Garden thread.

peg_688 · May 05, 2007, 11:27:10 PM

Finally got the garden planted today

Almost a month later than last year but adding the cow poop was a neccesary job . We'll see if it pay's off now

glenn-k · May 05, 2007, 11:39:42 PM

Why look at that -- it's growing already.

glenn-k · May 06, 2007, 12:14:34 AM

How tall are you -- 6'1" -- :-? I didn't know they stacked it that high.

OK so much for the old high school jokes.

Looking at your pictures the first one looks like your little lettuce plants are walking over to the rows to plant themselves.

No -- I'm not smoking anything.

MountainDon · May 06, 2007, 12:19:24 AM

That would have made a cool animation series.

glenn-k · May 06, 2007, 12:38:18 AM

I guess I can't hold a candle to you. I kept telling mine, lettuce go to the garden and cover our feet with dirt, but they just kept looking at me with that blank look on their faces -- like I was stupid or something. :-/

Hey guess what I did today. I went up on the roof of my shop and picked breakfast. Strawberries - then I added some coconut frosted cake Sassy made and some ice cream and some whipped cream -- breakfast of champions. Yum.

MountainDon · May 06, 2007, 12:44:42 AM

I am so jealous :'(

glenn-k · May 06, 2007, 12:47:52 AM

Jump in the Jeep - come on over - I have some left and I'll share.

benevolance · May 06, 2007, 08:56:36 PM

No berries or cactus....Have the tomatoes coming along pretty well....Not so sure about the carrots potatoes corn and turnips...I did a internet search on the ten easiest vegetables to grow...and that is what I am growing basically

Hard to buy a PH tester in this town....I have just been mixing horse manure with potting soil a little compost and the almost 100% sand that was there....Watering with a mixture of miracle grow....Hoping for the best.... Read somewhere that if you water tomatoes religiously every day or so they are foolproof.....We will see....

MountainDon · May 06, 2007, 10:14:14 PM

Many years ago, before moving to the desert, we had a vegetable garden in the backyard. We never has a problem with peas, green and yellow wax beans, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, green onions, yellow onions, rhubarb, lettuce, cabbage. We did have a problem with cutworms and the young tomato plants tho'. Found a ring cut from a paper cup around each stem foiled them until the plants were thick and woody enough.

Potatoes we grew in the country at a friends farm. No problems with them, if hoed and hilled properly. Had room for corn there as well.

Too much trouble in the heat/dryness of the desert tho' The soil right around here would need a lot of work as well a constant watering. Not enough rainfall most years to bother with rainwater collection as far as a return on the dollar.

But the cacti grow by themselves. Break a pad off, shove it in the ground, keep it moist for a while and, there ya' go with another cactus plant.

G/L Peter

And plan on a place to make a compost bin for the fall.

glenn-k · May 07, 2007, 12:41:51 AM

So is it nopales por desayuno, Don? How about cactus jelly - any fruit coming on? I hear you can torch the needles off so you don't get stuck while working with them.

The deer around here take a bite once in a while. I have some crippled cactus pads. I wonder if the needles bother them -- serves them right for eating my plants though. I never eat their stuff. :-/

My lichens look like your lichens Don. Rocks even look similar. Ours are on greenstone or green andesite. I like'm.

MountainDon · May 07, 2007, 01:09:48 AM

That's breakfast I think :-/ I'm not much of a breakfast chef... Cheerios. Dry. Don't care for milk. Don't care for the Cheerios either, but something good happened to my cholesterol after I began eating 'em, so I better not stop.

Yep, get a torch out; burn 'em off. Slash with a knife, brush on Olive Oil, and grill them with chicken or steak.

Looks like there should be a bunch of fruit again this year.

I never eat deer food (as far as I know), but I eat them!

The last Bambi's Dad was tasty.

I'm also waiting to see if the pinon's are going to have many nuts this year... varies year to year. I don't like them much but have friends who do and will trade other home grown food for them.

My lichen rock came from SE Utah. Part of my legally allowed rock collecting from public lands under BLM rules.

Today I just realized my lichens are color co-ordinated with my house trim... subconsciously trying to blend in?

MountainDon · May 07, 2007, 04:24:36 PM

Depends.

The rules vary, just like the rocks. First of all just to be clear, the public lands I'm talking about do NOT include National or State Parks and National Monuments. Those are totally off limits for collecting of any kind.

It gets interesting when you get into the National Forests, Grasslands and Recreation Areas and lands managed by the BLM, school trusts, State Lands, etc.. Removal of a small amount of rock would not get you in trouble; it's a little vague though. The words personal use, reasonable quantity, small amount, not for resale, abound in the regulations. I've seen a 5 gallon container listed as a suitable amount. Ditto a wheelbarrow, tho' no size listed. These are annual amounts. The BLM also has a prohibition on collected rock being used in any construction; fire pits, retaining walls, foundations, etc. For that a permit would be needed. And of course some areas may still be put off limits for whatever reason or rule interpretation they may decide on. Also tho' it isn't stated it would probably be a good idea to stay away from some places such as keeping 300 feet away from any antiquities, historical sites and the like. That follows the 300 ft rule for camping near these.

No power or mechanized tools (skid steers get special mention) are allowed, only manual labor, shovels, picks, pry bars, etc.. FYI, the BLM also frowns darkly on the use of vehicle mounted winches when used for trail maintenance like moving large boulders out of the way, but that can vary between divisional offices.

(personal experience)

Smaller quantities of rock are on the honor system, no paper work or reporting required at all. For larger amounts of rock permits are available and they are pretty reasonable, $2 - 20 a ton depending on type of rock, sandstone is about $6. On the lower cost types there's a minimum billing amount from $10-20 or so. Nowadays scale receipts may be needed to prove weights removed.

Vertebrate fossils collection is prohibited, but it's okay to collect invertebrate fossils in the aforementioned small amounts. Artifacts, arrowheads, pottery parts or whole, feathers, basketry, even old bottles are prohibited from collection on all public lands.

Petrified wood has some special rules, no single piece larger than 25 lbs. and a 250 lb a year limit. Also the Utah BLM specifically prohibits the use of explosives for petrified wood collection.

I don't know if that applies to other states or not. The Utah BLM also frown on use of explosives for trail maintenance. It is, or maybe isn't, surprising how many really small pieces of sandstone can be rendered from a "two to three Ford Excursion size" boulder. :-?

glenn-k · May 07, 2007, 08:40:04 PM

Thanks for the info, Don -- it may keep my tit out of the ringer.

(Can I say that here :-?)

glenn-k · May 07, 2007, 10:34:21 PM

Sassy got some stuff planted and the drip system is working pretty fair.

MountainDon · May 07, 2007, 11:55:56 PM

The rocks look much nicer with some green stuff in the dirt

glenn-k · May 08, 2007, 12:03:12 AM

I should have gotten out there sooner for a pix- would have been better, but - I'm a bit slow today - helped a friend with a rammed earth wall yesterday.

glenn-k · May 08, 2007, 07:26:34 AM

A hose timer automatically turns on the water as many times as programmed for. Drippers water each plant or a row or a mini- sprinkler waters a large area. You never miss watering so if gone for a week things are still alive even during the 100 degree summer weeks. It uses only about 1/4 the water of a standard system. I used to install drip systems on vineyard etc.

Most hardware stores - Home Depot - etc carry the stuff - or some of it. A single hose controller is easiest to use most of the time. I guess I should do a little tutorial when I get time.

I didn't have time to read this but here is info.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/Garden/04702.html

http://www.irrigation.learnabout.info/dripirrigation.htm

http://www.cvwd.org/archive/lush&eff/lsh&ef7.htm

MountainDon · May 08, 2007, 09:59:22 AM

Yes, drip systems are great. If I wanted to take the time, effort to improve the soil I could likely make a go of a garden here using drippers. I do have a drip system for irrigating the trees, because they thrive much better with a little extra water. Even the Pinon Pines, a tree native to the area are much happier with a little assist. It gives them the extra strength to resist disease. Mine is "hard plumbed", has several branches timed differently for the different needs and sizes of trees.

One thing that probably doesn't come into play for most. Do not try to use a drip system to use recycled gray water. The gray water usually has too much particulate matter and will clog the drippers.

benevolance · May 08, 2007, 01:49:58 PM

I notice that even the trees here love a little extra water...And we get a fair amount of rain here in SC

There are some dogwoods and a japanese Maple that love a little extra water here. They are small and look much better now that I am watering them semi regularily...

glenn-k · May 08, 2007, 10:33:05 PM

That's the purpose of drip system on timers, Peter. It doesn't water semi-regularly. It waters regularly.

Garden thread.

peg_688

glenn-k

peg_688

glenn-k

MountainDon

peg_688

glenn-k

MountainDon

glenn-k

MountainDon

benevolance

MountainDon

glenn-k

MountainDon

glenn-k

MountainDon

glenn-k

glenn-k

MountainDon

glenn-k

benevolance

glenn-k

MountainDon

benevolance

glenn-k