Gardening ..again

[Eutycus]

We had a donkey up till about 10 months ago. The round pen is still loaded with old dried up (composted) donkey and horse manure. Ought to be some good "organic fertilizer."

 

[snakebit]

We had a donkey up till about 10 months ago. The round pen is still loaded with old dried up (composted) donkey and horse manure. Ought to be some good "organic fertilizer."

A friend of ours gives us coffee grounds by the 10 lb. sack (she works in a coffee shop) that we till in.

 

[Eutycus]

A friend of ours gives us coffee grounds by the 10 lb. sack (she works in a coffee shop) that we till in.

I don't have grounds in 10 lbs. bags ,but I've been throwing my daily amounts on the garden for years. Teaspoons add up. Good fertilizer, high in nitrogen, I think? It gets tilled in now and then. I don't do a compost pile anymore , it's more of a compost/slop bucket. All my kitchen waste does rot or "compost" over time. That slop has some rich stuff in it like coffee grounds and egg shells.

 

[TDM]

Yep, our coffee grounds go in the compost bin.

 

[snakebit]

I don't have grounds in 10 lbs. bags ,but I've been throwing my daily amounts on the garden for years. Teaspoons add up. Good fertilizer, high in nitrogen, I think? It gets tilled in now and then. I don't do a compost pile anymore , it's more of a compost/slop bucket. All my kitchen waste does rot or "compost" over time. That slop has some rich stuff in it like coffee grounds and egg shells.

I built a home made rotating compost barrels (plastic). It was maybe a quarter full. A bear took off with it. So I just make a heap in the furthest far corner, add some grass clippings now and then. Works ok I guess. What really works good for me is carp, I like to bowfish for them and chunk them up in gallon ice cream buckets and put them in the freezer for the next year.

 

[Eutycus]

We had a donkey up till about 10 months ago. The round pen is still loaded with old dried up (composted) donkey and horse manure. Ought to be some good "organic fertilizer."

Has anyone ever made a tea by soaking manure in water for a few days than watering the plants with the "tea"?

 

[TDM]

Has anyone ever made a tea by soaking manure in water for a few days than watering the plants with the "tea"?

I haven’t done that myself, but it’s supposed to work well.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

I’ve heard of the LA green velvet, but never tried it. Should be a good variety. I know your a head of my planting schedule but you still might be a couple weeks early for okra. Okra loves warm/hot soil, it’s the last seeds I plant, usually late April here. I soak the seeds overnight before planting.

Aren’t you worried that another freeze will hit? I’m in TN. We also have another freeze right around Easter.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

Has anyone ever made a tea by soaking manure in water for a few days than watering the plants with the "tea"?

When I was a kid in Germany, it was pretty rural. They used to have these trucks come around that we called the honey wagon. Basically it was manure with water in it they used it all the time for their crops.

 

[Eutycus]

When I was a kid in Germany, it was pretty rural. They used to have these trucks come around that we called the honey wagon. Basically it was manure with water in it they used it all the time for their crops.

One of my brothers-in-law was a "honey sucker" (septic tank emptier) when he was younger. I just can't bring myself to using human waste on edible plants. Same with cat or dog, in my mind they are just not the same as livestock manure.

 

[pilot]

Has anyone ever made a tea by soaking manure in water for a few days than watering the plants with the "tea"?

Yes, and it works. You can also use a five gallon bucket with a lid and fill it with weeds and green leaves and water. Wait a few weeks and use this tea for fertilizer. Also works well.

 

[Eutycus]

Aren’t you worried that another freeze will hit? I’m in TN. We also have another freeze right around Easter.

I can't speak for TDM, you, or conditions "up there" but down here we need to get the crops in early so they can ripen and mature before we get those killer heat waves starting in early summer (like last year). Some times it does feel like it's too early, luckily small plants will fit under a upside down 5 gallon bucket.I've gone that route when a late freeze occured.Okra does seem to be the exception. For that you do need warm soil.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

B

"B"

I'm seriously going to have to try that this year!

LD

 

[1950DAVE]

"B"

…..or not to B? What was the question?

 

[TDM]

Aren’t you worried that another freeze will hit? I’m in TN. We also have another freeze right around Easter.

Yes, but I was referring to planting dates back home in Louisiana. But even there we don’t plant until after Easter. Up at my camp I’ll add another couple of weeks to that. We’ll have a couple of light freezes next week.

 

[SOLANCO]

Our garden is an ongoing soil building project in a low, wet spot that happens to get pretty good sun all day. Its grown slowly with loads of dirt, wood chips, cardboard, hay, compost, seaweed cover crops, etcetera.. We're up to about 1000sqft of loosely fenced garden. We've got a pretty big raised bed and a bunch of "as seen on TV" tomato growing contraptions the the father in law champions, and lots of flowers. I kept everything organic for a while but lost the battle, so there's a certain amount of miracle grow potting soil getting mixed in. The lady of the manor is the gardener, and we get a good amount of vegies for the minimum amount of time we realy invest. Myself as the guy with the shovel, am still working on the back 200 sqft, which has the least morning sun and still gets standing water. The last couple of years I've done slash and burn and then spread the winters not particularly composted pile over the top, and have an opportunistic plot. Usually the squash wins, but you never know whats going to happen..

So this year, I think I might trying a haybale garden in the back to keep the plants above the water and planting some sort of "Indian" corn "3 sisters" garden with beans and squash, and was wondering if anyone here could recommend 3 complementary species that will do well 500 yds from the Chesapeake. The other thing I need to figure out what king of nitrogen to add to the bales. Blood meal comes up but might not be the best for beans.. This is a new one to me, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Woody

Curious as to why proximity to the Bay is a problem? Winds?

 

[SOLANCO]

Yep, our coffee grounds go in the compost bin.

I put them around acid loving plants.

 

[SOLANCO]

Yes, but I was referring to planting dates back home in Louisiana. But even there we don’t plant until after Easter. Up at my camp I’ll add another couple of weeks to that. We’ll have a couple of light freezes next week.

We once had a freak blizzard in April. Dropped near two feet of snow which was all melted in 24 hours.

 

[snakebit]

We once had a freak blizzard in April. Dropped near two feet of snow which was all melted in 24 hours.

I got a severe case of spring fever last year and planted too early. Had a couple days of late frost. Even though I covered my plants the second night, damage was already done. I'm to blame, I have a weakness for mater sammiches and eating cherry tomatoes off the vine. I was trying to "hurry" things along instead of letting the natural progression of things to happen. I know this will make my southern friends a little aggravated, but nothing like fresh beefsteaks on lite bread with salt and pepper and a good slathering of Hellman's mayo, not Dukes.

 

[Piquant]

I got a severe case of spring fever last year and planted too early. Had a couple days of late frost. Even though I covered my plants the second night, damage was already done. I'm to blame, I have a weakness for mater sammiches and eating cherry tomatoes off the vine. I was trying to "hurry" things along instead of letting the natural progression of things to happen. I know this will make my southern friends a little aggravated, but nothing like fresh beefsteaks on lite bread with salt and pepper and a good slathering of Hellman's mayo, not Dukes.

You had me until you said hellman's mayo. Its Blueplate mayo or no mayo!