, a handful of strawberries and about 4 blueberries. We've been trying different methods to scare birds, as well as covering the plants, but they still manage to get them! Now, I am wondering, would putting a huge bird feeder during the fruit season help or make it worse? I'm thinking if the little buggers are full, they are going to leave the fruit alone, right?

Maybe it is Mildew? Does it look like this?

[Inelia]

Posted by Midnight Rambler (here)

Posted by Inelia (here)
So! Time to plant the seeds. And I am worried.

My back yard was a toxic and chemical perfect landscape when I arrived here 5 years ago. The first 3 years I used only organic produce to help it as it made the transition from shallow rooted, unsuitable plants to strong deep rooted trees and plants, with a good mixture of species to make a habitable environment. I now have strong healthy trees and the lawn is really healthy.

BUT I have not grown vegetables before last year:

I have the following problems. Last year I planted the Three Sisters, corn, squash and beans. I also planted tomatoes and celery nearby. In august, all the plants were covered in some really nasty white stuff, it looked like chemical burns, it killed the corn outright, the squash did survive, and the beans were half and half. The tomatoes all split after a certain size. As it is time to plant seeds again, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what I am doing wrong.

The other problem. When we first got here there were hardly any birds, and now they are abundant. My grapevines, cherry and plumb trees were stripped of fruit even before they ripened. And the strawberry plants and blue berry plants had the same sad ending. We managed to eat two cherries, one plumb, a handful of strawberries and about 4 blueberries. We've been trying different methods to scare birds, as well as covering the plants, but they still manage to get them! Now, I am wondering, would putting a huge bird feeder during the fruit season help or make it worse? I'm thinking if the little buggers are full, they are going to leave the fruit alone, right?

Maybe it is Mildew? Does it look like this?

YES! exactly like that.

[Midnight Rambler]

Mildew wiki

And how to prevent it

[Dennis Leahy]

Ineila's hungry birds made me think of my hungry voles!

The vast majority of my strawberries were eaten by voles (also known as "field mice".) They are able to sprint right through my fence, that was put up to keep out deer and rabbits. This year, I'm spending the money to add a 1/4" x 1/4" wire mesh at the bottom of the fence (I'll bury it, at least 6" deep.) I actually found 4 different middens (nests - they look like birds' nests) around the garden over the course of the year. They also went after my squash, and once they broke the skin, they destroyed a squash within a day or two.


Orange Kabocha Squash
I understand the pleasure the mice get in eating these squash. They are the best tasting squash I've ever had - and make wonderful squash pie!

Dennis

[Midnight Rambler]

Posted by Dennis Leahy (here)
I understand the pleasure the mice get in eating these squash. They are the best tasting squash I've ever had - and make wonderful squash pie!

Dennis

Hm Sounds good. I must try to grow them. Do you have a recipe?

[Inelia]

Posted by Midnight Rambler (here)
Mildew wiki

And how to prevent it

Fantastic, now my plants will have a better chance... I found this too, I think it's what I will be using if it comes back this year: http://organicgardening.about.com/od...gsodaspray.htm

[rmauersr]

My setup for square foot gardening.



I have a lot to learn about gardening.

Not shown are 6 hens and 1 rooster in a large electric fence area. An electric fence keeps the 4 legged predators away but the hawks sometimes get an easy meal. The *previous* rooster was sometimes very aggressive. One afternoon I returned from the store and checked the chicken house for eggs while carrying plastic totes full of groceries. The old rooster was having a bad day I guess because he launched a surprise attack. Wish I had a video. There I was fighting this rooster flying up at me with his long and sharp spurs. I was kicking, yelling and swinging the grocery bags at each attack. The fight ended up a draw, I think, when he decided to quit. We were both still standing. But the bottom of the grocery bags had been ripped open by his sharp spurs as I was swinging in self defense. The groceries ended up scattered all over the chicken pen.

[Dennis Leahy]

Posted by Midnight Rambler (here)

Posted by Dennis Leahy (here)
I understand the pleasure the mice get in eating these squash. They are the best tasting squash I've ever had - and make wonderful squash pie!

Dennis

Hm Sounds good. I must try to grow them. Do you have a recipe?

Yes, and it's vegan! I'll dig the recipe out, transcribe it, and PM it to you in a day or 3 (if you can wait.) Otherwise, you can use a "pumpkin pie" recipe, and substitute many different kinds of squash. This squash is ideal for pie because it has a robust flavor, is sweet, has no stringiness, and has relatively firm texture - not watery or mushy. It makes better "pumpkin pie" than pumpkins do!

Dennis