The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: philw on October 25, 2010, 07:10:27 AM
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was not sure to put this under the Cooking or TBD Survival sections ( for being self sufficient point of view)
do you grow your own Veggies or fruit
this year we have started as our little one loves here veggies and fruit so the Mrs and I though it would be best for her to see how they grow and see where they come from and not just the supermarket
PS got to love that spring is in the air
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100224/IMG_0378/web.jpg)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100224/IMG_0411/web.jpg?ver=12880042710001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100224/IMG_0923/web.jpg?ver=12880042760001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100224/IMG_0654/web.jpg?ver=12880042930001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100224/IMG_0430/web.jpg?ver=12880042870001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100224/IMG_0655/web.jpg?ver=12880042960001)
(http://gallery.mac.com/philw/100224/IMG_0656/web.jpg?ver=12880042990001)
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And here I thought this was on another topic entirely. I guess that should wait till she's 18. ;D Nice set up and cute kid though.
FQ13
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And here I thought this was on another topic entirely. I guess that should wait till she's 18. ;D Nice set up and cute kid though.
FQ13
ta ;D
;) apparently quite often tomatoes and weed grown together as they can look similar and grow well under the same conditions
a few weed crops have been found in Tomato crops over the years
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Good looking and simple set up ya have there, Phil (DARN CUTE field hand too!)
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Good looking and simple set up ya have there, Phil (DARN CUTE field hand too!)
French Intensive, Double Dug or Raised Bed method of gardening.
Many benefits.
In non-raised bed uses, the plot which is 5 ft wide and as long as you make it, is "double dug" to a dept of two feet thus creating a trench surrounded by hard packed earth.
The trench holds the water the plot gets and all the nutrients where they would wash and drain away in a standard 6 to 8 inch depth tilled garden.
It allows the plant spacing to be about half what is recommended in a standard garden because the roots will grow down into the trench rather than spreading out in the shallow tilled soil.
You never walk on your plot. Being only 5 ft wide allows you to access it for weeding from the sides thus never compacting the soil.
The close spacing of the plants will also reduce weeds as the plants grow and shadow the ground below.
The only thought I had about Phil's setup is if a liner for the bed would be useful in retaining water and nutrients? I've never used a raised bed setup so I have no idea if it would "leak"
This is the most productive method of gardening and can be done totally organic and produce "per acre" yields above the large chemical/mechanical outfits of the agro-business.
I've grown corn in double dug plots with success. Just have to have several rows of corn, maybe six in one plot or three in adjacent plots because corn needs cross fertilization of the plants.
There should be three feet of space between adjacent plots.
Not only a good setup, Phil, but good experience for your girl.
I can see from these and the other pictures you have posted that the is really into learning and doing.
Very good job, Daddy...
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I've been thinking about building a aquaponics set up for next year.
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I've been thinking about building a aquaponics set up for next year.
Those are REALLY popular in California, you should have no problem finding expert help.
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They are really popular all over...
I've kept fish since I was a kid. I'm going to build a garden anyways.
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TAB, keep us posted on that project. It sounds interesting.
Phil, you have a cute kid there. And you seem to be making the most of it. ;D
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My wife wants to try that next year in a root infested spot! Should work well except I have to do most of the heavy work and I'm not into gardening.
Richard
PS: Almost makes me wish she had a boyfriend that liked to garden and do yard work!!!! LOL Almost!
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Phil,
Just so you know, we have child labor laws in the states. :D
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Phil,
Just so you know, we have child labor laws in the states. :D
ROTFLMAO! ;D
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That is a stupidly simple raised bed frame. I need a few dozen of those here in the states.
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The trench holds the water the plot gets and all the nutrients where they would wash and drain away in a standard 6 to 8 inch depth tilled garden.
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The only thought I had about Phil's setup is if a liner for the bed would be useful in retaining water and nutrients? I've never used a raised bed setup so I have no idea if it would "leak"
A friend of mine grows vegetables and such in those small plastic wading pools that you can get at any dollar store. They are around a foot deep by four feet in diameter and seem to work really well for him. And, they are cheap.
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Feed them maters',.... Love the raised bed garden. Had one in every yard. Even grew strawberries in slits cut in a 40lb. bag of Miracle Grow garden soil, watered and fertilized with a 2 liter soda bottle. Worked like a champ, just a few pokes for drainage.
If you can get Chicken Poop fertilizer, it is better than standard cow manure types.
Still think your farm help looks like Nicole Kidman. ;)
Good Spring Crops to you. Spring for you, Fall for us, however, in South Florida, it's tomato season.. ;D
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Feed them maters',.... Love the raised bed garden. Had one in every yard. Even grew strawberries in slits cut in a 40lb. bag of Miracle Grow garden soil, watered and fertilized with a 2 liter soda bottle. Worked like a champ, just a few pokes for drainage.
If you can get Chicken Poop fertilizer, it is better than standard cow manure types.
Still think your farm help looks like Nicole Kidman. ;)
Good Spring Crops to you. Spring for you, Fall for us, however, in South Florida, it's tomato season.. ;D
As I understand it a few things like chicken crap, but for most stuff it needs to be treated, (Lime IIRC ) because of the high ammonia content.
Should be awesome for corn though.
Heard the same about Pig crap.
Some of these actual farmers will fill us in on the facts, I'm sure.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm willing to take the word of some one who lives that life, like Bidah, or Path, rather than some one who has had 3 or 4 gardens over the last 50 years, like me ;D
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Commercial name is Black Hen, maybe they have it Down Under.....Good Stuff..
http://www.blackkow.com/_html/otherproducts.htm
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"Server not found
Firefox can't find the server at www.blackkow.com."
I have had the same problem with other overseas links ???
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Hmmm,...came right up. Here's the text.
Black Hen Composted Chicken Manure
It's odorless and rich in nitrogen-releasing bacteria. It feeds your plants slowly and builds the soil with rich organic material. It is naturally composted. This is an all natural organic fertilizer made from poultry farm manure. Black Hen chicken manure has a 2-3-2 analysis and feeds your plants slowly as nutrients are needed. We suggest mixing Black Hen chicken manure with Black Kow cow manure for flower beds and vegetable gardens. (Not available in all areas.)
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Hmmm,...came right up. Here's the text.
Black Hen Composted Chicken Manure
It's odorless and rich in nitrogen-releasing bacteria. It feeds your plants slowly and builds the soil with rich organic material. It is naturally composted. This is an all natural organic fertilizer made from poultry farm manure. Black Hen chicken manure has a 2-3-2 analysis and feeds your plants slowly as nutrients are needed. We suggest mixing Black Hen chicken manure with Black Kow cow manure for flower beds and vegetable gardens. (Not available in all areas.)
The ratio of those 3 things, (forget what they are, Nitrogen, Phosphate and something else I think ) are printed on every bag of Fertilizer and will tell you if I have any clue what I'm talking about.
Based on those numbers it ain't looking good ;D
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I have one of these and they work well, watch the videos, they are funny with under lying sexual tones, same concept, but smaller and inexpensive. I have been growing peppers in large pots for yrs, same with basil and sage.
I do like your set up Phil, and of course daughter is what we call in Texas, Darlin.
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Feed them maters',.... Love the raised bed garden. Had one in every yard. Even grew strawberries in slits cut in a 40lb. bag of Miracle Grow garden soil, watered and fertilized with a 2 liter soda bottle. Worked like a champ, just a few pokes for drainage.
If you can get Chicken Poop fertilizer, it is better than standard cow manure types.
Still think your farm help looks like Nicole Kidman. ;)
Good Spring Crops to you. Spring for you, Fall for us, however, in South Florida, it's tomato season.. ;D
The only time I heard of chicken manure being used was a practice in Viet Nam where they would put a chicken coop over a pool used to raise fish for food. The cool air above the water make the chickens more productive and the Chicken Poop fed the fish.
I was aware of Cow and Horse manure needing to be "cooled" for up to 6 months to reduce the nitrogen levels so as not to "burn" the crop.
Elephant manure was said to be the best as it could be used fresh with no cool down. Best place to get it is when the circus is in town. They used to help you fill your truck with it for free.
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Phil, what exactly is the item you are using for the raised bed?
Appears to be some kind of bottomless water trough.
Thanks.
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Another thing, Phil.
I've been thinking about how this experience is working for your daughter.
She is learning mechanical skills; harder labor in the shoveling; care an maintenance lessons in tending the garden; and a great lessson in the rewards of hard work with food her work helped put on the table for her family. Then there will be the reward of the best vegetables she has ever tasted all do to her working hard.
All the skills and knowledge of gardening is a big bonus too.
Great lessons...
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Phil, what exactly is the item you are using for the raised bed?
Appears to be some kind of bottomless water trough.
Thanks.
They basically are. A while ago some one cottoned on to using corrugated rain water tanks that was no longer being used, cutting them in half and making raised garden beds, they was cheap and easily done by any DIY person with a grinder or metal shears.
Then some one thought hell we could make money out of this and started forming their own corrugated "style" garden beds, of course these are now popular among elderlie, yuppies and people with small yards and cost 5x as much. LOL
You can make them yourself though out of old orchard bins brought from farms or supermarkets that no longer want the old ones, simply drag them home place where you want. You can if you want fill them half way with bulky material to save on the amount of soil you have to use to fill them with, after all most vegies only need at max 1 ft of soil to grow, some only a few inches. Go mad I say grow your own and give the finger to the multinational supermarkets.
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Another thing, Phil.
I've been thinking about how this experience is working for your daughter.
She is learning mechanical skills; harder labor in the shoveling; care an maintenance lessons in tending the garden; and a great lessson in the rewards of hard work with food her work helped put on the table for her family. Then there will be the reward of the best vegetables she has ever tasted all do to her working hard.
All the skills and knowledge of gardening is a big bonus too.
Great lessons...
that was a lot of the reason behind doing it
+ what Rob Added
They basically are. A while ago some one cottoned on to using corrugated rain water tanks that was no longer being used, cutting them in half and making raised garden beds, they was cheap and easily done by any DIY person with a grinder or metal shears.
Then some one thought hell we could make money out of this and started forming their own corrugated "style" garden beds, of course these are now popular among elderlie, yuppies and people with small yards and cost 5x as much. LOL
You can make them yourself though out of old orchard bins brought from farms or supermarkets that no longer want the old ones, simply drag them home place where you want. You can if you want fill them half way with bulky material to save on the amount of soil you have to use to fill them with, after all most vegies only need at max 1 ft of soil to grow, some only a few inches. Go mad I say grow your own and give the finger to the multinational supermarkets.
That's it ;D