Raised Bed Gardening

[SwampDonkey]

I'm thinking of putting some of that black fabric down and some bark mulch over it to keep any weeds away from the frames and a nice neat looking walkway around and between them. Seems like it's going to be mild all week 60-70's starting tomorrow. if this wind ever stops I'll plant some root crops and put my floating fabric over them.

Anyone grow celery? I know you have to hill it so the stalks don't go woody. I have not tried it in years. Need some boron for my rutabagas to, to keep the root maggots away.

The neighbor's dog has already tried out one of the beds this morning with a walk through. I wish people knew enough to keep their animals at home. That ain't gonna happen. :D

[Patty]

Donk! That is pretty country where you live, it could pass for places in Iowa that I have seen. 

The recent rains have greened things up substantially in the past 2 or 3 days around here. The oats are just popping up out of the ground, the alfalfa fields are up, and I bet in a week or so we will see new corn. Ahhhhh, springtime in Iowa is very exciting. 

Burl, you are going to wish you had given better answers when you come visit this summer.  :D  Paybacks are brutal!

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah, I'll have to mow down around the barn/shop this week. Don't want to.  :-\

There is almost no snow left now, but way out there you can see a patch of snow in "Harv's Hollow" and along a line fence. Be gone this week. In the back country there will be snow 'til mid May. The fields here are drying out good, soon be scratching the soil on the farms.

I got the itch and planted by root crops, then put my floating fabric over the seed beds of two frames. The soil feels some warm on those beds in the sun. There is a slight slope to the beds so it really warms up the soil. It's not all that hot today, about 56 and NW wind. Nice and sunny though. Been outside soaking it up. Even did some painting this morning. ;D

[Burlkraft]

Patty,
What are you talking about?  :D  :D  :D

Sounds like you guys are a couple a weeks ahead of us. Most guy's around here just started corn.
My rhubarb is lookin' good. Other than that we're still waiting for a few warm sunny days to make things really pop.  8)  8)  8)

I am in need of some mushrooms too !

[Mooseherder]

And there they were. ;D
I had given up on expecting any Green Beans a while ago because of the Fire ants and wasn't even paying much attention to the plants up until tonight.  Was down looking at how pathetic the Green Bean plants were looking and saw some of these hanging down. 
They tasted good too. 

[beenthere]

Two beans. Not too bad. Did ya find the knife while in there pickin?  ;D ;D

[Mooseherder]

I ate one on the way up to the house. :D

[Roxie]

Are they pole beans or bush beans?  We do pole beans. 

[Mooseherder]

They are supposed to be a bush type plant.

[thecfarm]

SwampDockey,I grew celery a few times.I never hilled it up,but I put a dam around the plants and I would flood them once a week or so.Seems like they like water.A guys father at work puts roofing paper around the plants to keep them together,so it looks like the stuff at the store.I just let might grow out.I found it very easy to grow.But maybe I was just lucky.

[SwampDonkey]

Cfarm, I'm wondering if I pack some leaves around the stalks it will keep them from going dark green and woody. As far as growing them I think they are easy, as far as I remember, as well. I'm not going into the celery business, just some to pick once in awhile from the little garden. ;D

I have orders for tomatoes for salsa, so celery might be a good thing to add. Peppers will be added to the beds later as well. Might need another raised bed for all this stuff. ;D Surprising though how you can fit a lot of stuff in a small space. ;)

Got up to 63 here yesterday, suppose to be near 80 again today. But then cool down in the 40's and 50's until the weekend. Sure is a challenge being a farmer. ;D

[thecfarm]

I did use newspaper and hay around them to keep the weeds out.What we liked about growing it,you need a stalk or two,just go out to the garden and break some off.

[Mooseherder]

I had a redo/replant of the Cantaloupe and Pea Beds tonight.
Hopefully will have a better outcome. :

[SwampDonkey]

Plant and leave it alone until it's established. :D :D  The only thing I had luck transplanting was tomatoes, cabbage, rutabaga and cauliflour. 

[Mooseherder]

Got some new sprouts from the second round of Peas and Cantaloupes.
Some Hot Peppers are starting to show. 

[SwampDonkey]

How long (days) does it take those hot peppers to flower? I'm going to plant some bell peppers this year.

[thecfarm]

We never grew peppers growing up.When I started my own garden I grew them and they never did much until someone told me to use black plastic.They really like the heat.Wet down the ground,don't make it real muddy,but get it wet.Lay down the black plastic,weight it down with rocks,dirt,boards or something,to keep the wind from blowing it.Cut an X in the plastic,big enough to transplant the pepper plant into,about the size of your fist.I plant mine about 2 feet apart.I try to find the biggest pepper plants I can.Most greenhouses around here plant them late and they are about 3 inches high.There is a small one that plants early and hers are about 6 inches high.I grow the Ace ones.Have real good luck with that kind.

[SwampDonkey]

I never have troubles with the bell peppers growing, grew them for years in the garden just as they are. But I was curious about those hot ones, some stuff needs a longer growing season than others. I am using floating fabric right now, but we need rain bad the ground is dry. Maybe if I find some of them hot ones, I'll put some black plastic around them. Folks use them in pickles, like to have some turn fire red. ;D

My peas ain't even sprouted, just like I took them out of the package. I think I'm going to soak the beds down today. Suppose to be showers the next couple of days. Showers don't amount to nothing.  :

[Mooseherder]

How long (days) does it take those hot peppers to flower? I'm going to plant some bell peppers this year.

These were started in Cups on Feb. 21st. and transplanted later.  I didn't keep track of when they flowered but my best guess is about 50 days.  They are a Hybrid called Biker Billy. 

The Peppers and Tomatoes seem to have handled the transplant the best.  I cut the bottoms of the cups and put in the bed leaving the top rim of the cup.

[SwampDonkey]

If I find some hot peppers I am going to try to make a tent of plastic around them so rain can get down to the soil. Use a tomato wire cage I think. I'd start them without it so they could adjust to the garden site first. Otherwise they might burn up.

[WDH]

At $2.00 apiece for bell peppers down here, I am definitely growing a bunch .

[SwampDonkey]

My rutabagas and carrots are coming up now.  8)

I watered the beds good today, so hopefully the peas will be up by Sunday. 

[Burlkraft]

My peas popped their heads out yesterday.   8)    I have not seen anything from my potatoes yet.

I start my tomatoes, peppers and broccoli in the basement under lights. They are all doing well. Put my tomatoes on a cart in the shop so I can roll them outside during the day to harden them off.

I usually don't plant my plants until after Memorial Day. We could get some snow yet       >:(

I grew Billy Biker's last year. They were the last thing to come out of the garden. I think they were 95 day peppers.

[zopi]

Ours is up and looking good...1/8 acre...not exactly a raised bed though..unless you count the whole thing...corn, bushbeans, potatoes, peas, radishes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, onions, and more tomatoes than you can shake a stick at...all up and doing well..wifey bought me that
4 stroke honda tiller the other day..so it will get weeded.

[bd354]

I'm trying a coupla raised beds this year since I've given up on growing anything in what passes for soil around here. The only I can grow here is nutgrass and I'm tired of fightin it. I made beds using mushroom compost and a little two year old composted cow manure. Planted tomatoes,bell peppers,eggplant,squash,cucumbers,okra, and watermelons. I'm not a gardener by any means but I'm trying to learn. We'll see.