OKay, I am officially back! - Page 3

dmforcier · April 16, 2017

OKay, I am officially black!

Huh? What? How? .. Did you need a court order? Special dispensation?

WAYDAMINUT!

Never mind. Dirty glasses.

Rockporter · April 16, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by coronabarb

Rockporter, it is exciting to have you back and read how much fun you are having in your garden. It is good for the soul, no matter how much or little you can do. Still waiting for our cold rainy season to end and warm weather to start here in Oregon. Everyone is behind on gardening chores. Stop hogging all the sunshine down there!!

Haha, but you will be happy in the garden when I'm inside in the air conditioning to get cool from the heat and humidity. There won't be much out there in the heat of summer.

Rockporter · April 16, 2017

More work done there now. We took apart that one 4'x4'(really 42" square) that needed a new bottom in it. The bottom frame piece was rotting too, so we took it apart and set aside the remaining frame. We moved all the cinder blocks it was raised up on and moved all the onions, leeks and chives over in that spot. Then we setup the cattle panel arched trellis using the space the onions, leeks and chives were in for a walkway. I measured it at 55" wide pathway.

To save my landscape cloth from getting more holes in it after we set it down there we attached a 2"x2" board on the bottom 50" ends of it by drilling at each point end, and then on the opposite side we drilled holes all the way through. Next step was to use zip ties through each hole securing the cattle panel to the boards on each ends, we used 10 zip ties per 50" end. This made the poking end sink into the board with no chance of the panel making more holes in my landscape cloth. One end is held between cinder blocks running along each side, then I have two earth boxes on top of the outside cinder block(s). This is holding the panel in place on that side.

The other side of the cattle panel is placed against the 4'x4' (really 42" square) garden bed that is also on cinder blocks, then the the cattle panel is secured to that bed using 1"x2" board fully across it and screwed in. This holds the entire 50" width cattle panel to the 4"x4" bed. It shouldn't be going anywhere.

Final step here, transplant my cantaloupe into the earthbox's so they can trellis up the cattle panel arch. Oh, and I moved my newly seeded flowers and herbs inside the arch and on each side. We'll see how many can stay depending upon how big they get and whether it is too much shade for them when the cantaloupe get moving. Best part about it is they are all in some kind of easily moved container.

Yep, it's really happening and today I had three blushing cherry tomatoes I picked ahead of the rain we are supposed to get. It better come, I need it to make my earth box soil wet.

This has now left me with about 11 cinder blocks to use in other areas of the yard. Thinking about using it to frame in my compost area to try to keep the weeds from encroaching in. I think we can lay some cardboard down, wet it, and put the cinder blocks on top of it. Repeat as needed.

Rockporter · April 16, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmforcier

OKay, I am officially black!

Huh? What? How? .. Did you need a court order? Special dispensation?

WAYDAMINUT!

Never mind. Dirty glasses.

Silly Silly Silly person your are, lol.

Worth1 · April 16, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmforcier

OKay, I am officially black!

Huh? What? How? .. Did you need a court order? Special dispensation?

WAYDAMINUT!

Never mind. Dirty glasses.

I saw the same thing at first.

Worth

Rockporter · April 16, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I saw the same thing at first.

Worth

Hahaha, I had to take a double take on that one. I went back to my original title to make sure I hadn't spelled wrong, lol.

Rockporter · April 19, 2017

Seeded some bush blue lake beans today in with the bush cucumbers. Right next to the other side of the trellis for some support. Although they won't climb the trellis it will give them support on that side and the cage for the bush cucumber will support the other side.

Those three tomatoes off my husky cherry were kind of sour, not sweet at all, is that normal?

Rockporter · April 21, 2017

I transplanted the homestead heritage that survived the animal taking all of it's stems off. It was hidden between another homestead and a roma tomato plant. I didn't realized how big it had grown under there, but it is very lanky because it was struggling for sunshine. So, I transplanted it and cut most of the limbs off and all the blooms in hopes it will survive the latest handling. Something tells me this is one very strong tomato plant.

Rockporter · April 22, 2017

I am amazed by my eyes today. I thought they were deceiving me this morning when I was out in the garden. I see that 5 of the 9 bean seeds I sowed just 2 days ago are coming up already. I used innoculent I bought with the seeds. I didn't soak the bean seeds at all, just put them in the hole and added innoculent. Amazement!

Rockporter · May 7, 2017

I have been picking cherry tomatoes for a few days now and I have picked a couple of roma's as well. Today I picked a homestead heritage tomato. I seeded two more bell peppers and three basil today. The ones in the pots with the tomatoes are getting too much shade from the tomatoes and not growing well. I also seeded some contender green beans for hubby in the hopes they look something like an italian green bean. From what I read online for reviews of them some say they are quite tasty and others say they taste like they are eating grass. So, I can only hope we like them.

We built another trellis the other day using 2x2's for the frame and I attached the grids to it with zip ties. This is an A frame with two sides only and I can use them separately as well. I can also lay them on their long side for shorter crops when needed. For now I have planted some sugar baby watermelons and will trellis those on the A frame. We put them in one of the the 3' x 8' garden beds and attached the tops together using zip ties. It should be very stable there.

My blue lake bush beans are doing well and the bush cucumber next to it is growing like crazy requiring alot of tying it up to keep it within the cage. The cantaloupe is also doing well with one little baby I am hoping makes it, lots of flowers on all four of the plants, and have done a lot of tying that up to the trellis as well. They are getting big enough now that I will start feeding the limbs into the trellis and tie here and there as needed.

My peas are doing well with many pods forming with some at least 2.5 inches now.

Finally, I pulled a few onions today because the tops have fallen over and I needed to water the rest since I had delayed watering for a couple of days to allow the fallen onions to sit a bit. I'm glad I decided to do it today because the soil was moist but pretty dry also, if that makes any sense.

Rockporter · May 13, 2017

My garden has come along real well, I just discovered that shade has finally found it's way to my garden which had none previously. It's all due to the trellises built and the cover built over the two 3'x8' beds. Those don't even have shade cloth on them, it's just the wood up above them that is providing shade on the NW side. My whole garden has some nice shade right now, well the plants help too. I also saw a bee this morning working on the cantaloupe flowers up on the trellis, and I just saw one again out there this evening.

Rockporter · May 18, 2017

WOOHOOOOOOOOOO! I have four cantaloupe babies, Yay!

Rockporter · May 18, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockporter

I transplanted the homestead heritage that survived the animal taking all of it's stems off. It was hidden between another homestead and a roma tomato plant. I didn't realized how big it had grown under there, but it is very lanky because it was struggling for sunshine. So, I transplanted it and cut most of the limbs off and all the blooms in hopes it will survive the latest handling. Something tells me this is one very strong tomato plant.

Sadly this plant has not put out any flowers as of yet. I wonder how long I should wait before I pull it. I could plant some pole beans in it's place.

Worth1 · May 18, 2017

If you have more I wouldn't waste my time on it and plant beans.
You know as well as I it is getting way hot for tomato bloom set.
I cant wait for pollinated baby watermelons.
Worth

Rockporter · May 18, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

If you have more I wouldn't waste my time on it and plant beans.
You know as well as I it is getting way hot for tomato bloom set.
I cant wait for pollinated baby watermelons.
Worth

Yep, I thought the same thing. This is in front of my big trellis, what could I plant to trellis on that. I don't have any pole bean seeds. I could buy some tonight when I go to the store though, if needed. I have crookneck, zuchinni and acorn squash seeds, all of which are bush plants.

April 16, 2017	#33
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	More work done there now. We took apart that one 4'x4'(really 42" square) that needed a new bottom in it. The bottom frame piece was rotting too, so we took it apart and set aside the remaining frame. We moved all the cinder blocks it was raised up on and moved all the onions, leeks and chives over in that spot. Then we setup the cattle panel arched trellis using the space the onions, leeks and chives were in for a walkway. I measured it at 55" wide pathway. To save my landscape cloth from getting more holes in it after we set it down there we attached a 2"x2" board on the bottom 50" ends of it by drilling at each point end, and then on the opposite side we drilled holes all the way through. Next step was to use zip ties through each hole securing the cattle panel to the boards on each ends, we used 10 zip ties per 50" end. This made the poking end sink into the board with no chance of the panel making more holes in my landscape cloth. One end is held between cinder blocks running along each side, then I have two earth boxes on top of the outside cinder block(s). This is holding the panel in place on that side. The other side of the cattle panel is placed against the 4'x4' (really 42" square) garden bed that is also on cinder blocks, then the the cattle panel is secured to that bed using 1"x2" board fully across it and screwed in. This holds the entire 50" width cattle panel to the 4"x4" bed. It shouldn't be going anywhere. Final step here, transplant my cantaloupe into the earthbox's so they can trellis up the cattle panel arch. Oh, and I moved my newly seeded flowers and herbs inside the arch and on each side. We'll see how many can stay depending upon how big they get and whether it is too much shade for them when the cantaloupe get moving. Best part about it is they are all in some kind of easily moved container. Yep, it's really happening and today I had three blushing cherry tomatoes I picked ahead of the rain we are supposed to get. It better come, I need it to make my earth box soil wet. This has now left me with about 11 cinder blocks to use in other areas of the yard. Thinking about using it to frame in my compost area to try to keep the weeds from encroaching in. I think we can lay some cardboard down, wet it, and put the cinder blocks on top of it. Repeat as needed. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~ Last edited by Rockporter; April 16, 2017 at 09:33 PM.

April 19, 2017	#37
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	Seeded some bush blue lake beans today in with the bush cucumbers. Right next to the other side of the trellis for some support. Although they won't climb the trellis it will give them support on that side and the cage for the bush cucumber will support the other side. Those three tomatoes off my husky cherry were kind of sour, not sweet at all, is that normal? __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

April 21, 2017	#38
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I transplanted the homestead heritage that survived the animal taking all of it's stems off. It was hidden between another homestead and a roma tomato plant. I didn't realized how big it had grown under there, but it is very lanky because it was struggling for sunshine. So, I transplanted it and cut most of the limbs off and all the blooms in hopes it will survive the latest handling. Something tells me this is one very strong tomato plant. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

April 22, 2017	#39
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I am amazed by my eyes today. I thought they were deceiving me this morning when I was out in the garden. I see that 5 of the 9 bean seeds I sowed just 2 days ago are coming up already. I used innoculent I bought with the seeds. I didn't soak the bean seeds at all, just put them in the hole and added innoculent. Amazement! __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 7, 2017	#40
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I have been picking cherry tomatoes for a few days now and I have picked a couple of roma's as well. Today I picked a homestead heritage tomato. I seeded two more bell peppers and three basil today. The ones in the pots with the tomatoes are getting too much shade from the tomatoes and not growing well. I also seeded some contender green beans for hubby in the hopes they look something like an italian green bean. From what I read online for reviews of them some say they are quite tasty and others say they taste like they are eating grass. So, I can only hope we like them. We built another trellis the other day using 2x2's for the frame and I attached the grids to it with zip ties. This is an A frame with two sides only and I can use them separately as well. I can also lay them on their long side for shorter crops when needed. For now I have planted some sugar baby watermelons and will trellis those on the A frame. We put them in one of the the 3' x 8' garden beds and attached the tops together using zip ties. It should be very stable there. My blue lake bush beans are doing well and the bush cucumber next to it is growing like crazy requiring alot of tying it up to keep it within the cage. The cantaloupe is also doing well with one little baby I am hoping makes it, lots of flowers on all four of the plants, and have done a lot of tying that up to the trellis as well. They are getting big enough now that I will start feeding the limbs into the trellis and tie here and there as needed. My peas are doing well with many pods forming with some at least 2.5 inches now. Finally, I pulled a few onions today because the tops have fallen over and I needed to water the rest since I had delayed watering for a couple of days to allow the fallen onions to sit a bit. I'm glad I decided to do it today because the soil was moist but pretty dry also, if that makes any sense. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~ Last edited by Rockporter; May 7, 2017 at 11:49 PM.

May 13, 2017	#41
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	My garden has come along real well, I just discovered that shade has finally found it's way to my garden which had none previously. It's all due to the trellises built and the cover built over the two 3'x8' beds. Those don't even have shade cloth on them, it's just the wood up above them that is providing shade on the NW side. My whole garden has some nice shade right now, well the plants help too. I also saw a bee this morning working on the cantaloupe flowers up on the trellis, and I just saw one again out there this evening. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 18, 2017	#42
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	WOOHOOOOOOOOOO! I have four cantaloupe babies, Yay! __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 18, 2017	#44
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	If you have more I wouldn't waste my time on it and plant beans. You know as well as I it is getting way hot for tomato bloom set. I cant wait for pollinated baby watermelons. Worth